Indulgence - Chapter 72
Chapter 72
The drink spilled unexpectedly, drawing everyone's attention. Ruan Xin pulled out a few tissues and handed them to Yao Ran.
Yao Ran took them silently and wiped her hands with a placid expression.
Ruan Xin glanced at the person beside her. This wasn't just a spilled glass of wine; it was more like a toppled jar of vinegar. Yao Qi had only been joking... If Jiang Nian really did start dating someone else, wouldn't Director Yao's heart shatter?
"Qiqi, don't joke around like that," Mimi said, a little embarrassed by the comment and worried the atmosphere would become too awkward.
Yao Qi laughed, completely justified. "The photo does look good, you two look great together. You're both single, so what's wrong with me shipping you a little?"
"Jiang Nian, don't listen to her nonsense. That's just how she is," Mimi said, turning to explain to Jiang Nian.
Jiang Nian smiled faintly. With Mimi's words, that round of somewhat ambiguous jokes came to an end.
Although Mimi was quiet and gentle, she was quite talkative when she found someone with common interests. She and Jiang Nian began discussing their favorite art exhibitions, and their tastes turned out to be surprisingly similar.
"...If we have the chance, we could go to an exhibition together."
Although Jiang Nian was chatting along, her mind wasn't on the conversation. She saw Yao Ran, who was sitting opposite her, stand up.
Yao Ran's fingers were sticky from the spilled drink, and they still felt uncomfortable even after wiping them with a tissue. So she stood up and said to Ruan Xin, "I'm going to the restroom."
Jiang Nian's gaze followed her retreating figure. Recalling the glass Yao Ran had just uncharacteristically knocked over, she sat for another moment before getting up as well.
Ruan Xin watched this unfold silently. The scene was all too familiar. A breakup could be decided in an instant, but feelings couldn't be severed so easily.
In the restroom, Yao Ran washed her hands meticulously, letting the water run over them for a long time without realizing it. When she finally became aware, she pulled out a paper towel to dry the back of her hands and started walking toward the door.
Her head was down, her mind elsewhere, and she didn't notice the person walking in. The two of them bumped into each other clumsily at the doorway, their familiar scents colliding.
Jiang Nian knew it was her and immediately wrapped her in a hug.
Yao Ran came back to her senses.
For a split second, their breaths mingled and their gazes met with a hint of ambiguity. But the hug was extremely brief. Jiang Nian let go as if to avoid suspicion, then pulled back to maintain a proper, polite distance.
Yao Ran was used to Jiang Nian's clingy, affectionate hugs. This felt strangely unfamiliar...
"Are you not feeling well tonight?" Jiang Nian asked, looking at her face in a perfectly conventional manner.
"I'm fine," Yao Ran replied.
"Mm," Jiang Nian hummed with a nod, then walked around Yao Ran and quietly entered the restroom.
After eight o'clock, the bar gradually grew livelier. After finishing her modeling stint, Jiang Nian returned to the studio, while Yao Qi stayed behind to take a few more sets of photos of the scene.
Yao Ran didn't feel like going home just yet, so she stayed at the bar a while longer, helping Ruan Xin with some business matters. Running a bar wasn't as easy as it seemed; there was a mountain of tedious tasks.
She stayed until well after nine.
Ruan Xin answered a call. She smiled at the caller ID, her voice lazy. "Yeah... I'm still working overtime, haven't gone home... I didn't drink much... Are you tired from being out?... I'm almost done... Be good... If you're tired, get some rest early..."
From Ruan Xin's tone, Yao Ran knew she must be on the phone with Xu Xia. It was sickeningly sweet.
Ruan Xin chatted for a few more sentences before hanging up. She looked at Yao Ran and said with a smile, "Still can't accept me and Xu Xia being together?"
"No," Yao Ran said. "It's just unexpected. I never thought you two would get together."
"I get it. She's so young, anyone would think we're not a good match. I'm also aware that there will definitely be a lot of problems between us..." Ruan Xin sighed and gave a helpless smile. "But I've thought it through. Since we like each other, we'll solve any problems together. If we really can't solve them, then it means we're truly not suited for each other, and there will be no regrets if we break up then."
The two chatted intermittently.
Yao Ran rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a bit tired. It was time to go home.
A cold front began to move south, and the temperature in Beilin dropped a few more degrees. Afraid of catching another cold, Jiang Nian deliberately changed into a sweater before heading out that day.
The studio wasn't busy during this period, so Jiang Nian could enjoy a leisurely lunch.
Qiu Lan ate her boxed lunch. "Wanna go out and have some fun tonight? The girls heard you broke up and said they want to introduce you to some new older sisters."
Jiang Nian scoffed. "No need."
Qiu Lan stared at Jiang Nian for a long time before remarking with a sigh, "Nian, I'm not used to you being so mature and stable all of a sudden."
Jiang Nian shot her a look. "Get lost."
"I'm serious. I just feel like you've changed a lot. You've matured after being in a relationship," Qiu Lan said, propping her chin on her hand. She had originally thought that after the breakup, Jiang Nian would go back to her old ways of flirting with new women to distract herself.
Mature? The word left a bad taste in Jiang Nian's mouth. Ever since Yao Ran had called her childish, she had become very conscious of it, subconsciously so.
