CHAPTER 213: CHAPTER 213: HIS WEAKNESS

"Sister..." Bian Yue felt the pain on her wrist and couldn’t help but frown, whispering, "Li Sihe is different from the other people of the Li Family to me, between us... there is kinship."

But Bian Shu was looking at Bian Yue with a coldness growing in her eyes. Suddenly, she flung Bian Yue’s hand away. Bian Yue, unprepared, fell to the ground, her palms burning with pain.

Her back hit the cabinet, and a vase fell to the floor and shattered.

Shen Jinci had been standing at the door; he had developed a heavier smoking habit recently and always sneaked a smoke whenever Bian Yue wasn’t aware.

Now, the loud noise in the room alerted Shen Jinci to a sense of danger. He snuffed out his cigarette without any hesitation and strode in.

Bian Shu had already gotten off the bed. She pinned Bian Yue to the ground, muttering sickly, "Bian Yue! Have you gone mad! How can you sympathize with the Li Family! You should kill them all, to console the spirits of our parents in heaven! Bian Yue, have you forgotten your last name?"

Bian Yue’s wrists were numb; she didn’t struggle, letting Bian Shu hold her down, tears falling from the corners of her eyes as she hoarsely said, "I haven’t forgotten, I never dare to forget!"

"That’s good, Bian Yue. Listen to your sister, don’t trust men. Men are heartless! Li Sihe is a bad person, you should have killed him! Kill all the people from the Li Family! Don’t you want revenge? Are you deceiving me? Why... why do all of you have to deceive me!"

Bian Shu’s eyes darted around, her face twisted with panic and madness. She said, "You deceive me, An Shen also deceives me! All of you are deceiving me!"

Bian Yue couldn’t comprehend the latter part of her self-talk. She looked at her worriedly, saying, "Sister, are you alright..."

"Bian Yue!" Shen Jinci’s frantic voice came from the doorway.

Bian Shu and Bian Yue looked towards the direction of the voice simultaneously. Shen Jinci’s face had changed, looking anxiously at the scene.

"Jinci! I’m okay!" Bian Yue quickly said: "My sister just got a bit sick, don’t worry."

Seeing the harshness in Shen Jinci’s eyes, Bian Shu panicked, letting go and scrambling back onto the bed, hugging her legs and watching Shen Jinci with a guarded face.

"Sister... Sister..." Bian Yue hurriedly got up, her eyes fixed on Bian Shu in concern, comforting her, "Don’t be afraid, it’s okay, I’m not hurt, Jinci won’t hurt you."

But Shen Jinci’s expression was icy cold, chilling as he slowly said, "Miss Bian Shu, I know you’re ill, but Bian Yue is my wife. I hope you won’t do anything to harm her. If she gets hurt here, I won’t let you off."

"Jinci..." Bian Yue anxiously looked at Shen Jinci, frowning, "I’m really okay, don’t look so sternly at my sister, she’ll be scared."

"I have already investigated. Ji Anshen, is that the name?"

The fear on Bian Shu’s face receded like a tide, and she looked at Shen Jinci with wary disbelief, saying, "You investigated me?"

"Sorry, but I have to ensure my wife’s absolute safety. You are an important family member to her, and until it’s clear that you have no malintent, I can’t leave you two alone." Shen Jinci’s voice carried no hint of an apology as he stepped over the mess on the floor and pulled Bian Yue up.

"Jinci, I’m fine... I’m not hurt..."

"I can pretend I don’t know about your past, and I won’t tell Bian Yue about these things. But please don’t exploit your status as a member of the Bian Family to morally bind Bian Yue here." Shen Jinci said coldly: "I don’t want to see a repeat of today’s incident."

Resentment and unwillingness welled up in Bian Shu’s eyes as she said, "Aren’t you angry? Bian Yue cares so much about Li Sihe, aren’t you jealous? She’s your wife, yet she cares for another man."

Shen Jinci didn’t answer Bian Shu’s words. He pulled Bian Yue into his arms, lifted her, and walked quickly towards the outside.

The night was deep, and everything was silent except for the chirping of insects.

On the path thick with the scent of grass and trees, Bian Yue was carried by Shen Jinci, heading towards the main building.

Bian Yue looked at the tired gray beneath Shen Jinci’s eyes and couldn’t help but reach out to touch, saying, "You haven’t been sleeping well these days, have you?"

"How could that be? I’ve been sleeping very well."

Bian Yue didn’t argue. She lowered her head, her voice filled with guilt, "Jinci... I... I couldn’t just coldly watch Li Sihe die. At least before his death, I hoped he’d have fewer worries, so... I forgave him."

"Yueyue, you didn’t forgive him just now, you forgave him a long time ago." Shen Jinci lowered his gaze, looking at the astonishment in the eyes of the woman in his arms, and continued, "But it doesn’t matter because you forgive, and that’s who you are."

"Just now, my sister said that you were jealous... Do you feel that way?" Bian Yue was a bit nervous, afraid that he might misunderstand. Without waiting for his answer, she quickly added, "Shen Jinci, I really have no feelings for Li Sihe..."

"I won’t." Shen Jinci calmly interrupted Bian Yue’s words.

He looked into her anxious and hesitant eyes, with seriousness in every word, "Yueyue, I just hope you can do as you please, without leaving yourself with regrets. No matter how you choose to treat Li Sihe, I will respect your decision. You are yourself first, and then my wife, and I love you. I will respect your choices and your decisions."

Bian Yue’s eyes brimmed with sourness as she sniffled and buried her face in Shen Jinci’s neck, whispering, "You’re so sentimental."

Sentimental?

This was the first time someone described him that way.

Shen Jinci was a cold person, his actions and words always profoundly indifferent. He had always been aloof.

But Bian Yue was his Achilles’ heel. There were a million ways for him to keep Bian Yue away from Li Sihe, to have her stay by his side only, but all these methods couldn’t overcome the softness of his heart.

He couldn’t bear it.

That’s why he said, no matter what Bian Yue did, he would fulfil her wishes.

After a while, Bian Yue suddenly sniffed him forcefully in his embrace, then she frowned seriously, "Shen Jinci, did you just smoke?"

"Mhm."

"How many?"

"I can’t quite remember."

Bian Yue’s spirit lifted, and she said earnestly, "You know smoking is bad for your health, don’t you?"

Doing things harmful to his health wasn’t new for Shen Jinci.

But he looked down with a tender gaze, acquiescing, "I know."

Yet Bian Yue was still not satisfied. Her soft hair brushed over his neck, and she drew out her words in a coaxing tone, "Then stop smoking, will you?"

Shen Jinci kissed her hair lovingly and said indulgently, "Okay, I’ll quit."

That night, Shen Jinci handed over the cigarette pack and lighter to Bian Yue.

Bian Yue checked the items with satisfaction, picked up the red plastic hard lighter, and suddenly, with surprise, asked, "Oh right, you still haven’t told me, where did this lighter come from?"