Chapter 40: The 40th Rose

“Wife.”

Ye Jiayuan’s expression didn’t change. “I worked overtime until late and went out to the balcony for some air.”

Ye Yian inexplicably let out a breath of relief, then said with an easy smile, “Sis, don’t wear yourself out. You still need to balance work and rest.”

After that, she added with a grin, “Spend some quality one-on-one time with your wife and relax a little.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod. “Have a safe trip.”

“Alright, bye-bye, Sis!”

Watching Ye Yian drag her suitcase downstairs, there seemed to be complicated thoughts hidden in her eyes. It took a long time before Ye Jiayuan finally looked away.

*

The next morning, Fu Chaoying woke slowly to find the space beside her naturally empty.

After washing up and going downstairs, she saw that the annoying figure below was gone; she let out a breath of relief before she even realized it.

Chu Yiyun said casually, “Yian is really career-driven now. She was out the door first thing this morning!”

Fu Anyun teased, “She’s grown up, after all!”

Chu Yiyun chatted with her for a couple more sentences, then naturally steered the conversation to another topic.

Fu Chaoying ate breakfast quietly, only occasionally exchanging a hidden glance with Ye Jiayuan.

After breakfast, Chu Yiyun once again suggested playing cards.

Ye Jiayuan politely declined.

Chu Yiyun thought of another idea. “Then let’s go shopping?”

Ye Jiayuan politely declined again.

Fu Chaoying’s mind was racing, but she couldn’t think of any excuse. Then she heard Ye Jiayuan say, “I’m meeting someone to discuss a collaboration today.”

Chu Yiyun nodded, then patted her shoulder. “Don’t work too hard, Xiaoyuan.”

“Your sister also said she ran into you still awake this morning, and she hurriedly sent me a WeChat message asking me to persuade you not to push yourself so hard for your career.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Fu Chaoying caught the key point and glanced at Ye Jiayuan without a sound; had she run into Ye Yian when she left this morning?

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and spoke as well. “Auntie, there’s a small issue with one of Director Dong’s projects; I need to go back and work overtime.”

Chu Yiyun looked at her helplessly. “You too, Xiaoying.”

Fu Anyun took over. “You young people these days—don’t think that just because you’re young and healthy, you can work yourselves to death.”

“You all need to pay attention to balancing work and rest.”

Fu Chaoying smiled faintly and nodded. “Got it, Auntie.”

The assistant had already brought the suitcase downstairs. Ye Jiayuan nodded at Chu Yiyun and Fu Anyun. “I’m leaving first.”

After saying that, Ye Jiayuan naturally looked at Fu Chaoying again. “I’ll give you a ride.”

Fu Chaoying obediently agreed. “Thank you, Sister Jiayuan.”

After the two of them left, Fu Anyun looked at their backs and said, “Xiaoyuan is really good to Xiaoying.”

Chu Yiyun smiled lightly. “Xiaoying and Xiaohua are both well-behaved; Xiaoyuan has liked them since they were little.”

Fu Anyun glanced at Chu Yiyun, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

A complicated expression flashed through her eyes.

*

Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan sat in the back seat of the car.

Only after they drove out of the neighborhood did Ye Jiayuan raise the partition.

Fu Chaoying shifted closer, then smoothly let herself fall into her arms, slowly closing her eyes.

Ye Jiayuan lowered her gaze to look at her and lifted a hand to stroke her hair. “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head with her eyes closed. “I slept really well. I just want to hug you, Sister.”

Ye Jiayuan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gently rubbed her back.

Fu Chaoying had only wanted to hug her, but unexpectedly, she actually fell asleep.

When she woke again, the car was already parked in the courtyard of the Fu family home.

Ye Jiayuan had also been resting with her eyes closed; only when she felt Fu Chaoying stir did she open them. “Get out of the car.”

But Fu Chaoying thought for a moment, then asked, “Does Sister want to go out and play?”

