Li Sihe pressed his lips together, a hint of anxious emotion in his eyebrows. He paused, then said, "I don’t know if I can succeed right now, I can only gamble once."
"Although I don’t know what exactly you want to do, Li Sihe, I’ve seen the doctor’s diagnosis report on you. I hope you don’t cling too much to it; life isn’t just a single path." Bian Yue said seriously: "Apart from Feng Cheng, you have many other options. I don’t want your last moments to be unhappy."
Li Sihe felt a faint sorrow in his heart. Without showing any emotion, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there were fine blood veins in his eyes, "Do you think that I want to get Feng Cheng out of ambition? Bian Yue, it’s not like that, I am doing this for..."
"You wouldn’t say it’s for Bian Yue, right?" Shen Zhaoli interrupted chillingly, "We’re all men here. Don’t embellish your desires so prettily. Your path indeed hasn’t been easy, but Bian Yue doesn’t need to be your so-called guiding light. Li Sihe, everyone lives for themselves."
Bian Yue frowned, looking at Li Sihe’s pale face. She paused, then said calmly and mildly, "We have known each other for a while, I hope everything goes well for you, but... it’s impossible between us, and you don’t need to do anything for me. I am very happy now."
At the end of the day, it’s merely entanglement; what’s the use?
How could Li Sihe not know that Bian Yue wouldn’t easily look back? He just wanted to tell Bian Yue that he had no feelings for Zhuang Jie Ning, that this marriage was merely a collaboration from start to finish.
However, that was obviously his wishful thinking. Bian Yue didn’t care.
"Yueyue, if you have time, you can come back to visit. No matter how things change, the Li Family will always be your home." Li Sihe looked at Bian Yue’s calm face, clenched his fist, forced a smile, and repeated softly but firmly, "If you want to come back, you can do so anytime, no matter when or where."
Bian Yue smiled and said she would, and asked him to give her best wishes for his uncle and aunt’s health.
"Alright," Li Sihe’s voice grew softer, as if afraid to disturb, he gazed at her and gently said: "Yueyue, we will always be family, right?"
Bian Yue was silent for a moment, pausing before saying softly, "Yes, we will always be family."
After Bian Yue and Shen Zhaoli left together, the man who had been silent finally spoke leisurely: "Bian Yue, I’m curious. If Li Sihe had not betrayed you back then and it had been just a normal quarrel, would you still choose him today? I can tell, he cares a lot about you."
Bian Yue looked up at Shen Zhaoli’s curious eyes.
She smiled faintly, concealing her emotions: "Such hypotheticals are meaningless. People can’t determine what an untraveled road would be like."
"It’s not that I’m speaking for Li Sihe, but I know that his age and health condition make it very difficult for him to have gotten to where he is today. I think you understand his struggle as well." Shen Zhaoli hooked his lip, revealing an indifferent demeanor, and said casually: "Not to hide it from you, I suddenly asked this because Li Sihe today reminded me somewhat of myself."
Bian Yue looked at Shen Zhaoli, slightly curious, "Reminded of yourself? What about yourself?"
"When I was abroad, I also struggled greatly, even my own family was scheming against me."
Shen Zhaoli’s expression was cold, as the two of them walked out of Feng Cheng together, the rain outside continuous.
Shen Zhaoli looked at the rain mist in front of him, his thoughts drifting far away for a moment, a reminiscent smile appeared on his lips, he said: "Bian Yue, it’s funny to say, Shen Jinci was the only one from the Shen Family who showed me kindness, of course, I know he had his own motives, but for me, such kindness was indeed rare."
Bian Yue silently watched Shen Zhaoli, this seemingly mature young man, who today unexpectedly opened his heart to her.
Bian Yue pursed her lips, said softly: "I know the agreement you reached with Shen Jinci."
"Yes, an agreement." Shen Zhaoli smiled as he looked at Bian Yue, his eyes genuinely gentle, he similarly spoke softly: "I am a man of my word. Since I promised Shen Jinci I’d stand by you, I won’t let anyone bully you, rest assured."
"As if I need your protection, kid," Bian Yue teased, looking at Shen Zhaoli seriously, "Let’s head back first."
As the two converse, they didn’t notice that Zhuang Jie Ning and Li Sihe were standing far behind them.
Zhuang Jie Ning watched Bian Yue’s back and sighed softly; her tone was sharp and acerbic, coldly saying: "Li Sihe, after all your meticulous plans, in the end, you could only watch as Bian Yue moves further away from you. Even if you now have Feng Cheng, what is the point?"
Li Sihe remained silent, his peach blossom eyes filled with complex and profound emotions. He watched Bian Yue’s figure for a long while before finally withdrawing his gaze and walking in the opposite direction.
Zhuang Jie Ning, unwilling to give up, followed and said, "How come? Why don’t you speak? Were you rendered speechless because I hit the mark?"
As the elevator doors opened, Li Sihe entered first, with Zhuang Jie Ning rushing in after him, her eyes filled with unvented anger, staring straight at Li Sihe, "Why don’t you talk? Why did you agree to the alliance marriage? Li Sihe, I had no choice, do you not have one either?"
As the elevator doors slowly closed behind them, Li Sihe looked indifferent, glancing at Zhuang Jie Ning, "Why should I choose?"
Zhuang Jie Ning was stunned, "What are you saying?"
"I’m saying why should I choose? Wouldn’t it be better for me to win without a fight now?" Li Sihe looked at Zhuang Jie Ning expressionlessly, the refined and elegant gentleman shedding his mask, revealing a cold-blooded nature to the bone, "As for you, why you have come to this step today is all down to your own doing."
"How dare you speak to me like that? Li Sihe, you are completely heartless!" Zhuang Jie Ning’s eyes gradually brimmed with tears, her voice trembling, "The Li Family schemed against me, and now I’m the victim! You married me, but I won’t make it easy for you."
Li Sihe simply looked coldly at Zhuang Jie Ning, indifferent to her collapse.
Zhuang Jie Ning almost went mad, she strode towards Li Sihe, teeth clenched, "You don’t even like me, why delay me? Li Sihe, I can’t marry you, can you cancel the marriage?"
"Miss Zhuang, you can treat our marriage as just a piece of useless paper, you can do whatever you want, regardless of whose child you carry, I would still consider them as my own. This marriage contractimposes virtually no restrictions on you."
Zhuang Jie Ning’s head buzzed, she looked at Li Sihe, bursting into hysterical laughter.