Chapter 56: They’d Been Found Out

“No, my clothes and suitcase are still in your bedroom!”

Ye Jiayuan gave a faint smile. “Ask the housekeeper to bring them down. They won’t actually go into the bedroom to look.”

As she spoke, Ye Jiayuan reached for the housekeeper’s number and quickly gave the instructions.

Fu Chaoying felt vaguely uneasy, but after taking two deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down. After all, she and Ye Jiayuan were already on the same page; their relationship was stable enough.

They had finally gotten together, so they certainly wouldn’t break up just because their elders objected.

Fu Chaoying let out a nearly imperceptible sigh, turned her head to glance at Ye Jiayuan, then lifted her lips into a smile again. From beginning to end, Ye Jiayuan remained as calm as still water; she didn’t seem to care at all what Chu Yiyun or Fu Anyun thought.

Even after convincing herself of that, Fu Chaoying still swallowed nervously when the car reached the basement garage.

She pushed open the door and got out. Not long after, Ye Jiayuan came over and took her hand, saying flatly, “It’s fine.”

Fu Chaoying turned to her and smiled faintly. “Okay.”

The two of them took the elevator upstairs together, and the instant the doors opened, they let go of each other’s hands in tacit understanding.

Chu Yiyun and Fu Anyun had naturally arrived before them and were already sitting in the living room watching TV.

The moment Ye Jiayuan opened the door and saw them, her gaze drifted to the flowers and greenery on the balcony; warmth stirred in her chest.

When the two women saw Ye Jiayuan come in, they looked over cheerfully, then noticed Fu Chaoying behind her.

Fu Chaoying poked her head out and greeted them obediently, “Aunt Chu, Aunt.”

Her tone sounded perfectly natural.

But a trace of doubt still flickered through Fu Anyun and Chu Yiyun’s eyes.

“Xiaoying is here too?” Chu Yiyun asked, sounding pleasantly surprised.

Fu Chaoying looked naturally at Fu Anyun. “I told Aunt before; this Sunday I’m holding an exhibition at Hongmei Gallery.”

Fu Anyun nodded in understanding. “Right, I know.”

After saying that, Fu Anyun added casually, “Why aren’t you staying with your colleagues?”

Fu Chaoying kept smiling, her tone calm. “All the hotel rooms were booked, so I asked Sister Jiayuan whether it would be convenient.”

Ye Jiayuan said blandly, “Just a small matter.”

Chu Yiyun didn’t ask further. She only smiled and said, “What does Xiaoying want to eat tonight?”

Fu Chaoying walked up to them and blinked. “I want the Cantonese place Aunt likes best.”

Chu Yiyun nodded lightly and looked at Ye Jiayuan. “That happens to be the one I want too.”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, silently changed into slippers at the entryway, and then led the group downstairs.

Fu Anyun gave Fu Chaoying a long look, then looked at Ye Jiayuan.

Fu Chaoying pretended not to notice her gaze and stepped forward to hook her arm through hers, affectionate and natural. “Aunt, why didn’t you call me when you came to Hong Kong? I could’ve kept you company.”

Fu Anyun observed her closely, but found no flaws on her face.

Fu Chaoying looked as natural and obedient as ever. But this niece had always been careful and good at hiding things. Fu Anyun quietly withdrew her gaze and only smiled. “It was a spur-of-the-moment trip with your Aunt Chu; she was worried about Xiaoyuan’s health.”

Chu Yiyun spoke up at the right moment. “Mm, I came to check on Xiaoyuan.”

Fu Chaoying naturally followed their gaze to Ye Jiayuan, then smiled lightly at Chu Yiyun. “Then I’ll accompany you shopping tomorrow.”

Chu Yiyun and Fu Anyun’s trip to Hong Kong clearly wasn’t for sightseeing; most of the time, they went to the mall to shop.

Hong Kong was more convenient than the mainland in any case.

Chu Yiyun patted her shoulder gently and said with a smile, “It’s only a small exhibition, and the boss had to come all the way here herself.”

Fu Chaoying blinked and smiled playfully. “Because it’s the first exhibition in Hong Kong. I was afraid something would go wrong, so it’s safer for me to come and keep an eye on things.”

Chu Yiyun nodded in understanding. “Xiaoying is very meticulous at work.”

Ye Jiayuan gave Fu Chaoying a subtle glance, amusement flashing through her eyes.

The driver came to fetch the car, and Ye Jiayuan sat in the passenger seat.

Fu Chaoying accompanied the two elders in the back and chatted with them.

When they reached the restaurant, Fu Chaoying lingered behind, and only then did she get the chance to message her cousin Fu Chaohua: [Aunt came to Hong Kong.]

Fu Chaohua replied almost instantly: [No wonder no one was home! Why did my mom suddenly go to Hong Kong?]

