Chapter 28: Rose: “Can I... kiss you?” (Extra Chapter Included)

Fu Chaoying heard Ye Jiayuan’s words, and the sudden sting in her nose made her take a deep breath in Ye Jiayuan’s arms. A familiar, clean fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose, but her mind was churning with countless tangled thoughts.

She still remembered that a week ago, Aunt Fu Anyun had warned her, “Don’t go running to Xiao Yan for help over every little thing.”

Although she hadn’t taken it entirely to heart at the time, deep down she had still been mindful of Ye Jiayuan’s busy schedule and hadn’t wanted to trouble her too much. Even though they were already in a relationship.

But now, with Ye Jiayuan’s voice echoing by her ear, the dependency she had deliberately suppressed in the depths of her heart seemed to stir back to life in the spring wind.

Fu Chaoying’s lips curved slightly. She lifted her head from Ye Jiayuan’s embrace and looked up at her, her eyes glimmering. “Having sister comfort me already makes me so happy.”

Ye Jiayuan looked quietly into her eyes, those deep eyes seeming to see through everything.

Her fingertips brushed lightly over the hair by Fu Chaoying’s ear, the movement slow and gentle. “So how exactly did they bully you?”

There seemed to be a trace of barely concealed irritation in her voice.

Fu Chaoying hooked her arm around Ye Jiayuan’s and lay across her lap, looking up at her with a soft smile. Her tone had grown a little coy without her noticing. “Then let me sort out my thoughts first, okay?”

She said she was sorting out her thoughts, but in truth Fu Chaoying had already closed her eyes; her long lashes cast faint shadows over her eyelids, making her look like a lazy little cat.

Ye Jiayuan lowered her gaze to her. Right now Fu Chaoying was lying across her lap; her black hair spilled down, making her skin look even whiter and her features more refined.

After a long while, just when Ye Jiayuan was about to think she had fallen asleep, she suddenly heard her speak. Her voice was soft and sweet, yet tinged with grievance. “It was on the day you went to Gangcheng. They brought up the project at the dinner table...”

“At the time, under those circumstances, and with the deputy curator calling me out by name, I thought... maybe there was still hope.”

“Then our whole team worked day and night to finish the bid in just three or four days, but on Thursday afternoon, I got a message from Director Qu asking me to dinner.”

Fu Chaoying’s voice gradually lowered, as if she had been pulled back into unpleasant memories.

She took a deep breath before continuing, “I already had a bad feeling then. And when I went... sure enough, it was bad.”

“She kept implying that they could give me the project this time, but only if I agreed to hand over Grandma’s private collection to the art museum.”

“I refused.”

After saying that, Fu Chaoying closed her eyes again, her lashes trembling faintly as she tried hard to suppress the fluctuations in her emotions.

Suddenly, a warm touch fell gently on her cheek, carrying a quiet, comforting strength.

Fu Chaoying opened her eyes in confusion and saw Ye Jiayuan lightly brushing her face with tender, unhurried movements.

Ye Jiayuan said softly, “So on Thursday night, you already knew they weren’t going to give you the project.”

“But you still went on Friday, thinking... maybe there was still a sliver of a chance?”

Fu Chaoying gave a soft laugh, helplessness in her tone. “I couldn’t exactly tell my team that. If I didn’t go, it would have seemed even stranger.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, her gaze deep. In a low voice, she said, “Last night’s probing was nothing more than a test of obedience.”

“This time you refused them, so they won’t give you the project.”

“In the future, it’ll be the same.”

“Unless there comes a day when you’re willing to hand over Old Fu’s work, you probably won’t get one of their projects.”

Fu Chaoying smiled softly, but there was a bitterness she couldn’t quite hide at the corner of her lips. “I know.”

“But why do they think I’d hand over Grandma’s collection for such a paltry sum of money?”

Ye Jiayuan nodded once, her fingertips sliding upward to lightly touch Fu Chaoying’s forehead.

Fu Chaoying looked up at her jawline; the red mark there had already healed.

She saw the lips on that jaw part slightly. “There will be plenty more opportunities like this in the future.”

Ye Jiayuan’s expression remained calm, as if she were merely stating a settled fact, making it difficult to glimpse her true feelings.

Fu Chaoying suddenly asked uneasily, “Then will sister blame me?”

A trace of barely perceptible amusement flashed in Ye Jiayuan’s eyes as she asked back, “Blame you for what?”

“For refusing them, for not getting this project, for not being able to go to Gangcheng.”

