Throughout the morning, under Chi Yingyu’s extremely eerie gaze, breakfast for the family of four was finally ready.
After Shen Ruxue woke up the still-sleeping Jiang Leyi, everyone gathered around the dining table and began to enjoy this breakfast that seemed peaceful but was surging with undercurrents.
Chi Yingyu, in particular, had not taken her eyes off Shen Ruxue and her brother-in-law all morning, because she fundamentally did not want her sister and brother-in-law to have any contact.
Aside from when they were cooking breakfast, Chi Yingyu also pushed herself to do more while clearing the table and handing out utensils.
Even if she couldn’t be alone with her brother-in-law, she had to prevent the two of them from getting close.
Although Chi Yingyu tried her best to make her actions appear natural, such hostility was still too noticeable.
Even the dense Jiang Lai noticed this scene.
She could feel that her sister-in-law was doing these things because she wanted to be alone with her, which meant — she was jealous.
‘As for why she is jealous, it might be because I spent the whole morning making breakfast with Shen Ruxue, but that doesn’t make any sense…’
But even if she could guess the reason for the jealousy, it wouldn’t have mattered if the person her sister-in-law resented was Xu Ruobing.
After all, her heart did lean toward the other woman, and she could fully understand that.
But who was Shen Ruxue?
‘If I brought up my real age, I could be her mother. If I’m actually jealous of my daughter’s classmate, it might really be too much.’
Although Jiang Lai didn’t quite understand the reason for the jealousy, she was still very considerate of Chi Yingyu’s feelings.
Especially during the meal, she sat side by side with Chi Yingyu, while across from them was Jiang Leyi, who had just woken up.
Compared to the three people around her who all had their own thoughts, Jiang Leyi felt this was her happiest moment.
Her favorite relatives were across from her, and her best friend was by her side; the most important people in her life were all sitting at the same table.
Her mood was so light that she felt a bit dazed, as if she were still lingering in the beautiful dream from last night.
Meanwhile, Chi Yingyu’s heart was filled with contradiction and struggle.
She knew she had to face reality —
Setting aside whether her sister would have a problem with her, if her brother-in-law saw her acting so strangely, he would definitely say something or even be curious about why she was doing it.
Chi Yingyu glanced at Jiang Lai, who was constantly moving closer to her.
She knew very well that her brother-in-law was currently considering her feelings and trying hard to please her.
Such behavior made her very happy.
Because even though she had been acting unreasonable and had done so many excessive things just now, her brother-in-law was still willing to pamper and tolerate her.
Chi Yingyu constantly warned herself in her heart to act more generous.
However, her sister’s existence made it impossible for her to let go completely.
Even though it was a breakfast her sister and brother-in-law had made with their own hands, Chi Yingyu felt the meal was tasteless.
After breakfast ended, she volunteered to clear the dishes because she felt she needed to calm down alone, or else she might act irrationally in front of the child.
Jiang Lai did not refuse her request to wash the dishes.
She simply stood silently outside the kitchen, watching her sister-in-law’s busy back, her heart filled with guilt and unease.
‘If my sister-in-law knew that I thought of her sister again… an indecisive person like me has no right to start a new relationship.’
Jiang Lai knew very well that she couldn’t let the shadows of the past affect her current life.
She took a deep breath and secretly vowed to herself, ‘I can’t let my mind wander anymore.’
Seeing her sister-in-law washing dishes alone in the kitchen, Jiang Lai proactively walked over.
Even if she wanted to be alone, now wasn’t the time, not to mention that washing dishes together would be faster.
“Don’t put your hands in here; the detergent is harsh on your skin,” Chi Yingyu said as she watched her brother-in-law suddenly approach, using her elbow to gently block Jiang Lai’s hand.
Even though she was only halfway through, she didn’t want her brother-in-law to help.
“It’s fine,” Jiang Lai replied.
“Two people can’t fit by the sink. How about you dry the dishes I’ve already scrubbed?”
“…That works too.”
Being able to stay by her side was enough, even if it was just lightly wiping the plates.
Jiang Lai picked up a dry towel, preparing to wipe the utensils.
She actually just wanted to keep her sister-in-law company.
At that moment, she noticed Chi Yingyu’s long, shoulder-length hair swaying constantly and blocking her vision.
She quickly put the towel away, took out a hair tie she carried in her pocket, and softly stood behind Chi Yingyu.
“I’ll wipe the bowls in a moment. Let me tie your hair up first. Having it down blocks your view too much.”
She used her hand as a comb to tidy the hair from behind.
When her fingertips touched the smooth strands, a faint, clean scent wafted up — the scent one only has right after waking up.
Jiang Lai used to tie her daughter’s hair often, so her movements were very skillful and agile.
Her fingertips occasionally brushed against the warm skin on the side of Chi Yingyu’s neck.
She wrapped the hair tie twice around the base, tucked a few stray strands behind the ears, and finally gathered them into a bundle, tying the disobedient hair into a simple ponytail.
Feeling her brother-in-law’s gentle movements, Chi Yingyu’s previously suppressed mood improved significantly.
However, she always felt like she had forgotten something — or rather, someone.
Just as she was trying hard to remember, the doorbell suddenly rang.
“Hmm?”
Hearing the doorbell, Jiang Lai was a bit curious about who was visiting today.
As the Head of the Family, she had no idea someone was coming over.
Chi Yingyu, however, suddenly froze.
The bowl in her hand had long been washed, but she was slow to turn off the faucet — because she finally remembered what she had forgotten.
This morning, Xu Ruobing had sent her a message saying she was back and would arrive home soon.
She had originally intended to tell everyone, but she had been so distracted by the morning’s events that she completely forgot.
Chi Yingyu was about to go open the door, but she saw that Jiang Lai had already stepped forward and opened it.
“Jiang Lai —”
The moment the door opened, a breeze carrying the scent of roses swept in.
Xu Ruobing, standing at the door, was exquisite and beautiful, making it almost impossible to look away.
Her hairstyle was also different than before; her curls hung over her shoulders like spilled red wine, looking noble and elegant.
Before Jiang Lai even had time to call out her name, Xu Ruobing’s slender fingers had already wrapped around her waist, and her bright red lips lightly brushed against her earlobe.
“I was really so worried about you. Let me see if you’re hurt.”
Looking at the scene at the door, both Chi Yingyu and Shen Ruxue had unpleasant expressions on their faces.
At that moment, half of Jiang Lai’s body was submerged in Xu Ruobing’s embrace.
The woman held Jiang Lai tightly with one hand while pressing the other against the back of her neck, pulling her into her arms.
It was clearly just a simple embrace, yet it appeared exceptionally piercing to the eyes.