The Aloof CEO’s Hidden Temptation - Chapter 8

Three days after Ye Jiayuan arrived in Singapore, Fu Chaoying reposted Ye Yi’an’s breakup statement. Her caption was simple: 【Wish each other well.】

This marked the absolute end of their past entanglements and served as the opening overture to Fu Chaoying’s career.

Over the following week, Fu Chaoying worked tirelessly. After selecting a location for her office, she simultaneously pushed forward with company registration, obtaining various licenses, and overseeing the interior design.

Meanwhile, friends on WeChat sent a barrage of messages, attempting to pry into the reasons behind her “cliff-drop” breakup with Ye Yi’an. Fu Chaoying ignored all the gossip, responding only to work related messages.

News that Fu Chaoying was preparing to launch an art management agency spread quickly through their social circles. Leveraging the Fu family’s deep rooted connections, she easily signed several domestic artists, mostly ink wash painters and a few calligraphers.

Though she hadn’t intended to contact her grandmother’s old acquaintances yet, several reached out to show their goodwill first. With the Singapore Art Gala fast approaching, Fu Chaoying didn’t have time for formal interviews and only expressed her preliminary intent to cooperate.

It wasn’t until Fu Chaoying and her eldest aunt were heading to the airport that she realized her conversation with Ye Jiayuan had been stagnant for two weeks.

Fu Chaoying had been too busy immersing herself in the company setup to spare time for anything else, and naturally, she hadn’t contacted Ye Jiayuan. The other woman, of course, was unlikely to reach out first.

Thus, they had drifted into a quiet disconnect, just like before, seeing each other less than twice a year, with only polite pleasantries when they did meet. Staring at their previous polite and distant messages, Fu Chaoying began to doubt if those “heated” moments had been nothing more than a dream.

But even if it were a dream, she intended to walk right into it.

Fu Chaoying tapped on Ye Jiayuan’s chat box and typed:

【Sister Jiayuan, I’m flying to Singapore today.】

She offered no reason for the sudden flight, hoping the other would ask. However, things didn’t go as planned, by the time the plane took off, no new message had appeared in the chat.

Perhaps she’s busy, Fu Chaoying thought. She turned off her phone, covered herself with a blanket, and prepared to rest.

Her aunt, Fu Anjun, looked at her with concern. “Haven’t slept well lately?”

Fu Chaoying shook her head gently with a faint smile. “I was revising the interior design blueprints until midnight yesterday.”

Fu Anjun patted her shoulder. “Your health comes first. The family isn’t short of the little bit of money you’ll make.”

In truth, even without touching the family fortune, Fu Chaoying’s 5% stake in Xingye was enough for her to live a life of leisure. But what would be the point of that?

“I know, Auntie,” Fu Chaoying replied softly.

She closed her eyes, but her mind was busy replaying every detail of her interactions with Ye Jiayuan. Although Ye Jiayuan always gave off a cold, distant vibe, she had indeed released several “positive signals.”

All in all, there was a strong hope of leaning on the “great tree” that was Ye Jiayuan.

Upon arriving in Singapore, Fu Chaoying immediately checked her phone, only to find a single, quiet response in the chat: 【Mm.】

? She didn’t even ask what I’m doing here? Didn’t she say I could contact her if I came to Singapore?

Fu Chaoying took two deep breaths, pursed her lips, and put her phone away.

This caught Fu Anjun’s eye. “What’s wrong, Xiao Ying?”

Fu Chaoying curled her lips into a smile. “Just getting used to the foreign air.”

Fu Anjun laughed. “You silly child!”

The trip had been fully arranged by her aunt, so Fu Chaoying only had to follow along. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure.

Is that her?

Fu Chaoying wasn’t sure until they got closer and the person spoke. She was startled.

“Assistant Liu?”

Ye Jiayuan’s assistant, Liu Na, nodded to her. “Miss Chaoying, long time no see.”

As Fu Chaoying shook hands alongside her aunt, Liu Na explained: “President Ye is still in a meeting. She specifically asked me to pick you both up and take you to the hotel.”

Aunt Fu Anjun, accustomed to such treatment, exchanged a few polite words before leading Fu Chaoying into the car.

Fu Chaoying whispered to her aunt: “Did you tell Sister Jiayuan beforehand that we were coming?”

Fu Anjun shook her head. “The day Jiayuan left Nanyan, she sent me two invitation cards via flash delivery.”

Fu Anjun had then given the second invitation to her niece.

Fu Chaoying understood instantly. The moment Ye Jiayuan received her message, she already knew she was coming to the gala with her aunt. No wonder she didn’t ask for a reason.

While Fu Chaoying was deep in thought, Assistant Liu spoke up: “Ladies, President Ye would like to invite you both to dinner. Do you have time this evening?”

Fu Anjun smiled. “We would be honored.”

Given the history between the Ye and Fu families, Ye Jiayuan’s hospitality was to be expected.

Arriving at the hotel, Fu Chaoying looked up and felt a strange sense of familiarity.

“Xiao Ying, do you remember? On your 15th birthday, this was the hotel we stayed at.”

