Chapter 25: Parted Pink Lips

Fu Chaoying’s eyes gleamed with amusement, her smile deepening. “I was just thinking—no wonder you didn’t send me the address. So you were the one coming to pick me up.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, her gaze lingering on the graceful arc of Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes. “Get in.”

Her voice was even, but there was a faint warmth beneath it.

Fu Chaoying got into the back seat with her and pointed at the art museum beside them. “There’s an exhibition today, and a few of my pieces were selected.”

At that, Ye Jiayuan turned to her and asked softly, “Do you want to go take a look now?”

Even before the words had fully faded, her long fingers were already resting on the door handle, as if she were about to get out.

The smile in Fu Chaoying’s eyes brightened. She reached out and lightly tugged at Ye Jiayuan’s arm. “This afternoon, then. Don’t keep them waiting too long.”

Her tone was coaxing.

Feeling the gentle touch on her arm, Ye Jiayuan’s body stiffened for a moment before she relaxed again.

She turned to look at Fu Chaoying, amusement flickering in her eyes. “Then we’ll come back this afternoon.”

This car wasn’t equipped with executive seating, so by accident, the distance between them was much shorter.

Fu Chaoying tilted her head to study Ye Jiayuan’s profile, her gaze focused and serious.

Ye Jiayuan seemed to sense it and turned as well; their eyes met.

The air in the car seemed to go still all at once, leaving only their silent gazes tangled together.

Fu Chaoying smiled at her, then let out a soft yawn, her voice lazily drowsy. “I’m so sleepy...”

“Sleep for a bit.” Ye Jiayuan reached out and pressed a button.

With a faint sound, the partition slowly rose.

It separated them from the driver and assistant in front, creating a private space of their own.

A smile crept into Fu Chaoying’s brows. She leaned to the side and naturally rested against Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder.

With the added weight, Ye Jiayuan couldn’t help but tense for a moment.

Fu Chaoying’s soft hair brushed against her cheek, bringing a faint itch with it. Fu Chaoying reached out, slipped her hand through Ye Jiayuan’s arm, and placed it in her palm; then she lowered her voice, her tone playful. “Sister-in-law... if we’re like this, won’t sister catch us?”

Before the last word had even landed, Ye Jiayuan’s breath caught. Then she understood at once that Fu Chaoying was playing along. A trace of helplessness flashed through her eyes and brows, but the corners of her lips still lifted slightly, and she answered the joke in kind, asking softly, “Which sister do you have?”

Feeling the warmth in her palm, Fu Chaoying’s smile deepened. She deliberately pretended not to understand, tilting her head with a light laugh. “Sister-in-law, you don’t even remember your wife... Looks like, in your heart, I’m the only one now.”

Her tone was teasing and sweet.

Ye Jiayuan gently squeezed her soft hand as if answering her mischief, then gave a quiet hum.

Fu Chaoying suddenly lifted her head, wanting to see Ye Jiayuan’s expression at that moment; unexpectedly, Ye Jiayuan turned her head at the same time.

Their faces drew close in an instant. Ye Jiayuan’s red lips were right in front of her, and her warm breath brushed straight over the space before Fu Chaoying’s lips, sending a tingle through her.

Fu Chaoying froze slightly; her heart gave a quick skip. Staring at Ye Jiayuan’s flawless face so close to her own, she still looked perfectly composed, as if the intimacy were nothing more than Fu Chaoying’s imagination.

No fun.

Fu Chaoying grumbled inwardly and, a little disappointed, leaned back against her shoulder. “Then I’ll sleep for a bit.”

The weight settled back onto her shoulder. Feeling Fu Chaoying’s soft presence again, a trace of amusement flickered through Ye Jiayuan’s brows and eyes.

Fu Chaoying had only meant to close her eyes and rest, but the faint scent of magnolia at the tip of her nose seemed to have a sleep-inducing power. Somehow, she truly drifted into deep sleep.

The car slowly drove onto the overpass, moving steadily along the level road.

