A Promise in a Thought 42

Chapter 42

Jiang Chenyin’s birthday was on Christmas Eve, December 24th.

Old Master Jiang was a traditional man and usually didn’t care about Western holidays. But Christmas Eve was the eve of Christmas in the West, a day for people to gather and celebrate, symbolizing joy and happiness. On the day Jiang Chenyin was born, he had developed a fondness for this day.

And in old Europe, this day was also a day for sweeping away dust. It was no different from the folk Dust Sweeping Festival on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month in China. Sweeping away dust meant getting rid of the old.

When the outside world heard that the Jiang family had another child, and a daughter at that, many people secretly guessed that this child would probably not be as favored as her brothers. Who would have thought that she had never lacked anything compared to her brothers? Of the three children, she was the most doted on.

This year, Jiang Chenyin was back home. Old Master Jiang had originally wanted to make this birthday banquet a grand one, but Jiang Chenyin was not a high-profile person after all and only wanted to gather with family and friends, so she persuaded him to just have a gathering at the old residence.

Besides the Jiang family, she invited Lan Yuxin, Bo Mingliang’s family, and also Meng Yi’an, as Old Master Jiang had suggested.

She thought that this time, Meng Yi’an should understand. All the invited guests were friends. With her way of doing things, if there were anything special, she certainly would not have invited him in the manner of inviting a friend.

Bo Muyu had said that if you couldn’t give the other person what they wanted, then there was nothing wrong with stopping the loss in time. But after so many years, Meng Yi’an was still persistent. To some extent, Jiang Chenyin also felt a little guilty. She wanted to take this opportunity to repeat her decision to him again.

Christmas Eve fell on a weekend. In the afternoon, Jiang Chenyin took Bo Muyu back to the old Jiang residence.

It was a day of heavy snowfall. When Jiang Chenyin and Bo Muyu came out of the garage, they saw the two boys, Jiang Yixuan and Jiang Yisheng, throwing snowballs at each other in the open space by the door.

The lively and active Jiang Yisheng was clearly more combative than the quiet Jiang Yixuan. Just as Jiang Yixuan had finished packing a snowball, he was hit by two or three from Jiang Yisheng, his face and hair covered in broken snow.

“Bro! You’re no good! So soft, do you have any strength!” Jiang Yisheng shouted as he threw, bending down to pack more snowballs, his face red with laughter.

Jiang Yixuan’s face also turned red. After finally dodging, he quickly squatted down and threw a handful of snow back. “You’re the one who’s no good!”

“Look how many of yours have hit me!” Jiang Yisheng dodged and returned two roundly packed snowballs to Jiang Yixuan. “Your snowballs are so loose. They don’t hurt at all when they hit someone!”

Jiang Yixuan was hit in the head, his hair full of snow. He quickly shook his head and chased after Jiang Yisheng. “So what if you’re on the school basketball team? Watch me beat you to a pulp!”

The open space by the door was completely occupied by the two boys. There was nowhere to go. Jiang Chenyin had no choice but to pull Bo Muyu to a stop.

“Yixuan, Yisheng.”

The two of them stopped at the sound of her voice. Jiang Yisheng said in pleasant surprise, “Auntie! Sister Xiaoyu!”

Jiang Chenyin smiled. “How long have you been playing? Aren’t you going inside? Be careful not to catch a cold.”

“We’ve only been playing for a little while. I’m very healthy,” Jiang Yisheng said, puffing out his chest and patting it proudly, then looking at Bo Muyu with a grin.

Jiang Yixuan’s face was flushed. “Me too. Auntie doesn’t need to worry.”

Bo Muyu was dressed in a long coat and a scarf, her face as pale as the frost and snow. Her waterfall-like black hair was particularly eye-catching against the snowy white backdrop.

Seeing that both her nephews were looking at her, Jiang Chenyin turned her head and asked, “Muyu, do you want to stay and join Yixuan and Yisheng?”

Bo Muyu gave the two brothers an apologetic nod, then replied to Jiang Chenyin, “No, let’s go in.”

“Okay,” Jiang Chenyin smiled and said to the two brothers not far away, “You two don’t play for too long. Go in and chat with your grandparents.”

“Got it,” Jiang Yixuan and Jiang Yisheng replied in unison, but their tones were clearly more dejected than before.

The heating was on inside. After Jiang Chenyin and Bo Muyu entered, they took off their scarves and coats. Auntie Wang took their clothes and hung them up.

