Jiang Li stared blankly at the portrait, while Xiao Yanzhi looked down at her.
She was looking extremely intently, and it was obvious that there was a look of surprise in her eyes.
"Does it not look like you?"
"It looks very much like me."
Just in terms of painting skills, he was truly excellent. The brushstrokes and details were all well - depicted. "It's at the level of those who can set up a booth on the street and charge for painting portraits."
Xiao Yanzhi didn't expect such an evaluation and let out a soft laugh. "But you look so surprised."
"I'm just feeling surprised," Jiang Li said. "I didn't know you could paint."
Moreover, he painted so well.
When Jiang Li was in school, the class next to hers was an art class. The art students there would put their carefully painted works at the door for display every day.
When Jiang Li was tired from studying, she would go and look at their paintings, but none of them were as good as the one Xiao Yanzhi had painted in just a few dozen minutes.
It was obvious that he had a talent for painting and must have practiced hard later on.
"Not many people know about this anyway. I haven't painted for a long time. You should be one of the few who know."
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her, thought for a while and then continued, "The eldest son of the Xiao family has had all the roads for his future paved since birth. From what major to study, to the field to engage in after graduation, and even his life for the next few decades - of course, including marriage - all have been set on a pre - determined track."
"There is no option of learning to paint on this track."
Jiang Li was stunned and involuntarily said, "But you still paint very well."
Xiao Yanzhi saw the confusion in her eyes and said with a smile, "It's not that I can't paint, but if I were to make painting my lifelong career and dream, it would be an impossible thing."
He rubbed the outer shell of the pencil with his fingertips and silently smiled. "The first thing I did against my family's wishes in my life was to paint hard in high school. I secretly ran out to take painting classes and hid the paintings I had done under my bed. There were probably hundreds of them. My teacher at that time even asked me if I could make a painting collection so that he could sell it."
It was obvious that he had a great longing to be a painter and also had the ability to become an excellent one.
To have reached a level in high school that was sufficient to make a painting collection, one could imagine how great his potential would be if he became a painter in the future.
"What about those paintings? Were they published into a collection?"
"I burned them."
Jiang Li's eyes widened in shock. "… Burned them?"
She could hardly imagine that the end of hundreds of paintings like the one in her hand, maybe even more beautiful ones, was not to be made into a painting collection but to turn into ashes in the fire.
"Yes, I burned them. One day, the cleaning aunt found them and handed them over to my mother."
When Xiao Yanzhi mentioned these things, his expression was very casual. "My parents warned me that if I had any more improper thoughts, they would tear down my teacher's painting studio."
It was obviously the purest dream and hobby of his youth, but it was forcibly strangled without hesitation. Just listening to it, Jiang Li felt sorry.
Seeing the pity on her face, Xiao Yanzhi couldn't help laughing. "Actually, it doesn't matter that the paintings were burned, but my teacher was my enlightenment teacher in painting. I didn't want to affect his life."
He was his mentor and shouldn't have been treated unfairly just because of him. He still had his own artistic life.
"From that time on, I knew that my life was not determined by myself." He wanted to smoke again, but when he saw Jiang Li's eyes, his hand stopped halfway and was put back to his side. "Every step and every node of my future path has been perfectly and precisely planned. It will never change or be affected by my will, and I can't get rid of such a fetter, unless—"
"Unless?"
He said indifferently, "Unless I grow into a more powerful person."
These short words made Jiang Li tremble all over, even her back shivered.
One had to become a more powerful person.
"I take back my previous evaluation," Jiang Li said slowly after a while. "Actually, I think your paintings are great. Just like what your teacher said, they are at a level where you can become a painter."
Xiao Yanzhi lowered his eyes slightly and smiled casually. "Is that so? Thank you."
Whether he could become a painter or not was no longer that important to Xiao Yanzhi, who was nearly thirty years old.
He only had one way to go, which was to study finance, learn business, and learn how to take over the Xiao family from Xiao Yuanfeng, so that this business behemoth could sail more steadily and for a longer time.
For this reason, he had to give up some things that belonged to him.
Such as the dream of being a painter.
Jiang Li had never thought that someone like Xiao Yanzhi, who had been brought up being the center of attention, had never worried about food and clothing since childhood, and was noble and elegant, also had regrets and frustrations.
"Life is not a pre - determined railway track but an endless wilderness," Jiang Li said softly after being silent for a while. "People should at least live a small part of their lives for themselves."
She was not Xiao Yanzhi and couldn't truly feel his sense of family destiny and responsibility, but she felt sorry for his talent and passion.
"You're right," Xiao Yanzhi raised his eyes. His eyes were deep and his meaning was unclear. "I'm not a saint. There should always be a small part that I want to belong to myself."
Jiang Li listened silently.
"Besides painting, there is a second rebellious thing in my life."
"What is it?" Jiang Li asked.
Xiao Yanzhi looked deeply at her. After a long time, he said, "It's not important. Most likely, it will fail just like last time."
When he said this, there was an obvious trace of coldness and helplessness.
Jiang Li was really curious. Just as she was about to ask further, he changed the topic to her. "Because of these things, when you said you wanted to be an actress, a famous star, and the Chinese movie queen, I established Jiang Entertainment for you and put part of my focus and attention on the entertainment industry."
"You have the talent to be an actress and are full of passion for this industry. I'm very happy to invest in you."
Jiang Li was stunned. "Jiang Entertainment… was established for me?"
"Otherwise, what do you think?" Xiao Yanzhi lifted his eyelids and looked at her. "Apart from this reason, what reason do I have to open up an entertainment business that is neither beneficial nor harmful to the Xiao family under a series of mature business matrices?"
If it weren't for her, he wouldn't even have the idea of investing in this industry.
Jiang Li simply digested what he had said and slowly realized something. "So, because of your own experience, you wanted me to grow up and strive to achieve my own dream?"
"That's what I mean," Xiao Yanzhi nodded. He paused for a moment, as if there was something else he hadn't said and swallowed it in his throat.