Ye Jiayuan listened to Fu Chaoying’s even breathing and felt the weight on her shoulder grow gradually heavier; she knew Fu Chaoying had fallen asleep.

She couldn’t help but tilt her head slightly, her gaze falling tenderly on Fu Chaoying’s peaceful sleeping face. Then she lifted a hand and touched her hair; her fingers moved down quietly to brush the tip of her nose, the touch light and delicate.

Farther down was her naturally closed pink mouth.

Ye Jiayuan stopped abruptly, her finger suspended in the air. Less than two seconds later, her fingertip moved down and landed on those slightly parted pink lips.

The touch was warm and soft; Ye Jiayuan felt it carefully, along with the warm breath exhaled from Fu Chaoying’s nose and the cool air drawn in, sensing the subtle shift between heat and cold.

Her throat moved. Ye Jiayuan’s breathing turned a little uneven, and her movements stiffened at once before she quickly withdrew her hand.

Then she took two deep breaths, closed her eyes as well, and forced herself to clear her thoughts.

When Fu Chaoying woke, the magnolia scent at her nose and the feeling beneath her head reminded her that she was still resting against Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder.

Fu Chaoying glanced out the car window and saw that they had already driven into the city center. It was lunchtime, and the roads were a little congested.

Fu Chaoying naturally lifted her head from Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder, then gave her an apologetic smile and asked softly, “Did I make your shoulder sore just now?”

Ye Jiayuan shook her head and rolled her shoulder lightly. Her tone was calm. “It’s fine. You only slept for 20 minutes.”

After a pause, Ye Jiayuan asked again, “Did you sleep well?”

Fu Chaoying nodded hard, looking sweetly obedient and adorably drowsy. “Mm!”

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze once again swept over those moist, full pink lips of hers before quickly looking away, saying as if nothing were amiss, “That’s good.”

The car came to a steady stop in front of Nanyan Club. Fu Chaoying turned back and looked through the window at the familiar magnolia tree.

Unfortunately, the magnolia blossoms there had already fallen completely, leaving only bare branches swaying lightly in the breeze.

Fu Chaoying withdrew her gaze and entered Nanyan Club together with Ye Jiayuan.

“President Ye, long time no see. Have you been in Nanyan all this time?” The general manager of Nanyan Club came over personally to welcome them, smiling broadly.

“Just the past two days.” Ye Jiayuan’s expression was as placid as ever, cool and unreadable.

The manager then shifted his gaze to Fu Chaoying, his smile bright. “Miss Fu, it’s been quite a while since you were here. You’ve only gotten prettier.”

Fu Chaoying gave a polite nod and said nothing more.

Not long after, Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan entered the private room together, only to see the woman inside already coming to the door to greet them.

She was dressed in business attire, with chestnut short hair cut to a medium length; she looked capable and sharp.

“President Ye, I was just wondering if I should go to the door to meet you. We had just finished ordering, and I hadn’t had the chance yet.”

Fu Chaoying looked at the woman speaking before her and only felt that she was unfamiliar; then the next second, the woman turned her gaze to her. “Teacher Fu, long time no see.”

Fu Chaoying looked puzzled and turned to Ye Jiayuan in confusion. Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and introduced her indifferently, “This is Dong Muyu from Mushi Technology.”

“Hello.” Fu Chaoying politely shook Dong Muyu’s hand, then heard Ye Jiayuan say coolly, “I’ve never heard Director Dong mention knowing Xiaoying.”

Dong Muyu’s smile didn’t fade in the least. Her tone was warm and friendly. “I wouldn’t call it knowing. Teacher Fu is very famous at Nanda, so of course those of us who are her seniors know her.”

Fu Chaoying smiled faintly. “Not at all. You flatter me.”

Dong Muyu enthusiastically invited them both to sit.

Dong Muyu had excellent emotional intelligence and was also outgoing and talkative.

Fu Chaoying felt very comfortable chatting with her, and only then learned that Dong Muyu was two years above her.

That reminded her that Dong Muyu had once been the goddess of the computer science department.

The corners of Fu Chaoying’s mouth lifted. “Senior, you really are young and promising.”

