Forbidden To Be Tempted

In the scorching midday of summer, under the blazing sun.

A wide-body airplane landed smoothly, gliding slowly towards the jet bridge, coming to a stop.

There was a commotion inside the cabin. The woman sitting in the rightmost seat by the window in the front row frowned slightly. She leisurely removed her eye mask and put it in her pocket, then glanced outside the window.

Familiar scenery.

After hours of flying, spanning across half of China, Cheng Suran had grown accustomed to it. She would close her eyes and sleep during takeoff, then open her eyes upon landing to confirm her location before her brain quickly filled up with upcoming tasks.

Now she has arrived in Jiangcheng – her hometown.

In a moment, the cabin door opened. Cheng Suran picked up her bag and stood up, walking out of the aircraft amidst the smiling farewells from the flight attendants.

She passed through the terminal, retrieved her luggage, and at the exit, she spotted her assistant, Xiao Meng.

"Ms. Cheng-"

A young girl greeted her.

Cheng Suran, wearing pointed high-heeled shoes and loose wide-leg pants, approached with a gust of wind. Her left arm draped a suit jacket while her right hand pushed a suitcase. Her slightly curled black hair cascaded down to her waist, and she had an upright posture.

Meeting the girl's gaze, she slightly curved her lips and nodded.

Xiao Meng stepped forward to receive the suitcase from her hand, and the two walked side by side towards the parking lot. Arriving at a white car, Cheng Suran got in first, while Xiao Meng skillfully placed the luggage and took the driver's seat.

The car slowly left the airport area.

"How's the progress on that short-term interpreting project from a few days ago?" Cheng Suran closed her eyes and casually asked.

While driving, Xiao Meng replied, "It's stuck. We haven't been able to finalize it."

"Oh?"

"The client has specific requirements. Apart from phone interviews, they also want in-person interviews. The Spanish and English teams have been finalized, but the French team encountered difficulties. Most of the French interpreters had prior engagements during that time, and scheduling conflicts arose. For the few that were available, the client wasn't satisfied, so it's at a standstill."

Hearing that it was her own field of expertise, Cheng Suran furrowed her brows slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's go to the company."

"Okay."

Forty minutes later, they arrived at the parking lot of the office building and took the elevator to the 16th floor.

They were greeted by a spacious and brightly lit lobby, with four young and beautiful receptionists sitting at the front desk. On the left was "Yingsheng Education," and on the right was "Yingsheng Technology," both belonging to the same company but representing different business sectors, occupying the entire floor.

The design style was simple and neat, with warm colors extensively used, creating a visually comfortable and transparent environment.

"Ms. Cheng, hello."

"Ms. Cheng."

Cheng Suran stepped out of the elevator and walked towards her office amidst the greetings. She told Xiao Meng, "Go to the Sales Department and get the client's information for me."

She pushed open the office door and sat down on the sofa, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.

Within two minutes, Xiao Meng returned with a tablet in her hands.

"Ms. Cheng, here are the documents."

Cheng Suran glanced at them briefly and then focused her gaze on the meeting venue.

The client was a niche luxury brand, "ETERNO," headquartered in Milan, Italy, with its China headquarters located in Jiangcheng. The China headquarters would host a three-day business conference at the Yunjin Lihua Hotel next Wednesday, with an attendance of two to three hundred people. There would also be a banquet in the evening, requiring simultaneous interpreters in English, Italian, and French.

Yunjin Lihua Hotel...

Cheng Suran stared at the name, repeating it in her mind over and over again, as fragmented images flashed through her thoughts.

An elevator, a suite, crystal chandeliers, a dimly lit room... and a woman as venomous as a snake.

Her hands trembled involuntarily.

"Are you cold, Ms. Cheng?" Xiao Meng asked with concern.

Cheng Suran snapped out of her daze and regained her composure, saying, "No, it's nothing." She took out her phone and searched for the brand name, scrolling through extensive encyclopedia entries.

The brand information was detailed, and Cheng Suran searched through the jumble of letters, fearing to come across a familiar spelling. She looked through it three times before finally confirming that from the founder to the executives, all had foreign names. She felt relieved.

It was just a coincidence, nothing more. She was being overly sensitive.

"Have the sales department contact the client again and arrange another phone interview. I will personally handle it," she said, putting down her phone.

Even though she was the boss, she followed the process.

....

The client was sincere, but if they couldn't find the most suitable interpreter, they would have to look for another option. As long as she could secure this project, it didn't matter if she had to personally handle it. The money she earned and the money the company earned would ultimately end up in her pocket.

The phone interview was scheduled for 2 p.m., planned for half an hour, but in reality, Cheng Suran only spoke with the other party for seven to eight minutes before confirming the time for the in-person interview.

"Alright, let's meet at 4 o'clock."

After the pleasantries, Cheng Suran hung up the phone and walked to the window.

Tall buildings lined both sides of the river, with various boats shuttling across the water and tourists flocking along the banks. The scenery had remained unchanged for many years.

But now, everything has changed...

On the eve of her university graduation, Cheng Suran gave up on the idea of studying abroad at her own expense and instead participated in the selection exam for translators at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She became the only successful candidate from her graduating class of French majors to join the translation department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Then came the signing of contracts and being sent abroad for professional language training.

