Indulgence - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Friends? Yao Ran didn't think that was a suitable word for them. She didn't know what Jiang Nian was thinking when she said it, but she herself couldn't interact with the woman before her as a normal friend while maintaining this subtle, ambiguous intimacy. What kind of relationship was that?
She admitted that being with Jiang Nian was comfortable and relaxing. If it weren't for that night they crossed the line, perhaps they could have become friends who got along well. But now, being entangled because of a single moment of impulse was not the rational choice.
Just as Yao Ran was about to say something.
"When you're in a bad mood, you can also find me," Jiang Nian added with a smile. She looked at Yao Ran, the words slipping out subconsciously, without any ulterior motive.
She said it with such sincerity and frankness that Yao Ran, gazing at her smile, couldn't bring herself to say the rational, cold words, "We're not suited to be friends." If she had, she could almost imagine the pitiful, wronged expression that would appear on the other woman's face…
"I'll walk you downstairs," Jiang Nian said.
Yao Ran didn't say there was no need; she felt the other woman would do it anyway.
After Yao Ran left, Jiang Nian returned to her office. She unwrapped the lipstick, a smile gracing her lips again. It was a shade that suited her style perfectly; it didn't look like it had been chosen carelessly.
She really is the type to feign indifference.
Jiang Nian stared at the lipstick, lost in thought. Everyone said Yao Ran was cold, but it seemed she was the only one who knew that the woman who always appeared as calm as still water also had a side as scorching as fire. She wasn't cold at all. A passion was hidden deep within her bones, sexy and alluring.
After leaving the studio, Yao Ran drove home. The place she currently lived in was a single-story apartment she had purchased several years ago. She spent most of her time here alone.
She switched on the lights in the entryway, the brightness dispelling the darkness, and was greeted by a familiar quiet solitude. Compared to the overwhelming warmth she resisted, she preferred this kind of tranquility.
The living room was empty. A one-hundred-and-sixty-square-meter apartment was a bit large for one person. She had bought it mainly for the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows. It overlooked a lake, offering an expansive view, and the location was just right—not too far from her company or the bar.
Yao Ran placed the photo album on the entryway cabinet. Her gaze fell upon the conspicuous wooden carving beside it, the good luck puppy. The puppy wore a silly, happy grin, and every time she came home and saw it, she felt the atmosphere in the apartment liven up a bit.
Wishing you good luck, too.
She suddenly recalled the words Jiang Nian had said to her that day. On a whim, she touched the puppy's head with her fingertip as if to absorb some of its good luck. Afterward, she curled her lip, finding her own actions childish and amusing.
Yao Ran was accustomed to doing everything according to a plan. Even her after-work routine was largely the same: put on some music with the record player, then take a bath to relax. If there was work to do, she would handle it; if not, she would casually flip through a few pages of a book. She usually went to bed around eleven.
Ruan Xin had once complained about her, saying that living with someone like her for a long time would be boring to death. Her rhythm of life was so unchanging, completely devoid of passion.
She always just laughed it off. There was nothing wrong with being stable and a little plain. If she ever met someone she could walk through life with, she thought, she would probably live just as placidly with them.
Tonight, Yao Ran didn't read a book. Instead, she flipped through the photo album Jiang Nian had given her. There were more photos than she had expected, a thick stack of them. There were pictures of the scenery they had seen that day, as well as solo shots of her—so many, in fact, that it looked like a personal photobook.
As she was looking at the photos, her phone rang.
Yao Ran picked it up. It was Shen Fangyi, likely calling about work. She answered the call, her eyes still fixed on the photos in her hands. "Hello?"
"Yao Ran, I'd like to ask you for a personal favor."
Yao Ran lowered her eyes slightly. "What is it?"
"This Friday is my birthday, and I'd like to reserve a table at Moments. Could you help me hold one?" Shen Fangyi asked.
"No problem. I'll let Ruan Xin know. How many people?" Yao Ran readily agreed. To her, this wasn't really a personal favor. After all, she had a stake in the bar; it was just a matter of passing on a message. She sometimes booked tables at Moments for work-related entertainment as well.
Shen Fangyi said, "Not many, just three or four. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
After settling the matter, the call didn't end. Yao Ran asked casually, "Is there anything else?"
Her soft tone made Shen Fangyi even more reluctant to hang up. She knew Yao Ran was naturally aloof. If Yao Ran were always a cold, unapproachable iceberg, she wouldn't have been thinking about her for so long. But Yao Ran's distance was tinged with a polite gentleness. Even though she knew it was just a part of the other woman's good upbringing, it still made one's imagination run wild.
"If you have time, you could come over too," Shen Fangyi said with a laugh. "We won't talk about work. Just friends having a drink and relaxing."
