Indulgence - Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Jiang Nian noticed that every time she smiled, Yao Ran would stare at her. She hummed lazily, "You like watching me smile that much?" She had asked Yao Ran "like" so many times tonight, feeling incredibly smug.
Yao Ran recalled the first time she ran into Jiang Nian at the bar—Jiang Nian was standing by the counter, smiling brightly at her under the dim lights, with a hint of flirtatious provocation. She had always been resistant to such things, so she had only given a cold, brief glance at the time, but the memory was deeply etched in her mind.
Her first impression of Jiang Nian was that she was a restless person. Later, it proved to be true. Whether kissing or in bed, Jiang Nian was very provocative and could easily arouse her passion. However, contrary to what she had imagined, Jiang Nian was often so genuine and enthusiastic that it was endearing.
To be honest...
Jiang Nian attracted her in every way.
"So sleepy," Jiang Nian murmured, closing her eyes and snuggling into Yao Ran's embrace.
The embrace grew warmer. Yao Ran's gaze rested on the upturned corners of her mouth, and she smiled too. She pulled the blanket up to cover Jiang Nian's shoulders before turning off the light and going to sleep.
When they woke up the next day, they were still holding each other, naked, sharing warmth, which was exceptionally comfortable.
Perhaps it was from getting caught in the rain the night before, and later sweating a lot during their entanglement. With the air conditioning on all night, Jiang Nian's head felt a bit groggy.
Jiang Nian hadn't intended to wake Yao Ran, but as she was about to lift the blanket and sneak out of bed, Yao Ran's eyes fluttered open to the sight of a beautiful, fair, bare back.
Jiang Nian looked back at her. "Did I wake you?"
Hearing the nasal tone in her voice, Yao Ran asked, "Did you catch a cold?"
Jiang Nian replied, "A little chilly, it's nothing."
Yao Ran glanced at her smooth back. They had been too tired after their shower last night, only drying off with towels before diving under the covers. Jiang Nian was a restless sleeper; she had to tuck her in twice during the night. She probably caught a chill from the air conditioning.
Jiang Nian said softly, "You go back to sleep. I have to go to the studio this morning."
Yao Ran said, "I'll take you."
"You finally have a day off. You're not going to sleep in?"
Yao Ran wanted to laugh, thinking everyone was like her. "I don't sleep in."
Jiang Nian didn't refuse again, happy once more.
Being stared at by Jiang Nian, Yao Ran didn't feel comfortable just getting up. After a moment's hesitation, she ordered softly, "Turn your face away."
It was a familiar scene, but Jiang Nian whimpered softly, "What's there not to see? We touched each other all night yesterday."
Yao Ran: "..."
Jiang Nian was amused. After receiving her girlfriend's instruction, she obediently looked away.
Yao Ran wrapped a towel around herself and went to the walk-in closet. Jiang Nian also picked up her robe and put it on.
After they both freshened up, Jiang Nian said to Yao Ran, "My clothes are dirty. I'll have to wear yours today."
"Mm." Yao Ran found a complete outfit and handed it to Jiang Nian.
Jiang Nian wasn't as shy as Yao Ran. Very casually, she untied her robe in the bedroom and started changing right there.
Yao Ran glanced over silently. This person had no shame at all. She consciously turned away.
"Ranran..."
Jiang Nian called out sweetly.
The name was cloyingly sweet. Besides family, Yao Ran was rarely called that. With her back to Jiang Nian, she answered, "Hm?"
Jiang Nian said softly, "Help me put on my bra."
Help put on a bra? How could she say that so brazenly? After a few seconds of silence, Yao Ran replied helplessly, biting the bullet, "Put it on yourself."
Jiang Nian muttered, "I can't clasp it."
Yao Ran still turned and walked to the bedside. She lowered her head and helped Jiang Nian clasp her bra strap. Her gaze couldn't help but sweep over other areas. Daytime was daytime, and nighttime was nighttime; the feeling was completely different. Every time they were "bare with each other," they were lost in a haze of passion, oblivious to anything else, unlike now, when they were so clear-headed.
Jiang Nian then turned her head, looked at Yao Ran, and said flirtatiously, "The front isn't adjusted right either."
Misbehaving as soon as she woke up. Yao Ran was rendered speechless again. She didn't indulge her further, saying in a low voice, "...Adjust the front yourself."
Jiang Nian was a little disappointed that her trick didn't work. Does she have to be so shy? She suddenly had an idea for another birthday gift for Director Yao... She stared straight at Yao Ran, then took the opportunity to plant a kiss on her cheek. She had a bit of a cold, otherwise she would have definitely insisted on a deep kiss before letting her go.
