Chi Yingyu truly did not expect her brother-in-law to come back so early.
She originally thought Jiang Lai would at least be gone until the evening.
Her heart was both surprised and uneasy, feeling more and more like she was losing her grasp on Jiang Lai.
During these past days, Chi Yingyu had experienced many ups and downs.
When Jiang Lai was still a man, she had already accepted in her heart that their romance would never come true.
But after her brother-in-law transformed into a woman, all traces of her became a secret belonging only to herself—something only she knew.
Chi Yingyu had thought her feelings had a chance of being realized, but she found she had truly overestimated herself.
Whether her brother-in-law was male or female, the position of partner by Jiang Lai’s side was absolutely never going to be hers.
Originally, due to the taboo of their identities and the slight age difference, Chi Yingyu had never dared to take the first step in pursuing her brother-in-law.
But now, age was no longer an issue, and the identity that had constantly constrained their relationship suddenly no longer felt so important at this moment.
After all, who would believe that a woman who looked barely over twenty—someone even younger than herself—could be her brother-in-law?
No one who didn’t know the situation would ever believe it.
Chi Yingyu had once been full of hope for her future, but now things were even more difficult than before.
A woman with a close relationship had appeared by Jiang Lai’s side, and even her sister had returned.
What advantage did she have now?
“Want to eat lunch together later? I haven’t eaten yet. I’ll go heat something up now. You must be tired from going out, so just stay and rest well.”
Chi Yingyu spoke as she got up from the sofa, barefoot on the floor.
For some reason, the ends of her usually straight hair were now curling and tangled in disorder.
There was a kind of messy beauty in it.
The slightly curled, chaotic arcs added a broken fragility to Chi Yingyu, making Jiang Lai’s heart ache deeply.
At this moment, she wanted to do anything for her sister-in-law, even to feed her by hand during the meal.
But Chi Yingyu would probably resist such treatment—after all, it was almost how one treats a Baby.
“Lunch can wait a bit. Where did your slippers go? Why are you barefoot on the floor?”
Seeing her sister-in-law showing no fear of catching a chill, Jiang Lai reached out and scooped her back up, gently settling her on the sofa again and covering her properly with a blanket.
“Besides, now you’re the patient. Just rest well and don’t go doing anything. Also, I have something I need to discuss with you.”
“Hm?”
This was the first time in a while that Chi Yingyu had seen Jiang Lai so serious.
Her brother-in-law’s voice was filled with determination, no longer as confused as before.
Even if Jiang Lai didn’t say it outright, Chi Yingyu could feel that her brother-in-law had grown a bit resentful of their current state.
Because right now, Jiang Lai had no job and no longer held the same value as before.
Even though Chi Yingyu didn’t mind her brother-in-law’s situation at all and even entertained thoughts of supporting her secretly, Jiang Lai would absolutely never allow such a thing to happen.
Her brother-in-law’s heart carried a distorted pride nurtured over a long time.
Jiang Lai had always been the person everyone depended on.
She could never show even the slightest weakness.
This meant that even if Jiang Lai could appear vulnerable in front of outsiders, she absolutely would never show it to them—especially not to Chi Yingyu and her niece.
So Jiang Lai was extremely concerned about whether she had value, and would never allow herself to become a burden to the family.
Jiang Lai’s almost pathological mindset gave Chi Yingyu a headache.
How could she get her brother-in-law to show vulnerability before her?
Only if that happened would their relationship truly deepen.
“When you’re better, can you take me to get an ID card? The sooner, the better.”
“For what?”
Chi Yingyu had never pushed this matter before.
She had been delaying it quietly, because once Jiang Lai had a new identity, she was somewhat afraid of drifting further away from her brother-in-law.
“This also happened today. I found a new job… I need an ID card to sign the contract, so it’s urgent.”
“Alright, I’ll take you on a workday,” Chi Yingyu answered without hesitation.
Now that Jiang Lai had said it, no matter how much she wanted to procrastinate, she couldn’t put it off any longer.
“But what kind of job is it? Aren’t you going to observe a bit more first?”
Chi Yingyu knew Jiang Lai was very capable, meticulous beyond many others, and had achieved quite a lot in her field.
In this era, certificates were needed to prove one’s ability, something Jiang Lai lacked the most.
Chi Yingyu hadn’t wanted her brother-in-law to look for work outside because no one else understood Jiang Lai’s talents, and she worried Jiang Lai might face setbacks.
It might sound harsh, but in Jiang Lai’s current situation… what good job could she possibly find?
Chi Yingyu worried Jiang Lai might rush into work, selling herself short by doing manual labor or working as a receptionist or waitress when she deserved better.
“Brother-in-law.”
Chi Yingyu couldn’t help but call her that.
The sudden address caught Jiang Lai off guard.
“I really need a position where someone can help me. You’re the one who understands me best. When this firm was founded, wasn’t it you and me who built it up little by little? Now I’m just coming back here… Brother-in-law, why won’t you come to me? How can a job outside reflect your value?”
Jiang Lai was momentarily stunned looking at the passionate sister-in-law.
She understood Chi Yingyu’s words came from a good place, out of concern for her.
“Yingyu, the job I found isn’t what you think… I’m glad you care so much about me.”
“Hm?”
Jiang Lai smiled with eyes curved like a crescent, her gaze shining brightly, emphasizing her soft and gentle aura.
The warmth in her final words softened the heart just hearing them.
Chi Yingyu was momentarily distracted, becoming gentler and calmer, listening carefully to her brother-in-law’s explanation.
“My next job is to shoot short videos on a short-video app, then earn money from the views. If I can get advertisements later, I’ll make even more. More importantly, this job is freer with time than before.”
Jiang Lai had thought saying this would ease her sister-in-law’s anxiety, but now Chi Yingyu was deeply suspicious—did her brother-in-law get sold out by someone?
Wasn’t this exactly the kind of situation where a fresh graduate gets tricked by sweet talk, signs a contract, and ends up being forced into borderline content?
“I won’t allow this!!!!”