She added, “I’m afraid my aunt might suddenly show up.”

If she wasn’t at home, she could still use the excuse of going out to work overtime; but if Ye Jiayuan were at her house, that would be very unreasonable.

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, then said indifferently, “Alright.”

Fu Chaoying thought for a moment. “Then does Sister want to take a walk by the lake, or go to a botanical garden or zoo, or… watch a movie? Play board games?”

Ye Jiayuan looked at her. “Do you have any pieces on exhibition recently?”

Fu Chaoying blinked. “I do.”

“The Nanyan Art Museum exhibits ink paintings every weekend; several of my works are there too.”

“Then shall we go see the exhibition?” Ye Jiayuan gazed into her eyes, asking for her opinion.

Fu Chaoying smiled softly. “Sure.”

Ye Jiayuan called the driver and assistant to get in the car.

The car slowly drove out of the neighborhood.

Fu Chaoying looked at Ye Jiayuan, who sat properly beside her, and gently tugged at her sleeve.

Ye Jiayuan turned her head slightly. “What is it?”

Fu Chaoying blinked at her. “I want coffee.”

Ye Jiayuan looked into her eyes again; not seeing any obvious dark circles, she paused. “...Sleepy?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head. “I just feel like you’re a little tired, Sister.”

Ye Jiayuan choked slightly; then she felt Fu Chaoying’s fingertips lightly brush the skin beneath her eyes.

Ye Jiayuan’s body stiffened a little, then she pulled Fu Chaoying into her arms.

Fu Chaoying was caught off guard and ended up sitting on her lap. A few images flashed through her mind at once; then she buried her face in Ye Jiayuan’s embrace.

Ye Jiayuan understood immediately, lifting a hand to stroke her hair and the back of her neck. “You’re shy.”

That wasn’t a question. Fu Chaoying silently felt her face grow hotter.

When she secretly lifted her eyes, she ran straight into Ye Jiayuan’s deep gaze.

Ye Jiayuan cleared her throat and looked away, saying indifferently, “If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be able to stop myself from wanting to kiss you.”

She said it in the calmest tone possible.

Fu Chaoying laughed softly and leaned in to kiss her lips. Gentle touches slowly turned to teasing licks; then Fu Chaoying suddenly remembered something. Just as Ye Jiayuan’s hand was at the back of her neck, about to deepen the kiss, she pulled away slightly.

Fu Chaoying lowered her eyes to look at her neck. “Has Sister’s allergy gotten better?”

Ye Jiayuan’s eyes darkened. In the next instant, she took Fu Chaoying’s lips and pried her teeth apart.

Fu Chaoying’s eyes curved with a smile as she let herself be kissed and teased.

Inside the enclosed space, it was easy for the tip of a tongue to tangle and grow hot. Fu Chaoying’s tongue was sucked until it went numb, yet she still unconsciously tilted her head back.

Even though they had already been even more intimate more than ten hours earlier, she accidentally heard the snap of a metal clasp again, and then those hands covered her.

Fu Chaoying managed to gather her senses a little; drawing in a breath, she softly pushed at Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder. “Mm… Sister…”

Ye Jiayuan paused slightly, then held her in her arms.

Fu Chaoying steadied her breathing, but she still felt a kind of emptiness she couldn’t put into words.

Ye Jiayuan gently stroked her back to soothe her. “Little baby is so sensitive.”

Hearing that form of address, Fu Chaoying’s whole heart instantly went soft, but her mouth still refused to admit it. “No way…”

Ye Jiayuan’s hand moved to the front and gave a light flick. Fu Chaoying shuddered at once, then heard her seem to laugh and pinch once more. “Still saying you’re not sensitive.”

Fu Chaoying’s face warmed. Her hand, which had originally been wrapped around her waist, also wandered upward. The sound of a metal clasp snapping rang out for the second time; it was different from the first.

Fu Chaoying had never been able to take it all in at once; she could only rest her hand on top and knead softly, varying the pressure.