More little tricks. As Yao Ran lowered her head, there was a faint smile in her eyes.
After the bra was clasped, Jiang Nian whispered in her ear again, "Your bra is a little tight on me."
Yao Ran: "..."
She was well aware that while Jiang Nian wasn't fleshy, she was... well-developed where it counted.
On the way to take Jiang Nian to work, Yao Ran stopped by a pharmacy to buy some cold medicine, just in case.
Jiang Nian was in a hurry, so she went to the studio without makeup, wearing a simple, sharp shirt with her long hair tied up.
After finishing work at noon, there was a short break. Qiu Lan called out to Jiang Nian in the hallway, "I brought you a bento, come and eat."
Jiang Nian stretched her arms. "Thanks, Director Qiu."
Thanks to Qiu Lan, Jiang Nian had a good lunch. Qiu Lan's cooking skills were top-notch, and when she occasionally cooked for herself, she would pack a portion for Jiang Nian too.
They went to the break room to heat up their food and saw Yu Zhao eating there too, so the three of them shared a table.
Qiu Lan noticed the shirt Jiang Nian was wearing wasn't her usual style; it was clearly someone else's. She teased, "You stayed out all night again?"
Jiang Nian declared proudly, "It's not called staying out all night when you're at your girlfriend's house."
Qiu Lan clicked her tongue, then turned to Yu Zhao. "Teacher Yu, you should try some of my cooking too."
Yu Zhao had gotten familiar with the people at the studio quickly. She didn't hesitate to take a bite and praised with a smile, "Delicious, the skills of a master chef."
"Director Qiu, your cooking has improved again," Jiang Nian said, eating one mouthful after another with relish. She asked Qiu Lan, "How did you make this? It's even better than restaurant food."
"You're a kitchen disaster. Even if I told you, you wouldn't know how to make it," Qiu Lan retorted.
"Teach me," Jiang Nian said, thinking of something. "I want to cook for my girlfriend."
Qiu Lan's ears were about to fall off. "Hey! Enough! We get it, you have a girlfriend."
Yu Zhao also found it strange. She had known Jiang Nian for a while and never would have thought she was the type to constantly talk about her girlfriend.
Jiang Nian: "I'm serious."
Qiu Lan was dumbfounded. Now she really saw Jiang Nian in a new light.
Lunch was rushed. Just as she finished, Jiang Nian saw a call from Yao Ran. She walked to the window to answer it, saying with a smile, "To what do I owe the pleasure of a call from Director Yao?"
A soft voice came through the receiver: "Are you feeling any better?"
Jiang Nian paused for a moment, then broke into a smile. Her voice was still a bit nasal. "It's nothing serious."
"Mm, as long as it's not serious."
It was a simple and subtle show of concern, but Jiang Nian felt warm all over. It was such a happy feeling to be on the mind of the person you like. Unfortunately, she was busy, and before they could say much more, someone came to hurry her along.
Jiang Nian's appointments were packed for the next two days; her entire weekend would be spent working.
On the weekend evening, Yao Ran went to the bar. It was almost the end of the month, and Ruan Xin couldn't manage on her own, so she went to help out when she was free.
After finishing their work, they still had some time. Ruan Xin said she needed new clothes and dragged her to go shopping at the mall.
Yao Ran watched her pick through the clothes. It didn't look like they were for her, so she asked casually, "Buying for Xu Xia?"
"Yeah," Ruan Xin said as she browsed. "She's not a kid anymore. She can't keep dressing like a little brat."
Yao Ran looked at her and smiled. "You're such a responsible big sister."
Ruan Xin looked up and suddenly asked, "Do I look that much older than her?"
"Hm?" Yao Ran didn't quite understand the meaning behind Ruan Xin's question and didn't know how to answer.
"Yao Ran, I don't look old, do I?" Ruan Xin asked again, insistently.
"When did you start caring about this?" In Yao Ran's memory, Ruan Xin never cared about her age.
Ruan Xin sighed, wanting to say more but holding back. Thinking of Xu Xia, she suddenly felt a bit of age-related anxiety.
"Is something on your mind lately?" Yao Ran asked.
"...No." Ruan Xin thought about it but still couldn't summon the courage to confess her current relationship with Xu Xia. If she told her, Yao Ran's jaw would probably drop.
Seeing that Ruan Xin didn't want to talk about it, Yao Ran didn't press. Everyone has things they don't want to bring up.
"Don't you think this dress would suit Jiang Nian?" Ruan Xin promptly changed the subject.
Yao Ran glanced at it too—a stylishly designed slip dress. Her gaze lingered for a moment, thinking. It would indeed suit her well.
