A Promise in a Thought 48

Chapter 48

Qinzhou gradually grew quiet at the end of January. The Spring Festival was in late February, and many outsiders had already gone home to reunite with their families. Bo Mingliang and Ye Xialan had also returned to Qinzhou.

A week had passed since Jiang Chenyin had had a clear talk with Meng Yi’an. During this week, Jiang Chenyin had not noticed anything unusual about Bo Muyu.

But she vividly remembered Lan Yuxin’s words from that day.

“Teacher Jiang, I advise you to consider telling your little one about those past events as soon as possible. She’s already found out most of it.”

When she first heard these words, Jiang Chenyin was so shocked that she almost couldn’t hold her phone. She quickly pressed, “What did you say? Be clearer!”

“I said…” Lan Yuxin took a deep breath, slowed down her pace, and her voice became heavier, “Your little one has already found out most of your past. She knows you went abroad four years ago because of Gao Yan, and that the Gao Yan incident is related to what happened over a decade ago. She knows all this. The only thing she doesn’t know now is what exactly happened to you over a decade ago. Old Master Jiang and your brother used their connections to cover it up back then. It’s impossible for her to find out.”

“How is that possible?” Jiang Chenyin took a step forward and steadied herself against her car, her face full of disbelief. “Why is she looking into these things? Where did she find out about Gao Yan? She…”

“How would I know!” Lan Yuxin replied in annoyance. “Also, she told me this when she called to ask me about those things. I think you might want to think about where she got my number from.”

Bo Muyu wouldn’t have gone to Jiang Yingzong to ask. Although the Jiang family treated her well, in reality, apart from Jiang Chenyin, everyone else kept a certain distance from her.

Lan Yuxin was a famous artist. Her phone number was even less likely to be found online.

Oh my god… Jiang Chenyin’s hand, holding the phone, was trembling.

Just then, Lan Yuxin’s tone softened. “The things she said on the phone showed that she’s very concerned about you. But because those things can’t be brought up again, she’s been secretly investigating. I can feel that she really has no other choice, which is why she went through your phone to find my number. It’s fine if you scold her a little, but don’t blame her too much.”

Jiang Chenyin lowered her eyes, trying hard to calm her emotions. “Okay, I know.”

Lan Yuxin sighed and hung up.

After that, Jiang Chenyin began to observe Bo Muyu’s behavior. That day, not only did she add a dish for Bo Muyu, but she also brought her back a tiramisu.

At dinner, Bo Muyu ate the braised pork ribs she had made with delight, praising her culinary skills as being better than a hotel chef’s. Not long after dinner, she couldn’t help but take out the tiramisu to eat, the corners of her lips curving up at the sweet dessert.

Everything was very normal. If Lan Yuxin hadn’t given her a heads-up, she wouldn’t have noticed at all that Bo Muyu was hiding so many things in her heart.

She was hiding her doubts, hiding the incomplete clues she had found, and also hiding her long-standing concern for her.

In the span of a week, Jiang Chenyin’s initial shock had turned into contemplation, and like Bo Muyu, she had hidden it well.

She had thought about when Bo Muyu had started to care about those things, and when she had started to investigate, but after a few attempts, she could only give up. This child’s nature was, after all, introverted. It was easy for her to hide her thoughts. Besides, her starting point was her concern for her, which gave her even more motivation.

After much thought, Jiang Chenyin decided to tell Bo Muyu about the past in detail. Lan Yuxin was right. This was indeed something to consider. Bo Muyu already knew a part of it, so there was no point in hiding it any longer.

At dinner that day, as soon as the dishes were served, Bo Muyu went straight for the steamed fish Jiang Chenyin had made, eating with great relish.

“Muyu,” Jiang Chenyin put down her chopsticks, her expression grave.

“Hmm?” Bo Muyu was about to pick up another piece of fish when she heard Jiang Chenyin call her and looked over. “Auntie Yin, why did you stop eating?”

Jiang Chenyin looked at her for a long while, then seemed to let out a soft sigh, her expression softening. “Tonight, I’ll tell you about my past. The things you’ve asked about before, why I gradually stopped looking forward to starting a family around the age of twenty, and why I left four years ago. I’ll tell you all of it.”

Bo Muyu’s heart skipped a beat, and she was stunned by Jiang Chenyin’s words.

Jiang Chenyin chuckled softly, picked up her chopsticks again, and put a piece of fish on her plate. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to hear it?”

“No…” Bo Muyu immediately shook her head, her eyes a little unnatural. “It’s just that I find it strange. Why would you suddenly want to tell me?”

“It’s not really sudden,” Jiang Chenyin said with a pure smile, a hint of worry in her eyes. “Actually, I’ve been considering whether to tell you or not, and if so, how to say it.”

“Then why did you suddenly decide?”

“Because I was chatting with Yuxin a couple of days ago, and she said that you’re not a child anymore, and that I shouldn’t keep the reason for my departure four years ago from you. Thinking about it, since I’m going to tell you the reason for leaving four years ago, I might as well tell you about the incident from over a decade ago. The two are indeed related.”

Jiang Chenyin had quickly thought of a suitable answer, not revealing that Lan Yuxin had given her a heads-up.

Bo Muyu bit her chopsticks and nodded. She hadn’t shown any sign of it these past few days and was still thinking of finding an appropriate time to ask Jiang Chenyin, but she had never been able to make up her mind.

At this moment, she thought to herself, it was indeed the right decision to ask Lan Yuxin.

