On The Night I Confirmed My Girlfriend's Infidelity, I Kissed Her Sister (GL) - Chapter 22.1: Temptation

“Jiayuan?” Fu Chaoying’s voice carried surprise, the rising inflection mingled with barely concealed delight.

Her sparkling gaze seemed to hold starlight.

Dressed in a beige trench coat that accentuated her slender figure, Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, her eyes softening. “Morning.”

Hearing this, Fu Chaoying’s eyes curved into crescents, her tone light: “When did you return to Nanyan?”

“This morning.”

Another red-eye flight.

An indescribable emotion welled up in Fu Chaoying’s chest.

At that moment, Fu Chaohua peeked out from the dining room to bid farewell: “I’ve got matters at school, heading out now.”

She even winked at Fu Chaoying, her expression clearly saying “I get it, I won’t interrupt.”

Fu Chaoying smiled wryly, waving mechanically as she watched her leave, only then hearing Ye Jiayuan’s deep voice: “The gift isn’t me.”

Unable to suppress a grin, Fu Chaoying blinked at her. “I know.”

Her tone held a hint of teasing.

“Hmm?” Ye Jiayuan’s voice lifted slightly at the end, regarding her with interest.

Fu Chaoying’s gaze swept over Ye Jiayuan’s impeccable navy blue shirt, her amusement growing. “You didn’t even come with a bow.”

The always composed and proper Ye Jiayuan would never think to package herself as a gift.

A barely perceptible smile touched Ye Jiayuan’s brows.

“Let’s have breakfast first, then we’ll go see your gift.”

Aunt Wu grinned from ear to ear, warmly inviting her, “Would Miss Jiayuan like to join us for some more breakfast?”

Ye Jiayuan declined with a gentle shake of her head, indicating she had already eaten.

Fu Chaoying quickly finished her breakfast and set off with Ye Jiayuan.

Ye Jiayuan’s assistant, Liu Xin, had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing the two walking side by side, her face immediately lit up with a smile as she warmly greeted, “Miss Chaoying, please get in the car.”

Fu Chaoying and Ye Jiayuan took their seats in the back. As the car door closed, the interior fell into silence.

The air was filled with the faint fragrance of magnolia and roses.

Listening to the steady breathing of the person beside her and caught in the unresolved ambiguity between them, Fu Chaoying maintained a calm exterior, though she felt somewhat uneasy inside.

After a moment of silence in the car, Ye Jiayuan suddenly spoke softly, “Play some music.”

“What kind of music?” Liu Xin asked, puzzled, glancing at Ye Jiayuan through the rearview mirror. After all, Ye Jiayuan rarely made such requests—she usually preferred quiet and had little interest in music or the arts.

“Something soothing, like piano music,” Ye Jiayuan replied in a neutral tone.

The gentle instrumental music perfectly masked the subtle tension in the car. Fu Chaoying’s eyes curved slightly as she turned her gaze to the window.

She didn’t ask about the gift Ye Jiayuan had mentioned, but she noticed the familiar route the car was taking.

“Are we going to Nan University?” Fu Chaoying turned to ask her.

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod, her gaze lingering on Fu Chaoying’s softly glowing face. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back,” she said, her tone carrying a hint of tenderness that was hard to detect.

Fu Chaoying suddenly remembered their conversation at the Ye residence that night—Aunt Chu had inadvertently mentioned the graduation ceremony, and Ye Jiayuan had said she was too busy that day to have a meal with her.

So today, she had made time to take her back to Nan University for a meal?

But it seemed a bit early for lunch.

Just as Fu Chaoying was about to ask, she noticed Ye Jiayuan had already taken out her tablet and was intently reviewing documents, so she swallowed her words.

Before long, the car slowly entered the west gate of Nanyan University.

The familiar campus scenery came into view—every tree and blade of grass was intimately familiar, yet slightly different from when she had been a student there.

Fu Chaoying hadn’t returned to her alma mater in a long time either.

After several turns, the car finally came to a stop in front of the Student Activity Center.

Ye Jiayuan had quietly put away her tablet at some point and turned her head, murmuring, “We’re here.”

Fu Chaoying followed her out of the car, descending the stairs to the basement of the university student activity center.

Fu Chaoying glanced up in confusion, only to see a metal plaque by the door emblazoned with the words “Pet Rescue Station.”

Several university students in volunteer uniforms stood at the entrance. The moment they spotted Ye Jiayuan, their eyes lit up, and they greeted her in unison, “Hello, seniors!”

Ye Jiayuan gave a slight nod.

Fu Chaoying, however, grew even more puzzled. Before she could voice her questions, the student at the front beamed and said, “Seniors, the puppies are inside. Please follow me.”

“Thank you,” Ye Jiayuan replied, about to step forward when she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.

She paused and tilted her head, her eyes silently asking, “Hmm?”

Fu Chaoying rose onto her tiptoes, leaning close to Ye Jiayuan’s ear, her whisper so soft only the two of them could hear: “I… don’t want to adopt a puppy right now.”

The warm breath brushed against Ye Jiayuan’s ear like a feather, sending a faint shiver down her spine.

Ye Jiayuan swallowed lightly before gently grasping Fu Chaoying’s wrist. “Don’t worry. Just come with me and take a look first.”

The warmth of her palm seeped through Fu Chaoying’s skin, spreading reassurance straight to her heart. A tremor ran through Fu Chaoying’s chest as she found herself helplessly drawn forward by Ye Jiayuan’s tender pull.

Before long, Fu Chaoying’s gaze was captured by a playful pack of puppies. Their coats varied in color and breed, but every one of them was lively and adorable.

“These are all strays,” Ye Jiayuan said softly.

Fu Chaoying scanned the room, but her eyes locked onto a tiny Pomeranian. It wagged its tail, grinning brightly.

What struck her most was how much this little dog resembled her own lost companion, Xingxing.

Her heart skipped a beat. She froze, staring blankly at the Pomeranian as memories flooded her mind.

No—this black-furred Pomeranian wasn’t Xingxing.

Though both had a tuft of white fur on their right ears, Xingxing had always been dignified, rarely displaying such exuberant joy.

“Doesn’t it look like Xingxing?” Ye Jiayuan’s voice murmured beside her ear.

Fu Chaoying turned to meet her gaze, only to fall into the gentle depths of Ye Jiayuan’s eyes.

It had been so many years since Xingxing passed away—few ever mentioned him.

Few remembered a puppy who had only briefly been part of her life.

Even Fu Chaoying’s own memories of him had grown hazy with time. Yet Ye Jiayuan remembered—and had even recognized a Pomeranian that bore such a striking resemblance to Xingxing.

“I remember you never got another dog after Xingxing left.”

“Were you afraid you couldn’t give it a proper home?”

Ye Jiayuan knew Xingxing had passed not long after Fu Chaoying’s mother.

Her words struck deep, piercing straight to the soul.

Fu Chaoying stiffened slightly, her breath quickening as she stared wordlessly into Ye Jiayuan’s eyes, unsure how to respond.

Ye Jiayuan held her gaze steadily, her expression tender and coaxing. “If you don’t want to adopt, you could sponsor this one instead. The volunteers here will take good care of it for you.”

“It’ll have a home—with plenty of companions.”

She paused, thoughtful for a moment, as if carefully weighing her next words.

Only then did she continue, “If we ever… have a future together, or if you find another stable partner, you can always consider bringing it home.”

The voice by her ear was gentle yet firm, each word seemingly pondered for a long time, every detail carefully considered—even the possibility that she might not choose a future with her.

At this moment, something in Fu Chaoying’s heart suddenly melted, and a long-buried decision became clear.