Chapter 13

Rose 13: An Active Invitation.

Fu Chaoying had already finished her meal.

Ye Jiayuan was about to head back to the study and get to work, but the moment she turned, a flash of lightning suddenly split the darkness outside the window. A muffled peal of thunder followed, like bells tolling at dawn and dusk in a silent mountain temple—deafening.

Ye Jiayuan slowed her steps, as if waiting for something.

By the time she was nearly at the study door, the space behind her was still utterly quiet, as though she were the only person in the entire room.

Unable to help herself, Ye Jiayuan turned around. At the far end of the corridor, Fu Chaoying stood like a statue, staring fixedly at her.

For a moment, their eyes met; Ye Jiayuan caught the flash of fear in her gaze.

Something soft spread quietly through her chest. Ye Jiayuan stopped and said gently to her, “There are a lot of books in my study.”

Fu Chaoying seemed to come out of a spell. She forced out a pale smile. “Then...”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod. “Come in and have a look.”

Fu Chaoying’s eyes brightened, and she quickly walked toward her.

Ye Jiayuan remained at the other end of the corridor, waiting silently. In this way, it felt as if she were gathering up all of Fu Chaoying’s unease and fear.

The two of them entered the study one after the other.

The curtains in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows hadn’t been drawn yet; Fu Chaoying caught sight of the heavy, dark sky outside at a glance.

The study was bright as day. Their reflections appeared in the glossy glass of the window.

Fu Chaoying’s heart stirred. Her gaze drifted casually over the oil painting on the wall, and she murmured in soft admiration, “Sister really does seem to like this painting.”

Ye Jiayuan followed her line of sight and replied flatly, “The room feels too stuffy. This painting helps balance the atmosphere.”

Fu Chaoying’s lips curved slightly, and she didn’t press further.

She walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a book at random, and turned around, only to find that beneath the window there was only a single armless sofa.

“It’d be nice if there were a rocking chair,” Fu Chaoying remarked, as if offhandedly.

Ye Jiayuan lifted her eyes, shifting her gaze from the computer screen to Fu Chaoying. She reached out and made a call. “Mm. Bring over a new rocking chair.”

“Sister is so good to me!” Fu Chaoying’s tone was light, her eyes curved with a smile.

Ye Jiayuan looked at her for a moment, then said evenly, “It was already there. I didn’t like it, so I had someone move it away.”

I didn’t like it.

Those words gave Fu Chaoying pause. It seemed her preferences and Ye Jiayuan’s were completely different.

After the silence stretched on too long, Ye Jiayuan looked up and glanced at her, only to see that Fu Chaoying had already lowered her head and started reading.

Time passed quietly. The rocking chair had been brought over, and the two of them each busied themselves with their own things.

Fu Chaoying became absorbed in the book; only when she grew thirsty and was about to go pour herself some water did she look up and notice that, at some point, Ye Jiayuan had come to stand beside her—by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out into the darkness.

The light outlined the elegant curve of her profile, charming and mysterious.

Fu Chaoying watched her side profile and, before she knew it, fell into a daze.

Everything Ye Jiayuan did, every word she said, seemed to carry some deeper meaning; yet she never said it outright.

“Finished reading?” Ye Jiayuan asked softly, her gaze naturally settling on Fu Chaoying’s face.

Fu Chaoying came back to herself and gave her a faint smile. “Not yet. I wanted to get a glass of water.”

As she spoke, Fu Chaoying stood up. Even though she moved as carefully as she could, the rocking chair still swayed violently. The moment she lost her balance, a pair of warm, familiar hands steadied her firmly.

“Sorry, I didn’t stand properly.” Fu Chaoying gripped her wrist and got up; but the instant she found her footing, she suddenly leaned forward.

Her warm, damp breath slipped through the thin shirt and brushed against skin. Ye Jiayuan’s breath caught sharply; then she heard Fu Chaoying ask, “Sister, why do you smell so strongly of coffee?”

Fu Chaoying lifted her eyes and stared at the area beneath Ye Jiayuan’s eyes, as if searching for proof that she hadn’t rested well.

Ye Jiayuan’s expression didn’t change. “I accidentally got some coffee on my clothes.”

Fu Chaoying quietly let go of her hand, her gaze skimming over the shirt with hardly any wrinkles at all. A trace of mischief flashed in her eyes. “Oh, I thought I’d disturbed your rest last night.”

Ye Jiayuan’s eyes flickered; she said nothing.

“Are you done with work, Sister?” Fu Chaoying changed the subject at just the right moment. “Can you come downstairs with me to get my clothes?”

Pushing her luck was human nature.

Ye Jiayuan seemed to have anticipated this; after only a brief pause, she gave a soft “Mm.”

Fu Chaoying went to the dining room to pour water and handed her a cup.

After they both finished drinking, they went downstairs, only to run into Auntie.

Auntie was clearly a little drunk, but not so much that she’d lost track of time. “Why are you only coming back at this hour?”

Fu Chaoying answered without changing expression, “No, I was just hanging out at Jiayuan-jie’s place for a bit.”

Auntie nodded lightly, then smiled at Ye Jiayuan and said, “Thank you, Xiaoyuan, for taking care of our Xiaoying.”

“It’s nothing.” Ye Jiayuan’s expression remained faint, and she didn’t say more.

After a few polite words, Auntie went into the room.

Fu Chaoying opened the door, then turned around and looked deeply at Ye Jiayuan.

If Ye Jiayuan disliked trouble, she would have seized this chance to hand Fu Chaoying over to Auntie; but she hadn’t done that.

Fu Chaoying’s lips lifted with a smile. “Sister, wait a moment.”

With that, she turned and went into the bedroom.

The familiar scent in the air made Ye Jiayuan look around the room, where she discovered Fu Chaoying’s rose-scented diffuser.

It seemed Fu Chaoying’s tastes were very consistent; from perfume to body wash to the diffuser, everything was rose-scented.

Not long after, Fu Chaoying came out carrying a nightdress, a pillow, and a small travel bag.

Ye Jiayuan glanced at them and asked casually, “Did you forget something?”

Fu Chaoying immediately understood what she was asking. She didn’t even lower her head to check; instead, she just smiled at her. “My little bear is still at your place.”

Ye Jiayuan seemed to be thinking it over. Fu Chaoying added, “I only just noticed.”

It sounded like a clumsy attempt to cover herself; it also sounded natural enough.

Ye Jiayuan had no intention of digging deeper and merely headed for the door.

Coming to Ye Jiayuan’s place once again, Fu Chaoying had been escorted the whole way by her, and somehow it always gave her the feeling that she had been invited here by Ye Jiayuan herself;

even though the truth was that she had been the one to ask to stay over.

Ye Jiayuan seemed too good to her, almost to the point of having no bottom line.

Fu Chaoying suddenly wanted to test something.

She naturally put the pillow and little bear back where they had been the night before; Ye Jiayuan acquiesced.

After she finished showering, she was the first to climb into bed; Ye Jiayuan acquiesced.

The other woman always allowed her everything. That indulgence only made Fu Chaoying more curious—did Ye Jiayuan really give in to all her requests?

So when Ye Jiayuan also lay down beside the bed, just as a low rumble of thunder was about to fall, Fu Chaoying asked her softly, “Sister, I’m a little scared. Can you hug me?”

This was the first time Fu Chaoying had actively invited her while both of them were fully awake.

The thunder cut off abruptly; even the lightning outside seemed to hold its breath. Everything seemed to be waiting for Ye Jiayuan’s response.