The Art of Teasing - Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Wen Zhengyu thought it was probably a matter of aura. Whenever Ye Ling was by her side, the atmosphere shifted palpably. Her thoughts constantly drifted toward Ye Ling—ignoring her was nearly impossible. The snowy white fur trimming Ye Ling's collar and cuffs accentuated her elegance, and the slight upward curve of her lips paired with her smiling eyes exuded allure from every angle.

She never purchased products made from wild animals, nor did she consume wild game, but she ate domesticated animals like chicken, duck, goose, fish, and rabbit without qualms. Products made from their fur or hide—rabbit fur, goose down, cowhide, and the like—were all perfectly acceptable.

In her mind, Ye Ling in the business world was more akin to a wolf. Yet here was that wolf-like Ye Ling, wrapped in fluffy, snow-white rabbit fur. The stark contrast made her feel that Ye Ling could occasionally be quite adorable. Genuinely adorable. Against the pristine rabbit fur, Ye Ling's fair, slender fingers looked like lustrous white jade—remarkably beautiful. A touch of ornamentation would make them even more exquisite.

A thought stirred in Wen Zhengyu's heart. She remembered the gift she had brought for Ye Ling and felt an urgent impulse to put it on her. She said, "Close your eyes."

Ye Ling cast Wen Zhengyu a suspicious glance but complied readily, closing her eyes. "Planning to kiss me?" she asked.

Wen Zhengyu's face instantly grew warm. She shot a glance at Wen Jing seated in the driver's seat, stiffened her expression, and said flatly, "No. It's just that you're… too plain." As soon as the words left her mouth, embarrassment deepened. Belittling others to mask her own feelings—it was a rather nasty habit. She amended, "You look quite lovely."

Ye Ling chuckled softly, thinking to herself: You're so tangled up inside. If not for the two glaring third wheels in the driver's and passenger's seats, and Wen Zhengyu's painfully thin skin, she would have leaned over to plant several kisses on her.

Wen Zhengyu ignored Ye Ling, turned around, and opened her backpack, retrieving a jewelry box.

Inside the jewelry box lay a complete set of ruby jewelry—a necklace, earrings, a ring, and a bracelet—all designed by her personally and crafted by a jeweler following her drawings.

Setting aside the professional wardrobe Ye Ling favored at work and considering only her features and the occasional flash of bold charisma, Ye Ling was actually better suited to radiant, vividly colored jewelry.

Wen Zhengyu opened the jewelry box, took out the ruby ring, and slipped it onto Ye Ling's middle finger.

Ye Ling's eyes flew open. She stared at the ring now adorning her finger, astonishment and delight mingling in her expression.

Wen Zhengyu snapped the jewelry box shut, stuffed it into Ye Ling's arms, and said, "Here." Then she sat ramrod straight, eyes fixed on her nose, nose fixed on her heart, assuming the posture of a monk in deep meditation.

Ye Ling made no effort to hide her joy, her face blooming into a radiant smile.

She opened the jewelry box. Seeing the complete set of ruby jewelry inside, she suddenly remembered the evening Wen Zhengyu had brought Lian Huaijin's jewelry box home. After taking inventory of the pieces, Wen Zhengyu had selected a few rubies and tucked them into her bag. She had been planning to commission jewelry for her even back then.

Ye Ling's delight surged into exhilaration. Her gaze traveled back and forth over the jewelry Wen Zhengyu had given her several times. She clasped Wen Zhengyu's hand tightly. In that instant, countless vows and declarations rose to her lips, yet not a single word could escape. Any language, any promise, felt utterly pallid at this moment, incapable of capturing the depth of her emotions.

Wen Zhengyu surreptitiously stole another glance at Ye Ling. Seeing her this elated, she drew a quiet, private conclusion in her heart: As expected, all women love receiving jewelry. Like a thief in the night, she murmured in a voice just barely audible enough for Ye Ling to hear, "If you like it, I have more at home."

Ye Ling said, "I know. You have three full chests of jewelry, and I even know the passcode to the safe where you keep it."

Wen Zhengyu: "…"

Ye Ling said, "But I love what you give me, and I love even more that you carry me in your heart."

