A Promise in a Thought 38

Chapter 38

Night had fallen, but Qinzhou was not yet asleep.

Jiang Chenyin sat in the back seat, holding her phone in one hand and massaging her temples with the other, her face showing a hint of fatigue.

The man driving the car said with timely concern, “You should rest for a while. It’s still a bit of a drive to your place.”

Jiang Chenyin glanced at his side profile, a complex emotion in her eyes, and then said placidly, “Thank you.”

Meng Yi’an said no more and focused on driving.

Jiang Chenyin swiped to unlock her phone. The screen was still open to the message Bo Muyu had just sent her, saying that she had gone to Lin Chuwan’s place tonight and was now back home.

She closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. She really hadn’t expected to run into Meng Yi’an tonight. And coincidentally, she had been forced to drink a little tonight and couldn’t drive.

She had thought they would just exchange a few pleasantries and then go their separate ways. To her surprise, Meng Yi’an still maintained his good habit of not touching a drop of alcohol. In this day and age, it was rare for men, let alone women, not to drink. For example, herself.

People always said that one had to have some way to vent their emotions. Meng Yi’an didn’t drink or smoke, so his way of venting should still be the same as before. When he was in a bad mood, he would go to the racecourse in Qinzhou and ride a few laps.

It was a very leisurely and high-end way of venting. Jiang Chenyin had always admired him for it.

But after she and Meng Yi’an had completely ended things, she had never wavered on certain principles. When Meng Yi’an had offered to drive her home just now, she had immediately refused.

“Chenyin,” Meng Yi’an had said, politely keeping a distance of three steps from her, and persuaded, “This hotel is famous for its quiet environment and is far from the city. It’s not convenient to call a car. You should know that.”

Jiang Chenyin’s brow furrowed in pain. It was already late. If she couldn’t get home by bedtime, with Bo Muyu’s personality, she would definitely wait up for her.

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Chenyin had agreed to let Meng Yi’an drive her back.

She shook her head, pulling herself back from her jumbled thoughts, and heard Meng Yi’an’s smiling voice drift from the front, “I was just going to my uncle’s house tonight. It’s in the same direction.”

Jiang Chenyin didn’t think much of it and replied with a slight curve of her lips, “Is that so?”

Seeing her reticence, Meng Yi’an’s tone softened. “Mmm, my cousin’s son was just born. I only have time to visit now. My uncle saw that it was a rare visit and asked me to stay the night, saying we should have a long talk.”

Jiang Chenyin let out a laugh but didn’t speak.

Meng Yi’an continued with a sigh, “Time flies. I still remember my cousin’s wedding a few years ago. I didn’t expect that after a few busy years, he’s already a father. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to marry the person I like in this lifetime. You…”

“Yi’an,” Jiang Chenyin opened her eyes and interrupted him without hesitation. “This is not a suitable topic for us to discuss. You know what I mean.”

Meng Yi’an paused, then let out a bitter laugh. “Chenyin, you’re still so heartless. After all these years, you’ve never once relented, not even letting me continue a single topic.”

A sharp glint appeared in Jiang Chenyin’s eyes, and her hand, holding the phone, suddenly tightened. A moment later, she said tactfully, “Actually, you know very well in your heart that my agreeing to let you drive me back is not a tacit approval for these topics to be brought up again.”

“Chenyin…”

“Alright,” Jiang Chenyin’s eyes were clear, her tone indifferent. “If you must bring it up, I think I’ll have to get out of the car.”

Meng Yi’an’s heart skipped a beat. He unconsciously sped up, a hint of compromise in his tone. “I understand. I’m sorry.”

He drove directly to the vicinity of Jiang Chenyin’s house, just a short walk from the door. After thanking him again, Jiang Chenyin got out of the car.

It was deserted at night. Jiang Chenyin clearly heard the sound of the car door behind her.

“You seem to be in a hurry to get home,” Meng Yi’an said, catching up to her, not too close, not too far.

“Mmm, it’s fine,” Jiang Chenyin said, not wanting to explain anything to him.

The lights in Jiang Chenyin’s villa were on. Meng Yi’an looked up and asked with a smile, “Have you developed the habit of leaving the lights on when you go out now?”

Jiang Chenyin frowned. “No, Muyu is at home.”

Meng Yi’an was taken aback and even paused in his steps, but he quickly caught up. “Is that Brother Liang’s daughter? I remember that child. She’s very well-behaved.”

“Mmm, it’s her,” Jiang Chenyin said, glancing at her watch, her gaze fixed on her front door.

Meng Yi’an’s low voice was tinged with a smile. “I had the chance to see Brother Liang with her before, but there were too many people, so I didn’t get to say hello. I just remember that she followed Brother Liang very obediently, not mischievous at all.”

Jiang Chenyin sighed softly and stopped on the steps in front of her door, turning to him. “I’m home. Thank you for driving me back.”

“You’re welcome,” Meng Yi’an said, also stopping, still keeping a little distance from her, his dark eyes shining in the night. “If there’s a next time, I hope you’ll still agree to let me drive you back.”

“I don’t think a situation like this will happen again,” Jiang Chenyin said, her emotions unreadable. “After all, there’s a child at home. It’s not convenient to come back so late.”

Meng Yi’an smiled. “That’s true.”

Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard. The two of them turned to look.

Bo Muyu was wearing a well-fitting white T-shirt and a pair of light-colored jeans. Her loose black hair swayed slightly as she moved, making her look fresh and clean.

