Chapter 22: The Emptiness That Needs Filling

Si Yina could sense that Jiang Lai wasn’t as untouchable as she appeared.  

Anyone seeing her would think she’s a lofty flower, needing gentle care and delicate nurturing.  

But Jiang Lai’s true self was far from that.  

Si Yina still remembered her expression when pinned against the wall—deep yearning in her eyes, yet still pretending, waiting for someone to tear through her facade.  

A forceful attitude and unabashed actions were likely the stimulants to ignite this beautiful woman’s passion.  

Si Yina had never seen such a beauty—strong yet fragile, seemingly untouchable but secretly craving to be overwhelmed.  

A contradictory being that Si Yina was eager to explore deeply.  

She wanted to devour her in one bite.  

Leaving the company, Jiang Lai felt like she’d lost her mind.  

For a moment, she had actually anticipated what might come next.  

She didn’t know why she’d become so emotional, slowly unable to suppress her inner feelings.  

In the past, she could handle anything with rationality, no matter what happened.  

But now, everything has changed.  

Jiang Lai had been lonely for too long.  

For over a decade, she’d locked her excess emotions in an unreachable tower, pouring her heart into her daughter and work.  

Though this life was calm and uneventful, she’d grown used to suppressing her emotions.  

She’d always restrained her true nature, striving to play the role of the perfect father, the pillar for everyone.  

This mask, this facade, Jiang Lai had worn since her twenties, so long she’d forgotten her true self.  

But that one-night stand with Xu Ruobing had exposed her hidden desires completely.  

Xu Ruobing’s touch had thoroughly stirred the longing in her heart.  

Jiang Lai now needed someone by her side.  

The deep emptiness within her craved filling, but whether she sought emotional solace or physical connection, she hadn’t thought through.  

After leaving the company, Jiang Lai noticed it was still early.  

There was no need for her sister-in-law to pick her up.  

If she returned now, she could make lunch for Chi Yingyu.  

She sent a quick message to her sister-in-law and headed home.  

On the subway, sitting in a corner, Jiang Lai thought of her daughter, alone at home.  

She knew her current identity prevented her from openly visiting her daughter.  

Without someone to cover for her, she feared revealing her true self.  

She wondered if her daughter, not seeing her for months, missed her dad.  

During school, they hadn’t met, and now, even on break, they hadn’t seen each other.  

Her daughter was growing up, and their time together would only dwindle.  

In the end, she might truly be alone.  

***

While Jiang Lai worried if her daughter was eating well or feeling lonely at home, Jiang Leyi was mentally complaining about her.  

Looking around the room she’d painstakingly cleaned, Jiang Leyi sighed in relief.  

She didn’t know what her dad had been doing at home—many spots were covered in dust she hadn’t touched.  

If not for preparing to host her best friend, she’d have sent a message to rant about her dad.  

But it was odd—after mentioning she’d soon have a stepmother, her friend was so curious she rushed over the next day.  

Though it was Jiang Leyi getting a stepmother, her friend seemed more anxious than she was.  

While pondering what to eat with her friend, the doorbell rang.  

Was her friend here already?  

Jiang Leyi had wanted to meet her at the subway station, but her friend said it was fine.  

Even with navigation, it shouldn’t be this quick.  

Her friend, Shen Ruxue, had only known for half a year, but Jiang Leyi felt she was almost divine.  

Anything about Jiang Leyi, once mentioned, Shen Ruxue remembered clearly.  

Even her blood type and allergies were known, as if Shen Ruxue understood her better than she did herself.  

Shen Ruxue’s care was meticulous, almost maternal, pampering her like a mother would her daughter.  

But Shen Ruxue wasn’t her mother, and the age gap with her dad was too big for her to be a stepmother.  

Even Jiang Leyi, fond of matchmaking, couldn’t pair them.  

In the end, she narcissistically chalked it up to her own charm.  

Not dwelling on it, Jiang Leyi rushed to open the door when the bell rang, eager to greet her motherly friend.  

At the door, Shen Ruxue barely pressed the bell before Jiang Leyi leapt out, hugging her tightly.  

Shen Ruxue gently patted Jiang Leyi, who clung like a sloth, with no hint of annoyance, only indulgence.  

“Jumping like that could get you hurt.”  

Helpless yet tender, Shen Ruxue took Jiang Leyi’s hand, leading her inside as if it were her own home.  

Once inside, Shen Ruxue scanned the room.  

The soft sofa, the cabinet in the corner filled with Jiang Leyi’s trophies and certificates from childhood.  

Unlike their dorm, this place was filled with traces of Jiang Leyi’s life and growth.  

Yet Shen Ruxue had never been part of it.  

Lost in the sight, she not only sought Jiang Leyi’s traces but also began looking for remnants of Jiang Lai.  

While Jiang Leyi prepared snacks, Shen Ruxue slowly approached Jiang Lai’s room.  

Though she hadn’t been here in over a decade, she could still sense Jiang Lai’s presence, familiar and nostalgic.  

Her longing overwhelmed her, and in a trance, she opened Jiang Lai’s wardrobe, taking out a piece of clothing and quietly inhaling its scent.