If Jiang Li were in better shape, she would surely hate to miss the roadshow for the premiere. But right now, she couldn't give an answer.
It wasn't snowing in North City, but it was freezing cold. Jiang Li sighed from the bottom of her heart, "North City is just as cold as ever."
Xiao Yanzhi wrapped a down jacket around her and carefully tied her cashmere scarf. "If you're cold, dress warmly. Don't catch a cold."
Jiang Li looked at Xiao Yanzhi standing in front of her. She took a step forward and hugged him. "This will warm me up a bit."
He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. He lowered his head and kissed her. "You can hug me as much as you like when we get home."
She was more vulnerable than before, but also more clingy. Such behavior was actually a sign of her inner helplessness.
Xiao Yanzhi took Jiang Li's hand, his palm completely covering hers, making sure she stuck close to him without letting go for a moment.
The Ruiyuan mansion had been cleaned in advance. The front yard and the rooms inside were spotless. Everything was just as it used to be.
This empty house finally had people moving in again.
It was much warmer inside the house than outside. The first thing Jiang Li did when she got home was to take a hot bath to drive away the cold and warm up quickly.
Xiao Yanzhi took off his overcoat. While waiting for her, he unpacked the suitcases and put everything in its proper place, including Jiang Li's clothes, skin - care products, and cosmetics.
When Jiang Li came out of the bathroom, Xiao Yanzhi was reclining on the sofa. He had already taken a shower in the ensuite and changed into loose home clothes.
A laptop was on the table. The man was rubbing his temples tiredly, looking exhausted. Hearing a noise at the bathroom door, he looked up.
Jiang Li walked out and met his eyes. Almost instinctively, she asked, "Are you done with your work?"
Just like the old days when they were together. It seemed that nothing had changed.
Xiao Yanzhi's gaze rested on her like a thin mist. It was only when she looked away first that he said, "Come here."
Jiang Li pursed her lips and obediently walked over. Just as she was about to sit beside him, he pulled her onto his lap.
She was wearing loose cotton pajamas. Soft and fragrant, she nestled into his arms. He let out a contented sigh and held her tighter from behind.
"Why do you always smell so good?"
His nose nuzzled against her neck, making her feel ticklish.
The room was very warm. At this moment, it felt like a big furnace, so warm that one would start to sweat and feel hot all over.
Jiang Li's body went stiff, but deep inside, waves of heat were surging, pushing her towards a more passionate state.
She was still sitting on his lap, but the man had pushed up her top.
He said, "Relax."
Her body trembled. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum. "I just took a shower..."
"Sweating?" His voice was hoarse. "If you're sweating, take it off. I'll turn up the room temperature."
Jiang Li closed her eyes, her face flushed. She surrendered her body to him.
He held her by the waist and made her sit facing him on his lap. His palms gradually covered her softness, and he kissed her gently.
It made the girl on top of him shiver.
He was just being gentle at first, but then his lips and teeth began to exert more force. She felt a tingling sensation and a slight pain, and couldn't help but gasp.
She opened her eyes, which were filled with mist. "Why did you bite me?"
Although she was blaming him, her whining was so inarticulate that it only made him more daring.
In the end, they ended up on the sofa. After their passionate encounter, they still weren't satisfied and then moved to the bedroom.
During the break, he carried her to the bathroom to take a shower, but things got out of hand. The sound of water in the bathroom grew louder and louder, making one's heart flutter.
The exhaust fan in the bathroom was on, but it still felt stuffy, giving an illusion of suffocation.
He kissed her, taking away all her breaths, leaving only his own scent.
In the endless indulgence, she felt like she was going crazy.
She was like a castaway floating on the sea. This way could temporarily fill the emptiness and fear in her heart.
Finally, Jiang Li was carried out of the bathroom after he dried her body.
Before going to sleep, she curled up in Xiao Yanzhi's arms like a baby, lacking a sense of security. She stubbornly grabbed a corner of his pajamas.
Subconsciously, she was afraid that he would leave.
...
The next morning, Jiang Li woke up naturally.
The moment she opened her eyes, she almost panicked and looked at the side of the bed. The man was still holding her in the same position, not having moved an inch.
At the sight of him, her worried heart finally relaxed.
He was still there.
"Awake?"
"Yeah." Her voice was a bit slurred just after waking up. "What time is it?"
"Half past ten."
They had been up late last night. She was so tired that it would be understandable if she slept until noon.
"What time did you wake up?"
"Seven."
He had a very strict biological clock. Even if he went to bed very late at night, he would still maintain a nearly strict daily routine.
Jiang Li pulled herself out of his arms and then wrapped the quilt tightly around her. "Don't you have work this morning?"
Xiao Yanzhi replied, "I promised to accompany you."
Although he did promise her, she didn't expect him to be so serious.
She thought that it was already the limit for him to condescend to sleep with her on the hard bed in the ordinary ward for one night. But these days, it seemed that he really intended to fulfill his promise.
After a moment of silence, she said softly, "You can go and do your own things. You don't have to accompany me all the time."
Xiao Yanzhi turned his head and looked at her. "I always keep my promises."
Jiang Li was in a daze for a moment.
It seemed that it was really the case. Even though there had been so many twists and turns, he had fulfilled all the promises he had made at the beginning.
"I'll always be with you until you're fully recovered."
"That doesn't make sense," Jiang Li laughed. "I'm not just having a cold or a fever. It's not something that will get better in a few days."
"Then how can you get better?" Xiao Yanzhi gently wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "Do you need to see a doctor or take some medicine?"
Jiang Li was stunned for a few seconds before she realized what he meant.
He had set a trap for her.
For Jiang Li's current condition, undergoing psychological treatment was the most difficult part. She had to be willing to connect with the outside world first and have the subjective desire to get better.
If the patient didn't have hope for recovery, even the best psychiatrist in the world would be like a quack in front of a completely closed - off patient.
He could sense her resistance to psychological treatment, so he didn't ask her to see a doctor right away. Instead, he was leading her to make the choice step by step.
Jiang Li laughed. "You're trying to manipulate me."