Chapter 37

Chapter 37 Rose: Taking the Initiative.

The air was heavy with the mingled scents of roses and cool magnolia.

It shifted into different shapes, then was kneaded a little more firmly.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t hold back a soft sound, only for Ye Jiayuan’s kiss to swallow it whole.

Along with her voice, Ye Jiayuan stole her breath away. Fu Chaoying’s heart trembled again and again; the itch raced straight to her brain.

Compared with sheer desire, whatever reason remained was always hopelessly fragile.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help kissing her back, her breathing turning ragged. “Sister’s side...”

The low voice, drawn out through a thin breath, only deepened the teasing sensation.

Ye Jiayuan’s breathing hitched. Her lips were still against Fu Chaoying’s, the darkness in her eyes deepening. “Weren’t you just saying not...”

Before she could finish, Fu Chaoying sealed her lips with a kiss that was urgent and impossible to refuse. After a few turns, she finally got what she wanted. Her heart suddenly went hollow, only to be wrapped once more in the warmth not far away.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help letting out a few broken whimpers. Ye Jiayuan had already been wearing a faint smile in her eyes and brows; with Fu Chaoying’s response, that smile only grew brighter.

Fu Chaoying was so focused on the sensation that she suddenly felt a brief emptiness; then she saw that hand again as it moved to undo the restraint.

It was always inconvenient to use only one hand. Fu Chaoying lifted a hand herself to unfasten it; when she reached the second button, she paused. “Sister...”

Her voice had gone soft and sweet, carrying a trace of unbearable need. Then she gently bit Ye Jiayuan’s earlobe, warm breath brushing over her neck.

Ye Jiayuan said nothing, only lowered her head to kiss Fu Chaoying’s collarbone.

The moment she kissed downward, Fu Chaoying was instantly wrapped in wet heat and softness; unable to hold back, she let out a trembling breath.

Her fingers instinctively slipped into Ye Jiayuan’s hair, sometimes stroking lightly, sometimes gripping hard—

“Hiss.”

Fu Chaoying jumped at the sound of her pained intake of breath and hurriedly let go. “Sorry, did I pull your hair?”

Ye Jiayuan shook her head.

Fu Chaoying said with difficulty, “Sister, don’t move...”

Ye Jiayuan gave a soft laugh. “Mm.”

She agreed with her mouth, but kept finding new ways to tease her.

As their center of gravity shifted, Ye Jiayuan switched to holding her with the other hand.

Fu Chaoying clung tightly to her shoulder, only to be captured again a moment later.

In a sense, both sides were being treated equally.

Fu Chaoying tilted her head and kissed lightly by her ear, her voice sweet as orchid fragrance. “Sister, sister...”

Ye Jiayuan looked up and met her gaze, only to see Fu Chaoying lightly lick her upper lip, eyes glistening as she watched her. “Sister, put me down...”

As she spoke, she gave Ye Jiayuan’s waist a gentle squeeze and was then set down.

Ye Jiayuan bent to kiss her, only then realizing what she wanted to get down to do.

Just as Fu Chaoying lifted something and touched the left side, a line of Cantonese came from upstairs.

Fu Chaoying startled, and in the next instant Ye Jiayuan pulled her tightly into her arms—just enough to hide the collar she hadn’t had time to straighten.

Fu Chaoying’s heart hammered wildly. When her mind finally caught up, her eyes curved with secret amusement, and she kneaded her fingers gently.

Ye Jiayuan’s breathing inevitably faltered; she shot her a warning look.

Fu Chaoying stayed safely in her arms and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, “What’s wrong, sister?”

A woman happened to come down the stairs. When she saw the two people standing in the stairwell, she froze for a moment, then hurriedly looked away in embarrassment.

Fu Chaoying stared at the stranger, a glimmer of mischief flashing through her eyes. Her hands never stopped; she naturally copied what she had just learned, alternating light and heavy.

Even Ye Jiayuan, as steady and restrained as she was, couldn’t help trembling slightly under those circumstances; her breathing grew a little rougher.

The stairwell door shut, and the area fell quiet again.

Fu Chaoying reached behind Ye Jiayuan’s back. In less than two seconds, she heard another metallic click.

Ye Jiayuan was helpless; she bit Fu Chaoying’s ear lightly as punishment. “Happy now?”

Fu Chaoying smiled softly. “Who told Sister to...”

Before she could finish, a numbing sensation cut her off, because her core had been attacked.

Ye Jiayuan breathed against her ear, the damp warmth lingering. “Even like this...”

