Xiao Yanzhi put away his phone and rubbed his temples irritably. Then he opened the door more resolutely and walked out.
He had to hurry up and chase after her, or he'd miss her.
The door was only half - opened.
"Xiao Yanzhi! You don't even care about me, your mother, just for that woman without parents, right? You're not allowed to go!"
The threatening voice of Su Jialan came from behind.
Xiao Yanzhi didn't even pause in his steps.
Jiang Li had already completed the discharge procedures and just walked out of the hospital gate. The cold wind of early winter was already biting.
Jiang Li's short hair fluttered in the wind.
Sheng Jingxi noticed that Jiang Li was wearing too little and urged her to get in the car quickly so as not to catch a cold.
Jiang Li nodded and let out a sigh. She was about to turn her head towards the glass door but quickly stopped herself. Just as she was about to step down the stairs, a voice came from behind.
"Why didn't you turn back?"
Jiang Li's shoulders trembled. She slowly and stiffly turned around and stared blankly at Xiao Yanzhi standing there.
He was wearing a hospital gown. The cold wind blew through his body, making the hem of his gown billow.
His face was very pale, his hair was in a mess, there were dark circles under his eyes, and stubble had grown on his chin.
Jiang Li never thought that a man who was always high - spirited, elegant and noble could be so haggard now.
It seemed that he had run here. When he stood there, he was still breathing slightly, his chest rising and falling.
"Are you going to leave me alone again?"
He said it casually, and his voice was carried by the wind, calm as if nothing had happened.
But only he knew.
On the way here, how heavy his heart was and how strong his sense of panic was.
The moment he saw that figure behind the glass door, he even reached out his hand, trying to grab her.
"… You should stay in the hospital to recover."
Jiang Li bit her lips and averted her eyes. "I'm already better. I can be discharged."
Xiao Yanzhi said in a calm tone, "You sneaked into my ward yesterday, but today you're about to leave without a word. What is this if it's not leaving me behind?"
"I'm not." Jiang Li immediately denied.
"Not?" Xiao Yanzhi paused and looked at her scrutinizingly. "Jiang Li, we didn't finish our conversation last night. You still haven't given me an answer."
Jiang Li's breathing tightened slightly.
Sheng Jingxi saw Xiao Yanzhi and guessed most of the situation. He patted Jiang Li on the shoulder. "I'll get in the car first. Come over quickly after you're done talking."
Jiang Li nodded. She also wanted to talk to Xiao Yanzhi alone.
Xiao Yanzhi noticed the intimate gesture between Sheng Jingxi and Jiang Li, and his eyes darkened a bit.
He wanted to ask, but he knew this wasn't the right time.
"Li Li, didn't we agree in Huacheng?" Xiao Yanzhi walked closer step by step against the wind and calmly questioned her. "You wouldn't let me wait for too long, right? Why didn't you keep your promise?"
"I went to the airport earlier that day, but I didn't expect an accident to happen."
Jiang Li lowered her head and only answered the surface question. "Now I'm almost recovered. And I'm very busy. I still need to testify against Shang Zewen. I'm going to have dinner with Granny Cheng now to reassure her. I still have a lot of things to do -"
"But you said you were worried about me yesterday."
After listening to her chaotic explanation, he interrupted directly. "You said you were worried about me yesterday. Why did you change your attitude today?"
"Li Li, don't act in front of me, and don't be cold and hot towards me. It makes me very sad here."
As he said, he placed his hand on his chest. "It hurts here when you treat me like this."
Jiang Li knew there was a two - centimeter wound there.
"You wouldn't suddenly change like this. What exactly happened? Tell me."
Jiang Li swallowed hard.
She never expected things to develop like this.
She originally planned to leave the hospital first, and then find a time to talk to him alone about their future and say goodbye properly.
"Li Li, did something happen when I was in a coma?"
"Tell me."
Xiao Yanzhi looked into her eyes, trying to discern her emotions.
Jiang Li looked up at his haggard and disheveled face and finally understood why he didn't let her turn on the light last night.
He was such a proud man.
He was such a superior man.
She bit her lips and finally said, "Mrs. Su talked to me."
Xiao Yanzhi's mood eased a bit.
Thank goodness, it wasn't that she didn't love him anymore.
He sorted out his thoughts and said in a slow and calm voice, "Li Li, feelings are between you and me. Moreover, now no one can stop me from being with the person I like, not even Su Jialan - Do you understand this?"
If it was before, Jiang Li wouldn't have understood the meaning of these words.
But now, she completely understood his good intentions.
He could give up his family fortune, money and status for her, as long as he could be with her.
"As long as you want, we can be together." Xiao Yanzhi said with certainty. "As long as I announce our relationship today, no one in this world would dare to say a single bad word about you."
Facing his promise, Jiang Li looked numb. "But I don't want to."
Shock flashed across Xiao Yanzhi's face. "Why?"
Jiang Li closed her eyes. Her thoughts were in a complete mess, and she could only say whatever came to her mind. "In the past twenty years, I've lived a difficult, painful and dark life, under all kinds of pressure. They told me what I should do and what I shouldn't do."
"I finally got rid of that kind of life. I don't need to be a good daughter, a good sister, or a perfect celebrity without any negative news."
As she was speaking, she suddenly laughed. "But if I marry you, I'll have new pressure."
"Your mother will always look down on me. Your father will think that you've wasted the only chance of a marriage alliance. Everyone will think that I'm marrying above my station. In the future, I won't even be allowed to show my anger or sadness. Otherwise, people will think that your family is bullying me, which will bring endless gossips to your family."
Jiang Li paused for two seconds and laughed. "Do you know? It took me more than twenty years to break free from the cage of my family. I can't walk into another golden cage for the sake of marriage."
Xiao Yanzhi's eyes darkened, and his face changed.
Jiang Li straightened her back. Her smile gradually became calm, and her thoughts became clear. "Thank you for giving me pride and self - esteem."
"In the days to come, I want to live for myself."
There was no doubt that she had deep feelings for him.
But she didn't want to be bound by this so - called affection for the rest of her life.
The little bit of expectation and longing she once had was completely shattered after facing the reality.
"Just think of me as a coward." Jiang Li said boldly. "I'm not brave enough to be a rich wife, nor am I brave enough to enjoy the glory and wealth that doesn't belong to me."
"I'm even less brave enough to accept your great and profound love that is willing to give up everything."