She hadn’t even told her own daughter; Fu Chaoying’s brow twitched, and she replied: [I think she may have noticed something.]

Fu Chaohua: [I’ll cover for you.]

Everyone knew Ye Yian was still causing trouble; this was not the time for the two of them to go public.

Fu Chaoying relaxed a little, and then she heard Aunt’s phone ring.

Watching Fu Anyun answer the call and say she was in Hong Kong, Fu Chaoying then heard the surprised question, “What are you doing in Hong Kong?”

Fu Chaoying curved her brows quietly, only to unexpectedly meet Chu Yiyun’s gaze.

A hint of scrutiny flickered through Chu Yiyun’s eyes; then her brows lifted slightly. “Xiaoying, take us to see your exhibition tomorrow?”

Fu Chaoying obediently nodded, yet her mind flashed back to the look Chu Yiyun had just given her.

It seemed her relationship with Ye Jiayuan wouldn’t stay hidden for much longer.

Fu Chaoying sighed almost imperceptibly, but suddenly Ye Jiayuan gently squeezed her hand; she instinctively looked up at the two elders.

Fu Anyun was still on the phone with Fu Chaohua, while Chu Yiyun was looking around. No one seemed to have noticed their small movement, and Fu Chaoying quietly let out a breath of relief.

The group arrived at the private room, and Fu Anyun had just finished the call. Looking at the others, she smiled and said, “Xiaohua heard we were in Hong Kong and is insisting on coming to play too.”

Fu Chaoying feigned surprise but didn’t say anything, listening as the two elders shifted the topic to Fu Chaohua and Dong Muyu’s relationship.

Everything remained peaceful.

After dinner, Chu Yiyun dragged Fu Chaoying out shopping again, saying that last time she hadn’t managed to buy her suitable clothes, so this time she absolutely had to.

Fu Chaoying repeatedly refused, but Fu Anyun laughed and said, “It’s fine; your Aunt Chu has money to burn. Just let her spend it.”

Fu Chaoying immediately thought of the walk-in closet at Ye Jiayuan’s house; more than half the clothes in there had been bought by Ye Jiayuan for her.

Ye Jiayuan gave a barely noticeable nod, and Fu Chaoying obediently relented. “I haven’t bought clothes in a long time, so then I’ll trouble Aunt and Aunt Chu to help me choose.”

This was actually the first time Ye Jiayuan had ever accompanied her shopping, but this time the elders were with them.

Fu Chaoying tried on a light blue long dress. Chu Yiyun’s eyes lit up. “It looks good.”

Fu Anyun nodded again and again. “Not bad.”

Fu Chaoying looked at herself in the mirror, only to see Ye Jiayuan also give a slight nod.

Before she could even meet her gaze, Fu Chaoying heard Chu Yiyun speak up.

“Xiaoyuan thinks it’s good too, right?”

As she spoke, Chu Yiyun turned to look at Ye Jiayuan, who gave a slight nod.

Chu Yiyun laughed. “It’s really not easy to get approval from our Ye CEO.”

Fu Chaoying smiled faintly, her eyes naturally drifting to Ye Jiayuan’s calm profile.

The moment their eyes met, Fu Chaoying’s heart gave a violent jolt.

Yet it seemed she saw laughter in Ye Jiayuan’s eyes; Fu Chaoying’s lips curved wider. “Then I’ll take this one.”

After Fu Chaoying changed out of the dress, she came out to see Chu Yiyun paying the bill and tossing the shopping bag to Ye Jiayuan. “It shouldn’t be too much to ask the boss to carry a bag for her younger sister, right, Ye CEO?”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod and made no objection.

Fu Anyun added, “Xiaoyuan treats our Xiaoying just like a real younger sister.”

Fu Chaoying’s heart skipped hard; somehow, it felt like their words all carried deeper meaning. But considering the two families’ relationship, it was also perfectly reasonable.

Chu Yiyun had been about to say that Xiaoyuan didn’t even treat her own biological sister this well. But thinking of Xiaoying’s past with her younger daughter, she quickly closed her mouth.

The group went into several more stores.

Ye Jiayuan followed behind them, quietly observing the styles they picked, how they looked on Fu Chaoying, and Fu Chaoying’s reactions to them.

From this, she inferred what styles and cuts Fu Chaoying liked.

Whenever Fu Chaoying finished trying on clothes, she would always subconsciously look for Ye Jiayuan’s figure first, and then her gaze would fall straight into those deep, dark eyes.

Even just meeting her gaze was enough to make Fu Chaoying’s heartbeat quicken; she would have to take a deep breath to steady herself.

Ye Jiayuan was almost carrying a full load by then. Fu Chaoying felt a little embarrassed and came forward, intending to help share the burden, only to hear Chu Yiyun laugh and say, “It’s fine, let your Jiayuan jie carry it.”

