Upon the words being spoken, there was a dead silence.
Li Sihe's face suddenly twisted into a ferocious snarl, his normally warm and gentle features contorted with distorting anger, veins at his temples bulging as if he was on the verge of losing composure.
Li Tingmo, too, was stunned, unable to respond for a moment. Sensing that Li Sihe was mentally unsettled, he pressed down forcefully on his hand, signaling him to calm down.
At the table, only Shen Jinci remained unruffled.
He picked up his phone, continuing to speak, "It's a call from Bian Yue, I'll take it."
"Oh, a phone call!" Li Tingmo, as if granted amnesty, rushed out with a smile, "Sure! Mr. Shen, please, go ahead."
As the door shut once again, redness edged into Li Sihe's eyes, his anger evident, "What did Shen Jinci mean by that just now!"
"It's merely that Bian Yue happened to make a call that interrupted Shen Jinci's speech, don't overthink it!"
Li Tingmo's voice was stern yet comforting to Li Sihe. He paused, then frowned, "I've heard you've been quarreling with Bian Yue recently, all because of some minor celebrity?"
Li Sihe collected his thoughts, sipped his tea with eyes closed, remaining silent.
Li Tingmo's brow furrowed enough to kill a fly, filled with displeasure, "Those lowly women out there, it's one thing to leave them be! But Bian Yue is your fiancée. If you dare let those women upset her again, I'll be the first to not let you off!"
"Dad, I no longer love Bian Yue," said Li Sihe, setting down his teacup. His expression was cool, his peach blossom eyes undisturbed as he looked at Li Tingmo, speaking slowly, "I plan to cancel my engagement with Bian Yue..."
Before he finished, Li Tingmo, unable to contain his anger, slapped Li Sihe across the face, causing the latter's corner of the mouth to bleed.
Li Tingmo looked on coldly, warning word by word, "Don't ever speak such words again."
Li Sihe, expressionless, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as if the person who had been hit was not himself.
Outside, Shen Jinci stood in the deserted corridor, answering Bian Yue's call.
"Miss Bian," he initiated the conversation with a hint of warmth.
Bian Yue, sitting across Wen Jiao, clutched a newly-acquired business card. Surprised, she asked, "How did you know it was me?"
"A guess," the man said with a nonchalant laugh.
Bian Yue, unsure whether to believe him or not, tightly held the card and said, "Mr. Shen, I asked Wen Jiao to help me obtain your contact information through others, it was quite presumptuous of me."
There was a rustling noise from the receiver. Bian Yue wasn't sure if it was her imagination but thought she could detect a hint of laughter in Shen Jinci's breath.
Before she could delve into it, Shen Jinci said, "It's fine, not presumptuous at all."
Upon hearing this, although Shen Jinci couldn't see, Bian Yue still nodded like a diligent student, "I'd like to meet with you, is that possible?"
"Meet with me?"
"Yes, how about today?" Bian Yue blurted out, "I consulted Huang Daxian, and it advises that today is a good day to travel."
Shen Jinci looked at the ring on his finger, idly twirling it without any change in expression, his lips curled up slightly, "Okay then, today it is."
Bian Yue asked Shen Jinci for the address.
Once Shen Jinci had finished speaking and hung up, Bian Yue nervously looked at Wen Jiao, "Are you sure this will work?"
"Why wouldn't it? He even took your call and agreed to meet! It shows he doesn't dislike you!"
Wen Jiao patted Bian Yue on the shoulder and said, "With this photo, at least you have a connection. It's a good favor to ask for."
Bian Yue looked uncertainly downwards, staring at the old photo in her hand.
It was a picture of her young parents standing side by side, with her father holding a delicate and pretty 4-year-old boy.
"Look! This is an incredible coincidence!" Wen Jiao said, "You are now appealing both to sentiment and reason, and are willing to share benefits. Shen Jinci, not looking at the face of the monk but the face of the Buddha, should agree."
Bian Yue pondered over Wen Jiao's words, which seemed to make perfect sense. Hesitating for a moment, she scrutinized the thin piece of paper in her hand.
Wen Jiao continued talking, "Moreover, seeking out Shen Jinci is the only way left for you, Bian Yue. If you want to take back what's yours, in Gang City, besides Shen Jinci, no one else can help."
Bian Yue wasn't really listening; she was just thinking about how cute Shen Jinci looked as a child, in stark contrast to his serious and aloof demeanor as an adult.
Bian Yue secretly amused herself with a mischievous thought—if she put two braids on the young Shen Jinci, he would be incredibly adorable!
Meanwhile, Shen Jinci, after hanging up, turned back to re-enter the private room.
Li Tingmo had already left, leaving a subordinate to stand by and convey apologies, mentioning that he was getting old and could no longer drink.
Shen Jinci said nothing and took a seat.
Only Li Sihe and Shen Jinci remained in the private room.
Li Sihe swirled the wine glass in his hand, looking at the amber-colored liquor as it swayed.
He spoke with an even and gentle tone, "Since when did Mr. Shen have Bian Yue's contact information?"
Shen Jinci picked up a chopstick full of appealing vegetables, chewing slowly, his dining manners exquisitely graceful, "I've forgotten."
A hint of anger finally seeped into Li Sihe's gentle eyes, though he was still smiling. However, the warmth in his voice carried an underlying possessiveness, "Bian Yue is my fiancée; it would be best for Mr. Shen to maintain some distance."
