Shen Jinci sipped the wine in her hand gently, her voice low and hoarse, her tone soft, "Miss Bian... just be yourself."
Bian Yue didn't respond; she set the wine glass on the table and sat down on the wooden floor, fiddling with the empty glass in front of her.
It was obvious that she couldn't hold her liquor well.
At least, not as well as she boasted, claiming she could drink on others' behalf.
She lay there like a child, resting her head on her arms, blinking, tears rolling down her eyes, whispering, "I can't be myself."
Silently watching Bian Yue for a moment, Shen Jinci got up from the sofa and sat beside her.
The man, renowned for his aloofness, raised his hand and stroked Bian Yue's hair, gently and unnoticeably.
His voice lost its usual indifference, the superiority of his refined and husky tone revealing a tenderness that was uncharacteristically soothing, "Why can't you be yourself?"
Bian Yue, listless under his comforting touch, drunker than ever, forgot to put up her defenses, murmuring, "I don't know... I'm very scared. I've been afraid ever since my parents died."
"Let me guess," the man's hand paused as he was stroking her hair, his voice even more gentle, "is it the Li Family's people, treating you badly?"
Bian Yue extended a finger and waved it in front of Shen Jinci, "No, Uncle Li has been very good to me, Li Sihe... used to be very good to me too, the Li Family has always respected me."
She propped herself up, closing the distance between them, "But... I know that if Uncle Li stops liking me, or if Li Sihe stops liking me, those people, they won't pay any attention to me."
Living under someone else's roof, is never that easy.
The Bian Family's heiress became the little princess of the Li Family, but the situation was not as glorious as it appeared to outsiders.
Shen Jinci watched Bian Yue silently as she put down her hand, looking serious.
She said, "From the day my parents died, I knew... I had nothing left to lose. But I am the Bian Family's heiress, and I won't allow anyone to laugh at me!"
"I must be proud, I must live beautifully, I must let everyone know, even though my parents are gone, I still live well! I haven't disgraced my parents!"
By the end, her voice quivered.
Shen Jinci seemed to understand why Bian Yue kept coming to him.
The Li Family had never given Bian Yue a sense of belonging; she was always restless.
Only the inheritance left by the Bian parents was the source of Bian Yue's sense of security.
"Bian Yue," Shen Jinci called her, and the young girl nodded obediently, Shen Jinci said, "I can help you take back what your parents left you."
"Really?" Bian Yue leaned towards Shen Jinci eagerly, their breaths mingling, entirely unaware of how intimate the atmosphere was at that moment.
She feared she had misheard, confirming repeatedly, "Really? Shen Jinci, really? Will you help me?"
"It's true, but after I help you get it back, what then?" the man's calm question poured cold water over Bian Yue's heart.
Bian Yue froze, her eyelashes trembling, "What comes after?"
"After, how will you protect yourself? Do you remember what happened after the Bian Family's bankruptcy?"
Bian Yue's face paled instantly.
Shen Jinci laid out the cruel truth in front of her, "So what if you get everything, if you can't keep that money safe?"
Seeing that she was silent, Shen Jinci continued, "During these six years at the Li Family, they raised you according to the standards of a Li Family heir's wife; they expanded your horizons, but did not give you the ability. You have no idea how brutal the competition among powerful clans, the clash of the elites, can be. How are you going to hold onto such a large sum of money in Xiangjiang so that no one would dare to touch you?"
Shen Jinci watched the unease on Bian Yue's face grow stronger, and he sighed softly, his words carrying a careless laugh, as if he said casually, "Bian Yue, unless... I can protect you for life."
Bian Yue thought she must be crazy, for she slowly and sluggishly countered, "Would... Mr. Shen be willing?"
"Bian Yue, I don't keep mistresses," the man pinched her chin lightly, scrutinizing her in his palm, his smile indifferent, and as he spoke, a faint whiff of alcohol landed on Bian Yue's face, he whispered, "Living together without marriage, I am not willing."
Bian Yue was sobering up a bit. She pushed Shen Jinci away, her face showing discomfiture, "I'm sorry Mr. Shen, I was presumptuous. I'll be leaving now!"
Her wrist was gently pulled, and the man decisively drew her into his embrace.
His actions were so assertive, yet his tone of voice was indifferent, "It's raining outside, and you're drunk. It's not safe to go out. There are several bedrooms here; just pick any one to sleep in."
Bian Yue's mind was groggy, but she was aware of how embarrassing and self-degrading her behavior had been.
She bit her lip, about to refuse.
Suddenly, Shen Jinci raised his hand and patted her forehead, saying, "Good night, Moon Princess."
This appellation stunned Bian Yue for a long time.
Had Shen Jinci lost his mind?
In his embrace, Bian Yue was like a rigid piece of wood, motionless.
Shen Jinci gently patted her forehead, asking, "So, which room do you want to sleep in?"
Bian Yue said it didn't matter, any would do.
She was just going along with what he said.
Yet no sooner had she said it than she regretted it so much, she wished she could bite her tongue off.
But Shen Jinci's chest resonated with a low, pleasing chuckle. Bian Yue looked at him, a thought crossing her mind—no one besides herself had ever seen Shen Jinci like this at this moment.
The night was gentle, and everything seemed like an unreal dream.
Bian Yue thought, perhaps it was because she had drunk alcohol that her emotions seemed so fluttery and her entire being felt as if it had lost its grounding, as though she had fallen into the clouds.
It was only when she came back to her senses that she realized Shen Jinci had picked her up.
She wanted to say no need, but her hand rested on his chest, and her speech was sluggish.
It even seemed like a gesture of coyness.
Bian Yue's face was flushed as she saw Shen Jinci lower his head to smile at her, saying, "Do you want me to accompany you to sleep?"
His languid and husky voice made even a teasing remark sound sexy and alluring.
Where did his charm come from, more intoxicating than poison?
Bian Yue bit the tip of her tongue to regain clarity.
The little princess glared, thinking she sounded authoritative enough, "If you want to sleep with me, Mr. Shen, you'll have to get in line."
The words were out before she realized she had overstepped. This was Shen Jinci, not Xie Zhang, whom she could sass.
Yet the man just nonchalantly 'hmmed', without objection.
The door was pushed open, Bian Yue's back touched the soft mattress, and drowsiness swiftly overtook her.
Bian Yue didn't know where she got the courage from, but she just fell asleep like that, oblivious even to when Shen Jinci had left.
When Shen Jinci departed, he closed the door for Bian Yue.
The quiet tranquility of the penthouse suite was broken in an instant when the phone rang, sharp and clear.
It was Bian Yue's phone.
The owner of the phone was drunk, so the phone had been left on the living room table, lonely and conspicuous.
Shen Jinci picked up the phone, seeing the name 'Li Sihe' displayed on the screen.