Ye Jiayuan leaned back and tilted her head, smiling. “Very comfortable.”

Fu Chaoying lightly pinched both sides at the same time. “I really want to…”

She didn’t dare say the word that came after it, but Ye Jiayuan raised a hand and gently unfastened her shirt.

Only then did Fu Chaoying realize her hand had left a clear imprint inside, and then pushed upward along with it.

When Fu Chaoying saw what was there, she smiled softly. “Then according to Sister’s logic… Sister herself is also very sensitive.”

A trace of amusement flashed through Ye Jiayuan’s eyes. She asked in return, “Don’t you like it?”

Fu Chaoying’s heart skipped; in the next instant she leaned forward and kissed her.

Muffledly, she added, “I like it… I like Sister flowering…”

Ye Jiayuan couldn’t help leaning back, her fingertips threading into Fu Chaoying’s hair; beside her ear was the sound of wetness.

Fu Chaoying was concentrating on massaging her, but then heard beautiful sounds spilling continuously from Ye Jiayuan’s throat.

Fu Chaoying laughed softly. “Is it because the space is smaller, so Sister gets… faster?”

Ye Jiayuan lifted a hand to gently wipe away the moisture around her lips, only to find that her fingertips were trembling slightly.

Fu Chaoying smiled softly, tilting her head a little to the left, and took Ye Jiayuan’s fingertip into her mouth.

Ye Jiayuan saw her thumb disappear between those lips and, as if possessed, switched to her index and middle fingers instead.

Fu Chaoying froze for a moment; only then did she realize why Ye Jiayuan’s gaze had deepened. Then she curved her lips, licking gently at her fingertip pads and slowly grinding them with her teeth.

Ye Jiayuan, unable to hold back, twirled her fingers twice; hearing a sound very much like water, she immediately withdrew her fingers from Fu Chaoying’s mouth.

Fu Chaoying lay atop her and laughed. “Sister… is this a replacement?”

Ye Jiayuan paused slightly, then took a packet of wet wipes out of the box and handed them to Fu Chaoying.

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and took the wipes from her hand, carefully cleaning the three fingers Fu Chaoying had licked, muttering softly, “Sister dislikes me…”

Even so, she still obediently wiped her hand for her.

Ye Jiayuan only smiled without speaking. After Fu Chaoying finished wiping them clean, she led her to sit by the window.

Fu Chaoying was caught off guard when Ye Jiayuan pulled her down onto the seat. The moment her back landed, her vulnerable spot was suddenly seized.

Fu Chaoying’s heart trembled; drawing in a breath, she gently pushed at Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder. “There’s… someone there.”

Ye Jiayuan leaned close to her ear and whispered, “The soundproofing and privacy are both very good.”

The end of the sentence carried a bit of seduction.

Fu Chaoying lightly pinched her hand. “There isn’t much time left for Sister, you know.”

Ye Jiayuan smiled. “Enough.”

Not long after, Fu Chaoying felt her eyes grow misty; then, after a brief moment of being lifted upright, she was pulled into Ye Jiayuan’s arms and softly soothed.

“Little baby is amazing.” Ye Jiayuan’s voice carried a touch of warmth and amusement.

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and gave a couple of soft hums. “Why didn’t Sister praise me yesterday afternoon?”

“I did.” Ye Jiayuan said indifferently, “You were amazing yesterday too.”

“...When we were doing that, why didn’t Sister praise me?” Fu Chaoying tickled the hollow at her waist.

Ye Jiayuan laughed. “I was too focused on feeling it then.”

No time to praise you.

Fu Chaoying thought that made sense too; then she saw Ye Jiayuan pull out a few more sheets of wet wipes.

After wiping everything clean, she started straightening their clothes.

Just after they were tidied up, the car came to a steady stop in the art museum’s underground parking garage.

Ye Jiayuan took out air freshener and sprayed it a few times into the air.

