CHAPTER 309: CHAPTER 309: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Li Sihe withdrew his gaze and looked towards Bian Yue, "Because I want you to feel guilty, guilty for misunderstanding me."

Yet Bian Yue let out a light laugh and spoke calmly: "But I will not feel guilty, Li Sihe. It was you who kidnapped me first, leading to the current situation. Everything is your own doing!"

She truly despised him, which is why such hurtful words could slip from her lips so easily.

On the contrary, Li Sihe chuckled lightly, his laughter tinged with a trace of desolation, hot and bitter sensations churning in his throat.

He chuckled, saying softly and slowly, "You’re right, I brought this upon myself. So I will bear it myself."

Meanwhile, the private plane sliced through the clouds, heading towards a previously located coordinate.

Zhuang Jie Ning watched Shen Jinci’s indifferent profile with extreme caution. She was both shocked and scared; there was not a trace of security that could be spoken of.

Shen Jinci seemed calm at the moment, but Zhuang Jie Ning knew that he was just exercising restraint.

"Shen Jinci, I did not lie to you." Zhuang Jie Ning paused, her voice hoarse: "I even cooperated with you to find Li Sihe, why won’t you let me go!"

"You and Li Sihe plotted to take Bian Yue away. Now that Bian Yue has not been found, how could I possibly let you go?" Shen Jinci’s voice was cold as ice, and he did not even glance at Zhuang Jie Ning. His words carried a chilling brunt, "If I can’t find Bian Yue, I absolutely will not let you go."

Zhuang Jie Ning scoffed coldly, her hands clenched into fists. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back, choking out: "Do you think I want to deceive you? Wouldn’t I rather be seen as a good person in front of you? At least you wouldn’t look down on me. But Shen Jinci, I had no other choice. I thought... if Bian Yue was gone, you would finally give up! And I, staying by your side, could care for you. Over time, you would be touched."

Her voice was a whisper, emotions spiraling out of control, tears falling, "Bian Yue and I were once good friends. How could I possibly want her to fall into real danger? Li Sihe won’t harm Bian Yue! He will take care of her!"

A fierce light flashed in Shen Jinci’s eyes, but he remained silent, his profile’s curves cold and hard.

Despair deepened in Zhuang Jie Ning’s heart; she covered her face and wept bitterly, near breaking point, "You love Bian Yue, so you mobilize so many resources just for a lead that might have gone cold. If I were Li Sihe, I would have already taken Bian Yue away by now! Shen Jinci, Li Sihe is so clever. If he truly wanted to keep Bian Yue hidden forever from you, how could you easily find her? He can even use his own death to his advantage!"

"If I can’t find her, I’ll keep looking. If I can’t find her in a day, I’ll search for another day." The man’s voice was detached, and his tone held an alarming obsession.

Zhuang Jie Ning already knew how profoundly dark and unfathomable Shen Jinci’s nature was.

She stared at him blankly, giving a miserable smile, "What about the Zhuang Family then? Can you now return the Zhuang Family to my father?"

Shen Jinci did not speak.

Zhuang Jie Ning’s emotion became increasingly uncontrollable, her tears unstoppable, and her voice turned hoarse, "I’ve told you everything I know! What did the Zhuang Family do wrong? How can you be so ruthless just for the sake of Bian Yue!"

"There’s no affection between us."

Shock deepened on Zhuang Jie Ning’s face as tears fell even more fiercely, she choked out, "No affection? Shen Jinci, do you even know how much I’ve done for you? Do you have any idea how much effort I had to put in just to stand in front of you! I’ve never... never liked someone before, but I truly like you. I only came too late. If it weren’t for your marriage to Bian Yue, your wife would have definitely been me!"

Silence pervaded the space, with only the clear, true sound of Zhuang Jie Ning’s sobs audible.

She never wanted to be the manipulator she turned into, setting up schemes only to end with nothing to show for it.

She was born into nobility; she should have been the prodigy blessed by the heavens, her life shouldn’t have turned out like this...

Zhuang Jie Ning sobbed and laughed at the same time, tears streaming down her face, all decorum lost, "Shen Jinci, Bian Yue is not suitable for you at all. She knows nothing, raised to be naive and ignorant by Li Sihe. Even though the Bian Family has been restored now, it’s only due to her luck. But I’m different... I’ve been the best since I was young. Only someone like me is truly worthy of you!"

Shen Jinci actually wasn’t listening to Zhuang Jie Ning at all; he just found her noisy and annoying.

If Zhuang Yi had not personally sought him out, begging for mercy, Shen Jinci would have never put on an act; he would have truly struck down the Zhuang Family with a deadly blow.

As for Zhuang Jie Ning, all he felt was annoyance.

Amid Zhuang Jie Ning’s mix of crying and laughing, Shen Jinci finally turned his face to look at her, his gaze as cold as ice, lacking any warmth, "Shut up."

Zhuang Jie Ning’s face turned deathly pale, her complexion so uneasy that she lost all color, watching Shen Jinci’s excessively indifferent profile, she felt a bone-piercing despair...

Bian Yue stood by the window, watching the snow fluttering outside.

He was only wearing a thin nightgown, his figure was cold, with a sense of estrangement.

Li Sihe stood at the doorway, watching her from a distance, finding it difficult to associate this figure with the Bian Yue from his memories.

He remained silent for a long time, until the doctor had packed up the medicine chest and walked towards him.

The doctor spoke in the local language, which was difficult to understand, but Li Sihe listened carefully. The gist of it was that Bian Yue was unwell and really not suited for long-distance travel; it was best for her to recuperate quietly here for some time.

Li Sihe nodded, feeling very calm inside.

The time he could keep Bian Yue hidden was even shorter than he had imagined.

He knew that the safest course of action right now was for him to quickly leave this place with Bian Yue, as Shen Jinci had likely already traced his address, and staying here was effectively waiting for Shen Jinci to come for him.

But he couldn’t risk Bian Yue’s health.

Li Sihe watched the doctor leave, then shifted his gaze and walked towards Bian Yue, who just then turned around. She stood under the large expanse of snowy scenery framed by the French windows, dressed in thin clothes, her complexion frosty.

Li Sihe gave a slight smile and said in a soft voice, "The doctor says you’re very healthy and there’s nothing serious. Let’s eat something first, Bian Yue."

Bian Yue nodded, and as she said, began to walk out, but when she passed by Li Sihe, she paused momentarily, looked up at him, and asked, "Is your wound okay?"

Li Sihe’s smile slightly faded as he replied, "It’s fine."

Then Bian Yue walked out expressionlessly.

Li Sihe stood still, his heart turbulent with mixed emotions.

What was the point of forcibly keeping by your side someone whose heart was no longer with you?

In the living room, Bian Yue sat opposite Li Sihe, seriously eating her meal.

She seemed to have quite an appetite, eating a lot in one breath.

Li Sihe watched her eat, and after a while, he said, "If there’s anything else you’d like to eat, I’ll have the chef make it."

Bian Yue’s hand, holding her chopsticks, paused; she frowned slightly and said softly, "I would like to eat the food cooked by Shen Jinci."