She went to the Paris School of Translation and Interpreting, obtained a teaching-focused master's degree after a year, and returned to China upon completion. She officially started her work at the translation department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Attending international conferences and accompanying leaders on official visits became routine. In her spare time, she listened repeatedly to news from foreign media such as CNN and BBC, translating while listening. Colleagues formed teams to practice various types of exercises, with a high volume and intensity, working tirelessly from morning till night.

Although she was just a small translator, she represented the country's image in diplomatic settings. She couldn't be too assertive or too timid. Over time, Cheng Suran became polished, confident, and composed.

However, she quickly grew tired of the lifestyle.

It felt like being trapped in an airtight box—exhausting, suffocating, and mentally demanding. She felt like a bird that should be soaring in the sky or a spirited horse galloping across the plains, not sitting on a flat road with life stretching out before her. She also felt that her true home was not in the capital city but in Jiangcheng.

So, two years later, she decided to resign and threw away this so-called "golden rice bowl" in the eyes of others.

Freedom comes at a cost. Due to resigning before the end of her contract, which was considered a breach, Cheng Suran had to pay a penalty and was restricted from leaving the country for three years.

From then on, she embarked on the path of freelancing.

With an impressive background as a former diplomat and her own strong capabilities, combined with her connections within the industry, she never had to worry about finding work. For simultaneous interpretation assignments, her daily rates increased from 12,000 to 20,000 within two months.

Taking on one conference per month was enough to sustain her and live a refined lifestyle. However, if her life were to stop at that point, resigning would have been meaningless.

She had an obsession in her heart.

To earn more money.

Last year, Cheng Suran partnered with a friend she knew in the industry and established "Yingsheng". At the company's inception, there were only eight employees, including themselves. In just one year, the business expanded from translation training to high-level interpretation services, gradually growing and covering the entire East and South China region. While diligently managing the company, she continued to take on many interpretation assignments, leaving her with a never-ending workload.

Now, she has amassed two million of her own.

Unknowingly five years had passed...

A sudden ringtone abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

It was Wen Ruoxian.

Her good friend and business partner.

"Hello?"

"Ranran, have you landed? " A gentle and soft voice came through the phone. Cheng Suran smiled, as if the other person could see her. "Yes, I'm already at the company, taking care of some matters." Her smiling face reflected on the glass, lively and bright.

"You've been traveling for the past few days and must be tired. Don't worry about company matters for now. Take some time to rest, and I'll cook something delicious for you when I come back tonight."

"Yes, I'll listen to the boss."

Both of them burst into laughter over the phone.

Cheng Suran took a short nap in her office and woke up exactly at three o'clock. She had some snacks, freshened up with a simple grooming routine, applied light makeup, and set off for the client's company. This month alone, she had twelve simultaneous interpretation conferences, four consecutive interpretation conferences, and a translation project to finalize. Her schedule was already packed. Originally, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week were supposed to be her planned days off, but this unexpected development disrupted her plans.

Even the heavens wanted her to work hard and earn money.

Fifteen minutes later, the car stopped in front of the ETERNO China Headquarters building.

Cheng Suran calmly walked into the entrance, announced her appointment at the front desk, and followed the young woman into the elevator.

She had changed into a navy blue silk blouse, wore a simple pearl pendant around her neck, and tucked her long hair behind her ears, accentuating her refined and meticulous features. From the inside out, she exuded an aura of composure and elegance.

As she passed by the employees along the way, they couldn't help but cast glances at her.

The meeting took place in a conference room. Cheng Suran arrived ten minutes early and found the room empty. With the assistant's guidance, she took a seat and a glass of water was placed in front of her.

"Miss Cheng, please wait for a moment."

"Mm."

Cheng Suran nodded lightly, her gaze falling on the resume in her hand. Faint footsteps could be heard from outside.

It didn't sound like just one person.

Soon after, the conference room door was pushed open, and a man wearing a suit and tie entered first. Cheng Suran lifted her gaze, and their eyes met directly.

A very familiar fragrance filled the air.

It seemed to come from a distant memory...

Vetiver Iris.

Cheng Suran's heart skipped a beat.

This scent came from behind the man—

A woman stepped into the conference room, with a face that exuded a cold and sharp aura. Her features were delicate, but showed a sense of sharpness. Her willow-like eyes were long and not slender, with captivating single eyelids that had a bewitching power.

Her shoulder-length hair cascaded down, and her red lips were enchanting and full of allure.

In an instant, their eyes met.

Time rewound to many years ago, to a night when that face was deeply engraved in her mind.

Just like in her memories, there was no slightest change. It was still those chilling black eyes, but there seemed to be a slight difference—a deeper, more world-weary gaze than in her memories.

A surge of heat rose to Cheng Suran's head, and she fell into a whirlpool of memories. Vivid images surrounded her like a rushing flood, as if they were tearing her soul apart. At that moment, she couldn't describe the sensation that engulfed her.

Ah, Jiang Yu...

Cheng Suran's lips moved, wanting to call out her name, but another title surfaced in her mind.

Sister?

Author's Note:

Cheng Cool: Ah, Jiang Yu