Ye Jiayuan quietly avoided her hand. “It’s fine. I’ll carry it.”

They were standing fairly close; Fu Chaoying caught the faint scent of magnolia on her and drew in a breath.

After finally finishing their shopping, Fu Chaoying was utterly exhausted.

The moment she got into the car, she closed her eyes to rest, and to her surprise, she really did begin to drift off.

“Xiaoying, we’re here.” Chu Yiyun patted her shoulder lightly.

Fu Chaoying slowly woke up, then realized the person beside her wasn’t Ye Jiayuan; for a moment, she felt dazed.

Only two seconds later did she curve her lips into a faint smile. “Okay.”

When she got out of the car, she noticed Ye Jiayuan taking the shopping bags from the trunk.

Watching her carry all of Fu Chaoying’s bags in both hands, Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but soften her brows into a smile. Still, if she didn’t have to hide their relationship, things would probably feel much more comfortable right now.

The group returned home, and Ye Jiayuan divided up the rooms for them.

Chu Yiyun was given the bedroom Ye Jiayuan had used before, and she couldn’t help being surprised. “Didn’t you used to stay on the first floor?”

“I often worked overtime on the second floor, so I moved up.” Ye Jiayuan’s tone remained light and indifferent.

That explanation was perfectly reasonable.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but curve her lips, only to find Ye Jiayuan turning back to look at her.

Then Ye Jiayuan took two or three steps over and opened her bedroom door. “Jiayuan jie, please come in.”

To avoid suspicion, Fu Chaoying didn’t close the door; she hurriedly thanked her and took over her shopping bags. The instant her fingers brushed Ye Jiayuan’s, the warm contact seemed to spark a current straight to her heart.

“Together tonight?” Ye Jiayuan asked her softly.

Fu Chaoying couldn’t help but laugh quietly. She placed the shopping bags on the carpet and lowered her voice to mimic her. “Together what?”

“Sleep together.” Ye Jiayuan said it as though it were perfectly natural.

Fu Chaoying gently hooked her little finger and acted spoiled. “What if they find out…”

“If they find out, then we’ll go public.” Ye Jiayuan’s reply was calm.

Before she could finish, Chu Yiyun’s voice drifted in from outside. “Want to play cards later? I brought a deck.”

Ye Jiayuan walked out of the room without showing anything and gave a soft “Mm.” “But only until ten. I’m a bit tired today.”

“Okay. It’s good for you to rest early anyway.” Chu Yiyun naturally had no objections.

Fu Chaoying tidied her clothes, washed her hands, and only then went out.

She heard Fu Anyun speak casually, “Xiaoyuan’s actually got some style now.”

Everyone’s attention turned toward the balcony together.

Fu Chaoying’s brow jumped; she immediately looked at Ye Jiayuan, and saw that her expression was composed. “My girlfriend arranged it.”

Chu Yiyun teased her, “Your girlfriend is so mysterious. She still won’t come out and let her future mother-in-law take a look?”

“Soon.” Ye Jiayuan answered concisely.

Fu Chaoying averted her eyes without a trace, and then heard Fu Anyun say, “Xiaoyuan, I may need you to contact the driver. Xiaohua will be arriving in Hong Kong at nine.”

Ye Jiayuan nodded slightly.

Fu Chaoying had already received Fu Chaohua’s message, but even now she still couldn’t help smiling.

At least her cousin’s arrival would divert some attention.

The four of them played cards together. Aside from Ye Jiayuan being relatively quiet, Fu Anyun started talking about Dong Muyu, while Chu Yiyun interjected with bits of celebrity gossip.

Fu Chaoying listened with great interest and even praised Dong Muyu a few times with real examples.

Fu Anyun liked this prospective daughter-in-law more and more; hearing her praise, her smile deepened.

Fu Chaoying let out a breath of relief, though she was still thinking about her cousin.

At 9:40, Fu Chaohua finally rang the doorbell.

“I’ll open it.” Fu Chaoying stood up at once and crossed the room in two quick strides to the entryway.

Fu Chaohua grinned. “Your sister is here!”

Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes curved with a smile as she turned slightly aside. “We’re playing cards.”

Fu Chaohua put her backpack in the bedroom, then came over to watch them play. But then Ye Jiayuan said, “I’m going to wash up; Xiaohua, come on in.”

Fu Chaoying’s gaze followed her figure; only after two seconds did she look away.

By 10:30, Chu Yiyun was finally sleepy. “Next time, next time.”

Fu Chaoying got up and walked to the bedroom door, only to hear Fu Anyun say to Fu Chaohua, “You sisters sleep together. Xiaoying probably doesn’t want to sleep with me.”

Fu Chaoying’s eyes shifted over. After some difficulty, Fu Chaohua nodded. “Sure.”

Fu Chaoying’s brow twitched; she stood where she was and waited for her cousin to come get her bag.

