CHAPTER 255: CHAPTER 255: ILLUSIONS AND TRUTHS

Not until Bian Yue’s figure vanished did he dial a number, his voice calm as he spoke, "Mr. Li, Miss Bian came looking for your father."

Upon finishing, Bai Xu hung up the call, and the elevator doors closed once again.

At that moment, in an overseas manor, Li Sihe had just drunk some alcohol and, taking the call, walked with heavy steps downstairs.

The medication that made him appear on his last breath had strong side effects, and for a while, his body was unable to fully recover.

But this was a step that Li Sihe had to take, the only way for him and Bian Yue to start over from scratch.

If he was not the heir to the Li Family and the grievances between them could be resolved completely, then starting afresh could be possible.

Li Sihe frowned, slowly clenched the disconnected phone, lost in thought.

The blond foreign butler walked up from downstairs and said in fluent French, "Mr. Li, the person you asked me to find is now in the study."

Li Sihe gradually composed his discomfort and nodded gently, his peach blossom eyes emotionless as he spoke softly, "I understand."

After finishing, he followed the butler’s footsteps towards the study.

This house, with a hundred years of history, had a European architectural style that exuded an air of history and simplicity, grand yet somewhat solemn.

The butler couldn’t help but take a few more glances back at Li Sihe.

This mysterious and handsome Eastern man was like a fog, with no one aware of his past or depth; he was liberal with money, distinguished, exuding a nobility born of wealth and privilege.

Just like at this moment, his descent down the stairs, despite the gentle visage, felt incredibly distant.

The butler averted his gaze and continued forward without further looks.

The study door opened, and inside, an old man with white hair was shivering in the corner, his eyes covered with a black cloth.

This old man was Dai Jiangqing, who Shen Jinci had met not long before.

Li Sihe had been looking for him, this butler who had accompanied Shen Shan all his life; he must know many secrets.

Li Sihe needed to learn the truth about Shen Jinci’s background, which was very important to him.

Now, Li Sihe walked in alone, removed the black cloth from Dai Jiangqing’s eyes, squatted in front of the old man, and watching his frightened face, smiled warmly, "I’m sorry for the urgent situation, I had to meet you this way. Please don’t mind."

"Who are you..." Dai Jiangqing’s voice stopped abruptly, disbelievingly staring at Li Sihe, his voice trembling, "Li Sihe, weren’t you dead?"

"Just barely survived, Mr. Dai Senior, you can pretend as if I did die," Li Sihe smiled, his gaze peaceful as he looked at Dai Jiangqing, showing no intention of untying him.

He spoke again, his voice increasingly calm and chill, "Mr. Dai Senior, I haven’t called you here with ill intentions, but I do want to ask you if you knew about Shen Jinci being switched?"

Dai Jiangqing stiffened.

The meeting with Shen Jinci was still fresh, as was the resurgence of Li Sihe; neither were ones Dai could afford to provoke.

Dai Jiangqing didn’t know how much Li Sihe had surmised and could only steel himself, feigning calm as he said, "Li Sihe, I don’t know what you’re talking about! Mr. Shen is Mr. Shen, what do you mean switched!"

"Shen Shan put so much effort into grooming Shen Jinci, utilized the strictest elite education, but... the Shen Jinci he taught, he died long ago, right?" Li Sihe sneered, watching Dai Jiangqing’s increasingly unnatural face, and spoke blandly, "Rest assured, if I can find you here, naturally, I’ve already guessed the causes and effects. Your denial is useless."

"Li Sihe, I told you, Mr. Shen is Mr. Shen! Whatever I say, if you don’t believe, it’s useless!" Dai Jiangqing replied coldly.

Such a response evoked a cold laugh from Li Sihe.

Li Sihe leisurely watched Dai Jiangqing and said in a cold voice, "Of course, you can keep denying it, and I can just as well prevent you from leaving through this door."

"You want to kidnap me? Li Sihe! That’s illegal!"

"You are not in Xiangjiang now, and I’m already a dead man, I think I’m capable of doing anything," Li Sihe’s face showed a gentle smile, but not reaching his eyes, which carried a chill.

Seeing Dai Jiangqing’s lips turning pale and his face showing despair, Li Sihe changed his tone to a softer one, "Of course, I do not wish to go extremes. Just let me know what I want to know, and I can sneak you back without anyone noticing. I assure you, no one will find out about this; you are surely safe."

Dai Jiangqing looked pained, his gaze fixed on Li Sihe, not relaxed by his soft-spoken words, and he hoarsely asked, "What if... I refuse?"

Li Sihe first stayed silent, his face expressionless as he watched Dai Jiangqing, then he laughed and said slowly, "Do you think I would let a liability like you leave alive? Mr. Dai Senior, tell the truth, and we can be in the same boat."

Dai Jiangqing, looking into the inadvertent chill and ruthlessness in Li Sihe’s eyes, felt a shiver of fear, the long silence making him unable to utter a word.

Li Sihe, seeing this, knew his words had taken effect.

Clearly, he was going to get everything he wanted.

During the night, the winds outside the manor were deathly quiet, filtering through the half-open window with a chill.

It was said that this place was snowy year-round, perhaps it would soon welcome another snowy night.

Li Sihe had hardly ever seen snow; Xiangjiang never had snowfalls, but Bian Yue once shared with him that she loved snowy days.

On Bian Yue’s 18th birthday, he had thrown a grand party for her that caught everyone’s attention.

After the party, they went to Xiangjiang’s harbor.

Standing in the mist of rain, she pointed across the harbor and said to him, "Li Sihe, let’s go see the heavy snow someday!"

Memories are always tinged with yellow, filled with a heartache that speaks of helplessness.

On that day, as he looked into Bian Yue’s clear, clean eyes, the convictions within him had already started to waver.

Did he really have to sacrifice her entirely for the Li Family?

Could there be no second path for them?

Following that, he avoided confrontation every chance he could, tortured every day.

The price one pays for all their desires is often too much to bear.

Later on, their engagement was broken off, and Bian Yue married Shen Jinci to secure the Bian Family inheritance.

It had been a very long time since they saw each other.

In truth, it was he who deliberately ignored all chances to meet her.

He had made his decision, choosing the Li Family, telling himself to be rational.

But rationality couldn’t suppress instincts.