Hearing this, Yao Ran replied, "I probably won't have time. Happy birthday in advance."
"Okay, no problem," Shen Fangyi answered quickly. She had only asked on the off chance, and she had expected this response.
Yao Ran wasn't just making an excuse. There was a Yao family dinner on Friday night that she had to attend. She had already been reminded several times.
"So you finally decided to show your face?!"
The moment Yao Ran stepped into the Yao family villa on Friday evening, she heard Yao Zhengfu's disgruntled voice.
Ding Mengwei shot Yao Zhengfu a look, signaling him not to spoil the rare occasion of the family eating together.
"Sis," Yao Qi, who was sitting on the sofa, greeted her. Yao Qi was the younger daughter of the Yao family, still young, having just finished her master's degree.
"Let's get ready for dinner," Ding Mengwei instructed the housekeeper nearby to start setting the table.
Although there were four of them, the family was hardly lively. The Yao family had always been strict, so the atmosphere was never particularly relaxed.
This was the first time Yao Ran had come over since finalizing her divorce. The mood at the dinner table tonight was even heavier than usual.
Ding Mengwei ladled some soup. "The soup is excellent tonight. Have some more."
Yao Ran smiled faintly. "Thanks, Mom."
"You've been quite busy lately," Yao Zhengfu said while picking up some food with his chopsticks. "Don't even have time to come home for a meal."
"It has been a bit busy," Yao Ran replied perfunctorily as she sipped her soup. "A lot of things to deal with."
After a few inconsequential pleasantries, Yao Zhengfu's temper gradually flared. "I just don't understand why you had to get this divorce. It's normal for couples to have disagreements. What's the big deal? You're being far too driven by your emotions."
As Yao Ran had expected, the topic inevitably turned to this. She knew why Yao Zhengfu was angry. Firstly, he felt he had lost face, and secondly, falling out with the Lin family was a loss.
The Yao family had started out in traditional industries. Later, as the market declined and profits fell, Yao Ran returned from abroad and took over part of the family business, initiating a transition toward internet enterprises. She had worked in investment banking overseas, and the few projects she tried after the transition capitalized on the trend and did well, allowing them to weather a crisis without any major mishaps. During this process, the Lin family's network and resources had indeed provided her with some opportunities.
When a marriage intertwined with interests ends, it inevitably means a portion of those interests will be lost. Yao Ran had long been prepared for this and had weighed the pros and cons. She believed she could bear this loss.
It was precisely because of these entangled interests that the Yao family vehemently opposed her divorce. As for her personal feelings, they were unimportant. Just as it had always been—she only needed to be outstanding in every aspect; nothing else mattered.
Ding Mengwei looked at Yao Ran and also began to advise her earnestly, "It's not that I'm nagging you, but you're usually so rational. How could you be so impulsive this time?"
Rational?
Yao Ran suddenly felt weary of that word.
Yao Qi, who had been eating quietly, couldn't hold back any longer after hearing all this. She couldn't help but mutter, "It's just a divorce. With my sister's qualities, is she really going to have trouble finding someone to marry her?"
"What do you know?!" Yao Zhengfu's face turned cold as he snapped at Yao Qi.
"Oh." Yao Qi immediately backed down, burying her head and remaining silent to avoid drawing fire. Sometimes, she was quite glad to be a good-for-nothing. Otherwise, she might have had to walk the same path as her sister. It looked glamorous… but she still preferred being a good-for-nothing.
Growing up, the Yao family's upbringing of Yao Qi had been relatively relaxed, while their standards for Yao Ran could be described as harsh. According to their father, the more capable one had to bear more responsibility. Ding Mengwei continued, "Your father has a point. It's impossible for two people to be together without having conflicts. Why don't you both just swallow your pride? Maybe you can still salvage things…"
Yao Ran listened in silence for a long time. Then she looked up and threw back a cool question, "For that little bit of benefit, my marriage can be sacrificed, is that right?"
It was the first time she had laid these things bare, speaking so bluntly. The entire table fell silent.
Ding Mengwei was quiet, saying no more.
Yao Qi, on the other hand, showed a hint of surprise. She admired her sister's endurance—how did she manage to maintain her "good breeding" even when she was angry, as if she were incapable of losing her temper?
Yao Zhengfu's expression darkened as well. He frowned and reprimanded her in a low voice, "What kind of talk is that?"
It was merely tearing away the high-sounding fig leaf to speak the ugly truth. Yao Ran felt there was nothing more to discuss. She put down her bowl and chopsticks. "I'm finished. I have things to do tonight. You all take your time."
