Jiang Li remembered this scene.
It was one of the few group photos of her and Xiao Yanzhi. She had cropped it from a media news photo and put it in a photo frame.
Later, during a bipolar episode when her emotions got out of control, she threw this photo into the trash can.
And now, this scene reappeared before her in the form of an artistic painting. Every stroke, every line was carefully painted by him.
He had reproduced that moment in this way.
Looking at the two people in the painting, Jiang Li felt a strange emotion welling up inside her. Her chest felt full.
She had thought that only she cherished this thing, but it had also been carefully treasured by another person in a corner she didn't know.
Jiang Li hugged the painting in her arms, bringing it closer to her heart.
When she put down the frame, she accidentally saw a line of words on the back. The font was so distinctive that the strong and powerful handwriting was instantly recognizable.
In memory of my rose, once upon a time.
Jiang Li silently recited these words in her heart. Her eyes unconsciously welled up with tears, and a bitter emotion slowly spread in her heart.
She could envision the man leaning against the head - board of the bed, holding a drawing board in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, and finally writing this line of words as if in resignation.
She was his rose.
Once upon a time.
---
Since Ruiyuan was transferred to Jiang Li's name, to show that he was sincerely giving the house to her, Xiao Yanzhi reduced his visits. Later, he even stopped sending people to clean it.
However, the surveillance system in Ruiyuan was very complete. Once there was any movement in the room, the information would be sent to Xiao Yanzhi immediately.
When he saw Jiang Li and Sheng Jingxi appear in the room together on the surveillance video, Xiao Yanzhi paused for a moment.
She had brought another man into the Eden that belonged only to the two of them.
That place had carried countless romances and tenderness between him and her. She had laughed, played, and even... with him there.
Now, she had also brought someone else in.
His heart ached with jealousy, but for a moment, he couldn't find a reason to blame her. The house was a gift from him, and now it belonged to her. She had the freedom to bring anyone in.
The sourness in his heart gradually turned into an inexpressible bitterness.
Now he understood how Jiang Li must have felt when he brought Qin Yaoyao back then, and she might have felt even worse.
Only now did he realize how hurtful his actions had been.
The surveillance video was transmitted in real - time. He saw the two of them standing in the living room talking, but the surveillance didn't have audio, so he couldn't hear what they were saying.
Before seeing any more intimate contact between them, Xiao Yanzhi turned off the computer.
It wasn't so much that he didn't want to watch as that he was afraid to.
Actually.
Jiang Li held the painting for a long time. Finally, she found a handbag, put the painting in it, and planned to take it away.
Sheng Jingxi had been wandering around the living room for a while and was already feeling bored. He yawned and urged Jiang Li to go back to the hotel to sleep quickly.
"What's in that bag you're carrying?" Sheng Jingxi asked curiously when he saw the bag in her hand.
"My underwear." Jiang Li didn't want him to see, so she casually came up with something private, "What, are you curious about the patterns? Here, I'll show you."
Saying that, Jiang Li pretended to open the bag for Sheng Jingxi to see.
"Jiang Li!" This time, it was his turn to turn away in disgust, "You're a young girl. How can you be so shameless? Who wants to see the patterns on your underwear! Go show it to your lover."
Jiang Li laughed and put away the bag, hugging it in her arms.
It was like holding a precious treasure.
---
Originally, they had planned to return to Huacheng after Jiang Li finished promoting the movie. However, Sheng Shuocheng, who was far away in Huacheng, issued an order for Sheng Jingxi to study in the company for a week. He would be tested when he got back.
If he failed the test, all the race - tracks in Huacheng would be off - limits to Sheng Jingxi.
This was like cutting off Sheng Jingxi's lifeline.
He cried and canceled his plane ticket. He even pleaded with Jiang Li to stay with him for another week.
Jiang Li gloated and refused, saying that she still had a play to perform and couldn't accompany him anymore.
But on the day before her flight, Sister Chen suddenly called Jiang Li.
"Li Li, don't rush back to Huacheng yet."
Jiang Li was taken aback, "What happened?"
Sister Chen sighed and spoke vaguely, "The trailer for Embroidery Girl has started to be broadcast. The hype has picked up. There are a bunch of fans in Huacheng looking for the filming locations to take pictures. Our address has also been exposed. The area downstairs is full of your fans."
Jiang Li understood.
Although she had retired from the entertainment industry, her popularity still remained. Since this movie was filmed before her retirement, it was equivalent to her swan song. Naturally, the attention it received was not low.
As for whether it was good or bad attention, that was another matter.
"It will be very inconvenient for you if you come back now." Sister Chen comforted her, "At least your travel arrangements to Beicheng haven't been exposed yet. You can stay there for a while longer."
After saying that, she added, "Also, don't go on social media recently. Just live and rest normally."
"I understand. Thank you, Sister Chen, for your hard work." Jiang Li obediently agreed. Sister Chen asked her a few more caring questions and told her to take care of herself before hanging up the phone in a hurry.
Although she had promised Sister Chen not to go on social media, how could she not hear the hidden meaning in Sister Chen's words? Most likely, the current public opinion was not favorable, which was why she was told not to look.
She opened Weibo and took a look. Her account was already filled with scolding, and the official movie account was even worse.
Some said that Jiang Li was still trying to make money even after retiring. Others said that she was pretending to be innocent while trying to build a good image. They also said that the movie must be a bad one; otherwise, why would it have its premiere abroad first? They even accused her of being a foreign - sycophant.
Some even dug out the things about Jiang Li sending her younger brother to prison with her own hands, not supporting her mother, and having a mental illness, and posted them on the public platform.
There was almost no privacy left.
Jiang Li just flipped through casually and thought it was really boring, so she logged out.
Actually, she didn't really care about the netizens' remarks.
For her, the public's voice would never be the blade that could crush her, and she would never pretend to be someone she wasn't just to create a persona.
She was who she was and wouldn't change herself because of public opinion or trends.
But she still called Ying Chengqi immediately to make sure that it wouldn't affect the movie's release. Only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As long as it didn't cause trouble for the relevant people, that was enough.
Originally, it was just a movie release, but the online discussion was getting more and more intense. People even started to dig into Jiang Li's background, trying to magnify every flaw on her without limit.
Jiang Li turned a deaf ear, but Sheng Jingxi couldn't sit still.
He would curse at every negative comment he saw on his phone. He was as angry as a crazy fan and wished he could reach into the phone screen and beat up the person who wrote the comment.