“Did something happen?”
Chi Yingyu looked at her brother-in-law’s worried face, feeling a pang of sympathy as she pulled her onto the bed, holding Jiang Lai’s hand to soothe her anxious heart.
“Le Yi hasn’t been acting normal lately. Why do you say she’s about to get tricked by someone…?”
“How is she normal? Haven’t you noticed that these past two days, Le Yi’s been practically glued to her phone?”
Chi Yingyu didn’t think Jiang Leyi was behaving unusually. Wasn’t it just that she seemed more obsessed with her phone? She actually knew about this herself.
Unlike Jiang Lai, Chi Yingyu didn’t feel awkward about it. If there was something she wanted to know, she’d just go and ask the kid directly. So what if she’d met someone interesting and wanted to know more? Chi Yingyu didn’t think much of it—kids grow up, of course they’ll have their own thoughts.
Besides, the other person is a girl. Even if it’s ambiguous, even if they chat a lot, there’s only so far their relationship can really go.
But with two girls, Chi Yingyu felt it was more important to understand her niece’s orientation than to stop her from chatting.
“There’s really no need to worry that much. Isn’t her chat partner a girl?”
“Well, what kind of girl exactly?”
Jiang Lai wasn’t sure how to explain her unease. Just complaining about her daughter chatting with someone sounded so petty.
Besides, she couldn’t even be certain if it was Si Yina she was talking to—maybe it was just that high school classmate.
Even if she could be sure it was Si Yina, Jiang Lai couldn’t bring herself to tell her sister-in-law what had happened between the two. But stopping her daughter from chatting—that would be another matter.
But that wasn’t why she’d come to talk with Chi Yingyu so late tonight. The only thing Jiang Lai wanted was for her sister-in-law to find out who her daughter was chatting with.
She needed to confirm the person first before taking any next steps. If it really was just a high school classmate or some other girl, Jiang Lai wouldn’t have such a strong reaction.
But if it was that bastard Si Yina, even if she had to be the unreasonable “bad dad,” Jiang Lai would make her daughter delete her, and cut all ties—no exceptions.
Si Yina just wasn’t someone who belonged in their world. If Jiang Lai couldn’t deal with her, she could at least stay away, right?
“For example, is the girl a high school or college classmate, or someone she met out somewhere? Don’t you even know, Yingyu?”
Jiang Lai’s frantic and even slightly unhinged state looked, to Chi Yingyu, like an overindulgent parent’s anxiety—afraid the pretty rose she’d raised from childhood was about to be plucked by someone else.
“I really don’t know. I’ll help you ask tomorrow. But, brother-in-law, you really don’t have to worry so much about your daughter. She’s probably more sensible than you think.”
Her daughter really was easy to handle, well-behaved and mature most days. But “mature” was relative—if you compared her to Si Yina, it was like a little white rabbit facing off against a sly and poisonous fox.
Si Yina was a thorough scoundrel. When it came to that wolf in sheep’s clothing, Jiang Lai’s precious daughter could easily end up at a loss.
Even with her sister-in-law’s promise to help, Jiang Lai still couldn’t calm her heart.
Chi Yingyu saw through her brother-in-law’s anxiety, thinking she was simply overthinking out of love and concern for her daughter.
“Brother-in-law, relax, it’s getting late. Let’s get some rest. If you’re that worried, should I go ask Le Yi right now?”
Chi Yingyu finished speaking and got up immediately, but Jiang Lai grabbed her hand tightly. “Like you said, it’s late already. Le Yi’s probably asleep. Just ask her tomorrow morning, okay?”
“All right, I’ll do as you say.”
Whenever Jiang Lai asked her to go, Chi Yingyu would go. The only oddness she saw in her niece’s recent behavior was maybe that she liked someone now. At least, that was how it looked to her.
What worried Chi Yingyu more, though, was Jiang Lai herself. Her brother-in-law was anxious to the point of illness. “Want me to sleep with you tonight?”
Sleep together…?
Jiang Lai’s heart gave a hard thump, anxiety rising as she glanced at her sister-in-law, trying to see if she was joking.
But her sister-in-law’s bright, captivating eyes were full of sincerity, no trace of mischief—like she simply wanted to stay with her and keep her company.
Yet the more sincere those eyes, the more Jiang Lai’s palms started to sweat. If she refused, wouldn’t it seem like she was being sneaky, like she was hiding something between them? Like she had a guilty conscience?
“No need. It’s not like back in the apartment, when there was only one bed, so we had to share. We’ve got enough rooms here, after all…”
Jiang Lai pressed her lips together, using a perfectly legitimate reason to turn Chi Yingyu down.
“Brother-in-law, do you not like me anymore? Don’t want to sleep in the same bed as me?” Chi Yingyu’s voice softened, her eyes taking on the look of a small animal, hurt and aggrieved.
