"So how do you want me to atone for my sins, Li Li?"
Xiao Yanzhi lowered his head and took a deep breath, like a person short of oxygen who had just taken in a breath of air and was reluctant to let go.
His hand clasped around her lower back. Familiar with the motion, he lifted up her top. Just as he was about to make a further move, his hand was suddenly held down.
Jiang Li looked up at him, her eyes pleading. Her voice was soft and gentle, "It still hurts..."
Last night, he hadn't let her get any rest.
She was no longer in the prime of her youth. After indulging in desires, the consequence was aching in her lower back and legs, as if she had fought a tough battle last night.
Xiao Yanzhi looked down at her, his eyes fixed on a suspicious red mark at the collar of her sweater, evidence of his deeds last night.
His voice grew deeper, and his tone was slow and elegant. "Where does it hurt?"
As he spoke, he was like a doctor conducting an examination. He cupped her softness with his hand and asked her seriously, "Does it hurt here?"
Jiang Li bit her lower lip. It was as if an electric current was running through her nerves.
He hadn't been gentle when he bit her last night. There was still a fine, dense pain. Her voice trembled uneasily. "It's... not all there."
"Then it's..." His hand moved down. When it stopped at a certain place through the clothes, he paused slightly. "Does it hurt here too?"
He asked so naturally and boldly, but it always made people feel a sense of shame.
Jiang Li swallowed a few times. She closed her eyes, ignoring the implications in his words, and said feebly, "Anyway, it hurts everywhere."
Xiao Yanzhi couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. He stopped teasing her and smoothed out her clothes with both hands. "Then I won't touch you for now."
He'd wait until she recovered.
Although he couldn't make any further moves, Xiao Yanzhi still craved more. He buried his face in her neck and smelled the fragrance of her hair carefully. "How many days do I have to wait?"
... What a ridiculous question! It was so embarrassing!
Jiang Li flushed and struggled to escape from the kitchen. But she was reluctant to leave him alone in the kitchen, so she stood at the door and waited.
Xiao Yanzhi, born into a wealthy and noble family, carried an air of elegance in his bones. Even when he was cooking, he looked pleasing to the eye, exuding a natural sense of dignity.
Jiang Li watched as he wore a pink apron, put the sliced meat into the pan, and added seasonings from time to time. She always felt that this scene was a bit out of place, but there was also an indescribable sense of peace.
When the meal was ready, Jiang Li realized that his self - description of "just edible" wasn't a humble statement.
On the table were two medium - rare steaks and a French stew. There was the aroma of food in the air, but it wasn't the taste she had expected.
"I didn't expect you to make Western food."
"Disappointed?" Xiao Yanzhi glanced down at her. "If you don't like it, you can order takeout."
He was cold again.
Jiang Li immediately laughed and quickly sat down at the table, ready to start eating. "No, I like whatever you make."
Having a rich young master cook for her personally, even if it was some kind of strange food, she could swallow it with a smile.
Xiao Yanzhi took out a bottle of red wine from the fridge. He said it was the leftover half - bottle that Sheng Jingxi had bought before.
Jiang Li blinked. "Steak with red wine. Mr. Xiao really has a good sense of romance."
Xiao Yanzhi raised his eyebrows and ignored the teasing in her words. He poured her a glass of wine.
Jiang Li smiled and clinked glasses with him. "Cheers."
After taking a sip of the wine, she cut a piece of steak with a knife and fork and put it into her mouth.
The meat tasted great. It was juicy, neither too tough nor too raw.
Surprisingly delicious.
Only after seeing her praise did Xiao Yanzhi slowly start to cut his steak, still as elegant as ever.
Looking at Xiao Yanzhi's eating movements, Jiang Li thought about the fact that he could paint and cook. She couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, like "What other surprises do you have that I don't know about?"
She asked excitedly, "Can you cook Chinese food?"
"I haven't tried. I can learn if I get the chance." Xiao Yanzhi answered calmly. "When I was studying abroad, I could only learn French cuisine from the local nanny I hired."
"No wonder it's so authentic." Jiang Li nodded. "It's delicious. I hope Mr. Xiao can cook more often."
Xiao Yanzhi thought for a while and then calmly changed the topic. "If you like authentic French cuisine, I can take you to France when I get the chance."
Reminded by him, Jiang Li remembered that the premiere of Embroidery Lady was also in France. She put down her knife and fork. "Has the movie premiere happened?"
"Not yet." Xiao Yanzhi stared at her without blinking. His tone was casual. "It should be in five days. Do you plan to go?"
His tone was very relaxed, as if he was planning a travel itinerary. "I know some authentic French restaurants in Lyon. After you're done with your work, I can take you there."
Without waiting for Jiang Li to answer, he continued casually, "If you don't want to go, we can make another appointment."
Jiang Li didn't answer him right away.
If it was just a trip to France, she might have agreed out of excitement. But once it was related to movie promotion, she hesitated.
There was a moment of silence at the dinner table.
Jiang Li lowered her head and slowly finished the steak on her plate, as if she was thinking. She finally looked up when she had made up her mind. "Will you go with me?"
"Yes." Xiao Yanzhi answered her. "Didn't I promise you? I'll be by your side."
"You don't have to be right by my side all the time..." After Jiang Li said that, she added in a low voice, "Thank you."
She understood in her heart.
He was accompanying her step by step through this long and painful night, giving her the motivation and hope to move forward.
She was still standing in the rain of fate, but she had held up an umbrella.
An umbrella named "love".
From then on, she was no longer afraid and dared to walk on the road named "darkness".
"However, let's make it clear first. During the road show, you can only stand in the audience. I don't want to be photographed by paparazzi."
She wiped the wet corners of her eyes. Like a little girl showing off, she said coquettishly in a clear voice, "There will be more rumors then. I'll be so annoyed."
At this moment, she seemed to have returned to the proud future movie queen who was once fearless.
"Okay, my big star." Seeing that she was almost done eating, Xiao Yanzhi walked over and picked her up. "When you go on the road show, won't I even be able to hug you?"
"You can dress up as a fan and come on stage to give me flowers." Jiang Li blinked and said naively, "Of course, you can't ask the staff to give you special treatment. I have to be fair to all the fans."
Xiao Yanzhi lowered his eyes and quietly looked at her. He couldn't bear to tell her that if he wanted to, he didn't need any special treatment.
He could appear at any formal occasion. As long as he wanted, there were countless ways.
Of course, all of this was subject to her permission.