The moment her phone screen lit up, Chi Yingyu instinctively dismissed the message, not wanting to face it.
Her life was nearly perfect now. Being with the man she had always longed for, her brother-in-law Jiang Lai, was the dream she had held for years. Yet even with that dream realized, a deep unease was buried beneath this immense happiness.
Faced with her sister’s request to meet, Chi Yingyu’s immediate reaction was to resist. Whether out of guilt or fear, she didn’t want to see Shen Ruxue.
After all, she had taken her brother-in-law behind her sister’s back.
Guilt and fear intertwined, leaving Chi Yingyu with only one thought: escape.
‘If Sister finds out that I’m with Jiang Lai…’
An image of her sister’s angry face flashed through her mind. Although Chi Yingyu was important to Shen Ruxue, her sister was never the indulgent type. Growing up, Chi Yingyu had been scolded many times for making mistakes or acting out. Even after their reunion, while Shen Ruxue felt more guilt and a desire to make up for lost time, the instinctive fear of an older sibling remained.
On this matter, Chi Yingyu knew she was in the wrong.
She even considered ignoring the message entirely, pretending she hadn’t seen it. But beneath the panic, a sliver of reason told her that if she didn’t clarify things now, the consequences would be endless.
If she told her sister openly and honestly, at least she could own up to her actions. But if her sister found out from someone else… how would Shen Ruxue see her then?
Chi Yingyu didn’t understand why she instinctively feared her sister. After all, she had already confessed her feelings for Jiang Lai before. She had even made it clear that she wouldn’t give up, even if her sister came back.
Think about it—during the ten-plus years her sister was away, she was the one who stayed by Jiang Lai’s side, caring for him and looking after her sister’s daughter. She had invested so much emotion; she was an inseparable part of this family and had shouldered her own responsibilities.
Even if the “position” she had once filled was reclaimed, she still believed this love was hers by right.
Besides, Jiang Lai had already agreed to be with her.
Even if her sister disapproved, what could she do? She had the right to pursue her own happiness and to protect it.
After a painful struggle, Chi Yingyu finally gathered her courage and replied to Shen Ruxue’s message:
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight. I actually have something I need to tell you.”
After sending the message, her palms were slick with sweat. She knew this evening would not be an easy one.
Night fell. Before leaving work, she briefly explained to Jiang Lai that she had plans and couldn’t come home for dinner, then headed to the restaurant they had agreed upon.
Before she even got close, she saw her sister sitting on a chair by the entrance, quietly waiting for her.
Shen Ruxue had deliberately cleared the entire afternoon’s classes for this meeting. She didn’t care if she could make it back for tomorrow’s lessons. In her heart, nothing was more important than family.
Her sister was still elegant and composed. Despite her youthful appearance, she always carried a faint air of detachment and calm. Only when facing family did her warmth show.
Chi Yingyu had mentally prepared herself, but when she actually saw her sister, her heart still quivered. It was a guilt unique to a child who had done something wrong.
She took a deep breath and walked over slowly.
“Sister, how long have you been waiting here?”
She tried to keep her voice steady, but the slight tremor at the end betrayed her nervousness.
Shen Ruxue looked up, her gaze lingering on her younger sister’s face for a moment. She smiled gently, stood up, took Chi Yingyu’s hand, and led her into the restaurant.
Throughout the walk, Shen Ruxue’s eyes hardly left her sister’s face.
She wasn’t observing anything in particular. She just wanted to look a little longer.
Every second spent with family was precious to her; she even wished time would slow down.
“Xiao Yu, have you had something good happen recently? You look great.”
Her sister’s cheeks glowed with a healthy blush, her skin smooth and radiant, like a ripe peach—full and tempting.
“Yes… a few good things.”
Chi Yingyu felt uncomfortable and gave a perfunctory reply.
They entered the private room hand in hand and sat down facing each other. Outside, they had been able to chat casually, but once alone, the atmosphere grew silent.
After a moment of quiet, Shen Ruxue spoke first.
She had invited her sister out tonight for two reasons: one, to see how she was doing; two, to find out what had been happening at home.
Her daughter’s unusual happiness during the day had made her vaguely suspect something. And the only person she could ask was this sister, who knew everything.
“Xiao Yu, I want to ask you… has something really good happened at home recently?”
The question was too direct, catching Chi Yingyu off guard.
Her heartbeat suddenly quickened, and she bit her lip.
“Yes… there is something good. But it might not make you happy. I hope you’ll let me finish.”
“It won’t make me happy?”
Shen Ruxue’s eyes darkened slightly.
If home was happy while she wasn’t… she already had a vague guess.
“It’s okay. Go ahead. I won’t get angry.”
Chi Yingyu clenched her fists. She knew her sister was just putting on a brave face.
But this had to be said.
She took a deep breath and finally spoke:
“Sister, I… I’m with Jiang Lai now.”
The words were soft, but they struck Shen Ruxue like a heavy hammer.
Shen Ruxue froze, as if she hadn’t heard correctly. She repeated:
“You mean… you and Jiang Lai are together?”
Her face turned pale instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.
It felt like her chest was blocked, emotions surging but unable to escape.
Time passed second by second, suffocating and oppressive.
Chi Yingyu lowered her head, unable to meet her sister’s gaze.
“Sister, I know this is sudden… but all these years, I’ve been by his side. We’ve been through many difficulties together. We can’t do without each other. I… I’ve liked him for a long time.”
“Enough!”
Shen Ruxue cut her off sharply.
She couldn’t listen anymore.
She just wanted to calm down, but her emotions were spinning out of control.
She wanted to be angry, to lash out, but looking at her younger sister, the words wouldn’t come.
She had no right.
If she had been the one by Jiang Lai’s side all these years, she could have scolded her sister without hesitation. But the truth was—she was the one who left.
“Xiao Yu… give me a moment.”
She fought back tears, but her eyes grew redder.
When she stood up, her legs were weak; she had to grip the table to steady herself.
She looked like a building on the verge of collapse.
Chi Yingyu looked up at her teetering sister, tears shining in her own eyes.
“Sister, I didn’t mean to steal him from you… All these years, I kept my feelings hidden because I knew it was wrong. But I couldn’t control it. When I saw someone else get close to him, I felt hurt and resentful… Why could everyone else have him except me?”
Shen Ruxue’s eyes were red, her voice low but trembling with suppressed sobs:
“I never blamed you for liking him… But what about me?”
“For more than ten years, I’ve thought about coming back every single day. To be your sister, to be Le Yi’s mom, to be Jiang Lai’s wife. Those thoughts were the only thing that kept me going. Wasn’t there a promise… that once everything was over, we’d compete fairly? Do I not even get a chance?”
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