Indulgence - Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The moment Qiu Lan saw Yao Ran again, she recognized her instantly. A gentle, mature, and exceptionally elegant woman—no wonder Jiang Nian couldn't get her off her mind.
"Here to see Jiang Nian?"
Qiu Lan greeted her warmly and proactively.
Yao Ran was holding a shopping bag. She looked at Qiu Lan and smiled. "Yes."
"She's in the studio upstairs," Qiu Lan said. "The room next to her office."
Yao Ran thanked her and walked up the stairs to the second floor. She had been here several times and was familiar with the layout. She walked to the studio, paused at the door for a moment, and knocked lightly.
Inside, Jiang Nian was fiddling with a small object, a carving knife in hand. Assuming it was Qiu Lan, she called out, "What's up?"
Yao Ran pushed the door open and saw Jiang Nian sitting at a desk, her long hair tied back casually. She was focused on her woodcarving, head lowered. Si Mao was squatting by her leg, its round eyes fixed on the doorway, letting out two small yips.
Jiang Nian still didn't look up, continuing with her woodwork. "Something you need?" she asked again, her voice drawn out and listless.
Yao Ran paused slightly before replying softly, "I came to see Si Mao."
Hearing the familiar, cool voice, Jiang Nian's carving knife slipped, nearly cutting her hand. She immediately looked up and stared at the person standing in the doorway, a silent smile spreading across her face first.
Yao Ran hadn't replied to her message for a long time, so she had assumed she wouldn't be coming tonight.
After buying the toys, Yao Ran had sent Jiang Nian a message on WeChat, but Jiang Nian had been busy and must not have seen it.
Si Mao barked twice at Yao Ran.
Jiang Nian bent down and rubbed Si Mao's head. "Be good, Si Mao."
As if it understood, Si Mao quieted down and pressed against Jiang Nian, its eyes fixed expectantly on the person by the door.
After soothing Si Mao, Jiang Nian said to Yao Ran, "I didn't think you'd come."
Yao Ran lowered her gaze to the little creature on the floor. "I was passing by after work," she said nonchalantly, "so I thought I'd drop in to see Si Mao."
Jiang Nian was skeptical. Was she really that concerned about Si Mao? She pursed her lips slightly and asked with a smile, "So Director Yao likes dogs?"
"It's quite cute."
After saying this, Yao Ran glanced at Si Mao again.
Did she really just come to see Si Mao tonight? Jiang Nian wondered, gazing at Yao Ran's lowered eyes.
Just then, Yao Ran handed the shopping bag to Jiang Nian.
"For me?" Jiang Nian asked eagerly as she took it.
"For Si Mao," Yao Ran explained coolly. "Some toys and treats."
Jiang Nian was speechless.
Si Mao was very smart, lively, and not particularly shy. In no time, it was sniffing around Yao Ran. Sensing no danger, it boldly started to get close to her.
Yao Ran smiled, amused by how clingy the little thing was.
Seeing this, Jiang Nian felt a pang of emptiness in her heart. So she really did just come to see Si Mao? She didn't even spare me an extra glance…
"Have a seat. I'll get you a glass of water."
Yao Ran shook her head. "I should get going."
"Don't be in such a hurry," Jiang Nian said quickly. They had finally gotten a chance to meet, and she didn't want to let her go so soon. She wanted to spend more time with her.
Yao Ran looked at her and fell silent for a moment.
Once Si Mao grew familiar with her scent, it became even more affectionate. Jiang Nian seized the opportunity. "Si Mao doesn't want you to leave. It wants you to play. It was probably cooped up in the hospital for too long. It's perfect that you're here to keep it company."
Yao Ran looked down and saw that the little creature was indeed clinging to her.
Jiang Nian took out the treats Yao Ran had bought. "Feed it these," she said with a smile. "It'll be so happy it'll wag its tail."
Yao Ran took the treats and stayed. In truth, she had also wanted to stay a little longer tonight…
After getting a treat, Si Mao did indeed start wagging its tail happily. Yao Ran smiled faintly, charmed by its cuteness.
"See? I was right, wasn't I?" Jiang Nian grinned, turning to Yao Ran. "Isn't it super cute?"
Yao Ran met her gaze. "Yes."
"Go on, pet it. Si Mao is well-behaved now. It doesn't bite, and it'll even act cute with you," Jiang Nian said enthusiastically.