"It would look good on her..." Ruan Xin continued to mutter. When she turned back and saw Yao Ran was quiet, she quickly explained with a smile, "I didn't mean anything by that, don't get the wrong idea."
Yao Ran was exasperated. No wonder Ruan Xin and Jiang Nian got along so well; neither of them was ever serious.
After a round of shopping, Ruan Xin had three outfits bagged: one for herself and two for Xu Xia.
As they were about to pay, Yao Ran said to a nearby salesperson, "Please bag this dress for me, thank you."
Ruan Xin looked and saw it was the exact slip dress they had just been discussing. A moment ago, Director Yao had seemed completely uninterested...
Looking at the still cool-faced Yao Ran, Ruan Xin frowned deeply. "I really can't stand you." She's dying to have it, yet she puts on such a calm and reserved act.
Jiang Nian had been busy all day. Whether it was from overwork after two consecutive days of overtime or from catching another chill from the air conditioning last night, her cold had gotten worse.
She had forced herself to tattoo all day. By evening, she couldn't take it anymore and felt dizzy and groggy.
She went downstairs for a break and some fresh air. A moment later, she saw a tall, thin middle-aged man approaching, impeccably dressed in a shirt and trousers.
They came face to face.
An awkward standoff ensued.
Jiang Nian didn't greet him, just asked coolly, "What are you doing here?"
"Is that how you talk to me? Can't I come and see your place?"
Jiang Nian turned her head away impatiently without responding.
The man surveyed the surroundings. Catching sight of the people covered in tattoos, a look of disgust appeared on his face. "Associating with riffraff all day, what has become of you? No wonder you're losing your manners."
A girl nearby overheard and snapped back irritably, "Hey, uncle, watch your mouth! Have you got any class? What do you mean, 'riffraff'?"
Others also started to voice their objections.
Seeing a fight about to break out, Jiang Nian didn't want an ugly scene at the studio. She said coldly to the man, "Let's talk outside. Not here."
The outdoor air was hot and stuffy, making one irritable. Jiang Nian was the first to ask, "What is it?"
"Are you done messing around now?" Jiang Yuanheng said bluntly. "If you're done, then come back home with me obediently."
Jiang Nian guessed it was about this again. "I'm not going back. Leave me alone."
"I'm your father. If I don't look after you, who will?" Jiang Yuanheng pointed at the studio and sneered. "Are you really planning to do this forever? Do you know how much you embarrass me?"
Jiang Nian shot back with a cold laugh, "What's it to me if you're embarrassed?!"
Jiang Yuanheng's expression turned cold. He suppressed his rising temper. "Once you're done playing and making a scene, come back with me. How long has it been since you've been home? Do you enjoy suffering out here all by yourself?"
Phony concern. It was just that he looked down on her profession and felt she was a disgrace to him. Jiang Nian couldn't be bothered to explain. She just hadn't expected Jiang Yuanheng to show up at the studio today. Smelling alcohol on him, she became even more impatient. "Have you been drinking? If you're drunk, go home. Why come here to vent your anger? Am I your punching bag? I told you a long time ago to stay out of my business."
"Jiang Nian, you're getting more and more outrageous. Your mother really spoils you too much. I don't know what kind of mother she is, raising you to be like this!"
Hearing him mention Xue Ying, Jiang Nian's temper flared too. She retorted angrily, "With that rotten temper of yours, it's no wonder Mom didn't want you."
"Say that again."
"Was I wrong?" Not only did Jiang Nian not back down, she shot back, "If it weren't for your indiscretions, would Mom have left in the first place?"
"You..." Hitting a sore spot, and having his dirty laundry aired in public by his own daughter, Jiang Yuanheng was mortified. A rush of anger to his head made him slap her.
"Director Jiang, you've had too much to drink..." Seeing things escalate, his assistant stepped forward to pull him back.
The scene became uglier than imagined.
Now, both fell silent.
Jiang Nian's cheek was numb and stinging. A ball of anger was stuck in her chest with nowhere to go. She frowned, stubbornly biting her lip, her anger mounting. "Get out. I don't want to see you ever again. I don't have a father like you, understand?"
...
Across the street, Yao Ran saw Jiang Nian arguing with someone from a distance. It seemed intense. When she saw the person hit Jiang Nian, her pace quickened.
Jiang Nian touched her cheek. She stayed outside a little longer, acting as if nothing had happened, and bent down to play with Si Mao, who had followed her out.
"What happened?"
Yao Ran had walked so fast that her breathing was slightly ragged.
Hearing the familiar voice.
Jiang Nian looked up. She hadn't wanted to cry over a rotten person, but the moment she saw Yao Ran walking toward her, she suddenly felt so wronged that tears welled up in her eyes...
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