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and said in a small voice, “No.”

Of course Ye Jiayuan wouldn’t go that far; she merely brushed there once before retreating.

Fu Chaoying was still in her arms. Amid a rustle of movement, the metal clasp was fastened again.

Fu Chaoying let out a soft sigh and fastened hers as well.

Only the collar remained. Fu Chaoying lowered her head slightly and saw the mess everywhere. Then she looked up and tugged lightly at Ye Jiayuan’s sleeve. “Sister, you do it.”

Her tone carried a hint of shyness; Fu Chaoying herself felt a little embarrassed.

Ye Jiayuan, without so much as looking aside, put on a righteous, proper face and slowly buttoned her up.

Fu Chaoying said casually, “Aunt Chu even said you should learn a little too.”

After speaking, she sighed again. “She doesn’t know; Sister is a top student.”

Ye Jiayuan laughed helplessly, then hooked a finger under her chin and gave her lips a gentle kiss. “Don’t you like it?”

Then she buried her face in Fu Chaoying’s shoulder and took a deep breath, savoring the faint rose scent on her.

Fu Chaoying choked slightly, knowing she couldn’t outtalk her. Then she pushed Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder lightly and turned to leave, only to find her legs weak; she nearly fell before a strong, warm hand caught her at once.

Fu Chaoying tapped her arm. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a soft “Mm.”

*

After coming out of the bathroom, Fu Chaoying called her cousin to confirm their location and then went to meet up with them.

When Chu Yiyun saw her approach, she smiled. “Xiaoying ran over here? No need to rush.”

Finding her a ready excuse, Fu Chaoying couldn’t deny it; she only smiled and said, “I got so caught up in the exhibition I lost track of time.”

Then she deftly changed the subject. “Sis, this dress of yours is so pretty!”

Fu Chaoying launched into a detailed praise of the design, and Fu Chaohua was delighted.

Fu Chaohua immediately wanted to buy it, but Chu Yiyun got there first.

Fu Chaohua said helplessly, “Aunt, please let me pay for it once.”

Chu Yiyun waved it off. “Take it as a graduation gift from Aunt.”

Fu Chaoying was smiling along with them when Chu Yiyun’s phone rang.

“Hello, Xiaoyuan?”

Fu Chaoying withdrew her gaze on her own and listened quietly to their conversation.

Ye Jiayuan really was a very cautious person; if she was going to put on a show, she saw it through. She called to ask where they were.

Not long after, Ye Jiayuan appeared in the store.

Chu Yiyun sighed. “Xiaoyuan works overtime a lot? Every work call takes so long?”

Fu Chaohua chuckled. “Aunt, maybe Sister Jiayuan is on the phone with her girlfriend.”

Fu Chaoying laughed along with the rest, but accidentally met Ye Jiayuan’s eyes and quickly looked away.

She felt inexplicably guilty.

Ye Jiayuan only gave a slight nod, took the bags from the two of them, and changed the subject without a trace. “Finished shopping?”

Chu Yiyun nodded, then looked at Fu Chaoying. “Xiaoying hasn’t bought much yet. Want to keep browsing?”

Fu Chaoying smiled obediently. “There are already lots of clothes and bags at home; I don’t need to buy anything else for now.”

Chu Yiyun didn’t insist. “When we get back to Nanyan, Aunt will take you shopping again.”

Fu Chaoying nodded, only then realizing that her trip to Hong Kong City seemed to be ending soon.

Her home was in Nanyan.

Fu Chaoying glanced at Ye Jiayuan’s back without making it obvious, suddenly lost in thought.

When they returned home, there were naturally no evening activities.

Fu Chaoying went back to her bedroom to shower, only to see a new message on her phone: [I’m going to Guangnan on a business trip tomorrow.]

Ye Jiayuan was leaving for a business trip tomorrow, and she was only telling her tonight.

Fu Chaoying pursed her lips and asked back: [What time is your flight?]

[11:00.]

Fu Chaoying had an appointment tomorrow morning, so she naturally couldn’t see her off.

After replying, she went into the bathroom to shower.

Hot water poured from top to bottom over her entire body.

Only then did Fu Chaoying truly feel what missing someone was like; they hadn’t even separated yet, and she was already starting to miss her.

When she and Ye Jiayuan were long-distance in Nanyan, she had never missed her like this.

Fu Chaoying thought it might be because sinking into shared pleasure deepened the emotional bond between them.

After all, they had already done the most intimate thing.

