Chi Yingyu held her older sister tightly in her arms.
Her sister’s return should have been an occasion of pure joy.
But all Chi Yingyu felt was a tangled mess of emotions, enormous joy flooding her heart, yet beneath the shadow of that joy there lurked unwillingness and resentment.
For the first time ever, Chi Yingyu felt a deep fear and panic.
She knew that if her sister’s true identity were revealed to her brother-in-law, even if his heart had already started to lean toward her, even if he harbored some special feelings for her—
Yet that tiny sliver of desire and ambiguous affection born from temptation was nothing compared to Jiang Lai’s love for her sister.
It was like a little stream, utterly insignificant before a vast, boundless ocean.
Standing before her sister, Chi Yingyu knew she didn’t stand a chance.
Yet at this moment, she also possessed an advantage her sister could never match.
That advantage was that her sister had no idea where the real Jiang Lai was, nor did she know what Jiang Lai had experienced over these past ten-plus years, or who had been by her side caring for her all this time.
Chi Yingyu was confident that she understood her brother-in-law better than anyone in the world—even more than the sister standing before her.
Although that thought was unfair to her sister, some things in life were never fair to begin with.
If only she had met Jiang Lai earlier, perhaps everything would be different now… But her sister had disappeared for so many years.
More than a decade had passed; even if she came back, there was no way things could return to how they once were.
Shen Ruxue felt her younger sister’s embrace, her slender fingers resting lightly on Chi Yingyu’s shoulder.
She could faintly sense the slight trembling in her sister’s body, but simply assumed it was because her sister was overwhelmed with happiness.
After reuniting with her sister, she had already accomplished one third of her goal. She had long since formed a plan in her heart regarding her daughter.
What troubled her most now, what left her at a loss, was her husband, Jiang Lai.
“Xiaoyu, the woman you brought for Le Yi to meet before—who was she, really?”
Over the past year or so living with her daughter, Shen Ruxue could say she understood her almost inside out, even more so than most mothers could claim.
In front of her best friend, her daughter had always been completely open, and Shen Ruxue knew all too well about her daughter’s mischievous tendencies.
It was probably that her sister had brought a friend home as a guest, only for her daughter to get the wrong idea.
At school, Shen Ruxue often heard her daughter talk about how her biggest dream was to find a beautiful stepmother for her father.
Sometimes, Shen Ruxue would ask, why must the stepmother be beautiful?
Jiang Le Yi would reply that if the stepmother was pretty, then even if she had to discipline her, at least she could enjoy her looks and not get so angry.
As the saying goes, “Three views follow five features…” Jiang Le Yi had always been a bit out of tune like this, but when it came to some matters, she truly did think about her father’s happiness.
Her daughter was already in college and no longer craved motherly love as much; what she wanted in a stepmother was mainly to ensure her father wouldn’t be alone in the days to come.
Shen Ruxue could understand all this perfectly, but hearing her daughter talk about these things still made her heart ache with a faint sourness.
Because she was her daughter’s real mother, and Shen Ruxue would never allow anyone else to take that place.
“That woman from before?”
Chi Yingyu had a good idea why her sister was so anxious now, even to the point of losing composure—it all stemmed from a misunderstanding that happened before.
Chi Yingyu realized that sometimes, a single lie could require countless other lies to cover up.
She could have told her sister the whole truth right now, but just as she was about to reveal everything, she swallowed her words.
Because certain truths about her brother-in-law were now her only advantage.
Although sooner or later the truth would come to light, and those closest to her would eventually find out.
Chi Yingyu knew that if she didn’t say it now, but her sister found out later, it would leave a crack in their relationship as sisters…
In the end, Chi Yingyu decided to take a gamble. Meeting her sister’s gaze, she nodded lightly.
“Sister, it’s just as you think. After so many years, how could anyone’s feelings stay the same forever…”
Her words were like thunder on a cloudy day, shattering all of Shen Ruxue’s hopes and the little fantasies she still held. The Jiang Lai she loved most no longer loved her.
Shen Ruxue knew Jiang Lai’s character very well. She was someone who feared loneliness, who hated being alone, and was deeply responsible at heart.
If she hadn’t made space for someone else in her heart, she would never have chosen another.
Shen Ruxue felt dazed all over, standing there stunned for a long, long time.
She knew she couldn’t blame Jiang Lai for this. If there was no room left for her in Jiang Lai’s heart, Shen Ruxue felt no resentment, only a deep sorrow and regret.
Because ten-plus years was just too long.
The daughter who once could barely walk was now a graceful young woman.
The little sister who used to act spoiled in her arms was now capable of standing on her own.
Shen Ruxue still clung to a shred of hope, and she had reasons to persist, because she knew her husband, her daughter, and her sister were all still waiting for her in this world.
But in Jiang Lai and the others’ hearts, she had already become someone from the distant past.
For them to still remember her at all was already a luxury.
Ever since she gained this body, with a soul of several decades, Shen Ruxue had never once lost her composure, no matter how many hardships she faced—she could always handle things calmly.
But the moment she thought about the one she loved most, about Jiang Lai whom she had missed for more than ten years, and the possibility that she no longer had a place in her heart, Shen Ruxue’s tears began to flow uncontrollably, like a breached dam, streaming from the corners of her eyes.
Even after all these years, whenever Shen Ruxue closed her eyes, she could still picture Jiang Lai’s face, still remember everything from before.
Every subtle emotion in Jiang Lai’s eyes when she looked at her, every rise and fall in her tone, every look of affection directed her way—Shen Ruxue remembered them all, as if they were carved into her heart, never to be forgotten.
Though she could understand her sister’s words just now, they still cut into her heart like a knife, leaving wound after wound.