The wooden carving Dr. Qiao had given Jiang Li before was placed in front of the window. Worried that it would get wet and damp from the rain, she quickly moved it to another place.
Looking at the Shihuai bird and the rose, she gently touched them with her hand and carefully placed them on the shelf.
The rain outside was not heavy. Jiang Li lay on the windowsill and stretched out her arm to catch the raindrops.
It was ice - cold, and the cool wind also blew into the room, making one instantly sober.
The raindrops flowed along her arm all the way to her fingertips, then dripped down into the dark night.
She lowered her head to look at the falling raindrops. As a result, she saw that beside the warm - yellow street lamp downstairs, there was a person standing there, holding an umbrella.
The rain was even finer under the dim street lamp. She couldn't see the face of the person holding the umbrella, only the white shirt and black pants, which were very eye - catching in the night.
The fingers of the hand holding the umbrella were long and the knuckles were particularly distinct. Standing upright in the rain, the person remained spotless, with a natural sense of aloofness.
The shadow under the lamp actually made one feel a bit lonely.
Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat.
She leaned out a bit to see clearly who was downstairs. Unexpectedly, the rain almost dripped into her eyes. She had to raise her hand to block the rain while looking down.
At the same time, the person seemed to sense something, and the umbrella was slightly lifted.
The man under the umbrella saw the window that had been opened at some point, with light shining out from inside.
Of course, he also saw the person in the light.
She was wearing a cotton nightgown, and the light in the room seemed to gild her outline with a layer of pale gold.
The rain was blowing everywhere by the wind. Their gazes met across a distance of several floors.
Jiang Li's breathing gradually slowed down.
That all - too - familiar face emerged bit by bit, still with the cold and unapproachable aura.
She didn't know if it was because the rainy night was too hazy, but Jiang Li actually felt that there was a touch of affection in those usually cold eyes.
Xiao Yanzhi stood there without moving for a long time.
He was like a statue.
It made people's emotions surge uncontrollably.
Jiang Li bit her lip, exhaled very softly, then raised her hand, closed the window, and drew the curtain.
The warm light in the room was also blocked out, and the window immediately went dark.
She didn't know why Xiao Yanzhi was downstairs or how long he had been standing there. But she could self - indulgently confirm one thing, that is, he came for her.
But what could he want from her?
It couldn't be that he was really in love with her and had feelings for her.
Thinking of the Moments post by the HR girl, Jiang Li laughed to herself.
Even though the window was tightly closed, the sound of the rain outside could still come in. Lying in bed, she could hear the raindrops hitting the leaves.
Maybe it was hitting the umbrella.
The next morning, the rain stopped.
Jiang Li woke up, drew the curtain, and her eyes involuntarily glanced downstairs. The area beside the street lamp was empty.
When she realized her own behavior, Jiang Li couldn't help but smile.
How could she think that he would wait for her downstairs all night? He was a businessman who always emphasized the return on investment. He would disdain to do such a meaningless thing.
It was just that Jingyi went out to buy breakfast in the morning and accidentally noticed that there was a small dry area downstairs of the apartment building, not a single drop of rain had fallen on it.
It was really strange.
The number of performances of the drama troupe had been changed to one show every Friday, and the actors could arrange their own time on other days.
Slowly, Jiang Li gradually accumulated a small wave of drama fans. After the performance, there were often fans running to her for autographs and group photos.
Later, some people even stuffed love letters for her, both boys and girls. The other actors joked that she was popular among both genders.
One day, after Jiang Li finished a performance, Xiaonan came in from outside and put a letter on Jiang Li's table with a smile: "Here, another love letter for you."
Jiang Li smiled, took it and opened it. When she saw the handwriting inside, she paused.
[I've watched your drama. You've made great progress.]
There was no signature, but just based on the strong and highly recognizable handwriting, it could only be him.
Was he watching her drama from the audience just now?
Jiang Li was stunned.
"Who is it this time?" Xiaonan saw her staring blankly at the letter and curiously leaned over. She glanced at the words on it in a hurry: "Oh, this must be written by a man. The handwriting is really nice."
Jiang Li hastily folded the letter, put it back into the envelope, and stuffed it into the drawer.
She didn't understand his intention.
After everyone in the backstage had left, Jiang Li took out her phone and wanted to call Xiao Yanzhi. But just before dialing, she hesitated and gave up.
What was the point of calling? Even if she called, what should she say?
She couldn't just thank him for the letter. After all, the letter didn't even have a signature. If she made a mistake, she would be ridiculed by him for being self - indulgent.
Xiao Ye only had a mild concussion. After the doctor checked and said there was no major problem, she was advised to go home and rest. She felt bored staying in the hospital, so she was soon discharged.
Sure enough, just as Jingyi said, since Xiao Ye came back, the whole house had become much livelier than before.
"You, even with a hurt leg, you can't keep your mouth shut." Sister Chen tapped Xiao Ye's bowl with her chopsticks: "Shut up and eat properly."
Xiao Ye lowered her head dejectedly, shrinking her head like a quail, which made Jingyi and Jiang Li can't help but laugh.
After dinner, Sister Chen proposed to go back to Beicheng in a few days: "Xiao Ye and Jingyi's parents have settled in Beicheng. They should go back and visit during festivals."
Jiang Li also agreed: "Sister Chen, you should go back too. Xixi is so young and has been boarding for so long. She must miss you."
"Alright, this girl just called me the other day." Sister Chen nodded. "You come back with me too. It'll be more lively with more people."
Jiang Li said with a smile: "I won't go back. It's a rare chance for you two to get together. I'll stay in Huacheng to take care of the house."
She didn't want to go back to Beicheng.
It was already autumn in Beicheng. The temperature there was much lower than in Huacheng, and the air was relatively dry. She said she would suffer from acclimatization if she went back.
Sister Chen said it was strange that she could be acclimatized in a place where she had lived for more than twenty years.
Jiang Li just smiled and didn't answer.
She thought the Mid - Autumn Festival arrangement had been settled, but the next day Qiao Jinrun asked her about her Mid - Autumn Festival plan.
"What about you, Dr. Qiao? Are you going home?"
"Yeah, I may go back." Qiao Jinrun paused for a while and then said, "Do you want to go back with me this year?"
Jiang Li looked at him.
"My parents think they didn't entertain you well last time. They want to invite you to our house and have a reunion dinner together."
"My sister's condition is not very good. She may have to be euthanized next year. Do you want to go and see her? She might be very happy."
Jiang Li was stunned for a moment. The words she originally wanted to decline politely got stuck in her throat.
Next year.
She only paused for two seconds before answering: "Okay."