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together, showered in sequence, washed her hair, dried off, applied body lotion, then wrapped herself in a bath towel and stepped out of the bathroom, only to see Ye Jiayuan sitting by the window.

Seeing that she was already wearing long-sleeved pajamas, Fu Chaoying was slightly startled. “Sister, why are you here?”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, her gaze sweeping openly over Fu Chaoying’s damp hair and the collarbone where droplets slid down, as well as the large expanse of pale skin not hidden by the bath towel.

Fu Chaoying had just picked up the hair dryer and was about to plug it in when she was suddenly hugged from behind. “I’ll dry it for you.”

Fu Chaoying’s heart trembled. She handed the hair dryer to her and kissed her cheek. “Then I’ll have to trouble Sister.”

Ye Jiayuan brought a chair over. Fu Chaoying blinked. “I’ll sit...”

Before she could finish, Ye Jiayuan sat down first, then looked at her and lightly patted her thigh.

The meaning was obvious.

She really did like this position.

Fu Chaoying obediently sat on her lap; then she saw Ye Jiayuan lower her head, warm breath drifting over her neck.

“So fragrant.” Ye Jiayuan inhaled softly.

Fu Chaoying’s left hand rested limp as boneless flesh on her shoulder, while her right hand lightly stroked her collarbone. She leaned close to her ear and breathed out, “Sister smells very nice too.”

Just as Ye Jiayuan turned her head to kiss her, Fu Chaoying leaned back and tapped her shoulder lightly. “Dry my hair.”

Ye Jiayuan turned on the warm air and slowly dried her hair for her.

The warm fingertips on Fu Chaoying’s scalp moved with an almost imperceptible touch, occasionally brushing lightly over her earlobe as if by accident. Fu Chaoying’s throat bobbed; she turned her head and, without meaning to, brushed past her thin lips, then immediately drew her gaze back and took two deep breaths.

Ye Jiayuan looked focused, as though she really were very seriously drying her hair.

Fu Chaoying leaned obediently against her shoulder, lifting an arm to wrap around her waist, only to slip into her nightgown without being able to stop herself.

Ye Jiayuan held down her restless hand with a half-smile. “Dry your hair first.”

“Okay.” Fu Chaoying obediently withdrew her hand, only to suddenly hear a phone ring.

Ye Jiayuan acted as if she heard nothing and continued drying her hair.

The ringing stopped, but less than five seconds later, it sounded again.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help looking up. “Sister, aren’t you going to answer it?”

Ye Jiayuan shook her head. “It probably isn’t anything important.”

Fu Chaoying looked away and nestled comfortably in her arms, enjoying the warm air.

By the time her hair was completely dry, the ringtone was still going.

Fu Chaoying said softly, “Sister, maybe you should answer it.”

Ye Jiayuan walked to the window, tapped the screen a few times. “It’s fine.”

Fu Chaoying was puzzled; there shouldn’t be many people who knew her private number. Why would they keep calling if she wouldn’t pick up?

Ye Jiayuan turned on silent mode, put the phone down, and walked straight to the bed. “Sleep?”

Fu Chaoying blinked, then turned around. “I’m going to change into sleepwear.”

She hadn’t gone two steps before Ye Jiayuan drew her into her arms. “Whether you change or not doesn’t make a difference.”

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together. “It’s not the same!”

Ye Jiayuan laughed. “Oh?”

Fu Chaoying turned her head and gently kissed her earlobe, her breath sweet and fragrant. “Sister, want to check my learning results...”

Ye Jiayuan could only let her go helplessly.

In less than a few minutes, Fu Chaoying came out wrapped tightly from head to toe. She walked straight up to Ye Jiayuan and gave her a light push.

Ye Jiayuan leaned back on reflex and watched her press in close.

Fu Chaoying kissed her lips, her fingertips lightly rubbing the back of her neck before moving to her collarbone and tracing small circles there.

Only then did she slowly undo the restraint.

Slow and steady, yet full of desire.

A barely noticeable smile curved Ye Jiayuan’s lips. “Your learning ability is pretty good.”

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and looked at her. “Which one does Sister like?”

Ye Jiayuan kept her eyes on hers and said flatly, “Whichever suits your preference.”

Fu Chaoying smiled. “Sister always looks so calm and detached...”

Then she lowered herself and kissed her, sucking gently before deepening it; with the tip of her tongue, she traced circles that seemed almost absentminded.

Sensing something different, Fu Chaoying looked up at her and saw that the darkness in her eyes had not yet fully faded.

