Chapter 2

The Second Rose: Good Riddance.

Even with doubts piling up in her heart, Fu Chaoying could hardly blurt them out. She only smiled politely.

After a few courteous exchanges, she respectfully saw off Ye Jiayuan’s assistant.

“Xiaoying, drink this while it’s hot.”

Fu Chaoying took the ginger tea Aunt Wu had prepared in advance and kept warm; it was the perfect temperature.

Aunt Wu’s gaze drifted unintentionally to the brocade box on the entryway cabinet. She looked like she wanted to say something, then held it back.

Fu Chaoying caught the subtle shift in her expression and curved her lips in a faint smile. “Aunt Wu, I’m about to break up with Ye Yian.”

She said it so calmly it sounded like she was talking about someone else’s story.

Aunt Wu opened her mouth, but in the end she only sighed. “Then it’s better to break up.”

Back then, neither family’s elders had been very optimistic about the relationship anyway.

Fu Chaoying was sensitive and proper; Ye Yian was passionate and flamboyant. Anyone could have guessed the one who would get hurt was the former.

Now that even they were breaking up, Aunt Wu wouldn’t ask a single question about why.

Fu Chaoying moved to the floor-to-ceiling window and called Ye Yian’s assistant.

“Hello, I’m breaking up with Ye Yian. Don’t send out any of the photos involving me today.”

The other side answered hastily with something, but she didn’t ask further and hung up directly.

As expected. The assistant might have already sensed something. She was the only one still in the dark.

It didn’t matter.

The rain outside had begun to ease, and the damp scent of earth in the air was gradually fading.

Fu Chaoying had no intention of disturbing Ye Yian’s languid spring night. But ending a relationship with just one WeChat message was a little too casual.

And yet, the call still wouldn’t go through.

Fu Chaoying lowered her eyes and lightly swiped across the screen, typing out a simple text: [I know about you and Yu Qingqi. Break up.]

Fu Chaoying called Aunt Wu over to help pack up Ye Yian’s things.

Only when she started putting them into the suitcase did Fu Chaoying realize how faint Ye Yian’s traces in this house truly were; aside from some clothes, cosmetics, and work materials, there was nothing else.

By the time she had almost finished packing, Ye Yian finally called back.

The dedicated ringtone she hadn’t had time to change was still ringing by her ear, but Fu Chaoying had no time to answer.

Without hesitation, she finished packing Ye Yian’s belongings and, together with Aunt Wu, carried each piece to the door.

“Xiaoying, should we move it outside the courtyard?” Aunt Wu asked softly.

Fu Chaoying looked out at the drizzle and shook her head. “Just leave it here.”

The Fu and Ye families had been old friends for many years, with complicated ties between them; it was impossible for two younger-generation lovers’ squabbles to ruin their outward civility.

Besides, they would have to see each other again in the future. It was better for both sides to leave some room.

After closing the door, Fu Chaoying walked straight to the control panel, changed the home password, and deleted Ye Yian’s fingerprint access.

Once it was all done, the house seemed to return to how it had been before; even the air regained its quiet stillness.

“Xiaoying, this box…” Aunt Wu’s voice sounded again.

Following her gaze, Fu Chaoying looked to the entryway cabinet and saw the brocade box resting quietly on top.

“Put it outside with Ye Yian’s luggage.”

Now that she and Ye Yian had already broken up, there was no reason to keep anything from her sister anymore; besides, a congratulatory gift from her sister would naturally be chosen according to the recipient’s taste.

As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Wu’s next sentence stopped her from going upstairs. “Xiaoying… It looks like a piece of ink painting. Do you want to open it and see?”

Fu Chaoying paused, her gaze fixed on the brocade box. Ye Yian had always been indifferent to antiques and calligraphy or paintings; why would Ye Jiayuan choose to send her such a gift?

A little curious, Fu Chaoying took the box and carried it carefully to the living room before opening it.

The moment she lifted the clasp on the rosewood box, an appraisal certificate came into view, along with a booklet introducing the painting.

Fu Chaoying held her breath and read the text carefully. A moment later, Aunt Wu couldn’t help exclaiming, “This is the Jade Magnolia Painting… the original?!”

The name stirred Fu Chaoying’s memory.

The Jade Magnolia Painting was one of the representative works of the “Southern School” to which Fu Chaoying belonged. When her grandmother, Fu Li, taught, she often spoke of this piece with regret, lamenting that it had been lost overseas for decades.

She had heard that the Jade Magnolia Painting had recently appeared at an international auction and been bought by a Chinese collector; could that person be Ye Jiayuan?

