Indulgence - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
After finishing their shopping, Ruan Xin went to find Xu Xia, and Yao Ran returned to Spring Breeze Lane, wanting to give Jiang Nian the new dress she had bought.
As she neared the studio, she happened to see Jiang Nian arguing with someone. By the time she hurried across the road, Jiang Nian was standing there alone, bent over and playing with Si Mao.
A gust of evening wind blew past.
Jiang Nian straightened up and watched Yao Ran approach, suppressing the tears and the sting in her nose. She played dumb, forcing her usual relaxed expression as she smiled and asked, "Here to see me?"
She smiled as if nothing had happened. Yao Ran remained silent. She moved closer to Jiang Nian, leaning in to look at her cheek. A red mark was clearly visible on her fair skin; whoever had hit her hadn't held back.
She asked Jiang Nian, "Who was that? Why did they hit you..."
So she had seen. Jiang Nian took a breath and answered with feigned nonchalance, "Just someone causing trouble."
Yao Ran's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Nian's cheek. "What happened?"
Her eyes and tone were gentle, and a fresh wave of sorrow washed over Jiang Nian. People are strange like that. You don't cry when you're angry or annoyed, but when someone shows you gentle concern, you can't help but feel your nose sting.
Jiang Nian looked at Yao Ran, and before she could explain further, a tear silently slid from the corner of her eye. She couldn't hold back the feeling of being wronged any longer, and her eyes grew moist and red.
Yao Ran had never seen Jiang Nian like this. Watching the tear fall, a sour feeling spread through her own heart. She reached out to wipe the tear from Jiang Nian's cheek, then pulled her into an embrace.
The welcome hug came just in time. Jiang Nian immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Yao Ran's waist and rested her head on her shoulder, the tears now flowing uncontrollably. She wasn't a particularly stubborn person; she couldn't stand being wronged.
Yao Ran held her tight, gently stroking her head to soothe her.
Such a gentle embrace was the best comfort. Jiang Nian cherished it, but she didn't cry for too long, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes to regain control.
Yao Ran looked down and continued to wipe away her tears, her fingers lightly caressing the reddened side of her face.
Jiang Nian looked up at Yao Ran, feeling as if the heartache in her eyes was about to spill over. She managed to stop her tears, stabilizing her emotions as quickly as she could.
"It was my dad..." Although Jiang Nian hated to call him that, she explained softly to Yao Ran, "He drank too much tonight and came here to cause a scene. That's just his temper."
Yao Ran had always assumed Jiang Nian must have been spoiled by her family, which was why her personality was so carefree and happy—so carefree and happy it seemed she could never cry, that she could always stay cheerful. Before tonight, she couldn't have imagined what Jiang Nian would look like when she cried.
Jiang Nian hugged Yao Ran's waist. "I'm fine, don't worry."
Yao Ran stroked her head again.
Jiang Nian hugged her tighter. She was exhausted from the long day, her head was spinning, and this incident tonight had made her feel awful.
Yao Ran could see she didn't look well. Stroking her hair, she said softly, "If you're too tired today, just close up early."
"Mm," Jiang Nian agreed. She had another client scheduled for the evening, but she was in no state to work. Forcing herself would be irresponsible to the client.
Yao Ran said, "Let's go back first."
Jiang Nian buried her face in Yao Ran's neck and nodded.
Back at her place, she turned on the air conditioner, and the stuffy room gradually cooled down. Jiang Nian also opened a window to let the air circulate.
Although Jiang Nian had calmed down, Yao Ran could still sense that something was off. Her spirits were still low, yet she was acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Why did you come looking for me tonight?" Jiang Nian asked. She put on a shameless smile and teased Yao Ran, "Missed me after just one day apart?"
Yao Ran didn't smile helplessly as she usually would. The sight of Jiang Nian smiling with red-rimmed eyes made her heart ache. Or rather, she felt a pang of protectiveness.
Yes, that was it. Heartache.
Jiang Nian was indeed holding back. In the past, she would have cried for a long time over things much smaller than this, let alone being slapped tonight. But she didn't want to reveal her tearful side to Yao Ran.
"I'm really fine," Jiang Nian continued to smile. "It's just that I've had too many clients these past two days, so I'm a bit tired. My cold has gotten a little worse, too..."
Yao Ran was reserved and slow to warm up, but that didn't mean she was emotionally obtuse. She looked at Jiang Nian, paused, and then said softly and earnestly, "It's okay to not be happy in front of me."
Jiang Nian fell silent, standing frozen in place.
As she spoke, Yao Ran pulled the woman before her into another gentle hug. On the way back, she had noticed tears welling in Jiang Nian's eyes, held back only by sheer will.
This was the second hug Yao Ran had initiated tonight. Surprised, Jiang Nian sniffled and looked at her, tears suddenly welling up again.
Yao Ran said softly, "If you want to cry, then cry. It's okay."
Her tone was gentle and coaxing. Jiang Nian eagerly hugged her back, and the tears overflowed. After crying in her arms for a while, she asked tentatively, "If I'm like this, will you think I'm immature?"
