Ridiculous.
She clearly knew Jiang Lai meant no harm, clearly knew there was a decade of regret between Sister and Jiang Lai, but she still couldn’t control her emotions.
Bubbles dripped from the corners of her mouth into the sink.
Chi Yingyu brushed her teeth vigorously, as if trying to wash away all her inner irritations along with the toothpaste foam.
After rinsing, Chi Yingyu splashed cold water on her face repeatedly until her cheeks grew cold, barely managing to suppress her surging emotions.
She picked up a towel to dry her face, unable to stop herself from comparing and feeling sad.
She looked at her reddened eyes in the mirror and suddenly found it ridiculous.
Her movements were slow, every detail done with exceptional care, as if she were stalling, unwilling to face Jiang Lai still waiting in the living room.
She gently opened the bathroom door a crack.
The warm yellow light from the living room filtered in, and she could see Jiang Lai’s back as she sat on the sofa, alone, like an abandoned child.
She didn’t know how to face Jiang Lai, what to say to ease the awkwardness between them, and even less how to convince herself to accept the ring that symbolized the past between Sister and Jiang Lai.
She didn’t want to infect Jiang Lai with her bad mood, and she definitely didn’t want to become the petty person in Jiang Lai’s eyes, so she had been holding back all along.
Chi Yingyu took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked out.
Jiang Lai heard the sound and immediately turned around, her eyes full of expectation and caution, as if afraid of startling her.
“Ying Yu, you’re done washing up?”
Jiang Lai’s voice was very soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible probing.
Chi Yingyu nodded, said nothing, and walked straight to the water dispenser in the corner of the living room to pour herself a glass of warm water.
Jiang Lai stood up, wanting to go to her side, but afraid of upsetting her, so she stayed put, her eyes closely following Chi Yingyu’s figure.
“Ying Yu,” Jiang Lai hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, “about the ring, I want to talk to you properly.”
Chi Yingyu held the water glass, the coolness from her fingertips calming her a little.
Chi Yingyu tightened her grip on the glass.
The water’s warmth passed through the cup to her fingertips, but it couldn’t warm her cold heart.
She shook her head, her voice as light as a breeze.
“No need. I’m a bit tired. I want to sleep early.”
Jiang Lai’s eyes instantly dimmed, like a flame extinguished.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but seeing Chi Yingyu’s deliberately averted gaze, she swallowed her words.
She knew that no matter what she said now, Chi Yingyu wouldn’t listen, and it would only make her more resistant.
Chi Yingyu finished the water in her glass, put the glass back by the water dispenser, and turned to walk toward her room.
As she passed by Jiang Lai, she paused, her voice still flat.
“Good night.”
These two words were like a fine needle, lightly pricking Jiang Lai’s heart—not painful, but densely uncomfortable.
Watching Chi Yingyu’s back disappear behind the door, hearing the click of the lock latching, the last bit of hope in her heart shattered.
Only Jiang Lai remained in the living room.
The warm yellow light fell on her, but it felt especially desolate.
She walked to the balcony.
The night wind blew in with a chill, clearing her chaotic thoughts a little.
She remembered Shen Ruxue’s expression when she proposed, remembered Shen Ruxue’s determination when she said, “I know I missed many years, but I don’t want to miss the future,” and also remembered the disappointment and grievance in Chi Yingyu’s eyes when she saw the ring.
Her heart felt pulled in two directions—on one side, the regret that came too late; on the other, the cherishing of the present.
But this time, she no longer felt at a loss, because she had her own plan.
She would make everyone happy.
Jiang Lai stood on the balcony for a long time, until the night wind chilled her cheeks, then slowly walked back to the living room.
She tidied up the throw pillows on the sofa, washed the glass Chi Yingyu had used, and put it back in the cupboard.
Her movements were slow, as if making a last-ditch effort, hoping to lift her mood a little through these small tasks.
Back in the master bedroom, Jiang Lai lay on the bed but had no sleepiness at all.
She picked up her phone, wanting to confide her feelings to someone, but in the end, the only person she thought of was Xu Ruobing.
Jiang Lai’s fingertips paused on the phone screen for a moment, then finally pressed the video call button.
The screen went dark for two seconds, then lit up with Xu Ruobing’s face, weary but still gentle.
She seemed to have just finished washing up, her hair casually tied back, with the warm yellow bedside lamp in the bedroom as the background.
“Still awake so late?”
Xu Ruobing’s voice came through the earpiece, instantly calming some of the agitation in Jiang Lai’s heart.
“Why are you looking for me at this hour? Did something happen?”
Jiang Lai looked at the familiar, delicate, beautiful face on the screen.
Her nose tingled, and the emotions she had held in all night suddenly found an outlet.
She turned her eyes away, looking at the pitch-black night sky outside the window, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible sob:
“Ruobing, I think I messed things up.”
Xu Ruobing keenly sensed something was wrong, sat up straight, and her tone turned serious.
“Take your time, don’t rush. Did you have a fight with Ying Yu, or did that person treat you badly?”
“No, it’s my problem…”
Jiang Lai took a deep breath, finally turned her head back, and looked at the screen again, wanting to pour out her feelings, but momentarily at a loss for how to explain her relationship with Shen Ruxue.
But now, whether the problem could be solved no longer mattered.
Jiang Lai looked at Xu Ruobing’s face on the screen, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of her phone.
Xu Ruobing’s eyes always carried a gentle smile.
Even now, with a hint of weariness, she was like a warm light, quietly dispelling the cold in Jiang Lai’s heart.
The words that had been stuck in her throat suddenly hung in midair.
All the tangled feelings about Shen Ruxue and the guilt toward Chi Yingyu seemed to shed half their weight the moment she saw that familiar face.
“Actually, it’s nothing major.”
Jiang Lai tried to force a smile, attempting to lighten her tone, but the hoarseness in her voice still gave her away.
“It’s just that after I got back, I had a small misunderstanding with Ying Yu. She’s not really talking to me now, and I’m a bit flustered.”
She didn’t mention Shen Ruxue’s proposal, nor the ring.
It wasn’t intentional concealment.
Rather, looking at Xu Ruobing at this moment, she felt that more than urgently seeking a solution, she needed a place to “unravel” the tangled mess in her heart first.
Xu Ruobing smiled, her tone carrying a hint of helpless indulgence.
“If Miss Chi isn’t talking to you, then come find me. I’m always welcome here. How about coming to see me tomorrow? What do you think?”
“No need. Aren’t you still busy with work there? If I go, I’ll be disturbing you. I’ll wait for you to come back…”
Jiang Lai felt a bit helpless, because Xu Ruobing really spoiled her too much.
No matter the reason, she always took her side.
But because of that, when facing Ruobing, her tone lost its earlier anxiety and gained a bit of steadiness.