"Li Li, what are your plans for the Mid - Autumn Festival? Are you going home to visit your parents?"
When the topic was thrown at her, she thought for a moment. Not wanting to talk too much about her private affairs, she said, "It's not certain yet. I'll decide later."
For her, the Mid - Autumn Festival was no different from other days.
The Mid - Autumn Festival was a time for family reunions, but she had lost her father, her mother didn't recognize her, and her younger brother was still in prison.
She had no one to reunite with.
But then she thought that even when her whole family was together, the Mid - Autumn Festival had never been anything special to her.
She was like a floating duckweed, used to drifting.
Loneliness was her norm.
Although she didn't have many performances these days, Jiang Li still spent her free time in the drama troupe.
After all, she wasn't a professional drama actor trained in a formal school. If she wanted to become professional quickly, she could only practice hard day after day.
Occasionally, Qiao Jinrun would come to accompany her.
Without other actors to act with her, Jiang Li mostly performed monologues, playing all the roles by herself.
When Qiao Jinrun was around, she would ask him to point out her problems and shortcomings so that she could quickly make adjustments and corrections.
She was overly diligent in acting.
Qiao Jinrun watched Jiang Li until she made the final curtain - call gesture. Every time, he would applaud.
"How was it? Are there still any problems this time?"
Jiang Li jumped off the stage. There were already fine beads of sweat on her forehead, but her eyes were bright as she awaited his evaluation.
"Yes."
As soon as he said this, Jiang Li immediately tensed up. "Which part?"
"You." Qiao Jinrun said calmly, "Turn around."
Jiang Li was confused but turned around obediently.
Soon, she felt a cool sensation on her neck, followed by a sharp pain. She couldn't help but cry out, "It hurts!"
Seeing her in pain, the man immediately let go.
"I noticed that some of your head - turning actions in the performance were a bit inflexible. I checked, and you have symptoms of muscle strain in your shoulders and neck."
His tone was gentle. "You need to rest, Jiang Li."
"For a moment, I thought I was in a clinic." Jiang Li couldn't help but laugh. "It's a minor problem. It's okay."
Qiao Jinrun withdrew his gaze. "If you don't pay attention usually, over time, your shoulders and neck will develop problems. The pain caused by bone deformation will accompany you into old age."
"… How scary." She sighed.
Seeing that she finally realized the seriousness of the problem, Qiao Jinrun asked her, "I once learned massage and acupuncture from an old Chinese doctor for a while. I think I can help you relax."
Jiang Li asked, "Do you charge?"
Qiao Jinrun let out a dumb - founded laugh and then said, "For you, it's free."
Since she had been practicing for an afternoon and it was about time, Jiang Li said with a smile that she wanted to have a free experience of Doctor Qiao's "massage technique".
The car stopped in front of an apartment building. Jiang Li asked Qiao Jinrun where they were.
"General Manager Sheng arranged this place for me. I've been staying here for a while." Qiao Jinrun casually explained, "The equipment is in my room. If you feel uncomfortable, I can go up and get it and come back down."
"It's not uncomfortable." Jiang Li waved her hand. "I might as well take a look around."
She had no need to be on guard against Doctor Qiao.
"That's good."
They got into the elevator. Qiao Jinrun entered the password and invited Jiang Li in.
There weren't many things in the apartment, and they were neatly arranged. There was a mint - like smell in the room, and it was very clean.
Qiao Jinrun always gave people a clean and tidy feeling, and it was comfortable to be with him.
"Wait for me in the living room." Qiao Jinrun walked into the room to get the equipment needed for acupuncture. Jiang Li changed her shoes at the entrance and sat obediently on the sofa waiting.
He had proposed to help her relax on a whim. Only after she agreed did Qiao Jinrun remember that acupuncture required taking off clothes.
Jiang Li didn't seem to care. She looked up at the French windows in the living room and said, "Could you please draw the curtains, Doctor Qiao?"
Qiao Jinrun walked over and drew the curtains.
A man who had followed them was standing downstairs. When he looked up, he happened to see the scene of Qiao Jinrun drawing the curtains. His eyes suddenly darkened, and his face turned cold.
It was broad daylight. It was one thing for the two of them to be in the same room, but why draw the curtains?
Xiao Yanzhi turned around and left.
After drawing the curtains, when Qiao Jinrun turned around, Jiang Li was already taking off her clothes. Her pullover T - shirt was already half - lifted, and he happened to catch a glimpse of her slender waist.
"… You're really quick." Qiao Jinrun coughed twice, quickly shifted his gaze, and turned his back. "Call me when you're done."
He didn't want to offend her.
"Is Doctor Qiao shy?" Jiang Li noticed something strange and joked with a smile, "I heard that doctors are gender - blind."
Qiao Jinrun was helpless. He rubbed his forehead and said with a smile, "But I'm also a normal man."
It was hard for a normal man not to have a reaction when seeing the woman he liked taking off her clothes.
Unless he was abnormal.
Jiang Li didn't care. "Anyway, if there's an accident and I'm on the operating table, I'll be seen naked anyway."
Except for life and death, everything else was a minor matter.
Qiao Jinrun still had his back to her. He paused for a moment before saying, "If that's the case, I hope that day will never come."
He hoped that he would never see her lying on the operating table.
Jiang Li took off her clothes, lay on the sofa, and called him. Only then did he turn around.
He walked over without looking sideways and whispered, "It might hurt a bit. Please bear with it."
Jiang Li suddenly asked, "Is it more painful than getting an injection?"
Qiao Jinrun was very honest. "It's much more painful than getting an injection."
Jiang Li immediately changed her expression. "Is it too late to regret now?"
Qiao Jinrun smiled and pressed her back. His voice was still gentle. "It's too late."
After a set of massage and acupuncture, Jiang Li complained non - stop. When she got up from the sofa, the pain in her back and neck made her shed tears.
"I'll never trust you again." Jiang Li concluded angrily, "Sure enough, doctors are all devils."
From now on, she would be afraid not only of injections but also of acupuncture.
It was almost evening when Jiang Li left Qiao Jinrun's apartment.
"Doctor Qiao, don't see me off. Thank you for your hard work today." Jiang Li stood still and motioned for him not to see her off anymore.
Qiao Jinrun didn't insist. He just watched her walk away and waved goodbye when she looked back.
After Jiang Li got back, perhaps the massage and acupuncture had taken effect, and a sense of fatigue suddenly hit her. She didn't even eat dinner. She went back to her room and fell asleep immediately.
When she woke up again, it was already a little after eleven at night.
Sister Chen and the others had already gone to bed, and it was quiet at night.
Jiang Li wasn't sleepy anymore. She walked to the window and looked out. It had started to rain at some point, and the room was a bit stuffy.
She opened the bedroom window. The damp wind mixed with raindrops blew in, making her breathing feel fresh, and the stuffiness dissipated a lot.