Jiang Lai sat on the sofa, her fingers unconsciously picking at the cuffs of her knit cardigan, twisting the soft yarn until it wrinkled. But she wasn’t looking at anything now—she wasn’t even playing with her phone.
In front of her was Shen Ruxue’s large desk, with several documents spread out on it, while her mind was filled with a jumble of chaotic thoughts.
Alone, she fidgeted with her sleeve cuffs, her head full of messy ideas.
Although Jiang Lai had never systematically understood the Shen family’s situation, based solely on the suffering Shen Ruxue had endured these years—how she clearly thought of them, clearly wanted to return home, yet didn’t dare come back because she was afraid that her own presence would make their lives worse—just these things alone gave Jiang Lai a rough idea: the entire Shen family was definitely no pushover. It was a wolf den that devoured people without spitting out bones.
For Shen Ruxue to have reached her current position, the pressure she must have shouldered behind the scenes was unimaginable. To give the Shen family enough freedom, she had no choice but to obey their arrangements and accept a fiancée by her side.
Even that fiancée was someone she didn’t want. It could be said that within the Shen family, she had almost no freedom at all. If possible, Jiang Lai didn’t want to cause Shen Ruxue too much trouble.
But now?
Shen Ruxue had taken her hand and walked into the company, even bringing her into the office.
Although there weren’t many people along the way, some employees had still seen them. If any of the Shen family’s informants caught wind of it, who knew how they’d exaggerate the story.
Maybe in a little while, the Shen family members would call Shen Ruxue to interrogate her…
The more Jiang Lai thought about it, the more flustered she became. Her fingertips started to feel cold.
What if the Shen family made things difficult for Shen Ruxue again? How much energy would Xiaoxue have to spend dealing with that?
Watching Shen Ruxue face it all alone felt truly unbearable. Knowing that she couldn’t help with any of it, she could only watch helplessly.
Jiang Lai lowered her head, staring at her hands resting on her knees. Her eyes slowly began to grow hot.
She even thought,
‘If only I hadn’t followed Shen Ruxue to the company just now. If only I could be more considerate and not make her worry so much.’
Shen Ruxue’s voice suddenly came from behind the desk, interrupting Jiang Lai’s thoughts.
“Jiang Jiang.”
Jiang Lai snapped her head up and saw that Shen Ruxue had already put down her pen. She was looking at her, a hint of awareness in her eyes that something was wrong.
Shen Ruxue had actually noticed Jiang Lai’s state long ago.
From the moment they entered the office until now, Jiang Lai had been sitting on the sofa in a daze. Even when Shen Ruxue called her assistant in to deliver documents, Jiang Lai didn’t react—her eyes were completely distracted.
She knew Jiang Lai too well. She knew Jiang Jiang was probably overthinking again, worrying that she was causing trouble.
That was Jiang Lai’s endearing side, and also her most worrisome side.
Shen Ruxue stood up from her chair, walked over to Jiang Lai, and held out her hand, palm up. Her voice was very soft, yet carried a reassuring strength.
“Come here. Let me hold you.”
Jiang Lai froze for a moment, looking at Shen Ruxue’s outstretched hand. She hesitated, then slowly stood up from the sofa and walked toward her.
The moment she reached Shen Ruxue, she was pulled into an embrace.
Shen Ruxue’s arms were very warm, wrapping around Jiang Lai and instantly calming much of the panic in her heart.
Shen Ruxue gently patted Jiang Lai’s back, her voice tender, as if coaxing a child.
“Are you overthinking messy things again?”
Jiang Lai buried her face in Shen Ruxue’s arms, her nose stinging, her voice carrying a hint of pitiful nasality.
“No… I’m just a little worried about you. Worried whether you can handle it.”
Hearing this, Shen Ruxue’s heart softened slightly.
She tightened her arms around Jiang Lai, gently resting her chin on top of Jiang Lai’s head, her tone serious.
“I’m not going to run away anymore. I won’t cling to my old way of thinking, afraid of causing trouble and giving up on what I insist on. What matters most to me now is returning to your side. Everything else is irrelevant.”
Jiang Lai wanted to say more, but Shen Ruxue interrupted her.
“But…”
“No buts.”
Shen Ruxue gently stroked Jiang Lai’s hair, her voice growing even softer.
“I can handle those things. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Since I dared to bring you here, I have ways to deal with what comes next. The Shen family’s rules are their rules. The person I want to protect—no one can touch.”
“You are my family. You are the one I love most. What reason is there for us to be apart?”
Jiang Lai nuzzled against Shen Ruxue’s chest, feeling the warmth radiating from her. The unease in her heart slowly faded, but she still couldn’t help murmuring softly,
“I’m just afraid you’ll get too tired. You already have so much company work to handle.”
“I’m not tired.”
Shen Ruxue lowered her head and gently pressed a kiss to Jiang Lai’s forehead. Her voice was tender, yet carried an unshakable firmness.
“Nothing I do for you ever feels tiring. Jiang Jiang, remember—we’re together. You don’t have to carry anything alone. I’ll be with you.”
“Don’t overthink anymore, okay?”
Jiang Lai nodded, burying her face deeper, her nose brushing against Shen Ruxue’s shirt. Her heart felt much more grounded.
But things unfolded exactly as Jiang Lai had feared.
The intimate scene between Shen Ruxue and Jiang Lai quickly spread to the Shen family elders.
This time, however, before the elders could interrogate Shen Ruxue about what she meant, a difference of opinion arose among the nine elders themselves.
Because one elder put forward a completely different view.
That was—let Shen Ruxue play as she pleased, as long as she stayed dedicated to her work, everything else was fine.
Because Shen Ruxue’s greatest strength was her current work ability.
She wasn’t even twenty yet, but the maturity and excellence she displayed were already beyond what her peers could compare to.
If it weren’t for her young age and the worry that she might be too impulsive, the Shen family elders would have considered handing over all company matters to her.
They, the old folks, would only need to keep a slight eye on things.
But being too young also had its biggest flaw: no restraint, making it easy to act impulsively with too much energy.
As for marriage partners and such, the Shen family didn’t really care.
Whether Shen Ruxue’s future partner was male or female, whoever it was, didn’t matter. Because the excellence Shen Ruxue had already shown made them focus only on her.
But then there was only one issue left.
How to keep Shen Ruxue under control.
That was the main thing the Shen family elders wanted to meddle in.
Shen Ruxue’s marriage… was merely a result of the Shen family’s desire for control.