The Aloof CEO’s Hidden Temptation - Chapter 11

Early the next morning, Fu Chaoying woke up slowly from her slumber. The space beside her was empty, leaving behind only the faint, lingering scent of magnolia.

She remembered that after Ye Jiayuan returned from her phone call, she had proactively thrown herself into Ye’s arms. What happened after that? Did she really spend the entire night holding Ye Jiayuan as she slept?

Slipping into her slippers, Fu Chaoying stepped lightly out of the room and called out softly, “Sister Yuan?”

There was no answer, but she spotted a note on the coffee table:

I’ve gone to work. You can call the internal line for breakfast. Ye Jiayuan

The handwriting matched the person, steady and sharp.

Fu Chaoying’s eyes curved into a slight smile as she picked up the note and dialed the internal extension. Before she could speak, a familiar female voice answered: “Hello, Miss Fu. What would you like us to prepare for your breakfast?”

It was Ye Jiayuan’s residential housekeeper.

After ordering wonton noodles and a tea egg, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from her eldest aunt.

“Xiao Ying, where are you?” “Waiting for breakfast,” Fu Chaoying replied with a smile.

Her aunt, Fu Anjun, assumed she was at a hotel restaurant. After some brief small talk, she gave Chaoying an address and told her to attend a luncheon at noon. The guests were all friends of her aunt, and Fu Chaoying obediently agreed.

She went back into Ye Jiayuan’s bedroom, folded the quilt, and retrieved her own pillow and teddy bear. The room returned to its original state, as if she had never stepped foot inside.

Before leaving, Fu Chaoying took a perfume bottle from her travel bag and sprayed two light mists into the air. Instantly, the bedroom was filled with the elegant scent of roses, her signature fragrance. Satisfied, she hooked her lips into a smile and gently closed the door.

Just as she was gathering her things to leave the suite, her phone lit up. It was a message from Ye Jiayuan: 【Are you still there?】

Fu Chaoying’s eyes crinkled with a smile. As her fingers tapped the screen to reply, another message followed: 【Could you help me scan a document? It’s on the desk.】

Chaoying replied with an “OK” emoji and turned toward the hallway next to the master bedroom, finding the study at the end. Sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows, illuminating half the bookshelf and giving the space a quiet, warm atmosphere.

She walked straight to the desk and quickly found the document. It was only a few pages, so the scanning went fast. Just as she hit send, she looked up and froze.

There, hanging on the white wall directly facing the desk, was a bright splash of color, the oil painting she had given to Ye Jiayuan.

It was a vibrant, slightly clumsy piece that clashed with the understated luxury of the room’s decor, yet somehow integrated perfectly with the study’s soul.

Fu Chaoying’s breath hitched. Her phone vibrated with a “Thank you” from Ye Jiayuan.

Her heart rate accelerated. Ye Jiayuan had hung her painting in a place she looked at every single day, just as Chaoying kept the painting Ye gave her by her bedside.

Was this Ye Jiayuan’s way of giving her a response?

A series of romantic scenes flashed through her mind, unspoken words and unfulfilled gestures. Her previously wavering thoughts suddenly solidified. She didn’t just want to get back at Ye Yi’an, she wanted to explore exactly how far Ye Jiayuan’s “special treatment” went.

Or rather, she wanted to know if Ye Jiayuan truly harbored feelings for her.

At noon, Fu Chaoying attended the luncheon with her aunt. She was well-mannered and engaging, leaving a great impression on the guests. However, the evening cocktail party was the real social battlefield.

Her aunt had her own networking duties, so she simply told Chaoying not to drink too much and left her to her own devices.

Fu Chaoying picked up a glass of red wine, stood in a corner to mentally rehearse some social English, and then proactively struck up a conversation with two international oil painters. They expressed a deep interest in Chinese ink wash painting and hoped to visit Nan Yan for a study trip. Chaoying gracefully invited them and exchanged contact information.

As she turned to find a new target, someone tapped her on the shoulder. “Miss Fu, what a coincidence.” It was Yun Ji, the founder of a rising “Guofeng” (national style) fashion brand who had previously approached her for a collaboration. At the time, Chaoying had declined because the brand had worked with Ye Yi’an.

Now, she offered a polite smile. “Miss Yun, long time no see.”

They shook hands. Yun Ji didn’t mention the past rejection but instead enthusiastically invited her to a fashion exhibition the following day. Fu Chaoying realized she had ignored a recent email from them; she was moved by their persistence. Deciding not to let her prejudice against Ye Yi’an affect her professional judgment, she nodded. “It would be an honor.”

Soon, a familiar voice rang out from the podium. It was the woman from the night before, Ye Jiayuan’s colleague and college classmate, Qu Jingyuan. Ye Jiayuan had said she was too busy to attend today, so Qu was representing Xingye International, the event’s sponsor.

Qu was bold and glamorous, the brightest star in the room. As Fu Chaoying watched her, she couldn’t help but wonder. What kind of woman does Ye Jiayuan actually like?

Before she could think further, a voice called out nearby: “A’ying, I found you.”

Ye Yi’an, dressed in a wine-red gown, walked toward her. Fu Chaoying didn’t look back and moved toward the bar, but Ye Yi’an followed.

“You rejected all the letters I wrote you,” Ye Yi’an said, her voice tinged with humility. “A’ying, I’ve cut ties with her completely. Can you give me one more chance?”

Fu Chaoying turned around, her expression calm and cold. “Ye Yi’an, I don’t like eating ‘returned grass’ (going back to an ex).”

Her voice was quiet but absolute.

Ye Yi’an wanted to say more, but she was interrupted by several women in business suits. “Little President Ye?” They recognized her and swarmed around to socialize.

Fu Chaoying didn’t want to deal with their hypocrisy and turned to leave, but one woman blocked her path. “Where are you going, Miss Fu? Aren’t you staying with Little President Ye?”

Chaoying ignored her and tried to pull her arm away, only to hear two sharp, mocking voices: “Didn’t they break up? Why are they at a party together?” someone whispered. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s a ‘peaceful’ breakup, nothing wrong with leaching off an ex’s resources, right?”

The two women went back and forth, clicking their tongues. Leaching off an ex’s resources. They assumed Ye Yi’an had brought her.

Fu Chaoying suppressed her anger and scanned the group. She noticed that Ye Yi’an made no move to clarify, perhaps Ye Yi’an even hallucinated that it was because of her that Xingye had invited Chaoying.

A surge of nameless fury rose in Chaoying’s chest. Just as she was about to turn and walk away, her body jolted, she had bumped into a warm, strong embrace.

The familiar scent of magnolia filled her nose. Her breath hitched as a cool voice sounded by her ear: “Leaching off whose resources? I personally invited Miss Fu.”

Ye Jiayuan raised her left hand and naturally rested it on Fu Chaoying’s shoulder. Holding a wine glass in her right hand, she looked composed and radiated a powerful aura.

All eyes in the room snapped toward them. Looking at the intimate pair, the mocking women were instantly silenced, and Ye Yi’an stood there, too shocked to speak.

Fu Chaoying was stunned for a moment before looking up to meet Ye Jiayuan’s gaze. Ye’s eyes were as mysterious and unfathomable as ever, but they made Chaoying’s heart skip a beat.

The surrounding gossip began to churn immediately. “Gosh, President Ye invited her personally?” “No wonder Fu Chaoying said she doesn’t eat ‘returned grass’…” “She’s climbed onto a much better branch!”

Amidst the fluttering rumors, one distinct comment stood out: “How scandalous… is this a case of the younger sister breaking up, and the elder sister picking up the pieces?”