The two sisters went into the bedroom together. Fu Chaohua teased her softly, “Did their surprise attack scare you half to death?”

Fu Chaoying nodded hard, then flopped onto the sofa by the window. “It really did.”

“When are you planning to go public?”

Fu Chaoying sighed. “I don’t know when Ye Yian will stop bothering me.”

She had already blacklisted countless email addresses of Ye Yian’s.

“I saw she’s been making more gossip headlines lately. How can she flirt with girls on one hand and harass you on the other… what a lunatic.”

Fu Chaoying naturally had no interest in paying attention to her ex’s latest moves; hearing that, she only found it laughable. “Old habits die hard.”

Fu Chaohua shook her head and sat down beside her. “It’s fine; take it slow.”

“Even if you two get found out… I think Aunt Chu would understand. After all, it was Ye Yian who wronged you.”

“You and Jiayuan jie only got together after the breakup.”

Fu Chaohua went into the bathroom to shower. Fu Chaoying helplessly shook her head, her mind flashing through many probing looks. She felt more and more that she and Ye Jiayuan wouldn’t be able to keep this hidden for long.

Her phone vibrated; Fu Chaoying checked the message and saw it was from Ye Jiayuan: [Coming upstairs later?]

Fu Chaoying’s brows and eyes curved. [My cousin is in my bedroom. Maybe around one a.m.?]

Ye Jiayuan: [Okay.]

Fu Chaoying then went to shower, and when she came back, Fu Chaohua still wasn’t asleep.

Fu Chaoying didn’t even need an alarm; just chatting with her cousin was enough to keep her up until one.

Fu Chaohua said she wanted to find a time to go back with Dong Muyu to the old hometown in Singapore and visit Grandma Bai.

“Are you two getting married?” Fu Chaoying laughed softly. “So fast.”

“No.” Fu Chaohua was a little embarrassed. “When I video chat with her grandma, I sometimes think of Grandma, so I just want to go see her.”

Fu Chaoying’s heart gave a faint tremor. “When I was chatting with her then, I had that same feeling too. Maybe because they’re good friends, they’re somewhat alike in certain ways.”

For no reason at all, Fu Chaoying thought of Ye Jiayuan saying she would take her to settle down in Singapore; she still hadn’t even bought property there yet.

At one in the morning, Fu Chaoying quietly opened the bedroom door.

The whole house was silent; naturally there was no one in the living room, and Fu Chaoying let out a breath of relief.

She didn’t dare turn on the lights. Supporting herself on the staircase, she went up carefully; but at the corner, someone suddenly gathered her into their arms.

The faint scent of magnolia hit her at once; Fu Chaoying’s heart inevitably jolted, and then her head was lowered and she was kissed. Her breath was stolen; her body pressed close to theirs, and she trembled softly too.

When the kiss finally ended, Ye Jiayuan lifted her up around the waist and carried her to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Ye Jiayuan’s kisses fell on her neck and collarbone. Fu Chaoying’s breathing grew more and more ragged; unable to help herself, she let out a soft moan. Then she heard Ye Jiayuan laugh quietly. “I won’t touch you anymore.”

Fu Chaoying murmured an answer, then settled in her arms to catch her breath, hearing her speak softly, “I know what kind of clothes you like now.”

Her tone was too gentle, too serious; Fu Chaoying couldn’t help laughing. “Actually, you don’t need to observe me. Isn’t it just that you’ll never have time to go shopping with me again?”

“I will.” Ye Jiayuan brushed the tip of her nose lightly against hers. “Once I shift my work focus back to the mainland.”

Ye Jiayuan’s tone sounded like a promise. Fu Chaoying’s heart melted completely.

After chatting for a while, they went into the bedroom to sleep.

Fu Chaoying set an alarm for five, but Ye Jiayuan held her from behind. “I’ll wake you tomorrow morning.”

Her ear felt ticklish. Fu Chaoying put down her phone and turned around to nestle into her arms. “Okay.”

She slept soundly through the night, but when Fu Chaoying was finally woken by Ye Jiayuan’s gentle kisses, she discovered that it was already six-thirty!!!

Fu Chaoying was startled badly and hurriedly sat up, only for Ye Jiayuan to wrap an arm lightly around her waist. “It’s fine; they won’t get up this early. Don’t be nervous.”

Hearing her soothing voice, Fu Chaoying quietly relaxed a little, then gently pulled her hand away. “Fine, I’m not nervous.”

Fu Chaoying got out of bed slowly and went downstairs at a leisurely pace, only to hear a familiar female voice at the turn of the stairs.

“Xiaoying? Why are you… coming down from upstairs?”

Fu Chaoying looked up sharply; it was Chu Yiyun.

For a moment, Fu Chaoying forgot how to breathe.

————————

They’d been found out—