A Promise in a Thought 20

Chapter 20

On the morning of Bo Muyu’s birthday, she woke up to a message from Jiang Chenyin on her phone, buried under messages from everyone else.

“Happy birthday. See you tonight.”

It was a very simple message, and also the earliest one from everyone who had messaged her.

Even though it was just a few words, because Jiang Chenyin’s features were always gentle and her voice soft when she spoke to her, she could imagine Jiang Chenyin saying this with a faint smile on her lips.

She couldn’t wait for tonight’s meeting. She hadn’t celebrated her birthday with Jiang Chenyin in a long time. For the past few years, the “happy birthday” wishes she had heard in person did not include the one she wanted to hear the most. No one knew how much she wanted to be face-to-face with Jiang Chenyin, watching each other, and hearing Jiang Chenyin say those words.

No text message could soothe such anticipation.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long until evening.

Bo Muyu rolled out of bed, quickly washed up, changed her clothes, and, once she was all dressed, walked out of her room.

Ye Xialan was already waiting for her in the dining room. Having timed her departure for work perfectly, a bowl of noodles had just been taken off the stove.

“Mom, good morning. I’m off to work,” Bo Muyu said, intending to leave without stopping.

“Xiaoyu, stop right there!” Ye Xialan said, placing the bowl of noodles on the table. “You’re not even eating breakfast. Do you have to be so diligent? It’s your birthday today. You have to eat a bowl of noodles every year. Sit down.”

Bo Muyu stopped in her tracks. “Mom…”

Ye Xialan sat down and patted the chair next to her. “Hurry up.”

Bo Muyu had no choice but to go and sit down. But as soon as she sat, she started eating, and a little faster than usual, without saying another word.

“Slow down. Why are you in such a hurry? I’m not going to steal it from you,” Ye Xialan couldn’t help but laugh, taking a tissue to wipe the corner of her mouth.

Bo Muyu’s cheeks puffed out slightly as she chewed with her lips pressed together. A few seconds later, she said, “If I go to work early, I can get off work early.”

Her mind was now completely focused on getting off work. It would be best if she was so busy the moment she got to the company that she lost track of time, and when she was done, it would be time to get off work. Not feeling the passage of time, that would be the best.

“Pfft…” Ye Xialan laughed. “Are you that eager to see Teacher Jiang? Teacher Jiang probably has a gift for you.”

Bo Muyu picked up another mouthful of noodles and shook her head as she ate.

She didn’t care about gifts at all. For the past few years, Jiang Chenyin had sent her things from abroad—holiday gifts, birthday gifts, everything. She would always open them and look at them carefully. Because they were from Jiang Chenyin, she liked every single gift.

But her liking for these things all stemmed from the person who gave them.

Because Bo Muyu was eating noodles, Ye Xialan couldn’t see her shake her head clearly and continued to nag, “Speaking of which, your birthday this year is different. You were still in school before, so we mostly bought you things related to your studies. But now you’re working. I wonder what your dad has prepared for you… He won’t tell me even when I ask…”

“Hmm? Dad didn’t discuss it with you?” Bo Muyu asked, looking up.

“No,” Ye Xialan shrugged, then rested her elbow on the dining table, her chin in her palm. “He’s being so mysterious. I don’t know what he’s up to. He just told me to let him prepare this year’s gift, and that was it.”

“Oh…” Bo Muyu lowered her head to drink her soup, also starting to feel curious.

“Tsk, what kind of gift can that straight man of a father of yours come up with? I’ll wait and see.”

Bo Muyu almost choked and coughed a couple of times.

Her father was the most family-oriented son in the Bo family. Her several uncles were all continuing to develop their own careers. Only her father was the most stable. After all, the dividends from her uncles’ companies and some investment profits were more than enough to provide for the family.

They were not short of money, but sometimes she felt her father was a bit of a “straight man,” just as her mother had said.

For example, when they were on vacation a while ago and she told him to look at other women, he really did.

“Mom, I’m full. I’m off to work,” Bo Muyu said, wiping her mouth with a tissue and picking up her bag to leave.

