Provoking the Obsessive, Cold, and Aloof CEO - Chapter 1

As the plane taxied to a stop, Ruan Taoran spotted a sea of pink blossoms blanketing the city.

March marked the peak of spring in Jiang City, its most romantic season. Waves of pink and white cherry blossoms bloomed in full glory, transforming the entire city into a floral paradise.

The weather was clear and mild, and the air buzzed with the chatter of tourists who had come to admire the blossoms. They disembarked, laughing and chatting.

Ruan Taoran’s first act upon landing was to text her uncle, Ruan Feng, to let him know she had arrived safely.

Uncle, I’ve landed.

The message vanished into the digital void. Ruan Taoran calculated that Ruan Feng was likely in a meeting at this hour.

Next, she bought a bottle of peach-flavored sparkling water from a vending machine.

She twisted open the cap, releasing a fizzy hiss as bubbles surged upward, flooding her throat with the sweet, tangy peach flavor.

Domestic sparkling water tastes so much better, she thought. They sell this brand at the Chinese supermarket abroad, but it’s too expensive. I can’t bring myself to buy it.

Suddenly, her phone began vibrating incessantly.

Ruan Taoran answered, “Xiaoxiao, I’ve arrived safely.”

“Is anyone picking you up?” Lin Xiaoxiao asked on the other end.

“I don’t think so,” Ruan Taoran replied, glancing around with a nonchalant tone.

“How heartless! He’s your own flesh and bl00d, yet he won’t even pick you up or see you off. And he still sends you tuition bills…” Lin Xiaoxiao grumbled under her breath.

Tucked inside Ruan Taoran’s backpack lay a bill that had been sent across the ocean several months prior.

The bill meticulously itemized every tuition expense she had incurred since beginning her studies abroad. It was issued by Ruan’s Lingnan Group and bore the personal seal of her uncle, Ruan Feng.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s dissatisfaction was palpable. “Besides, Ruan’s Lingnan Group should rightfully belong to you.”

Ruan’s Lingnan Group had been co-founded by Ruan Taoran’s parents, Ruan Qin and Song Lingyu.

When Ruan Taoran was five years old, a tragic car accident claimed both her parents’ lives.

Her uncle, Ruan Feng, rushed from out of town to handle the funeral arrangements, took over Lingnan Group, and became Ruan Taoran’s legal guardian.

“I don’t think my uncle sent this bill,” Ruan Taoran said, though she hadn’t asked him directly. “He wouldn’t be so spiteful. It was probably Ruan Ruyue who stole her father’s seal and forged this bill to send to me.”

Ruan Ruyue was Ruan Feng’s daughter, one year older than Ruan Taoran. By bl00d relation, she was Ruan Taoran’s cousin.

Ruan Taoran still vividly remembered the day Ruan Ruyue arrived in Jiang City. The moment she saw Ruan Taoran’s exquisite princess-themed room, she claimed it as her own.

Ruan Ruyue demanded Ruan Taoran’s beautiful dresses, her schoolbag, and her stationery.

Ruan Taoran was quickly moved to the guest room, but even that didn’t satisfy the young heiress.

Later, Ruan Taoran went to S Country to study jewelry design, putting distance between them. Ruan Ruyue’s harassment lessened somewhat.

Until last year, when S Country hosted a prestigious competition for emerging designers. Ruan Taoran’s submission won the gold prize, while Ruan Ruyue only received silver.

But Ruan Taoran’s gold prize was revoked.

She repeatedly inquired about the reason, but the organizing committee claimed her work involved plagiarism.

Plagiarism? How could that be? Ruan Taoran had a complete creative process and detailed records of her work.

She filed multiple appeals, but the committee rejected them all.

The notice of Ruan Taoran’s prize revocation arrived alongside that bill.

Ruan Taoran immediately understood: Ruan Ruyue had orchestrated this.

What an idiot, Ruan Taoran thought upon receiving the bill. If I were Ruan Ruyue, I wouldn’t flaunt my misdeeds so brazenly, let alone leave so many loose ends for others to unravel.

Lin Xiaoxiao asked, “Then what if you show the bill to your uncle and explain everything? Would that work?”

“Pointless,” Ruan Taoran scoffed. “He’ll always protect his precious daughter. It’s been that way since she was a child.”

“If I expose the bill, Ruan Ruyue would at most offer a half-hearted apology, and the whole matter would be swept under the rug.”

“She can take anything else from me, and I wouldn’t care. But she can’t ruin Aling’s reputation.”

Aling, the rising star of jewelry design in S Country, was none other than Ruan Taoran.

Since the last Emerging Designers Competition, the name “Aling” had become synonymous with plagiarism, her reputation utterly tarnished.

Ruan Taoran wanted far more than just an apology from Ruan Ruyue. After nearly twenty years of yielding, she was determined to fight for what was rightfully hers.

