"Isn't it a bit too late to realize this now?"
Jiang Li looked up at him, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her face. "So, Mr. Xiao, where are you taking me?"
"Taking you to elope." His deep voice held a smile.
Jiang Li lowered her eyes, looking at his high - bridged nose. She said softly, "Take me on the run, to a place where no one can find us, to an island, away from the crowds, to a place where we'll be left alone."
She sounded like she was reciting a play script, solemn and serious.
Xiao Yanzhi stared at her deeply for a few seconds, then bent down to kiss her. "I'll accompany you. Anywhere is fine."
...
The car pulled up at Ruiyuan.
Looking at the familiar scenery outside, Jiang Li pursed her lips and gave a little smile. She shook her head dejectedly. "Is this the surprise you've prepared for me?"
Xiao Yanzhi observed the expression on her face, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her. "What, are you not satisfied with this arrangement?"
Jiang Li leaned on his shoulder and laughed. "Why would I be dissatisfied? I'm all yours tonight."
This sentence was extremely arousing.
Xiao Yanzhi reached out and pinched her chin, his fingertips caressing her lips. "You seem a bit eager?"
He leaned towards her, pressing down on her body and pinning her to the back seat of the car.
Jiang Li was stunned for a couple of seconds. She recognized the darkness surging in his eyes and reacted a bit late. "Why not wait until we get back..."
She wanted to ask why they couldn't wait until they got back to Ruiyuan to continue.
He was so close to her that there was hardly any space between them.
The temperature inside the car rose sharply. All that could be heard in the silence was their heavy and rapid breathing.
All the lights in the car were off. Only the sporadic streetlights outside shone in.
The look in his eyes as he stared at her was so intense that it seemed as if he wanted to devour her.
Under such a gaze, Jiang Li felt as if she were completely naked, being stared at blatantly. Her breathing even started to tremble.
"Aren't you impatient? Let's do it here first." He took out a wet wipe. "I'll wipe my hands."
He slowly and carefully wiped his fingers clean, his movements as elegant as a gentleman just sitting down to dine.
This comparison wasn't too far - fetched.
The space in this Maybach wasn't small, but at this moment, it seemed a bit cramped. She tightly grabbed his shoulders with both hands and involuntarily arched her body, like a fish left on the beach after the tide receded, desperately craving water as if on the verge of death.
Her mind went blank. Leaning in his arms, she couldn't help but respond to him.
Finally, the tide subsided. She nestled in his arms to calm her emotions. It took her a long time before she said hoarsely, "We're really crazy."
Xiao Yanzhi didn't say a word. He just smiled as he wiped his fingers with a tissue. Then he turned to ask her, "Can you still walk on your own?"
Jiang Li pushed him and said in a coquettish voice, "Of course."
Even though her legs were weak, she still had the strength to take a few steps. She opened the car door and got out. Xiao Yanzhi told her to go into the main entrance first while he went to get something from the trunk.
The body temperature that had risen due to pleasure hadn't dropped yet. When the wind outside the car blew on her, she shrank her neck from the cold. She didn't even want to wait for him and just headed towards the main entrance.
Jiang Li folded her arms across her chest. Shivering, she pressed her finger on the lock to unlock the door and opened it.
The room was pitch - black but warm, as if someone had turned on the heater in advance.
Jiang Li walked into the entrance. Just as she was about to reach out to feel for the switch on the wall, the room suddenly lit up.
"Surprise!"
Only then did Jiang Li notice that the room was filled with colorful banners everywhere. Confetti rained down on the floor. Everyone's face was beaming with a bright smile as they shouted this celebratory word in a rather uncoordinated way.
The voices were not in unison, but they were very loud.
A large group of people were standing in the huge living room. Sister Chen, Jingyi, Xiaoye, and Xixi were all there.
To Jiang Li's surprise, Sheng Shuocheng and Sheng Jingxi were also present. Even Jiang Shi, whom she had just met recently, showed up. She was holding a confetti cannon, and it seemed that she was the one who had set off the confetti just now.
Jingyi: "Sister Ye, you were a bit slow just now."
Xiaoye: "...... It seems to be my fault. Should we do it again?"
Jingyi seriously replied, "Theoretically, we could, but Sister Jiang Li has already seen us."
Everyone: "......"
Jiang Li stood still, her mind not having had time to react. She softened her voice. "How did you all...?"
"Sister Jiang Li, we're here to give you a surprise!" Xiaoye happily walked up to her and announced the good news. "Guess how much the box - office revenue of Embroidery Lady was on its first day?"
Before Jiang Li could guess the number, Jingyi couldn't wait to pop her head over and said very seriously, word by word, "The box - office revenue of Embroidery Lady exceeded 150 million yuan at 6 p.m. on its first day. It's expected to break through 200 million yuan tonight, setting a record for a first - day box - office revenue of 200 million yuan!"
Sister Chen smiled on the side and added rigorously, "There's no exact total yet. We have to wait until after midnight to get the real number."
But even so, it was a foregone conclusion that the movie was a huge box - office success.
Sister Chen was the main person in charge of the movie's publicity. She had the clearest understanding of the current data and trends. "There are many movies released during the Spring Festival season. Currently, Embroidery Lady is firmly in the first place, leaving the second - placed movie nearly 100 million yuan behind in box - office revenue. Your popularity has also reached an unprecedented height."
Jiang Li couldn't believe it. She opened her mouth and murmured, "...... How could this be?"
This was completely beyond her expectations.
According to her speculation, with her previous reputation and all that had happened recently, especially her bipolar disorder, the public opinion would have been unfavorable to her.
Sister Chen knew what she was thinking. She smiled and said, "Obviously, most of the audience is rational. They were looking forward to your performance in the movie. They were touched by your acting skills and were willing to pay for your efforts."
"Currently, there's a vote on the Internet to predict this year's Golden Diamond Best Actress. You have the highest number of votes, and this will also be included in the scoring."
Sister Chen let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "If nothing unexpected happens, your name will be at the top of the list of the most popular actresses in the country this year. You'll be a well - deserved Best Actress."
Jiang Li listened silently. She slowly closed her eyes, placing her right hand on her chest. Finally, two lines of clear tears rolled down. She laughed through her tears. "Thank God. I'm so lucky."
"It's not God's blessing. You deserve all of this."
Sheng Shuocheng looked kind. He nodded at her, his tone carrying the blessing of an elder. "Congratulations, daughter. I wish you a smooth road in your acting career in the future."
Sheng Jingxi was extremely proud. He even turned to show off to Jiang Shi. "She's really my sister. She's so amazing."
Jiang Shi nodded. "She is better than you. Lili is much more steady than you. You don't act like an older brother."
Sheng Jingxi: "......"
Suddenly, he didn't feel so happy anymore.
The room was brightly lit. There were still tears in Jiang Li's eyes. The light refracted in and was a bit blinding. Her face was almost stiff from smiling. The faces of everyone in front of her became blurred. She was so happy that she could hardly stand steadily.
She staggered, but was quickly caught firmly by a pair of big hands.