Before she even finished speaking, her forehead was lightly tapped by Ye Jiayuan, and a cool yet gentle voice sounded by her ear—

“Fu Chaoying.”

This was the first time Ye Jiayuan had called her by her full name since their relationship had been renewed this year.

Fu Chaoying’s heart trembled, but she heard Ye Jiayuan ask, “Am I that petty in your eyes?”

Fu Chaoying’s lips curved. She reached up with both hands and gently looped them around Ye Jiayuan’s neck, her tone carrying a little coaxing sweetness. “But last time, when you said in the video call that you couldn’t hold me, you seemed really disappointed.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and continued to look at her in silence, without answering.

Fu Chaoying pursed her lips, about to say something else, when Ye Jiayuan suddenly spoke. “You can hug me every weekend.”

She paused, then added softly, “That’s already very good.”

Fu Chaoying keenly caught the faint melancholy in her words; something moved in her heart, and she sat up at once, wrapping her arms around Ye Jiayuan and burying her head in the crook of her neck. “Then I’ll hug sister more.”

Their upper bodies pressed tightly together, and feeling her warmth and softness made Fu Chaoying’s heart give a sudden jolt; her throat moved slightly.

After not seeing each other for so many days, a body she had already embraced countless times now somehow felt a little unfamiliar.

Fu Chaoying still found her heart racing when Ye Jiayuan came near, and deep in her heart, a desire she could barely restrain would also surge up.

Fu Chaoying pulled away from her embrace, and her gaze unconsciously fell on Ye Jiayuan’s lips; her throat moved again with difficulty.

She forced herself to look away, only to realize Ye Jiayuan’s gaze also seemed fixed on her lips, carrying a trace of barely hidden tenderness and longing.

Fu Chaoying’s thoughts stirred; without realizing it, she moved closer, quietly narrowing the distance between them. Their warm breaths began to mingle, and the air grew faintly charged with intimacy.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the sudden sound of a car driving in broke the spell.

Fu Chaoying’s heart tightened, and she instinctively wanted to pull back, but Ye Jiayuan was faster. She leaned out to look first, then said calmly, “Your aunt is here.”

At that moment, it really did feel like they were in the middle of some illicit affair, only to be nearly discovered by an elder; the tension was both nerve-racking and thrilling.

Then Ye Jiayuan seemed to perform a trick out of nowhere and took an exquisite gift box from the storage compartment.

Fu Chaoying immediately understood; this was the “gift” she had mentioned.

Ye Jiayuan got out of the car and greeted Fu Anyun with composure. “Aunt Yun.”

Fu Chaoying also hurried out from the other side, walked over to her aunt, and obediently called, “Aunt.”

Fu Anyun nodded slightly, then looked at Ye Jiayuan’s car and asked casually, “You two... just got home as well?”

Fu Chaoying lifted the gift in her hand, about to explain, when Ye Jiayuan beat her to it. “I brought the two sisters a bracelet each; I brought Xiao Ying here to pick them up.”

Fu Chaoying inwardly marveled at Ye Jiayuan’s quick wit, though on the surface she still kept the same calm expression.

Fu Anyun gave a light laugh at that. “Xiao Yan is really good to those sisters of yours.”

“If Xiao Hua knew you brought her a present too, she’d be thrilled.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, the corner of her lips lifting by just the right amount. “Not at all.”

Fu Anyun shifted her gaze to Fu Chaoying, then back to Ye Jiayuan, and asked with some probing intent, “Is Xiao Yan staying here tonight too?”

Fu Chaoying looked toward Ye Jiayuan in a composed manner, following her aunt’s gaze, only to see Ye Jiayuan shake her head and answer calmly, “I’m just sitting for a while; I’ll leave later.”

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Fu Anyun’s face, though she quickly recovered her smile and said politely, “Then come in and sit for a while together.”

The three of them went in together. When Aunt Wu saw Fu Anyun arrive, she hurried to the kitchen to make tea.

Fu Chaoying watched as her aunt sat down right beside her, and then heard her speak as if casually, “I heard you didn’t win the bid for that art museum project?”

So her aunt really had come to talk to her about this. Otherwise, according to her aunt’s usual habits, if Ye Jiayuan were present, she would only talk to Ye Jiayuan and wouldn’t even spare Fu Chaoying a glance.

Fu Chaoying gave a slight nod, her tone deliberately regretful. “Just a little bit short.”

Fu Anyun’s eyes darkened slightly, then she smiled again and changed the subject without a trace.

