While Jiang Lai and Shen Ruxue were exhausted from running for their lives outside, Si Yina had even taken a hot bath in her room.
She leaned lazily against the sofa, covered in a warm blanket, quietly scrolling through her phone while waiting for the news from her bodyguards.
Si Yina originally thought that given how cold it was outside, she didn’t know if Jiang Lai could withstand such low temperatures, but Shen Ruxue definitely wouldn’t be able to.
From what she knew, Shen Ruxue was a pampered young mistress who had been spoiled her whole life.
It would be a miracle if she could endure such hardship.
Add to that her significant blood loss, and her physical condition must be terrible right now.
Si Yina didn’t believe for a second that the other party could escape from her hands under these circumstances.
Just as she was quietly waiting for good news, what came from the other end of the line was a conflict at the gate of the estate.
“Boss, there are people trying to force their way in right now. The other side has a large crowd, and we don’t dare to take action. They’re about to break in.”
Hearing the anxious voice on the other end, Si Yina hurriedly pulled up the surveillance footage of the estate’s main gate on her phone.
She saw a dense crowd pressing against the entrance, and not far from the gate, a woman was organizedly directing everything.
Si Yina looked at the woman who was the culprit in the video and recognized at a glance that the person was Chi Yingyu — the woman who had previously appeared beside Jiang Lai on the holiday island.
Si Yina could be said to harbor a deep grudge against this woman.
After all, she still remembered everything the woman had done to her on the holiday island; she had never been in such a pathetic state before.
It was just that her target had always been Jiang Lai, so she didn’t have the time or interest to target Chi Yingyu immediately.
But not targeting her didn’t mean Si Yina didn’t want to teach her a lesson.
Seeing the way the other party was trying to force her way in, Si Yina wasn’t prepared to let her off.
“Since she wants to break in, give her a bit of a lesson. Pay attention to the woman in the back; she’s the one responsible.”
After speaking, Si Yina originally wanted to stay on the sofa and watch the unfolding events through the surveillance, but she thought about it.
If the other party dared to break in so blatantly, they must know Jiang Lai was here.
With such a chaotic situation, Si Yina was certain that Jiang Lai would definitely take advantage of the confusion to fish in troubled waters.
Thinking of this, she couldn’t stay in the room any longer; she contacted a vehicle and prepared to rush to the gate immediately.
Si Yina wanted to see exactly what kind of scheme Jiang Lai and the others were going to play.
***
On the way to the estate gate, Jiang Lai and Shen Ruxue also arrived nearby.
However, they only dared to watch from the sidelines, having not yet found a suitable opportunity to move forward.
Although there was a lot of noise at the gate now, Jiang Lai couldn’t find a proper chance to get across.
Their current hiding spot was very far from the gate.
Even if they could seize the time to run over, they would surely be stopped by the nearby female bodyguards.
But now was indeed the best time.
While the number of bodyguards at the gate hadn’t reached its peak, she had to hurry and find a chance to run across.
Jiang Lai tightly gripped Shen Ruxue’s hand.
Seeing her sister-in-law through the crowd, she instantly found her goal.
While all the bodyguards were focused on blocking the incoming crowd, she dashed out directly from the woods.
Jiang Lai’s feet hurt.
If she were stepping on muddy ground, she would only need to worry about dirt, but on solid ground, every step her soft feet took sent a jolt of pain that made her grit her teeth.
The numbing sensation that had already been present surged up from the soles of her feet.
The stinging pain was the most unbearable, making her feel miserable and distressed…
Initially, Jiang Lai was leading Shen Ruxue, but she gradually fell behind, becoming the one dragging Shen Ruxue down.
“You run across first. Once you’re over, everything will be over. Don’t worry about me for now…”
Seeing the female bodyguards swarming around, Jiang Lai subconsciously wanted to push Shen Ruxue away.
But how could Shen Ruxue be the kind of person to abandon Jiang Lai?
It was absolutely impossible for her to leave Jiang Lai alone.
“If we leave, we leave together. I can’t leave you behind, plus there’s only a short distance left…”
Jiang Lai was already panting and out of breath.
She just kept her head down and ran forward with all her might, so she didn’t notice what was ahead at all, leaving all her direction to Shen Ruxue.
Looking at Chi Yingyu, who was leading people in like a madwoman, Shen Ruxue thought that no matter what, she had to get Jiang Lai out.
Just as Shen Ruxue was pulling Jiang Lai and about to be caught, a figure darted past them and immediately pushed the bodyguard away.
The bodyguards behind them were all suppressed by this situation, and the offensive and defensive roles were suddenly reversed.
Even if it took two people to perfectly pin down one person, it wasn’t an issue.
Now was the time for numbers, and the people around Chi Yingyu were more numerous than ever.
Mingling in the chaotic crowd, the three of them — Jiang Lai, Shen Ruxue, and Chi Yingyu — finally embraced.
“Jiang Lai… my Jiang Lai…”
Although Chi Yingyu had also held Shen Ruxue tightly in her arms at first, her heart was only filled with Jiang Lai at this moment; even her own sister couldn’t leave a trace.
“Let me see, let me see if you’re okay!”
Chi Yingyu’s voice was no longer firm and dependable like it was over the phone; instead, she had turned into a fragile young girl.
Her body trembled slightly, not because of the cold, but because of her internal breakdown and despair.
She wanted to say more, but she could only hear her own faint sobbing.
Her crying swallowed all her current emotions.
When there was no news of Jiang Lai, Chi Yingyu felt as if she had been abandoned by the entire world.
Loneliness, helplessness, and despair — everything was on the brink of collapse.
But it was okay now.
Her most important brother-in-law had returned, back before her, and back into her embrace.
Chi Yingyu’s tears flowed continuously, wetting her collar.
Her face was pale and haggard, and her hands tightly embraced Jiang Lai, her knuckles turning white from the force.
She would never let Jiang Lai leave her again.
Chi Yingyu pulled Jiang Lai’s hand, intending to take her home immediately, but she looked down and saw Jiang Lai’s bare feet.
Her brother-in-law’s feet were covered in mud and blood.
Chi Yingyu first wiped away the tears obstructing her vision with her hand, then turned around, presenting her back to Jiang Lai.
“I’ll carry you home…”
As Jiang Lai looked at her sister-in-law’s back, hesitating about whether to climb on, the gate of the estate closed automatically.