Fu Chaoying’s face burned as she watched; once the partition was lowered… wouldn’t the driver and Liu Xin know everything!?

Ye Jiayuan got out from the other side, so Fu Chaoying had no choice but to open the door and walk over to her side. Only after turning into the elevator hall did Fu Chaoying gently tug at her sleeve. “Sister… the smell in the car.”

Ye Jiayuan caught her hand in return, pinched it lightly, then let go. “They won’t lower the partition.”

Fu Chaoying suddenly relaxed. Looking down at her hand, so close to Ye Jiayuan’s yet not interlaced, she smiled softly.

Even though they had done the most intimate things just ten minutes earlier, in a public place with people coming and going, it would probably be hard for anyone to tell what their relationship was.

Fu Chaoying moved her hand behind her and lightly pinched Ye Jiayuan’s waist.

Ye Jiayuan caught it unobtrusively. “Want to make it public?”

Fu Chaoying withdrew her hand again and asked with a laugh, “Does Sister want to make it public?”

Ye Jiayuan paused slightly, then said indifferently, “The time isn’t right yet.”

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together. “Alright then.”

The two of them walked side by side toward the entrance of the exhibition and scanned their tickets.

Fu Chaoying browsed the exhibition casually; after all, she had seen almost all of these paintings before, and she had carefully studied some works by renowned masters as well.

So with just a glance, she could tell who had painted what and when.

Ye Jiayuan occasionally had questions, and they were quite professional ones too.

Fu Chaoying would sometimes look at her in surprise, only to suddenly remember that even before they were familiar with each other, Ye Jiayuan already knew the difference between Songyan ink and Qiyan ink.

Fu Chaoying’s eyes curved. “Did Sister study traditional Chinese painting before?”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and said casually, “I studied with your grandmother for a while when I was little; not for long.”

Fu Chaoying blinked. “When? How come I don’t remember?”

The corners of Ye Jiayuan’s eyes and lips curved slightly, with the hint of a barely noticeable smile. “You were still very young then.”

Fu Chaoying understood. “No wonder you even knew the difference between Songyan ink and Qiyan ink.”

Ye Jiayuan looked at her deeply, but didn’t explain.

The two of them chatted idly, then suddenly saw a student-looking girl walk up.

“Hello, are you Teacher Fu Chaoying?”

Fu Chaoying blinked, then smiled. “I am.”

The girl looked a little embarrassed. “I used to be a fan of you and… your CP, but after you broke up, I became a solo fan of yours. My ID is ‘Qingshui Youyou’; I often post in your super topic~”

Fu Chaoying recognized her ID. When she had been attacked by Ye Yian’s solo fans, it seemed this girl had led the counterattack to help her.

Fu Chaoying was about to speak when Ye Jiayuan lifted a hand to block the way in front of her. “I’m Teacher Fu’s bodyguard. May I ask if you need something?”

The girl looked at Ye Jiayuan in surprise, then pitifully at Fu Chaoying. “Sister Chaoying… can I take a photo with you?”

Fu Chaoying smiled and walked to Ye Jiayuan’s side, gently lowering her hand before saying to the girl, “I saw your posts. Thank you.”

The girl got her wish and took a photo with Fu Chaoying; Ye Jiayuan was the one holding the phone.

Ye Jiayuan pressed the shutter several times in a row, then handed the phone back to the young girl, only to hear her excitedly say to Fu Chaoying, “Sister, I’m taking the college entrance exam this year! If everything goes well, I should be able to get into Nanyan University’s Chinese painting department!”

Fu Chaoying was startled for a moment, then smiled. “Congratulations. I’m also a Nanyan University graduate.”

Ye Jiayuan silently walked to Fu Chaoying’s side and listened to the two of them chatting.

Three minutes later, Ye Jiayuan cleared her throat twice; only then did the girl react and take back her phone. “Thank you, bodyguard sister, for helping me take the picture~”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, only to see the girl smile brightly at Fu Chaoying again. “Then goodbye, Sister~ Looking forward to becoming your junior!”

