Indulgence - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Shen Fangyi had known Yao Ran for five years. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have found it hard to imagine Yao Ran being intimate with anyone.
Yao Ran let Jiang Nian's head rest on her shoulder. The unfamiliarity of it was a bit unsettling. Everyone around her knew she disliked close contact; even Ruan Xin didn't usually make such affectionate gestures towards her.
But she didn't feel her usual, obvious resistance. Perhaps it was because their bodies had been entangled in a much more direct way; compared to that, this level of closeness was nothing at all.
The sightseeing vehicle moved slowly along the winding mountain road, allowing the tourists on board to leisurely admire the surrounding scenery.
Jiang Nian kept her eyes closed. Although she felt dizzy, she couldn't suppress the hint of a smile on her lips. There was still a long way to go to their destination. Amidst the swaying, she dozed off.
Yao Ran, however, kept her face turned towards the mountain forest in the other direction, admiring the receding scenery without looking at the person beside her.
Shen Fangyi glanced over at Yao Ran several times. Each time, Yao Ran was sitting perfectly still. On the third look, she called out softly, "Yao Ran..."
Hearing her name, Yao Ran turned. But as she did, the head resting on her shoulder slipped, and she instinctively raised a hand to support it.
"What is it?"
Yao Ran asked Shen Fangyi in a low voice, her palm cradling Jiang Nian's face.
Shen Fangyi took in the scene, speechless. She had originally wanted to ask if Yao Ran felt uncomfortable with someone leaning on her, but from the current situation, it didn't seem like Yao Ran was forcing herself at all.
"Is she... okay?" Shen Fangyi glanced at Jiang Nian, offering a token of concern.
The skin in her palm was smooth and tender. Yao Ran looked down and saw that Jiang Nian must have fallen asleep at some point. No wonder she hadn't moved at all.
"She's asleep," Yao Ran said.
Shen Fangyi gave an awkward smile, her gaze shifting. She wanted to say something but didn't know what, so she just silently turned her face away.
Yao Ran withdrew her hand, then glanced over again, exasperated. How shameless, to be able to sleep so soundly while leaning on me.
Drawn by the pleasant scent, Jiang Nian instinctively moved a little closer, their arms now touching.
The evening sun cast a golden glow over the forest. Time flowed by unhurriedly. The wind was cool, but a comfortable warmth emanated from the person beside her. Yao Ran could faintly feel the other's even, quiet breaths.
She found herself staring. Jiang Nian had a small face and looked rather well-behaved while sleeping. Her nose and lips were exquisitely shaped...
When her gaze swept over her lips, Yao Ran instinctively looked away.
Gusts of mountain wind blew, making strands of hair fly gently.
A loose strand of hair repeatedly brushed against Jiang Nian's fair face. Yao Ran looked away, remaining indifferent for a long while, but finally turned back and quietly tucked it away with her fingers.
Sitting right next to them, Shen Fangyi saw it all clearly... Director Yao not only didn't seem to be forcing herself, she actually seemed quite willing.
Dusk deepened. As the sun sank in the west, the warmth it brought gradually dissipated.
After sunset, a night wind picked up, and the temperature dropped sharply.
The temperature difference between day and night was significant at the turn of spring and summer, especially in the mountains. They were all dressed lightly. During the day, they felt hot while climbing and had to take off their jackets, but at night, even with their jackets on, it was a bit unbearable.
Yao Ran was caught by the cold wind and let out a small cough.
"Is it too cold?" Shen Fangyi asked with concern. "Do you want to switch jackets with me? Mine is thicker than yours."
Yao Ran shook her head and coughed again. Her throat had been feeling a little sore in the afternoon, and the wind was making it worse.
Jiang Nian also woke up at the sound of the cough. She opened her eyes, still half-dazed, and asked softly while still resting on Yao Ran's shoulder, "Are you cold?"
The raspy murmur was exactly like the sweet nothings she had whispered in her ear that night... Because of Jiang Nian's voice, the words Yao Ran was about to say got stuck in her throat. They were clearly strangers, yet when there was a hint of closeness and ambiguity, it felt strangely familiar.
Seeing that Jiang Nian was awake, Yao Ran immediately shifted, using her body language to indicate that they should create some distance.
Jiang Nian took a moment to collect herself, feeling much more energetic now. She said to Yao Ran in a very low voice, "Thank you."
Yao Ran replied nonchalantly, "Mm."
Shen Fangyi observed the ambiguous interaction between the two; it didn't seem like a normal friendship. But she looked at Jiang Nian's appearance. Even if Yao Ran did like women, how could she possibly like this type? She was far too sexy and vibrant, a complete opposite to Yao Ran's plain and tranquil personality.
"Director Shen, why do you keep staring at me?" Jiang Nian noticed and asked bluntly.
Shen Fangyi was curious. "How do you and Yao Ran know each other?"
