CHAPTER 282: CHAPTER 281: AFRAID OF RETRIBUTION TOO

Bian Shu had never thought that he loved her.

How could it be love? He clearly didn’t care about anything.

But now, years later, she suddenly knew that the days and nights they had spent together were not devoid of affection.

In that instant, her once hollow heart seemed to be suddenly filled.

He loved her, and so... Bian Shu suddenly felt that her journey in this world had not been in vain.

Bian Shu stood in front of the window, pushing it open, feeling the stuffy breeze brush across her face, just like the end of that summer years ago, when she stood here, gazing into the distance.

Ji Anshen, holding an umbrella, walked slowly towards her in the misty rain...

Bian Yue woke up from vomiting in the middle of the night and stood at the washbasin, looking at her pale face in the mirror.

In the mirror, Shen Jinci’s worried face was reflected. He stood behind her, frowning at her.

"Yueyue, when was your last period?"

Bian Yue’s face changed, revealing a hint of confusion. She said, "I... I can’t quite remember."

Shen Jinci, who realized later, sensed something.

He steadied her shoulders, expectation clear in his eyes, and said, "Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the hospital, okay?"

Bian Yue understood what Shen Jinci suspected.

Pregnant...

Was there already a child in her belly?

They had always taken precautions during their intimate moments. Could it be that she was still pregnant?

Bian Yue looked uncertainly at Shen Jinci, her voice uneasy, "Could it... really be possible?"

She had been alone for too long and, even afterwards, when she was sure Shen Jinci would never leave her, she never dared to hope that she could have a child in her belly.

Bian Yue didn’t believe she had the ability to take care of a child.

She feared she couldn’t give this child perfect love.

But Shen Jinci only looked into her anxious eyes, steadied her shoulders with his hands, and said word by word, very seriously, "Yueyue, if... if it’s true, do you want it?"

Bian Yue didn’t know.

To her, it wasn’t a question of wanting or not wanting, but whether she could or not.

Could she have a child?

Could she raise it to adulthood?

Bian Yue didn’t know.

And her hesitation, in the eyes of Shen Jinci, seemed more like refusal.

A faint dimming appeared in the man’s eyes, as he quietly arranged the stray hairs at her temple, his lips lifting gently enough to be tender, "It’s okay, Yueyue. If you don’t want it, we don’t have to keep this child, everything will be up to you."

Bian Yue wanted to explain, but when the words reached her lips, she didn’t know how to start.

Shen Jinci embraced her, kissing her cheek, his affection boundless, "It’s okay, Yueyue, whatever decision you make, I will respect it."

That night, Bian Yue woke up again, disturbed by a call from Bian Shu’s attending doctor, whose voice was tense on the phone. He said, "Miss Bian, your sister has attempted suicide."

Bian Yue’s mind exploded with a bang, everything going blank.

During this time, Bian Shu’s abnormal behavior had found an answer at this moment.

She had taken care of Ji Anshen’s last wishes, and now, she no longer wanted to live.

Everything could be severed; what mattered most to her was Ji Anshen.

The hospital at night was quiet and deserted, filled with the strange smell of disinfectant.

Bian Yue stood at the door of the operating room, her vision blurred as tears fell unknowingly, staring blankly at the constantly lit lights of the operating room.

Shen Jinci was even more tense than Bian Yue, looking at her numb expression, his words of comfort were cautious, uncertain of what to say.

Not far away, Wen Jiao and Shen Zhaoli hurried over, both with a hint of urgency on their faces.

"How is it going?" Approaching Bian Yue, Wen Jiao asked anxiously, "What did the doctor say?"

Bian Yue, triggered by the keyword, rigidly repeated the doctor’s words, her voice hoarse, "The doctor said... it’s not looking good; he asked me to prepare myself mentally."

Wen Jiao faltered, her expression growing even more tense.

But quickly, she composed herself and smiled at Bian Yue, saying, "It’s okay, Yueyue, everything will be fine, I’m here with you..."

With Wen Jiao’s reassurance, Shen Jinci watched Bian Yue’s dazed state, softly saying, "Yueyue, Zhaoli and I have something to discuss. Can you wait here for us a moment, okay?"

Bian Yue snapped back to reality, smiling at Shen Jinci, "Okay."

Shen Jinci had a complex expression, he paused for a moment, then turned and left.

Shen Zhaoli watched Shen Jinci’s retreating back, quickly following him. Minutes later, the two stood at the edge of the balcony, under a light, sporadic drizzle.

Shen Zhaoli stood beside Shen Jinci, shoulder to shoulder, he lit a cigarette, frowning, "What’s the situation with Bian Shu?"

"It’s probably too late; she slit her wrist arteries with a knife when she attempted suicide, lost too much blood, and was in shock by the time the doctors found her," Shen Jinci’s tone was even, but one could hear the suppressed emotions within.

Shen Zhaoli’s frown deepened, taking a deep drag from his cigarette, he said slowly, "I’ve located Li Sihe’s exact whereabouts, but we were still a step too late and didn’t find him."

"That’s okay, it doesn’t matter anymore. As long as he doesn’t pester Bian Yue, I can pretend he’s already dead."

Shen Zhaoli raised an eyebrow, somewhat astonished by Shen Jinci’s words, peering through the faint smoke and mist, the man’s expression was even more distant. Shen Zhaoli couldn’t see clearly but still couldn’t help but laugh, saying carelessly, "You weren’t such a soft-hearted person before."

"Bian Yue might be pregnant."

The smile at Shen Zhaoli’s lips froze, "What..."

"Do you know what I was thinking the moment I realized Yueyue might be pregnant?" Shen Jinci pulled at the corner of his lips, a hint of darkness in his expression, his voice as calm as if dredged from icy water, without a ripple, "I was thinking about all the shady things I’ve done before, and if someone threatened me with Bian Yue, what should I do?"

"Those things are in the past, they have nothing to do with Shen Jinci," said Shen Zhaoli, after a pause, his voice deepening, "You are Shen Jinci now."

"I am also grateful that I am standing here as Shen Jinci. Because I am, I can discard everything from the past. Now, I don’t want even a speck of it."

Saying this, Shen Jinci calmly looked at Shen Zhaoli, his elegant and noble brows and eyes tinged with self-mockery, as he said, "Zhaoli, someone like me, I am also afraid of retribution."

At the door of the operating room, Bian Yue felt her legs aching.

She looked at Wen Jiao beside her, whispering, "Jiaojiao, help me over to sit down."

Wen Jiao quickly obliged.

However, just as Bian Yue sat down, the normally shut door of the surgery room suddenly opened.

The doctor in blue surgical attire with a grave expression walked out, his gaze landing on Bian Yue, hesitant to speak.

Bian Yue felt dizzy, forcing herself to stand up again, "Doctor... how is my sister?"