A soft "Mm" escaped Wen Zhengyu. Her mood felt buoyant, and the corners of her lips involuntarily curved upward. She thought to herself: So this is what sweet talk feels like. It was indeed pleasant to hear. Then she wondered: Aren't she and I being terribly mushy, with Wen Jing and Ma Jun right there in the front seats?

Previously, when she visited Beijing, she had stayed either at her second aunt's home or at a hotel. This time, she was staying with her maternal grandparents.

From the trees inside and outside the courtyard, and the mottled traces left upon the grounds, one could tell this residence had seen many years. Judging by the building materials and architectural style, it had likely been constructed in the 1980s or 1990s. Back then, land hadn't been this exorbitant; the residence occupied a substantial footprint, faintly evoking the garden aesthetics of Jiangnan, though the architectural character leaned more toward the square, grand manner of the north. The weather was cold, the trees stripped bare, their branches stark against the gray, overcast sky, exuding the desolate atmosphere of winter. Fortunately, inside, the house blazed with light. The warm glow illuminated the interior, streaming through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and lending a touch of warmth to the frigid season.

When she and Ye Ling stepped out of the car, someone was already waiting in the courtyard—someone who appeared to be household staff.

The person leading the welcome was a middle-aged man with a remarkably genial demeanor. As he looked at her, he seemed to harbor a barely suppressed excitement.

Wen Zhengyu searched her memory; she had never met him before.

The middle-aged man greeted her grandparents first, addressing them as Uncle Lian and Aunt Zhang, then greeted her: "Miss Zhengyu."

Grandma said, "This is Xiao You. Just call him Uncle You. Xiao You grew up in our household. His grandfather was already with our family serving your great-grandfather. He's not an outsider. When we're away from the capital, he's the one who looks after the residence, and whenever things need handling, he's usually the one who arranges it. When you come to the capital in the future, stay here. If anything comes up, have Xiao You take care of it. His work inspires confidence."

Wen Zhengyu politely addressed him as "Uncle You," then supported the elderly lady as they entered the house.

The heating indoors was robust, making their heavy overcoats unsuitable. The elderly lady instructed the two of them to go change clothes and put away their luggage first, then come back down.

It was Wen Zhengyu's first visit; she didn't know the layout. She discovered, however, that Ye Ling seemed quite familiar with the place. She asked Ye Ling, "You've been here before?"

Ye Ling replied, "I came a couple of days ago." She led Wen Zhengyu to their room, helped her remove her coat, and, unable to resist, drew Wen Zhengyu closer and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Wen Zhengyu blinked. She hesitated briefly—Ye Ling's lips were so soft, her movements slow and gentle, making her mind drift slightly. By the time she thought to push Ye Ling away, Ye Ling had already released her. Wen Zhengyu mused: I suppose I've just been molested by a female pervert.

She shot Ye Ling a sidelong glance, then unlocked the door and let the household staff carry her luggage into the room.

The room was very spacious. The inner section held a large bed, with a walk-in closet and bathroom adjacent. Near the entrance was an arrangement of sofas, tables, and chairs—a one-bedroom, one-living-room layout, only open-plan without partitions. The furniture was old but solidly built from quality timber with fine craftsmanship; it all looked quite distinguished. There were small personal items a woman had used still occupying their places—on the vanity sat partially used perfume and cosmetics, Ye Ling's clothes hung from the coat rack, and even the walk-in closet had a substantial section already claimed by someone else.

Seeing all this, Wen Zhengyu immediately understood: Ye Ling had moved in before her. She thought to herself: Doesn't Ye Ling have a family home in Beijing? Why would she move in here before me? This is my maternal grandparents' home, isn't it?

She glanced at Ye Ling. Given their current relationship, Ye Ling moving in here was unproblematic.

Seeing that Ye Ling still had the mood and energy to settle in early, it was clear that her altercation alongside Lian Xin hadn't led to any repercussions. Wen Zhengyu felt reassured.

