Forbidden To Be Tempted

Cheng Suran quickly dismissed the idea.

Ruoxian is the only friend she has been able to make for so many years. She can't involve innocent people for her own selfish desires and to verify a certain idea of ​​her own. She has been alone since she was a child, and she knows that it is not easy to have friends, so she cherishes them very much.

She prefers to believe that Jiang Yu, as a former benefactor, was accustomed to control and possession, and her way of thinking still hasn't changed. She still sees her as her canary.

That's how it is.

Thinking about this, she couldn't help but feel a little sad, as if there was a stone stuck in her chest. Cheng Suran sighed and continued to read the information.

....

Since her earliest memories, it seems she has never experienced the feeling of being full. In her childhood, she was not able to eat enough, and as she grew older, she couldn't eat too much. This applies to her body as well as her heart. She doesn't know what it feels like to be full, nor does she know what it feels like to be completely loved.

Eat up, eat up.

Jiang Yu told herself, as she opened the meal box and took a piece of waffle, putting it into her mouth.

The rich and sweet taste alleviated the bitterness in her heart.

No wonder so many people like eating sweet things.

It's really sweet.

Just like Ranran's smile, like two little dimples.

After finishing the late-night snack, Jiang Yu took out her phone, opened the notes app, added a new page, titled it "She", and quickly typed a line.

[She doesn't like waffles anymore.]

....

The next morning, the organizers led the foreign guests on a tour in Jiangcheng. At noon, there was another gathering for a meal.

Before lunch, Jiang Yu found Cheng Suran and took her to the hotel's buffet restaurant, asking her to eat something first and prepare her stomach before joining the foreign guests for the meal.

Perhaps Cheng Suran had already adapted to being around Jiang Yu, as she became more composed. However, whenever she saw that face, ripples of emotion still stirred in her heart.

She could only focus all her attention on her work.

The afternoon meeting was longer than the previous day, and after the meeting, they had dinner. However, there was no banquet tonight, so everyone could return to their rooms earlier to rest.

Intense mental activity consumes a lot of energy, making people tired after just one or two hours. Cheng Suran finished taking a shower, held the meeting materials, and sat on the sofa to read. Before long, she started feeling drowsy, yawning as she read.

Today's tasks should be done before sleeping.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Cheng Suran jolted, suddenly becoming alert. She asked in a soft voice, "Who is it?" After realizing that her voice was too low and might not be heard from outside, she repeated in a louder tone, "Who is it?"

"Ranran, it's me."

"..."

Cheng Suran was taken aback, and her heart seemed to be lightly poked, causing a tingling sensation. She didn't immediately get up but furrowed her brows.

Again?

What does this mean?

Can't she have a moment of peace...

With these thoughts in her mind, Cheng Suran still put down the materials and got up, wearing her slippers as she walked over to open the door.

Jiang Yu stood outside, holding a bag, her height almost reaching 1.8 meters, making Cheng Suran lift her gaze involuntarily. The pressure from the height difference was indeed unavoidable. She looked at Jiang Yu's smiling face, and her heart jumped suddenly. Trying to appear composed, she quickly looked away.

"Another late-night snack? I'm not hungry, no need to bring it," Cheng Suran declined before Jiang Yu could speak.

However, Jiang Yu just raised the bag in her hand slightly and said, "The showerhead in my room is broken. Can I borrow your bathroom to take a shower?"

The bag contained clean clothes and toiletries.

She misunderstood.

Cheng Suran blushed and felt embarrassed, not for a moment doubting the sincerity of Jiang Yu's request. She turned around to walk back and said, "Sure, come in."

Jiang Yu's lips curved slightly, a hint of cunning flickering in her eyes.

Watching Cheng Suran return to the sofa, Jiang Yu calmly stepped into the room, closed the door behind her, and carried the bag as she walked towards the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water could be heard from inside.

The air conditioner sent out a gentle cool breeze, making the room feel cool and tranquil.

Cheng Suran absentmindedly flipped through the documents, managing to read two pages reluctantly. Somehow, her focus couldn't stay on the task, and her thoughts kept drifting towards the bathroom.