Yao Ran tried to imitate Jiang Nian, petting the little one's head. The puppy then began to nuzzle her palm, its fur soft as it tried all sorts of ways to be adorable and affectionate.
Jiang Nian chuckled. "Such a clingy little thing."
Hearing Jiang Nian say that, Yao Ran couldn't help but recall the night Jiang Nian had buried her face in the crook of her neck, smiling and acting coy.
The way she had been was far clingier than Si Mao.
Jiang Nian noticed her spacing out. "What's wrong?"
Yao Ran snapped back to reality, Jiang Nian's smiling face just inches away. "Nothing," she murmured.
Jiang Nian wondered if something was bothering her again today. "If you want to see Si Mao in the future, you can come anytime."
The fluffy fur brushed against Yao Ran's palm again.
"Si Mao seems to really like you," Jiang Nian said with a warm smile.
Yao Ran rubbed Si Mao's head again, her attention drawn to the unfinished woodcarving on the desk. It was quite small.
Jiang Nian picked up the half-finished carving. "Guess what it is," she asked with a smile.
"Si Mao?" Yao Ran glanced at it. The puppy's outline was already visible—a chubby head, a round body, and comically short limbs. It was cute and funny. She couldn't help but praise her, "You're very skilled with your hands."
Jiang Nian's happiness was written all over her face. "Really?" she pressed, beaming.
Yao Ran wanted to call her shameless for making her repeat a compliment. She kept her lips sealed and said no more.
"I'll give it to you when it's done." Seeing that she seemed interested in the carving, Jiang Nian asked, "Want to try?"
Yao Ran looked at her. "Hm?"
Jiang Nian pulled her over to sit at the desk. "I'll teach you," she said with great interest.
And just like that, the lesson began. Jiang Nian took a new block of wood and quickly sketched a simple outline with a pen.
"Like this, first you carve out the rough shape…"
The faint sound of the carving knife scraping against the wood seemed to slow the passage of time, creating a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere.
Her fingers were nimble, her movements practiced. Yao Ran watched quietly. It was rare to see her with such a focused gaze, except for when she was tattooing someone.
"It's pretty simple, right?" Jiang Nian asked with a smile, her head still lowered, her voice soft.
Yao Ran's gaze fell on her upturned lips. She watched her, lost for a moment in that earnest, brilliant smile.
Jiang Nian wasn't as focused as she appeared. She turned her head at just the right moment and, just as she'd suspected, found Yao Ran staring at her profile.
Yao Ran didn't have time to look away, her gaze revealing something.
Having caught someone staring, Jiang Nian's smile grew even wider. But a task that required full concentration was prone to error when one was distracted. The moment she turned her head, the blade slid across her palm.
Jiang Nian hastily put down the knife. Thankfully, she was wearing cut-resistant gloves.
Yao Ran saw it. "Did you cut your hand?"
"Yeah." Jiang Nian took off her glove to look, then clutched her hand tightly.
Yao Ran moved closer. "Let me see."
Jiang Nian kept her hand covered. "It's bleeding," she told her.
"Is the cut deep?" Yao Ran moved even closer, reaching for her hand. The knife looked sharp and dangerous. "Let me take a look."
Although Yao Ran's reaction was calm, Jiang Nian could still detect a hint of nervousness, which made her want to burst with joy. She stared at the woman before her, bit her lip theatrically, and slowly let Yao Ran take her hand.
As Yao Ran looked at her fair, unblemished palm, she realized she'd been tricked.
Staring at Yao Ran's face from up close, Jiang Nian couldn't help but laugh. "Director Yao, you're so easy to fool."
"…" She had acted so convincingly. Yao Ran frowned and pulled her hand away. "How childish."
"I was wearing a glove, you didn't have to be so nervous," Jiang Nian said, emphasizing the last part with a hint of smugness.
Yao Ran turned her face away.
Now that she was being ignored, Jiang Nian started to panic. She quickly begged for forgiveness. "I was wrong."
Yao Ran still wouldn't look at her.
Jiang Nian leaned over, shamelessly moving right in front of Yao Ran. "I was wrong, I won't do it again."
"I really know I was wrong~"
"Director Yao~"
It was her coquettish routine again. As their bodies brushed lightly against each other, Yao Ran turned her head back and said with disdain, "Are you a child?"
