Their gazes met in mid-air. Jiang Lai curled her red lips into a charming, flirtatious smile. "Husband, that sounds wonderful~"
As she spoke, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.
The kisses were light as a dragonfly skimming the water, landing again and again.
They were so shallow they became a form of torment.
This inevitably reminded Jin Shengshi of the scene between them in bed last night. As his warm fingertips glided along her cheek, his Adam's apple bobbed. Without giving Jiang Lai a chance to react, he covered her lips with his own.
The scent of his clean, aggressive masculine cologne rushed at her. Jiang Lai’s brain went numb for a moment. Feeling the warmth on her lips, she blinked in a daze. Since when was Jin Shengshi known for having such a high libido?
Hearing the soft, wet sounds of their mouths meeting, she flushed a deep red. Damn, he really looked like he was about to devour her whole.
Still... she rather liked it.
However, the heated atmosphere was shattered by the sharp sound of a "click."
Seeing them pull apart, Jian Yue awkwardly scratched the back of his head before turning on his phone’s flashlight, pretending to be oblivious.
"Wow, why is it so bright in here?"
"Oh, it's just me—the human lightbulb."
"..."
Since this was the Gao Family’s venue, lingering too long was bound to cause trouble. After tidying themselves up slightly, the pair stood up to leave.
During their walk out, Jiang Lai said, "Pick me up tonight."
Jin Shengshi scanned her with a look of confusion.
Jiang Lai explained, "I still have some documents and certificates left at the Jiang Family home. I need to go back tonight."
"I'll go with you."
"No need, I can handle it."
Since she put it that way, Jin Shengshi didn't press the issue.
After they agreed on a time, they headed in different directions.
Once her taxi stopped outside the Jiang Family villa, Jiang Lai took a deep breath. Tonight’s battle would not be an easy one to win.
But no matter how difficult, she had to face it. The debt she had come to collect from the Jiang Family wasn't just for her own sake—it was for Yunjia’s as well...
As usual, she returned to the Jiang residence. The servants ignored her entirely, and it was precisely because of their disregard that, the moment she stepped inside, she heard the conversation between Jiang Qianfeng, Qi Yuzhen, and Jiang Yi.
"Jiang Yi, I thought you were someone with some sense. Are you blind? Can’t you see the gap in power between the Lu Family and the Jin Family?"
"Dad, I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry."
"Honey, let's put the issue with Xiao Yi aside for now. What we need to prioritize is Jiang Lai. Now that she and Jin Shengshi have registered their marriage, how are we supposed to face the Gao Family?"
"The Gao Family was full of sincerity this time. They weren't just offering us those outsourcing projects; they intended to help the Jiang Family reach the top of the Jing City social elite. But now, it’s all ruined."
"Dad, I know I messed up, but the real culprit is Jiang Lai! If she hadn't seduced Jin Shengshi, how could things have ended up like this?"
"Exactly, husband. The only way to fix this is if Jiang Lai and Jin Shengshi get a divorce. Otherwise, if we can't hand over the person they want, the Gao Family will definitely suppress our business..."
"..."
Jiang Lai leaned against the marble wall, listening for a long time.
In the end, she drew a conclusion: The Jiang Family didn't want to lose the benefits the Gao Family offered, so they planned to scheme to make Jin Shengshi divorce her.
As expected, they wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
But there was no such bargain to be had in this world.
Now that she had Jin Shengshi backing her, she was actually quite looking forward to watching the Jiang Family and the Gao Family tear each other apart.
Having no interest in hearing more of their plotting, Jiang Lai let out a lazy yawn. After wiping a tear from the corner of her eye with her fingertip, she walked inside, ignored the three people in the living room, and headed straight for the nanny’s room.
With a living, breathing person appearing in their line of sight, it was hard to pretend she wasn't there.
Unsure of how much she had overheard, the three members of the Jiang Family exchanged glances. Jiang Qianfeng and Jiang Yi were both too proud to lower themselves to curry favor, but Qi Yuzhen, that wolf in sheep's clothing, could.
Not only could she, but she could mask her hypocrisy as genuine concern. "Xiao Lai is back, I see."
Jiang Lai ignored her and pushed the door open to go inside.
Qi Yuzhen didn't take offense, following her in with a gentle expression. But the moment she stepped in, she let out a sharp cry of pain.
"Ah—"
Hearing the sound, Jiang Yi rushed to the doorway, looking nervous. Seeing Qi Yuzhen clutching her head, she didn't hesitate to lash out at Jiang Lai.
"Jiang Lai, you actually dared to hit my mother? Have you grown tired of living?!"
Her voice was so loud that it quickly brought Jiang Qianfeng over. The father and daughter were cut from the same cloth; they didn't even think to ask what had happened. With his face still swollen, the man began to accuse her without a second thought.
"Jiang Lai, this is the Jiang household! It’s not your place to run wild here!"
The two were so loud they made Jiang Lai’s ears ache.
Seeing her frown as if she found them noisy, Jiang Yi became furious and was about to throw a tantrum, but was stopped by Qi Yuzhen. "It has nothing to do with Xiao Lai."
Jiang Yi, thinking her mother was protecting her, cried out, "Mom!"
Qi Yuzhen bent her waist. "It’s just... this room is too low. I didn't pay attention when I came in and accidentally bumped my head."
Hearing this, both Jiang Yi and Jiang Qianfeng looked up. When they did, their expressions soured.
Jiang Lai, however, looked around the nanny’s room—a space less than five square meters and less than 1.6 meters high—with a smile. She said calmly, "This is probably the first time you've ever seen this room so clearly."
The three remained silent. "..."
Jiang Lai continued, "This is where I lived from the age of 5 to 23. Over these 18 years, I grew from 1.1 meters tall to my current 1.66 meters, and I went from walking straight into the room to having to bend over just to enter."
In the eyes of the public, she was the pampered daughter of the Jiang Family, a person of high status.
In private, she was the Jiang Family’s nanny, a person of low status.
She remained perfectly calm as she spoke. She didn't plead for sympathy, but every word was an indictment.
Jiang Qianfeng felt a loss of face and tried to blame the servants. Qi Yuzhen offered a gentle apology: "Xiao Lai, it's Mom's fault for neglecting you all these years. Here, I'll have someone prepare a spacious room for you immediately."
Jiang Lai found the offer of charity laughable.
"No need."
After saying this, she pulled open the drawer of a low cabinet and began to systematically pack her documents and certificates.
Watching her stash the important documents into her bag, Qi Yuzhen panicked. "Xiao Lai, what are you doing?"
Jiang Lai didn't even lift her head. "I am married now, so naturally, I need to go live with my husband."
She kept repeating "husband" and "living together."
Jiang Yi’s eyes turned red, and she couldn't sit still anymore. "Jiang Lai, what are you feeling so smug about? The one who was supposed to live with Jin Shengshi was me! You are a shameless woman who seduced her own brother-in-law!"
Jiang Lai didn't refute the accusation.
But she couldn't resist offering a reminder: "Seduced? Sister, when it comes to seduction, I'm afraid I'm no match for you. After all, you're currently carrying the child of your own sister's husband."
Jiang Yi was exasperated. "You!"