Old Master Jiang, Old Madam Jiang, Jiang Yingzong and his wife, and Jiang Gaojun and his wife were all in the living room. When they saw Jiang Chenyin and Bo Muyu arrive, they all looked over.

Sun Ruowei waved at Bo Muyu. “Xiaoyu, come, come over to your little auntie.”

Jiang Chenyin let go of her and chuckled in a low voice, “Go on.”

After she sat down next to Sun Ruowei, Jiang Chenyin also sat down next to Xu Zijun on the opposite side.

Old Madam Jiang asked Auntie Wang, who was approaching, “Ah, Xiao Wang, are the guest rooms all ready? It’s the weekend today, and it’s snowing. We’ll see if the guests want to stay later.”

Auntie Wang smiled. “They’re all ready. Don’t worry, Madam.”

Old Madam Jiang nodded with satisfaction, then suddenly remembered something and stood up to instruct, “Oh, right, remember to prepare an extra blanket. I remember that child, Xiao Lan, seems to be particularly afraid of the cold.”

Auntie Wang’s smile widened, and she quickly helped Old Madam Jiang sit down. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve prepared everything. If the guests stay over, they definitely won’t be hungry or cold.”

Jiang Chenyin smiled and said, “Mom, don’t worry. Auntie Wang is always reliable. And Yuxin might not be staying. She just told me a couple of days ago that she’s not sure.”

Old Master Jiang glanced at the children in the lower seats and let out a cheerful laugh. “It’s rare to have so many people this year. It’s really good.”

Jiang Yingzong also sighed with emotion, “Yes, this is really good.”

Jiang Gaojun, on the side, couldn’t suppress his urge to cook. “Liu’er is home for her birthday this year. I have to contribute a few good dishes tonight, otherwise it wouldn’t be right…”

On the other side, Xu Zijun patted Jiang Chenyin’s hand and whispered to her. The two of them laughed softly.

“All you think about all day is cooking!” Sun Ruowei patted her husband’s shoulder in exasperation.

Bo Muyu watched everyone with a smile on her lips. Suddenly, she heard Sun Ruowei’s voice, “Xiaoyu, why aren’t you with Yixuan and Yisheng?”

Bo Muyu shook her head gently. “It’s cold outside.”

Sun Ruowei smiled. “That’s true. Girls are not as resistant to the cold as boys.”

She paused, her eyes filled with a deep meaning as she carefully studied Bo Muyu’s side profile, and then asked, “Xiaoyu, which one do you like more, Yisheng or Yixuan?”

Bo Muyu was slightly taken aback. After a moment of thought, she turned her head and replied, “They are both very nice.”

Sun Ruowei’s brow furrowed slightly. This answer was too vague. The two brothers, Jiang Yixuan and Jiang Yisheng, had completely different personalities. Jiang Yixuan was the gentle, scholarly type, while Jiang Yisheng was a little devil. It wasn’t that he had no interest or talent in studying, but he just loved to play.

Thinking of this, Sun Ruowei was even more dissatisfied with Bo Muyu’s answer. But to avoid making her intentions too obvious, she rephrased, “I mean, what kind of personality do you like? Yisheng’s?”

Bo Muyu quickly shook her head. “No.”

Sun Ruowei’s heart skipped a beat, and she pressed, “Then Yixuan’s?”

Jiang Yixuan? Actually, Jiang Yixuan’s personality was very gentle, not as authoritative as his father, Jiang Yingzong, but rather a little bit like Jiang Chenyin. But it was only that gentleness. The sense of security and the feeling that made people uncontrollably want to get close to and trust her, Jiang Yixuan did not have.

Perhaps he would become like that when he grew up, but Bo Muyu was not looking forward to it. So, in fact, she just simply liked Jiang Chenyin. If the same personality were placed on another person, she would not have the slightest liking for them.

What she liked was the person, not the personality.

The corners of her lips curved up slightly as she said to Sun Ruowei, “No, I can’t say for sure either. Maybe I just don’t know them well. In any case, they are both very nice. Little Auntie doesn’t need to worry about them.”

“No, that’s not what I’m worried about…” Sun Ruowei laughed helplessly and argued, “Forget it. It’s nothing.”

This child was really too insensitive. Anyone else would have seen her intentions from the beginning.

Everyone chatted in the living room until dinnertime. After Bo Mingliang’s family, Lan Yuxin, and Meng Yi’an arrived, Auntie Wang called everyone to the table.

