CHAPTER 233: CHAPTER 233: ATTENDING THE WEDDING

Zhuang Jie Ning looked at Li Sihe with disbelief, fighting the urge to step forward, seething with anger, "Li Sihe! Look at yourself; what state are you in right now? You still want to go through with the wedding ceremony with me? Do you want me to become the laughingstock of the entire Xiangjiang?"

Li Sihe looked at Zhuang Jie Ning impassively, unsurprised by her reaction.

But at this point, how could Tang Yuwei allow anyone to show disrespect to her son?

She strode toward Zhuang Jie Ning and, without any hesitation, raised her hand and slapped her across the face, yelling, "Zhuang Jie Ning! Don’t act shamelessly here! Shiheng said he wants to get married and to hold a wedding banquet, just cooperate!"

"Are you insane?" Zhuang Jie Ning, clutching her burning cheek, with widened eyes, glared furiously at Tang Yuwei and hysterically exclaimed, "He doesn’t even have many days left! Am I supposed to get married to him now and then send him off in a funeral immediately after? Mom, I’m carrying your grandson in my belly!"

Zhuang Jie Ning shouldn’t have said that—those words made Tang Yuwei completely lose control.

She slapped Zhuang Jie Ning across the face again, this time with even more force. Zhuang Jie Ning was struck so hard she staggered back a step before steadying herself.

"You know full well whose child is in your belly! Right now, I don’t care who the father of this child is, nor do I want to know what kind of deal you and Tingmo have made. I know Shiheng is dying, and whatever he wants, I dare you to refuse!" Tears welled up in Tang Yuwei’s eyes as she gave Li Tingmo a cold look and sneered, "Are you satisfied now?"

Li Tingmo frowned, finding it hard to maintain his composure in response to Tang Yuwei’s accusations. His tone grew stern, "What are you talking about in front of Shiheng and Jie Ning!"

"Li Tingmo, after all these years, I’ve entered the Li Family. I believe I’ve put in my fair share of heartache, if not hard work. You said you wanted Shiheng to be well-cultivated to inherit the Li Family securely, and I believed you; you said adopting Bian Yue would serve as a stepping stone to the Bian Family’s inheritance for Shiheng, and I listened to you; later, you said since Shiheng’s health was poor, I should consider the bigger picture and acknowledge the child in Zhuang Zhuangjie’s womb as our own, and I followed your wishes! But now, I’ve had enough!"

Tears streamed down Tang Yuwei’s face. The usually pampered woman, now beneath her son’s frail and sickly state, was left with nothing but shattered pain, "If I had known this would be the outcome, I would have sincerely treated Bian Yue well and just let them marry! At least then, Shiheng would be happy! But now, after all my scheming, what have I gained! Li Tingmo, isn’t the Li Family powerful and influential enough? You are just too greedy!"

Li Tingmo frowned as he looked at Tang Yuwei, feeling a repressed pain in his heart, but as the patriarch of the Li Family, that is how he had always treated himself.

It’s just that now, with Li Sihe on the brink of death, his actions seemed even more callous.

"Yuwei..." Li Tingmo sighed softly, his voice hoarse, "I understand how you feel. Let’s do as you say, hold the wedding tonight, it’ll serve as a witness for everyone."

With that, Tang Yuwei started trembling and wiped the tears from her face.

Zhuang Jie Ning, standing to one side, enraged but unable to speak, could only watch Li Sihe with resentful eyes.

It was ridiculous. Her wedding was going to become the laughingstock of the entire Xiangjiang!

Zhuang Jie Ning could not understand why Li Sihe insisted on making the situation so unsightly, leaving no leeway for herself!

He was about to die! In the future, wouldn’t the Li Family still have to rely on her to take care of Tang Yuwei and Li Tingmo?

Zhuang Jie Ning clenched her fist and thought bitterly in her heart, when the time was ripe, she would definitely seize control of the entire Li Family. Then, she would thoroughly wash away today’s humiliation, making everyone pay the price!

Tang Yuwei had already turned around and staggered toward the faltering Li Sihe.

The latter’s complexion was serene, his face still that soft, gentle visage, all his emotions as faint as paper.

He looked at Tang Yuwei approaching him, his smile light and gentle as he said, "Thank you, Mom."

Tang Yuwei stopped in her tracks, seemingly drained of all strength in an instant, and suddenly crouched on the ground, bursting into tears...

Bian Yue handed Shen Zhaoli’s phone over to the professionals; she needed to know the IP location of Shen Jinci, which would take about a day and a night.

"Mr. Shen’s phone has a professional anti-tracking chip installed, and considering it’s overseas, the process will take a bit longer. I’m sorry, President Bian, but a day and a night is already our limit."

Bian Yue frowned upon hearing this timeframe, took the phone from the technician’s hand, whispered a thank you, and walked out.

To say something melodramatic, Bian Yue never felt that a day and a night could be so long.

She reached the door and saw Shen Zhaoli, who had been waiting there early.

With arms crossed and a face of helplessness mixed with amusement, he said to Bian Yue, "Can I have my phone back now!"

Bian Yue handed the phone to him and sincerely said, "I’m sorry, it was an emergency measure today."

"Do you have any other plans tonight?" Shen Zhaoli looked at Bian Yue, paused, and then said, "Li Sihe is holding his wedding tonight in advance, you should have received the invitation, right?"

Bian Yue had just received it 10 minutes ago, handed to her by Kang Yu.

Bian Yue nodded, and Shen Zhaoli raised an eyebrow saying, "What a coincidence, I got one too. Let’s go and have a look together."

The night was cool as water, the car drove on the highway with the sound of wind brushing past the ears, piercing through the stifling heat.

Bian Yue thought about Li Sihe’s wedding and the pale, weak face of the man she had just seen.

She didn’t understand why he chose to have a wedding at this critical juncture.

"Why do you think... Li Sihe is having a wedding now?" Bian Yue paused and spoke even softer, "Does he know that he doesn’t have much time left?"

Shen Zhaoli glanced at her and shrugged, "Who knows? We’ll see at the wedding banquet, won’t we? Bian Yue, have you really forgiven him?"

"Really, I have." Bian Yue said, "I hope he lives a long life, healthy and happy."

Such a wish seemed pale and powerless in face of Li Sihe’s current health.

Shen Zhaoli spoke again, trying to lighten the mood. His voice mixed in the noisy wind, making it difficult to hear clearly, "Let me tell you a secret, actually, I wasn’t angry at all that you took my phone today."

"Really?" Bian Yue seldom smiled sincerely, "Then thank you for being so generous."

"I’m quite petty, not very generous actually, but I know you’re not the impulsive type. You must have been really worried about Shen Jinci to take such an extreme measure, I understand." Shen Zhaoli rolled up the car window and said seriously, "So if you really find something, you don’t need to tell me. If you want to find him, just go."