“Hey, walk slowly,” Ye Xialan said, standing up with her and straightening her collar. The teasing tone was gone from her smile as she said, “Happy birthday, my baby. Work hard. There’ll be cake when you come back tonight.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’m off to work then,” Bo Muyu said with a slight smile. At twenty-two, whenever her small canine teeth were revealed, she still had a touch of her childhood cuteness.

Ye Xialan saw her off at the door, and the smile on her face widened as she remembered Bo Muyu’s smile just now.

Her daughter was becoming more and more reserved as she grew older, but her smile would sometimes break her composure. Because those canine teeth were really cute, and her daughter’s current temperament couldn’t quite suppress the childishness they brought.

As soon as she entered the company, Bo Muyu received congratulations from several colleagues, mostly people she had interacted with but wasn’t familiar with. She thanked them one by one, then went to her desk to start work.

God of War was, in a real sense, the first work that could make a name for Bo Muyu. Although she had participated in the screenwriting of a movie in university, it was only participation. God of War was written entirely by her, and Su Man’s decision to produce it had probably already been spread around privately. From the day the decision was announced, countless eyes had been on Bo Muyu, and not just from people at Hongsheng.

If the results were good, it would be even more effective in silencing the critics. If the results were not good, even Su Man would probably be implicated.

It was impossible to say there was no pressure from such consequences.

Bo Muyu stood by the window in the pantry, looking out. The midday sun cast its most brilliant light upon the earth, and the dust in the air was dyed gold.

She held a ceramic cup in her hand, her expression rather cold, her brow slightly furrowed, her long, curly eyelashes trembling lightly in the bright light.

“Screenwriter Bo, you’re here too?”

A slightly cheerful male voice sounded. Bo Muyu’s brow tightened, and she turned to look.

It was Yang Qian. He walked to Bo Muyu’s side and asked with a smile, “Why didn’t you go for lunch? Aren’t you hungry?”

Bo Muyu had no intention of saying much, simply replying, “I had someone bring it for me.”

“I see. No wonder I didn’t see you just now,” Yang Qian said, turning slightly to look at her.

The suitable height difference allowed him to admire Bo Muyu’s fair side profile in the sunlight. Bo Muyu was his type. Her coldness was not sharp; this faint aloofness was, on the contrary, even more irresistible.

A woman between a girl and a woman, with the innocence of a girl and the gradually emerging gentleness of a woman, how could she not be attractive?

Bo Muyu took a sip of water, her gaze continuing to wander aimlessly among the tall buildings outside the window.

Yang Qian asked enthusiastically, “Screenwriter Bo, it’s your birthday today. Do you have any plans for tonight?”

Bo Muyu swirled the cup and replied, “No.”

“Hey, how can you not?” Yang Qian raised an eyebrow. “We were all just thinking of arranging something. How about it? Come out and play with us tonight. We’ll celebrate your birthday.”

Bo Muyu was silent. Tonight…

Jiang Chenyin was coming to her house tonight. She had been waiting for years. Now that Jiang Chenyin was finally back, she wanted to spend this birthday with her.

Even if it was just a meal, a few more words, and hearing Jiang Chenyin say “happy birthday,” just that was more attractive to her than any other birthday celebration.

Bo Muyu turned her head and said, “Thank you, but no.”

“What?” Yang Qian was a little embarrassed.

Bo Muyu shook her head and rephrased, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to go.”

Yang Qian didn’t give up. He took a step closer and spread his hands. “A reason? You have to give me a reason, right?”

He felt that Bo Muyu was completely impenetrable. He could never get her to agree, no matter what excuse he used. It was one thing for him to be alone, but even bringing in a group didn’t work. He was sometimes really curious about what kind of pretext could get Bo Muyu to agree.

“As for a reason, it’s probably because I want to stay home tonight,” Bo Muyu said in a flat tone, the sunlight unable to raise the temperature in her words.

A reason. This reason, of course, could not be known to others.

Yang Qian gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on Bo Muyu. A tall man, his expression was actually more intense than Bo Muyu’s.

After staring for a few seconds, he took a deep breath, patted his thighs with a feigned calmness, and forced a smile. “It’s okay. We can try again next time. You can continue enjoying the view. I’ll be going now.”

