Chapter 14

Rose No. 14: A Slender Forearm.

“Sister, can you hold me?”

The air seemed to freeze at that moment; even the sound of breathing grew clear.

Outside the window, the lightning had just faded, then threatened to flash again. Ye Jiayuan’s side-lying figure remained perfectly still in the dark, yet Fu Chaoying somehow sensed the faint tension radiating from her body.

Time seemed to stand still. Just as Fu Chaoying began to think her request would be met with silent refusal, Ye Jiayuan finally spoke.

“Sorry.”

Her voice was very soft, but in the empty night it stood out clearly.

Fu Chaoying’s heart lurched with the sudden thunder outside.

She had refused.

Ye Jiayuan had refused her brazen attempt to cross the line.

Fu Chaoying parted her lips and answered in the same gentle tone. “Sorry.”

The words had barely left her mouth when a rustle reached her ears; it was the sound of Ye Jiayuan shifting.

Then a cool, steady voice sounded.

“If you’re scared, you can hold my arm.”

Fu Chaoying’s fingertips twitched. Then, slowly, she reached out and found Ye Jiayuan’s forearm.

Slender and warm, it met her palm; Fu Chaoying pressed her hand against Ye Jiayuan’s skin and felt the heat she gave off.

Ye Jiayuan’s arm tensed slightly at first, as if reacting on instinct, but in the next second it relaxed.

Her voice was gentle, restrained. “Go to sleep.”

The warmth of her skin seemed to reach Fu Chaoying’s heart, easing her somewhat; yet her pulse showed no sign of slowing.

Was she still too tense?

Afraid of disturbing Ye Jiayuan’s rest, Fu Chaoying didn’t dare move at all.

No one knew how long passed before Fu Chaoying slowly loosened her grip, only to realize that Ye Jiayuan had never pulled her arm away.

A thought flickered through Fu Chaoying’s mind; her fingers slid down quietly until she found Ye Jiayuan’s palm and placed her own hand lightly in it.

Ye Jiayuan’s fingers seemed to move faintly, then settled again.

Fu Chaoying held her breath, listening to her steady breathing, and guessed that she must already be asleep.

Otherwise, how could she allow her to go this far—to hold her hand and intertwine their fingers?

A smile curved at the corners of her lips. Fu Chaoying closed her eyes and gradually drifted off to sleep.

*

Morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains and spilled into the room.

When Fu Chaoying woke, Ye Jiayuan was still beside her, though there was a person’s distance between them. She was sleeping peacefully, her breathing light.

Their hands remained in the same position as last night, but only rested against each other; they were not fully intertwined.

Carefully, Fu Chaoying slipped her fingers between Ye Jiayuan’s, then fell back asleep.

When she woke for the second time, Fu Chaoying instinctively turned her head to the left, but Ye Jiayuan was nowhere in sight.

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was only a little past seven in the morning.

So early? Ye Jiayuan was already up and working?

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help admiring her time management.

After washing up, Fu Chaoying opened the bedroom door and immediately saw a silhouette seated on the balcony.

In the faint morning light, the outline of Ye Jiayuan’s profile was edged with a thin wash of brilliance; she looked both cold and warm at once.

Fu Chaoying committed that picture-perfect scene to memory.

“Good morning, Sister!” she said brightly.

Ye Jiayuan turned to look at her. “Morning. Check your phone; Aunt Yun should have sent you a message.”

Fu Chaoying found her phone on the coffee table and, sure enough, saw a voice message from her aunt. The gist was that something urgent had come up and she had returned to the country first; if Fu Chaoying needed anything, she should contact Ye Jiayuan.

“So I’ve been ‘entrusted’ to you, Sister?” Fu Chaoying asked in mock surprise.

“If anything comes up, you can contact me. If you can’t reach me, call Liu Xin,” Ye Jiayuan said evenly, as if stating something entirely natural.

“Okay.”

Ye Jiayuan ordered breakfast for her, then lowered her gaze and continued reading.

Fu Chaoying took her travel bag and put on light makeup. By the time she emerged, Ye Jiayuan was already seated at the dining table waiting for her.

Once Fu Chaoying sat down, Ye Jiayuan asked casually, “What are your plans for today?”

Between bites of breakfast, Fu Chaoying told her about the fashion show she was about to attend, and also mentioned her contact with the brand director, Yunji.

As she spoke, she paused, then added, “Your sister might be going too.”

Ye Jiayuan only nodded slightly to show she understood.

“But I already said I’d attend,” Fu Chaoying added.

Ye Jiayuan did not say much. She only reminded her, “You can ask the butler to arrange a driver for you. Also, if something like last night happens again, handle it appropriately.”