Jiang Yu always came to find her, always taking special care of her, being gentle, considerate, and thoughtful. If it were her from the past, she would have easily fallen for these gestures, but after experiencing heart-wrenching pain and enduring many storms over the years, she had come to see the harsh and indifferent reality. She dared not let herself fall into it again.

Countless times of "Sister likes you" could all be lies.

Sweetness and romance belonged to little girls; in the adult world, there was only survival.

She was afraid of reverting to her old self.

However, whenever Jiang Yu appeared before her, or was nearby, she couldn't help but pay attention. She could control her eyes, control her mouth, but she couldn't control her heart.

Her peaceful life was disrupted by this unexpected reunion.

Suddenly, her phone rang again.

It was Ruoxian.

Looking at the name "Ruoxian" in the contacts, her chaotic emotions suddenly calmed down, disappearing. She felt a sense of relief.

"Hello? Ruoxian..."

Her voice traveled through the bathroom door.

Jiang Yu was in the process of applying shower gel, and the water was running at a low volume, making the intermittent sound quite audible. She paused her actions, quietly opening the bathroom door just a little.

"It's okay, I'm not tired. We'll finish the last meeting tomorrow, and it will be over."

"Alright, alright. I promise you, next month, I'll take a few more days off for sure."

"Is the cake in the fridge at home finished? I specially bought it for you. Oh, and don't forget to collect the clothes I dried before I left..."

The tone was playful, accompanied by laughter, familiar, and natural.

Jiang Yu furrowed her brows.

Home? Fridge cake? Collect clothes?

Regardless of the tone or content of their conversation, it seemed just like an affectionate old married couple who had lived together for many years. Since they weren't girlfriends, why did their interaction feel so... She couldn't find the right words to describe this state, as if she had touched upon her blind spot.

Her last serious romantic relationship felt like a distant memory now.

The call ended quickly.

Jiang Yu also had no interest in continuing to apply the shower gel. She quickly rinsed off, wiped off the water, and put on a purple silk camisole nightgown before stepping out of the bathroom.

Cheng Suran, sitting on the sofa, looked up.

Their eyes met.

The woman's hair was disheveled, her eyes hazy, and the purple camisole was alluring and sensual. The intense allure overwhelmed Cheng Suran like the captivating and cold snake-woman from mythical legends.

Cheng Suran momentarily lost focus but quickly regained her composure, lowering her head to continue flipping through the documents. In her hands were thick meeting materials and speeches that needed translation. Some parts were annotated in red ink, with keywords, high-frequency phrases, and core sentences densely packed on the pages, yet the paper did not appear chaotic. Cheng Suran made these preparations before each meeting.

After the first meeting yesterday, Cheng Suran learned that Jiang Yu was one of the founders and designers of ETERNO.

—Coco J

When she searched for information online, she hadn't recognized this name.

"Are you still reading?"

Jiang Yu walked over and sat down beside her.

Cheng Suran turned her head and saw a cold and sharp face up close, too close that she could almost see the tiny pores. She felt a bit dizzy and hastily moved away a little.

"Mm, Miss Jiang, you should go back and rest early."

Her smile was still polite and distant.

Jiang Yu chuckled, a hint of helplessness in her expression. "Don't call me that."

"Then how should I address you?"

"..."

Now, she became even more polite.

Jiang Yu lowered her head to gauge the distance between her and Cheng Suran, enough for an adult woman to sit down. Then she looked up, gazing deeply at Cheng Suran, and with an uncertain tone, she said, "Can you call me…Sister in private?"

At this moment, she would rather Cheng Suran get angry at her, cry, make a scene, or forcefully ask her to leave. Anything would be better than this calmness, a calmness that made her feel anxious and scared.

A person who is truly emotionally dead wouldn't display any emotions. If Cheng Suran cried, got angry, or made a scene, it meant she cared.

Cheng Suran tightly clenched the edge of her nightgown with her right hand.

Sister?

This was not just a simple form of address; it represented a past that had both impurities and beauty. Since she had already moved forward, she couldn't turn back.

"I'm sorry, Miss Jiang, I can't. She refused directly.

As expected.

Jiang Yu nodded. "That's okay. You can call me however you feel comfortable."

"Mm."

"Is this how you interact with other clients?"

"Of course."

"Do you already know some of the clients from before?"