Bo Muyu nodded, and then Yang Qian left the pantry with hurried steps. From the sound of his footsteps, it seemed he was having a hard time holding back his anger.

With this, her list of crimes should have grown a little longer.

Just as she thought this, there was another sound. This time, it was the sound of high heels, walking rather slowly.

A thought stirred in her mind. She turned to look again, and it was Su Man.

Su Man had her hands behind her back, as if holding something, and walked over with a smile. “I thought you were so engrossed in the scenery that you wouldn’t notice me.”

Bo Muyu turned around. “Senior, what brings you here?”

Su Man chuckled. “I came to find you. I was afraid you’d leave too quickly after work, and then it would be too late.”

She had a smile on her face, but her eyes deepened as she said this. For the past few days, Jiang Chenyin had been coming to pick up Bo Muyu from work. And Jiang Chenyin was very low-key. Apart from that one time she appeared in the company lobby, she had always waited in the parking lot.

If she hadn’t happened to see Bo Muyu get into the car from behind a few times, she really wouldn’t have known that Jiang Chenyin was so accommodating to Bo Muyu, coming to pick her up almost every day.

Hearing Su Man say this, Bo Muyu just smiled slightly, not intending to say much more to her.

“Did all your colleagues wish you a happy birthday today?” Su Man asked, walking to her side and turning slightly so as not to reveal what was behind her back.

“Mmm, when I got to the company this morning.”

“Then it’s my turn now,” Su Man said with a playful wink, finally bringing out the hands that had been hidden behind her back. In her palm was a white jewelry box.

Bo Muyu was stunned for a moment. “This is…”

Su Man reached out and took Bo Muyu’s hand that wasn’t holding the cup, placed the box in her palm, and her smile immediately softened. “Happy birthday. This is my twenty-second birthday gift to you.”

Bo Muyu subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back, but Su Man held the back of her hand firmly, closing her fingers around the box. Her movements were gentle but did not allow for refusal.

“Senior, the gifts you gave me before were not like this…” Bo Muyu said in a low voice, looking down at the box.

“Because you’re not a student anymore,” Su Man said with a light laugh, seeming to hesitate, but then quickly reached out to flick her nose.

Bo Muyu reflexively lifted her head slightly, feeling very uncomfortable with Su Man’s gesture.

Su Man’s eyes were full of smiles as she said, “You’re different from before now, so of course the things I give you can’t be of the same nature as before.”

“I know. Thank you, Senior,” Bo Muyu nodded and slowly pulled her hand away from Su Man’s.

Su Man’s hand rested on top of the box, her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally touching Bo Muyu’s fingers. Then, as if casually, she asked, “By the way, do you have any plans for tonight? I think I saw Yang Qian here just now.”

“Mmm, he left just as you came in. But I don’t want to go out.”

Hearing her answer, Su Man’s gaze grew even warmer, and she chuckled at her gently, “Why do you like staying at home so much? Like a little snail, always sticking to its shell.”

She shook her head in denial, her eyes shining a little brighter than before. “It’s because I’ve been waiting for this birthday for a long time, so I don’t want anything else to ruin it.”

Su Man nodded, as if she understood. Her fingertips slowly brushed over the pads of Bo Muyu’s fingers, then she withdrew her hand.

“Then have a good birthday. But remember to open the gift I gave you.”

Her gaze on Bo Muyu was still full of warmth. The things she didn’t understand, she would naturally understand when the time was right. She hoped to hear Bo Muyu confide in her personally. She hoped to be the one to get close to Bo Muyu’s heart, and then, she hoped to live in it.

As soon as Su Man left, Bo Muyu immediately put down her cup and took out her phone, which had vibrated while she was talking to Su Man.

On it was a message from Jiang Chenyin: “I’ll pick you up after work. Don’t run off.”

She looked at the message and smiled, a smile without any defenses, different from before.

Her mind had long since flown to the end of the workday, to Jiang Chenyin’s side. Nothing else could interest her.

A few more hours… no, only a few more hours. Had she forgotten anything?

It seemed not. Apart from Jiang Chenyin, nothing else mattered.