Forbidden To Be Tempted

It is an unutterable title.

It belonged to the person who had disappeared from her life for over 1,800 days, the person who had visited her dreams countless times in the late night, the person who had turned her from a blank canvas into a watercolor painting.

And now, that person was right in front of her.

Jiang Yu stood there in silence, her gaze fixed on Cheng Suran's face.

Memories surged forth. The girl who trembled in a pink robe years ago and softly called her "sister," merged hazily with this face.

Her heart suddenly leaped, and the long-dormant feelings in the corner gradually awakened...

An eerie silence fell inside the room.

"Miss Jiang, this is Cheng Suran, the French simultaneous interpreter from Yingsheng," the man in the suit spoke up, breaking the silence, and then his gaze turned to Cheng Suran. "Miss Cheng, this is our boss Miss Jiang."

Cheng Suran nodded calmly, "Miss Jiang."

Jiang Yu didn't react.

"Miss Jiang?" The man in the suit called her softly, sensing the subtle atmosphere, his gaze shifting between her and Cheng Suran.

"Do you know each other?"

"No, we don't," Cheng Suran replied before Jiang Yu could speak.

Jiang Yu furrowed her brows almost imperceptibly, but she didn't answer. She silently took a seat across from Cheng Suran.

This business conference is fully entrusted to Jiang Yu. She must personally review and supervise everything, from the overall direction of the speeches to the minute details of venue arrangements. The participants mainly come from five countries: China, UK, France, USA, and Italy. Translation plays a vital role in the conference, with a total of three foreign languages requiring six simultaneous interpreters, two for each language.

The schedules of interpreters from large companies are mostly booked, while those from smaller companies are mixed in terms of quality. Over the past half month, Jiang Yu has reviewed more than twenty candidates. Finally, four interpreters have been selected through Yingsheng, and they are almost complete, except for the French team.

Today, the one said to be a former senior translator from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs turns out to be Cheng Suran, her former "canary." Jiang Yu never expected such a coincidence.

The three of them sat down, and Jiang Yu calmed her emotions. She gazed at Cheng Suran without blinking, speaking in a professional tone, "Miss Cheng, first of all, I need to explain to you that the request for an interview is due to the unique nature of the conference. There will be dinner and banquet sessions, and we must carefully consider everyone present. I hope you understand." Originally, the interpreters were only required to have a phone interview.

"Of course," Cheng Suran smiled lightly, showing no trace of disturbance in her eyes.

She handed over the documents.

Jiang Yu took them and, with a reluctant look, shifted her gaze away from Cheng Suran's face. She slightly lowered her head and looked through the resume.

A familiar name came to view, and the photo on the ID showed a familiar face as well. Jiang Yu's heartstrings were gently plucked, inexplicably excited. With a hint of curiosity, she continued reading—she wanted to know what the kid had experienced all these years.

After graduating from university, she was admitted to the Translation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was sent on a scholarship to the Paris Institute of Translation Studies. A year later, she obtained a master's degree. During her time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she had served as an interpreter for press conferences and meetings with the Prime Minister, accompanying leaders on visits to other countries. Later, she resigned and pursued freelance translation, establishing Yingsheng. She had extensive experience in large-scale international conferences.

Jiang Yu's heart was stirred, and she couldn't regain her composure for a long time.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes.

"Miss Jiang, do you have any questions?" Cheng Suran spoke up, noticing her distraction.

Jiang Yu finally snapped out of her daze, closed the file, and said, "No questions." Then she paused for a moment and added, "Miss Cheng perfectly meets our requirements."

The man in the suit looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Yu was about to speak, but Cheng Suran once again took the lead and explained, "I founded Yingsheng."

Jiang Yu: "..."

"But you didn't mention it on the phone," the man in the suit looked shocked.

Upon hearing that Cheng Suran had a background in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he immediately scheduled the interview, so as not to postpone it until tomorrow.

