Indulgence - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
"Hello, my name is Shen Fangyi. I'm also a friend of Director Yao's." After introducing herself to Jiang Nian, Shen Fangyi's gaze fell directly on Yao Ran's face. She asked in a gentle voice, "Yao Ran, where's Ruan Xin?"
Yao Ran explained, "Ruan Xin had something come up today, so she couldn't make it."
"That explains it. I was wondering why you weren't with her," Shen Fangyi said, her words carrying a hidden meaning. She knew Yao Ran loved to travel but rarely did so with others, only with her closest friends. She had invited Yao Ran several times herself, only to be politely declined.
Yao Ran glanced at the empty space beside her. "Did you come alone?"
"Yes, they're all busy." Shen Fangyi smiled and asked probingly, "You're probably going to Qingfeng Temple this afternoon too, right?"
Yao Ran: "Yes." Half a day was enough time to go to the temple and pray for blessings.
Shen Fangyi asked again, "Have you eaten?"
Jiang Nian chimed in familiarly, "We just got here, not yet."
"Me neither. We can have lunch together and then go to Qingfeng Temple." As Shen Fangyi spoke, her eyes locked onto Yao Ran again. She asked, half-jokingly, "You don't mind if I tag along, do you?"
"Of course not." Yao Ran smiled. Since they had run into each other, it would be impolite to refuse. She glanced at Jiang Nian out of the corner of her eye. Actually, having another person with them might be a good thing.
Jiang Nian remained impassive, but she sensed something was off about Shen Fangyi. The woman's eyes were practically glued to Yao Ran, and whenever she spoke to Yao Ran alone, her tone became exceptionally gentle. If her intuition was right, this Miss Shen was probably into women. Her gaze was far from innocent.
Shen Fangyi said, "I'll just check in, and we can go up together in a bit."
"Okay," Yao Ran replied conventionally.
Hearing Yao Ran's consistently faint voice, Jiang Nian suddenly felt much more balanced. So, Director Yao was this cool and distant with everyone.
The two waited for Shen Fangyi to finish checking in, and then the three of them went upstairs together. Yao Ran's room was on the fifth floor, while Shen Fangyi's and Jiang Nian's were on the fourth.
After exiting the elevator and standing in the long corridor, Shen Fangyi looked at Jiang Nian and asked conversationally, "Miss Jiang, are you and Director Yao close?"
To say they weren't close... they had done the most intimate things. To say they were... they were like strangers. Jiang Nian smiled at her and gave an ambiguous answer, "We're okay."
A smile played on Shen Fangyi's lips, and she didn't ask anything else.
Jiang Nian swiped her key card and entered her room. The moment she pushed the door open, her eyes lit up.
An entire wall was a floor-to-ceiling window, looking out onto the mountain forest. Layers of green were lush and vibrant, rustic yet fresh. It was like nature had been captured in a picture frame.
With a view like this, it was no wonder you had to fight to get a reservation.
Jiang Nian walked to the south-facing window. Sunlight filled the entire room, making her feel comfortable and warm. She lifted her face, took a deep breath, and stretched luxuriously.
She took a long gift box out of her bag. Opening it, she saw the necklace refracting silver light in the sun. The broken part had been fixed, without a single flaw visible. Since they were out together, it was the perfect time to return it to her.
Jiang Nian quickly closed the box. Just looking at it made her unable to stop thinking about those details.
A short while later, Yao Ran heard a knock on the door. She walked over and pulled it open.
It was Jiang Nian.
They looked at each other in silence for a moment. The situation felt all too familiar—
She couldn't quite remember how they had ended up getting a hotel room on a whim that time. She only remembered that after swiping the key card and entering the room, they had also looked at each other quietly for a moment before, fueled by alcohol, they had started kissing directly, pressing eagerly against the back of the door, kissing in every way imaginable. Amid deep kisses and gasps, they undid each other's buttons one by one, hooked off skirts...
The silence didn't last long.
After standing stiffly at the door for a moment, Jiang Nian asked in a low voice, "Can I come in?"
