After hearing Jiang Lai’s words, the last shred of grievance in Chi Yingyu’s heart dissipated like smoke. She raised her hand to loop around Jiang Lai’s neck, gently nuzzling her cheek against the other’s shoulder, her voice filled with dependence.
“But you need to be careful too. Don’t tell outsiders everything. If she spreads it around, it won’t be good for you or Xiaoxue.”
“She understands our relationship.”
Jiang Lai’s fingertips lightly traced Chi Yingyu’s back, her tone resolute.
“Qingyi isn’t someone who talks too much. And the reason I told her these things is to make her understand. I have my limits.”
As for the other purposes and thoughts in her mind, Jiang Lai didn’t voice them.
Because those were merely her own inner observations. There was no need to say them out loud and defame someone’s innocence.
Chi Yingyu hummed in acknowledgment and, taking Jiang Lai’s hand, turned to fetch the dishes.
“Let’s bring the food out quickly. If it gets cold again, it won’t taste good. Don’t keep her waiting.”
When the two walked out of the kitchen carrying the reheated dishes, Xie Qingyi was still sitting on the sofa, hands neatly placed on her knees, her gaze occasionally drifting toward the kitchen. Seeing them come out, she immediately stood up and smiled somewhat awkwardly.
“I’m sorry for the trouble.”
“Don’t be so polite. Have a seat.”
Since this was just a simple meal, a little something to fill their stomachs before sleeping, the dishes weren’t too elaborate, but they were enough to satisfy their hunger.
The atmosphere at the dining table was a bit quiet at first.
Xie Qingyi held her chopsticks, eating small mouthfuls of rice, her gaze occasionally sneaking glances at Jiang Lai and Chi Yingyu.
Chi Yingyu noticed her gaze, looked up and smiled at her, taking the initiative to break the silence.
“Tonight you can sleep in my room. I’ll change the sheets and pillowcases for you. I guarantee they’ll be clean. I hope you don’t mind.”
Xie Qingyi froze for a moment, put down her chopsticks, and said with some embarrassment:
“I’ve already troubled you by taking me in. I’ll try my best not to disturb you. If possible, I’d be fine just sleeping on the sofa.”
“It’s fine. Let’s go with that arrangement.”
Jiang Lai picked up a piece of spare rib and placed it in Xie Qingyi’s bowl.
“Eat more. You definitely haven’t been eating well these past few days. After we finish, there are unused toothbrushes at our place. Wash up a bit, then lie in bed and rest well. Here with us, you don’t need to care about anything.”
Xie Qingyi looked at the spare rib in her bowl, warmth filling her heart. She softly said “thank you” and picked up her chopsticks to eat slowly again.
During this time, she had been living under great suppression, with no one around her caring. Now, Jiang Lai and Chi Yingyu’s gestures made her feel especially warm.
If she weren’t worried that staying here would disturb them, she would actually quite like to stay a few more days.
When they were halfway through the meal, Chi Yingyu stood up.
“You two take your time eating. I’ll go tidy up my room.”
Chi Yingyu wasn’t very hungry to begin with. She had only casually taken a couple of bites just to keep Jiang Lai company.
As for why she was letting Xie Qingyi sleep in her room, Chi Yingyu had carefully weighed the pros and cons in her mind.
In truth, Chi Yingyu had her own little scheme.
The room she shared with Jiang Lai was filled with the auras of the two of them. She didn’t want another woman moving in there, even if that person had no ulterior motives.
Although she also disliked letting others stay in her room, after thinking it over, Xu Ruobing had also slept with her before, so letting Xie Qingyi stay there wasn’t so hard to accept after all.
After saying this, Chi Yingyu turned and walked toward the room, leaving Jiang Lai and Xie Qingyi at the dining table.
Xie Qingyi watched her retreating figure, then looked down at the spare rib in her bowl that had barely been touched, and said softly to Jiang Lai:
“Is this too much trouble for Ying Yu? I really could just sleep on the sofa. There’s no need to specially tidy up the room.”
Jiang Lai put down her chopsticks, picked up a tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth, her tone gentle yet carrying an unrefusable certainty.
“Don’t overthink it. Just stay here at ease. That room wasn’t going to be used by many people anyway.”
Xie Qingyi nodded, saying nothing more, simply picking up her chopsticks again and eating small mouthfuls of rice.
Before long, Chi Yingyu came out of the room, carrying a neatly folded set of new bedsheets in her arms.
She walked over to the dining table, casually placing the bedsheets on the low cabinet beside her, and said with a smile to Xie Qingyi:
“The bedsheets and pillowcases are all brand new. I’ll grab a new set of toiletries in a bit. After you finish eating, just treat this place like your own home. Everything in the bathroom can be used freely. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you.”
Xie Qingyi didn’t decline this time. At this point, if she kept refusing, it would seem too pretentious.
After finishing the meal, Xie Qingyi stood up to clean the dishes.
“You’ve all taken care of me so much already. At least this little task is something I can do.”
“No, no. Sit down and rest a while.”
Jiang Lai quickly pressed down on her hand.
“You’re a guest. How could I let you do chores? Besides, these dishes aren’t many to begin with. I can clean them up quickly by myself. Go sit on the sofa for a bit, or check out the room first and get familiar with the environment. You can stay here for as many days as you like.”
Xie Qingyi couldn’t win against Jiang Lai, so she obediently walked over and sat by the sofa.
She watched Jiang Lai walk into the kitchen, then watched Chi Yingyu, who had finished tidying the room, come out to help Jiang Lai clean up together.
One washed the dishes, the other wiped the table, their movements as practiced as if they had done it a thousand times.
Occasionally, when Chi Yingyu handed something to Jiang Lai, their fingertips would inadvertently touch. Neither of them avoided it; they simply exchanged smiles, the intimate atmosphere flowing freely.
After the kitchen matters were done, Jiang Lai looked at Xie Qingyi, who was still sitting on the sofa staring blankly at them, and said with a smile:
“The toothbrush is already prepared in the bathroom. There’s really no need to be so restrained. During these few days, just treat this place as your own home.”
“Back when I went to your place, you also did your best to host me and did so many things for me. I’ve only done these simple things. There’s really no need to be so nervous.”
“Okay…”
Xie Qingyi had been sitting on the sofa all along, not because she was nervous, but because she was too focused on Jiang Lai and the others.
The atmosphere between the two of them was a relationship that Xie Qingyi envied deeply in her heart.
Once upon a time, she had also longed for something like this, but she had never possessed it.
Xie Qingyi now felt that she was being a bit overly sentimental.
Although she wanted to suppress the emotions inexplicably rising in her heart, by now she simply couldn’t hold them back.
She envied Chi Yingyu for having someone she could lean on with peace of mind.
She envied even more the relationship between Jiang Lai and Chi Yingyu.
She had thought that the relationship between Jiang Lai and Shen Ruxue would never leave room for anyone else to step in, and that Jiang Lai’s heart wouldn’t be able to hold anyone else.
But now she realized it wasn’t what she had imagined.
It was just that she had never been qualified from the start. She simply didn’t have that right…