Jiang Li looked at Xiao Yanzhi and said with a smile, "Mr. Xiao, I think..."
"Just call me by my name."
Jiang Li's heart suddenly tightened. It was a strange emotion.
"You've just terminated your contract with Jiangyu. There's no longer a superior - subordinate relationship between us. This title isn't appropriate for you."
Jiang Li caught her breath, and her throat went dry. After struggling for a long time, she finally managed to say, "Xiao... Xiao Yanzhi."
She spoke so fast that she wanted to quickly get past that address. "I think you don't need to waste your energy and money on a movie that won't make money."
"This isn't a waste."
Jiang Li swallowed twice and still wanted to argue. "You're a businessman. You should consider the economic and consumption costs, instead of doing things out of passion."
Doing things out of passion?
Xiao Yanzhi, who was used to looking at financial reports and international economic weeklies every day, found this phrase rather novel when he heard it out of the blue. He repeated it in a questioning tone, "What does 'doing things out of passion' mean?"
"It means doing something you like without considering the cost and return, just for the sake of being happy." Jiang Li was afraid he wouldn't understand, so she explained it.
Xiao Yanzhi nodded to show that he understood. Then, imitating her tone, he said, "Do you mean that I can't 'do things out of passion'?"
Jiang Li felt a bit embarrassed for a moment. "It's not that you can't... But what do you like?"
She was sure in her heart that Xiao Yanzhi probably hadn't even watched this movie. She straightened her chest and said, "Do you love this movie, or the plot of the story? Or..."
"Can't the object of this 'passion' be a person?"
Xiao Yanzhi helplessly rubbed his forehead. For a moment, he didn't know if Jiang Li was pretending to be stupid or really was.
Only then did Jiang Li recall her own explanation of the phrase: doing something for something you like without considering the cost and return, just for the sake of being happy...
So, the reason he was "doing things out of passion" was because of her.
Jiang Li looked up and said seriously, "You've got it wrong. I'm not a thing."
Xiao Yanzhi: "..."
Jiang Li realized that what she said was inappropriate and immediately panicked and explained, "I mean! I'm not an item. I didn't mean that I'm not a decent person. I couldn't possibly scold myself..."
She was rambling in a mess, but the smile on Xiao Yanzhi's face became more and more obvious. His eyes on her gradually deepened, and he followed her words, "Well, you're right."
His doting tone made Jiang Li's cheeks flush. She instantly lost her composure and became at a loss. Her mind also started to go blank.
"Jiang Li, the reason I'm doing this is simply because I appreciate your acting skills. I also don't want this work that has cost so many people's efforts to be like a dusty pearl and never see the light of day. That would be such a pity."
"But..." Jiang Li hesitated to speak, but it seemed that she had no reason to refuse him anymore.
Even if she was proud and didn't want to accept Xiao Yanzhi's help, she had to consider the whole crew, the feelings of Director Ying, and the hopes of other actors.
This movie wasn't completed by her alone. It was the result of everyone's joint efforts. It was a rare opportunity, and she didn't have the right to refuse for everyone.
After a long time, she sat up straight and looked at Xiao Yanzhi very sincerely. At this time, there was no longer any alienation in her eyes. "Thank you for giving this movie a chance and giving our whole crew a chance."
"It's okay." Xiao Yanzhi nodded.
At this time, the atmosphere between the two of them had eased a lot.
"Come on. Go back to my office with me to sign the contract." Xiao Yanzhi said calmly, "The contract for overseas re - export has been drawn up. The leading actress has to sign a new contract."
Jiang Li nodded, got up, and followed Xiao Yanzhi out of the waiting room. The two walked side by side to the office door. When they stopped, Xiao Yanzhi invited Jiang Li to go in first.
After the office door closed, the whispers came one after another -
"Sure enough, Sister Jiang Li and Mr. Xiao look well - matched together."
"I feel that Mr. Xiao has changed. Is he trying to win Sister Jiang Li back?"
"I don't think so. Didn't they say before that Yu Wan was Mr. Xiao's first love and white moonlight? Maybe this is just a business cooperation."
"..."
In the office.
Jiang Li bent over the desk and read all the contracts. Then she signed her name neatly, inserted the pen into the pen holder, and handed the contract over. "I've signed."
Xiao Yanzhi took it and casually put it aside. He asked her, "Why did you come back so soon? I informed you yesterday, and you're back today."
"I came back with Uncle Sheng yesterday." Jiang Li looked relaxed. "His wife stayed in Beicheng for a while before. There are his memories of her here, so I accompanied him back to have a look."
As soon as she said it, Jiang Li came to her senses. She remembered that Xiao Yanzhi didn't want her to get too close to Sheng Shuocheng before. Her heart tightened, and she guessed that he was going to scold her again.
But Xiao Yanzhi's expression remained unchanged. His look was gentle, and he calmly replied to her, "Really? That's quite a coincidence."
There was no sarcasm as she had imagined, nor any comment on her getting too close to Sheng Shuocheng. It was just an ordinary chat.
At this moment, Jiang Li was in a daze.
He had really changed, and a lot.
He no longer forcefully disciplined her. Instead, he chatted with her easily, and he didn't even ask one more in - depth question.
"Where are you going next? Do you need my driver to take you?" Xiao Yanzhi asked casually. "He's free anyway."
Jiang Li didn't want to trouble him, and she didn't want to make a big deal out of it and let people misunderstand. So she shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll take a taxi later."
Xiao Yanzhi didn't insist anymore. He just nodded slightly. "Okay. Pay attention to your safety on the way."
It was just an ordinary conversation.
Jiang Li inexplicably felt empty - hearted. She immediately stood up from the chair. "Then I'll go back first. Bye."
Just as she was about to leave, Xiao Yanzhi suddenly called her. His eyes on her became meaningful. "Jiang Li, really nothing happened in this office that day."
Jiang Li turned around. When her eyes swept over Xiao Yanzhi, she accidentally saw something very familiar.
"That day, I brought a business partner here to discuss business. The partner knew Yu Wan, and there was a history between them. So Yu Wan was desperate and tried to threaten me in that way, but I didn't let her succeed. I immediately had someone send her away... Lili, are you listening, Lili?"
Halfway through his explanation, Xiao Yanzhi suddenly found that Jiang Li seemed a bit distracted. Her eyes were also looking in the wrong direction. "Lili, what are you looking at?"
He looked in the direction of Jiang Li's gaze curiously and also looked at the tea table in his office.
There was a USB flash drive on the table, which Xue An had sent over early this morning -
"Mr. Xiao, all the content inside has been restored. You can play it at any time!"
That's what Xue An had said at that time.