Fu Chaoying chuckled. “Sister looks beautiful like this.”

But it still wasn’t beautiful enough.

Fu Chaoying’s left hand suddenly tightened hard, and she vaguely heard a breathless sound.

She brought both hands up and leaned down to kiss her lips. “Does Sister like it..."

“Mmm...” The original single syllable was drawn out a little longer by her.

Fu Chaoying’s lips curved deeper; then she let go of her lips and slowly moved downward. She kissed her collarbone, lightly licking with the tip of her tongue, then grinding gently with her teeth, before finally giving it a hard suck.

Both sides were acting at once.

Fu Chaoying heard another soft, alluring sound spill from Ye Jiayuan’s throat and thought it should be about enough. Just as she was about to move lower, she heard a knock at the door.

Fu Chaoying froze, cleared her throat, and called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Xiaoying.”

It was Fu Chaohua’s voice, very soft.

“It’s my sister.” Fu Chaoying looked at Ye Jiayuan in front of her, pressed her lips together, and got out of bed.

Ye Jiayuan slowly straightened her clothes and smoothly slipped into the bathroom.

Watching how practiced she was, Fu Chaoying suddenly felt a hollow ache in her heart. Only after her breathing steadied did she turn off the light and open the door.

“Sis? I was just about asleep.” Fu Chaoying yawned naturally.

Fu Chaohua looked a little embarrassed. “I wanted to talk for a bit. Is that okay?”

Fu Chaohua rarely came to her to talk things through, and she also rarely showed her emotions, so Fu Chaoying found it hard to refuse.

Guessing what her cousin wanted to talk about, Fu Chaoying smiled. “Then should we go to your room? Mine’s a little messy.”

Seeing that the inside was dark, Fu Chaohua didn’t look too closely and just nodded.

Fu Chaoying followed her cousin to her room and let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.

Of course Fu Chaohua was there to talk about love; her graduation progress was going smoothly, and she’d already gotten a job offer, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

The only thing left was love, and the problem between her and Dong Muyu.

Fu Chaohua handed her a bottle of cola. “You can tell I have something going on with Muyu, right?”

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help laughing softly. “Sis, it’s very obvious.”

“Also, that time we mixed drinks together, you were a little tipsy and said a bit.”

“Putting it together, your story should be that she had a crush on you in college, but you didn’t feel anything then; or rather, you didn’t realize you liked her.”

“Then later you started crushing on her instead?”

Fu Chaohua froze for a moment, then laughed. “How do you know so much!”

Fu Chaoying shook her head with a smile. “You were really sad at the time, and even said you might not get another chance to pick up where you left off.”

“Now look; you two have picked that fate back up, haven’t you?”

Fu Chaohua’s brows and eyes held a little shyness, her cheeks flushed pink.

“I really like her. Since I was little, I’ve never liked anyone this much.”

Fu Chaoying thought of something and teased her, “I remember in your second year of college you liked an older sister and said you were a sister-con, that you wouldn’t date anyone but an older sister...”

Fu Chaohua remembered that embarrassing past and said, “There’s no such thing. Back then I was just experiencing puppy love; I was only admiring her.”

Fu Chaoying laughed so hard she could barely stop. “When you’re young, how would you know younger is better, right?”

Fu Chaohua seemed to think of something and nodded slightly.

Fu Chaoying was curious. “Then how far have you two gotten?”

Fu Chaohua was a little shy. After a while, she said, “We agreed to go watch a movie at Nanda together.”

...Her cousin was still in pure love territory, while she and Ye Jiayuan had already hit the fast lane.

Fu Chaoying suddenly felt guilty. “Then... then you should be close.”

Fu Chaohua’s eyes lit up. “Really? I just wasn’t sure.”

Fu Chaoying nodded hard. “If she had no feelings for you at all, she wouldn’t have agreed to your invitation.”

Fu Chaohua then dragged her into talking about many more details, even pulling out their chat history and asking her to do reading comprehension.

Fu Chaoying laughed in surprise; her cousin still felt like a college student in the first bloom of love. Naive about the world, simple-minded in her feelings; perhaps that was the benefit of living in the ivory tower for too long.

Fu Chaoying analyzed every possibility seriously with her. The more they talked, the more awake they became, the more excited they got; by the time they noticed, it was already two in the morning.

Fu Chaoying suddenly remembered Ye Jiayuan and hurriedly yawned several times, getting up to say, “I’m going back to sleep first, Sis. We can talk next time.”

When she returned to her bedroom and turned on the light, the bed was already empty.

