In front of herself, Xu Ruobing never had a serious image.
Perhaps just moments ago, she had been marveling at how beautiful Xu Ruobing was, but the next second, Xu Ruobing could say something shocking that shattered all her previous fantasies.
All along, the interactions between Jiang Lai and Xu Ruobing had been trapped in this kind of cycle, unable to break free for the time being.
After breakfast, Xu Ruobing didn’t put on any makeup; she simply slipped into a suit and stood before Jiang Lai.
With her arms crossed and leaning casually against the chair, her entire expression was filled with the desire for praise.
The suit on Xu Ruobing was perfect—tailored and elegant, the waist slightly cinched, beautifully accentuating her gentle curves.
Below her perfectly shaped hips hung straight dress pants.
Just this simple adornment alone gave Xu Ruobing a completely different vibe from before, making her look so strong and assertive.
“Wait a moment, I’m heading to the studio. Are you going to stay with me? Come to work with me.”
Hearing the word “work,” Jiang Lai’s heart involuntarily grew uneasy.
She knew Xu Ruobing had spent a fortune signing the contract with her, yet Jiang Lai had been completely out of contact for two whole days since starting her job.
“I’m sorry… did I… hold you up…?”
Jiang Lai slightly clenched her fists.
What was truly most important to her right now?
Should she first sort out the chaotic relationships around her, or should she focus on holding down a job that could support herself and those close to her?
If Jiang Lai had to choose, she really wished she could do both.
Neither could be sacrificed.
But her energy was limited—just like before, it was the same now.
At least for now, Jiang Lai was leaning toward stabilizing her work first.
As for her relationship with her sister-in-law and acknowledging her daughter, there was a hint of avoidance in her heart.
The rebellious feelings from her sister-in-law toward her left Jiang Lai at a loss.
No matter how she tried to approach it, any contact seemed to damage their relationship.
Her daughter’s situation was only a matter of pride inside Jiang Lai’s heart—she didn’t want to be seen as useless in front of her own child.
She wanted to appear strong in front of her daughter, to be a steadfast father.
To achieve this, she needed a stable job.
“Am I still okay?”
“I… I’m here!”
Now, Xu Ruobing took on the role of the reliable older sister.
She stepped forward and gently wrapped her arm around Jiang Lai’s waist, pulling her tightly into an embrace.
Jiang Lai was already a few centimeters shorter than her, and with their shoes on, the height difference grew even more pronounced, allowing Jiang Lai to better nestle into her shoulder and neck.
“As long as I can reach you, that’s all that matters.”
Xu Ruobing seemed calm about everything, but the more composed she appeared, the more Jiang Lai’s heart grew heavy with guilt and inner turmoil.
Did she really deserve this job that Xu Ruobing had entrusted to her?
“Don’t think about all those messy things.
Right now, you can just look forward to how much revenue that one video’s views will bring you.
Want to guess how many?”
Since Xu Ruobing was letting her guess, Jiang Lai could already anticipate that the video’s views had to be high.
After all, she had casually checked on short video platforms—it was explosively popular beyond her imagination.
Though most of the earnings went to Xu Ruobing’s studio, Jiang Lai’s share was definitely not insignificant.
Jiang Lai had no other thoughts about it.
She even felt that as long as Xu Ruobing gave her a fixed salary, that would be enough—she was already getting an incredible bargain.
Xu Ruobing’s studio not only provided people and money but also handled operations, leaving Jiang Lai’s sole responsibility to film good videos.
Up to now, Jiang Lai even wanted to ask if she was being paid too much.
“Should I take a little less in pay then?”
“Do you want me to lose money for you?”
Xu Ruobing’s tone suddenly turned stern.
The contract clearly stated that if she failed to fulfill it, she would owe Jiang Lai a huge compensation.
“It’s all written clearly in black and white. I signed it. Changing it now would be breaching the contract~”
She deliberately drew out the last word with that annoying mischievous smile.
Xu Ruobing had only wanted to tease Jiang Lai a little, scare her, but she hadn’t expected Jiang Lai’s reaction to be even stronger than she’d anticipated.
