Provoking the Obsessive, Cold, and Aloof CEO - Chapter 18

Ruan Feng’s gaze was dark and inscrutable as he scrutinized Ruan Taoran, his expression betraying his disappointment.

“Uncle…” Ruan Taoran began, then trailed off.

Seeing victory within reach, Ruan Ruyue pressed her advantage relentlessly. “What? Still trying to weasel your way out of this?”

“It’s not like that,” Ruan Taoran murmured. “She’s just a friend.”

“Dad, you scold me every time I go out for a drink, but she’s gone this far! You can’t just ignore it,” Ruan Ruyue whined, clinging to Ruan Feng’s arm.

Ruan Feng sighed softly and patted Ruan Ruyue’s hand. “Alright, I understand.”

He gazed at Ruan Taoran’s face, watching it slowly merge with the image of Song Lingyu in his memory—delicate and radiant, bathed in sunlight, brimming with warmth.

But when he had first met Song Lingyu, she was already his sister-in-law. He had confessed his feelings, but she had always kept him at arm’s length.

Song Lingyu, with her sense of boundaries and propriety, was the embodiment of the goddess in his heart.

He couldn’t help but feel disappointed in Ruan Taoran. Despite her face bearing a five or six-point resemblance to his daughter’s, how could she return wearing a stranger’s suit?

“Uncle, it’s really just a friend. Eldest Sister misunderstood,” Ruan Taoran continued to explain in a low voice.

“Misunderstood? You weren’t wearing this when you left today, and now you’ve changed clothes? Shameless,” Ruan Ruyue pressed her attack.

She would never miss an opportunity to crush Ruan Taoran, and today was the day to make her fall from grace in front of Ruan Feng.

“Take it off. Give me the coat,” Ruan Feng commanded, his voice stern and authoritative.

“Too afraid to take it off?” Ruan Ruyue sneered, reaching out to grab the coat. “Then I’ll peel it off you myself and see which old man’s clothes you’re wearing.”

“Eldest Sister…” Ruan Taoran retreated slightly, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. After a pause, she seemed to steel her resolve. “I’ll take it off myself.”

Her movements were slow as she removed the outer coat, pausing before handing it to Ruan Feng.

Ruan Feng accepted the coat, and Ruan Ruyue immediately leaned in to inspect it.

Sure enough, there was a name tag sewn inside: J. Oakley.

“Who is this Oakley?” Ruan Ruyue demanded.

“I don’t know anyone our age in Jiang City with such a strange name,” she added.

“It must be some old man…”

“No,” Ruan Taoran protested, looking defensive.

“What do you mean ‘no’? You’re tarnishing the Ruan Family’s reputation, which drags me down too! Can’t I even speak my mind?” Ruan Ruyue pressed her advantage relentlessly.

“Enough. Shut up,” Ruan Feng suddenly interjected, his voice heavy and authoritative, cutting off Ruan Ruyue’s tirade.

“Dad—” Ruan Ruyue whined, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness, “we can’t just let this go.”

“Let it go? What do you want? To spread this to the tabloids? You were just worried about your reputation, and now you don’t care?”

“You’re just bored, aren’t you? With nothing better to do all day, why not go shopping for bags or clothes instead of stirring up trouble?”

“Ever since I got back, you’ve been relentless, your tone practically wishing your sister dead. Is that how a proper elder sister should act?”

“If you have nothing to do, go back to your room and rest. Don’t stand here bothering me.”

Ruan Feng’s stern words, each sentence dripping with icy coldness, abruptly silenced Ruan Ruyue. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Would her father really speak to her like this? In all her twenty-plus years, he had never spoken to her this way before.

Why? Just to protect that wretched Ruan Taoran?

What’s so special about that brat? Is he abandoning his own daughter for her?

Ruan Ruyue’s questions churned in her mind, but before she could voice them, Ruan Feng’s voice cut through again: “What are you standing there for? Go back to your room now!”

“Dad—” Ruan Ruyue murmured softly.

“If you don’t leave now, forget about getting that ruby necklace,” Ruan Feng warned, referring to the ruby necklace Ruan Ruyue had been coveting. Knowing she couldn’t risk losing it, she dared not protest further.

“Fine, I’ll go rest upstairs,” Ruan Ruyue said, her gaze sweeping over Ruan Taoran with a hatred so intense it felt like knives flaying her alive.

Though she couldn’t voice her anger for fear of losing the necklace, her resentment simmered. As she stormed into her room, she slammed the door shut with a resounding bang.

Ruan Feng frowned, his voice cold. “What’s with this lack of manners?”

“It’s alright, Dad. Big Sister just misunderstood,” Ruan Taoran said, her tone completely devoid of anger, even defending Ruan Ruyue.

She knew Ruan Feng wouldn’t punish his precious daughter for her sake. His harsh words were directed at Ruan Taoran herself, all because of this J. Oakley.

Ruan Feng’s eyes softened with affection, but a hint of probing remained. “Ranran, do you know President Ji?”

Ruan Ruyue, surrounded by her second- and third-generation playmates, had no idea about Ji Qingyun’s high-caliber connections.

But Ruan Feng, having dealings with the Ji Clan in Jiang City, recognized the signature instantly.

“Don’t blame your sister. She’s just impulsive and doesn’t think things through. I’ll definitely punish her properly—I’ll dock her allowance next month.”

