At this moment, Xiao Yanzhi had already removed his hand from the back of her head. His palm gently encircled her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
He leaned forward slightly with his upper body. With his other hand, he pinched her face, and his thumb rubbed her lips as he berated her unhurriedly.
The end of his voice rose slightly. It seemed like a self - soliloquy, but it was obviously meant for her. "If anyone should feel cold, it should be me."
"I was willing to buy a hundred houses and even allow you to live with other men. My heart should be completely cold by now."
He took her hand and pressed her soft little hand against his chest. Then, almost like a rascal, he said, "If you don't believe me, feel it. Isn't it really cold here?"
His chest was clearly burning hot.
Being coaxed so gently by him, Jiang Li felt extremely embarrassed and tried to pull her hand back. "You deserve it."
He found it funny, and his tone was gentle. "I deserve it. It's my fault. I'll reflect on it. Okay?"
He was as obedient as a big golden retriever. His attitude had changed so much that it was almost unrecognizable.
Jiang Li nodded in a daze. She was 100% sure that if she softened even a little bit now, she would completely sink into his tenderness.
For a moment, she really wanted to just indulge in this haze, not to pursue other details. It would be best if she could just muddle through.
"Tell me, how much longer do I have to wait?" He brushed aside the long hair on the side of her face, trying to see her eyes clearly. "Even a specific deadline, no matter how long or short it is."
His confident tone brought Jiang Li back to her senses a bit from the dreamy state.
Just as she was about to speak, the phone in her pocket rang.
"Li Li, where are you?" Sister Chen was worried about her on the other end of the phone. "Do you want me to pick you up?"
"No, I'm already downstairs." Jiang Li cleared her throat. Her voice was hoarse after being emotionally aroused. "I'll come up right away."
"Your nasal voice is so heavy. Did you get caught in the rain?" Sister Chen noticed something was wrong. "I'll make you some ginger soup to warm you up. I'll ask Jingyi to open the door for you later."
Jiang Li was extremely embarrassed.
Before Jiang Li could explain, the man took the phone away and hung up. He still held her in his arms, looking at her half - smiling, and deliberately asked, "Why is your nasal voice so heavy? Did you really catch a cold?"
She glared at him angrily.
"I'm going back." She covered her face. Her earlobes were burning hot, and she wanted to escape from his embrace.
"You haven't answered me yet." He changed from holding her to grabbing her wrist. "Li Li, what do you think now? Have you decided when to make up with me?"
He asked casually, as if he was already confident in the answer she would give.
Jiang Li was silent for a few seconds.
She finally understood why when Xiao Yanzhi said those romantic words so seriously, besides feeling happy, there was also an indescribable sense of uneasiness in her heart.
It was like walking on a cloud all the time. Although it was soft, one might fall at any time.
"So, you think I will definitely agree to be with you. It's just a matter of time."
"Otherwise?" Xiao Yanzhi hooked his lips, not realizing the problem yet. "In this situation, is there anyone more suitable than me?"
"Xiao Yanzhi." Jiang Li looked at him and called his name. "From our conversation just now until now, can I understand that you're going to pursue me like a normal man?"
"Yes."
After getting a positive answer, Jiang Li reached out and pushed him away, retreating to a safe distance. "Since that's the case, you should pursue a woman equally and fairly like a normal man."
"Do other men force the woman they're pursuing to give an answer within a certain time frame, and the answer must be positive?"
Jiang Li laughed. "This is not pursuit. This is harassment."
Xiao Yanzhi fell silent for a moment.
Previously, their relationship was maintained only because of the financial connection between them, and they could clearly tell who was superior.
But now, without this layer of relationship, everything had to start over.
Xiao Yanzhi still failed to see this point. He continued to arrange the development of everything according to his own thoughts and decisions, and even the results had to be as he predicted.
"Li Li, stop being angry, okay? What else do you think is wrong with me?"
Jiang Li smiled faintly. "Look, I'm talking to you seriously, but you think I'm just being angry."
"You unilaterally demand that I must make up with you. You say it's asking me to give you a deadline, but in fact, you're forcing me to get back together with you within a certain period. If I have the slightest thought of rejection, you'll classify it as 'being angry' or 'being unreasonable'."
Qiao Jinrun told her that liking someone didn't necessarily mean being together.
But Xiao Yanzhi was used to everything going smoothly, so he also wanted to be sure of success in his relationship.
He hadn't yet understood the complexity and delicacy of feelings. He just wanted to simply and straightforwardly get the result he wanted.
"When pursuing someone, one should be prepared to be rejected. It's wrong to pursue someone with the mindset of being sure to succeed."
"This is not love. It's just a desire to possess."
After Jiang Li said the last sentence, she turned around and was about to go upstairs.
Under the yellowish - orange light, Xiao Yanzhi finally spoke. His voice was deep. "… If that's the case, I'll try to learn how to love. Please wait for me. It's not too late, right?"
Jiang Li paused for a moment but didn't look back.
After Jiang Li left, Xiao Yanzhi bought a can of beer in the convenience store downstairs of her community. When passing by the counter with cigarettes, he hesitated for a few seconds.
"Check out."
When he walked to the door of the convenience store, the light wasn't as bright.
The can was opened with a "pop" sound as the gas was squeezed out.
Xiao Yanzhi tilted his head back. The beer tasted bitter.
---
Three days later, Sheng Shuocheng came to the drama troupe to look for Jiang Li in person.
When the big boss himself showed up, all the actors, including the troupe leader and the person in charge, were extremely nervous.
Everyone in the drama troupe knew that the whole troupe existed only to commemorate the big boss's late wife back then, so it was preserved.
Although the troupe's revenue was mediocre, even if it dropped to rock - bottom, it would never close down. It was a well - known "iron rice bowl" in the Shengshi Group.
Therefore, among the many enterprises under Sheng Shuocheng's control, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that this drama troupe was his beloved little daughter.
Even so, not many people in the troupe had seen the real face of the big boss.
Surprisingly, there wasn't the expected low - pressure atmosphere. Boss Sheng looked very amiable. He just asked about the recent situation in the troupe and showed concern for the other actors.
It wasn't until Jiang Li showed up that he waved and smiled, calling her over. "Jiang Li, come here."