Her gaze was only on Jiang Chenyin’s face. “Auntie Yin, you’re back.”

“Mmm,” Jiang Chenyin’s expression softened considerably. She turned to stop beside her, then turned to the side to introduce Meng Yi’an, who had also taken a few steps closer. “This is my friend, the one I mentioned to you last time.”

Meng Yi’an was surprised that Jiang Chenyin had actually mentioned him to Bo Muyu, but he didn’t show it on his face, only revealing a smile and saying in a friendly tone, “Hello, my name is Meng Yi’an. You can call me Uncle Meng. I’ve heard Chenyin mention you before, and I’ve also seen your father with you in other places, but I’ve never had the chance to talk to you.”

Bo Muyu’s expression didn’t change. She just looked at him and gave a slight nod. “Hello, Bo Muyu.”

Meng Yi’an looked at Jiang Chenyin with some confusion. This was his first time meeting Bo Muyu face to face. Why did he feel that this child was a little cold? As if he might have had some disagreement with her somewhere.

Jiang Chenyin shook her head, put an arm around Bo Muyu’s shoulder, and finally showed Meng Yi’an the most genuine smile of the entire evening. “Muyu is a bit introverted. She’s not as enthusiastic when she’s talking to strangers.”

Meng Yi’an let out a slight sigh of relief and smiled. “I see.”

Bo Muyu looked away and tugged at Jiang Chenyin’s clothes. “Auntie Yin, it’s very late.”

Before Jiang Chenyin could speak, Meng Yi’an’s magnetic male voice sounded with a hint of concern, “It’s my fault for taking up your time. You two should go back and rest. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Okay. Thank you for tonight,” Jiang Chenyin said softly, then pulled Bo Muyu back and closed the door.

The two of them went back to the room together. As soon as Jiang Chenyin stepped through the door, she relaxed a lot. Bo Muyu could even hear her let out a long sigh.

Because she had had a little to drink, Jiang Chenyin sat on the edge of the bed and massaged her temples.

Bo Muyu went to the kitchen to make a cup of honey water and brought it up to Jiang Chenyin. Jiang Chenyin, who had her head down, saw it, and the corners of her lips curved up uncontrollably.

After she finished the honey water, Bo Muyu placed the cup on the bedside table. When she turned around, she saw Jiang Chenyin still massaging her temples.

Bo Muyu pressed her lips together, slowly walked over in her slippers, and bent down, her hands gently slipping into Jiang Chenyin’s, taking over the task of massaging her temples.

When those slightly cool hands slipped into Jiang Chenyin’s palms, Jiang Chenyin was taken aback for a moment, because those tender, smooth hands quickly brought her a gentle sensation.

“Is this more comfortable? Is it too hard?” Bo Muyu whispered in her ear.

“It’s just right. Very comfortable,” Jiang Chenyin sighed in comfort. Just then, she noticed that Bo Muyu was bending over and couldn’t help but smile as she withdrew her hands and wrapped them around her waist. “Sit on my lap. You’ll get tired soon if you keep bending over like this.”

Bo Muyu said, “Mmm,” and then gently sat down on Jiang Chenyin’s lap, her hands still maintaining the motion of massaging her temples.

With the added weight on her lap, Jiang Chenyin naturally wrapped her arms around Bo Muyu’s waist to prevent her from accidentally tilting over.

Bo Muyu had already showered. She had the fresh scent of shower gel on her, as well as her own faint, elegant fragrance, which smelled clean and comfortable. Jiang Chenyin unconsciously leaned closer to her. The alcohol, to some extent, still made one different from usual, with an added touch of unconcealable fatigue.

“Muyu,” Jiang Chenyin was silent for a while, then said in a deep voice, “I had a little to drink tonight, so I couldn’t drive back. It was a bit of a hassle to call a car from there, and I happened to run into him.”

She felt it was necessary to explain to Bo Muyu why Meng Yi’an had driven her back tonight. Since she had already told Bo Muyu about her past with him, it was only natural that she should explain why he had driven her back.

“I know,” Bo Muyu said, gently sniffing the faint, wine-tinged fragrance on her. “I could guess, because you smell like alcohol.”

Jiang Chenyin chuckled softly. “So smart.”

But Bo Muyu’s gaze shifted to her smiling eyes, which were sparkling and full of affection. To be able to meet her gaze, how could Meng Yi’an bear to look away so easily? With Jiang Chenyin’s attitude of rejecting him last time, it was certain that it was not Jiang Chenyin who had taken the initiative to ask for a ride today.

He had been reluctant to leave after Jiang Chenyin had gone inside last time, and this time he had taken the initiative to drive her back. His intentions were obvious.

After a moment of contemplation, Bo Muyu said, “Auntie Yin, he wants to win you back, doesn’t he?”

Jiang Chenyin looked at her in surprise, then let out a laugh. “Even you can see his intentions, yet he keeps insisting that he just wants to be ordinary friends with me. How could I not see it?”

Bo Muyu shook her head. “He’s too proactive. Anyone can see it. If he really just wanted to be friends, then the best way would be to let nature take its course.”

She couldn’t tell what Meng Yi’an’s feelings for Jiang Chenyin were now, whether it was genuine lingering affection or just unwillingness to let go. But from his actions, she could see his intentions.

The same doubt appeared in her mind again at this moment. Could such a relentless pursuit that made the other person feel troubled really be called love?