Chi Yingyu knew very well that her current image was absolutely unpresentable.
She could feel that her Sister was already worrying about her.
But even at this stage, Chi Yingyu was still calculating.
She wanted to delay the recognition between her Sister and Brother-in-law, just to give herself more time to maneuver.
Chi Yingyu could feel that a small flame had already begun to burn between her and her Brother-in-law.
Next, she had to guard this hard-won flicker of ambiguity between them and then add more fuel to the fire.
All of this required time.
If her Sister and Brother-in-law recognized each other immediately, everything would be out of her control.
Having been with her Brother-in-law for so long, Chi Yingyu understood very well what kind of person he was.
Once he knew that her Sister was still alive, she would truly have no chance at all.
Even if her Sister and Brother-in-law couldn’t return to the way they were before, he would definitely never accept her.
She knew very well that deceiving her Sister like this was incredibly base, but she had no way to stop now.
Chi Yingyu pursed her lips tightly, her heart a mess of complexity.
She knew what she was doing was wrong, but there was no turning back.
But more important than this was what her dearest Sister was about to face—Xu Ruobing, who would be back soon.
Jiang Lai’s Phone had been taken by Si Yina on the way to the kidnapping, and the Spare Cell Phone had no Contact Information for Xu Ruobing at all.
From the moment the incident happened until now, Chi Yingyu had been the one contacting her.
Even for reporting safety, it was just her sending Photos to inform the other party.
As for Xu Ruobing, Chi Yingyu didn’t hate her; she even admired her a bit in her heart.
But more than that, she felt jealousy.
***
When Jiang Leyi walked out of the Room with the carefully selected pajamas, Shen Ruxue, who had been feeling low, hurriedly wiped away her tears and returned to the Living Room.
She did not want her daughter to see such a vulnerable side of her at all.
Jiang Leyi looked at her Best Friend who had returned from the Balcony.
Seeing her vulnerable appearance, her heart also felt heavy.
She had many things to say and so much gratitude to express.
If it weren’t for Shen Ruxue, the person captured might very well have been her.
But when she thought about how her head had been filled with her father just now, completely ignoring the Best Friend who had protected her, Jiang Leyi felt she was being far too much.
It was only while looking for clothes just now that she realized how hurtful her reaction when opening the door must have been, and her heart was instantly filled with guilt.
Jiang Leyi gently took Shen Ruxue’s injured hand.
Although it had been briefly treated before they returned, the wound was still shocking.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
Her voice carried the hint of a sob.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her; she clearly wasn’t someone who liked to cry usually, but today, her tears just wouldn’t stop.
“If I had been the one captured at that time, would you have not had to suffer like this…?”
“Don’t say that.”
Shen Ruxue looked at her, her eyes full of heartache.
“Compared to this little injury of mine, I’m more worried about your safety.”
Her heart tightened sharply, and her eyes instantly grew moist.
She knew her daughter was blaming herself.
But how could she not protect her own daughter?
“It’s all in the past. It’s fine.”
“How is it fine? How can you be so silly…”
Jiang Leyi’s voice was choked with emotion as her fingers gently brushed over the gashes, afraid of hurting her.
Though they had only been simple wounds, even once they healed, they would likely never fully return to their original state.
Even with the best scar-removal cream, some marks would remain.
Jiang Leyi’s fingertips trembled slightly.
At this moment, Shen Ruxue’s hand seemed so fragile in her palm, as if it would break at a single touch.
Aside from her family, Shen Ruxue was the most important person to her.
She would rather have been the one injured herself.
Shen Ruxue looked at her daughter, whose eyes were full of concern.
Although her face was a bit pale, her expression remained gentle.
She tried to gently pull her hand back.
She didn’t want her daughter to keep staring at her wound.
“It’s really okay. It’s just a superficial wound; it won’t affect anything. At most, there will be some scars later. It’s fine as long as you’re okay.”
But as she tried to pull away, Jiang Leyi refused to let go, stubbornly gripping her hand again.
Tears finally fell uncontrollably.
She lowered her head, her voice nearly inaudible.
“But… you were injured for my sake. Instead of watching you get hurt, it would have been better if you had run away yourself back then…”
Shen Ruxue felt a pang of bitterness.
She raised her other hand and gently wiped the tears from the girl’s face.
“It’s all over now. Besides, if you keep saying that, I’m going to get angry.”
Even now, she was glad that those people had kidnapped her.
If they had really followed their original plan and taken both her and Jiang Leyi away, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
In that case, she believed Jiang Lai would definitely have given everything for their daughter, and that would have been a truly unthinkable situation.
“Okay…”
Jiang Leyi nodded with teary eyes, only able to hold her hand tightly, as if this could convey all her guilt and heartache.
“Then I’ll help you apply medicine every day from now on, okay? Your hand is injured now, so taking a bath will definitely be inconvenient… I’ll help you wash up in a bit, okay?”
Looking at her enthusiastic daughter, the maternal love in Shen Ruxue’s heart made it impossible to refuse.
Such treatment was not something one could have normally.
“Okay.”
However, more than bathing with her daughter, she wanted to see the current Jiang Lai right now.
Although her memories of the past had become blurred, she still wanted to know what was different between him, who had now changed into a female, and his former male body.
Thinking of this, Shen Ruxue’s gaze unconsciously lingered toward the bathroom.
If there weren’t other people here now, she might have truly been unable to stop herself from rushing in to take a look.
Perhaps it was because the atmosphere was so warm that her tense nerves finally relaxed, and these somewhat improper thoughts even began to surface.
As for the true personality that Shen Ruxue had always hidden, besides Jiang Lai, even her own Younger Sister knew nothing of it.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.