Indulgence - Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Yao Ran's chest rose and fell unnaturally. Perhaps it was due to the high fever, or perhaps something else was mixed in. Even after drinking water, her lips and tongue still felt hot and dry.
The other person didn't lean in for a kiss...
Her fingers brushed against the skin of her neck. Jiang Nian pulled back her touch at the right moment. Although she hadn't been drinking, if she kept touching her like this, she'd soon lose control again.
This ambiguous, unclear atmosphere didn't last long. As they looked at each other, it was as if they had fallen into a brief, chaotic fantasy, only to snap back to reality in an instant.
A moment of silence.
"Do you want more water?"
Jiang Nian tried hard to suppress the wild thoughts that had been running through her mind since the shower.
Yao Ran's mind was in turmoil. "Mm."
Jiang Nian handed her the nearby water glass again. Yao Ran took it and said, "Thank you."
The air seemed to return to its proper state of calm.
The liquid soothed her throat, relieving some of the heat and bringing back her rationality. Yao Ran put the glass down and sighed inwardly. What was I just thinking?
That one impulsive night after drinking was one thing, but reason told her that this ambiguous game couldn't continue.
She couldn't help but wonder, was she this sensitive because she had been suppressing herself for too long? She couldn't deny that she felt something every time she was in contact with Jiang Nian. She could even understand the "physical needs" Ruan Xin had once talked to her about.
Jiang Nian noticed Yao Ran's cheeks were slightly flushed, as if the fever hadn't subsided. "Are you feeling very uncomfortable? Should we check your temperature again?"
"I'm fine." Yao Ran's expression showed no ripples; she had always been good at controlling her emotions. "You should get some rest." She wanted to create some distance between them. The other person was too close, and the warm, damp fragrance from her shower was wafting directly towards her.
Jiang Nian silently got up and poured herself a glass of water, seemingly nonchalantly drinking a full glass of cool water.
Yao Ran took the thermometer and checked her temperature again.
"It hasn't gone down?"
"It has," Yao Ran said.
"Mm." Jiang Nian was relieved.
After drinking her water, Jiang Nian got into bed as well.
They lay down in their respective beds, with only a dim night light left on in the room.
Although Jiang Nian had been severely sleep-deprived for the past two days, she couldn't quite fall asleep now that she was in bed. Sharing a room again had made her mind too restless to quiet down.
Yao Ran also had trouble falling asleep.
Jiang Nian tossed and turned lightly in bed. After a moment's thought, she called out, "Yao Ran."
Yao Ran was taken aback. It was the first time they had called each other by name like that, instantly closing a great deal of distance. She asked softly, "What?"
Leaning against her pillow, Jiang Nian said in a low voice, "If you feel uncomfortable, you can wake me up. Don't try to endure it."
The next day, if it hadn't been for a knock on the door, Jiang Nian wouldn't have known how late she could have slept. It was only two light knocks, but her bed was close to the door, so she heard it faintly.
Jiang Nian turned over and got up, then glanced at the bed next to her. Director Yao was still asleep. Jiang Nian couldn't resist staring a little longer. How could she look so prim and proper even when she was sleeping?
Before opening the door, Jiang Nian threw a jacket over herself; her nightdress was too revealing.
It was Shen Fangyi at the door. When Jiang Nian opened it, she was visibly stunned for a moment. She looked into the room; the curtains were drawn, and it was very dark inside.
Jiang Nian wasn't fully awake. She leaned against the door as if boneless and pulled her jacket a little tighter.
Shen Fangyi asked hesitantly, "Did you sleep here last night?"
Jiang Nian: "Mm."
Shen Fangyi fell silent again. From what she knew of Yao Ran, if she hadn't let her stay last night, she probably wouldn't have let Jiang Nian stay either, but... She was puzzled. She then glanced at the low v-neck slip dress under Jiang Nian's jacket, which was a bit revealing and flippant—so inappropriate. She figured it must be that this Miss Jiang was very good friends with Ruan Xin, and that was why Yao Ran was being so accommodating.
"Is there something you need?" Jiang Nian asked her.
"Is Yao Ran not up yet? No wonder she didn't reply to my WeChat."
"Yeah, she's still sleeping," Jiang Nian replied lazily. "She probably didn't sleep well last night."
Although Shen Fangyi knew there couldn't be anything going on between Yao Ran and Jiang Nian, the sentence sounded ambiguous. Coupled with Jiang Nian's hoarse, just-woken-up voice, it was hard not to let one's imagination run wild.
Shen Fangyi forced a smile. "Thank you for taking care of her last night. Has her fever gone down?"
Jiang Nian nodded. "It has."
They exchanged a few simple words, and then Shen Fangyi left. Yao Ran was still sleeping, so it wasn't right to disturb her.
After closing the door, Jiang Nian turned to find that Yao Ran was awake. Her long hair, slightly messy from sleep, gave her a very domestic look. The coldness was gone, replaced by a heart-stirring gentleness. She wanted to go over and hug her, to act cute with her.
Jiang Nian stared intently for a moment. "...Morning."
Yao Ran also said softly, "Morning."
Jiang Nian: "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Yao Ran shook her head. The fever was gone; it was just her throat that was still a bit uncomfortable.
Jiang Nian took the initiative to tell her, "That was Shen Fangyi just now."
Yao Ran replied with her usual indifference, "Mm."
Jiang Nian added, "Should I ask her to come over? She seems very concerned about you, asking if your fever broke."
"No need," Yao Ran replied immediately.
Jiang Nian could tell that Yao Ran didn't really want to travel with Shen Fangyi. Director Yao didn't seem to like it when people were too enthusiastic towards her; she was used to maintaining a certain social distance.
People who don't let others get close are the hardest to pursue.
