Bian Yue lifted her head slowly, and with the sound of the metallic door shutting softly, Shen Jinci had already squatted down in front of her. He raised his hand to gently wipe away her tears.
"Miss Bian, you're making it look like I'm bullying you. I'm not even late, so why are you crying?"
His tone was indifferent, his slightly warm fingertips brushing away the tears on Bian Yue's cheeks, his expression somewhat bewildered, but it was too faint, deliberately making it hard for anyone to read.
He probably wouldn't do something like comforting someone.
Bian Yue gently pushed Shen Jinci's hand away, then wiped her tears haphazardly.
She said it was nothing, paused, then added, "Mr. Shen, I just missed my mom and dad a bit. At night, it's easy for people to fall into a whirl of thoughts, you can understand that, right?"
As she spoke, she clearly tried to maintain a pretense of calm, putting on a composed front as if she had already learned the tricks of the trade at a young age, but her eyelids were red, betraying her sorrow.
Shen Jinci's limited kindness was all utilized at this moment, as he saw through her but didn't say it.
In the silence, Shen Jinci lowered his gaze to the tears on his fingertip. The drink he had just shared with Li Sihe was actually quite strong; now the effects of the alcohol had gone to his head, giving him a slight buzz.
Enduring the discomfort, with complex emotions swirling in his eyes, he lifted his gaze with an unflustered smile, his voice gentle, "Then... what can I do for you? Something that will keep you from overthinking."
Bian Yue clenched her teeth, handing over the photograph she had prepared early on and held onto tightly the whole way, to Shen Jinci.
She probably felt guilty as she said in a low voice, "I was hoping... I hope Mr. Shen could possibly, in consideration of the relationship you had with my parents, help me out both personally and publicly."
Shen Jinci looked at the old photo in the young lady's hand, finding her at her wit's end, resorting even to this kind of picture.
"Miss Bian, can you remember things from when you were younger?"
His casual remark caused Bian Yue to drop her hands dejectedly, with a hint of disappointment, "I can't... Maybe I was being too naive."
After she finished speaking, she wrapped the photo up carefully and put it back in her bag.
A mischievous glint appeared in Shen Jinci's eyes; he lowered his gaze and slowly said, "You care so much about this photo?"
"Of course," Bian Yue replied. "I'll find someone to come and preserve this photo when I get back."
Shen Jinci, thinking of the existence of himself in the photo, despite probably being as inconsequential to Bian Yue as a background wall, still felt in an exceptionally good mood and gently said to Bian Yue, "I've thought seriously about the matter you discussed with me last time."
Bian Yue was caught off guard, and the gloom on her face was swept away. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Shen Jinci, "Does Mr. Shen also think it's a deal worth taking, that we can do it!"
"It's not bad, but it still seems like something's missing."
Shen Jinci poured Bian Yue a cup of hot tea, "Money alone isn't enough. Miss Bian, if I do this for you, all my dealings with the Li Family will be off."
Bian Yue had actually considered these interests, but had always deluded herself into not thinking too deeply about them.
Now, with Shen Jinci relentlessly piercing through her charade, she couldn't immediately think of any way to compensate.
Bian Yue is wealthy, the richest young heiress in Xiangjiang.
But Bian Yue is only wealthy.
In a place like Xiangjiang, where the powerful and famous are many, Bian Yue doesn't even have sufficient capital to negotiate with ordinary families, let alone before Shen Jinci.
The three characters of Shen Jinci were a completely unattainable existence.
But what Bian Yue could offer Shen Jinci, in light of his status and position, was negligible.
She was feeling uneasy, furrowing her brows as she glanced around the living room. Her gaze fell on the liquor shelf nearby.
All on it were private reserves of alcohol from the Xiangjiang Hotel, specially used to entice the top-tier families that could stay in this suite.
Bian Yue suddenly stood up and walked towards the liquor shelf.
She casually picked up a bottle of foreign liquor that looked the prettiest in color, turned around, and suggested to Shen Jinci, "Mr. Shen, how about we drink and talk slowly?"
Shen Jinci's rare smile was clearly visible under the dim light, fleeting and indulgently unreal. He spoke blandly, "I have poor eyesight; bring it here for me to see what kind of liquor it is."
"Oh! Okay!" Bian Yue, clutching the bottle, walked over to Shen Jinci. It was dark, and she didn't see the outward curve of the table's corner. She stumbled and involuntarily plunged into Shen Jinci's arms.
Her breath was full of the man's austere scent, bland and chilly. Only when she was this close could she detect a hint of woody fragrance mixed in with... the smell of medicine?
Bian Yue didn't dwell on why there was a scent of medicine. She only felt that Shen Jinci's complexion was really pale, pale to the point of appearing sickly. Could it be that he was unwell?
Bian Yue really wanted to get up, but she hadn't had much interaction with men before, inexplicably her legs went weak, and she failed to stand up after several attempts, only able to curse herself in her mind and flushed with embarrassment.
Shen Jinci watched her flounder in his arms and kindly helped her to stand up.
He spoke, softly, "The lighting is not good, it's not your fault."
Bian Yue could only sit down quietly without a word. Her hair was disheveled, trembling hands trying to tidy it, still stubbornly saying, "I just wasn't looking carefully, we can't let this get out!"
The laugh in Shen Jinci's eyes spread as he said, "I know."
The two sat on the couch, with incense placed in the middle of the table, its smoke curling and adding to the haziness, a flickering red glow burning intermittently.
Shen Jinci watched Bian Yue deftly unscrew the bottle and begin to focus on pouring the drinks.
"Don't pour so much." Shen Jinci watched the nearly full wineglass, a helpless smile spreading: "I can't hold my liquor."
This was the first time Bian Yue had seen such a genuine smile on Shen Jinci's face, like earthly fireworks falling down.
Unreal but real amidst the groggy night.
"You can't hold your liquor? Then this glass is for me." Bian Yue stopped pouring, still with a sigh, "But, you are Shen Jinci!"
Bian Yue poured a lighter glass and placed it in front of Shen Jinci.
The man picked up the wineglass and examined it, speaking with his usual calmness: "Must Shen Jinci be omnipotent?"
"Not necessarily, there are things I can't do either, it's perfectly normal that you just can't drink liquor!"
Her tone was like chatting with an old friend.
Shen Jinci's eyes relaxed, gazing at Bian Yue with an unspeaking smile.
Meanwhile, Bian Yue picked up her glass, took a sip, and savoringly smacked her lips, "This liquor is really good! Mr. Shen, if you ever go out and need someone to drink with, you can bring me along!"
"I don't have occasions where I need someone to drink."
"That's true, with your status, no one can force you to do what you dislike." Bian Yue mentioned this with a bitter look in her eyes, and she drained the cup in one gulp.
Her movement was so swift that Shen Jinci didn't even have time to stop her.
"Unlike me! This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed, nothing is allowed!" After saying this, Bian Yue frowned, her voice muffled, "I also don't know... what I can do..."
Shen Jinci took a light sip from his glass, his voice deep and hoarse, softly murmuring, "Miss Bian... just be yourself."