The memory was instantly triggered. Her birthday that year had coincided with the Spring Festival, the Ye and Fu families were both there, vacationing and celebrating the New Year together. That was the last time the whole family had gathered for her birthday.

Unfortunately, not a single photo remained.

After a brief trip down memory lane with her aunt, they checked in. Both had suites next to each other, with balconies overlooking the sea.

Fu Chaoying took a quick shower, changed into summer clothes, and sat on the balcony for a while. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Xiao Ying, it’s me.”

It was her aunt’s voice. Fu Chaoying stepped forward to open the door, only to find two people standing there.

Standing with her aunt was Ye Jiayuan.

In the two weeks since they last met, she had actually put on a dress, a simple, deep gray style that outlined her graceful figure.

A flash of stunning surprise crossed Fu Chaoying’s eyes, but she quickly masked it, a smile playing on her lips. “Sister Jiayuan, long time no see.”

Her aunt gave a slight cough.

Ye Jiayuan glanced at Fu Chaoying’s clothes, then fixed her gaze on her hair. Her voice was calm. “Mm. We’ll wait for you to dry your hair, then go to dinner together?”

“Okay, please come in.” Fu Chaoying didn’t think much of it and turned back toward the bedroom.

It wasn’t until she saw herself in the mirror that she realized, she wasn’t wearing a bra when she opened the door!

Oh my god! Although the camisole covered most things, her lack of undergarments was glaringly obvious with every movement. It was fine for her aunt to see, but… Ye Jiayuan saw?!

Maybe she didn’t notice?

But as Fu Chaoying went to dry her hair, she realized it had already been mostly dried by the sea breeze…

So, Ye Jiayuan’s comment about “drying her hair” was just a tactful way of telling her to go get dressed properly.

She definitely saw.

Fu Chaoying hurriedly ran the dryer for a few seconds and splashed her face with cold water several times to calm down. Two minutes later, she regained her composure.

She changed, opened the door, and acted as if nothing had happened. “Let’s go.”

On the way to the restaurant, Fu Anjun and Ye Jiayuan chatted about recent events. Her aunt teased, “Why the sudden interest in sponsoring an art forum?”

Fu Chaoying was curious too. In her memory, Xingye focused more on high-tech and finance. Why the shift to art?

Ye Jiayuan said softly, “I bought a painting a while ago and found it quite interesting.”

Hearing this, Fu Chaoying looked up at her. Was she talking about The Magnolia?

Her aunt patted her shoulder. “Sister Jiayuan specifically bid for The Magnolia for you. Did you give her a return gift?”

So, her aunt knew about the painting too. Perhaps Ye Jiayuan had consulted her before the auction? It seemed the painting was truly just about fulfilling her grandmother Fu Li’s last wish. Nothing more.

Before Fu Chaoying could answer, Ye Jiayuan spoke indifferently: “The gift itself is a small matter. Besides, Xiao Ying has already returned the favor.”

Fu Anjun steered the conversation elsewhere.

Fu Chaoying felt a dip in her mood. She had overthought it. She had imagined she was somewhat special to Ye Jiayuan, which was why she had insisted on the return gift.

She stole a glance at Ye Jiayuan’s profile, only for the other woman to look back with precision.

In the blue hour of twilight, with the sea breeze blowing, their eyes met. She saw Ye Jiayuan’s pupils, clear, bright, yet deep and unreadable. They both looked away instinctively, as if, in that moment, they had lost the faint light of the dusk.

As the host, Ye Jiayuan took them to the most famous seaside restaurant in the area, securing the best table. Fu Anjun praised her thoughtfulness and told Fu Chaoying to learn from her, as she would eventually have to handle such social obligations.

When the topic shifted back to Fu Chaoying, Ye Jiayuan’s gaze fell on her blue tasseled dress. The pattern was unique.

“Did you design this pattern yourself?” Ye Jiayuan asked in a low voice.

Fu Chaoying nodded. “I drew the pattern; a friend helped with the dress design.”

Ye Jiayuan didn’t pry further, asking instead, “How is the company preparation going?”

She was the host, controlling the flow of the conversation. Fu Chaoying answered her questions, and Ye Jiayuan nodded. “Good. If you need any help, don’t be a stranger.”

Resources offered on a silver platter were not something Fu Chaoying would refuse.

The topic ended there. Fu Chaoying looked out the window at the waves hitting the shore while listening to her aunt and Ye Jiayuan discuss international news.

As the meal neared its end, her aunt excused herself to go to the restroom. Only Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan remained at the table.

Fu Chaoying was peeling a shrimp when she suddenly saw a perfectly peeled shrimp tail placed on her plate.

Startled, she looked up. Ye Jiayuan curled her lips slightly and said softly, “I remember it has only been two weeks since we last met.”

Fu Chaoying put on a perfect smile, pretending not to understand the hidden meaning. “Thank you for the shrimp, Sister Jiayuan.” She popped it into her mouth.

Ye Jiayuan watched her intensely. “When I bid for a collectible, I don’t need to consult anyone, nor do I usually tell anyone about it.”

Fu Chaoying’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up slowly. Ye Jiayuan’s expression was calm, yet it seemed as though she saw through every one of her little thoughts.

“Giving it to you… wasn’t entirely for your grandmother.”