Chapter 47

Rose 47: The Substitute.

“Xiaoying?”

Fu Chaoying came back to herself in a daze, as if she’d been jolted awake from a dream.

She hurriedly looked up and met Ye Jiayuan’s gaze, which held a trace of concern. That look was too familiar—familiar enough to send an indescribable panic surging through her chest.

Fu Chaoying’s heart gave a sudden tremor. She instinctively locked her phone and forced a small smile. “What is it?”

Ye Jiayuan said in a low voice, “Miss Nan invited us to have tea together. Do you want to go?”

Fu Chaoying knew Ye Jiayuan too well. Since she’d brought it up, it meant she intended to go. Otherwise, with her personality, she would have turned it down outright.

Fu Chaoying curved her lips. “Sure.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, but her gaze lingered on Fu Chaoying’s face for a moment before turning to Director Nan. “Xiaoying’s flying to Nanyan tonight, so we probably can’t stay too long.”

Fu Chaoying’s luggage was still at Ye Jiayuan’s place. She had to go back, get her suitcase, then take a taxi to the airport; it would take some time. But that wasn’t what Fu Chaoying was thinking about. It was that unfamiliar text message.

She barely had to think to guess who sent it. It had only been one public appearance, and that woman was already growing impatient.

A flicker of mockery passed through Fu Chaoying’s eyes, and there was a deeper meaning in the way she looked at Ye Jiayuan.

Ye Jiayuan quietly shifted her gaze back, now a little more puzzled.

Director Nan started offering drinks again. Fu Chaoying raised her glass and drank with her, showing nothing unusual.

Ye Jiayuan quietly withdrew her gaze.

No one knew how complicated Fu Chaoying’s feelings were at that moment.

That photo kept flashing through her mind; that face that looked so much like hers; and the nightmare she could never shake, even when she woke in the middle of the night.

Fu Chaoying lifted her glass again, but Ye Jiayuan’s long fingers gently caught her wrist. “Don’t get drunk.”

Fu Chaoying smiled and set the glass down. Half-jokingly, she asked, “Is Sister Jiayuan this attentive with your girlfriend too?”

Amusement flickered across Ye Jiayuan’s brows and eyes. She gave a soft hum and said, “She doesn’t like drinking.”

Fu Chaoying pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Qu Jingyuan and Director Qu were chatting happily and didn’t notice the whispered exchange here.

Fu Chaoying lifted her eyes toward the floor-to-ceiling window behind them, toward the vast sea view.

The weather wasn’t very good today; mist hung over the water, and the opposite shore was impossible to make out.

Fu Chaoying withdrew her gaze, lightly wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue, then picked up her bag and said to Ye Jiayuan, “I’m going to touch up my lipstick.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod.

Fu Chaoying carried her thoughts out the door, only to have her wrist seized the moment she stepped into the restroom.

She whirled around in surprise, but Ye Jiayuan had already pulled her firmly into the adjacent smoking-area cubicle; no one happened to be inside. Before she could react, she was drawn into an embrace, and Fu Chaoying’s heart skipped a beat. “Why did you come, Sis?”

Warm breath brushed past her ear. “Did you just get some bad work news? You don’t look very happy.”

Fu Chaoying shook her head. She couldn’t tell her what was on her mind, so she fell silent.

Ye Jiayuan cupped her face and looked into her eyes. “Hmm?”

Fu Chaoying stared fixedly at her eyes, as if she could see her own reflection in them. For a moment she was entranced, then Ye Jiayuan gently rubbed the tip of her nose.

Every time Ye Jiayuan did that, her heart softened into a puddle. But today she was carrying too much in her heart; she couldn’t give her an equal response.

She only smiled faintly, then asked, “Does Sister really like me? Only me?”

Ye Jiayuan seemed to pause slightly, then gave a helpless smile. “Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

Fu Chaoying took two deep breaths, her expression otherwise unchanged. “Answer me, Sister.”

Her tone held a touch of coaxing, but not much.

Ye Jiayuan nodded lightly. “Only you.”

Fu Chaoying seemed to have gotten her answer, but the stone in her heart still hovered in midair.

The question she had deliberately avoided before was now about to be laid bare.

Yet she didn’t feel happy; instead, she felt a vague fear.

Because the result was unknown, and right now, the truth of Ye Jiayuan’s words was also unknown.

She had never been able to see through Ye Jiayuan, never been able to guess her thoughts, never been able to make out her true feelings.

Fu Chaoying tugged lightly at her sleeve. “Then Sister, help me reapply my lipstick.”

The two of them stayed in the cubicle and didn’t come out. Fu Chaoying took the lipstick from her small bag and handed it over.