Jiang Nian thought for a moment, then asked Qiu Lan, "What do you do if your girlfriend feels insecure?"
Qiu Lan was surprised to hear such a question from Jiang Nian. She had always assumed that when Jiang Nian was in a relationship, she would be the willful one who needed to be coaxed, not someone who would think about changing herself.
"Prove it with your actions. Let her know that you've seriously thought about your future together, that you've planned for her to be a part of it, things like that," Qiu Lan answered earnestly.
Jiang Nian listened in silence.
Qiu Lan looked at her and asked cautiously, "Still can't let go?"
After finishing work for the evening, Jiang Nian had planned to go straight home, but she received a last-minute message from Yao Qi, who wanted to treat her to a drink to thank her for modeling last time.
Jiang Nian thought about it and agreed.
Half an hour later, Jiang Nian arrived at the designated lounge bar. Yao Qi was already there. She asked Yao Qi, "Why not go to Moments?"
Yao Qi looked helpless. "If I go there, my sister will drag me home in a minute."
Seeing that she seemed to be drinking away her sorrows, Jiang Nian asked, "In a bad mood today?"
Yao Qi pouted. "Yeah, I had a fight with my family and ran away from home."
"So that's why you invited me for a drink?" Jiang Nian smiled. Yao Qi's features resembled Yao Ran's, but in terms of temperament and personality, you would never guess they were sisters.
"Half and half," Yao Qi said honestly. "Cheers."
Jiang Nian sat down and clinked glasses with her.
With company, Yao Qi began to pour out her troubles, recounting the fight with her family in a torrent of words. When talking about family matters, it was inevitable that Yao Ran would come up. "Sigh, I'm just a good-for-nothing. Of course I can't compare to my sister... My sister is the 'child of the other family'—sensible, good grades, outstanding in every way since she was little."
"Do you know how capable my sister is? Back then, the family business was on the verge of collapse, and she held it all together by herself. I can't even imagine how much pressure she was under. I feel bad for her. But she must have been living under a lot of repression. Even her marriage was for business interests. It's a good thing they divorced..."
Jiang Nian knew the general outline of these events, but hearing the details from Yao Qi made her heart ache for Yao Ran even more. She thought back to their first night together, to the unrestrained, venting emotions Yao Ran had displayed, and felt even worse.
After talking for a long time, Yao Qi keenly sensed something. She asked Jiang Nian, "Do you like my sister? I've noticed that every time I talk about her, you pay extra attention."
She had noticed the way Jiang Nian looked at Yao Ran at the studio that day wasn't right. It was the same last time at Moments; Jiang Nian showed no interest in anyone else, but the moment Yao Ran went to the restroom, she followed. She even had a gut feeling that Jiang Nian was frequently interacting with her as a way to get closer to her sister...
Yao Qi still didn't know about her relationship with Yao Ran. Seeing that Yao Ran was still keeping it a secret, Jiang Nian didn't reveal anything, just smiled ambiguously. "Who wouldn't like someone like your sister?"
"That's true." Yao Qi was quite proud, and she took the opportunity to give Jiang Nian a heads-up. "But I've never seen her like anyone. She's too aloof. She must be very hard to pursue."
She is very hard to pursue.
Jiang Nian complained inwardly.
"But I think if she ever falls in love with someone, that person will be very happy. My sister is so serious, about everything she does. If she likes someone, she'll definitely be very serious and devoted for a long time..."
Jiang Nian lowered her head. Her nose suddenly stung, and so did her heart. She sullenly downed two glasses of wine, feeling as if she had carelessly lost something most important and precious...
"What's wrong with you?" Yao Qi looked at her. "Are you in a bad mood tonight too?"
Just as she spoke, someone walked over. "Sorry, I'm late."
Jiang Nian looked up and saw a familiar face—it was Mimi, the illustrator who had been at the photoshoot with Yao Qi.
"No worries. It's my treat tonight. We're not going home until we're drunk!"
After Mimi arrived, they changed the subject. Drinking with three people was livelier than with two. They chatted casually and played some simple games, and time flew by.
Throughout the evening, Yao Qi received several calls. Seeing they were from her parents, she hung up directly. It was only when she saw a call from Yao Ran that she finally answered.
"Sis, what's up?"
Yao Ran was driving home, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Where have you run off to again? Mom and Dad are looking for you." She had also received a call from home, saying Yao Qi had thrown a tantrum and left, and they couldn't reach her.
Yao Qi said, "I'm out with friends. I'm a grown-up, why are they still controlling me?"
Yao Ran could tell from her voice that she had been drinking, and the background noise suggested she was at a bar. She confirmed, "What friends?"
"The friends from the photoshoot last time. You've met them, Mimi and Jiang Nian... I'm treating them to drinks tonight. Don't worry, I know my limits."
Jiang Nian knew Yao Qi was on the phone with Yao Ran. Her ears perked up when she heard her own name.
After dutifully reporting her situation, Yao Qi was about to hang up when she heard Yao Ran suddenly say:
"Where are you? I'll come pick you up."
Yao Qi: "No need, Sis. I can get back on my own. I won't drink too much."
...
After a few more words, Yao Qi hung up and said, "My sister's coming over."
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