Tonight's dinner was destined to end in discord, something Yao Ran had been prepared for. She drove out of the Yao estate, away from the turmoil. It was better to be alone in peace and quiet.
The night was hazy and boundless.
Usually, when she was bored and didn't know what to do, Yao Ran would drop by Moments. Her initial reason for agreeing to open a bar with Ruan Xin was the thought that having a place to briefly escape reality wasn't a bad idea.
Soon, she was back on the familiar street.
The flowers in Spring Breeze Lane had withered, leaving only vast stretches of lush green. Compared to the riot of colors, Yao Ran preferred this verdant scenery as summer approached. She liked things that were full of life, perhaps because she herself lacked it so much.
Yao Ran parked her car by the roadside. From her vantage point, she could see the tattoo studio diagonally ahead. She gazed at the entrance, where a few stray dogs had wandered over, loitering by the studio door as usual, as if waiting for someone inside to come out and feed them.
She found herself in a daze, thinking of how a certain someone looked when she was teasing the dogs. It was a little amusing.
Sitting idly in her car, she found her cigarette case and lit a slim cigarette to pass the time. She wasn't a heavy smoker; she just used it to relax when she felt stifled, always in moderation.
Half a cigarette later, someone came out of the studio. Yao Ran immediately looked over. The person feeding the dogs was a young woman with short hair, likely an employee of the studio.
"When you're in a bad mood, you can also find me."
Yao Ran stared blankly, the sentence popping into her head at the perfect moment. If they met, would she try to find a way to cheer her up again?
Where are my thoughts wandering now? Yao Ran glanced down and noticed an unread message on her phone. Her lashes fluttered as she tapped it open… It was from Shen Fangyi, asking her again if she was free tonight. She was at Moments.
Yao Ran thought about it. Since she was idle anyway, and Ruan Xin wasn't at the bar today, she casually replied: Okay.
Shen Fangyi hadn't expected that a casual question would actually get Yao Ran to agree to come…
When Yao Ran walked into Moments, however, she found Shen Fangyi alone. "Are you by yourself?" she asked.
"A friend got drunk, so another friend took her home first," Shen Fangyi said. The excuse sounded clumsy.
Yao Ran didn't suspect anything was amiss.
Shen Fangyi said, "We've never had a drink together just the two of us. It's a good opportunity today."
"Mm." Yao Ran felt like having a few drinks tonight as well. As she sat down, she politely said to Shen Fangyi, "Happy birthday." Just after she took her seat, her gaze wandered around casually. When it swept over the tall back of a figure with long, wavy hair that reached almost to her waist, her eyes froze.
Noticing this, Shen Fangyi asked her, "See someone you know?"
Yao Ran didn't hear her. She watched as the figure turned slightly, revealing an unfamiliar profile. She quietly withdrew her gaze. It was just a similar build.
"What's wrong?" Shen Fangyi asked, seeing her distracted look.
Yao Ran smiled. "Let's drink."
…
There were quite a few clients with appointments on Friday night. Jiang Nian was busy all evening, without even a moment to check her phone. It wasn't until ten o'clock that she finally had a chance to take a break, drink a glass of water, and look at her phone.
She saw that Ji Xi had sent her a message forty minutes ago:
【Ji Xi】 Sister Ran is here today.
Jiang Nian asked: Is she still there?
A few minutes passed.
【Ji Xi】 Still here. Looks like she's had a lot to drink tonight.
Reading this, Jiang Nian couldn't help but worry. She had interacted with Yao Ran many times and knew she didn't drink heavily without reason…
Qiu Lan ran into Jiang Nian in the hallway as she was heading out. "Where are you going? We have another client coming in later."
"Something came up. I'm leaving the client to you for now."
Qiu Lan looked bewildered. "What is it?"
"I'm leaving."
"…" Seeing that she really did have something urgent to attend to, Qiu Lan had no choice but to clean up the mess she had left behind.
The bar was crowded with people looking to relax on a Friday night. Jiang Nian squeezed through the crowd and headed toward the VIP area. If Ji Xi hadn't told her the general location, it would have been hard to find her right away.
She wasn't alone tonight; another woman was keeping her company. Jiang Nian didn't know what they were talking about, but seeing the distance between them shrink, she was certain Yao Ran must have had too much to drink again.
She was just like last time…
Is she looking for a release again?
A surge of anxiety hit Jiang Nian.
She hurried over, grabbed Yao Ran's hand, and tried to pull her away.
Yao Ran smelled a familiar fragrance. Turning her head, her eyes met Jiang Nian's, and her heart began to pound.
Seeing someone rush up and grab her companion, Shen Fangyi, who had been drinking, couldn't see clearly in the dim light. "Who are you?"
Jiang Nian declared with righteous conviction, "I'm her person."
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