Yao Ran calmly stepped aside, indicating she could. The two of them couldn't just stand there; it wouldn't be right.
The fifth floor had double rooms, which were more spacious and open. Since Ruan Xin hadn't come today, Yao Ran was staying there alone.
Not long after Jiang Nian came in, there was another knock on the door. It was obviously Shen Fangyi.
The door was only ajar. Shen Fangyi knocked and then pushed it open, walking right in. She praised, "The view from your suite is amazing. It's even more beautiful than downstairs."
"Is it?" Yao Ran looked at Shen Fangyi and replied distractedly. Shen Fangyi's arrival instantly suppressed whatever was between them again, which was a great relief to her.
"Let's go for lunch when you're ready. There's a pretty good restaurant nearby that a friend of mine recommended," Shen Fangyi said enthusiastically.
Yao Ran said, "Okay." She was only staying for one night, so she had few things and nothing much to pack.
At that moment, Jiang Nian handed the gift box in her hand to Yao Ran, giving her a meaningful look.
It was an exquisitely wrapped white gift box. Yao Ran glanced at it and asked, "What is it?"
Jiang Nian looked at her and said succinctly, "The necklace."
Those two simple words made Yao Ran understand immediately. She didn't ask anything else and reached out to take it. In front of someone else, it became their unspoken secret.
As she took the gift box, their fingertips and fingers brushed lightly. It was a brief touch, and Yao Ran quickly withdrew her hand.
Shen Fangyi watched the scene, unable to figure out if the two were close or not. Yao Ran would accept a gift from her, but the two of them didn't seem that familiar with each other.
Yao Ran said, "Let's go."
The restaurant Shen Fangyi recommended wasn't far from the villa and was within walking distance. It was indeed quite famous; Jiang Nian had heard of it too.
Although the lunch rush was over, there were many tourists on the weekend, so the restaurant was still quite full. Fortunately, there was an empty table, so they didn't have to wait.
A waiter led them to an empty table inside. Jiang Nian naturally sat down next to Yao Ran.
Yao Ran quietly drank her tea. Now, in front of Shen Fangyi, they were acting just like real friends.
Shen Fangyi handed the menu to Yao Ran. "Take a look. What would you like to eat?"
Yao Ran was easygoing. "You're more familiar with it, you can order."
Just as Shen Fangyi was about to agree, she heard Jiang Nian say from the side, "I've done my homework on this place too."
Yao Ran looked up. "Then you two can order. I'm fine with anything."
"Alright." Shen Fangyi smiled and handed the menu in her hand to Jiang Nian, picking up another one for herself. As she flipped through it, she said, "Lunch is on me today."
Yao Ran said, "There's no need."
"I was planning to treat you to a meal to celebrate anyway, but you never had the time. It's a perfect coincidence that we ran into each other," Shen Fangyi insisted.
Yao Ran smiled. "Really, there's no need."
"Is Director Yao feeling shy?" Shen Fangyi said with a laugh. "Then you can just treat me next time."
Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow. Hearing Shen Fangyi's back-and-forth, she became even more certain of her guess. This was clearly an attempt to create opportunities. She thought for a moment and said nonchalantly, "Let's just split it. I'd feel bad letting Director Shen treat us."
Shen Fangyi said, "You're Director Yao's friend, so of course I'm treating you both. Don't be so polite."
Jiang Nian smiled. "That's still too much trouble. Please don't, Director Shen."
Shen Fangyi was left speechless.
Yao Ran didn't want this either. She dealt with enough work-related socializing and etiquette on a daily basis. It was too tiring to be so particular about a meal between acquaintances, especially since this trip was meant for relaxation. "Fangyi, you don't have to be so polite. Just be casual."
Fangyi? Jiang Nian touched the teacup beside her. Why was Director Yao addressing her so familiarly? But she could sense that the relationship between Yao Ran and Shen Fangyi wasn't particularly close.
Seeing Yao Ran's insistence, Shen Fangyi relented.
