In Jiang Lai’s heart, there was simply no one more important than Chi Yingyu.
Not even her daughter—the very reason she had held on to hope—could surpass her little sister-in-law.
The little sister-in-law and her daughter held nearly equal weight in Jiang Lai’s heart.
They were both the most important people in her life moving forward.
Her daughter was the source of all her perseverance up to now, while the little sister-in-law was the companion who had stayed by her side throughout this journey.
Without her daughter, Jiang Lai would have wanted to follow her deceased wife on that fateful day.
Without the little sister-in-law, Jiang Lai wouldn’t have been able to endure until now, nor would she have been able to break free from the shadows of the past.
As Jiang Lai was helped upstairs, her mind was elsewhere.
While she pondered how she should apologize to her little sister-in-law, the familiar apartment door suddenly appeared before her.
“We’re home. Are you going to say goodbye to me now?”
Xu Ruobing had initially thought she might be able to chat with Jiang Lai on the way, but as they approached the apartment, it was as if they were entering an Apartment Barrier.
Jiang Lai completely lost herself, and it was only thanks to Xu Ruobing’s steady hands on her waist that she didn’t miss a step on the stairs multiple times.
It was incredibly dangerous.
“Be careful on your way back, too…”
Jiang Lai could clearly sense some tension between her little sister-in-law and Xu Ruobing.
She instinctively wanted to avoid their interaction.
Both were good young women, yet they just couldn’t seem to get along.
Xu Ruobing looked at Jiang Lai, who was still pale and weak, leaning against the wall.
Despite her worry, she knew it was time to leave.
She had accompanied Jiang Lai all the way to the doorstep.
A gentle knock on the door would soon have the Main Wife open it—and see her little sister-in-law standing there, the other woman.
Xu Ruobing had no fondness for Chi Yingyu.
From the tone over the phone, she was sure that if they met in person, a few words would be enough to start a quarrel.
Before leaving, Xu Ruobing still took the time to give some instructions with concern.
“Before you take a shower, change out that tampon and use a fresh one. If that guy in your room dares to get aggressive, call me immediately. Don’t endure even a bit of unfairness. I promise I’ll stand up for you. And don’t zone out on the streets like just now. That’s really dangerous. About the studio work, it can be postponed by a couple of days. Let’s wait for the worst days to pass, then get back to it…”
What Xu Ruobing intended as simple advice unexpectedly turned into a long, heartfelt talk.
She really wished she could spend more time with Jiang Lai.
After all, the other woman had a family and ties of her own—not necessarily Xu Ruobing’s partner, but still important people in her life.
Jiang Lai stared at the familiar apartment door, quietly clenching her hand.
Though she worried that her little sister-in-law might be cold toward her, avoiding the situation would only make things worse.
She lightly knocked on the door.
She had expected it would take a long time before her little sister-in-law opened, but the moment her knock ended, the door suddenly swung open with a loud bang.
But the person who stepped out was not the cold-faced Chi Yingyu she had imagined—it was her daughter… But shouldn’t her daughter have been home already?
Still dazed by her daughter’s unexpected presence, Jiang Lai saw her daughter take her hand and lead her inside.
When the door closed behind them, her daughter’s true intention became clear.
“Daddy, daddy, I missed you so much!!”
Perhaps overwhelmed by longing, Jiang Leyi immediately gave her father a somewhat childish bear hug as she pulled him inside.
“I missed you so much, I missed you so much…”
Jiang Lai felt the warmth radiating from her daughter.
Though she didn’t know how her daughter had discovered her true identity, that one word—“Daddy”—was something she had waited to hear for a very long time.
Looking down at her daughter nestled in her arms, Jiang Lai’s mood had never felt this good before.
She gently placed her hand on the soft head, feeling the delicate texture of her daughter’s hair, and an uncontrollable smile spread across her face.
“I missed you so much, too…”
Jiang Lai wanted to hold her daughter a little longer, to savor the hug she had never truly experienced before.
But her daughter still had wounds—though mostly healed, the doctor advised against strenuous movement.
Jiang Lai wondered if her daughter had hurt herself when she jumped onto her earlier.
But seeing her daughter’s sunny, cheerful smile as she got down reassured Jiang Lai that it was nothing serious.
Her daughter was fine, but Jiang Lai felt a bit overwhelmed… Even as a woman, her physical strength wasn’t poor enough that she couldn’t pick up her own daughter.