The last sentence carried a deeper meaning; in other words, she would not suddenly appear to help her out the way she had before.

Fu Chaoying obediently nodded. “Got it. Thanks for the reminder, Sister.”

After breakfast, Ye Jiayuan stood to leave.

Fu Chaoying watched her figure and, before she reached the door, asked, “Sister, did you check the weather forecast?”

Ye Jiayuan stopped and looked straight into her eyes. “Move your luggage into the second bedroom.”

Her intentions had been seen through. Fu Chaoying blinked and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Sister; I’m bothering you again.”

Ye Jiayuan looked at her for a moment without speaking, then turned and walked toward the door. “I’m going to work.”

Fu Chaoying hurried after her and saw her out at the entrance, murmuring softly, “I hope tonight...”

Watching Ye Jiayuan leave, Fu Chaoying suddenly no longer knew what exactly she was hoping for.

She went downstairs, packed up her luggage, and moved it into the second bedroom; then she returned to Ye Jiayuan’s master bedroom to take her pillow and little bear.

In the afternoon, the driver arranged by the butler took her to the runway show.

Along the way, Fu Chaoying kept thinking through all the possible situations that might arise and how she should respond. For example, if Yunji tried to capitalize on the buzz around their breakup for publicity, how should she answer? Or if Ye Yian started pestering her again, how should she slip away tactfully?

However, reality went far more smoothly than expected.

When she arrived at the venue, Fu Chaoying was taken directly to a front-row seat, seated next to Yunji.

The treatment reserved for top VIPs shielded her from any disturbance the entire time; she did not even catch sight of Ye Yian.

Fu Chaoying watched the show quietly, while Yunji occasionally chatted with her, explaining the brand’s philosophy and expressing sincere interest in working together.

Fu Chaoying took it to heart and said she would think it over carefully.

But when she saw the final set of gowns, the ones reserved for the closing segment, a thought stirred in her mind. She met Yunji’s expectant gaze and said, “We can talk.”

Yunji’s smile grew even brighter. “It would be my honor.”

Under the curious or startled gazes of the people around them, Fu Chaoying followed Yunji to the VIP lounge.

On the way, she heard Yunji joke, “At the last cocktail party, someone even said you were riding on your ex’s resources. I think those people must have had lard clogging their minds; utterly foolish—”

“To be honest, if we hadn’t wanted to get close to you, why would we have lent that gown to Ye Yian?”

A national luxury brand with Chinese heritage; its benchmark was top-tier stars at home and abroad.

Ye Yian was indeed not qualified.

Fu Chaoying only smiled and said nothing.

It was very poor form to seize the chance to put down an ex.

Yunji stopped there, once again showing her sincerity.

At the VIP lounge dinner, Yunji quickly finished her social obligations and returned to speak with Fu Chaoying in detail about the collaboration.

No matter how inexperienced Fu Chaoying was, when she heard those terms, she still frowned; Yunji’s offer was so good it almost felt like a scam.

Noticing her expression, Yunji laughed. “Does Teacher Fu have any questions?”

Fu Chaoying looked at her seriously and got straight to the point. “Do you have any special conditions?”

“Besides the conditions for your cooperation with us, there’s also...”

Fu Chaoying nodded lightly, signaling for her to continue, and heard her lay the groundwork first. “I heard you’re already a shareholder in Xingye International.”

Fu Chaoying caught the hidden meaning at once and asked directly, “You want to attract investment from Xingye?”

Faced with such a sharp question, Yunji saw no need to hide it. She frankly explained that she did hope to deepen Xingye’s trust in the brand through the collaboration, and then attract long-term investment.

Fu Chaoying refused without hesitation. “Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t help.”

She knew exactly where she stood; she would never imagine she had the right to interfere in Ye Jiayuan and her team’s professional judgment.

Though turned down, Yunji still showed enough sincerity; she adjusted the plan again and reached a preliminary agreement with Fu Chaoying.

The two sides agreed to announce the collaboration after signing the contract the next day.

When Fu Chaoying left the VIP lounge, she called the driver.

Tonight the bright moon hung overhead and the sky was full of stars; there was no sign of wind or rain.

Fu Chaoying looked out at the beautiful scene and, for some reason, felt a faint disappointment rise in her heart.

But as she walked out of the venue, she spotted a familiar Bentley at once, along with the assistant standing by the car.

“Miss Chaoying, please get in the car.”

Ye Jiayuan had actually come in person to pick her up?

In an instant, every emotion was hidden behind a smile.

Fu Chaoying’s eyes flashed; she quickly walked over to the car.