As thoughts churned in her mind, Fu Chaoying suddenly remembered the assistant’s words about a “congratulatory gift for you.” It dawned on her that this gift might not have been for Ye Yian at all, but something meant solely for her…

Fu Chaoying was mildly stunned; she hurriedly and carefully put the painting back into its case and took it to the studio for proper storage.

Only after securing the painting did Fu Chaoying have the mind to think about why Ye Jiayuan would send her such an expensive gift.

Was it to show respect for the work itself? Or out of reverence for the late Grandma Fu Li? Either way, this kindness was far beyond what a simple “thank you” could repay.

Fu Chaoying was just about to contact Ye Jiayuan when familiar footsteps sounded from downstairs.

“Ying, can you come down? Let’s talk face-to-face.”

Ye Yian’s voice sounded pitiful, as if all of this were merely a misunderstanding. But how could that be?

Fu Chaoying went downstairs and stopped in front of the entryway surveillance monitor. On the screen was Ye Yian, her hair drenched by the rain.

Her slightly disheveled clothes made Fu Chaoying think of certain scenes, and in an instant she felt nauseated.

Fu Chaoying looked away, then saw the swing in the lower right corner of the screen; it had been built by her and Ye Yian together.

The wisteria and tulips in the courtyard had also been planted by their own hands three years ago.

Taking a deep breath, Fu Chaoying opened the door.

Ye Yian immediately stepped forward, trying to push her way in, but Fu Chaoying stopped her with a calm voice. “If you have something to say, say it at the door.”

Hearing the commotion, Aunt Wu stepped in front of Fu Chaoying and blocked any possible physical contact.

“Ying, I didn’t…” Ye Yian forced out a smile, trying to ease the atmosphere.

Fu Chaoying stared into her eyes and said coldly, “You didn’t what?”

“I didn’t… cheat.” When Ye Yian said the last two words, her voice dropped very low, her gaze flickering.

Fu Chaoying gave a mocking laugh. “You know very well how shameful this is.”

She paused, then went on, “Ye Yian, I remember we agreed that if you didn’t love me anymore, you could say so directly. Don’t lie.”

Hearing the finality in Fu Chaoying’s tone, Ye Yian’s face changed drastically. This was the first time Fu Chaoying had called her full name with such icy severity, and it stabbed straight into her heart.

Tears slipped quietly down her cheeks. Ye Yian pleaded through a choked voice, “You misunderstood. There’s really nothing special between us…”

Fu Chaoying did not waver. “So when you went to a hotel, did you just take off your clothes and sleep?”

“That’s right; after all, you’re frigid.”

It was the first time Fu Chaoying realized she could be this sharp, this cruel, when striking at someone’s pain points; and strangely enough, it brought her a sliver of satisfaction.

“No, we went to the hotel to talk about work!” Ye Yian quickly changed her story, then realized the contradiction and hurriedly apologized. “I’m sorry; I lied to you about this. The production team really didn’t look for me.”

Fu Chaoying remained unmoved. “Was that the only thing you lied to me about?”

“What about the perfume? You weren’t sleeping at night; who were you talking to?”

Ye Yian was left speechless and could only repeat, over and over, “There’s only you in my heart. It’s always been you…”

Fu Chaoying had no intention of entangling with her. “That’s enough. We’re breaking up.” With that, she turned and headed back inside.

Behind her came Ye Yian’s hysterical sobs. “Ying, I really have nothing with her…”

Anyone guilty would always act especially agitated. A trace of bitterness rose in Fu Chaoying’s heart, and she turned back to warn her coldly, “If you don’t want this to trend, then take your luggage and get lost.”

That was the only thing she could use against Ye Yian; it was also the most effective.

Ye Yian’s shock and disbelief were left outside along with her luggage.

As the door closed, the world outside fell silent.

Fu Chaoying leaned against the back of the door and closed her eyes, remembering the scene from three years ago when they had stepped into this house full of hope and joy.

So a person’s heart really could change this fast.

Or perhaps, Ye Yian had never changed at all.

From the day Ye Yian confessed, she had already decided to use Fu Chaoying to build her own image. Compared with profit, so-called true feelings naturally looked insignificant.

Fu Chaoying went upstairs into the study. Her phone suddenly vibrated; it was a message from Ye Yian:

[Ying, no matter what, I shouldn’t have lied to you. I’ve already had a lawyer draft a compensation agreement; I’ll give you part of the studio shares. You can also bring up other conditions. Can we meet tomorrow morning?]

