Forbidden To Be Tempted

The hot air in the pool was dense, and the curling water mist rose up and steamed the girl's face red, and also made her dizzy, so much so that she asked something she shouldn't have asked.

Just had a good time with pink bubbles* in her head.

*describing the feeling of being in love/excited, that warm fuzzy feeling, like how bubbles appear in romantic scenes in movies/anime/manga

She tilted her head to look at Jiang Yu, with a sweet arc on her mouth, "Sister?" After calling, she cupped Jiang Yu's face with both hands without knowing what to do, squeezed it left and right, and suddenly giggled,  "Hahaha, you definitely don't like her..."

"I like her." Jiang Yu whispered two words.

The words extinguished the girl's smile.

As if she was in a daze after being drunk for a while, and finally woke up, the light in Cheng Suran's eyes dimmed, her hands slipped onto Jiang Yu's shoulders, and lowered her head without saying a word.

"Why?"

A trace of suspicion flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes, and asked with great interest, "Does the kid care?"

Facing those deep eyes, Cheng Suran froze, realizing that she overstepped a line, and shook her head again and again: "No, I... just asked casually."

"Why did you think of asking this?"

"Because…"

"Mm?"

"Because you seem to have a good relationship, I'm a little curious, just a little bit." Afraid that she would make Jiang Yu angry if she said something wrong, so she explained carefully.

Jiang Yu's expression was indifferent, and she couldn't see any emotion, so she asked again: "Didn't you see her in the company?"

"No."

"Is it really just a little curiosity?" Jiang Yu's tone was aggressive.

Cheng Suran was at a loss for words, hugged her neck guiltily, and said softly: "Sister, I was wrong, I shouldn't have asked more..."

After speaking, she kissed the corner of her lips obediently.

Their white arms were slightly reddish by the steam, and they were close together, with scorching heat exuding from their pores, slippery, like a sponge saturated with water.

Seeing the kid's confession, Jiang Yu suddenly laughed out loud, and her heart softened, "Why are you so cute?"

"?"

The girl looked up blankly.

"Are you jealous?" Jiang Yu kissed her ear and whispered.

Her ears are very sensitive, and she couldn't stand a little teasing. Cheng Suran trembled all over, and her voice changed, "Um, not at all."

"Be honest."

"..."

"Mm?" Jiang Yu quietly put her hand into the water.

Cheng Suran screamed, "Sister..." She was trembling, almost crying, pouting her lips in grievance, "I'm jealous. But you don't let me, you will get angry if I say it."

"Who said I don't let you?" Jiang Yu withdrew her hand, raised her eyebrows, and tried to tease her again.

"You said it yourself last time..."

"Which time?"

"In the office, you said it violated—" She remembered the meaning of those two words, her heart stabbed inexplicably, and she couldn't speak.

Jiang Yu pretended not to know, and blinked: "Why don't I remember?"

"You…"

You can not remember.

But I remember.

Cheng Suran lowered her head and swallowed her words, the pink bubbles shattered one by one, this dream was short, she returned to reality and remembered her identity.

A canary.

She learned to behave.

The night is thick, with sparse stars embedded in the sky, surrounding the incomplete moon, and tourists talking and laughing faintly from outside the bamboo wall, sometimes far away and sometimes near.

The two didn't speak for a long time, they hugged each other quietly.

Jiang Yu could clearly feel the girl's depression, her heart seemed to be touched at a certain moment, it was ticklish, but it disappeared quickly. She restrained her teasing look, and coaxed softly: "Hey, sister won't tease you anymore, get up and rest, and I'll go get something to eat."

"Okay." Cheng Suran still lowered her head, although she responded, she just let go of her, moved aside, and did not go ashore.

Jiang Yu didn't say anything else, got up silently, picked up the towel to wipe off the water, put on a bathrobe and left the private room.

There are self-service snacks and drinks at the service counter. She took the tray, but she didn't know what the kid liked to eat, and she is in trouble like this morning. This time, Tian Lin's words echoed in his ears, and it took a long time to take effect.

She took two waffles, a plate of cider, two cups of pudding and a drink, and finally went to the bar and ordered a glass of low-alcohol fruit wine for herself.

The night wind is cool and the moonlight is dim.

The hot spring pool was filled with pale mist. Cheng Suran was lying on the side of the stone platform, with her small pointed chin resting on her arm, with her head slightly tilted, humming intermittently.

"Tout ce qui me reste'...c'est juste une photo de toi..."

The soft voice contained sadness.

The girl was facing the door sideways, and the spring water had swallowed up most of her body, only her back was as white as goose feathers, and the warm yellow light from the eaves of the porch shone softly, her skin was as delicate as tofu raised in water.

A long hair is scattered on the side, black and messy, and the ends are scattered and floating in the water, like a merman facing the moon light beads in myths and legends.

In this way, she blends into the night miraculously, forming a quiet and beautiful oil painting.

Jiang Yu pushed the door open and entered, and saw such a scene.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She stood at the door, looking at the girl quietly, her deep pool-like eyes sparkled, and the corners of her lips curved unconsciously.

After a long time, the singing was over.

"Little friend—" Jiang Yu walked from the dark to the corridor and waved at the girl.

"You can't soak in the hot spring for too long, come up and have something to eat."

Cheng Suran was startled, turned her face away, said okay nonchalantly, and stood up from the water.