Seeing her in a daze, Jiang Chenyin said with amusement, “Hurry up and eat. Why are you still biting your chopsticks?”

“Oh… okay,” Bo Muyu shook her head and pressed her lips together, seriously examining the piece of fish Jiang Chenyin had given her.

Jiang Chenyin smiled and said, “There are no bones. I picked them out for you just now.”

Bo Muyu’s lips curved into a smile, revealing a small canine tooth.

Not long after they had started eating, the doorbell rang.

Just as Jiang Chenyin was about to put down her chopsticks, Bo Muyu had already stood up. “I’ll go see who it is. Auntie Yin, you continue eating.”

After she finished, she went out in her slippers. Jiang Chenyin’s lips curved up, and she put down her chopsticks, intending to wait for her to come back before eating.

Bo Muyu looked through the peephole and saw an old lady she had never seen before, about fifty or sixty years old, with a rosy complexion and rather ordinary clothes, not like the noble ladies the Jiang family was familiar with.

She had originally intended to ignore her, but on second thought, the security here was strict, and they would never let a stranger in, so she opened the door a crack.

“Hello, may I ask…”

Before she could finish, the old lady let out a surprised laugh and interrupted her, “Oh, is Miss Jiang at home? I have something to see her about. I’ve been here several times, and I’ve finally found someone at home.”

Bo Muyu opened the door a little wider and asked with a frown, “Hello, do you have something to see Auntie Yin about? You can tell me first.”

“You?” The old lady sized her up suspiciously. Seeing her distant and scholarly air, she shook her head. “You won’t do. Go and call Miss Jiang out. I have something urgent to see her about.”

As she spoke, the old lady pushed her aside and walked in without any hesitation.

Looking at the string of gray-black footprints on the clean floor, a chill appeared in Bo Muyu’s eyes.

The old lady looked around the living room, her footsteps not stopping, muttering as she walked, “Isn’t it dinnertime now? Miss Jiang should be at home. I specifically chose this time to come.”

Bo Muyu stared at her for a few seconds, and just as she was about to see her out, she heard Jiang Chenyin’s voice, “Muyu?”

“Auntie Yin,” Bo Muyu walked towards Jiang Chenyin. “Why did you come out?”

If it were nothing, Bo Muyu wouldn’t have just looked and not come back. Sensing that something was wrong, Jiang Chenyin came out of the dining room. When she saw the old lady in the living room, who was making herself at home, her brow tightened.

Jiang Chenyin pulled Bo Muyu behind her. “It’s okay. I’ll handle it.”

The old lady was like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, touching everything from the sofa in the living room to the TV stand, not even sparing the curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window. The gray-black footprints on the floor overlapped.

Jiang Chenyin took a few steps forward and said with a normal expression, “Mrs. Shao, what brings you here today?”

Hearing Jiang Chenyin’s voice, the old lady, who was being called Mrs. Shao, quickly suppressed a little of her greedy look and approached her, her face beaming. “Miss Jiang, long time no see. I heard you’re back from abroad. I’ve been here several times. You’ve really made me look for you. I’ve come to your house several times, and no one was home.”

Bo Muyu had been following behind Jiang Chenyin, and at this moment, she also stopped with her. Hearing Mrs. Shao’s words, she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes slightly.

Jiang Chenyin said, “We both have to work. It’s normal for us not to be at home.”

Mrs. Shao, however, said with a fawning smile, “Why work when you’re so rich? You could live for several lifetimes even if you don’t work.” After she finished, she glanced at Bo Muyu and said, “Why is there a little sister here? Is this a university student you’re sponsoring? You’re so rich…”

Jiang Chenyin had no intention of saying much and just looked at her coldly.

“No wonder you’re a philanthropist…” Mrs. Shao said, studying Bo Muyu and smiling. “You’re different from us. We can’t even afford to raise our own children. Not like Miss Jiang, who can let others go to school and have food to eat with just a wave of her hand.”

“Alright, Mrs. Shao,” Jiang Chenyin’s face turned cold. She took a step towards Bo Muyu, blocking Mrs. Shao’s uncomfortable gaze. “Let’s get to the point. Why are you looking for me? I don’t think you’re just here to chat.”

Jiang Chenyin was usually friendly and gentle, but she was not without an imposing air. At this moment, as she stood in front of Bo Muyu with a cold gaze, her whole person’s aura became a little sharper, and the air in the room seemed to freeze.

“Oh, it’s nothing…” Mrs. Shao was taken aback by her and took a step back, but then an even greedier light appeared in her eyes. “Um, I’m a little short on cash recently. Can you give me the money for the end of the year in advance?”

Bo Muyu grabbed Jiang Chenyin’s right wrist in surprise and said in a low voice, “Auntie Yin…”

Jiang Chenyin’s left hand patted her from behind, signaling her to be calm, her voice still cold. “Mrs. Shao, you said a few years ago that your husband had passed away, and you and your unemployed younger son were left at home and couldn’t make a living. I agreed to sponsor your family’s living expenses and your younger son’s postgraduate studies. This year is the last year. If you want it in advance now, then our agreement can also end.”

Mrs. Shao readily agreed, “Of course. I remember. Don’t worry, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Chenyin looked at her for a while, then replied, “Okay, then wait for me.”

“Auntie Yin, I’ll stay here,” Bo Muyu said, gently holding Jiang Chenyin’s wrist and whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ll watch her. Nothing will happen.”