Shi Meng didn't follow at first because she thought Shi Hai was just borrowing the washing machine and would come back after tossing the clothes in.
However, after quite some time, Shi Hai still hadn't returned, and she guessed that he was probably planning to wait until the clothes were washed before coming back.
That wouldn't do. How could she leave her brother alone with those two minxes?
So, Shi Meng followed and ran over to Zhu Lingjie's house.
Jian Sichun, seeing her sister-in-law also coming over, greeted her with a smile.
But Shi Meng only responded indifferently and then asked why Shi Hai hadn't come back.
As she had suspected, Shi Hai was waiting to take the clothes back after they were washed and dried.
After learning from Shi Hai that Zhu Lingjie had helped him put the clothes in the washing machine, Shi Meng thought that, as expected, her brother's clothes should be washed by her.
Even if it wasn't hand-washing but simply putting the clothes in the washing machine and pressing a button to set the time, this process should be her responsibility.
In fact, when cooking today, even with two others helping, she didn't feel more relaxed.
Instead, she felt like her duties had been snatched away.
However, she had to admit that their cooking skills were indeed impressive.
If the perfect score was 100, Shi Meng's cooking would be around 80, better than most people. Jian Sichun would score 88, while Zhu Lingjie's would be as high as 96.
Not being able to match these two made Shi Meng feel a little competitive, but not discouraged.
After all, she knew she wasn't just a chef who knew only to cook; in other aspects, she definitely had overwhelming advantages.
Because taking care of her brother was her responsibility as a sister, including but not limited to daily cooking, doing laundry, cleaning the room, feeding, changing clothes, bathing, and wiping his body...
She had always been doing these things.
So, using the excuse of needing the bathroom, she went into the washroom.
Then, she walked in on Zhu Lingjie holding Shi Hai's clothes and deeply inhaling them.
Their eyes met.
"…?"
"…!"
The atmosphere froze.
Zhu Lingjie's face turned pale with fright.
Although it wasn't Shi Hai who caught her, being discovered by Shi Meng was just as bad!
Shi Meng already didn't have a high opinion of her, and now, being caught at this "crime scene" would surely destroy whatever impression she had left.
Zhu Lingjie regretted it deeply, thinking that she should have locked the door.
Driven by an uncontrollable impulse, she hadn't thought about taking any preventive measures.
Plus, she had never had the habit of locking the door.
Sniffing her husband's clothes had always been routine, something she never had to worry about.
She had been too careless... one moment of error leading to a lifetime of regret.
Zhu Lingjie felt her breath becoming difficult, her whole being falling into an icy abyss.
She couldn't think of any explanation, or rather, she knew that any explanation would be useless.
She stood there like a condemned prisoner awaiting judgment, bowing her head as despair engulfed her.
But facing this scene, Shi Meng didn't react much.
She didn't call the other two in the living room over to stage a public "trial."
Her first thought wasn't "this woman is a pervert," but rather, she fully understood what Zhu Lingjie was doing.
After all, Shi Meng had done similar things before.
So, she didn't consider it perverse behavior.
At most, she was just a little annoyed… enjoying her brother's clothes should have been her exclusive right.
However, if she were to drag Zhu Lingjie out now for public judgment, it would indeed ruin her image completely, preventing her from getting any closer to Shi Hai.
But considering her brother's overly cautious nature, he would probably never trust anyone else to wash his clothes again.
It would be like a single rat spoiling the whole pot, scaring away everyone involved.
Since that was the case, Shi Meng decided to turn a blind eye.
After all, anyone doing such a thing was probably just unable to resist and secretly indulging… understandable.
She even felt that Zhu Lingjie's level of "affection" was normal.
After all, this was her brother, right?
The best brother in the world, right?
To be loved by him would be the happiest thing in the world, wouldn't it?
So, Shi Meng thought it was perfectly natural for both Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie to like her brother.
Even though you're a minx, and I won't let you get close to my brother so easily...
Still... I do acknowledge your taste and judgment.
With this in mind, Shi Meng ultimately chose to "cover for" her.
From the living room, Shi Hai's voice came asking,
"What's going on?"
Zhu Lingjie's heart was practically in her throat, overwhelmed with nerves.
As Zhu Lingjie looked at her with eyes that were practically begging, Shi Meng turned back and replied to Shi Hai,
"It's nothing. The washing machine needs to be connected to the drain first; it might take a little longer."
"Do you need my help?"
"No, you just wait, brother."
"Got it."
Shi Meng... had helped her out!
In Zhu Lingjie's astonished gaze, Shi Meng walked over, leaned close to her ear, and whispered,
"Don't take too long—three minutes at most."
"...!"
"Otherwise, my brother will find it suspicious."
After saying that, Shi Meng straightened up, giving her a temporary look of understanding.
She had allowed it!
Zhu Lingjie never would have imagined that not only did Shi Meng not expose her, but she also covered up her strange behavior.
At that moment, Zhu Lingjie felt as if her sister-in-law was glowing with a divine radiance, like an angel sent from above to offer salvation instead of punishment.
Could it be... that Shi Meng didn't actually hate them that much?
Confused, Shi Meng exited the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
Zhu Lingjie snapped back to reality, quickly checking her phone.
Three minutes… not bad.
The whole ordeal had truly been a ride from heaven to hell, only to be pulled back up to the mortal realm.
Now, Zhu Lingjie just wanted to stop thinking and immerse herself in the scent of her beloved, soothing her shaken and wildly fluctuating emotions.
After a while, Zhu Lingjie reluctantly put Shi Hai's clothes into the washing machine, splashed some water on her face to calm down, and stepped out of the bathroom.
The three people in the living room were playing cards.
When they saw Zhu Lingjie return, they invited her to join.
As they played, Zhu Lingjie would occasionally sneak glances at Shi Meng, but Shi Meng kept a stern face, still showing no kindness and constantly targeting them.
And because of Shi Meng's presence, any little schemes Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie might have had were impossible to execute.
It felt like being watched and guarded by the king's personal guards.
This situation persisted until the clothes were done washing, and then Shi Hai and Shi Meng left together.
In the end, nothing happened; the rare opportunity to have Shi Hai on "their home turf" was completely wasted.
Zhu Lingjie, however, felt she had at least gained something—after a long time, she had finally "indulged" herself.
But Jian Sichun just felt frustrated.
She flopped on the couch like a dried fish, utterly deflated.
The lovestruck girl's mood: absolutely unfixable.
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