Moreover, before her true identity was exposed, there was still a rift between them, a distance that hadn’t been explained.
Shen Ruxue understood deeply that in her current state, she couldn’t do anything too extreme—if she made any physical moves, given her current age, it would likely only make Jiang Lai feel even worse.
Shen Ruxue didn’t want to do anything to make things difficult for her.
The person in front of her was her husband, the one she loved most in this life.
The person she loved most was right there, yet she had to restrain herself, unable to even express her love.
Nothing in the world was more sorrowful than this.
Shen Ruxue controlled her excessive impulses, but she hadn’t given up in her heart.
The fiery blaze still burned in her eyes.
Shen Ruxue wanted to get closer to her husband, to the person she had thought about day and night for over a decade.
Even if she couldn’t kiss him, even if she couldn’t do anything more intimate, right now she just wanted to be a little closer.
Shen Ruxue looked at Jiang Lai, who was keeping some distance from her, and cautiously took a step forward.
But that simple step caused Jiang Lai to react as if startled.
She panicked, dodging and stepping back repeatedly, looking as if she might lose her footing and fall at any moment.
Seeing this, Shen Ruxue hurried forward, wanting to grab Jiang Lai’s hand, but the closer she got, the more Jiang Lai was forced to retreat.
In that moment, Jiang Lai stumbled, nearly falling.
Shen Ruxue quickly reached out to steady her, but Jiang Lai instinctively and forcefully shook her off.
“Don’t touch me!”
Jiang Lai shouted, her voice hoarse, tears finally spilling over.
She was truly scared, absolutely unwilling to allow such forbidden feelings to develop.
Originally, she had liked Shen Ruxue very much, felt a strong fondness for this girl, and hoped she could spend more time with her daughter.
But all of that vanished under Shen Ruxue’s forceful attitude just now.
Jiang Lai could accept her sister-in-law’s feelings because, over the past nineteen years, she had already developed a sense of dependence on her.
But for this girl in front of her to like her—that was wrong.
Jiang Lai looked at Shen Ruxue as if looking at a stranger.
But after calming down and thinking it over, she wondered if her words had been too harsh.
After all, the two of them had shared hardships before.
Was it right to treat her so mercilessly now just because of this sudden confession of feelings?
Jiang Lai stood in place, breathing heavily.
Her hair was disheveled, her clothes in disarray, her eyes filled with fear and shameful anger, but she forcibly suppressed these emotions.
Shen Ruxue, who had come back to her senses from her earlier impulsiveness, also realized the impropriety of her actions.
Looking at Jiang Lai’s distressed state, her heart was a whirl of conflicting emotions.
That earlier mad impulse felt like a dream.
Now that the dream had ended, only endless awkwardness and regret remained.
Jiang Lai hesitated, then swallowed down her discomfort.
Looking at Shen Ruxue, who had feelings for her, she said softly, “Let’s pretend today never happened. I’ll also act as if I never heard what you said that night. You’re still young, and the gap between us is too great.”
Shen Ruxue looked at Jiang Lai, who was tear-stained yet still trying her best to comfort her.
The desire in her heart receded, replaced by a hint of panic and regret.
She wanted to say something more, but in the end, she could only hold back and nod obediently.
Shen Ruxue hung her head, her face flushed, following behind Jiang Lai.
The atmosphere between them was so oppressive it was suffocating.
On the way back to the dormitory, Shen Ruxue occasionally stole glances at Jiang Lai.
She saw that Jiang Lai’s eyes seemed somewhat empty, staring straight ahead, her steps mechanical as if lost in her own thoughts.
She also didn’t know what to say to the girl beside her.
Ask her why she liked her?
That seemed somewhat narcissistic.
After thinking for a long time without finding the right words, she could only remain silent.
Shen Ruxue was filled with regret, biting her lip, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
She desperately wished for a chance to apologize to Jiang Lai again, but she was afraid any move she made would scare her once more.
Back at the dormitory, Jiang Lai forced herself to appear calm and began helping her daughter tidy the room.
Her movements were mechanical yet practiced, folding clothes one by one into the wardrobe, neatly stacking books on the desk.
Shen Ruxue also followed silently, helping without a word.
She gently wiped the desk, wanting to say something, but her throat felt blocked.
She could only steal glances at Jiang Lai from time to time.
After tidying up, Jiang Lai gave her daughter a few simple instructions and prepared to leave the school.
Her voice sounded tired, carrying a barely noticeable tremor.
“I’m heading out now. Take good care of yourself.”
She glanced at her daughter, then turned her gaze to Shen Ruxue beside her.
Shen Ruxue wanted to say something, but in the end, she lowered her head.
As Jiang Lai walked out of the school gate, her phone suddenly rang.
It was her sister-in-law calling.
She answered, and her sister-in-law’s voice came through the receiver:
“Jiefu, the negotiations with Si Yina’s mother are finished. She agreed to all our demands. But there’s some bad news—Si Yina ran off on her own. Her mother was so angry she cut off all her financial support.”
“She probably won’t last long out there and will go back obediently. After all, an Eldest Miss like her definitely can’t handle hardship. But I still wanted to remind you to be careful. Don’t let her latch onto you.”
After hearing this, Jiang Lai frowned slightly and let out a soft sigh.
“I understand. You get some rest. You’ve worked hard these past few days.”
After hanging up, Jiang Lai first took the subway, then headed in the direction of her home.
After getting off the subway, she initially thought about buying some groceries at the supermarket outside her residential complex to properly treat her sister-in-law.
But as she walked, she suddenly saw a familiar figure at the supermarket entrance.
The person was bent over, and at first, Jiang Lai wasn’t sure.
Getting closer, she saw it was actually Si Yina.
The Si Yina before her eyes was completely different from the one in Jiang Lai’s memory.
The once aloof, untouchable Queen, the company president who could decide all appointments with a single word, now resembled a pearl covered in dust, not emitting a single glimmer of her former dazzling brilliance.
But whatever Si Yina had become now had nothing to do with her.
Although Jiang Lai had originally planned to buy groceries and cook a meal, after one glance, she simply turned away from the supermarket.
With Si Yina, it was best if they never met again in this lifetime.