Cheng Suran smiled faintly, "I believe that ability is more important than identity."

The man nodded, also smiling in agreement. He asked Cheng Suran a few more questions, discussing her past work experience, and then presented her with some conference materials, asking her to read them within a minute and provide an oral summary in both English and French.

Jiang Yu quietly watched from the side.

From beginning to end, Cheng Suran's face showed no expression, always calm and focused. Her brows and eyes remained as tranquil and gentle as before, but they didn't give off a soft impression. On the contrary, she seemed like a cold plum blossoming in the night, with a resolute spirit.

Although it was a familiar face, it seemed so unfamiliar.

After approximately ten minutes, Jiang Yu was quite satisfied. She was about to set a time to finalize the contract when Cheng Suran said, "This is a personal collaboration between me and your company, so the pricing differs from the unified pricing we offer externally. It needs to be renegotiated and confirmed."

The man in the suit was momentarily stunned.

"How much is your quote, Miss Cheng?" Jiang Yu asked directly.

Cheng Suran flipped to the last page of the document and adjusted its orientation before smoothly pushing it in front of Jiang Yu.

The page clearly and meticulously listed the prices based on the type of event, difficulty level, number of participants, and the preparation time required for travel.

For a full day of eight hours, the fee for simultaneous interpretation was 30,000, while consecutive interpretation was 26,000. If the duration was less than eight hours, it would still be charged as eight hours, with an additional 7,000 for each extra hour. For conferences with over 500 participants, the fees would increase proportionally, depending on the specific range of participants.

The pricing was indeed quite high.

Technically, she could sign the contract in the name of her company, but since she was the owner, the agency fee would ultimately go into her pocket. Besides, she was still working as a freelance translator, so it was unnecessary trouble.

Jiang Yu stared at the quotation, a hint of satisfaction evident in her eyes.

It felt as if the young eagle she had personally set free could finally soar freely in the sky.

"Miss Cheng, regarding the pricing, we would like to negotiate," the man in the suit politely said.

Cheng Suran's lips moved, but before she could speak, Jiang Yu closed the document and pushed it back to her, decisively saying, "No need to negotiate, Miss Cheng is worth this price."

A faint smile played at the corner of her mouth, her expression inscrutable.

Cheng Suran was briefly taken aback.

That gaze, that expression, and those words instantly reminded her of the time she had been taken care of, when she had been sold at a high price like pork at a market, and when she had so humbly loved someone she was destined not to have...

That person was sitting right in front of her.

She couldn't tell whether it was mockery towards her or if she was simply being too sensitive and overthinking things.

Her heart stung momentarily, a sharp and fleeting pain. Cheng Suran collected her emotions and smiled, saying, "We have reached a consensus."

During her two years of work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic occasions she attended were far more serious than today. Everything revolved around the country's image and left little room for personal emotions. Over time, she learned the art of concealing her true feelings.

She would no longer allow others to see her true emotions as she did in the past.

After both parties reached an agreement, they double-checked the details.

"How about signing the contract tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock? What do you think, Ms. Cheng?" Jiang Yu stared at her intently, as if trying to see through her.

Cheng Suran nodded, "That works."

At that moment, the mobile phone on the table vibrated, and the man in the suit apologized before excusing himself to answer the call.

The meeting room fell silent once again.

After discussing business matters, the two of them looked at each other without speaking, their gazes fixed on each other's faces, intertwining silently.

"It's been a long time," Jiang Yu broke the silence.

"Mm."

"Why did you say you don't know me?"

"It's not appropriate to discuss personal matters in a business setting," Cheng Suran replied politely.

Jiang Yu looked at her deeply, her gaze piercing.

Her long, straight black hair had been dyed chestnut brown and styled into soft curls. The floral dress had been replaced with a well-tailored navy blue shirt. Her fair skin remained delicate, and her long hair framed her graceful profile. There was an air of maturity and composure about her, and her eyebrows and eyes carried a hint of coolness.