Ye Jiayuan looked at her lips; the lipstick had faded a little, revealing her natural rosy color.

Ye Jiayuan applied a little to her lips, then raised a hand to spread it carefully; her throat moved almost imperceptibly.

Fu Chaoying watched her eyes and only felt how serious she was being. Those deep eyes grew even darker.

Ye Jiayuan’s desire for her was probably real. Realizing that, Fu Chaoying hurriedly looked away.

Fu Chaoying took out a compact mirror to check, then tugged her sleeve again, unconsciously slipping into a spoiled tone. “It’s too light. Sister, add a little more.”

Ye Jiayuan’s gaze followed her rosy lips as they opened and closed. Before she knew it, she had caught her chin.

Fu Chaoying’s breath hitched. Feeling their lips drawing closer, she instinctively lifted a hand to press against Ye Jiayuan’s shoulder; she didn’t use any strength, only muttered softly, “There’s someone outside...”

Ye Jiayuan smiled, her voice low. “I’m only helping you with your lipstick.”

Fu Chaoying blinked, only to see that Ye Jiayuan really did bring the lipstick up, apply a little more, and then lift her fingers again to gently smooth it out.

Ye Jiayuan’s fingertips moved softly over her lips, bringing an indescribable itch. Fu Chaoying couldn’t help asking in a small voice, “Is it done?”

Ye Jiayuan leaned in closer and kissed the tip of her nose. “Done.”

Fu Chaoying’s heartbeat suddenly sped up. As the familiar magnolia scent at the tip of her nose gradually faded, her thoughts slowly settled again.

They walked out of the smoking area one after the other; fortunately, they didn’t run into anyone they knew. Fu Chaoying let out a barely noticeable breath of relief.

Back in the private room, Fu Chaoying didn’t bother explaining anything, and Qu Jingyuan and Director Nan didn’t ask.

The group quickly set out for the teahouse.

Ye Jiayuan had Fu Chaoying get into the car, then asked softly, “Do you really want to go have tea?”

Fu Chaoying gave a slight nod. “Anyway, I’ll be with Sister.”

Ye Jiayuan reached over and gently stroked the back of her hand, her doting affection barely concealed. “If you get bored later, there’s a bookstore nearby.”

Fu Chaoying obediently said okay, then joked, “Sister’s schedule is really packed.”

Ye Jiayuan lightly squeezed her palm. “Being busy now means better rest later.”

A complicated look flashed through Fu Chaoying’s eyes, but her heartbeat still quickened unconsciously. Right now, there was something more important she needed to confirm.

Out of the corner of her eye, Fu Chaoying quietly studied Ye Jiayuan’s face and let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.

What exactly was the truth?

When they arrived at the teahouse, they were led into an elegantly arranged private room, where several unfamiliar faces were already seated.

Ye Jiayuan’s expression remained cool as she briefly introduced Fu Chaoying to everyone.

Fu Chaoying curved her lips in a faint smile and politely shook hands and exchanged greetings with each of them.

Then she sat down beside Ye Jiayuan and quietly listened as they discussed project cooperation.

She secretly opened the map on her phone and found that the café mentioned in that strange text was not far from here.

Fu Chaoying sent the other person a message, pretending not to understand: 【Who are you?】

The reply came almost instantly: 【We only glimpsed each other from afar this morning; has Miss Fu forgotten me so quickly?】

So impatient. It only made her seem even more desperate.

Fu Chaoying looked at the message calmly and did not reply.

Another message arrived: 【Ye Jiayuan probably never mentioned me to you, because she doesn’t dare.】

Pretty bold. A trace of mockery passed through Fu Chaoying’s eyes, and she still didn’t answer.

The other side sent no more messages.

Fu Chaoying raised her hand and took a few sips of tea. Her gaze swept over Ye Jiayuan beside her; she was speaking with easy composure, while the woman opposite kept nodding, focused and serious.

There were many people who admired Ye Jiayuan, but very few she truly paid attention to.

Fu Chaoying lowered her eyes, and her gaze drifted to the window.

Estimating that enough time had passed, she leaned toward Ye Jiayuan’s ear and whispered, “I’m going out to walk around for a bit.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and explained to everyone that Fu Chaoying had something to do and needed to leave first.

Fu Chaoying politely said goodbye, picked up her small bag, and stood to leave.

The moment she left the private room, she let out a barely noticeable breath of relief. She quickly walked to the restroom, carefully touched up her lipstick in the mirror, then glanced down at her outfit.

When she went out today, she had deliberately chosen a sharp, capable business suit; at least in terms of aura, she shouldn’t lose to that woman.

