CHAPTER 220: CHAPTER 220: WHY WON’T YOU ADMIT IT

In Bai Xu’s silence, Li Sihe gripped the document in his hand tightly, his expression complex.

Seeing this, Bai Xu asked softly, "Mr. Li, do you want to help Miss Bian secretly?"

Li Sihe was touched at first, but then he slowly shook his head, "The path Bian Yue chose is destined to be difficult. Shen Jinci is a businessman, and his decision is not surprising. It’s also good... It gives Bian Yue a chance to see him clearly."

After speaking, Li Sihe returned to reviewing the document, while Bai Xu stood by quietly, patiently awaiting Li Sihe’s next question...

The night in Xiangjiang descended upon the Xiangjiang Hotel.

Having secured two major collaborations, Bian Yue held a celebration banquet, inviting everyone from Honey to dine together.

During the meal, everyone ate without restraint, and Bian Yue seemed quite cheerful, entertaining all comers and drinking a lot of alcohol.

The night breeze carried a damp scent, and at the entrance of the hotel, Bian Yue and an inebriated An An and Wen Jiao stood side by side.

An An’s face was flushed as she slurred, "Thank you, President Bian! Rest assured, I will treat the company as my own family this year and work to death for it!"

"Yeah, Bian Yue! You... don’t be scared! An An and I will always help you!" Wen Jiao patted Bian Yue on the shoulder, laughing, "Your business is my business!"

Bian Yue smiled at Wen Jiao and gently pinched her cheek, speaking softly, "Our Jiaojiao is becoming more and more impressive!"

Not far away, a black stretch Lincoln was parked quietly by the roadside.

The driver, looking at Mr. Shen’s impassive face in the rearview mirror, said uneasily, "Mr. Shen, I’ll go now and bring Madam over."

"I’ll go myself." Shen Jinci’s voice was equally calm; he seemed devoid of any emotion, his demeanor could even be called gentle.

However, for some reason, the driver felt that Mr. Shen’s mood was off today.

Hesitating, the driver closed his mouth and watched as Shen Jinci opened the car door and walked out calmly.

The night was dark, adorned with neon lights, the crowd blurry, and the moonlight pale.

Bian Yue heard An An’s surprised voice, "President Bian! Mr. Shen is here!"

"Bian Yue! I see him too, right across there! Eh... he’s coming over!" Wen Jiao blinked her eyes, drunk and overly honest, "Your Shen Jinci is really... quite handsome!"

Bian Yue squinted towards Shen Jinci.

She had drunk a bit too much, the world around her seemed to carry double images; Shen Jinci was approaching, dressed in the iron-gray suit he’d worn that day.

His face was set in frost, radiating a pervasive chill.

Bian Yue thought: What does he have to be angry about? Isn’t it myself who should be angry? How can he still be angry with me?

Thinking so, her face showed a slight sense of grievance.

When Shen Jinci arrived in front of her, An An had already tactfully dragged Wen Jiao away.

Bian Yue, looking at the two retreating figures, complained, "Hey... you’re not loyal, how can you... Shen Jinci! Put me down!"

Before Bian Yue could finish speaking, Shen Jinci had already picked her up.

He watched her struggle in his arms, silent, carrying her across the traffic.

The driver timely exited the car and opened the door; Bian Yue was placed inside by Shen Jinci and immediately found the seat closest to the edge to sit down.

She looked out the window, clearly not wishing to speak.

The partition was slowly pulled up, the space in the back becoming even more silent.

Bian Yue looked at the scenery outside the window, her mind in chaos and feeling the sour bloating of having drunk too much.

The car slowly moved forward; Shen Jinci closed his eyes, his slender fingers pinching his tie, slightly loosening it, then he unbuttoned the top button.

He didn’t speak, his movements decisive, as he pulled Bian Yue’s arm, forcing her to turn and face him.

"What are you doing!" Bian Yue was unprepared, nearly tumbling into his embrace, and she said discontentedly, "My head hurts right now! I drank too much! Shen Jinci, I didn’t ask you to come pick me up, and I didn’t argue with you, so why are you bothering me!"

"Bian Yue, what are you angry about? You wanted to talk about collaboration, you wanted Lixing’s endorsement, you got what you wanted, didn’t you?"

Shen Jinci’s voice lacked any warmth as he yanked Bian Yue’s wrist, increasingly confining her in his embrace, "Do you feel that, in the boardroom today, I was being indifferent? I stood by idly, without any humanity?"

"I didn’t think that at all! Not one bit!" Bian Yue’s eyes trembled as she looked at Shen Jinci and took a deep breath, "Shen Jinci, I’m not that ignorant little girl, I know that I have already been privileged! The fact that I, Bian Yue, could stand in Lixing’s boardroom today is an opportunity you gave me! I know, so I thank you!"

"So what are you pouting about?" Shen Jinci calmly observed Bian Yue, his emotions having returned to normal; the previous loss of control seemed like an illusion, disappearing as he repeated slowly and blandly, his voice tinged with helplessness, "Yueyue, what are you pouting about?"

Tears welled up in Bian Yue’s eyes, she held back, speaking softly, "Shen Jinci, can you tell me if you really didn’t know about the Shen Family’s bankruptcy back then?"

"I didn’t know about that," Shen Jinci frowned.

Bian Yue pushed Shen Jinci away abruptly; her tears finally breaking free, "You’re lying! You knew everything! Every decision of Lixing’s back then passed through your hands! You were the glorious Mr. Shen that year! You obviously knew, why don’t you admit it!"

Shen Jinci clenched his fist, watching Bian Yue’s tears fall uncontrollably.

A voice carrying the tone of judgment pronounced from above, saying: With another person’s life comes the burden of all their sins.

"Yueyue, don’t cry..." Shen Jinci furrowed his brow, carefully wiping away her tears, the expression on his face pained, his fingertips’ moisture almost eroding his heart, he said hoarsely, "Don’t cry... You’ve been unhappy these days because of this, right? Let’s go home now, I’ll tell you everything."

Bian Yue pushed Shen Jinci’s hand away, her tears flowing more fiercely, her disappointment barely concealed, "Shen Jinci, why do you continue to lie! I have already seen the evidence! I even saw the surveillance video, the video of you talking with my father! You said you trusted the Li Family! You said that our three families would always be cooperative partners supporting each other!"

Bian Yue slowly shook her head, "Shen Jinci! Are you going to tell me that the man in the video isn’t you, that the guy talking to my father isn’t you, that the signature on the document isn’t yours, that none of it is you?"

Shen Jinci’s fingertips felt a sharp pain; he stared at Bian Yue, her face marred by tears, and said hoarsely, "It’s not me... none of this is me."

Bian Yue gave a bitter smile, "Shen Jinci, this can’t be the answer you give me, can it? Not you? Then who? Tell me! Who is it!"