There were two pieces of white cloth floating on the water, they were her swimsuits, which were grabbed by Jiang Yu earlier and she couldn't refuse. It couldn't cover anything, so she stopped wearing it.

Like a smooth fish, the water covering her skin slid down, leaving the whole body crystal clear.

She wiped off the water, put on her bathrobe and came to the table, glanced at the food on the tray. She saw the waffles, her eyes lit up slightly, and obediently sat down to eat.

"So you like to eat this." Jiang Yu looked at her with unprecedented tenderness.

Cheng Suran bit the waffle and nodded, half of her two white front teeth were exposed, like a cute little rabbit. She swallowed, and then whispered, "Thank you sister."

Jiang Yu was taken aback for a moment.

How long has it been since she heard the kid say those words?

She closed her eyes, sat down, drank the fruit wine unhurriedly, then her eyes drifted to the kid again, paused for a while, and said, "Her name is Bai Lu."

"What?"

"The person who make you jealous."

"..."

Cheng Suran's cheeks became hot, and she turned her back shyly.

"She is one of the first batch of models signed by the company. She is about your age. She has very good natural condition and excellent business ability. She can carry one-third of the performance of the agency alone, so I like her and plan to train her well." Jiang Yu said calmly.

Cheng Suran was startled, and a wry smile appeared on the corner of her lips.

The one next door is excellent in sister's eyes, so sister likes her. Can she know from this that sister likes excellent people?

Who doesn't like good people?

So does she.

Little sour bubbles appeared in her heart again. Unknowingly, Cheng Suran finished the waffle silently, turned around, picked up the drink and took a sip.

Suddenly she realized—

Sister is explaining to her!

She looked at Jiang Yu, who hooked her fingers at her and patted her legs.  She understood, and immediately obediently stepped forward, sat on Jiang Yu's lap, and put her arms around her neck naturally.

Jiang Yu raised her head, and their eyes were met.

Silence melted into the night.

A little halo came over, so close that the fine hairs on the girl's face could be seen clearly, Jiang Yu stared at her, with a trace of tenderness in her eyes, and suddenly murmured uncontrollably: "Tell me, is sister sometimes very bad?"

"...no." Cheng Suran was stunned for a moment, not understanding why she asked this suddenly.

Jiang Yu held the girl's face in both hands, "Is it really no? Hurting you, bullying you, scaring you, all these much, don't you feel bad at all?" She said with a mocking smile.

Sometimes, she herself feels like a bad person.

"I do not think so."

"Why?"

"Because you are nice to me more often than not," Cheng Suran said seriously, looking directly into her eyes.

Jiang Yu asked, "For example?"

As if desperately wanting to know or confirm something.

Cheng Suran was silent for a moment, and said in a low voice: "For example, when we first met, although you could do something to me, but you didn't force me... and later, a few times, I can feel that you are giving me time to adjust, so..."

She paused, then jumped to other things:

"I sold the things you gave me, and you were so angry, but you were still willing to listen to my explanation, and then you spent energy picking out gifts for me... There are many more, you let Assistant Tian help me dispel the rumors, come to accompany me on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival  I……"

Many, many, a look, a smile, she all clearly remembered.

As she spoke, Cheng Suran's heart turned slightly sour, she raised her head, looked into Jiang Yu's deep eyes, and said word by word:

"So in my heart, you are not bad at all."

"You are a very good sister."

After she finished speaking, she smiled, and the two little pear dimples sank sweetly.

Jiang Yu didn't speak, but looked at her with complicated eyes. After a long while, she calmed down, and the corner of her lips curled into a faint smile, "I saw someone in the post saying that you are a top student and received a national scholarship?"

"..."

How did it jump to this topic?

"I'm not the only one." Cheng Suran lowered her head again, and bit her lower lip in embarrassment, "There are many powerful people in our school, I just... can memorize by rote."

"Being one of them shows that you are already very good, silly." Jiang Yu stretched out her hand and flicked her forehead lightly.

"Mm."

Cheng Suran blushed from the compliment.

"At school, what else do you do besides class?" Jiang Yu kissed her flushed face, no matter how she looked at it, she liked it.

Cheng Suran answered truthfully: "Go to the library."

"No entertainment?"

"Just listening to music."

"Do you also go to the library on weekends?"

"Almost. Sometimes I rent bicycles and ride to the park next to the school..."

"With classmates?"

"Myself."

"..."

Whatever Jiang Yu asked, Cheng Suran answered obediently. But these are not things that she should care about as a benefactor. For some reason, she seems to be a little bit out of control tonight.

The kid is like a sweet and sour fruit candy, in her mouth. The more she taste, the more she will never forget. It is unconsciously addictive.

In front of the kid, she can relax wholeheartedly and throw away all defenses.

Because she is so pure and sincere...

"Sister, what about you?" Cheng Suran leaned softly on Jiang Yu, raised her eyes, and looked at her expectantly.

"I saw on the encyclopedia that you were a model at the age of nineteen. You were so young. At that time, you should have been working and studying at the same time, right? And you were abroad, so you must have worked harder than me... By the way, what school did you graduate from?

As soon as these words fell, Jiang Yu's face changed slightly, and the smile gradually disappeared from her eyes.

"Elder sister?"

"That's not your place to ask."

Author's Note:

The song Ranran sang is "juste une photo de toi", the translation of the lyrics in the text: All I have left is a photo of you.