The three of them ordered five dishes. They were exquisitely plated and the portions weren't large, so they had no trouble finishing them.
After lunch, they took a walk nearby to aid digestion. Jiang Nian heard Shen Fangyi constantly trying to strike up a conversation with Yao Ran, but it was all about people and things they encountered at work. It seemed they were colleagues.
Yao Ran really didn't want to talk about these things, but she would still respond with a few timely remarks.
Jiang Nian took it all in. She had discovered that Yao Ran always maintained her good manners, no matter the situation, and would never let others feel awkward or embarrassed. But wasn't she just making things hard on herself? If you didn't want to talk to someone, you just shouldn't.
Jiang Nian turned to look at Shen Fangyi and suddenly blurted out, "Director Shen must be a workaholic, right?"
Shen Fangyi was taken aback.
Jiang Nian continued, "Weekends are for relaxing. A workaholic shouldn't keep thinking about work."
Shen Fangyi was embarrassed.
Yao Ran understood the subtext in Jiang Nian's words, but Miss Jiang's smiling face wasn't the kind to make people dislike her.
For the rest of the time, Shen Fangyi was much quieter and stopped talking about those topics.
Jiang Nian turned her head and met Yao Ran's gaze, then gave a smile that seemed to be asking for credit.
Yao Ran understood the meaning of the smile. She just gave her a quiet look before turning to the scenery elsewhere. It was indeed much more peaceful.
Qingfeng Temple was named after Qingfeng Mountain, where it was located. The temple was halfway up the mountain, and the Flowing Water Mountain Villa where they were staying was at the foot. It was still some distance to the top, a journey of over two hours.
There were cable cars and sightseeing buses from the foot of the mountain to the halfway point, but people who went to the temple to pray usually chose to walk up, believing that sincerity brings results. Ruan Xin was a firm believer in such things. Yao Ran was more casual, but since she was here, she would go along with it.
Taking the smaller path was a shorter walk to the temple, not even requiring two hours, and the scenery along the Qingfeng Ancient Path was beautiful.
Jiang Nian had brought her camera and took pictures as she walked. Thankfully, the stone steps here weren't too steep, or she really wouldn't have been able to handle it.
They had plenty of time and didn't need to rush. They stopped at a rest pavilion to take a break and drink some water to quench their thirst. The temperature today was higher than in previous days, and the sun was strong, causing fine beads of sweat to form on their foreheads.
Jiang Nian handed a tissue over.
Yao Ran looked at her but didn't take it.
Jiang Nian reminded her, "Wipe your sweat."
Only then did Yao Ran realize she was sweating slightly. "Thank you."
Jiang Nian continued to look through the photos she had just taken. She leaned over slightly and asked Yao Ran, who was beside her, "Can I take a picture of you? This place is very photogenic. The pictures will definitely look good."
She wasn't leaning too close, but the action itself seemed somewhat intimate.
Yao Ran looked at her.
Jiang Nian gave a mischievous smile. "Don't worry, Director Yao, I won't charge you. I'll send them to you on WeChat later."
She was so natural in everything she did, as if nothing had ever happened. Didn't she feel awkward facing her? Yao Ran couldn't help but wonder if she was the one who was too hung up on it, too unable to forget that night. She should be like the other woman, interacting with her as the situation dictated.
Seeing that Yao Ran hadn't answered, Jiang Nian looked up at her and said, "If I can't, then I won't."
At that, Yao Ran said very softly, "Suit yourself."
Having received permission, Jiang Nian's eyes lit up. In fact, she hadn't been able to resist taking many photos of Yao Ran's back on their way up the mountain.
They continued up the mountain, and Jiang Nian's camera lens never left Yao Ran, snapping pictures openly.
Yao Ran would occasionally glance at Jiang Nian.
"Don't mind me." Jiang Nian raised her camera and immediately captured the expression on her face as she looked back. A model with no bad angles. Standing on a lower step, she smiled at Yao Ran. "You look beautiful no matter what."
