Indulgence - Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Jiang Nian's voice was full of grievance, and her eyes looked just as wronged. She couldn't stand how Yao Ran was always lukewarm toward her every time they met. Just now was the first time Yao Ran had shown her a bit of intimacy.
Yao Ran looked at Jiang Nian's reddened eyes, not knowing what to say. Anyone who didn't know the situation would think she was the one being unreasonable and bullying her.
Jiang Nian felt that her hand was a bit cool, so she reached out and gently held it. "Your hand is so cold. Are you cold?"
Before Yao Ran could answer, she watched as her hand was slowly taken by the person in front of her.
Jiang Nian seized the chance to hold her hand and didn't let go. It was a simple little trick, easily seen through. She was testing the waters, her grip quietly tightening.
Warmth enveloped her palm. Yao Ran saw that her eyes were very bright, like stars in the night sky.
They had clearly tumbled in bed countless times and done every shameless thing imaginable, yet now, just holding hands felt like they were back in the early, ambiguous phase of their relationship.
Jiang Nian asked, "Am I warm?"
A faint smile suddenly touched the corners of Yao Ran's lips. The question wasn't particularly funny, but seeing Jiang Nian like this, she couldn't help but smile.
Jiang Nian stared intently into her eyes, feeling her own heartbeat clearly accelerating. This feeling of her heart fluttering was completely beyond her control.
The evening wind grew stronger, and the temperature was dropping noticeably. A new cold wave was coming soon, and it was said that the first snow of the year would arrive earlier than usual.
Yao Ran said softly, "Let's go back."
Jiang Nian nodded.
In the afternoon, when Ruan Xin knocked on the office door, Jiang Nian was sitting at her desk, propping up her chin and spacing out.
Jiang Nian looked up and knew that Ruan Xin was bored again and had come over to hang out.
Ruan Xin smiled and asked, "Not busy?"
"Just finished. Taking a break."
Ruan Xin found a place to sit. Seeing the many design drafts on the desk, she casually picked one up and praised, "This drawing of yours is gorgeous. No wonder business is so good."
Jiang Nian asked, "Thinking of getting another one?"
"A little tempted, but it hurts too much, so I'd better not." Ruan Xin continued looking at the drafts, then she looked up at Jiang Nian and asked nosily, "So what's the deal with you and Yao Ran now?"
Jiang Nian thought for a moment and said softly, "We're getting to know each other again." If she needed to take it slow to feel secure, then they would take it slow. Anything was fine...
"That's good. Relationships should be taken seriously." Ruan Xin smiled thoughtfully. She was now certain that Yao Ran couldn't bear to let this little girlfriend go. Dragging things out wasn't Yao Ran's style.
After finishing work that evening, Jiang Nian went home specifically to change her outfit and touch up her makeup. Not long after, she got into a black car.
"Auntie." After getting in, Jiang Nian greeted Jiang Yunyun.
"All dressed up so beautifully tonight. What's your motive?" Jiang Yunyun, sitting in the back seat, teased with a smile when she saw Jiang Nian.
"I'm accompanying you to a reception. Of course I can't look shabby. I can't embarrass Director Jiang, can I?"
Hearing her speak so formally, Jiang Yunyun scoffed. "Are you here to accompany me, or do you have another objective?"
Jiang Nian smiled guiltily. She had found out from Jiang Yunyun that Yao Ran would also be there.
"Are you in love with Yao Ran?" Jiang Yunyun cut straight to the point.
Jiang Nian admitted it frankly. "Yes."
As she expected. She had sensed it back at the bar. Jiang Yunyun asked skeptically, "Are you serious?"
"I'm serious." Saying those two words now, she felt even more certain and determined.
Seeing her little niece being so earnest for once, Jiang Yunyun was silent for a moment, then nodded faintly. "Mm, you have good taste."
Jiang Nian smiled in agreement.
That evening, Yao Ran arrived at the hotel early.
When Jiang Nian walked into the banquet hall with Jiang Yunyun, her eyes immediately locked onto her. A well-tailored white dress enveloped her slender, beautiful figure, making her look elegant and refined.
"Director Jiang, you're here. And this is?"
"My niece."
"This must be Director Jiang's daughter, right? She's all grown up. The little beauty has become a great beauty."
Jiang Nian was forced to squeeze out a smile and greet them.
Yao Ran was exchanging pleasantries and clinking glasses with someone. Hearing the conversation behind her, she turned around, wine glass in hand. As soon as she turned, she met Jiang Nian's gaze.
Their eyes met so suddenly. They stood rooted to the spot, their gazes sweeping over each other, both momentarily stunned.
"Director Yao, we meet again." Jiang Yunyun walked up to Yao Ran.
Yao Ran smiled in response and shook her hand.
Now that she was closer, Jiang Nian's gaze lingered on Yao Ran, growing bolder. White suited her so perfectly, a gentle elegance mixed with an ascetic quality. Her light makeup tonight was beautiful too.
"Hello, Director Yao."
Jiang Nian greeted her in a very proper manner.
Yao Ran looked at her feigned seriousness and frowned slightly. She glanced at the hand Jiang Nian extended, paused for half a second, and then shook it.
Jiang Nian's smile was radiant.
Yao Ran remained impassive. Jiang Nian was wearing a wine-red slip dress tonight. The dress clung to her body, outlining her beautiful curves. Young and with an eye-catching figure, it was no wonder she had attracted most of the attention in the room as soon as she walked in.
"Director Yao."
Just then, someone else came over.
Yao Ran turned her attention elsewhere.
Jiang Yunyun had to network and couldn't look after Jiang Nian.
