Indulgence - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
"A Manhattan, please."
"One moment." The bar started to get busy, so Ji Xi didn't have time to chat with Jiang Nian anymore. The conversation ended there.
Jiang Nian ordered another drink, the chance encounter tonight slightly alleviating her dull and uninteresting mood.
Without friends to liven things up, being alone wasn't much fun. Jiang Nian sat at the bar for a little while longer before heading back to the studio.
On her way, she stopped by a nearby dessert shop and bought some treats to bring back as a late-night snack for the employees who were still working.
There were no customers left in the shop, just a few employees cleaning up and preparing to close. The moment they saw Jiang Nian return, the young staff greeted her warmly, "Sister Nian."
Even though they all called her 'Sister Nian,' Jiang Nian wasn't actually much older than them.
"Have something to eat. I bought egg tarts and mille-feuille cake," Jiang Nian said, placing the bag of desserts on the front desk.
"Thanks, Sister Nian." Everyone dug in without ceremony.
Because of her profession, Jiang Nian's first impression was often that of someone with too much personality, who looked unapproachable. But once you got to know her, you'd find she was straightforward and open—the perfect kind of person to be friends with.
The studio had just over ten employees in total, all of them young, and the daily atmosphere was very harmonious.
"Sister Nian, aren't you getting off work?" the new assistant, Xiao Chen, asked in a low voice.
"I still have a design to finish. I'll leave a bit later. You guys can go ahead," Jiang Nian said, brushing back her wind-tousled long hair. As she raised her arm, her already short tank top rode up, revealing a sliver of her slender waist and the clear lines of her abs.
"Okay, well, don't stay too late." The young assistant's gaze swept over her waist, and her face flushed. So fair and slim, it was just too sexy.
"I know."
Jiang Nian had a great figure—a classic case of a narrow waist and long legs. She was also used to being high-profile, or as Qiu Lan would put it, a total show-off. A show-off was a show-off; she took it as a compliment, often dressing in whatever best accentuated her figure, never hesitating to display it.
After the others left, Jiang Nian went up to the second floor.
The studio had two floors: the reception area was on the first, while the tattooing and office spaces were upstairs.
Sitting down at her desk, Jiang Nian's mind wandered. She looked down at the design draft beside her, but her thoughts were filled with the beautiful woman she had met at the bar and the image of her passing under the flowering tree.
As she thought, she looked back at her sketch and suddenly felt a flicker of an idea. Inspiration was just that elusive.
The night was quiet, the only sound being the soft rustle of her pencil moving across the sketch paper.
Sometime after eleven, Jiang Nian put down her pencil. A glance at her phone told her it was late and time to go home.
Although she was a Beilin local, she didn't live with her family. She rented a two-bedroom apartment near Spring Breeze Lane—not large, but just right for one person, and close to the studio.
After getting home, Jiang Nian took a quick shower and collapsed onto her bed. She casually picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and saw several unread messages.
They were from Cheng Qian:
—Why aren't you replying to my messages?
—Let's meet up.
—Big sister misses you.
—Didn't you say you wanted to be in a relationship?
—I'm single too. We could give it a try.
Jiang Nian let out a long sigh as she read the string of messages. After a moment's thought, she replied: Sorry, I've only ever seen you as a big sister.
It was a clumsy excuse for a rejection.
Sure enough, the other party replied a second later with: ???
Jiang Nian turned off her phone screen, set it aside, and ignored it.
She had met Cheng Qian at a friend's gathering last month. They had exchanged contact information and got along well, going to a couple of movies and out for drinks a few times in their spare time.
Just a few days ago, Cheng Qian had wanted to make their relationship official, but she had refused.
Qiu Lan said this habit of hers—being ambiguous with people without being willing to commit—was the shameful behavior of a player.
She probably wasn't wrong...
But if you don't like someone that much, how can you be with them? Although she was always saying, "I really want someone to date," she was actually quite picky. To her, dating was like tattooing; it lost all meaning if you had to settle or be perfunctory.
As for being "ambiguous," it was more that she enjoyed the feeling of having someone by her side. She'd been like this since she was a child and couldn't change it; she always hoped to have someone with her.
Lying in bed, her mind drifted through various other thoughts. She must have been truly exhausted lately, because it wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.
Sometime during the night, it began to rain outside. The natural white noise was soothing, promising a good night's sleep.
The rain continued for several days.
The spring rain was continuous and gentle, fine and mild, not at all bothersome. Beilin's climate was usually dry, so the rain added a welcome touch of moisture to the air, making it rather comfortable.
The studio wasn't busy during weekday afternoons. When there were no appointments, Jiang Nian usually didn't go in until the afternoon. By evening, the customers would start to trickle in.
At ten o'clock that night, Jiang Nian finished her last tattoo and finally had a moment to breathe. She lounged on the sofa, scrolling through her Moments feed, and happened upon a photo from a gathering. The location tag was "Moments."
A serial liker, she habitually tapped the like button, then casually left a comment: Out having fun without me?
A reply came quickly: Get over here, we're waiting for you.
Jiang Nian smiled and replied with a "be right there." Another chance to join the fun.
She went back to her office and picked out a dress more suitable for a night out. Sometimes she worked so late that she would spend the night at the studio, so she always kept a change of clothes on hand.
When Qiu Lan came looking for her, Jiang Nian was in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup. It was heavier than what she wore for work—alluring and bewitching.
After discussing some recent studio purchases, Qiu Lan asked her, "Going to the bar again?"
Jiang Nian looked down, choosing a lipstick, and asked nonchalantly, "How'd you know?"
"Why have you been running over to the bar across the street every other day?" Qiu Lan had noticed something was off with Jiang Nian lately. She had always liked clubbing, but never this frequently. "What's going on?"
