Yingyu Chi looked at the address her brother-in-law Jianglai had sent. Without hesitation, she dressed up meticulously, even pulling out a dress from her wardrobe that she hadn’t worn in years.
As she started her car in the garage, her eyes fell on the delicate watch on her left wrist. A slight curve lifted her thin lips, and her lovely eyes crinkled at the corners. She radiated pure happiness.
Ever since her sister’s death, Yingyu Chi had seemed cold and aloof to outsiders. But whenever she gazed at this watch, her expression softened. Jianglai had gifted it to her after her high school graduation. Though not valuable now, it remained her favorite gift even after ten or twenty years.
Yingyu Chi still remembered: after her sister passed, the whole family leaned on Jianglai. Both families were ordinary. Her aging parents had health issues from years of hard work, needing constant support. Jianglai was the only one working then. Frankly, they were leeches on him. Plus, he had a toddler daughter, adding heavy expenses.
Back then, Yingyu Chi only prayed Jianglai wouldn’t abandon them. But he protected them selflessly, never complaining. Others might not have noticed—even his young daughter forgot those hardships. But Yingyu Chi remembered every detail of those early tough years. Jianglai had given so much, nearly breaking his health. Thankfully, that was all past.
Now, Yingyu Chi was the legal field’s youngest top lawyer. She could finally protect those she cared about. Yet to Jianglai, she was still a child. He even worried about her love life. At twenty-nine, she’d never dated or had a crush. She’d declared herself a lifelong single. To others, it meant little. But Jianglai blamed himself, thinking he and his daughter held her back. Love was a sore spot for him.
Only Yingyu Chi knew the truth. Long ago, she’d fallen for someone absolutely forbidden. Revealing it would shatter everything. She didn’t know why Jianglai didn’t invite her home. Meeting at a hotel might mean they could be alone. Years ago, she might have hoped for more. But adulthood taught her some taboos couldn’t be broken. Otherwise, she’d lose even his company.
To his daughter Leyi, Jianglai seemed stubborn and rigid. But Yingyu Chi knew his charm. Once, a rich woman had stalked him, nearly kidnapping him. He had that irresistible married-man allure.
Yingyu Chi didn’t know why Jianglai chose a hotel room. It was unprecedented. She double-checked the message before coming. Nothing seemed off on the drive. But standing at the hotel door, she hesitated. Meeting secretly behind her niece’s back felt thrillingly wrong.
Her niece should be home from school. Yet here she was, sneaking a rendezvous with Jianglai. What was this? Her face stayed calm, but her heart pounded wildly. She took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door.
Yingyu Chi expected her long-unseen brother-in-law. Instead, a stranger woman opened the door!!
“Who are you?” Yingyu Chi’s voice turned icy cold. Jianglai’s slender shoulders trembled slightly. Her heartbeat skipped a beat.
“Yingyu, I’m—” Jianglai tried to explain her true identity. But the usually gentle, obedient Yingyu Chi grabbed her wrist tightly, yanking her into the room. The force brought tears to Jianglai’s eyes. Was this strength normal for a sister-in-law?
Jianglai pictured Yingyu as a classical Southern beauty—moon-like brows, watery eyes—like her sister but cuter. Yet, Yingyu appeared cold and indifferent to strangers. Only someone close knew her playful side. But this ruthless side was new to Jianglai.
Yingyu Chi was furious. Her good mood vanished at the sight of this woman. Inside the room, her blood boiled. She saw the messy bed, the familiar phone and coat on it. Even the shirt on this woman seemed like Jianglai’s.
Jianglai stood tearful and beautiful, neatly dressed but with faint red marks on her slender neck. Yingyu Chi had a terrible thought: her sister’s husband, who avoided women, was cheating.
Her insides twisted in pain. Her eyes turned murderous. “Why are you here? Where did you get those clothes? Did you send that message?!”