Besides the dining room, the Jiang family also had a banquet hall specifically for entertaining guests. With so many people today, the banquet was held in the banquet hall.

According to tradition, Old Master Jiang and Old Madam Jiang sat at the head of the table, followed by Jiang Yingzong’s family, Jiang Gaojun’s family, and Jiang Chenyin, and then the guests and the younger generation.

As Jiang Yixuan and Jiang Yisheng were trying to see where Bo Muyu would sit, Jiang Chenyin reached out to her and smiled, “Muyu, come here.”

Bo Muyu obediently took Jiang Chenyin’s hand and sat down next to her. Bo Mingliang and Ye Xialan followed Bo Muyu. Jiang Yixuan and Jiang Yisheng exchanged a look and silently sat down next to Meng Yi’an.

Ye Xialan couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not just saying this, Teacher Jiang, but I’ve told you before to let Xiaoyu be your goddaughter. Wouldn’t that be great? Look at her, she’s so clingy to you.”

Everyone laughed. Jiang Chenyin smiled helplessly. “Let’s just forget about that. She’s so old now. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t acknowledge me.”

Ye Xialan said playfully, “That’s really not fair to you. Look how good you are to our Xiaoyu. You’re almost like her real mother. You have the reality of a godmother, but not the title. What should we do about that?”

Old Master Jiang’s gaze shifted over, a smile in his eyes.

Bo Muyu’s eyebrow twitched. She didn’t want to call Jiang Chenyin that at all.

“Alright,” Jiang Chenyin reached over Bo Muyu’s body and gently patted Ye Xialan’s arm. “Can’t all this food shut your mouth? Just eat.”

Lan Yuxin, sitting behind them, her eyes sparkling.

Godmother and goddaughter? Older, sexy, cool woman and younger, straight, little puppy? Oh, I’ve been reading too much Jiang Chenyin fan fiction lately. I can’t think about it anymore…

The sky darkened quickly in winter. Not long after the banquet started, it was already dark.

But the fine wine and delicious food on the table today were just to the liking of the men. Who cared about the time? Jiang Gaojun’s culinary skills were famous everywhere, and today was his time to shine.

After dinner, a cake was brought out. Jiang Chenyin was truly surprised. She hadn’t expected there to be a cake.

Although she really didn’t like to eat it, she still blew out the candles and had a few small bites, then chatted with her parents, brothers, and friends for a long time.

At night, everyone except Meng Yi’an stayed at the Jiang family’s house. Bo Muyu, who loved sweets, took a small plate with a piece of cake and went up to her parents’ guest room.

Bo Mingliang was taking a shower. Ye Xialan, wearing a bathrobe prepared by the Jiang family, pulled Bo Muyu to the table to talk.

Bo Muyu was eating the cake with a spoon. Ye Xialan sat opposite her and muttered to herself, “Why do I feel like you’ve lost some weight?”

Bo Muyu looked up and said softly from her mouth, “Mom, it’s because your meals have been too good lately.”

Ye Xialan was taken aback for a moment, then leaned over in a huff and pinched her cheek. “You dare to say that your mother has gotten fat, making you look thin? Is it because Teacher Jiang has been protecting you too well lately that you’ve gotten so bold?”

A smile appeared on Bo Muyu’s lips. She scooped up a spoonful of cream and held it out. “I was just kidding. Mom hasn’t gotten fat at all. You’re very slim.”

“You glib-tongued…” Ye Xialan scolded her with a laugh, let go of her hand, and then ate the cream, waving her hand and saying indistinctly, “Alright, no more. I’ll really get fat if I eat any more. I’m not like you, who can eat without getting fat.”

Bo Muyu continued to eat her cake with her head down. Ye Xialan watched her with a smile and said nothing. After a while, she stood up and walked to the window.

Ye Xialan’s eyes immediately spotted a man and a woman strolling leisurely below. She couldn’t help but chuckle in a low voice, “Xiaoyu, do you think your Auntie Yin and that Meng Yi’an have a chance? To be honest, Meng Yi’an’s looks are quite good, his personality is not bad, and his family is in real estate, so they’re very rich. He and your Auntie Yin can be considered a good match.”

The room was suddenly very quiet, with only the faint sound of water from the bathroom.

Bo Muyu scooped up a spoonful of cake, and without even looking up, she replied coldly, “Auntie Yin won’t be with him.”

After she finished, she put the cake in her mouth, and the sweetness of the cream made her squint her eyes and smile.