"…Some yes, some no."

"For the clients you already knew, is the interaction the same privately?"

"Not... not always," Cheng Suran's voice lowered. She couldn't control herself and couldn't help but be honest.

Her face was shadowed under the soft yellow light.

Jiang Yu silently looked at her.

This feeling was like falling into a counter-current. Cheng Suran was the rock standing in the water, and under the chilling impact, Jiang Yu found it difficult to get closer; she had to struggle to swim forward, or else she would be pulled further away from that rock.

After a few attempts, Jiang Yu couldn't seem to grasp Cheng Suran's attitude.

Money isn't everything after all.

"Miss Jiang," Cheng Suran tried to change the subject, "Is Coco J' your English name?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"I changed it in the past few years; before that, I used direct romanization," Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow and continued the conversation along the topic Cheng Suran brought up.

"Why?"

Cheng Suran shook her head and casually said, "I thought you were a foreigner."

"So... are you saying that when you took on this project, you didn't know it was related to me?"

"..."

Does this person have mind-reading abilities?

Jiang Yu stared at her face and asked, "If you had known beforehand that I was the person in charge, would you still have taken on this project?"

"I would."

Without waiting for Jiang Yu to ask, Cheng Suran continued, "Work is work."

The high hopes that had been hanging in Jiang Yu's heart came crashing down.

"Mm, you're right."

"Then, did you know it was me when you were looking for someone?" Cheng Suran asked back.

Jiang Yu shook her head. "Manager Zhou was in charge of finding candidates and conducting initial phone interviews. Then, we interviewed together in person, and I made the final decision." After saying that, she winked at Cheng Suran. "If I had known it was you beforehand, I would have been even more determined to keep you."

"Miss Jiang, I'm talking about work."

"It's still work, isn't it? Don't you believe in your own abilities?"

"..."

Cheng Suran was momentarily speechless. She didn't know if Jiang Yu was trying to argue or if the phrase "keep you" was genuinely based on work considerations.

She looked adorable when she was deflated.

"I should go back now. You should rest early too. Goodnight." Jiang Yu stood up in a good mood, went to the bathroom to pick up her bag, and then waved to Cheng Suran before leaving through the door.

Cheng Suran sat stiffly on the sofa, staring at the door for a while.

The lingering fragrance of vetiver iris filled the air.

….

The last day's meeting lasted only one hour.

Some foreign guests had to fly back to their countries that day, while the rest would stay for one more night. The three-day large-scale meeting concluded successfully, and everyone took a group photo and received a souvenir.

On the organizer's side, people were still chatting and exchanging pleasantries. Cheng Suran hurriedly returned to her room to pack her things.

Ruoxian said on the phone that she had just landed and they would be dining out tonight, then resting well, as she would have to fly to another city for a business trip tomorrow. The month was only halfway through, and there seemed to be no respite for her.

After finishing packing, Cheng Suran pushed her luggage out of the room and instinctively closed the door.

Jiang Yu was walking towards her.

The two bumped into each other.

"Ranran, are you leaving now?" Jiang Yu glanced at the tightly closed room door. She had made an excuse to come up, knowing Cheng Suran would be leaving, afraid she might miss her if she came later. Fortunately, she caught up.

Cheng Suran held onto her luggage. "Mm."

"I'll take you back."

"No need, my assistant will pick me up."

Jiang Yu didn't insist further and smiled, "We are very satisfied with this collaboration. In the future, there will be similar large-scale meetings, as well as small meetings and accompanying tasks. I hope... we can establish a long-term partnership, and the translation team will be handled by your Yisheng company, is that okay?"

"Of course," Cheng Suran readily agreed. When it came to work, she was always decisive.

Jiang Yu nodded with satisfaction and took out her phone. "Then let's exchange WeChat and discuss the details later."

Cheng Suran frowned slightly and released the handle of her luggage. She took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Jiang Yu. "Let's skip WeChat. Here's my business card; it has my phone number. You can contact me anytime by phone."

"Isn't WeChat convenient?" Jiang Yu asked tentatively.

"No," Cheng Suran replied, meeting her gaze. Her thin lips uttered calmly, "Once I delete someone, I won't add them again."

Author's Note:

QAQ.