The warm orange sunset slowly sank, painting everything in the car with a faint golden light. Even the strands of hair hanging at Chi Yingyu’s sides glowed with a soft luster.
Jiang Lai could clearly feel the trembling of her fingertips. After what felt like an eternity, Chi Yingyu gently pulled back, her nose still brushing against Jiang Lai’s, her breathing a little unsteady.
She looked at Jiang Lai’s reddened lips, couldn’t help reaching out to lightly touch them, and whispered,
“This is only the appetizer, you know.”
Jiang Lai laughed at her blunt words, even the red veins in her eyes tinged with amusement.
“Then what else do you want? As long as I can do it, I’ll give it to you.”
Chi Yingyu blinked, then pulled Jiang Lai’s hand toward her waist.
“Then… hold me a little longer, okay? Last night, lying alone in bed, tossing and turning, all I thought about was the scent of you when you held me.”
Those words were like a soft needle, gently pricking Jiang Lai’s heart—both sour and warm.
She immediately tightened her arms, pulling Chi Yingyu completely into her embrace. Her chin rested on the top of Chi Yingyu’s head, her nose brushing against her soft hair.
“Okay. I can hold you as long as you want. From now on, I’ll never let you sleep alone again, okay?”
Chi Yingyu nodded gently in her arms, her cheek pressed against Jiang Lai’s chest, clearly hearing her heartbeat.
She wrapped her arms around Jiang Lai’s waist, her fingers lightly tugging at the hem of her shirt, and mumbled softly,
“I miss you so, so much.”
“I miss you too…”
Jiang Lai lowered her head and kissed the top of her head, her voice so gentle it could melt.
They just held each other like that, staying in the warm orange sunset for a long, quiet moment.
Chi Yingyu gradually relaxed, her breathing becoming long and steady, like a kitten that had found a warm nest.
Jiang Lai could feel the softness of her body and the slender bones of her wrists. She was always like this—clearly needing to be taken care of herself, yet always thinking of others first.
After a long while, Chi Yingyu stirred slightly, lifting her head from Jiang Lai’s arms.
She looked at Jiang Lai, a thousand words unspoken in her heart, but she didn’t say any of them.
Chi Yingyu’s breath suddenly enveloped Jiang Lai, causing her heartbeat to fall into chaos.
She looked at the person so close.
Chi Yingyu’s eyes were still faintly red, her eyelashes seeming to carry fragments of light, but the words she spoke carried a softness that left no room for refusal.
“I don’t want to go back today. Let’s go stay at a hotel.”
Jiang Lai froze for two seconds, then her Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
She hadn’t thought about being alone together. Ever since she’d tossed and turned thinking about the proposal last night, she’d been longing to hold Yingyu properly and knead all the unspoken words into her embrace.
But now that Yingyu had actually brought it up, she panicked a little.
Her fingertips unconsciously brushed the ring on Chi Yingyu’s ring finger. The cool metal touch helped her regain some composure.
“Okay. Whatever you say.”
As soon as she said that, Chi Yingyu’s eyes lit up instantly, as if she had gathered all the sunset light into them.
She wrapped her arms around Jiang Lai’s neck, gently swaying, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.
“Then let’s go now? I don’t want to stay in the car anymore. I want to find a place where we can talk properly.”
Jiang Lai’s heart softened from her swaying. She reached out to support her waist and pulled her closer.
“Don’t rush. Let me tell Le Yi first, so she won’t worry waiting for us at home.”
She took out her phone and typed quickly:
“Le Yi, Auntie and I aren’t coming back tonight. We’re staying out. Lock the door at home. If you’re hungry, eat the cake in the fridge. We’ll come pick you up for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Within seconds, Le Yi’s reply popped up.
It came with a string of exclamation points.
“Got it! Dad, you better apologize properly to Auntie! Don’t worry about me!”
At the end, she added a “Go for it” sun emoji, followed by a “Don’t worry” sticker.
Jiang Lai couldn’t help laughing. She showed the phone to Chi Yingyu.
Chi Yingyu leaned in, her lips curling even more when she saw the message. Her fingertip lightly tapped the words “apologize properly” on the screen.
“See? Even Le Yi knows what you need to do.”
“Then today I’ll definitely ‘perform’ well enough to satisfy you.”