Beyond reclaiming Aling’s reputation, Ruan Taoran also coveted Seraphine, a jewelry brand under the Ruan Family Lingnan Group.

This brand had been personally founded by Ruan Taoran’s mother, who managed it for over a decade, leading its golden era.

However, in recent years, the Ruan Family had neglected Seraphine, causing its fortunes to plummet. If this continued, the brand would likely be abandoned altogether.

“Then be careful,” Lin Xiaoxiao said helplessly. “I can’t help you. The waters of these wealthy families run too deep.”

“If things get too tough, just come back to S Country. I’ll work part-time to support you.”

In S Country, Ruan Feng only covered Ruan Taoran’s tuition fees; she had to earn her living expenses herself. Lin Xiaoxiao was a friend she’d met while working part-time, a girl from a poor family.

Sensing the discouragement in Lin Xiaoxiao’s voice, Ruan Taoran reassured her, “Don’t worry. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If we put our hearts into it, we’ll find a solution.”

Unlike the pessimistic Lin Xiaoxiao, Ruan Taoran was optimistic and proactive, always ready to meet challenges head-on.

Having endured even harsher times in her childhood, she saw her current struggles as nothing more than minor setbacks.

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile softly. *This is still the Ruan Taoran I know.*

Back in S Country, the group of impoverished students had lived a hard life, but Ruan Taoran always remained cheerful and carefree.

When they couldn’t afford to travel, they would relax by the riverbank, enjoying the breeze and finding contentment in simple pleasures.

Even when working part-time at a café and facing difficult customers, she never lost her composure, always managing to coax a smile from them with a few well-chosen words.

Moreover, she was a relentless overachiever, striving for perfection in every assignment and consistently securing the front-row seat in every class, greeting the teacher with a warm smile as they took the stage.

As a result, Ruan Taoran’s grades were consistently excellent.

Lin Xiaoxiao sometimes felt that even if Ruan Taoran were thrown into a garbage dump, she would somehow make flowers bloom there—her optimism and relentless drive so potent that even plastic would blossom.

“Miss Ruan?” a voice suddenly called out from beside her.

“Excuse me,” Ruan Taoran said, reassuring Lin Xiaoxiao briefly before hastily ending the call.

The man had already stepped forward to take the suitcase from Ruan Taoran’s hand. “Please come with me,” he said.

Someone from the Ruan Family is here to pick me up? Ruan Taoran couldn’t quite believe it.

Just as she was about to ask for clarification, she glanced up and saw a woman standing beside the car.

The woman wore a dark gray casual suit with pale apricot shirt sleeves rolled up slightly, revealing her wrist and the faint curve of her forearm.

Her pale, glass-like eyes met Ruan Taoran’s, cold as ice, as if surveying the masses from above. Their sharp gaze made it difficult to maintain eye contact.

Paired with gold-rimmed glasses, she exuded an air of restrained nobility.

Ruan Taoran’s eyelashes flickered as she noticed the platinum wristwatch on the woman’s wrist, accompanied by a string of pale green crystal grape stones.

The crystal grape stones looked somewhat cheap, with a few faded metal letters dangling in the middle: R, T, R.

Ruan Taoran—her name.

When she was a child, shortly after her parents passed away, her uncle and aunt took over the household.

The house was always bustling, and Ruan Ruyue treated her poorly. The family chef and maids fawned over Ruan Ruyue, leaving Ruan Taoran without even a warm meal.

Later, she learned to read people’s expressions and gauge their moods.

She followed the cook and maids around, calling them “Auntie” sweetly. In front of her uncles and aunts, she played the role of the obedient daughter.

She was especially polite and enthusiastic with visiting guests, pulling her peers into games and earning the reputation of being the Ruan Family’s well-behaved little girl.

Only by acting this way could she survive in the Ruan household, though it inevitably drew the ire of many.

She gave away countless grape stone bracelets, clasping the hands of older girls and saying, “I love you the most, Sister! I want to be with you forever!”

The woman before her was clearly an old acquaintance, but Ruan Taoran couldn’t remember which one—there were simply too many.

“What are you staring at?” A crisp, cool voice, like the clinking of floating ice, cut through the air.

Pale, glass-like eyes, hidden behind the lenses of gold-rimmed glasses, seemed even colder and more distant than their natural chill.

Ruan Taoran watched the person who had greeted her earlier load her luggage into the car, finally realizing the words were directed at her.

The platinum wristwatch, a limited edition from Queen’s Spring/Summer Rain Series, was one of only ten in the world, priced in the seven figures. Fewer than five people could currently claim ownership of such a piece.

The suit and shirt bore no obvious logos, but the fabrics were exquisite and the tailoring impeccable. The subtle lily-of-the-valley pattern woven into the collar…

If she wasn’t mistaken, it was a bespoke piece from the Rain Series, a niche Italian brand that operated on a membership basis, open only to a select few.