“Why is Xiao Yan in Nanyan today?”

Ye Jiayuan answered lightly, “I came back to listen to the summary report of an important project.”

Fu Anyun chatted with Ye Jiayuan for quite a while. Seeing that she still had no intention of leaving, she turned to Fu Chaoying and said with a smile, “Xiao Yan can sit a while longer; Xiao Ying and I will go to the study to talk about something.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, but just as Fu Anyun was standing up, she suddenly spoke in a low voice: “I heard about the art museum project bid.”

Since she had put it that way, Fu Anyun could hardly refuse her face, so she had to sit back down and smile. “So Xiao Yan heard about it too. I was just planning to talk to Xiao Ying about this.”

Fu Chaoying lowered her eyes slightly, her expression calm, waiting for what her aunt would say next.

Fu Anyun looked at Fu Chaoying, raised a hand, and gently patted the back of her hand; her tone carried a little regret. “It’s really a pity that you didn’t get this project.”

Fu Chaoying pretended not to understand the deeper meaning in her words and sighed along with her. “Yes, Aunt, just 0.05 points short.”

Fu Anyun also let out a soft sigh, her gaze carrying a bit of inquiry. “Originally, from what Director Yang meant that day, it seemed that as long as you submitted, they would hand the project over to you. Did something go wrong later?”

“Was there a problem with your bid?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head. “No, we were second place, so there shouldn’t have been anything wrong with the bid.”

Seeing her dodge the point, Fu Anyun paused slightly; her tone also became serious. “I also heard that Director Qu spoke to you privately.”

Fu Chaoying widened her eyes in feigned surprise. “You even heard about that?”

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze subtly shifted to Fu Chaoying; in her brows and eyes, a trace of barely noticeable pain flashed by.

Fu Anyun’s face darkened a little, then she quickly concealed her displeasure and said with some reproach, “I also heard you turned her down very firmly.”

The way she put it... made it sound as if Director Qu had fallen hopelessly in love with her.

Fu Chaoying sneered inwardly, though her face remained innocent. “No, I said I would choose an appropriate time to send Grandma’s work to the art museum.”

In a contest of probing one another and revealing one’s feelings, “ambiguous” was itself a form of polite refusal. And for an organization like the Nanyan Art Museum, which was semi-official, a “polite refusal” amounted to offending someone; naturally, it became what her aunt called a “firm rejection.”

Fu Anyun’s expression softened a little, and her tone turned coaxing. “Your grandma left behind several works; it would’ve been fine to just take out any one of them.”

Fu Chaoying lowered her eyes and said nothing, but then she suddenly heard a cool voice ring out—

“I remember that in Old Fu’s will, all of those works were left to Xiao Ying to inherit, to be disposed of entirely at her discretion.”

Ye Jiayuan spoke in a low voice at this moment, striking straight at the heart of the matter.

Fu Anyun suppressed a flash of unwillingness in her eyes and smiled gently. “Yes, but Xiao Ying is still young. As elders, we should at least help her keep an eye on things.”

A trace of irritation passed through Ye Jiayuan’s eyes, though her expression remained calm as she said flatly, “Mm, but she’s already grown up. She has the right to make any decision, and the standing and reason to think it through carefully.”

Fu Anyun opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end she swallowed it back and only smiled. “Yes, Xiao Ying is already running her own company, and she’s doing fairly well too.”

The corner of Ye Jiayuan’s lips lifted slightly. “But you’re the Fu family’s only elder. It’s only right that you say a few words to her.”

As soon as she finished, Ye Jiayuan set her gaze on Fu Chaoying and spoke warmly, “Xiao Ying, you should also learn more from Aunt Yun.”

This was a way of smoothing things over by speaking around the real issue.

Fu Chaoying curved her lips into a just-right smile, then affectionately looped her arm around Fu Anyun’s and leaned against her in a coaxing manner. “Aunt is the best to me.”

Seeing her soften, Fu Anyun’s expression seemed to relax a little. She raised a hand to pat her arm gently, and her tone also turned kinder. “It’s good that you know that.”

“If anything like this happens again, you need to tell Aunt in time.”

“I can help you mediate.”

The three of them chatted a while longer about unimportant topics.

After quite some time, Fu Anyun still had not brought up taking her leave.

Just when Fu Chaoying was beginning to feel faintly puzzled, she heard her cousin Fu Chaohua’s voice from the doorway—

“Mom, why are you at the old residence? You called me over in such a rush; is something wrong?”