Jiang Lai reached out and pinched her cheek, her tone filled with affectionate teasing.
Chi Yingyu’s ears instantly turned red. She gave Jiang Lai a gentle push but didn’t actually let go of her neck.
“Who asked you to perform… I just want to be with you for a while. And the one who should really perform well from now on is me.”
“Alright…”
Jiang Lai didn’t dare respond too much, afraid that this mischievous sister-in-law might come up with another strange idea.
Chi Yingyu watched Jiang Lai’s reddening ears and her own Adam’s apple bobbed again.
Her fingertips still retained the soft sensation of pinching Jiang Lai’s cheek earlier, like touching a freshly baked marshmallow.
She didn’t expose the awkwardness in Jiang Lai’s words. Instead, she put the phone back in her pocket, steadied her waist with the other hand, and lowered her voice with a hint of laughter.
“Now just watch how I perform.”
“D-drive first. We’ll talk about performing later. Anyway, by nightfall, I’ll be at your mercy.”
Jiang Lai quickly changed the subject, burying her face in Chi Yingyu’s neck, her nose brushing against her collar.
Warm breath landed on Chi Yingyu’s collarbone.
Chi Yingyu could clearly feel that warmth, like a feather lightly sweeping by, making her heart tingle.
She didn’t tease her further. Instead, she tightened her arms and hugged her for a moment before slowly letting go. She helped Jiang Lai smooth the hair hanging over her shoulders.
“Sit tight. I’ll fasten my seatbelt.”
“Wait a moment. Let me book a hotel, and then we’ll head out.”
Since there wasn’t anything special to do or any particular destination, Chi Yingyu wanted to go to a hotel with Jiang Lai simply to avoid Le Yi.
After all, some words were only meant to be said in a private room for two.
Otherwise, three people would end up awkward, and she couldn’t have fun at all, nor could Jiang Lai be satisfied.
It was better to just pick a day specifically for this.
Besides, it was something they had already agreed upon from the start.
So Jiang Lai didn’t say anything else. She just drove slowly.
As the car slowly exited the parking lot, the sun had already sunk below the horizon, leaving only a faint pink-orange glow in the sky.
Chi Yingyu leaned against the car window, watching the streetlights flash by outside.
Warm yellow light flickered across her face, brightening and dimming.
At red lights, Jiang Lai occasionally glanced sideways at her.
She could see the smile still lingering on her lips, making the drive feel light and relaxed.
After all, the relationship between them had finally improved. There was no need to be as strained as yesterday.
After driving for nearly half an hour, they arrived at the riverside hotel.
Looking at this riverside hotel, Jiang Lai recalled the times she had walked along the river with Shen Ruxue.
She wondered when her wish for a family reunion would finally come true.
After parking, Jiang Lai got out first and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Chi Yingyu.
As she helped her out, Chi Yingyu leaned into Jiang Lai’s arms, lightly wrapping her arms around her waist, looking very soft.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s hurry inside. Don’t catch a cold.”
Jiang Lai held her hand and walked into the hotel lobby.
After checking in, they entered the elevator.
In the small, confined space, only the sound of their breathing remained.
Chi Yingyu leaned against Jiang Lai’s side, her fingers idly playing with the button on Jiang Lai’s shirt cuff.
She rolled the metal button between her fingertips for half a turn, then slowly slid down, brushing against Jiang Lai’s wrist.
Jiang Lai’s arm trembled almost imperceptibly.
When she turned to look, she met Chi Yingyu’s smiling eyes.
The warm yellow light in the elevator was soft, but it reflected a mischievous glint in her pupils, like a little beast stealing starlight.
“What are you doing?”
Jiang Lai’s voice was lower than usual, carrying a hint of hoarseness from the touch.
Chi Yingyu didn’t look up. Her fingertips continued downward, stopping on Jiang Lai’s hand.
“Just looking at your hand…”
Her tone was slow and deliberate.
“I haven’t held your hand properly in the past few days. I want to feel you again. I think it feels warmer than the last time you held me.”
The elevator dinged as they reached the floor.
Jiang Lai was about to speak, but her wrist was gently grasped by Chi Yingyu.
She didn’t use force—her fingertips still carried a slight chill from the car—but her grip was steady.
She pulled Jiang Lai toward the room.
The room card was still in her hand, which she had taken at the lobby. She looked a little impatient.
