Indulgence - Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Just who was the one with their mind in the gutter? Yao Ran frowned. Someone with such an impure mind had the nerve to accuse her.
Jiang Nian continued to hug her, not wanting to let go. Neither of them had time for dates, so they could only meet up after they were done with work.
Yao Ran thought so too. Aside from when they were passionate and intimate in bed, they weren't much different from how they were before.
"Let's go," Jiang Nian said with a beaming smile. "We'll pick up Si Mao and head back."
Whispering softly in their embrace, Yao Ran looked at Jiang Nian's smiling eyes and said gently, "Okay."
Jiang Nian loved hearing her say "okay." Indulging in a whim, she acted first and asked for permission later, taking Yao Ran's hand and, as their eyes met, lacing their fingers together in an incredibly intimate gesture.
Yao Ran helplessly let her.
They first went back to the studio to pick up Si Mao.
On the way home, Jiang Nian held the leash in one hand and Yao Ran's hand in the other, strolling leisurely home with a brilliant smile on her face the entire way.
Si Mao was always excited after work, bounding and leaping forward. Jiang Nian feigned annoyance but was clearly enjoying it. "Si Mao, slow down."
Yao Ran couldn't help but smile as well. As they walked slowly through the quiet streets, she felt the warmth in her palm and looked at their shadows clinging together under the moonlight. At this moment, everything was peaceful. It turned out that a simple life didn't necessarily mean a boring one.
The fluttering of the heart in moments of peace was often more enduring and captivating than that born from passion.
Yao Ran couldn't help but think of what Jiang Nian had said to her the night she was drunk: "I don't just want to sleep with you, I want more..."
She turned to look at Jiang Nian, who was happily holding her hand. It seemed she hadn't just been talking.
It was already late when they got back.
Looking at the two bedrooms before her, Yao Ran hesitated for a moment.
Jiang Nian looked at her, staring expectantly as she asked, "Are we still going to sleep in separate rooms?"
Given how far they'd already gone, Yao Ran thought, there really was no need.
"Are you in pain?" Jiang Nian asked with concern. A woman understood another woman best; those few days every month could be truly agonizing when the cramps hit.
"No."
Although Yao Ran said no, Jiang Nian still went to make her some brown sugar water to warm her stomach, bustling about to take care of her.
Yao Ran had stayed the night at Jiang Nian's several times now, and there was a sense of familiarity as she washed up and changed into her pajamas.
After Yao Ran finished her shower, Jiang Nian picked up her own nightgown. "You go rest in bed first. I'm going to take a shower."
"Okay."
At eleven o'clock, Jiang Nian came out of the bathroom. She saw that Yao Ran seemed to be asleep, so she climbed into bed as quietly as she could.
Yao Ran was only resting with her eyes closed. The moment she heard the movement, she opened them.
"Still awake?"
"Mmm..." Yao Ran's voice was a little lazy and husky.
Jiang Nian stared at Yao Ran and smiled narcissistically. "Can't sleep without me?"
Perhaps because she was relaxed at the moment and seeing how shameless the other person was being, Yao Ran raised her eyes slightly and replied languidly, "No."
It was as if she were deliberately teasing her.
Jiang Nian was taken aback for a second. She loved seeing Yao Ran gradually relax around her. She smiled. "You big tease. I know you're just putting up a front."
You big tease? What kind of ridiculous nickname was that? Yao Ran suddenly smiled, her eyes and voice still lazy. "Say that again..."
Jiang Nian was mesmerized by her smile. She lowered her gaze and, seizing the moment when Yao Ran's lips were slightly parted, kissed her.
Yao Ran's lips were captured in a gentle kiss that carried the fresh scent of mint. The kiss was light but tantalizing. But it was over in just a few seconds...
Their lips soon parted, and their eyes met.
Jiang Nian had only offered a fleeting taste, knowing that Yao Ran wasn't feeling well today and that she couldn't be too rough. After releasing her lips, she pulled back a little and began to properly massage Yao Ran's lower abdomen.
A bed for two was always warmer. The moment Jiang Nian hugged her, Yao Ran felt a warmth infused with a fresh fragrance.
"Is this more comfortable?" Jiang Nian asked as she massaged.
There was always some discomfort during her period, which wasn't a big deal for Yao Ran, but being held and massaged like this was indeed much more comfortable and relaxing. She looked at Jiang Nian and answered softly, "Mmm..."
She wasn't used to letting people take care of her. In this, Jiang Nian had become another exception. After letting Jiang Nian rub for just a short while, she stopped her. "That's enough. Let's sleep."
Jiang Nian stared at her and hummed in a low voice, "You sleep. I'll keep rubbing for you."
She was just too good at acting cute. Yao Ran's heart warmed again. As she closed her eyes, she was enveloped in a calming and soothing fragrance that made it easy to fall asleep. Drowsiness washed over her, and she fell asleep faster tonight than usual.
Jiang Nian continued to massage gently, her gaze lost on the sleeping face on the pillow beside her. The first time she saw Yao Ran's profile, her heart had skipped a beat. Even now, she never tired of looking at it...
A little while later, Jiang Nian turned off the night light.
They fell into a peaceful sleep in the darkness.