Fu Anyun smiled. “Your Jiayuan jie brought you a gift back from Gangcheng. Shouldn’t you come and thank her in person?”

A trace of confusion flickered in Fu Chaohua’s eyes. Ye Jiayuan brought her a gift? That was truly unheard of.

It was only when she saw Ye Jiayuan’s gaze seem to fall, faintly and almost imperceptibly, on her cousin Fu Chaoying that she instantly realized something.

Fu Chaohua gave a light laugh, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. “Then thank you, Jiayuan jie; you still remembered me and Xiao Ying.”

Ye Jiayuan nodded slightly, which counted as a response.

Only then did Fu Chaoying notice the gifts Ye Jiayuan had brought back for the two sisters: two delicate bracelets with slightly different designs.

Fu Chaoying had not seen this style in the flagship store; they were probably limited editions.

Before she could think further, she heard Fu Anyun say, “I don’t often get to come back either. Why don’t you stay at the old residence with me tonight?”

Fu Chaoying hadn’t expected things to develop this far, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Because this house carried more than just her memories.

Fu Chaoying silently glanced at Ye Jiayuan, pouting a little, as if somewhat wronged.

Receiving her look, the other woman suddenly spoke up. “Since it’s so lively, are there any spare rooms at home?”

Fu Anyun was delighted; her face immediately brightened into a smile. “Yes, of course there are.”

Then she turned and instructed Aunt Wu, “Hurry and tidy up the rooms; we’re all staying here tonight.”

Aunt Wu looked at Fu Chaoying, seeming to seek her opinion.

Fu Chaoying’s expression remained calm. She nodded lightly, then curved her brows into a smile. “I’ll help you tidy up.”

“No need, I’ll do it.” Aunt Wu waved her hands at once, then quietly sighed and turned to head upstairs.

She always felt that the smile on Xiao Ying’s face looked worse than crying.

Fu Anyun then hurriedly asked whether Fu Chaohua had eaten dinner yet. Hearing that she hadn’t, she lamented, “Should Xiao Ying hire another aunt?”

Fu Chaoying did not answer, only smiled and said, “I’ll take my sister out to eat.”

With that, she headed outside. Somehow, even the home itself no longer felt like a place she could rest in.

Ye Jiayuan watched the forced cheer on her face, her eyes darkening slightly.

Fu Chaoying and Fu Chaohua walked side by side toward the door, when a familiar set of footsteps suddenly sounded behind them.

Ye Jiayuan had followed.

Fu Chaoying didn’t turn around; she only caught sight of Ye Jiayuan’s approaching figure from the corner of her eye.

Fu Chaohua laughed softly at the sight. “I’m pretty familiar with this area too; should I just go eat on my own?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head. “Jiayuan jie and I can take a walk too.”

Ye Jiayuan walked silently at her side, listening to the two of them chat idly.

“My mom doesn’t know what came over her. She used to hate how far the old residence was and didn’t want to come stay here at all.”

Fu Chaoying understood, and with a small smile said, “It’s fine. It’s lively too.”

Before she finished speaking, her fingers were suddenly wrapped in warmth.

As if struck by inspiration, Fu Chaoying turned her head and saw Ye Jiayuan gently holding her hand; she had deliberately fallen half a step behind, just enough to block her cousin’s line of sight.

Fu Chaoying’s heart trembled, and she softly rubbed against her skin.

On this moonlit night with scattered stars and dim light, unseen by anyone, they held hands.

Fu Chaohua went into the restaurant to eat, while Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan waited outside by taking a walk.

Fu Chaoying felt strangely uneasy and asked her, “Sister, why did you come?”

“Your aunt told me to come with you.”

A thought flashed through Fu Chaoying’s mind. She pressed her lips together, but only said, “I thought it was because sister wanted to come on her own.”

Ye Jiayuan took her hand again. “I hadn’t gotten the chance to say anything yet.”

Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes curved, and then she stopped abruptly and turned into her embrace. “Tonight...”

Ye Jiayuan coughed softly, lifting a hand to wrap it around her waist. “Mm?”

Fu Chaoying rubbed against her in the embrace and mumbled, “In a bit... sister won’t be able to hold me anymore.”

Ye Jiayuan heard the disappointment in her tone and said gently, “You did very well.”

The praise came so suddenly that Fu Chaoying immediately looked up and searched for her eyes in the dark night, but couldn’t make out anything in particular.

All she could hear was her breathing, soft but steady, and then she said again, “You did very well when facing your aunt.”

