From here on out, all of Jiang Lai’s plans in this city were arranged by Si Yina, but Jiang Lai wasn’t told any specific details. As long as Chi Yingyu stayed by her side, Jiang Lai felt she had the courage to face whatever came next.
When they exited the airport, the car Si Yina had prepared was already waiting.
Because they needed to take both people’s luggage, Si Yina hadn’t brought her own car; instead, she’d arranged a very spacious Nanny Van. Only with a vehicle like this would all the baggage fit without looking too crowded.
More importantly, the back row could fit all three of them. Having finally gotten to see Jiang Lai again, Si Yina had no desire to be separated from her.
You should know, on the way to the pick-up Platform just now, both of Jiang Lai’s hands had been grabbed by the two people beside her. If either of them had pulled any harder, Jiang Lai feared she might have been lifted right off the ground.
The only thing comforting was that both of them were calm on the way over. There was no quarreling at all, and the three of them acted like the best of friends.
But that was just how things looked on the surface. The strength in their hands was anything but gentle. Luckily, Jiang Lai treated both of them with perfect equality—if she leaned even slightly closer to one, the other would grip her even tighter to pull her back.
Jiang Lai could feel the force on her arms and genuinely feared she might be pulled apart at the joints, but even this fragile peace quickly disappeared.
Because there were only two separate seats in the second row of the car, if anyone sat up front, someone was bound to be left alone in the last row.
If Jiang Lai could choose, she’d want to sit with her sister-in-law. But this wasn’t a situation where she could let her own feelings decide. No matter how much she favored her sister-in-law in her heart, she couldn’t show it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to enjoy this brief moment of peace.
Just as the two were about to silently battle it out over a seat, Jiang Lai glanced at the back row and, to prevent an argument, came up with an absurdly childish solution: “The back row looks roomy enough—how about we all just sit together in the last row?”
Jiang Lai didn’t like playing it safe. She never thought she could truly love everyone around her equally. Even if her actions seemed fair, the feelings in her heart were always different.
Right now, Jiang Lai only felt sorry for Chi Yingyu. Chi Yingyu shouldn’t be dragged into all of this. Yet now, just because no one would keep her company, she felt so terribly afraid.
“How about you go inside first and we’ll tidy up our clothes before coming up?”
Jiang Lai still had a down jacket she’d taken off on the plane but hadn’t had time to put in her suitcase. She took this chance to finally pack it away.
With Jiang Lai watching, Si Yina could only reluctantly let go and pick a seat she liked.
Jiang Lai and Chi Yingyu stuffed their unused down jackets into their suitcases. Just before getting into the van, Jiang Lai quietly comforted Chi Yingyu, “Don’t let what just happened bother you.”
She didn’t want Chi Yingyu to be angry or jealous about anything. But the moment she spoke, Chi Yingyu’s soft, pink fingertips gently touched her lips. Leaning in, she whispered, “I won’t get jealous over someone like that. I don’t know all the details, but I more or less understand why brother-in-law asked me to come. Leave it to me from here.”
Chi Yingyu wasn’t the least bit jealous of Si Yina. The sense of threat this woman gave her wasn’t even a fraction of what Xu Ruobing could.
She’d hugged brother-in-law tightly the moment they met, and even just now, she kept clinging to his arm. But no matter how close they acted, Chi Yingyu didn’t feel any real jealousy. She just thought it was ridiculous—after all, the woman was only forcing herself on him.
Chi Yingyu could tell that Jiang Lai had no interest in Si Yina at all. Since there was no real threat, Chi Yingyu felt more at ease than ever.
But when it came to Xu Ruobing, Chi Yingyu always felt powerless—not just because Xu Ruobing was superior in every way, but also because, even if brother-in-law didn’t want to admit it, he really did have different feelings for her.
No matter what tricks she tried, Chi Yingyu couldn’t do anything about Xu Ruobing. But with Si Yina, she finally had the chance to rely on brother-in-law’s favor and do as she pleased.
They’d been driving for quite some time, but none of the awkward scenarios Jiang Lai had imagined in her head ever happened. Other than both of them leaning an arm on her shoulders, nothing out of the ordinary occurred.
Yet Jiang Lai felt that Si Yina, sitting beside her, was being way too obedient and quiet—this was completely unlike her usual self. Could she really be serious about just staying by her side for a few days, like she’d promised on the phone, and not doing anything else?
Was that even possible?
Jiang Lai couldn’t help but glance at Si Yina out of curiosity. Si Yina’s head was resting on her shoulder, and aside from that, she really was quietly minding her own business. Her long, slender fingers were flipping absentmindedly through a book. It was impossible to tell if she was actually reading or just pretending.
The weather here wasn’t cold; even at night, the temperature was close to twenty degrees. She wore only a simple V-neck shirt and jeans, a casual yet stylish outfit clearly chosen for ease of movement.
Her beautiful collarbones peeked out, alluring without her even noticing—innocent and sexy all at once. With such a stunning figure, why would she be interested in anyone else? No one else could match the exquisite beauty of Si Yina’s features.
Jiang Lai stared at her for quite a while before realizing she was acting completely inappropriately. Just as she looked up, she caught Si Yina’s half-smiling eyes.
Having been caught stealing glances, an inescapable awkwardness flooded her heart. She instinctively tried to curl up closer to her sister-in-law, but Si Yina grabbed her hand and kept her pressed firmly by her side.
For these next few days, Si Yina absolutely refused to let Jiang Lai out of her sight. “Did you bring any lighter clothes? What you two are wearing is way too hot for here, too heavy…”
Although Si Yina’s reminder sounded well-intentioned, Jiang Lai couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a hidden meaning. Si Yina still hadn’t let go of her hand since earlier; in fact, she was even guiding Jiang Lai’s hand to somewhere soft.
Feeling the softness at her fingertips, Jiang Lai stiffly lowered her head and froze—the sensation made her mind go blank. Her hand was firmly pressed to Si Yina’s smooth, slender waist. Even under the cover of clothes, she could see her own hand moving up and down under Si Yina’s guidance.
“Tomorrow I’ll wear a dress…”