“No, how could I not like you…” Jiang Lai, pinned down by those eyes, had nowhere to hide. Just as she started to panic at her sister-in-law’s pitiful expression, she caught a sudden glint in those eyes—aggressive and intense, sending her heart racing out of control.
Her sister-in-law—does she really want to sleep with me that much?
Chi Yingyu had Jiang Lai completely at her mercy at that moment. Just a hint of weakness and she got what she wanted.
“B…”
No matter how much she struggled inwardly, as long as the one she cared for most put on that pitiful look, Jiang Lai couldn’t help but soften.
In the end, the two of them ended up sharing a bed. Listening to her sister-in-law’s shallow breathing beside her, Jiang Lai was extremely grateful she’d bought a bed the same size as the master bedroom even for the guest rooms—a full two meters by two-point-two. This way, the two of them weren’t squashed together like back in the apartment.
On the huge double bed, there was plenty of space between them—enough for another Jiang Leyi to lie down in the middle.
With such a safe distance, there was no need to worry about her sister-in-law hugging her in her sleep. Plus, she seemed to fall asleep even faster than Jiang Lai expected, but Jiang Lai herself couldn’t sleep at all.
Not just because her sister-in-law was lying right there, but also because of her daughter’s odd behavior.
Wide awake, Jiang Lai eventually slipped out of her sister-in-law’s bed, not even sure what time it was. If she couldn’t sleep, she might as well return to her own room and look at her phone.
If she did that here, she’d disturb her sister-in-law’s rest.
Sitting up quietly, Jiang Lai looked at her sister-in-law’s sleeping face, illuminated by the faint moonlight from the window. Sharing a bed, looking at Chi Yingyu’s face—one that bore a strong resemblance to her late wife—Jiang Lai was mesmerized.
Almost in a trance, Jiang Lai reached out and brushed her fingers gently across Chi Yingyu’s brow, smoothing the space between her brows. Her fingers, awkward and hesitant, slid down over her eyelids, the bridge of her nose, finally resting on her sister-in-law’s glossy lips.
“……” In her sleep, Chi Yingyu seemed to sense the touch, making a soft sound and puckering her lips, as if about to suck on Jiang Lai’s fingertip in the next moment.
Jiang Lai withdrew her hand like she’d been shocked, feeling as if she’d been possessed.
After quietly leaving Chi Yingyu’s room, Jiang Lai, who’d just been sleeping soundly, opened her eyes. At that moment, there was no trace of sleep in her gaze—she was wide awake.
She hadn’t expected her brother-in-law to stay up so late either. Propping herself up in bed, Chi Yingyu touched her lips softly.
What was her brother-in-law doing, touching her lips? Did she want to kiss her? So why didn’t she just do it…
Chi Yingyu had no idea what was going through her brother-in-law’s mind. She’d actually been waiting for this rare opportunity to sleep together, planning to wait until her brother-in-law fell asleep and then snuggle up to her without her knowing.
But before she could even put her little plan into action, it was ruined. Next time, she should put some sleeping pills in her brother-in-law’s drink.
Jiang Lai, blushing furiously as she returned to her room, still felt the soft moisture on her fingertip. If she hadn’t pulled back in time, her sister-in-law really might have sucked on it.
Jiang Lai’s eyes dimmed, pressing her finger with more force, rubbing the spot where she’d touched her sister-in-law’s lips, recalling the softness and color. A strange flutter stirred in her heart.
Today’s troubles and unease only seemed to multiply.
But compared to the anxiety her sister-in-law brought, her daughter’s situation was still more pressing.
Jiang Lai’s fears were completely triggered early the next morning, when Jiang Leyi woke up and was getting ready to go out.
Jiang Lai had originally planned to wait another day. If she didn’t get any useful information from her sister-in-law that evening, she’d set aside her principles about privacy and just ask her daughter directly, even if it meant putting on a stern face.
She’d always tried to be a perfect parent, devouring parenting books, fully aware that a grown child deserved privacy. She knew not to barge into her child’s room, or snoop around for her own curiosity.
These were rules Jiang Lai always tried to follow. But sometimes, special circumstances called for special measures.
But even a simple decision like this had kept Jiang Lai tossing and turning all night.
She was just too indecisive—wanting too much, unable to let go of anything, and it was already a habit she couldn’t break.
Jiang Lai had already experienced losing her greatest love. Ever since, though she hadn’t shown it, she’d become more greedy than anyone—unable to bear losing anything else.
Early the next morning, exhausted after a sleepless night, Jiang Lai dragged herself from bed, planning to use some hot water in the bathroom to wash away her numbness and maybe nap for a bit.
Stepping out of her bedroom, she saw her daughter in front of the living room mirror, picking out clothes.
She checked her phone—it was only 7 a.m. On a workday this would be normal, but it was Winter Break, and it was still so cold outside.
