Chapter 24: The Unchanging Scent  

After leaving the company, Jiang Lai felt dazed.  

She had gone hoping to save her job, but Si Yina’s frivolous behavior made her wary of revealing any secrets.  

If Si Yina knew her truth, Jiang Lai could imagine the coercion that would follow.  

Si Yina was too dangerous—best avoided unless necessary.  

Now, Jiang Lai was truly a “three-no” person: no job, no household registration, no usable education.  

Even if she wanted a new job, what respectable company would hire her with her current credentials?  

Her past education and work experience were useless.  

The lack of a household registration was a major issue.  

She’d held onto hope she might revert to her old self soon, but now it seemed she’d live this way forever.  

The registration problem had to be resolved.  

Jiang Lai wasn’t familiar with the regulations, unsure if Chi Yingyu knew more.  

But meals must be eaten one bite at a time, and problems solved one by one.  

She decided to tackle them gradually, starting with lunch.  

That morning, she’d checked Chi Yingyu’s fridge—only eggs, fruit, and pre-packed fruit salads, nothing to make a proper dish.  

In the past, to care for Chi Yingyu, Jiang Lai had brought her to live with her.  

Though she ended up being the one cared for, it embarrassed her.  

Chi Yingyu stayed until she graduated university.  

From then on, Jiang Lai kept a deliberate distance, not like before, hoping her sister-in-law could have her own life.  

Unfair rumors shouldn’t burden Chi Yingyu.  

Now, for the first time since then, Jiang Lai actively explored Chi Yingyu’s daily life, curious about her routine.  

She remembered how Chi Yingyu strictly managed her meals, handling all the cooking.  

Yet now, her fridge couldn’t produce a single complete dish.  

Jiang Lai knew Chi Yingyu had done it for her health.  

Living alone, this might be her true self.  

Jiang Lai was glad to glimpse Chi Yingyu’s real side, but it came with heartache.  

Despite promising to eat well, she didn’t keep it.  

Chi Yingyu had always controlled her meals, but now it was Jiang Lai’s turn.  

Before heading home to cook, Jiang Lai visited the supermarket, emerging with bags full of ingredients.  

Halfway, she realized a critical issue: she had no keys to enter the apartment.  

Setting the bags on a clean spot, she reached for her phone to call Chi Yingyu.  

A familiar voice sounded nearby.  

“Buying so much, you should’ve called me.  

Even if the apartment’s close to the supermarket, carrying all this is tough.”  

Chi Yingyu appeared suddenly, snatching the remaining bag from Jiang Lai’s hand.  

She set it aside, then gently took Jiang Lai’s hand, holding it in hers.  

Jiang Lai’s hands, exposed to the cold since leaving the supermarket, felt like ice to Chi Yingyu.  

“Look, your palms are red from the bags, and it’s freezing out here.  

Why don’t you take better care of yourself?”  

Chi Yingyu felt her hands weren’t enough.  

Jiang Lai’s hands were so cold they stung, the red marks from the bags lingering.  

She unbuttoned her coat, ready to warm Jiang Lai’s hands against her chest, but Jiang Lai stiffened.  

The familiar action reminded her of the company incident.  

Yet now, she felt more shy than unwilling.  

Instead, she worried about Chi Yingyu.  

What if cold air got in with her coat unbuttoned?  

To save time, Jiang Lai warmed her hands briefly before pulling them back.  

January’s weather was bitterly cold.  

Though it hadn’t snowed, the chill was undeniable, even at noon under the strongest sun.  

The biting wind made one shiver.  

“It’s freezing out.  

Aren’t you still at the firm?  

Is your work done already?”  

Jiang Lai looked at Chi Yingyu, who inexplicably appeared.  

Seeing her bare, fair neck, she thought of the scarf around her own.  

Did Chi Yingyu give her the only scarf when leaving?  

“Why are you dressed so lightly today…”  

She wanted to bundle herself up like a plump penguin, yet was careless with herself.  

Jiang Lai sighed helplessly, untying her scarf to drape it over Chi Yingyu.  

“I was going to wait for you at home, but you said you’d cook lunch.  

I figured my fridge was empty, so I guessed you’d hit the supermarket.  

I came to try my luck meeting you, brother-in-law…”  

Chi Yingyu looked at the scarf Jiang Lai had placed on her, lifting it to sniff, then taking a deep breath.  

“Mm, it’s still your familiar scent.”  

“Familiar?”  

“Yes, I noticed yesterday.  

Even as a woman, your scent is as pleasant as before.”  

Jiang Lai hadn’t meant to ask about that.  

She wondered why Chi Yingyu knew her scent so well, recognizing it instantly.  

But seeing her sister-in-law pick up all the groceries and head home, she suppressed her questions.  

“Give me one!”  

Jiang Lai took a bag back from Chi Yingyu.  

Together, they walked home, side by side.  

Carrying the groceries together, Jiang Lai felt a nostalgic echo of living with her sister-in-law.  

This time, it was just the two of them.