Ruan Taoran’s eyes flickered. Ruan Ruyue had nearly lunged at her to tear off her clothes, and all she got was a docked allowance?

Even if Ruan Feng docked it, Ruan Ruyue would just go to Rao Man, who would undoubtedly make up the difference.

This punishment was no punishment at all.

Ruan Taoran thought to herself, but her face remained bright and warm. “I don’t blame my sister. She just misunderstood.”

Seeing Ruan Taoran’s indifference, Ruan Feng felt justified in continuing his questioning. “What’s your relationship with President Ji?”

“Seraphine is currently applying to establish a presence in Xingyue City. Do you know what President Ji’s thoughts are on that?”

“How would I know?” Ruan Taoran blinked, her eyes radiating innocent sincerity. “We’re just ordinary friends.”

“Then why did President Ji give you her clothes to wear?” Ruan Feng asked hesitantly.

Giving her clothes? Ruan Feng found it impossible to believe they were just friends.

“We played golf together today, and it got a bit chilly on the way back. President Ji just grabbed a jacket for me. I’ll return it to her later,” Ruan Taoran explained.

“I see…” Ruan Feng pondered for a moment. “When you return the clothes, could you ask about Seraphine’s application?”

In recent years, Ruan Feng had neglected his jewelry business, leaving Seraphine to languish in a corner, almost forgotten.

But the recent rise of Lu Di Group’s jewelry brand, OFU, had caught his eye. Its profitability was undeniable, and he felt a pang of envy.

If Seraphine could establish a presence in Xingyue City, it would mark a fresh start, allowing the brand to flourish and generate substantial profits.

“This… it’s not really my place to ask,” Ruan Taoran said, her tone hesitant.

“I don’t usually get involved in company matters. If I suddenly start asking, President Ji might think we’re being too opportunistic.”

“True…” Ruan Feng frowned, looking troubled. He had heard that Ji Qingyun was known for her impartiality and strict adherence to the Ji Clan’s rigid rules and order.

“How about this?” Ruan Taoran suggested. “Uncle, if you arrange for me to work at Seraphine, I can casually bring it up during conversations. It won’t seem forced.”

A pure, bubbly smile lit up Ruan Taoran’s face. “I don’t want to be a manager or anything. I just want to be a regular designer.”

When Ruan Feng heard the first part of her statement, his guard went up. He didn’t want Ruan Taoran climbing the corporate ladder and potentially usurping his authority.

But the second part put his mind at ease. Ruan Taoran was clearly unambitious, content with being a designer—a role that posed no real threat to his position.

Without a second thought, Ruan Feng nodded in agreement. “Alright, just remember to ask President Ji about it when the time comes.”

“Mm-hmm,” Ruan Taoran replied, handing him the honey water from the table. “Uncle, you’ve been working so hard these past few days. Drink this and get some rest.”

Her voice was gentle, her eyes sparkling with vitality as she handed him the honey water, its temperature just right.

Ruan Feng couldn’t help but feel a warmth spread through his heart. He took the drink and swallowed it. “Ranran, you should get some rest too.”

As Ruan Feng’s figure disappeared into his room, Ruan Taoran’s lips curved into a faint smile.

She picked up the suit jacket from the sofa, her fingertips brushing against Ji Qingyun’s signature.

It had all been deliberate. Ji Qingyun had thrown her coat into the trash. After dinner with Feng Shanshan and the others that night, she had sneezed.

Just as she’d predicted, Ji Qingyun had retrieved the jacket from the car and offered it to her.

The suit was androgynous, its oversized fit making Ruan Taoran look like she was wearing men’s clothing.

This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for—to leverage Ji Qingyun’s influence and propose working at Seraphine.

Butler Zhou handed her a bandage. “Second Miss, your hand is still bleeding. Let me take care of it.”

“Thank you, Uncle Zhou,” Ruan Taoran said with a bright smile, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Her smile was warm and genuine.

Butler Zhou hadn’t overheard Ruan Taoran’s later conversation with Ruan Feng, but he had witnessed Ruan Ruyue’s bullying and the young woman’s struggles within this household.

Though life was tough, she never looked disheveled. She always wore that radiant smile, brimming with enthusiasm, optimism, and an unwavering spirit.

Ruan Taoran casually applied a bandage to her wound and returned to her room, hanging the dark suit on a hanger.

As she gazed at it, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

After a moment, she pulled out her phone and sent Ji Qingyun a message:

Are you free tomorrow? I’d like to return your suit.

Ji Qingyun replied swiftly and succinctly:

Flying to Auckland tomorrow. You can leave the suit at the Ji Clan reception desk.

Leave it at the reception desk? That wouldn’t do at all. Ruan Taoran had taken the suit partly to leverage Ji Qingyun’s influence, but also to create an excuse to meet her.

Borrowing and returning—that would give me a perfect reason to see her!

Ruan Taoran pressed: When will you be back? I’d feel better handing it to you personally.

When there was no immediate response, she added: I want to see you.

At the Ji Clan headquarters, Ji Qingyun stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the city bathed in night. The office lights remained off, casting the room in a dim glow.

The faint light from her phone illuminated half of Ji Qingyun’s face, leaving the other half of her cold, refined features shrouded in shadow.

Her eyes reflected the four words on the screen.

Her fingers paused for a long moment before she replied: Alright, come pick me up.