Dong Muyu laughed and raised her fingertips slightly in modesty. “President Ye is the one who’s truly young and promising. My little bit of achievement doesn’t amount to anything in front of President Ye.”

Fu Chaoying turned to look at Ye Jiayuan, only to see her naturally meeting her gaze and then smiling softly. “Sister Jiayuan is our idol.”

A trace of amusement flashed through Ye Jiayuan’s eyes and brows; she waved a hand slightly and said to Dong Muyu, “All right, let’s talk about the details.”

With just that one sentence, she quietly steered the conversation from catching up back to business.

Dong Muyu was very cooperative as well. She smiled and briefly introduced the details of the collaboration project, then summed it up: “Each character’s digital outfit in the game has to fit the traditional Chinese style. At the time, I thought, isn’t Nanyan best known for Chinese painting?”

“If we could invite Teacher Fu to be our art director, it would be our greatest honor.”

The words were polite and sincere. After hearing them, Fu Chaoying smiled back and said, neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Thank you for your recognition, Senior, but I can’t make that decision on my own right now.

“Maybe both teams should meet first and align on the requirements. That would be more conducive to moving the collaboration forward.”

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze stayed on her the whole time, calm and focused. Listening to her measured reply, a barely perceptible smile curved at the corner of her lips.

Dong Muyu seemed easy to get along with. “Of course. We’ll pick a suitable time and invite Teacher Fu’s team to the company for a detailed discussion.”

The two of them added each other on WeChat, and the dishes happened to be served.

After confirming the preliminary intention to cooperate, Dong Muyu began catching up again, making sure to include both of them in the conversation.

Fu Chaoying thought to herself that she should learn from Dong Muyu’s emotional intelligence and way of handling things; she was like a breath of fresh air.

The two of them were chatting happily when Ye Jiayuan, without a word, shifted her gaze slightly and landed it on Fu Chaoying’s face.

Fu Chaoying’s eyes turned toward her as well, and she said with a light smile, “Sister Jiayuan and I just went back to Nanda yesterday. The restaurants on Back Street haven’t changed much.”

After speaking, she turned to Dong Muyu. “If you have time, Senior, you can go back and try them too.”

Dong Muyu seized the chance to extend an invitation. “Sure. When you’re free, junior, we can set a time together.”

Fu Chaoying didn’t agree right away; she only smiled and gave an ambiguous answer. “Then we’ll make plans when the time comes.”

Ye Jiayuan’s eyes darkened slightly as she listened quietly to the two of them chatting.

The catching up ended, and the meal was finished too.

Dong Muyu casually brought up an invitation. “There happens to be a Chinese painting exhibition at the art museum today. Do you two have time to go take a look together later?”

Fu Chaoying smiled lightly. “What a coincidence. Sister Jiayuan and I were just about to go there too.”

“That’s wonderful, then we can go together!”

The three of them said as much, then stood and headed toward the parking lot.

Ye Jiayuan looked at the two beside her, her gaze deep.

In the car, Fu Chaoying called her aunt and briefly explained the situation, saying she would accompany Director Dong and Sister Jiayuan to the exhibition in the afternoon.

Fu Anyun didn’t make things difficult for her. She only said a few simple words before hanging up.

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze rested on Fu Chaoying’s face as she asked softly, “Was the Yunji matter resolved?”

Fu Chaoying nodded. “She called to apologize. I’ll find time to go to Singapore and sign the termination agreement.”

Mentioning it still made Fu Chaoying uneasy. Although Yunji had already formally apologized to her, saying the people below had been thoughtless, and had also proposed a corresponding compensation plan, the matter would never be that simple.

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and said nothing more.

But Fu Chaoying’s mind was in turmoil. Finding a collaboration partner required not only strategic vision, but also the ability to protect oneself. If she ran into something like the Yunji incident again, it would truly be a headache.

Thinking of this, Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Jiayuan, does your company plan to invest in Director Dong’s company?”

“We’re still in the evaluation stage.” Ye Jiayuan answered lightly.