Jiang Nian looked at Qiu Lan. "I discovered that the owner of the bar across the street is gorgeous."
Qiu Lan laughed helplessly. "You'd die if you couldn't look at pretty women, wouldn't you?"
Jiang Nian wasn't joking. She had seen many beautiful women, but none had stunned her like the one she'd encountered that night. Her frequent trips to Moments these days were for more than just relaxing and having fun; she did have a certain ulterior motive...
But she had never run into her again.
Jiang Nian finished applying her lipstick and casually asked Qiu Lan if she wanted to come along. It was a party, after all—the more, the merrier.
Having worked overtime for several days straight, Qiu Lan flatly refused. She was truly impressed by Jiang Nian. "You still have the energy to go out and party. I've got to hand it to you, you have so much stamina."
Tattooing was both mentally and physically demanding. Sometimes, a single piece could take several hours without a break, which was exhausting.
It just went to show that everyone recharged their energy differently. Some people wanted to be alone and quiet when they were tired, while others wanted to go somewhere lively to unwind. Jiang Nian belonged to the latter group.
Jiang Nian stood up, changed into a pair of stilettos, and then fussed with her long hair in the mirror. After admiring herself for a moment, she turned back and flashed Qiu Lan a smile. "I'm heading out then."
Seeing her like this, Qiu Lan figured she was bound to "corrupt" someone tonight.
A light rain was still falling outside, and the air she breathed in was damp.
Jiang Nian hurried into Moments. The atmosphere tonight was exceptionally good; the place was nearly packed.
"Hey, beautiful, over here!"
Tonight's dress was a little too figure-hugging. Jiang Nian leisurely made her way through the crowd in her high heels, turning heads the entire way.
"It's just a night out for drinks. Was it necessary to dress so hot?"
"Who are you planning to seduce?"
Jiang Nian took a seat amidst the laughter and jokes. She knew how to drink and have fun, making her popular among her friends, and she quickly joined in the revelry. But tonight, she was slightly distracted, sipping her drink while her eyes scanned the room from time to time.
She wasn't there.
It wasn't like it could be that coincidental.
Just then, the person next to her asked, "Are you meeting someone else?"
Jiang Nian shook her head with a smile. Her mind was elsewhere, and she lost several rounds of a party game in a row. This sharp bunch were no pushovers; they urged her to drink, not letting her miss a single glass.
Jiang Nian drank when told, a good sport through and through. But her luck was just too bad tonight. She lost so many games that the alcohol started to go to her head.
The bar was buzzing with noise, and a disco ball overhead cast colorful, shifting lights across everyone's faces. The DJ switched to a dance track, and many people started pulling each other toward the dance floor.
With the alcohol hitting her, Jiang Nian's spirits were high. "Come on," she urged, "let's go dance."
"I'm too tired to party anymore. I'm heading home."
"Yeah, I'm leaving too."
"I'm calling it a night as well. Let's hang out again next time."
The party broke up, and Jiang Nian was left alone. It was always like this when she went out drinking and partying—she was always the last one left. She was used to it.
With most people now gathered on the dance floor, the booth area had emptied out considerably.
Jiang Nian sat at the table, dazedly watching the lively crowd. There were all sorts of people. As the night deepened, the atmosphere naturally grew hotter. Two women were sitting together, and as they talked, they started kissing and cuddling, eventually stopping their conversation altogether to just affectionately make out.
They looked like a couple in the throes of new love. She rested her chin on her hand, an accidental glance revealing an envy that was about to spill from her eyes.
There was another reason she liked coming here: she had discovered that the place had a surprisingly high number of lesbians.
The young couple was probably drunk. Their kisses grew passionate, and their hands began to wander. Jiang Nian didn't have any weird kinks and had no intention of prying. She turned her head to look elsewhere, feeling an inexplicable sense of loneliness tonight.
After sitting alone for a moment, the excitement having worn off, she stood up to leave.
As she shot to her feet, her vision swam, but the movement seemed to clear her head a little. Not far from her, diagonally ahead, she finally caught sight of the figure she had been looking for.
The woman was also alone, with an assortment of bottles and glasses on her table. Her cool expression was completely at odds with the heated atmosphere, even as the colorful lights swept across her face.
Quietly blending into the noisy darkness, she was even more like a white begonia blooming in the dead of night—silent and still, yet utterly captivating.
For a moment, Jiang Nian forgot the clamor around her, her gaze fixed in that direction.
So this is what the bar owner was like?
Elegant, with an orchid-like grace.
Jiang Nian realized she might have been stereotyping before.
The woman took a sip of her drink from time to time. Though her expression was placid, you could still tell she was feeling just as lonely. After all, in such a joyous setting, even the slightest bit of unhappiness was magnified countless times.
Just as Jiang Nian was about to go over, she saw a man beat her to it. So she had company after all.
Her eyes darkened for a moment as she continued to watch.
Or was it a stranger hitting on her?
Having finally run into her tonight, Jiang Nian didn't overthink it. She walked over, her steps slightly unsteady from the alcohol.
From their conversation, she was certain it was the latter.
She heard the man showering her with concern, trying every trick to get closer. But the other person's voice was as cold as ice, laced with obvious resistance.
"Don't touch me. It makes me want to throw up."
The man: ???
Jiang Nian was also taken aback. It was the first time she had heard such a reason for rejection. It was clear the woman detested being approached, resisting even the slightest physical contact, as if she had mysophobia.
The man didn't give up. He was still asking, "Are you drunk? Are you alone tonight?"
"Don't you touch her."
Jiang Nian drew closer. She tilted her head up, and beneath a pair of seductive eyes, her gaze was sharp and aggressive.
Comments
Post a Comment