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but laugh softly. “It’s because sister was helping me.”

Ye Jiayuan couldn’t help reaching out to stroke her soft hair. “Even if I hadn’t been here today, I believe you still would have done very well.”

Ye Jiayuan didn’t say any of those light, perfunctory lines like, “Don’t care what your aunt says,” or “You don’t need to feel pressured when facing your aunt.”

Ye Jiayuan understood her hesitation and her detours in the face of thin family affection; she affirmed her strategy.

Fu Chaoying felt a little sour at the bridge of her nose, then buried her face in Ye Jiayuan’s chest again. The warm scent from her embrace filled her nose, and her whole head seemed wrapped in softness.

Ye Jiayuan raised a hand to gently pat her shoulder.

After a long while, Fu Chaoying lifted her head and walked with her hand in hand.

“Ye Jiayuan,” Fu Chaoying called softly, using her full name.

The younger one not calling her sister meant she was thinking wild thoughts.

A smile quietly crept to the corners of Ye Jiayuan’s brows. “Mm?”

“You did very well too.” Fu Chaoying’s tone carried an obvious smile that was impossible to ignore.

A curve appeared at the corner of Ye Jiayuan’s lips as well. “What did I do well?”

Fu Chaoying lightly rubbed her thumb over the hollow of her palm and said quietly, “Being my girlfriend. You did that very well.”

Although they still weren’t familiar with each other’s thoughts, preferences, and feelings, Ye Jiayuan had done very well.

Ye Jiayuan pinched her finger and gave a soft “mm.”

Not long after, Fu Chaohua called, and the two of them turned back toward the restaurant.

Fu Chaohua sensed some special atmosphere between them and, while suppressing her gossiping curiosity, chatted aimlessly with her cousin.

When they returned to the Fu family old residence, the rooms had already been tidied up. Fu Anyun and Fu Chaohua each had their own bedrooms; Ye Jiayuan still stayed in the room next to Fu Chaoying’s.

Fu Chaoying returned to her own room to shower, but the events of the past few days kept flashing through her mind, her thoughts tangled and complicated.

Then she suddenly remembered that Dong Muyu had asked her to go back to Nanda for a meal, and she still hadn’t given her an exact time.

Fu Chaoying picked up her phone, but her fingertips paused slightly. Since Ye Jiayuan was back, she naturally couldn’t think only about her own schedule.

But right now, the two of them couldn’t meet; her aunt’s and cousin’s voices still drifted in and out from time to time beyond the door.

Fu Chaoying sent Ye Jiayuan a WeChat message: [Sister, Senior Dong invited me to go back to Nanda for a meal. Are you free tomorrow to go with me?]

Fu Chaoying put on a face mask and started watching a variety show. After she washed her face, she still hadn’t received a message from Ye Jiayuan.

By the time she finished the episode, Fu Chaoying opened her phone again, but the chat window was still quiet.

Had Ye Jiayuan finished showering and gone to sleep already?

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together; she hadn’t even said goodnight to her!

Her fingertip hovered in the air, but she still didn’t press the voice call button. Ye Jiayuan might still be working overtime.

Fu Chaoying turned off her phone and was just about to go to bed and rest.

But as she was settling in, she heard a very soft knock at the door, so soft she almost suspected she had imagined it.

Only when her phone vibrated did Fu Chaoying see a message lying quietly in the chat box: [Even number remains even.]

Fu Chaoying practically sprang up at once and rushed to the door handle. The moment she opened the door, a figure slipped inside—

The door was gently pulled shut, and she was drawn into an embrace; her back immediately met the cool door panel.

The damp warmth of breath before her and the faint scent of white magnolia reminded Fu Chaoying that the person pinning her against the door was Ye Jiayuan.

Fu Chaoying called her softly, “Sister?”

Before the words even faded, that familiar cool voice sounded by her ear: “I caught you.”

Fu Chaoying suddenly remembered the words she had said while holding Ye Jiayuan earlier that evening: “I won’t be able to hug you in a bit.”

And in the middle of the night, Ye Jiayuan had secretly slipped into her room—just for a hug?

Fu Chaoying blinked, but two seconds later, she felt that damp, warm breath suddenly draw closer, making her body tremble faintly.

Then she heard Ye Jiayuan ask, “Can I kiss you?”

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I heard that if Ji Chunyan encounters an enthusiastic comment section, she’ll automatically trigger her extra-chapter skill [kiss][kiss]