“I didn’t mean that. I just feel like I’m taking too much. I don’t deserve it…”
Jiang Lai’s anxious words made Xu Ruobing happy, but her hand gently reached up to stroke Jiang Lai’s head.
“This is what you deserve. You’ve always deserved it.”
Feeling Jiang Lai’s warm and soft body, Xu Ruobing bent down slightly and rested her head on Jiang Lai’s shoulder and neck.
“I wonder if you washed your face…”
Hearing Xu Ruobing’s soft muttering, Jiang Lai froze.
A flicker of hesitation appeared in her guilty eyes.
Her index finger trembled as if making a decision, then she closed her eyes and reached out to stroke Xu Ruobing’s head, pulling her against her chest.
At that moment, Xu Ruobing felt it was unbelievable.
But feeling the familiar pressure of Jiang Lai’s hand on her head, she knew this was Jiang Jiang’s reward for her.
When she buried herself in work yesterday, it had been just the same.
Though Jiang Lai was fragile, she still had strength in an instant.
The pressure on Xu Ruobing’s head was firm, as if afraid she might run away—but she wouldn’t run.
“Jiang Jiang, sometimes you surprise me with sides I didn’t expect.”
Minutes passed without them noticing.
After they separated, Xu Ruobing stood before the room’s Whole-body Mirror, tidying her hair that Jiang Lai had ruffled roughly.
Taking advantage of the time, she briefly explained the upcoming work schedule to Jiang Lai.
“Next, we might have to do a dual Live Stream. You’ll need to join me. But before the official stream, you’ll have to come to the studio a few times to learn the techniques. I’ll tell you the specific times later. Don’t worry, I’ll be on camera with you.”
Jiang Lai listened seriously to Xu Ruobing’s explanation, unaware that this first Live Stream would be not only her debut but also Xu Ruobing’s first private Live Stream.
Xu Ruobing was the star everywhere she went, the focus of all attention.
But by Jiang Lai’s side, she was more than willing to play the supporting role, the green leaf that helped her shine even brighter.
Before heading out, Xu Ruobing suddenly seemed to remember something and pointed to herself.
“You haven’t given me my send-off kiss yet.”
Jiang Lai looked at her tall figure and those always smiling peach blossom eyes.
She stepped closer and saw Xu Ruobing’s profile stretch toward her.
They were so close—almost brushing lips—and Xu Ruobing was genuinely asking for a kiss.
“If you don’t come over steadily, I’ll just keep standing at the door.”
Xu Ruobing playfully threw a tantrum, and Jiang Lai truly had no choice.
If it was just the face, it wouldn’t be impossible.
Jiang Lai’s lips trembled as she leaned in slightly and lightly pressed her lips to Xu Ruobing.
But just a cheek kiss? That could never satisfy the wildly eager Xu Ruobing.
Almost instantly, Xu Ruobing’s expression shifted.
She pinned Jiang Lai against the wall, fiercely pressing her lips to the smooth skin of Jiang Lai’s neck.
The sharp sting spread—Jiang Lai suddenly realized what was happening and struggled fiercely to resist.
But before she could voice her refusal, Xu Ruobing had already left her neck.
Her movements were quick.
If Xu Ruobing hadn’t pinned her against the wall, Jiang Lai might have genuinely thought she’d just been bitten by a mosquito.
“Is it really so hard to take the initiative to kiss me? And it was such a bland kiss on the cheek. Does my mouth without Lipstick have no appeal at all?”
With that, Xu Ruobing pulled a tube of Lipstick from her bag.
She had originally used it to balance her lip color but now lightly reapplied it before leaving.
This time, she put on more than usual—intending to leave all of it stamped on Jiang Lai’s pure white neck.
“Don’t resist. Let me press it gently. If you don’t behave, I’ll leave a love bite.”
Xu Ruobing smiled innocently, but her words were full of threats.
Truly infuriating.
Jiang Lai didn’t have Concealer now, so better to keep marks on her clothes to a minimum.
