Chapter 226: Chapter 226

Bai Changxia was speechless.

In Shen Jianian’s view, Fu Jichen only left the impression of being "a bit familiar." If Fu Jichen knew about this, one wonders how he would feel.

Shen Jianian unknowingly watched the entire episode of the show, even though the footage concerning her only occupied the brief segment at the beginning.

She rewound the tape, eager to watch her own appearance again, but still couldn’t recall anything.

However, she suspected that on the day of filming, while she was playing the cello on stage, the fleeting fragments in her mind were related to this variety show, though she wasn’t entirely sure.

The result of drinking and staying up till the early hours was that the three alarms failed to wake Shen Jianian from sleep, and Bai Changxia wasn’t much better off; the two of them slept heavily.

When Shen Jianian woke up, most of the morning had already passed.

Pulling open the curtains, the midday sunlight was dazzlingly bright. Unsurprisingly, she missed her flight.

The flight she booked was supposed to depart at 9:15, and it should be nearing Jiang City by now.

Bai Changxia yawned as she got out of bed and tried to persuade her: "Why don’t you stay a few more days in Beicheng; you mentioned there’s nothing urgent in Jiang City."

"I’m scheduled to go try on wedding dresses with Ah Che the day after tomorrow."

Bai Changxia paused her hair-tying action, turned to look at her, but before she could speak, the doorbell rang. Bai Changxia quickly threw on a knitted cardigan over her nightgown and ran to open the door.

Bai Changxia asked, "Who’s there?" as she opened the door, and Pei Che’s face appeared, delivering a huge shock to Bai Changxia’s drowsy brain, almost causing her to scream.

Although she had spoken to him by phone last night, seeing someone presumed dead before her was bound to be startling.

"Is Little Nian awake?"

Compared to Bai Changxia’s astonished expression, Pei Che seemed much more composed.

Yet his face wasn’t entirely calm; there was a fatigue from having stayed up all night. The words Bai Changxia said to him over the phone last night were quite a blow.

She said: Do you know the person she loves is Fu Jichen; she once admitted it to me personally.

These words effectively shattered all of his previous self-deceptions.

He never denied Shen Jianian had feelings for Fu Jichen, but he didn’t believe their relationship was very deep. It began when Shen Jianian had nowhere else to turn, with Fu Jichen providing her a place to stay. How could that compare to the twenty years of feelings shared between him and Little Nian? Yet because of hatred between him and Little Nian, she was forced to let go of him, move forward, and embrace another man.

But Bai Changxia said that Shen Jianian had personally admitted to her that she loves Fu Jichen.

No one knows how he spent last night, repeatedly pondering those words, torturing himself, and then booking the earliest flight to Beicheng.

He was afraid that if he came later, he would once again lose Little Nian.

He couldn’t bear the pain of losing her again.

Perhaps letting her come to Beicheng alone was a mistake.

"Come in." Bai Changxia, after her initial surprise, calmed down slightly, crossed her arms, and stepped aside to invite Pei Che inside, "She just woke up and should be washing up." Discover more novels at novelꜰire.net

Pei Che entered the house, and Bai Changxia closed the door, unable to control her sarcasm: "You’re quick to come, afraid I might say something to her."

Pei Che wasn’t angry; instead, he looked at her calmly and said, "If you had seen firsthand how Little Nian has managed these last three years, you’d want to protect her as well. The car accident back then nearly cost her her entire life, leaving her barely hanging on. I dragged her back from the gates of hell, and I won’t allow her to be hurt again. That person is inherently the source of danger."

Bai Changxia had no grounds to refute him.

Shen Jianian washed up, dressed, and came out of the room, seeing Pei Che sitting on the couch in the living room. She blinked, thinking she hadn’t sobered up, paused for quite some time, and finally spoke: "Ah Che, why are you here?"

"Worried about you, I came to personally take you back."

Pei Che stood up, showing a gentle smile. Seeing her, his exhaustion and worry instantly vanished.

Shen Jianian touched her forehead, a little embarrassed: "I’m all grown up, yet you’re still worried about me."

Bai Changxia watched from the side; the sweetness on Jianian’s face wasn’t fake. If she didn’t like Pei Che, she wouldn’t act this way. Momentarily, Bai Changxia found herself confused, not knowing what to do.

Should she team up with Pei Che to hide things from Jianian, or tell her the truth, break the sweet current situation, and let her face choices without any memories?

It’s easy to criticize Pei Che; when it’s her turn, Bai Changxia realizes that saying certain things out loud isn’t so simple.

"Xiaxia, I’m leaving." Shen Jianian picked up her handbag to say goodbye, "Next time we get the chance, let’s meet again. You can visit me in Jiang City when you’re not busy."

Being caught up in reminiscing last night, they forgot to exchange new contact information. Bai Changxia hurried back to the room to get her phone, added Shen Jianian on WeChat, and promised: "I will come find you."

As she sent them off, Bai Changxia didn’t forget to remind Pei Che: "Take good care of her."

Pei Che nodded, holding Shen Jianian close as they walked into the elevator.

Bai Changxia stood by the door, watching them leave, not moving for quite a while, until the elevator doors opened again, revealing Zhu Qisen.

"Why are you just standing at the door?" Zhu Qisen dressed in a light-striped shirt and jeans, carrying packed food from a restaurant.

Bai Changxia focused her gaze on his face and asked a very puzzling question: "Do you think benevolent lies should exist?"

Zhu Qisen was taken aback by the question.

A moment later, he remembered something related: "During a debate competition I participated in during college, there was a similar topic. I was on the opposing side, arguing that benevolent lies shouldn’t exist. We offered many theories, one of which was—you’re not the person involved, so what seems like a benevolent lie from your perspective, the other party might not want to live in deceit. We often use the phrase ’empathy,’ but actually, no one can truly feel exactly what the other person does. Consequently, we can’t understand the thoughts of those being deceived. Of course, the arguments from the affirmative side were compelling as well. It’s not a completely objective question, and it depends on how you understand it."