Hearing the quiver in Jiang Nian's voice, Yao Ran felt both heartache and amusement. What was she thinking? She stroked Jiang Nian's hair and couldn't help but sigh, "Silly."
It was a rather mushy word, but Jiang Nian loved hearing it. At that, she couldn't pretend anymore. She buried herself in Yao Ran's arms and began to sob without restraint.
Yao Ran held her tightly, comforting her. She wasn't good at consoling people, but she knew Jiang Nian liked to be held—the clingier, the better.
Jiang Nian's voice trembled with tears. "He can't accept me being a tattoo artist. We've fought about it more than once. He just looks down on this profession, thinks I'm not doing proper work..."
"You're not," Yao Ran said, her lips close to Jiang Nian's ear as she leaned down. "You're very talented."
Jiang Nian looked up at her and managed a tearful smile. Someone was trying very hard to cheer her up tonight. "I know I'm very talented, but hearing you praise me makes me so happy."
Yao Ran's brow furrowed, but she was amused by the shameless remark. She wasn't just saying it to comfort Jiang Nian; she had seen her work, and Jiang Nian was indeed talented. And very likable.
Tears were still falling from Jiang Nian's eyes. "I'm upset. Can you hold me a little longer?"
"Mm." Yao Ran helped her wipe her tears again, but they seemed endless. Jiang Nian could cry more than she had imagined, like a running faucet.
That was just how Jiang Nian was. She didn't let herself be wronged often, but when she was, she wanted to cry.
Yao Ran's palm cupped Jiang Nian's cheek again. She looked at it; the red mark hadn't completely faded. "Does it hurt?"
Hearing that soft, concerned voice, Jiang Nian's heart tingled. Her words were still mixed with whimpers. "It hurts. It hurts a lot..."
Yao Ran gently stroked the red mark. "Let's put some ice on it."
Sitting on the sofa, Yao Ran wrapped some ice cubes in a towel and applied the cold compress to her reddened cheek. Jiang Nian felt dizzy and rested her head on Yao Ran's shoulder.
Yao Ran saw how listless she was. "Are you not feeling well?"
"Yeah, I'm dizzy, and my nose is a little stuffy." Having just cried on top of having a cold, Jiang Nian's voice was even more nasal.
"Did you take your medicine tonight?" Yao Ran asked her.
"I was so busy I forgot."
After icing her face, Yao Ran went to mix a packet of cold medicine for her.
Jiang Nian drank it in a few gulps, a little bit of water left on the corner of her mouth. Before she could react, Yao Ran was already wiping it for her with a tissue. She pursed her lips into a smile and stared at Yao Ran.
Yao Ran saw how worn out she looked. "Take a shower and get some rest."
Hearing this, Jiang Nian quietly took her hand, her gaze clingy.
Yao Ran smiled. "I'm not leaving tonight."
Only then was Jiang Nian satisfied.
The night was quiet.
Jiang Nian showered first and lay down in bed. A short while later, she heard footsteps. She opened her eyes from a half-asleep state and saw Yao Ran walk in.
Yao Ran had changed into one of Jiang Nian's nightgowns. Even the more conservative styles were quite alluring, not at all like her usual style.
Jiang Nian watched lazily as she approached.
Yao Ran lifted the covers, got into bed, and lay down on the other side. Seeing Jiang Nian's state, she leaned over and touched her forehead. No fever.
Jiang Nian's gaze was fixed on her face, now so close.
Yao Ran asked, "What is it?"
"You're so gentle with me tonight," Jiang Nian said, a little dazed from exhaustion. She looked at Yao Ran and asked, "Am I dreaming?"
She sounded like she wasn't fully awake. Yao Ran was silent for a moment, her palm lingering on Jiang Nian's face for a few extra strokes before she answered, "No."
Jiang Nian added lazily, "I'm almost not used to it."
Yao Ran smiled. "Then get used to it slowly."
Jiang Nian immediately changed her tune with a grin. "I get used to things very quickly."
Yao Ran laughed too. After a moment, she lowered her head and asked again, "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Jiang Nian's heart had been fluttering all night, so directly experiencing a gentleness reserved only for her. She grabbed Yao Ran's hand, her eyes sweeping over her soft, beautiful lips. "A little..."
Yao Ran waited for her to continue.
Jiang Nian stared at her with pleading eyes. "I really want to kiss you right now."
Yao Ran was speechless.
She couldn't behave even when she was sick.
A moment later.
Yao Ran looked at Jiang Nian and let out a soft hum. "Mm."
Mm? A warmth spread through Jiang Nian's heart. Did this mean she would indulge her in anything? She smiled. "I'll take a rain check. I'll collect when my cold is better."
Yao Ran had been about to lie down and sleep, but after gazing at her for a moment, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of Jiang Nian's mouth—
Her lips were briefly soothed by the warmth. Jiang Nian's eyes widened.
Yao Ran coaxed softly, "Time to sleep."
The kiss sent Jiang Nian's heart racing. True to form, she pushed her luck. "Can you be like this with me every day?"
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