Just as Jiang Nian was about to say they met at a bar, she heard the usually quiet Yao Ran cut her off. "She's a friend of Ruan Xin's."
"Yeah, I'm a tattoo artist. I met Sister Ruan when I was giving her a tattoo," Jiang Nian said, going along with Yao Ran's story.
"Tattoos... that's nice." Shen Fangyi suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself that there was no way Yao Ran would be interested in such a woman. She was probably just being polite because she was Ruan Xin's friend.
Jiang Nian added, "I have my own studio. If Director Shen ever needs anything in that area, you can come find me." She occasionally promoted herself to help ease Qiu Lan's pressure.
Shen Fangyi glanced at Yao Ran and quickly said with a smile, "No, no, that's not necessary. I don't get into that sort of thing."
As if trying to avoid something unlucky... Jiang Nian gave a cold "Oh." She was used to people looking down on her profession anyway.
"Cough, cough—"
Yao Ran's cough worsened.
Jiang Nian asked her, "Did you catch a cold?"
Yao Ran: "A little."
"You should have worn something thicker today. It's really cold on the mountain. It'll be better once we get down," Shen Fangyi said.
It got dark not long after they reached the foot of the mountain. They didn't go elsewhere for dinner, just ate at the Western restaurant on the hotel's ground floor.
Although she was tired from the day's activities, Yao Ran didn't have much of an appetite and only ate some vegetable salad. She didn't plan on exploring the area that night and wanted to go back to her room to rest early.
Jiang Nian didn't feel like going out either. She hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. She looked at Shen Fangyi. "I'm tired too, Director Shen, so I won't be able to accompany you."
Hearing that Yao Ran wasn't going out, Shen Fangyi lost interest as well. In truth, she had come to Qingfeng Temple for the chance to run into Yao Ran; otherwise, she wouldn't have canceled her pre-planned camping trip. She had had a crush on Yao Ran for a long time, ever since her first day at the company. But Yao Ran was unusually cold; forget pursuing her, it was hard to even get close. Later, when she saw Yao Ran get married, she gave up hope, but since Yao Ran's recent divorce, her hidden feelings had started to stir again.
"Yao Ran, let me walk you back to your room to rest," Shen Fangyi said gently. She thought that what Yao Ran needed most right now was care and companionship, and it was the easiest time to "take advantage of the situation."
Although Yao Ran said it wasn't necessary, Shen Fangyi insisted on escorting her to her room.
The three of them got into the elevator. Shen Fangyi said to Jiang Nian, "Miss Jiang, I can accompany her. You should go back and rest. You've worked hard today."
"I'll take her to her room," Jiang Nian said flatly, ignoring Shen Fangyi's words. Her tone was much colder. She wouldn't pretend to be nice to people she didn't get along with.
They arrived at the room on the fifth floor.
"You should both go back," Yao Ran said, her voice already nasal. "I want to rest early." It was the season for the flu, and from the looks of it, she had probably caught it.
"That won't do. How can we leave you alone when you're not feeling well?" Shen Fangyi looked around. The suite had two beds anyway, so she said, "I'll just stay here with you tonight to make it easier to look after you."
Yao Ran said, "It's nothing, just a cold."
Shen Fangyi was about to say something else, but Jiang Nian beat her to it. "I can take care of her."
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?" Shen Fangyi replied with a smile, not intending to back down. She looked at Yao Ran again. "Let's not trouble Miss Jiang."
"Fangyi, you should go back," Yao Ran said after a moment's thought. "It's fine as long as she's here."
It's fine as long as she's here.
That sounded too intimate.
Even Jiang Nian could hardly believe it, but she quickly recovered. She tilted her head at Shen Fangyi and said, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her tonight."
Tonight...
Her gaze was charming, and she intentionally made her words sound ambiguous.
Since Yao Ran had said so, Shen Fangyi had nothing left to say. After expressing her concern for Yao Ran a few more times with a smile, she had no choice but to leave.
After Shen Fangyi left, Yao Ran finally said to Jiang Nian, "You can go too."
Jiang Nian blinked innocently and said with a smile, "You're kicking me out right after I finished acting with you?"
Yao Ran was speechless. She had indeed used Jiang Nian as a shield. Shen Fangyi was a nice person, but her sometimes excessive concern put her in a difficult position.
Now that it was just the two of them in the room, Jiang Nian stopped pretending. She walked closer to Yao Ran and gently placed the back of her hand on her forehead. It was indeed a bit warm.
"You have a bit of a fever."
Yao Ran turned her face away. "It's fine, just a low-grade one."
Jiang Nian said to her softly, "I should probably stay."
Yao Ran had thought Jiang Nian would understand the boundaries between adults better than Shen Fangyi. "I said it's not necessary."
Jiang Nian, however, was insistent. "Before we came, Sister Ruan asked me to take care of you. I already promised her."
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