She seemed like a jade stone that had been polished, with all its edges smoothed out, or a painting that had been stripped of all colors, leaving only simplicity and purity.

Everything had changed.

Jiang Yu couldn't equate her with the girl in her memories, nor could she recall the true appearance of the little canary.

Like a pebble thrown into a tranquil lake, it created ripples that spread layer by layer. In this moment, she was deeply captivated by this familiar yet unfamiliar person before her, just as she had been at eighteen when she saw her at the train platform, or at thirty-two when she saw her on the nightclub stage.

"The kid has grown up..." Jiang Yu murmured to herself, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

Cheng Suran remained silent, not responding to her words.

The familiar scent of iris lingered around, unchanged after all these years. She would always be reminded of the past whenever she caught a whiff of this cool and ethereal fragrance. The gentle blending of nights, the soft whispers in her ears, the warmth on her lips, the tremors deep within her soul.

Memories carried the taste of dust.

It had been five years, and time had finally faded the traces Jiang Yu had left in Cheng Suran's heart. It had become so faint that she almost believed she had forgotten about this person. But upon meeting again, all those traces awakened, deeply engraved in her bones and blood.

If she had known in advance that the client was Jiang Yu, would she still have come? Cheng Suran asked in her heart.

Yes.

Work is work.

Cheng Suran realized in a daze that she hadn't truly forgotten Jiang Yu. She had simply kept this person deep within her heart, avoiding thinking about her or touching those memories. But whenever she did touch them, it still hurt a little.

She had made a decision to let go of the past and enjoy her own life.

"Miss Jiang—"

The door to the meeting room opened, and the man in the suit walked over to Jiang Yu and whispered a few words. Jiang Yu nodded, and he hurriedly left.

Her train of thought was interrupted, and Cheng Suran glanced at her watch, standing up with the documents in hand. "Miss Jiang, if there are no further questions, I'll take my leave," she said, lifting her leg to leave.

"Ranran!"

Jiang Yu also stood up.

Upon hearing this familiar nickname, Cheng Suran's steps faltered, and her fingers holding the folder tightened. Meeting Jiang Yu's gaze, she smiled and reminded her, "Miss Jiang, my surname is Cheng."

Jiang Yu looked at her, words lingering on her lips before swallowing them back. She turned around and gestured, "I'll walk you downstairs."

Cheng Suran didn't refuse and walked ahead.

From the meeting room to the elevator, a short distance of just over twenty steps, the two walked side by side without exchanging a word.

Jiang Yu suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

The grown-up Cheng Suran is no longer her canary, and she couldn't beckon her to come over or wave her away as before. Their identities and relationship had changed, but her memories remained in the past. There seemed to be an invisible barrier between them, familiar yet unfamiliar.

She didn't know how to interact with Cheng Suran anymore.

Arriving at the elevator, the two stopped, and Cheng Suran pressed the floor button. She turned to Jiang Yu with a gentle smile, "Miss Jiang, this is where we part ways. No need to accompany me any further."

She stood tall with a straight posture, her hands naturally clasped in front of her, dignified and composed, gentle and serene.

Despite wearing high heels, she was still slightly shorter than Jiang Yu in flat shoes.

But she was no longer the little chick forced into a corner by predatory birds.

Jiang Yu stared at her for a long time, her voice barely audible, "Alright."

Clear images floated in her mind, the girl in her memories crying and trembling, saying "I want you," and chasing after her all the way to Paris in the harsh winter... Now, the girl had grown up and stood calmly before her.

She couldn't tell if it was complete resignation and letting go, or if her acting skills were just too good.

Jiang Yu shifted her gaze away from Cheng Suran's face.

The elevator approached their floor, and Jiang Yu stared at the slowly ascending numbers. Suddenly, she spoke up, "Have you been well these past few years?"

—Ding!

The elevator doors opened.

Pretending not to hear, Cheng Suran stepped into the elevator without looking back.