This was a wealthy and influential old acquaintance.

Ruan Taoran would never be foolish enough to ask, “Who are you?” No one likes to be forgotten.

Her lips curved into a radiant, sunlit smile, her eyes sparkling with feigned surprise. “Sister! What are you doing here to pick me up?”

The warm March sunlight bathed her smile in a golden glow.

Among her delicate features, her doe-like eyes stood out most—innocent, lively, and brimming with vitality. Her cheeks flushed pink like spring peach blossoms.

That dazzling smile struck Ji Qingyun’s eyes like a sudden blaze, momentarily freezing her gaze.

The scene before her seemed to merge with a memory: the day she had first encountered Ruan Taoran at a social gathering.

Those same dewy, doe-like eyes had clung to her sleeve, pleading, “Sister, let’s play together! Ranran loves you the most!”

She couldn’t understand it. Back then, she was just the Ji Family’s illegitimate daughter, and the servants barely acknowledged her existence. So why was this little girl so clingy?

She hadn’t met Ruan Taoran often, but every time they did, the girl would smile brightly, her eyes like pools of water that seemed to hold only her.

“The Ruan Family isn’t here. Will you come with me?” Her voice was as cold as ice clinking together, and a slender, pale hand extended toward Ruan Taoran.

Though phrased as a question, it left Ruan Taoran little choice. The hand had already settled over the back of Ruan Taoran’s hand.

Ruan Taoran’s fingertips paused instinctively. Ji Qingyun’s palm was cool, mirroring her icy demeanor.

Sunlight streamed down in layers, illuminating Ji Qingyun’s profile and casting her features in a warm glow. Her pale, amber-colored eyes shimmered like polished glass.

Ruan Taoran caught a whiff of a cool, herbal scent that seemed to envelop her like a net.

“You don’t want to?” Ji Qingyun’s voice cut through Ruan Taoran’s thoughts. “You don’t want to come with me? You don’t like me?”

Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly stopped. A soft warmth pressed against her chest as Ruan Taoran burrowed into her arms, hugging her tightly.

“Sister, have you been well all these years?”

Ruan Taoran looked up at Ji Qingyun, her smile radiant, yet tears shimmered in her eyes, as if brimming with deep affection.

In the next instant, a fragrant warmth enveloped Ji Qingyun as Ruan Taoran nestled into her embrace, her arms loosely circling Ji Qingyun’s waist.

Caught off guard by this sudden gesture, Ji Qingyun instinctively frowned slightly.

Ruan Taoran didn’t hug her tightly, maintaining a respectful distance as she held her briefly before releasing her.

“You seem to have lost weight, and you’re wearing such thin clothes,” Ruan Taoran murmured softly, her fingers gently closing around Ji Qingyun’s knuckles. “Your hands are so cold.”

Though Ji Qingyun’s hands were icy, Ruan Taoran seemed unfazed, simply warming them with the heat of her own palms.

Her palms were warm.

The young girl was so happy to see her, and her first thought was to worry about Ji Qingyun’s thin clothes…

“Only Sister came to pick me up. I love you the most,” Ruan Taoran said, her voice brimming with dependence.

“You love me?” Ji Qingyun’s voice deepened slightly. “Ruan Taoran, are you sure?”

Ruan Taoran gazed into those pale, glass-like eyes, as desolate and barren as a withered wasteland, sending a chill through her heart.

She always felt as if she were being stalked by a cold-blooded jackal.

Her fingertips were cold, and her eyes were equally frigid.

Yet without hesitation, she wrapped her arm around Ji Qingyun’s, lowered her gaze, and whispered, “I do.”

Even if it were a jackal, she would cling tightly. Pleasing others had been second nature to her since childhood.

What harm could a single word do? Saying “I do” wouldn’t cost her anything.

“Remember those words…” Ji Qingyun’s voice was faint, her lashes lowered, and a shadow seemed to flicker across her eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses.

Ruan Taoran’s heart gave a sudden, faint tremor. When she looked into those eyes again, she convinced herself the shadow had been her imagination.

Her expression remained perfectly composed. She blinked naturally, her eyes shimmering like clear spring water, innocent and pure.

“Of course I’ll remember. I’ll remember for the rest of my life, forever and always. You’ll always be my favorite, Sister.”

Ji Qingyun’s fingertips brushed Ruan Taoran’s cheek, the girl’s unwavering devotion shining brightly in her eyes. Her fingers paused, then slowly withdrew.

Ruan Taoran’s smile bloomed like spring wind scattering peach blossoms across a tree, the sweet scent of peaches mingling with the fragrance of gardenias—the aroma of peach sparkling water.

Just as she had in childhood, Ruan Taoran still adored her.