Fu Chaoying hailed a taxi to the café mentioned by the other party, but after looking around inside, she didn’t see the face that resembled her by several degrees.

She looked at her phone; it was already 3:10.

Was the other woman just messing with her?

Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder. Fu Chaoying jumped and quickly turned around, only to see a woman wearing a mask.

“Miss Fu, come with me.” The woman said only this one sentence before immediately turning and walking upstairs.

In that brief glimpse, Fu Chaoying only saw half the woman’s face, but even that half alone made her heart tremble violently.

Too similar—especially those eyes, which were practically identical to hers.

Fu Chaoying hesitated for two seconds, then lifted her feet and followed. She took two deep breaths, then followed the woman into a private room.

The woman walked to the window, sat down slowly, then lifted her head and quietly looked at her. “Jiayuan’s taste really hasn’t changed. Looks like she still hasn’t forgotten me.”

Fu Chaoying worked hard to stay calm, trying not to let her emotions show. She only gave a light smile, her tone carrying some mockery. “There are so many people pursuing Sister. Which one are you?”

The other woman seemed to pause, then slowly said, “I’m her ex-girlfriend; and she was the one who pursued me first.”

Fu Chaoying widened her eyes in feigned surprise. “Oh? I’ve never heard Sister had an ex-girlfriend.”

“Were you dating her in your dreams?”

The other woman sneered. “When I was dating her, you were still with Ye Yian.”

“After Ye Yian dumped you, you set your sights on her sister? You really have no shame.”

Fu Chaoying shook her head with a smile, not caring about the first half of the sentence. She only said lightly, “Your information seems a little outdated. Sister was the one who pursued me; I wasn’t the one clinging to her.”

Out in the world, identity is whatever you give yourself. Fu Chaoying figured the other woman couldn’t possibly know everything about the past between her and Ye Jiayuan.

“How could Ye Jiayuan ever actively pursue someone? At least use your brain before making up lies.” The woman’s face suddenly darkened, and the way she looked at Fu Chaoying seemed ready to swallow her whole.

Fu Chaoying guessed she had hit a sore spot. She blinked innocently and shrugged. “I don’t know why she likes me either.”

Unable to stand the provocation any longer, the other woman suddenly tore off her mask.

Fu Chaoying finally saw her full face. The instant she did, even though she was already prepared, her heart still gave a hard jolt.

The other woman really did resemble her too much, as though they were biological sisters.

The woman put her mask back on almost immediately after taking it off, and glanced at her from the side with a trace of smugness in her tone. “Saw clearly now? You’re nothing more than my substitute. Ye Jiayuan can’t forget me, so she found you.”

Although her face was only bare for a few seconds, Fu Chaoying still sharply noticed that her features seemed somewhat unnatural; she only smiled and asked, “When you called Sister in Nanyan before, was that you too?”

“But Sister told you to wake up; did you?”

The other woman said nothing. Fu Chaoying continued, “You were a student she used to support, weren’t you?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head. “Falling for the person who supported you isn’t that rare. You don’t need to feel inferior.”

“Still, Sister must be very disappointed in you, right? Her original intention in supporting you was to help you through a rough patch. She never expected that after supporting you, you’d become her rough patch.”

“Oh, no,” Fu Chaoying seemed to remember something and added lightly, “You don’t even count as her rough patch.”

Fu Chaoying looked at her coldly. “I’m not so petty that I’d be jealous over a woman who doesn’t even dare take off her mask.”

She scanned the other woman and looked at the familiar brand of clothing she was wearing, then shook her head. “And you didn’t even copy the important part. I haven’t worn this brand in a long time.”

There was another very mean remark stuck in her throat, but she didn’t say it: she definitely never wore knockoffs...

“I didn’t imitate you. Get it straight; you’re the substitute,” the woman insisted, still refusing to admit it.

Fu Chaoying sneered. “The one who appears later is the substitute. I’ve known Sister for over twenty years.”

A shadow flickered in the other woman’s eyes, and Fu Chaoying caught it sharply. She continued to press, “So why did you have your face altered to look like mine? Trying to seduce Ye Yian?”

“What is Ye Yian supposed to be? Why would I seduce her?” the woman said coldly, her eyes full of disdain.

A trace of confusion flashed through Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes, then she returned to calm. “So from the beginning to the end, you only wanted to seduce Ye Jiayuan?”

The woman’s face looked fairly well restored, but from the night she drunkenly kissed Ye Jiayuan until now, there simply hadn’t been enough time for her to undergo full cosmetic surgery and recover afterward.

“I’ll say it again: I didn’t get plastic surgery. You’re the substitute!”