But that had been when she was healthy. Now, her condition was at its worst.
When her daughter suddenly leapt into her arms, Jiang Lai barely managed to steady herself against the wall.
Otherwise, she might have been knocked down to the floor.
If Jiang Lai had hurt herself, it wouldn’t have mattered so much—it was just her own back after all.
But if her daughter fell with her and pulled her wounds, she would have been heartbroken.
“Daddy… hehe, it’s been so long since you’ve touched my head.”
Jiang Leyi’s smile was so infectious, so full of happiness, as she enjoyed the gentle caress on her head.
Jiang Lai felt like she was dreaming.
How had her daughter found out her true identity?
And why was she waiting here in the apartment for her?
Thinking this, Jiang Lai glanced at Chi Yingyu, who was busy cooking in the kitchen.
When Chi Yingyu caught her gaze, she didn’t linger, just gave her a casual sidelong glance before returning to her task.
If only Jiang Lai had come a little earlier, these dishes wouldn’t have needed reheating.
Jiang Lai couldn’t get any answers from her little sister-in-law, but her daughter’s tightly clasped hand gradually explained what had happened that morning.
“This wasn’t something Auntie told me. I figured it out myself. Does Daddy really think your daughter is stupid? When you were with me, you never even tried to hide yourself. It was so obvious. And Daddy, you still acted the same as before when you cared for me. If I couldn’t guess it, I wouldn’t deserve to be your daughter.”
Jiang Leyi held Jiang Lai’s hand tightly, observing the differences in her father from various angles.
Though the idea of her father turning into a woman was absurd, she had already rejected that thought at first for being too ridiculous.
What set Jiang Leyi apart most was her strong adaptability.
With the internet so advanced nowadays and college campuses full of diverse characters, her ability to accept new things far exceeded that of old-fashioned conservatives like Jiang Lai.
She could even accept that her close friend might have improper feelings toward her father.
At this moment, Jiang Leyi felt invincible, as if nothing in the world could shock her anymore.
But that feeling of invincibility was truly lonely…
Jiang Leyi took her father’s hand intending to feel just how soft his skin had become.
But before she could really focus, she realized his hand was ice cold, unnaturally so—even for outdoors.
“Daddy, why do you look so bad…”
As a newly discharged patient herself, Jiang Leyi looked like the only healthy person in contrast to Jiang Lai’s pale face.
When Chi Yingyu heard her niece say her brother-in-law looked terrible, she was stunned, her attention immediately drawn to Jiang Lai.
She nearly dropped the freshly heated dishes she was carrying.
“What’s going on? Why does his face look like that…”
Chi Yingyu set down her things and hurried over to Jiang Lai, her worry mounting.
Any lingering irritation she had just moments ago completely vanished.
“His hands and body are so cold?”
Chi Yingyu gently kissed her brother-in-law’s hand, the chill sending a shiver through her.
Holding Jiang Lai tighter, she said, “Leyi, turn the air conditioning up. Get some blankets from the room.”
Chi Yingyu pulled Jiang Lai close, removing all but the tight innerwear from her own body, exposing her soft, pale abdomen and the gracefully curved silhouette beneath the scant fabric.
Without hesitation, Chi Yingyu revealed herself completely to her brother-in-law, gripping Jiang Lai’s icy hands and trying to place them on her warm belly.
But before their skin could touch, Jiang Lai pulled her hands back. “You’ll catch a cold… Even with a layer in between is fine.”
Chi Yingyu accepted this and covered her belly again, letting Jiang Lai’s hands rest on the thin fabric.
Outside, Chi Yingyu’s warm hands gently cupped Jiang Lai’s cold cheeks.
She had never given this kind of warmth before—now, she used her body heat to warm her brother-in-law’s chilled skin.
Jiang Lai’s voice was timid at that moment, feeling the warmth from her little sister-in-law’s skin and the gentle reassurance she radiated.
“It’s nothing. What matters now is you.”
Chi Yingyu felt a pang of regret.
She had a bold suspicion—that her brother-in-law’s long disappearance during the day might be because her body suddenly took a turn for the worse.
If that was true, her heart ached even more.
She should have asked clearly instead of sulking alone on the phone.
Knowing how petty she was, a self-reproachful moisture welled in her eyes.
She leaned close to her brother-in-law’s ear and whispered, “I’m sorry…”