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and picked up her phone, only then seeing the message Ye Jiayuan had sent her: [I went back to my own bedroom. Good night.]

It had been sent at 0:00.

What a sinner she was; she had made Ye Jiayuan wait until midnight...

Fu Chaoying was full of guilt. Her fingertips tapped on the screen: [Sorry TT Sister, good night—]

After replying, Fu Chaoying still couldn’t fall asleep for a long while.

Ye Jiayuan was leaving on a business trip tomorrow, and she and her cousin were flying out of Hong Kong the day after.

She and Ye Jiayuan were about to start long-distance again.

Early the next morning, when Fu Chaoying went out, she went straight to the living room sofa, picked up a teacup, and started drinking, only to hear Ye Jiayuan cough softly.

Fu Chaoying looked puzzled. “What’s wrong, Sister Jiayuan?”

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze swept over the cup in her hand. “That’s my cup.”

Fu Chaoying froze immediately, only to hear Chu Yiyun’s hearty laugh from behind her, followed by, “We’re all sisters here; it’s fine.”

Chu Yiyun thought of something else and sat down beside Ye Jiayuan. “What, does your girlfriend mind?”

Ye Jiayuan glanced at Fu Chaoying indifferently. “She doesn’t mind.”

Chu Yiyun’s expression tightened. “That won’t do. How can your girlfriend not mind at all? Does that mean she doesn’t like you!”

Fu Chaoying’s eyes curved as she listened to their conversation, finding it rather amusing.

Ye Jiayuan was helpless; she handed Fu Chaoying a new teacup. “Then should she mind or not?”

Chu Yiyun knew her logic didn’t hold and slapped her thigh. “Forget I asked.”

Fu Chaohua came out of the bedroom and yawned. “Morning.”

Chu Yiyun busied herself arranging breakfast for everyone, and also reminded Ye Jiayuan to eat more. “Pack some to eat on the plane later.”

“Is Sister Jiayuan going on a business trip?” Fu Chaohua asked in surprise.

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod. “There’s a problem with a charity event over there; I need to handle it in person.”

Fu Chaoying immediately looked up and asked, “Is it serious?”

Ye Jiayuan looked straight into her eyes and shook her head. “Just a small issue.”

Chu Yiyun explained with a smile, “Don’t scare Xiaoying; it’s just a routine talk with the officials there.”

Fu Chaoying’s lips curved. “That’s good.”

After breakfast, Fu Chaoying said she was going out, but Chu Yiyun held her back. “Xiaohua and I are going out too; we made plans with Xiaoyu yesterday.”

Fu Chaoying agreed, but her eyes drifted to Ye Jiayuan, who was sitting on the sofa.

Fu Chaoying strolled over to the sofa. “What time are you leaving, Sister Jiayuan?”

Ye Jiayuan looked up at her. “With you all.”

Fu Chaoying met her gaze, falling into those deep eyes and wanting to find reluctance there.

After a long moment, Fu Chaoying gave up, only for Ye Jiayuan to stroke the back of her hand.

Fu Chaoying jumped a little, only to hear her low voice say, “No one can see.”

Chu Yiyun had gone upstairs at some point, and Fu Chaohua was still putting on makeup.

Fu Chaoying immediately relaxed and hooked her pinky around Ye Jiayuan’s, then stood and walked toward the balcony.

Ye Jiayuan lowered her eyes to look at her fingertip, amusement rising at the corners of her brows as she let Fu Chaoying lead her deeper onto the balcony.

Fu Chaoying was just about to turn around and hug her when Ye Jiayuan guided her around to the side instead.

Fu Chaoying paused slightly, only then realizing there was a hidden door here.

Ye Jiayuan led her into the room. “This door is really convenient.”

Ye Jiayuan smiled. “Convenient for what?”

Fu Chaoying sat on her lap, hooked her arms around her neck, and stared into her eyes as she breathed sweetly against her lips. “Convenient for... sneaking around.”

Ye Jiayuan’s fingertips trembled for a moment, but Fu Chaoying hooked them and drew them along with her.

This was the first time Fu Chaoying had taken the initiative, and it happened just as they were about to separate.

Led by her hand as they moved slowly, Ye Jiayuan touched something, lightly traced it once, and heard Fu Chaoying give a soft gasp.

“Sister should hurry up,” Fu Chaoying said, lightly kissing her lips, carrying a trace of reluctance and lingering tenderness.

————————

This chapter got pre-locked again [facepalm laugh-cry]