These past two days, everyone at home had been sleeping in until eleven. Even Jiang Lai herself, the earliest riser, hadn’t gotten up before ten, and breakfast and lunch had only started getting made at eleven.
She thought the house would be quiet, but here was her daughter, all dressed up, already with delicate cosmetic makeup on her face.
It just didn’t add up. Normally, unless Jiang Lai or her sister-in-law called her, her daughter could sleep straight through lunch.
Sometimes Jiang Lai wondered how her daughter could sleep so much. Maybe it was just youth—she herself, if she slept too much now, would just feel weak and ache all over, even a little depressed.
“Up so early?”
Jiang Lai stood dazed in the doorway, gazing at her beautiful daughter, lost for a moment in the thought that her daughter was the prettiest, most adorable girl in the world—before a huge wave of crisis exploded in her mind.
Her darling was dressed so prettily—just who was she going out to see?
“Did I wake you up?”
Jiang Leyi looked at her just-woken-up dad, seeing her like this for the first time. That pink Strawberry Pajamas set, with its cute pattern, was picked out by Chi Yingyu. Those little strawberries added an extra bit of charm to Jiang Lai’s cool aura, making her even more irresistible.
“It’s just me waking up. But Le Yi, where are you going all dressed up like this?”
“I made plans with some friends before the new year, to go out together for the day. If we don’t go today, we probably won’t be able to meet again until after the holidays.”
Afterwards, everyone would be busy—Jiang Leyi herself needed to keep practicing driving, hoping to pass the last two Tests before Winter Break was over, and then it’d be time to go back to school.
She really couldn’t guarantee when she’d be free again, and today was the only time all three of them could get together. It was the last meeting of the year.
She looked at herself in the mirror, wanting to braid her hair into something fancy, but she was wearing a long, beautiful dress, and her arms couldn’t reach comfortably behind her.
Jiang Lai came over to help, picking up a few hair ties from the table and carefully doing her daughter’s hair.
She’d spent a lot of time learning how to do this—just so she could braid her daughter’s hair. She’d practiced so much, in fact, that now her hands were almost clumsy from being over-trained.
A simple ponytail or letting the hair drape over the shoulders was easy. But for anything fancier, you needed someone else’s help.
When Jiang Lai finished, she was about to ask who her daughter would be going out with, but before she could, her daughter was already rushing to put on her shoes and dash out the door. Jiang Lai had to settle for using her phone to communicate.
[Who are you going out with today? Will you be home for dinner?]
Not wanting to seem too stiff, Jiang Lai even copied a cute sticker she’d stolen from chatting with Xu Ruobing, hoping to soften her message.
[We’re just walking around the City Center Pedestrian Street. I won’t be home for dinner. Dad, you and Auntie don’t have to wait for me today. I’ll bring you some Night Snack if I can.]
Jiang Lai stared blankly at her phone. Her daughter still hadn’t said exactly who she was going out with, and she worried that asking again would seem annoying.
But to be sure her daughter was safe, after hesitating for ten seconds, she humbly asked anyway.
[Who’s going?]
[There are three of us, including me. The high school classmate I mentioned before, and a really, really beautiful girl. If you get to take a picture with her, I’ll show it to you, okay?]
Three people?
As soon as she heard there were three, Jiang Lai immediately thought of the scene she’d seen by the glass before. If there were three, wouldn’t that mean Si Yina was included?
Then again, maybe not. Jiang Lai still clung to a small hope that the “beautiful girl” wasn’t Si Yina.
Now, the only way to know for sure was to wait for a photo from her daughter.
The idea of napping was gone—after a sleepless night, Jiang Lai was wide awake.
If she knew where her daughter was, she’d have taken a cab over right now.
All morning, Jiang Lai was anxious and distracted, waiting for news from her daughter. After a shower, she found herself no more at ease. She finally left the house in her uncertainty.
As for Chi Yingyu, who was still asleep at ten, Jiang Lai left a simple sticky note on the coffee table.
Her daughter had mentioned the City Center Pedestrian Street—but that was the biggest shopping area in the neighboring cities. There were five or six giant malls around it, and just at the subway station there were nearly thirty exits. Looking for one person in that crowd was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But even that was better than staying home and stewing.
While Jiang Lai was taking a cab toward the City Center Pedestrian Street, Jiang Leyi finally sent over the group photo she’d mentioned.
Just as she’d guessed, in the photo, besides her daughter, there was the all-too-familiar Si Yina, and another girl who must have been her daughter’s high school classmate.
All three were beautiful girls. The photo was stunning—her own daughter, of course, was the cutest no matter how she was photographed.
Jiang Lai instinctively wanted to save the photo. But seeing Si Yina in the center, Jiang Lai’s heart plummeted.
Because her daughter was hugging Si Yina in a very intimate way, their faces pressed close together. The sight sent a jolt straight through Jiang Lai’s nerves.
She nearly forgot to breathe, struggling for a long while before she could catch her breath again.