Fu Chaoying laughed softly and sincerely wished her well. “I wish you every success.”

After the girl left, Fu Chaoying leaned toward Ye Jiayuan and teased, “Bodyguard sister is so warm-hearted; she even helped take pictures.”

Ye Jiayuan gave her a helpless look and lightly tapped her head, just as a familiar voice sounded——

“Xiaoying, Sister Jiayuan, you’re here too!”

The two of them turned toward the source of the voice together and saw Fu Chaohua and Dong Muyu walking over from not far away.

Fu Chaohua looked at them with full-blown gossip in her eyes, but Ye Jiayuan’s aura was too strong; she didn’t dare gossip to her face and only smiled, saying, “What a coincidence.”

Dong Muyu shook hands with Ye Jiayuan. “President Ye is quite free and elegant even on the weekend.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod. “How’s this quarter’s KPI looking, President Dong?”

Dong Muyu shook her head with a laugh, helplessly waving a hand. “I should’ve known not to come over and say hello. The moment I walked up, President Ye started talking about work.”

Fu Chaoying knew Ye Jiayuan was doing it on purpose, and at this moment she even chimed in, “So how is Sister Dong’s KPI going?”

Fu Chaohua came over and linked her arm through Fu Chaoying’s. “Ask again and I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Fu Chaoying lightly patted her arm. “Sis, you’re already protecting her!”

A trace of nearly imperceptible amusement flashed through Ye Jiayuan’s eyes. She said indifferently, “Let’s go.”

Fu Chaohua blurted out, “Where to? Is Sister Jiayuan treating us to dinner?”

The second half of the sentence was Fu Chaohua gathering her courage to tease.

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze swept over Fu Chaoying; she replied lightly, “Mm.”

Fu Chaoying blinked and just followed the group down to the parking garage.

Only once she was in the car did Fu Chaoying hook her finger around Ye Jiayuan’s. “Does Sister not want to have dinner with them?”

Ye Jiayuan shook her head. “No.”

Fu Chaoying placed Ye Jiayuan’s left hand into her own and played with it. “But I don’t want to… I only want to have dinner with Sister.”

A smile finally touched Ye Jiayuan’s brow; she gently rubbed the web between Fu Chaoying’s thumb and forefinger. “There’ll be plenty of time.”

Fu Chaoying, however, was thinking: after how many more “plenty of times” would their long-distance relationship finally end?

After a long while, Ye Jiayuan finally said as if casually, “What is a CP fan?”

Fu Chaoying instantly understood why she was asking.

So she explained seriously, but didn’t mention Ye Yian at all.

Ye Jiayuan’s expression remained faint as she gave a small nod.

Fu Chaoying tilted her head and looked at her with a bright smile. “I’m a CP fan of Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan~”

Ye Jiayuan lifted a hand and lightly flicked her nose. “Ye Jiayuan seems to be Fu Chaoying’s bodyguard.”

Fu Chaoying immediately thought of something and took out her phone to scroll through the super topic. Sure enough, she saw the post from that high school girl earlier: [Taking a photo with my favorite painter; how many people did I beat!]

Then she saw the detailed write-up below it. Fu Chaoying laughed helplessly, because at the very end the girl only added one line: “Teacher Fu’s bodyguard is pretty good-looking too; just a little too serious TT”

In the few comments beneath, Fu Chaoying found one that said: [Being serious isn’t a big deal for a bodyguard.]

A reply underneath: [But I really want to see Teacher Fu’s serious, beautiful bodyguard.]

[Combining serious and beautiful, I can’t read it anymore.]

Fu Chaoying laughed so hard she nearly doubled over; then she saw Ye Jiayuan lean over too. “What are you looking at?”

Fu Chaoying handed her the phone, only to see Ye Jiayuan remain perfectly calm as she asked softly, “Am I very serious?”