The next morning, when Yao Ran woke up, she saw that Jiang Nian was sound asleep. She didn't plan to wake her, only helplessly pushing away the long leg Jiang Nian had draped between hers.
"Sleep a little longer, it's still early," Jiang Nian murmured with her eyes closed, sensing the movement. The hand resting on Yao Ran's waist began to wander.
Yao Ran sighed. The woman was unruly when awake, and just as unruly in her sleep. She pulled Jiang Nian's hand away from under the covers and got out of bed herself.
Jiang Nian still didn't wake up, remaining in a daze.
Yao Ran found it amusing. Sleeping like this, and she still had the nerve to say she'd take her to work today.
Jiang Nian didn't have much work in the morning and usually slept until she woke up naturally. Her work often required her to stay up late, so she normally didn't wake up until after ten.
Thinking about taking Yao Ran to work, she had specially set an alarm today. But when it rang, she found that the person beside her was already up.
Jiang Nian sat up lazily in bed, running a hand through her fluffy, slightly messy long hair. She could faintly hear the sound of running water from the bathroom.
Yao Ran had already washed up and changed. The shirt she was wearing was one she'd picked from Jiang Nian's closet, and it matched her usual style.
Jiang Nian got out of bed without putting on slippers, her bare feet padding across the floor as she walked languidly toward the bathroom.
Yao Ran heard the sound and looked up. A moment later, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist from behind. She looked in the mirror and saw a half-asleep Jiang Nian hugging her.
"Why are you up so early?" Jiang Nian asked, leaning on her shoulder and fighting off sleep.
Yao Ran told her, "If you're not awake, go back to sleep."
Jiang Nian mumbled, "I'm not sleeping. I promised I'd take you to work."
Yao Ran was amused by the lazybones so early in the morning. She turned her head slightly, her voice softening. "You don't have to. Go back to sleep."
Jiang Nian's eyes fluttered open, and she stubbornly insisted on the opposite. "I do. I want to take my girlfriend to work."
Yao Ran couldn't win against her, so she picked up the electric toothbrush nearby, squeezed a bit of toothpaste onto it, and handed it to the person behind her.
Jiang Nian accepted it with a smile.
The two of them in the bathroom early in the morning had a natural chemistry, giving off the illusion that they had been together for a long time. It made Yao Ran suddenly realize that accepting another person into her life didn't seem as difficult as she had imagined.
On Friday evening, Yao Ran returned to the Yao family home. She hadn't been back for a long time after their last unpleasant encounter.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was as quiet and dull as ever.
"Ranran, your birthday is coming up. You can start planning the party," Ding Mengwei said, having calculated the date.
Yao Ran held a birthday party every year, inviting many people to gather. It was less a birthday celebration and more a form of social networking in disguise. Usually, by the end of it, she was just left exhausted.
Yao Ran thought for a moment. "Let's not have one this year."
"Why not?" Ding Mengwei looked up, her face full of confusion. "Invite more people to liven things up. If you're busy, I can handle it."
A grand and respectable birthday party. Suddenly, it all felt meaningless. Yao Ran looked at Ding Mengwei. "Mom, I already have other plans. Don't worry about it."
"What other plans?" Ding Mengwei pressed on. "Don't you have one every year? It's a good opportunity to network."
That was true for previous years, but this year Yao Ran wanted something different. She didn't want to live the same way as before. She had the desire to change. When she said she had other plans, it was because the first person who came to mind was Jiang Nian—
Jiang Nian would definitely celebrate with her. The thought filled her with a faint sense of anticipation.
Yao Ran didn't explain much more, only saying that she had her own plans for this year. After a simple meal, she drove away.
When she returned home, the large apartment was quietly illuminated by the lights, feeling excessively cold and empty.
After her shower that evening, Yao Ran leaned against the sofa and flipped through a book for a while. Her heart didn't seem as calm as it used to be; being alone like this actually felt frustrating and dull.
She checked her phone several times. It wasn't until she was lying in bed that she saw a message from Jiang Nian, who had given her a heads-up earlier that she would be working very late today.
That's how it was once summer arrived. It was the peak season for tattoos, and the studio's appointments were much more numerous than at other times. If it weren't for Teacher Yu coming over to help, Jiang Nian's schedule would have been even tighter these days.
Yao Ran looked at the message:
【Jiang Nian】Finally home from work. Si Mao is being super clingy.
Yao Ran waited for a moment, but Jiang Nian didn't send a photo or video. After a moment's thought, she typed two words in reply: Let me see.
When Jiang Nian saw the message, she took a quick picture of Si Mao and was about to send it when—
The other party initiated a video call.
It was the first time Yao Ran had ever initiated a video call with Jiang Nian. She didn't know why, but she had just dialed it...
Jiang Nian answered quickly.
Yao Ran saw Jiang Nian on the screen, not Si Mao. Even though she was the one who had made the call, now that they were face-to-face through the screen, she found herself at a loss for words.
Since she had called her, Jiang Nian asked with some concern, "What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood today?"
"No," Yao Ran replied softly. She wasn't in a bad mood, but still...
After a pause, Jiang Nian smiled through the screen and asked in a tone that even she found doubtful, "Then are you... missing your girlfriend?"
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