Hearing the word "childish," Jiang Nian reined it in a little. But when she remembered Yao Ran's gullible reaction just now, she held back for two seconds before the smile on her lips broke free. She laughed so hard in front of Yao Ran that her shoulders shook, and her eyes curved into crescents.
Her laughter was so unrestrained… and so sweet. Yao Ran watched her, helpless, and found the corners of her own mouth turning up slightly.
Seeing her smile, Jiang Nian felt her heart flutter uncontrollably again. She raised an eyebrow and said jokingly, "Director Yao always seems so happy when she's with me." She could feel that Yao Ran was relaxed around her, not constantly tense.
Yao Ran didn't deny it, but her feelings were a little complicated. "You're so shameless," she replied coolly. She had been wanting to say that to her for a while.
"How am I shameless?" Jiang Nian reached up, pinched her own cheek, and leaned toward Yao Ran. "Is it thick?" she asked with a confident smile.
This time, Yao Ran couldn't hold back at all. She burst into a light laugh that didn't stop for a good while.
Jiang Nian laughed along with her, her eyes fixed on Yao Ran's gentle, beautiful face as she smiled.
They were inches apart, both of them smiling, stirring up ambiguous, heart-fluttering emotions.
A sweet feeling inexplicably filled the air.
Before Yao Ran's smile had faded, Jiang Nian instinctively leaned in and gently kissed the corner of her mouth.
Yao Ran felt a warmth on her lips.
It was a perfectly timed kiss, not at all abrupt or unexpected. It was as if, after their eyes met, a kiss was the only logical next step.
Yao Ran's eyelashes fluttered down. Though it was just a fleeting touch, it triggered the same familiar, racing heartbeat.
They kissed again, still smiling. This was perhaps their most natural kiss yet, their lips touching lightly, still holding the remnants of their laughter.
Once their lips met, perhaps because it was so familiar, their hearts pounded in unison. After a few light touches, the kiss naturally deepened into a passionate one.
As they kissed, Jiang Nian wrapped her arms around Yao Ran and stood up, pressing her against the edge of the desk to find a more comfortable position. Yao Ran's eyes fluttered open, but she had no chance to speak before another clinging, demanding kiss landed on her lips.
Swept up in a passion she couldn't match, Yao Ran gave in to impulse once more. She parted her lips in cooperation, letting Jiang Nian kiss her. In her heart, she knew that after the previous night, there was no way for things between them to ever be "pure" again.
"Mmm—" Jiang Nian murmured as she sought her lips. Tonight's kiss was exceptionally tender, born purely from affection, with nothing to do with physical need.
The sound made Yao Ran's heart burn again, and she wanted to quiet her.
From a light peck to a deep entanglement of lips and tongues, they were as practiced as a couple in their honeymoon phase. After all, they had kissed like this for an entire night before, their chemistry perfectly in sync.
The deep kiss slowly spread, each greedily sucking on the other's lips, seeking sweetness, unable to part.
They were lost in the simple act of kissing, not stopping for a long time. Yao Ran's mind, however, grew more chaotic. Hearing footsteps in the hallway outside, she placed a hand on Jiang Nian's shoulder, her breath ragged. "Someone's coming," she whispered.
"Mm," Jiang Nian murmured, still not satisfied. She whispered back between kisses, "They won't come in."
Yao Ran pushed back half-heartedly. "Stop messing around."
"No," Jiang Nian stopped kissing her and whined playfully. She had discovered that Director Yao was a sucker for this tactic. In a husky voice, she added, "You're the one who started it tonight, staring at me all evening. Did you think I didn't know?"
Before Yao Ran could say anything else, her slightly parted lips were captured again.
Jiang Nian took the opportunity to push her tongue deeper, lightly licking the roof of her mouth, teasing her in every way. There was a hint of grievance and possessiveness in her actions, as if only during these intimate moments would Yao Ran not push her away, as if only then could she feel that they were truly close…
The footsteps in the corridor outside came and went, but the studio was silent. They hid in the room, lips and tongues intertwined, still kissing without end, making it feel like a secret affair.
After another deep kiss, a soft sound escaped Yao Ran's nose, but she immediately suppressed it.
She was clearly so moved when they kissed, and she cared about her. Jiang Nian pulled her lips away, panting, and couldn't help but ask seriously, "You came here tonight because you missed me, right?"
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