Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Rose No. 15: Lipstick Mark

Assistant Liu opened the car door for her. Fu Chaoying instinctively looked inside, only to find the executive seat empty.

Ye Jiayuan was not in the car.

Noticing her movement, Liu Xin took the initiative to explain, “Ms. Ye is attending an event nearby. By the time we got there, it had just ended.”

Fu Chaoying gave a slight nod. “All right.”

She got in and leaned back lightly, only to sink unexpectedly into a soft cushion.

“Miss Chaoying, try the new cushion I bought,” Liu Xin said with a smile. “My girlfriend really likes it, so she recommended this one to me.”

The corners of Fu Chaoying’s lips lifted slightly. “Your girlfriend has very good taste.”

This was the first time she had been alone with Assistant Liu, and also the first time she realized that Ye Jiayuan’s usually stern assistant was actually very lively.

Maybe because the boss had always been around before, she hadn’t had a chance to show it. Liu Xin spoke about herself and her girlfriend with animated enthusiasm, and Fu Chaoying listened with great interest.

The car soon came to a stop.

Liu Xin got out to pick up Ye Jiayuan, while Fu Chaoying waited quietly inside.

Not long after, Fu Chaoying saw Ye Jiayuan and her assistant approaching through the car window. She casually withdrew her gaze, only to hear a familiar female voice—

“Jie!”

It was Ye Yian again.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help a self-mocking smile at the thought that Ye Jiayuan and Ye Yian were biological sisters. Since she had been in contact with Ye Jiayuan more often lately, it was only natural that she would run into her younger sister.

There was nothing to make a fuss about.

Fu Chaoying sat calmly in the car, pretending not to hear the commotion outside.

However, Ye Yian seemed drunk, her words slurring together. “Jie, now that you and A-Yin are close, can you help me?”

“Ever since I lost her... I haven’t had a single good day.”

“I miss her so much...”

Fu Chaoying inevitably turned to look, but she could only make out the silhouettes of the Ye sisters; she couldn’t see Ye Jiayuan’s expression.

After a moment, all she heard was Ye Jiayuan say to Liu Xin in a low voice, “Take her home.”

Ye Jiayuan made no comment about her sister pestering Fu Chaoying, as if she had no intention of getting involved in the mess between them.

Seeing Liu Xin lead Ye Yian away, Fu Chaoying quickly withdrew her gaze. Ye Jiayuan then opened the door and got into the car, softly instructing, “Back to the hotel.”

Fu Chaoying turned to look at her, and their eyes met unexpectedly.

Fu Chaoying thought she was going to mention what had just happened outside the car, and her heart immediately tightened. Instead, Ye Jiayuan asked casually, “How did the collaboration talk go?”

Fu Chaoying inexplicably relaxed. “Very smoothly.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a quiet hm, then leaned back against the cushion and closed her eyes to rest.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help glancing at her; only half her profile was visible.

Ye Jiayuan really was tired, she thought.

The car moved with remarkable steadiness, and sleepiness gradually crept over Fu Chaoying. When she opened her eyes again, Ye Jiayuan was already working.

She had only ever heard that Ye Jiayuan was very busy; she had never known she was this busy.

Fu Chaoying herself had already felt exhausted after just two weeks of being swamped, but Ye Jiayuan seemed busy day after day. That intensity made Fu Chaoying realize, for the first time, just how small she was in Ye Jiayuan’s world.

Noticing her gaze, Ye Jiayuan looked up. “Hungry?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head. “I already ate dinner at the venue.”

The two returned to the hotel.

There was no wind or rain tonight either; from the balcony, one could even see the stars scattered across the sky.

Fu Chaoying was so absorbed in stargazing that she suddenly heard the doorbell ring.

She got up to open the door, and what came into view was a striking woman reeking of alcohol; it was Ye Jiayuan’s university classmate and coworker, Qu Jingyuan.

The other woman stared at her in slight surprise, then gave a lazy smile. “So the little sister is here too.”

There seemed to be a hint of bitterness in that smile.

Fu Chaoying politely greeted her, then turned to look for Ye Jiayuan, only to find her coming out of the master bedroom in pajamas.

Qu Jingyuan was barely steady on her feet, and Fu Chaoying quickly reached out to support her.

Ye Jiayuan came over to help as well, and together they guided her to the sofa.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Jiayuan asked in a low voice.

Qu Jingyuan did not answer, but instead said casually, “The little sister is here with you too.”

Fu Chaoying understood the implication and only heard Ye Jiayuan say coolly, “She isn’t familiar with the place.”

Given the Fu and Ye families’ relationship, staying here with Ye Jiayuan was perfectly normal.

Qu Jingyuan smiled carelessly and asked coquettishly, “Would it be convenient if I stayed here for one night? I won’t disturb you two, will I?”

Fu Chaoying shifted her gaze from Qu Jingyuan’s drunken face to Ye Jiayuan. Ye Jiayuan’s expression remained calm as she replied, “Yes.”

This answer was exactly what Fu Chaoying had expected. Among friends, staying over after drinking was perfectly normal too.