"Oh? Bian Yue is your fiancée?" Shen Jinci repeated Li Sihe's words with an even tone, lifting his gaze, an aura of authority from one accustomed to being in a position of power seeping through his casual demeanor.
His lips curved indifferently, "I had thought that Shi An'an was your fiancée."
Li Shiheng's expression changed, and the amenable facade became difficult to sustain.
"Mr. Shen, are you standing up for Bian Yue? I was unaware; when did Bian Yue become a friend of Mr. Shen!"
Li Shiheng clenched his fist, and in the next moment, it appeared he thought of something, as the emotions on his face gradually settled. He picked up the wine glass on the table and gestured to Shen Jinci, "Since she is a friend of Bian Yue, then she is also my friend. Mr. Shen, I toast to you."
Shen Jinci coldly glanced at Li Shiheng, who is now only 23. Being able to control his emotions to such an extent, it's hard to tell if he is stable or if Bian Yue means nothing to him.
Shen Jinci picked up the wine glass and responded to Li Shiheng's toast.
Shen Jinci couldn't hold his liquor well. After the age of 18, he almost never touched any alcoholic beverages again.
The reason why he had agreed to Li Shiheng today, upon reflection, was probably out of fear that Bian Yue would be targeted.
The man concealed his discomfort with alcohol by gently pinching the bridge of his nose, hiding the dizziness that followed.
Across from him, Li Shiheng put down his wine glass, calmly watching Shen Jinci's enduring expression, and slightly smiled, "Mr. Shen, can't handle your drink?"
However, the words that came out of Shen Jinci's mouth next made Li Shiheng's smile disappear.
Shen Jinci said, "If you don't like Bian Yue, then let her go."
Li Shiheng's brow twitched with suppressed anger, "On what basis do you have the right to say that to me?"
Shen Jinci didn't answer quickly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his hand resting on his forehead like a piece of art, "Bian Yue deserves a better life. If you don't cherish her, then let her be."
How could Shen Jinci be related to Bian Yue?
One was the heir of the Shen Family, who had been living abroad these last two years, and the other was raised under his watchful eye, his delicately pampered little princess.
They clearly rarely even met.
But at this moment, every word that Shen Jinci said to him was protective.
Li Shiheng's hand trembled as he tightly gripped the wine glass in front of him.
His smile was forced, and an indescribable fear engulfed him at this moment.
A ridiculous thought suddenly emerged—Shen Jinci returned to the country for Bian Yue.
"Do you like Bian Yue?" He pushed each word through clenched teeth, with a tremble, "Is Bian Yue the one you've been pining for back home?"
Silence.
Li Shiheng's peach blossom eyes were bloodshot. He strained to maintain his composure while the smile on his face faltered, "You're joking, right?"
"The cooperation between Shen, Li, and Jiang Families remains as is; I've no objection to your father wanting to invest in a new sector either. Now that business is done, Mr. Li, you can go home and rest early." Shen Jinci did not reply; he got up, ready to leave.
Li Shiheng felt as though his heart was scalded by boiling oil, his face deathly pale as he shakily stood up.
He stared intently at Shen Jinci's retreating figure, "Bian Yue isn't someone whose feelings you can toy with!"
Shen Jinci's footsteps paused, and he turned to look at Li Shiheng.
The light was as bright as daylight, shining on his sharp and refined features, revealing a dispassionate mockery in his dark eyes.
Shen Jinci said: "What right do you have to talk to me like this? Li Shiheng, you know exactly what you've done these past two years."
It wasn't until the door closed again that Li Shiheng finally slumped back down, defeated.
Xiangjiang Hotel's top floor, the Presidential Suite.
The dark lighting set the mood, and the air carried the heavy scent of sandalwood incense. The cold European-style decor was retro and luxurious.
This was the bustling heart of the city, a suite open only to top-tier clientele, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the busy streets below.
Approaching dawn, it was the liveliest time for the Xiangjiang Hotel. Socialites and dignitaries held their banquets in the hotel to showcase their status. Outside the hotel was a relentless stream of traffic, more intense than in daylight, but the hustle and bustle inside were beyond the reach of those passing by.
Beneath Bian Yue's feet lay the divide between two worlds.
And Shen Jinci stood at its pinnacle.
Bian Yue was indifferent to all this, sitting on the living room couch, holding photographs she had been looking at all along.
During the internal strife at the Bian Family, she was taken away by Li Shiheng, alone and bereft. By the time she truly wanted to return and look for something, it was all but pillaged.
The faces of her parents, so young in the photos, were a luxury for Bian Yue to even conceive of.
Perhaps because she was so engrossed, tears fell without her knowing.
Before Bian Yue could wipe them away, the door opened, and Shen Jinci stood at the entrance, with Kang Yu behind him.
Kang Yu said, "Mr. Shen, Miss Bian has been waiting for you inside for a long time."
Tears still hung on Bian Yue's face, a picture of disarray.
In her heart, Bian Yue pleaded that Shen Jinci was far enough away to have seen nothing. If he saw nothing, she would definitely thank Huang Daxian profusely in gratitude.
She disliked displaying her vulnerability. Realizing her tears, she quickly tried to wipe them away.
But Shen Jinci was already standing in front of her.
Bian Yue looked up slowly, and as the door closed softly behind them, Shen Jinci had already squatted down in front of her. He raised his hand and gently wiped away her tears.