Fu Chaoying smiled. “Fine. Then when did you realize Ye Jiayuan liked me? Before the surgery?”

The woman looked at her with a very complicated expression; clearly, she hadn’t expected Fu Chaoying to play by no rules at all.

The woman remained silent. Fu Chaoying took a deep breath. “Answer one question for me, and I’ll give you twenty thousand, transferred on the spot.”

The woman still said nothing, but the struggle in her eyes was obvious. Her plan to sow discord had clearly failed, and Ye Jiayuan apparently didn’t think much of her at all. The conditions Fu Chaoying offered might be her last chance to make money.

Fu Chaoying saw through her thoughts and said flatly, “Name your price.”

“Fifty thousand per question.”

The other woman was outrageously greedy. Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but laugh, though she didn’t mock her. She couldn’t be sure what other crazy things this woman might do.

Fu Chaoying asked calmly, “How did you find out Ye Jiayuan liked me?”

“Transfer the money first.”

Fu Chaoying opened her banking app and entered the card number. “Your name.”

The woman kept silent. Fu Chaoying raised her phone to show the transfer page. “It’s required for the transfer.”

“Qin Zhaodi.”

When Fu Chaoying heard that name, a complicated emotion flashed through her eyes. She transferred fifty thousand to her, then said lightly, “Large transfers can be recalled within a limited time.”

“You’d better answer honestly.”

Qin Zhaodi pressed her lips together. “When she was choosing the people to support, she said my eyes were beautiful.”

Fu Chaoying stared fixedly into her eyes. Those eyes really were very similar to hers. If one only looked at the upper half of the face, even Shen Guannan might not be able to tell them apart.

“At first, I thought she’d just casually complimented me,” Qin Zhaodi said, taking off her mask and turning her gaze toward the window, her tone faintly self-mocking. “But later, I saw news about you and Ye Yian online. I saw your face, and I learned your name.”

Qin Zhaodi gave a self-deprecating laugh. “And the name of our batch of sponsorship projects was the ‘Sunrise Plan’; it only selected orphan girls.”

“When I put all that together, I finally understood. Maybe she only loved one thing because she loved another.”

Qin Zhaodi changed the subject and looked at Fu Chaoying with what seemed like pity. “What about you? Did you know she started liking you while you and Ye Yian were still together?”

“Someone like her, so lofty and gifted by heaven, would never actively pursue anyone, right? She must have laid careful traps and lured you into coming close to her on your own, yes?”

Qin Zhaodi shook her head. “How does it feel to be played for a fool, Miss Fu?”

Fu Chaoying’s heart jolted violently; the stone that had hung suspended in the air all this time finally fell, and it hit hard enough to hurt.

For a long moment, Fu Chaoying said nothing. Forcing down the pain in her heart, she said flatly, “Take care of yourself.”

With that, she prepared to get up and leave.

“You’re the one who needs to take care of yourself!” Qin Zhaodi saw how calm she was and became unwilling to let it go, blurting out, “You can’t beat a woman as deep as Ye Jiayuan at all!”

“Do you think she really likes you? Maybe she just wants what she can’t have.”

Fu Chaoying paused, then looked back with a smile. “At most, you can only earn fifty thousand from me. As for Ye Jiayuan, you probably won’t get a single cent from her. So take care of yourself.”

With that, Fu Chaoying left the café without looking back.

Complicated emotions surged over her like a tide, unable to calm for a long time.

She couldn’t go back to Ye Jiayuan’s side for now. She took a taxi from the roadside back to her place, packed her luggage, headed to the airport, and changed her ticket in one smooth motion.

Fu Chaoying thought of that magnolia painting; she thought of all the times before when Ye Jiayuan had cast her those obscure glances, and those vague, hesitant looks.

All the courtesy, politeness, and just-right distance she had once felt were, in fact, only a disguise hiding Ye Jiayuan’s years of secret love.

She had always believed Ye Jiayuan didn’t like her; but she had never been able to understand why Ye Jiayuan suddenly seemed not to like her. Because before, whether it was with Ye Yian, Fu Chaohua, or other women, Ye Jiayuan had always shown her some faint, indistinct preference.

Now that she thought about it, Ye Jiayuan seemed to have grown more and more distant only after she got together with Ye Yian.

And after she, Fu Chaoying, took the initiative to approach Ye Jiayuan, the other woman still maintained a polite and detached attitude; she even declined her invitation to be contract lovers.

And finally, when she asked whether they should be together... Ye Jiayuan also found so many reasonable excuses.

Fu Chaoying’s feelings at this moment were complicated to the extreme. Qin Zhaodi’s last words were like a thorn, deeply embedded in her mind, echoing over and over.