She rose at the right moment. “Then you two chat; I’m going to wash up first.”

Fu Chaoying returned to the second bedroom. After washing up, she came out to get some water, only to hear Qu Jingyuan, dressed in thin sleepwear, start acting spoiled in an increasingly husky voice—

“A-Yuan, how do I turn on the water heater?”

“A-Yuan, do you have any clean pajamas?”

“A-Yuan, this mattress is uncomfortable...”

Fu Chaoying held her water glass and saw Ye Jiayuan standing by the guest room door, making a phone call.

After Ye Jiayuan hung up, she noticed Fu Chaoying approaching. “Did I disturb you?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head.

The housekeeper arrived very soon and began handling all of Qu Jingyuan’s issues.

Ye Jiayuan turned to go into the study, then seemed to remember something and came back to say to Fu Chaoying, “The study is the most soundproof. If it’s too noisy, you can come over.”

Fu Chaoying got up and sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in the study.

Outside, the moon was bright and the stars sparse; inside, the background music was the sound of Ye Jiayuan typing on her keyboard.

As she gradually grew sleepy, Fu Chaoying said goodnight to Ye Jiayuan.

But as soon as she opened the study door, she brushed past Qu Jingyuan, whose pajamas were half undone.

Fu Chaoying froze. When she turned around, she saw the door close.

Could Qu Jingyuan be planning to seduce Ye Jiayuan?

Fu Chaoying’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately turned back and knocked on the door, only to hear a cool voice from inside—

“Have some self-respect.”

It was Ye Jiayuan’s voice.

Fu Chaoying was stunned for a moment, then saw the door open from the inside. A lipstick mark was faintly visible on Ye Jiayuan’s pajama collar, while Qu Jingyuan’s pajama ties had nearly come undone.

The scene was a little too suggestive, and Fu Chaoying hurriedly turned away. Then she heard Ye Jiayuan step out quickly and close the door, explaining softly, “Sorry; she was drunk.”

Fu Chaoying turned back and looked at Ye Jiayuan’s expression, then pointed at the study door. “What about her?”

“I’ll have the housekeeper take her home.” Ye Jiayuan looked composed, as if nothing had happened at all.

“Oh.” Fu Chaoying turned and was just about to take a step when she turned back again and asked, “Then does Sister need me to keep you company?”

Ye Jiayuan looked at her for two seconds before nodding.

The two moved to the balcony.

Although Fu Chaoying felt a little awkward, she quickly slipped into a natural conversation. They talked aimlessly, with no real topic; of course, most of the time it was Fu Chaoying speaking, and Ye Jiayuan only giving brief responses.

The housekeeper finally arrived and led Qu Jingyuan out of the study. They heard the latter mumbling, “I’m not going home...”

“Don’t pull me...”

There was a brief struggle; Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan watched their retreating backs, then heard the front door close.

Fu Chaoying inexplicably felt relieved, then spoke as if casually, “Is Sister Jingyuan...”

Ye Jiayuan glanced at her and said lightly, “She’s drunk.”

Fu Chaoying smiled. “But even when she’s not drunk, it’s pretty obvious.”

Ye Jiayuan turned to look out the window. “She and I can only be friends.”

Only friends, and can only be friends; the meanings were entirely different.

Fu Chaoying smiled and did not ask further, only sighing, “Sister really does have a lot of peach blossoms...”

After speaking, Fu Chaoying turned and walked toward the second bedroom. At the door, she looked back at Ye Jiayuan with a bright smile. “Good night, sister.”

As she closed the door, she heard a cool voice from behind: “Good night.”

Lying on the bed, Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but imagine Qu Jingyuan’s alluring half-open pajamas and the lipstick mark on Ye Jiayuan’s collar.

A top-tier beauty like Ye Jiayuan naturally had plenty of admirers.

Thinking about it, Fu Chaoying lay awake for a long time.

Then a faint sound of a door closing reached her ears; it was the front door.

Fu Chaoying got out of bed, turned on the light, and yawned as she went out.

The moment she switched on the light, she immediately saw Ye Jiayuan’s slippers placed at the entryway.

Ye Jiayuan had gone out.

Fu Chaoying’s heart suddenly sank. She thought back to the first night she had slept in the same bed as Ye Jiayuan.

That night, Ye Jiayuan received a phone call in the middle of the night, but she hadn’t left home; after hanging up, she had gone straight back to the bedroom.

But tonight was different.

Ye Jiayuan had gone out. Was she going to handle an urgent company matter, or was she going to see someone?

Fu Chaoying’s eyes dimmed.

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Because of the word limit for the ranking list, there won’t be an update tomorrow, okay? See you Thursday night! I’ll make up the bonus then for everyone!

TL Note:

A-Yin (阿盈) = an affectionate nickname for Fu Chaoying, using the common Chinese "A-" prefix.

peach blossoms (桃花) = romantic luck / admirers.

top-tier beauty (姬圈天菜, lesbian heavenly-dish) is a lesbian-community slang term for an ideal crush / very attractive woman.