Jiang Lai gently shook Shen Ruxue’s shoulder, trying to wake her. When her shaking proved useless, her cold gaze fell upon Si Yina.
“Why do you always have to involve other people in our affairs?”
Jiang Lai did not want others to be hurt because of her. If they were, she would feel overcome with self-reproach and guilt.
It was just like Xu Ruobing. Xu Ruobing had been so good to her that Jiang Lai felt she could never repay that kindness even with the rest of her life. She had troubled too many people in this world.
She had clearly made a promise to her late wife, yet she had failed to give their daughter a good life or a complete family. She wasn’t strong enough to be someone everyone could rely on, forcing Chi Yingyu to waste her life on her.
There were so many things like this. Jiang Lai already owed so many favors to so many people that she didn’t want to be indebted to anyone else ever again.
When she left that resort island, Jiang Lai had worried that Shen Ruxue might tell her daughter what had happened there. However, judging by her daughter’s reaction over the past few days, the girl had not done anything to embarrass her.
Furthermore, it was thanks to her help that she and her sister-in-law were able to leave the island. Although Shen Ruxue was just a child the same age as her own daughter, her manner of handling things was indescribably mature.
Even if she acted mature, Shen Ruxue was still a child at the end of the day—a child who needed protection from adults.
Although Jiang Lai didn’t know what kind of trouble Si Yina was trying to stir up, she would never let the woman hurt Shen Ruxue. This was not just to repay Shen Ruxue for her help on the resort island, but also to stay true to her own daughter.
“Don’t you want to know why I captured her?” Si Yina asked.
Si Yina had wanted to wait for Jiang Lai to guess her true purpose, but she couldn’t keep her little schemes to herself once they were realized. Seeing that Jiang Lai had no interest in playing this game with her, she directly explained what had happened.
“My original target wasn’t this girl, but she walked right into the trap.”
As she spoke, Si Yina reflected on how she couldn’t understand why Shen Ruxue would help a girl like that. There was a world of difference between Shen Ruxue and that girl; she couldn’t even fathom how the two had the chance to become friends.
Even if they were friends, Shen Ruxue should have been the dominant one. Yet, when faced with danger, Shen Ruxue had sacrificed herself to protect Jiang Leyi. This behavior made it impossible for her to guess what was going on in a girl like Shen Ruxue’s head.
“If it weren’t for her interference, the one with us right now would be that girl named Leyi.”
When Jiang Lai heard her daughter’s name, she wished she could tear Si Yina into ten thousand pieces. “I knew you were a rogue and untrustworthy, but I never expected you to be this kind of person. You broke a promise you made over the phone not even half a day ago. Are you even human?”
“But I never intended to keep my word from the start,” Si Yina replied. “If I didn’t have someone in my hands, how could I make you obey me so submissively?”
Si Yina had figured out Jiang Lai’s character. If Jiang Lai were alone without any attachments or people she cared about, no amount of methods would be enough to threaten her.
Jiang Lai had been very steady in the car, appearing obedient and not resisting at all, simply so the other party would keep their promise. She had been terrified that her actions might provoke the woman into overturning her previous words in a fit of rage.
Jiang Lai had been well-behaved enough in the car, praying only for what was right. Even though her expectations were already low, she hadn’t expected this bastard Si Yina to have no intention of keeping the agreement from the very beginning.
Jiang Lai felt so incredibly stupid. Until just a moment ago, she had actually believed the woman would keep her word. She hadn’t expected to be such a clown. Jiang Lai remained silent, but she was already mocking herself relentlessly in her mind.
Since things had reached this point, Jiang Lai no longer needed to worry about anything. The hesitations that had previously bound her hands and feet completely vanished at this moment.
This time, Jiang Lai used all her strength to deliver a direct kick. Si Yina fell heavily to the ground, the loud thud making everyone around them tremble, fearing that this kick might have caused internal injuries.
But it only sounded scary. Aside from a bit of pain in her stomach, Si Yina’s mind was filled with nothing but enjoyment. She could even enjoy Jiang Lai’s beautiful face from up close.
The surrounding bodyguards didn’t have time to stop her before Jiang Lai sat directly on Si Yina, pinning the wealthy young lady beneath her. She grabbed the woman tightly. “I never, ever should have chosen to believe you.”
Looking at Jiang Lai, whose beautiful face was distorted with rage, Si Yina waved her hand to tell the bodyguards not to come forward. It would be boring to just have Jiang Lai pulled away like that.
“But what can you do if you don’t believe me? For instance, even if you beat me to death here, I still won’t let you leave. If you just want to vent your anger, hit me a few more times to calm yourself down.”
After Si Yina finished speaking, she even lifted her face slightly to save Jiang Lai some distance. She knew very well she wasn’t a masochist; in fact, she somewhat hated pain. If someone else hit her, Si Yina would think about hitting them back twice just to feel satisfied. She was a narrow-minded, petty person.
Si Yina didn’t enjoy the pain itself, but rather the immense pleasure she felt from seeing Jiang Lai so humiliated and angry while being unable to do anything about her.
Jiang Lai didn’t want to admit it, but the woman was right. Even if she beat her to death here, what would happen next? There were so many bodyguards around who could easily pull her away. Everything was currently in a state of passivity.
Seeing Jiang Lai hesitate, Si Yina felt smug. Everything was going according to her plan. Next, Jiang Lai would surely leave her side with a sullen face.
But to everyone’s surprise, Jiang Lai’s hesitation was only about how to hit Si Yina—which movements would cause the most pain without being life-threatening.
So what if she was going to be locked up here? She might as well have some fun first.