After lunch, elderly gentlemen and ladies who were close friends of the old couple began arriving. Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling sat with them briefly to keep them company, but once the seniors became absorbed in their own activities, Wen Zhengyu excused herself to visit Old Master Wen.

As she was heading out, Uncle You assigned her additional bodyguards. She had already brought Wen Jing and Ma Jun on this trip, along with four other security operatives. She was hardly a political dignitary—why would she need this many?

Uncle You said, "Lian Xin's orders. He said he just roughed someone up, and the other side is stewing in anger with nowhere to vent. He's worried they might take it out on you. Just take them along."

Ye Ling added, "Take them. Otherwise, if you end up getting beaten, how unjust would that be?"

And so, trailing behind Wen Zhengyu's car was a seven-seat commercial vehicle, fully occupied—all bodyguards.

That afternoon, Wen Zhengyu visited Old Master Wen and Madam Wen Shishu. In the evening, she had dinner at her second aunt's home. Her former uncle-in-law also came. He told her that if she encountered any difficulties or troubles, she should let him know. He asked where she was staying and how many bodyguards she had brought, seeming somewhat concerned about her.

She informed her former uncle-in-law that she had come to Beijing with her maternal grandparents and was staying at their residence.

Her former uncle-in-law was quite taken aback. "How is it that Old Master Lian and Old Madam Zhang have come along together? Has something happened?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "They came to visit a sick friend and to celebrate a close friend's birthday."

Over the meal, her former uncle-in-law asked a few more questions about the Lian family's connections with the Qi and Bian families.

Wen Zhengyu didn't elaborate, merely saying it was a bond from the older generation—Grandpa Bian, Grandpa Qi, and her maternal grandfather were war comrades.

She also had a gathering planned with her senior fellow disciples in Beijing, so she took her leave after dinner.

Kang Bai walked her to the main gate. He told her, "Be careful coming and going. Zhao Si came out the loser this time and can't swallow this grudge. He's still got people digging into Lian Xin's background and connections. Knowing your grandparents' family has ties to the Bian and Qi families puts our minds somewhat at ease."

Wen Zhengyu was momentarily stunned. She had thought the matter was resolved. She had also assumed Qi Wei was merely trying to frighten her.

Seeing Wen Zhengyu's bewildered expression, Kang Bai felt a surge of melancholy. "Whatever comes up, tell me immediately. We'll figure it out together." He knew Wen Zhengyu's youngest uncle was in the military, but that was out in the provinces—this was the capital. With such great distance, if Zhao Si truly decided to act, her youngest uncle might not be of much use. Zhao Si was fuming with nowhere to direct his anger, and here Wen Zhengyu had come running straight to the capital. If she hadn't arrived with her maternal grandparents, with the elder generation serving as a buffer, he would have been sorely tempted to pack her right back home.

Kang Bai escorted Wen Zhengyu to her car, reiterating, "If anything happens, you must call me."

Wen Zhengyu answered, "Alright." She got into the car and waved goodbye to Kang Bai. She thought: Is there really trouble, and they're hiding it from me? But if they were hiding it, her second aunt had told her everything was fine, while Kang Bai claimed there was trouble. That was rather odd. Was there trouble or wasn't there?

She met with her senior fellow disciples at a tea house. Compared to them, she was relatively unoccupied. Even though her senior brothers and sisters were busy, she dared not visit Beijing without informing them. Meeting them naturally meant providing a report on their master's condition first. As members of the same master's lineage, once together, there was no end to the conversation. Before she knew it, the hour had grown late. It was only when Ye Ling arrived to pick her up that the gathering broke up. She introduced Ye Ling to everyone, endured their good-natured teasing for a while, and finally, when it became truly too late, they let her go.

When the two of them arrived home, the old gentleman and old lady were still awake. Only after seeing that she had returned did they rise and retire to their room.

That night, Ye Ling pestered her.

Wen Zhengyu thought that doing such things when they weren't in their own home wasn't appropriate and refused.

Ye Ling threw Wen Zhengyu a glare, draped herself over her, and refused to move, saying, "Do you know how youngest uncle introduced me the first time I stepped into this courtyard?"