Fu Chaoying turned to look at her and found the comment even funnier, because the composed look on Ye Jiayuan’s face right now did seem very serious.

“Maybe it’s because Sister is used to keeping a blank expression.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, then asked, “Why can’t serious and beautiful be combined?”

Fu Chaoying laughed against her shoulder. “Because they’ve never seen you.”

Ye Jiayuan lifted a hand to gently stroke her hair and gave a soft “Mm,” reluctantly accepting the explanation.

Fu Chaoying kissed her cheek lightly and sighed in a whisper, “How can there be such a good-looking bodyguard sister in this world!?”

But she was suddenly pinched on the cheek. “What’s it like dating your bodyguard?”

Fu Chaoying’s smile deepened, but she deliberately teased her. “Boring…”

Ye Jiayuan’s brows furrowed slightly, only to hear Fu Chaoying add, “I only see you five days out of seven; it’s boring…”

Ye Jiayuan leaned in toward her lips and kissed her lightly.

Fu Chaoying pushed at her shoulder. “No!”

Ye Jiayuan gathered her into her arms. “There’ll be plenty of time.”

There it was again.

Fu Chaoying secretly looked at that post, only to see the high school girl had left another comment: [I should not say this, so don’t hit me… Teacher Fu’s bodyguard kind of looks like… that woman.]

Then came a few replies condemning her:

[If you know you shouldn’t say it, then don’t say it…]

[That woman is so ugly… you already said the bodyguard is pretty, how could she look like her!]

Fu Chaoying quietly exited the app and put away her phone.

After the four of them finished lunch, they went for coffee together.

Fu Chaoying deliberately ordered a different kind from Ye Jiayuan’s.

They chatted idly in the café until three o’clock, when Ye Jiayuan set off for the airport; Fu Chaoying stood up to see her off.

Once they were in the car, the partition was still up.

Fu Chaoying eagerly kissed her lips and carefully savored the taste of coffee on her.

When the kiss ended, Fu Chaoying felt very satisfied. “Next time, I’m drinking this one too.”

Ye Jiayuan couldn’t help laughing, and hooked an arm around her waist to keep her from leaving.

Fu Chaoying behaved obediently in her arms, nuzzling lightly in the crook of her neck with the tip of her nose. “Don’t work too hard, Sister; you need to rest.”

Ye Jiayuan lifted a hand to gently stroke her hair and back, then called her in a low voice, “Xiaoying.”

Fu Chaoying slowly looked up. “Mm?”

“You too,” Ye Jiayuan said softly. “Don’t stay up late working overtime anymore.”

“The funds you invested in Dong Muyu are more than enough; there’s no need to rush that much.”

So she knew everything.

Fu Chaoying’s heart trembled slightly, and she laughed. “Having a sugar mama as my backing is really nice.”

Ye Jiayuan’s expression was light. “It’s sugar mama’s wife.”

Hearing her form of address, Fu Chaoying’s heartbeat suddenly sped up, and then she repeated it, “Wife?”

Ye Jiayuan lifted her chin and gently pressed a kiss to her lips. “Mm, wife.”

Her tone was unbelievably gentle.

*

On the way home, Fu Chaoying heard her phone vibrate and thought it was a message from Ye Jiayuan, only to find it was from her friend Shen Guannan——

[Are you in Gangcheng?]

Fu Chaoying was baffled. [No, I’m still in Nanyan.]

On the other end, Shen Guannan called her. “I saw a girl in Gangcheng who looked a lot like you, and even the way she spoke was the same.”

“We brushed past each other; I was still wondering why you didn’t say hello to me.”

Fu Chaoying froze for a moment, then laughed. “Did you forget to wear your contact lenses today?”

Shen Guannan laughed. “I forgot to put them on today; I thought you’d secretly run off to Gangcheng again.”

“I also wonder who exactly is in Gangcheng.” Shen Guannan teased.