So she obeyed Xu Ruobing, letting her lips stay tightly pressed against her neck.
When Xu Ruobing left the perfect lip imprint on Jiang Lai’s white neck, she looked at it like a satisfied artwork, then happily pulled Jiang Lai over to the Whole-body Mirror by the door.
Her long fingers delicately traced the neck, just touching the edge of that ambiguous kiss mark.
“See? Isn’t it incredibly sexy?”
Jiang Lai’s aura was usually cold and distant, with no big changes.
But this obvious red lip mark immediately told anyone that something intimate had happened, adding three degrees of allure and sensuality to her.
Before going to work, Xu Ruobing handed Jiang Lai a Key and told her the room’s Password, saying that if she ever had nowhere to stay, she could always come here.
This place would always be a safe harbor.
Jiang Lai really did need a new place now.
She had been staying in hotels outside for two days already.
She certainly couldn’t live with her sister-in-law.
Should she go back home?
Jiang Lai slowly tidied herself up in Xu Ruobing’s room, intending to use wet wipes to remove the red lip mark Xu Ruobing had left on her neck.
But looking at the sexy trace on her skin, she hesitated to wipe it off.
The longer she knew Xu Ruobing, the more often they spent time together, the less Jiang Lai could figure out what kind of personality Xu Ruobing truly had.
In front of her, she was so passionate, proactive, teasing.
But sometimes she could be mean, always bullying her… In front of Jiang Lai, she was like a mischievous child.
Casually thinking of these things, the tall, radiant figure appeared in Jiang Lai’s mind.
Unconsciously, a faint smile curved Jiang Lai’s lips, clearly reflecting the happiness in her heart.
Jiang Lai didn’t know where she should go.
She wanted to fix everything around her, but she worried she didn’t have the ability to solve those problems.
She no longer dared to face them.
So she quietly stayed in Xu Ruobing’s room all day until dusk, doing what she could.
Xu Ruobing had ordered many things in the morning.
After she left, Jiang Lai sorted everything, placing them neatly in corners of the room and even labeled them to prevent Xu Ruobing from forgetting.
The deep winter night came early.
When Jiang Lai finished everything, it was just after five, but outside it was already completely dark.
Lights shone everywhere.
The Steel City, forged from cement and steel bars, cloaked in the endless depths of night, was dressed in a layer of romance and loneliness under the colorful and hazy lights.
From Xu Ruobing’s room, the view was excellent, allowing Jiang Lai to experience a perspective of the city she had never felt before.
Still, in her heart, she preferred the balcony of her own home.
Jiang Lai had always dreamed of building a happy family.
Everyone in the family had poured their all into it.
Jiang Lai worked hard to earn money.
Her sister-in-law acted as the glue holding the family together.
Since her daughter grew up, she had never been willful.
Since then, the impression of their home was one without quarrels, always harmonious.
Jiang Lai once thought such happiness would last forever.
But she never imagined that something unimaginable would happen now.
She had her relatives, warm and thoughtful greetings, and hot dinners.
She had devoted everything to her family.
But now, looking back, her home had already fallen apart, becoming a complete mess.
Jiang Lai missed home… she wanted to return to the original home with her sister-in-law and her daughter.
The once peaceful daily life had now become an utterly extravagant hope.
Jiang Lai cooked a simple meal, planning to obediently wait in her room for Xu Ruobing to finish work and come back.
To make sure what time Xu Ruobing would be home, she sent a message to confirm.
But during the wait, no reply came from Xu Ruobing.
Instead, a call from her sister-in-law arrived.
Jiang Lai stared at the phone number she would have immediately answered in the past.
But now, her finger hesitated.
What would Ying Yu say to her?
After wavering in her heart for a while, Jiang Lai still chose to answer the call.
Ying Yu was too important to her, and she had to resolve the relationship between them.
Just as Jiang Lai prepared herself to face everything, urgent news came from the other end—her daughter.
She could hear her daughter’s breathless voice on the phone, as if she had been busy non-stop and had just finally found a moment.
“Brother-in-law, hurry to the hospital. Leyi is in surgery right now!”