Wen Zhengyu asked, "How did he introduce you?" She thought to herself: Thank goodness Ye Ling isn't heavy; otherwise, I'd definitely be flattened by now.

Ye Ling said, "Youngest uncle said, 'This is Miss Ye of the Fourth Branch.'"

Wen Zhengyu was so accustomed to hearing others address Ye Ling as CEO Ye that hearing the appellation "Miss Ye" felt oddly jarring. Although Ye Ling's outward appearance was very feminine, she had always felt Ye Ling had a decidedly masculine air. At the very least, from observing how Ye Ling and Lian Xin interacted, it was obvious that Lian Xin didn't treat Ye Ling as a woman at all. The clearest evidence was that when men and women interacted, they usually maintained a certain chivalrous courtesy, a ladies-first sensibility. But the way her Brother Xin treated Ye Ling was entirely the demeanor of two close buddies who were thick as thieves.

"Spacing out again!" Ye Ling huffed in frustration, pinching Wen Zhengyu's nose to stop her breathing and even sealing her mouth shut.

Wen Zhengyu's eyes instantly bulged wide, puffing up like a frog. She didn't struggle, thinking: You wouldn't actually smother me to death. She held her breath until her lungs ached and her face flushed crimson, yet still made no move to resist.

Ye Ling released her, grinding her teeth. "Are you stupid? When someone stops you from breathing, you just stop breathing!"

Only then did Wen Zhengyu gulp in deep breaths, still managing to retort, "I'm breathing right now."

Ye Ling smothered her again.

Wen Zhengyu was immediately displeased. She blinked, thinking: Hit her?

She had never struck anyone before.

Curse? Her mouth was covered.

Wen Zhengyu inhaled with force but couldn't draw any air through the tight seal. It struck her then that Ye Ling was being especially mean.

Frustrated, Ye Ling released Wen Zhengyu. Lying on top of her, she sighed, "It's over. I've married a silly wife."

Wen Zhengyu: "…" Once she caught her breath, she said softly, "Get off."

Ye Ling slid off Wen Zhengyu and lay on her side on the bed. "Are you okay—" She had barely started the word "okay" when Wen Zhengyu abruptly snatched her pillow, clutched it to her chest, and retreated to the edge of the bed.

Angry?

Ye Ling hurriedly followed. She reached out to embrace Wen Zhengyu but was blocked by the pillow cradled in her arms. Ye Ling thought: So pillows have this function. She didn't dare snatch the pillow from Wen Zhengyu's grasp. Pitifully, she huddled beside her, coaxing, "Don't be mad. I was wrong."

Wen Zhengyu ignored Ye Ling.

Ye Ling threatened, "Let go of my pillow, or I'll pinch your nose—" Before she could finish, Wen Zhengyu had already swiftly covered her face with the pillow, blocking it entirely. She had actually preempted her and smothered herself first.

Not daring to provoke Wen Zhengyu further, Ye Ling squeezed up beside her and shared her pillow.

She lay there for several minutes. Unable to restrain herself, she slipped her hand under the pillow in Wen Zhengyu's arms and wrapped it around her waist. She whispered, "It's very late. I won't tease you anymore. Let's sleep."

Wen Zhengyu slid her face out from under the pillow. Seeing that Ye Ling truly seemed sleepy and no longer appeared intent on pinching her nose or covering her mouth, she returned the pillow to Ye Ling. She asked, "How old are you?" Then appended two words: "Absolutely childish."

Ye Ling recalled the image of Wen Zhengyu hugging the pillow and couldn't help laughing. "Mm," she said, "I'm childish."

Wen Zhengyu knew Ye Ling was laughing at her. Recalling their earlier antics, it suddenly struck her that they had both been rather childish. She wondered: Does falling in love make you stupid?

She hastily picked up her phone to search whether falling in love made you stupid. But no sooner had she typed "falling in love makes" than the search bar's autocomplete suggested "falling in love makes you childish." She froze for two seconds, and then, beside her, Ye Ling erupted in earth-shattering laughter.

In that instant, for one fleeting moment, Wen Zhengyu seriously considered smashing her phone into Ye Ling's face.

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