Jiang Nian found these occasions utterly boring. With nothing to do, she drank wine, wandered around, and occasionally ate some cold appetizers and desserts. The sweets at this hotel were surprisingly good.
Jiang Yunyun had other matters to attend to and wouldn't be staying too long. She could see that Jiang Nian's real interest lay elsewhere, so she certainly wouldn't be leaving with her. She didn't press her, only reminding her not to drink too much.
Yao Ran saw Jiang Yunyun leave, but Jiang Nian stayed behind, drinking wine and greedily eating all sorts of desserts... you couldn't find a second person who would eat nonstop at an event like this.
Jiang Nian didn't care about such things; she had always done as she pleased. She picked up another small cake and started eating it. She hadn't eaten enough for dinner anyway.
"Hello, mind if I get to know you?" A man in a suit approached, offering a business card.
She had been approached by quite a few people tonight. Jiang Nian ignored him, indicating she wasn't interested.
The man didn't give up. "Won't you exchange cards? Let's have a drink."
Jiang Nian finished the last bite of her cake. She smiled unhurriedly and dispatched the man with a single sentence: "I'm here with my wife."
The man was visibly stunned.
On the other side, Yao Ran's mind had wandered. She murmured, "Excuse me," to the person she was with and then walked toward Jiang Nian.
By the time Yao Ran arrived, Jiang Nian had already gotten rid of the man who was hitting on her.
She asked, "Are you done?"
Yao Ran knew she hadn't left with Jiang Yunyun because she was waiting for her. She couldn't help but remind her, "Drink less."
Jiang Nian replied, "Mm, I know my limits."
Yao Ran knew that the people at these events were old foxes, full of schemes. Some would see a young girl and think she was easy to handle. And with Jiang Nian dressed so ostentatiously tonight, many people were staring...
After a brief silence.
Yao Ran said to her, "Stay with me."
Jiang Nian was pleasantly surprised and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Yao Ran kept Jiang Nian by her side. There were still many gazes directed at them, but the ill-intentioned advances decreased.
That evening, Jiang Nian tried to take drinks for Yao Ran several times, but Yao Ran didn't let her, knowing she had a tendency to overdo it.
It was late at night when the two of them finally walked out of the hotel. The assistant had brought the car around and was parked right outside the lobby.
Standing in the cold wind, Jiang Nian wrapped her coat tighter around herself and looked at Yao Ran quietly.
Yao Ran understood. "Get in."
"Mm." Jiang Nian got into the back seat of the car with her.
Jiang Nian had been to Yao Ran's company quite a few times before, so she was familiar with the assistant.
Have they made up? The assistant knew their relationship was intimate and ambiguous, so she didn't ask any questions. Just like before, she drove directly to Yao Ran's residence.
The heating in the car was excessively warm. Having had some wine, it felt a bit stuffy. Yao Ran leaned back and closed her eyes to rest.
Jiang Nian turned to look at her. Something now separated them. She couldn't just pull her over and have her lean on her like she used to...
The car drove on for a while.
Jiang Nian moved a little closer to Yao Ran and asked in a small voice, "Are you very tired?"
Yao Ran heard the soft whisper with her eyes closed. She smelled the fragrance that came with her proximity, and her heart stirred. After a moment of hesitation, she finally, slowly, tilted her head and leaned over.
Jiang Nian felt a slight weight on her shoulder. She turned her head to look.
Yao Ran's eyes were still closed as she rested lightly on Jiang Nian's shoulder, a sense of helpless inevitability about it. She'd had this feeling ever since she first met Jiang Nian.
Jiang Nian looked down at her face and watched her for a long time. This was the first time Yao Ran had initiated physical contact since they had separated... She shifted closer to make it easier for her to lean.
The assistant driving glanced at the scene in the rearview mirror and consciously looked away. It was precisely because she had noticed the normally cold Director Yao being so close to someone that she had realized their relationship was ambiguous... and the atmosphere between them was clearly not that of ordinary friends.
The distance between them was more intimate now. Jiang Nian stared intently at her relaxed brows and eyes.
Although Yao Ran's eyes were still closed, she could guess that Jiang Nian was looking at her. Languidly, she asked in a low voice, "Why do you keep staring at me?"
"Because I like to." Jiang Nian continued to watch her, her voice also very soft, but her tone was unapologetic.
Yao Ran fell silent. It was the same old Jiang Nian, always wearing her heart on her sleeve, always straightforward and unashamed.
Jiang Nian then adopted an obedient tone. "If you don't want me to look, I'll stop."
They spoke in voices so low, it was a whisper only the two of them could hear.
"..." Yao Ran frowned slightly, remembering how Jiang Nian had shamelessly said "I'll be very good" the other day, and she felt the urge to smile again. The car was still moving. She didn't say anything more, but she continued to lean on Jiang Nian, a habit when she was tired.
Jiang Nian was naturally happy, but she couldn't help wondering, Is she drunk?
Twenty-something minutes later, the assistant brought the car to a steady stop. She turned around and looked back. "Director Yao, we're here."
"Mm." The moment Yao Ran opened her eyes, she met Jiang Nian's direct, searing gaze, so hot and explicitly ambiguous.
Jiang Nian had been staring at her like that the entire ride and wasn't the least bit embarrassed at being caught. She couldn't hold back anymore. She wanted to stay at her place tonight, to be with her, not go back...
She said softly, "I'll walk you up."
That familiar, fervent gaze was back on her again. Yao Ran felt a warmth spread through her heart, and she didn't want to refuse. She hummed a soft, "Mm."
Comments
Post a Comment