Even after they got together, Ye Jiayuan had never laid her feelings for her out in the open; she had played the role of the “prey” far too well.

And Fu Chaoying herself had been completely within Ye Jiayuan’s grasp. She thought she was the hunter, but in fact, she was only Ye Jiayuan’s prey, lured step by step into the trap.

An indescribable emotion slowly spread through her heart, and Fu Chaoying found it hard to let go.

On the way to the airport, Fu Chaoying received a call from Ye Jiayuan and only said softly, “Sister, you go ahead and handle things. I’m heading back to Nanyan first.”

Then she casually made up two reasons to brush her off and quickly hung up.

By the time she reached the airport to wait for her flight, Fu Chaoying still hadn’t decided what she should do next.

Her mind was racing. Before takeoff, she still sent Ye Jiayuan a message: 【I met Qin Zhaodi this afternoon. When next weekend comes, let’s find some time to have a proper talk.】

After sending it, Fu Chaoying switched her phone to airplane mode, then closed her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep; but she couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.

She took a taxi home from the airport. Aunt Wu was waiting for her at the door. Seeing that her face was a little pale, she froze slightly. “Didn’t get enough rest in Hong Kong?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head and forced out a smile. “I’m in a bad mood, Aunt Wu. I’m going upstairs to sleep first.”

Aunt Wu looked at her as if she wanted to say something, but in the end only asked with concern, “What would you like to eat tonight? I’ll make it for you.”

“I don’t really have an appetite, Aunt Wu. You should eat on your own.”

Fu Chaoying carried her suitcase upstairs, changed into a loose set of home clothes, then fell onto the bed. She picked up her phone, but turned all sounds to silent.

Actually, when she first got off the plane, she had already received a message from Ye Jiayuan, but she hadn’t opened it.

She didn’t dare look. She didn’t know what to do next, and she didn’t know where her relationship with Ye Jiayuan should go.

Fu Chaoying remembered that after her proposal for contract lovers had been rejected, she hadn’t known how to face Ye Jiayuan either, so she could only maintain a polite and distant attitude toward her. That was how, later on, Ye Jiayuan asked whether she wanted to formally date her.

The intimate things too; Ye Jiayuan clearly wanted her, yet used the tactic of advancing and retreating, of delayed gratification, with exquisite skill.

Ye Jiayuan had practically learned game theory and The Art of War to the bone.

But was Fu Chaoying herself really so upright and open? If she hadn’t had other intentions from the very beginning, how could she possibly have fallen step by step into Ye Jiayuan’s hands?

Fu Chaoying let out a soft sigh, closed her eyes, and countless images flashed through her mind.

After a long while, her mind grew increasingly clear, yet she suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Was Ye Jiayuan here?

Fu Chaoying opened her eyes abruptly, only to hear Aunt Wu’s voice outside, and for some reason she felt disappointed.

“Xiaoying, eat something, at least. I made cola chicken wings.”

Fu Chaoying raised her voice. “Thank you, Aunt Wu. I really don’t have much appetite.”

“Alright, then whenever you want to eat, I’ll heat it up for you.”

Fu Chaoying closed her eyes again and, before she knew it, drifted off to sleep. But in that half-dreaming, half-waking state, she dreamed of Ye Jiayuan again; dreamed of Ye Jiayuan saying, “Aren’t you already in love with me? Can you bear to part with me?”

Fu Chaoying’s heart ached all at once. When she woke again, it was already late at night.

She instinctively opened her phone; there were two more messages on the lock screen. Fu Chaoying’s heart moved as she opened the page.

【I booked a flight back to Nanyan. Sleep well on the plane first.】

【Have you landed? Eat properly; I’m already at the airport waiting.】

【I’ve taken off; wait for me.】

The last one was: 【I’ve landed.】

How could she be this gentle... Fu Chaoying suddenly felt her nose sting.

Without realizing it, she walked to the balcony and looked down, but Ye Jiayuan’s car was not in the courtyard.

Then she suddenly saw, at the corner not far away, a brilliant beam of headlights flare to life. That car was slowly driving toward her home.

Fu Chaoying spun around abruptly, hiding behind the curtains, then hurried into the bedroom and shut the door.

She leaned against the door and took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.

Barely two seconds later, she heard the doorbell downstairs; after that came the sound of a car driving into the courtyard.

Fu Chaoying’s heartbeat sped up again, and two minutes later, someone gently knocked on her bedroom door.

“Xiaoying, it’s me.” Ye Jiayuan’s cool, familiar voice sounded from outside the door.

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A little sweet fluff [heart]