Come to think of it, tomorrow was also the third anniversary of the establishment of Chaoying Art Museum.

Back then, Ye Yian had confessed to her in this courtyard; Chaoying Art Museum had been the surprise she prepared, and also her sincerity.

How romantic it had been to name an art museum after one’s girlfriend.

Who would have thought it would end like this?

Fu Chaoying quickly contacted her lawyer friend, Shen Guannan. She would never let Ye Yian cheat in silence and walk away without paying any price at all.

After arranging the lawyer, Fu Chaoying replied to Ye Yian: [Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., Nanyan Cafe.]

Once that was settled, Fu Chaoying picked up her phone and prepared to contact Ye Jiayuan.

Considering how busy the other woman was, she first sent a message: [Sister Jiayuan, is it convenient to take a call now?]

However, before she received a reply from Ye Jiayuan, Shen Guannan’s call came in first.

“Ying, the rain has stopped. Want to come out for some tea?”

Fu Chaoying knew Shen Guannan well and understood she wasn’t simply trying to comfort her; she wanted to hear the whole story clearly.

“Okay.”

Fu Chaoying took the documents from the safe, left the house, and hailed a cab. Her destination, however, was not a teahouse, but a bar.

Tea could interfere with sleep; alcohol could help with it. She only wanted to sleep well tonight.

Under the dim yellow lights of the bar, Fu Chaoying narrated the entire sequence of events to Shen Guannan with clarity and composure, as if she felt nothing at all.

Shen Guannan was both emotional and puzzled. If things were really as Fu Chaoying said, and she had long since noticed Ye Yian’s problems, did that mean she had ever truly loved this person?

And if she had, how could she be so rational?

Fu Chaoying saw through her thoughts and explained calmly, “The moment I noticed her grinning at her phone and making excuses not to come home at night, I started deliberately pulling away.”

“So catching her step by step cheating was really just what I expected.”

Shen Guannan looked at her for a moment, then smiled with relief. “Your mother would probably feel very reassured about you.”

Fu Chaoying’s mother had been Shen Guannan’s mentor when she first joined the law firm; she had been kind to her and helped her when she needed it most.

Fu Chaoying lowered her eyes for a moment, then told her what she wanted.

Shen Guannan immediately caught on. “Do you still have other leverage in your hand?”

Fu Chaoying nodded and took a kraft paper envelope from her bag. “There’s something wrong with the art museum’s accounts.”

As early as when she started suspecting Ye Yian of cheating, she had secretly hired someone to investigate. She had received the results just one week ago.

“No wonder Ye Yian took the initiative to offer compensation.” Shen Guannan frowned in thought, but still couldn’t make sense of it. “The art museum works with auction houses, and they’re in the film and television industry…”

It was hard not to think of tax issues.

“So I’m needed.” Fu Chaoying gave a self-deprecating smile. “Let everyone think she opened the museum for me.”

Shen Guannan murmured, “And there’s one more thing; she wanted to use you to build her image.”

The whole internet thought Ye Yian was kind and responsible, caring for the orphaned girl of the Fu family, and she had even publicly announced their relationship. But the truth was far more complicated than it appeared.

After two glasses of alcohol, Fu Chaoying ordered another.

Looking at the woman before her, Shen Guannan couldn’t help but wonder: had this breakup changed her, or had it merely revealed the person she’d always hidden?

Rational and mad; delicate and rebellious.

“This one has a pretty high proof,” Shen Guannan reminded her.

Fu Chaoying only gave a faint smile. “I may have inherited my mom’s constitution. I don’t get drunk easily.”

It was just that no one knew. No one knew she drank, no one knew she had a tattoo hidden on her body, and no one knew that she actually didn’t like ink-wash paintings at all, but had been forced to like them.

Halfway through her third drink, the phone screen suddenly lit up, and that name appeared unmistakably on it.

Fu Chaoying’s heartbeat abruptly quickened; her gaze gradually blurred, and even her words started to slur. “Sister Guannan, I’m feeling dizzy. Can you help me answer it?”

The live singer was performing nearby. Shen Guannan walked outside to take the call, then came back and handed the phone to Fu Chaoying.

“It’s Ye Jiayuan. She said if you have something to do, call her back tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Fu Chaoying answered lightly.

Right. Ye Jiayuan had always treated her politely and distantly. Why would she take the initiative to care about her condition?

The corners of Shen Guannan’s lips lifted slightly as she added, “I told her you and Ye Yian broke up, that you were very upset, and that you got drunk at a bar.”

Fu Chaoying’s eyes shifted. “And then?”

“She said she’d come pick you up right away.”