Dappled tree shadows and fragmented sunlight fell on her smiling face, which was sincere and ardent. Yao Ran's expression suddenly softened a little. The sunlight fell on her face too, warm to the point of feeling hot.
Walking and stopping, it still took them nearly two hours to reach Qingfeng Temple.
A green mountain, an ancient temple, a deep and quiet courtyard. The bluestone floor exuded a cool air, and the calm tolling of a bell reached their ears, instantly calming the mind.
The ancient temple wasn't large; they finished touring it in less than half an hour. They went to burn incense and ask for protective talismans.
"Let's go get our fortunes for marriage while we're at it. They say it's very accurate," Shen Fangyi suggested after they had gotten their talismans.
Marriage? Yao Ran believed in this even less; she had just gotten divorced. But she figured most people came here to pray for marriage, and she wouldn't be a wet blanket. "Okay," she said.
As expected, there were many people seeking marriage fortunes, and they had to wait in line for quite a while.
When it was their turn, as if by arrangement, all three of them drew the best possible fortune. Jiang Nian thought that perhaps the Bodhisattva was in a good mood today.
Yao Ran was the last to draw her fortune. The text on the slip was difficult to understand.
An elderly master helped interpret the fortune, speaking a great deal in a literary style before finally summarizing in plain language: a good marriage was coming this year, and the person was right by her side. The master even offered a kind "Congratulations."
Yao Ran nodded and thanked him softly, then added some more money for incense oil.
Jiang Nian and Shen Fangyi were also nearby. When they heard the master's explanation, they both smiled at the same time.
Yao Ran only half-listened to these words. A good marriage coming this year? She had no desire to get involved in romantic matters again, let alone this year.
Leaving the ancient temple, it was just dusk. The forest presented another kind of beautiful scenery.
Jiang Nian was a bit listless now, lacking the energy she had for taking photos on the way up. Her steps were a little slow.
Yao Ran noticed that something was off with her.
Shen Fangyi noticed too and asked, "Are you not feeling well?"
"I'm not used to the smell of burning incense. I'll be fine after a little while," Jiang Nian said. Xue Ying was a Buddhist, and when she was little, she would follow her mom to temples. She was guaranteed to feel dizzy for a while after coming out, simply because she couldn't stand the smell of incense.
They chose to take the sightseeing bus back down the mountain. If they walked, it would probably be dark by the time they got down, and they didn't have the energy for it anyway.
On the sightseeing bus, Jiang Nian's condition didn't improve much. She had barely slept last night, and the afternoon hike had drained her energy. On top of that, being surrounded by incense in the temple for so long had left her feeling very dizzy.
The sightseeing bus moved slowly, winding its way down the mountain road.
Jiang Nian was sitting in the middle of the three-person seat. She looked at Yao Ran to her right and asked in a low voice, "Can I lean on your shoulder?"
Yao Ran looked at her; her face was pale. She must be feeling unwell.
Seeing her reaction, Jiang Nian realized she had been presumptuous. She definitely wouldn't agree. So she pressed her lips together and continued to endure the discomfort.
The sightseeing bus made another turn. Jiang Nian closed her eyes, her brow furrowed.
"You can lean on my shoulder."
After a moment's hesitation, Yao Ran said it to her.
Jiang Nian opened her eyes in surprise, glanced at her, and quickly rested her head on her shoulder, as if afraid she would take back the offer in the next second.
Her left shoulder grew slightly heavy. Yao Ran didn't understand why her heart had softened. Perhaps it was because she had accepted the wooden sculpture the other day and felt like she owed her a favor.
Her cool fragrance was the perfect antidote to the stuffiness; it smelled divine. As soon as she leaned on her, Jiang Nian wanted to tilt her head closer to smell it, but she restrained herself, her heart pounding.
Shen Fangyi felt the wind on her face. She turned to look at Yao Ran beside her and thought for a moment that she was seeing things. She saw Yao Ran letting the person beside her lean on her, the two of them pressed close together intimately.
Comments
Post a Comment