Fu Chaoying said nothing more, but she grew even more worried that Dong Muyu’s approach to the collaboration was also for Xingye’s investment.

The car soon arrived at the art museum, and Dong Muyu was already waiting for them at the entrance.

The three of them entered the museum together.

Only then did Fu Chaoying understand why Dong Muyu was so fixated on Chinese painting; it turned out she had studied it as a child too.

“My grandma is good friends with your grandma too.”

Fu Chaoying froze slightly. “Who?”

Ye Jiayuan said in a low voice, “Her grandma is Bai Youqing.”

Fu Chaoying suddenly remembered the old lady she had met in Singapore and smiled softly. “So it’s Grandma Bai. I’ve met her before.”

Dong Muyu shrugged and joked on her own behalf. “She always tells me that if I’d stuck with it as a kid like Grandma Fu’s little granddaughter, that would’ve been great.”

Fu Chaoying smiled and began looking at the paintings one by one; very quickly, she found her own work.

Dong Muyu had been following beside her all along, asking enthusiastically about this and that. When she saw the signature on Fu Chaoying’s painting, she couldn’t help but gasp, “Teacher Fu, you’re incredible!”

“This painting is practically born of heaven and earth; it’s breathtaking! It’s really beautiful!”

Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes curved; just then, she caught Ye Jiayuan looking at her painting, her expression calm.

Fu Chaoying quietly stepped to her side, slipped her fingers behind her back, and tugged at Ye Jiayuan’s hand, lightly scratching the center of her palm with her fingertip.

There were people coming and going in the art museum, noisy and bustling, and no one noticed their little movement. Dong Muyu was still talking to herself nearby about something or other.

Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes curved deeply; just as she was about to pull her fingers back, she was suddenly caught by Ye Jiayuan’s hand.

Ye Jiayuan’s grip was firm. Fu Chaoying was startled, then struggled lightly, trying to pull her hand away; the next instant, Ye Jiayuan let go.

The two of them continued chatting with Dong Muyu as if nothing had happened, as though the hand-holding just now in the middle of the crowd had been nothing more than an illusion.

After the exhibition, Dong Muyu brought up an invitation. “Why not make the most of it? How about I treat you both to a meal back at Nanda in a bit?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and declined calmly, “I’m flying to Hong Kong at seven tonight. I’m afraid we won’t have time.”

Fu Chaoying also declined after her. “I still need to go upstairs and attend the forum’s closing ceremony later, so my time is tight too.”

Seeing this, Dong Muyu didn’t press further. She only smiled and said, “That’s a pity. Then let’s make plans next time.”

The two of them watched Dong Muyu leave together, and only then did Fu Chaoying turn back to look at Ye Jiayuan, asking softly, “Is it really a seven o’clock flight?”

Ye Jiayuan gave a faint nod. “It was originally at ten, but one project ran into a problem, so the flight was changed at the last minute.”

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and didn’t ask anything else, only saying softly, “Then I’ll see you off.”

Just after she got into the car, Liu Xin handed her a packed Pizza Hut meal, her face wearing exactly the right amount of professional warmth. “Miss Chaoying, if you’re hungry, you can eat something first.”

Fu Chaoying was startled and quickly thanked her before taking it. Then she turned to look at Ye Jiayuan sitting beside her, wanting to speak but hesitating.

There was a hint of probing in her gaze, as though she wanted to catch some clue from Ye Jiayuan’s expression.

She looked for two seconds, only to see Ye Jiayuan directly press the button to raise the partition; only then did she turn to look at her calmly. “What did you want to tell me?”

At that, Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but laugh. With a teasing note in her voice, she asked, “How did you know I’d definitely come to see you off?”

Ye Jiayuan had never liked fast food like this, so this Pizza Hut must have been prepared especially for her.

Ye Jiayuan was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something; then she slowly said, “I’m guessing you probably wouldn’t just leave your girlfriend behind coldly because of her.”

Her voice was calm and unhurried, every word pronounced especially clearly; in particular, the words “girlfriend,” “coldly,” and “leave behind” stood out unmistakably.