When the card touched the sensor, there was a soft click, like a drumbeat landing on the heart.
Before Jiang Lai could react, Chi Yingyu tugged her wrist and pulled her into the room.
The moment the door closed behind them, she suddenly turned around, pressed her back against the door, and trapped Jiang Lai between herself and the door.
Jiang Lai’s hand was still frozen in midair.
She hadn’t had time to pull back from trying to help open the door.
Now her palm was pressed against the cold door panel, but she could feel the warmth of Chi Yingyu’s grip on her wrist—a burning urgency.
Only the small light in the entrance was on.
Warm yellow light fell from above, landing perfectly on Chi Yingyu’s face.
Her eyes shimmered, as if she had gathered all the starlight from the elevator.
“What’s the hurry?”
Jiang Lai’s voice was lower than usual, with a hoarseness from being suddenly pulled so close.
As soon as she finished speaking, her chin was gently pinched by Chi Yingyu.
She didn’t use force—just lifted her chin with her fingertips, forcing Jiang Lai to look down at her.
“I’m in a hurry to hold you.”
Chi Yingyu’s breath brushed against Jiang Lai’s lips.
“I wanted to in the elevator.”
She finished speaking and, without waiting for Jiang Lai’s response, leaned in gently.
This kiss was different from the tentative one in the car. It carried an undeniable urgency.
Chi Yingyu’s fingers didn’t let go of Jiang Lai’s chin.
Her other hand slid up along Jiang Lai’s waist, lightly encircling her neck, pulling her closer.
Jiang Lai’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly, then relaxed.
She reached out to support Chi Yingyu’s waist, feeling the soft lines of her waist and the warmth of her body beneath the fabric.
Their feelings deepened.
Throughout the process, Chi Yingyu even carried a hint of playful softness.
Jiang Lai’s breath instantly grew chaotic.
Her Adam’s apple bobbed.
Just as she was about to say something, Chi Yingyu suddenly pulled back, her nose touching Jiang Lai’s, a smile in her eyes.
“Jiang Jiang, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you these past few days.
I really, really missed you so much.
During the days you spent with Sister, I thought about you every day.
From the moment you first appeared in front of me, even though it was only a few days, it felt like an eternity.
When I saw you that day, I wanted to hold you tightly and tell you how much I missed you.
But I saw the ring on your finger.
That sparkling diamond ring stopped all the words I wanted to say.
I was incredibly curious about what happened between you and Sister those two days.
But I was afraid that my tone would make you angry again.
After all, you finally got to see Sister. You must have had so much to say to each other.
I knew I couldn’t be so difficult.
But I couldn’t control my terrible mood.
So I didn’t dare face you, and I kept restraining myself.”
Her fingers slid down Jiang Lai’s neck.
She wrapped both arms tightly around Jiang Lai’s neck.
Struggling to make their embrace more complete, without a single gap.
From now on, she really didn’t want to fight with Jiang Lai anymore.
She couldn’t bear any cracks in their relationship.
That would make her heart ache so much.
“Yingyu…”
Jiang Lai started to explain, but before the words could leave her mouth, Chi Yingyu silenced her again.
After a long while, Chi Yingyu slowly pulled back.
Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing unsteady.
She didn’t let go of Jiang Lai’s neck. Instead, she gently swayed, like a kitten begging for attention.
“Carry me inside. The door is cold.”
Jiang Lai obeyed, bending down to lift her up.
After some time of exercise, Jiang Lai could do this easily.
When she reached the bed, Jiang Lai was about to set her down, but Chi Yingyu suddenly tightened her arms, refusing to let go.
She buried her face in Jiang Lai’s neck.
Warm breath landed on her collarbone.
“Hold me a little longer.
I like being held by you.”
Jiang Lai’s steps stopped.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning back against the soft headboard.
Chi Yingyu adjusted her position, straddling Jiang Lai’s lap.
Her arms remained wrapped around her neck, her cheek pressed against Jiang Lai’s forehead.
The room was quiet.
Only their intertwined breathing and the occasional sound of the river breeze brushing against the railing outside the window could be heard.
Chi Yingyu gently touched the ring on her ring finger and whispered,
“I really, really like you.
In a little while, I don’t want to take off the ring.
I want to wear it forever, okay?”