Jiang Li glanced at the movie schedule and chose an old movie from more than a decade ago that was about to start soon. It was a classic romance film, *Pride and Prejudice*.
Seeing the two movie tickets in her hand, Xiao Yanzhi glanced at her. "Why don't you just watch *The Embroideress*?"
"It's too late. We'd have to wait for over an hour," Jiang Li replied in a soft, coquettish voice. "Besides, you've already watched this movie at the premiere, haven't you?"
Xiao Yanzhi didn't really care what movie they watched. As long as he was with her, anything would be fine.
However, since this topic came up, Jiang Li suddenly became enthusiastic. "Since you've watched the movie, why don't you share your review?"
"Your movie?"
Jiang Li tilted her head back, her eyes shining brightly. She was clearly looking forward to his following words. "Yes, tell me."
Xiao Yanzhi pondered for a moment and spoke very objectively. "The ultimate goal of a movie is to tell a good story, and *The Embroideress* has achieved this very successfully. The characters in the movie are also very well - rounded. Whether it's the husband who was forced into a debauched life for his family or the embroideress who struggled to survive in the war, they all have their own human strengths and flaws. They are not the 'great idealistic sacrificial characters' often seen in movies, but also have selfish and dark sides."
"For example, the husband chose to have an affair in his dissipated life, and the embroideress eventually indulged herself to please her benefactors for a living. These are the choices and actions that characters would make under the given circumstances - and these are exactly the parts that the audience in the omniscient perspective would blame, but also the most outstanding parts."
Jiang Li listened quietly.
"No one's life is a utopia. Even the most upright and selfless people may have a dark side. This is what I think is the most perfect part of this movie."
Seeing her listening intently, he couldn't help but lower his head and pinch her cheek before continuing. "The climax of the plot is not when the two finally recognize each other through the two pieces of embroidered handkerchiefs after going through many hardships. Instead, it's when the husband enters the boudoir of a wealthy daughter for fame and fortune, while his wife has to lie under a strange man for a mouthful of dry food - it's both ironic and helpless."
Xiao Yanzhi's review was really profound.
Before this, she had heard many analyses from film critics. During the movie's roadshows in recent days, she had also heard evaluations from the audience. But when she heard what he said, her eyes welled up with tears.
She felt that she hadn't fully emerged from the role. She still felt like the embroideress who had lost her chastity and was blamed by others. But Xiao Yanzhi softly told her that she was just a victim of circumstances and that she wasn't in the wrong.
He was the one who would pull her out of the fog.
Jiang Li's eyes were filled with unshed tears. She forced a smile. "It sounds like all praise. Is there any part of the plot you're not satisfied with?"
"If I have to say something," Xiao Yanzhi wiped the corner of her eye and said seriously, "There are too many kissing scenes between you and the male lead. I don't like it."
As a man with a possessive nature, he didn't want his woman to have too much intimate contact with other men. He even hoped that there would be no hand - holding or hugging.
But the woman he loved was Jiang Li, an actress who, for the sake of the plot, would inevitably have to interact with the opposite sex. She was an actress who loved acting, a future - renowned movie queen, and a shining star in the film industry.
He couldn't bear to let his possessiveness force her to give up what she loved.
He respected her, tolerated her, supported her, and uplifted her.
After such an objective analysis, suddenly hearing his subjective and emotionally - charged evaluation, Jiang Li laughed through her tears. She deliberately said to provoke him, "It seems you haven't watched my movies seriously before. I've kissed many male actors."
"Really?"
"Yes. There was that one and that one before, and also... " Jiang Li tilted her head up and pretended to count seriously on her fingers. "I've made so many movies. I can't remember."
Actually, what she wanted to say was that she had kissed so many people that she couldn't remember.
But seeing the cold look in the man's eyes, she didn't dare to continue joking. She was afraid that she would be the one to suffer in the end.
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her intently. He pursed his lips tightly. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and said in a particularly stiff tone, "Forget them all."
"Huh?"
"Forget all the memories of kissing them. You're only allowed to remember the kisses with me." He said in an extremely cold tone, even with a hint of threat. "If you can't forget, we can kiss more times every day."
...
The two chatted for a while, and soon it was almost time for the movie to start.
There was a counter selling snacks and drinks nearby. Xiao Yanzhi noticed that some couples had bought popcorn and cola. As a boyfriend, he turned to ask Jiang Li if she wanted some.
Jiang Li shook her head. She noticed the English label on it. "Milk - flavored popcorn. There should be milk in it, right? And cola has too much sugar."
Xiao Yanzhi was amused by her cute train of thought. "Lili, the cost of popcorn is very low. No one would be willing to put real milk in it."
"You're right." Jiang Li tilted her head and smiled. "For a product that only costs a few yuan, how could they put real milk in it?"
Although he said so, he still didn't want to take the risk for Jiang Li. He didn't buy popcorn for her. Worried that the heating in the screening hall would be too warm and she would get thirsty, he bought her a cup of hot lemon tea.
Looking at his cautious appearance, Jiang Li suddenly remembered something and said cheerfully, "When I was a child, Jiang Yi sometimes invited me to drink beverages to see if I had an allergic reaction, so as to judge whether there was real milk in it instead of additives like non - dairy creamer."
Hearing this, Xiao Yanzhi's heart suddenly tightened. His body stiffened, and he even had difficulty looking her in the eye. "And then?"
"If the store claimed to use real milk, he would go to the store to claim compensation, so as to get some pocket money. Isn't he quite business - minded?"
When she said this, there was a smile on her face, and there was no sign of brokenness or pain in her eyes.
But just hearing this, one couldn't even imagine how vicious a child could be to take her to try drinks that might contain milk when he clearly knew she was allergic to milk.
Jiang Li felt the cold atmosphere around the man beside her. She whispered, "It's actually not a big deal. Milk is very expensive, and there aren't many stores that use real ingredients. I didn't have allergic reactions too many times..."
As she was speaking, she found herself running out of words. So she patted his shoulder instead. "Okay, don't feel too bad for me."
Xiao Yanzhi put his arm around her shoulder, and the strength in his hand clearly tightened. His voice was calm and cold. "If I could, I'd like to cut this good - for - nothing down with my own hands."