It was already past ten. Jiang Nian opened the electric curtains, and sunlight instantly flooded the room, lifting one's spirits.
Yao Ran came out of the bathroom after changing. She had tied her hair up again, generously revealing her beautiful face—sharp and pretty.
Although she looked good no matter what, Jiang Nian still preferred her just-woken-up look, as if there was no distance between them.
Jiang Nian changed her clothes as well.
Yao Ran found it familiar—the black shirt. It seemed to be the same one she had worn that day... On second thought, just because she had borrowed it once, did that mean the other person wasn't allowed to wear it anymore?
Yao Ran replied to Shen Fangyi's WeChat, telling her that she wouldn't be going hiking with her today. They had originally planned to climb Qingfeng Mountain, but she just didn't have the energy.
Not long after replying, Shen Fangyi sent a voice call. Yao Ran didn't answer immediately, feeling a wave of annoyance. She thought she had made herself clear, but Shen Fangyi was like that, always having to show extra concern.
"Want me to answer it for you?" Jiang Nian said with a smile from the side.
Yao Ran glanced at her.
Seeing that she wasn't refusing, Jiang Nian took the phone from her hand and held it to her ear. "...It's me... Mm, it's not convenient for her to answer right now... We're not going hiking... Here's the thing, we're going sketching today, so we won't be joining Director Shen."
Two minutes later, Jiang Nian ended the call. She wasn't being presumptuous. It was obvious that Yao Ran had been trying to decline for the past two days, but Shen Fangyi's enthusiasm hadn't waned. She thought to herself that if this was how Miss Shen pursued people, she was far too unobservant. It was understandable that she wasn't succeeding.
Jiang Nian handed the phone back to Yao Ran and raised an eyebrow. "How was that?"
She had indeed helped her solve a nuisance. Yao Ran smiled gently. As she took the phone, five words floated lightly from her lips: "You don't blush when you lie."
"I wasn't lying," Jiang Nian defended herself, then asked Yao Ran with a smile, "Director Yao, want to go sunbathe together?"
She asked in a casual, easygoing way that was pleasant to hear.
Yao Ran's first impression of Jiang Nian had been a deep one. Her eyes were gentle and amorous, but when she smiled, she was sunny and innocent. The two temperaments didn't clash but were instead special. She thought that if she hadn't been attracted at first sight, she wouldn't have been so impulsive as to go to a hotel with her that night.
Seeing Yao Ran's delayed response, Jiang Nian started to say, "If you don't want to..." But before she could finish, she saw Yao Ran nod.
As Yao Ran listened to her, she suddenly felt the urge to relax in the sun too.
A smile played in Jiang Nian's eyes. It seemed Director Yao wasn't so difficult to get close to after all.
Most people who came to the Qingfeng Temple scenic area for a two-day trip would go to the temple to pray and then climb the mountain the next day to see the scenery. Yao Ran asked Jiang Nian, "You don't want to go hiking?"
Jiang Nian: "Next time. I was tired out yesterday."
Yao Ran thought of how Jiang Nian had slept on her shoulder yesterday. She had indeed been exhausted.
Jiang Nian had a habit of sketching something in her notebook wherever she went, and this time was no exception. She always found a suitable corner for sketching, basking in the sun and drawing a few casual lines.
Yao Ran sat beside her. Before her were the green mountains, the sunlight bathing her body, immersing her completely in warmth. Listening to the rustling sound of the pencil on paper, this turned out to be the most pleasant and relaxing moment of the trip.
Yao Ran noticed that Jiang Nian had drawn a lot these past few days—mountains, water, and some abstract patterns she couldn't quite understand.
Sensing something, Jiang Nian turned her head and found Yao Ran looking at her. She asked directly, "Why are you staring at me?"
Yao Ran: "..."
What a shameless person. Anyone else wouldn't have asked so directly.
Yao Ran felt she should say something. "Are these all design drafts?"
Jiang Nian said, "Just recording some inspiration. If a client likes one, it can be adapted into a tattoo design."
Yao Ran looked at them again. "They're very beautiful."
Jiang Nian quickly retorted, "Are you talking about the drawings or me?"
"..." Yao Ran pursed her lips again. She could never guess what kind of words this Miss Jiang would come out with.
Jiang Nian smiled and continued to draw.
When Yao Ran lowered her head, the corners of her mouth also curved up. She just found the way the other person honestly awaited praise to be amusing. She seemed to possess a relaxation and vitality that others her age lacked, even a certain youthfulness, which was very rare.
The next ten minutes or so passed in silence.
Jiang Nian was never pretentious. Even when she wasn't talking, the atmosphere wasn't stiff. This state also had a way of affecting those around her.
Yao Ran breathed in the fresh air. A moment later, a piece of drawing paper was handed to her.
"A gift for you."
Yao Ran's gaze fixed on the paper. It was a sketch of her from just a moment ago, smiling faintly with her head lowered. Staring at it for a long time, she smiled again.
Seeing Yao Ran smile, Jiang Nian's mood lightened as well. She felt that the attraction she felt this time was different from before. In the past, what she called "attraction" was more about liking the feeling of having company when she was lonely. But this time was different...
Some feelings were inexplicable. Every time she saw Yao Ran looking sullen and repressed, she wanted to help her relax, wanted to cheer her up.
"Are you in a better mood?"
A wisp of hair by Yao Ran's ear fluttered. She remained calm. "I wasn't in a bad mood."
Jiang Nian figured this was probably her normal state, so she rephrased, "Well, are you happier now?"
The question seemed to have been carried over by the fresh, warm breeze. Yao Ran silently looked at the person before her. She was good at coaxing and good at flirting. She suddenly agreed with what Ruan Xin had said—dating her would definitely be comfortable.
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