Chapter 5
Bo Muyu had never thought that someone would pursue Jiang Chenyin. Or perhaps, she had never thought that another person would appear by Jiang Chenyin’s side.
This person would monopolize Jiang Chenyin’s time, do many, many things with Jiang Chenyin, and even reduce the time Jiang Chenyin spent with her.
A romantic relationship should be like her parents’.
Ever since she could remember, Jiang Chenyin had been alone. She was gentle to everyone, yet she never showed any particular favor to anyone.
So, after Jiang Chenyin answered Ye Xialan’s question, Bo Muyu was stunned for a long time. Many imagined scenarios popped into her head, and these images finally made her shudder. Only then did she hear Jiang Chenyin’s next sentence: “But it was the same as before. I really didn’t like it.”
Bo Muyu breathed a sigh of relief. No one was going to steal her Auntie Yin from her.
She didn’t really hear the rest of the conversation. Ye Xialan’s ability to jump from topic to topic was unparalleled. Bo Muyu had only been in a daze for a moment, and Ye Xialan was already gossiping with Jiang Chenyin about their social circle.
She stayed until she started to feel sleepy and was shooed back to her room by Ye Xialan. She had no idea how late Ye Xialan and Jiang Chenyin talked.
In the morning, when Bo Muyu got up for work, she thought Jiang Chenyin would relax a bit after returning to the country. She didn’t expect to see Jiang Chenyin standing on the balcony as she passed through the living room.
The golden light enveloping Jiang Chenyin was incredibly soft, a luminous mist evenly spread around her, making the whole scene look fresh and bright.
Bo Muyu couldn’t help but stop, her body turning towards Jiang Chenyin against her will. She stared at Jiang Chenyin, but didn’t know what to say.
Yesterday, she had had far too little time with Jiang Chenyin, so little that she didn’t even have the chance to hesitate over how to bring up Jiang Chenyin’s life during the past four years. Jiang Chenyin had been with Ye Xialan for most of the time.
“It took me a long time to learn where he came from. The little prince, who asked me so many questions, never seemed to hear the ones I asked him. It was from words dropped by…”
Jiang Chenyin’s voice was beautiful, possessing the rich, low gentleness of a mature woman. Her standard Oxford accent was imbued with an emotion that made one stop and listen, her tone full and resonant.
Bo Muyu walked up behind her and, after she finished a passage, called out softly, “Auntie Yin, good morning.”
Jiang Chenyin turned, a book still in her hand, her smiling eyes slightly narrowed. “Morning. Off to work?”
“Mmm, I was about to leave when I saw you here.” Bo Muyu glanced at the book in her hand, then looked up at her. “The Little Prince. Why did you decide to read this?”
Jiang Chenyin closed the book, held it up, and gave it a little shake, a smile blooming on her face. “I used to read it to the children there when I was in Singapore. I saw it in the study with your mom just now, so I picked it up for a read.”
Bo Muyu nodded. “I see.”
Jiang Chenyin looked at her for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a light laugh and reached out to pinch Bo Muyu’s cheek. “Why are you suddenly so shy? You’re not talking much to me. I thought you would be a bit more lively after I came back, but now you’re so quiet even when you’re with me?”
Everyone knew and understood that Bo Muyu was an introverted child, but at least in the past, she wasn’t too quiet when she was with Jiang Chenyin. Why had she become so taciturn now?
Is it because I just got back, so she’s not used to it?
Bo Muyu quickly shook her head. “No, I was thinking about whether you’ve changed from before, and whether I need to change how I interact with you.”
Jiang Chenyin pressed her lips together and nodded thoughtfully. “Then do you think you’ve changed?”
Bo Muyu shook her head. “No.”
Jiang Chenyin smiled. “I haven’t changed either. It’s just that we haven’t seen each other in a long time, so it feels a little strange. It’s not just you. When I saw you yesterday, I was also wondering what the right first thing to say to you would be.”
Bo Muyu followed her train of thought and couldn’t help but smile, revealing her two adorable little canine teeth.
“But before I could think of anything, someone pounced on me.” Jiang Chenyin winked slyly, gesturing with the book in her hand. “Like a fluffy little puppy.”
Bo Muyu’s eyes widened as she watched Jiang Chenyin gesture how she had pounced. Jiang Chenyin treated the book as if it were her, hugging it to her chest.
Bo Muyu suddenly felt a little embarrassed. After laughing along with Jiang Chenyin, she lowered her head slightly.
“Muyu, where are you working now? You only told me you signed a contract before, not where.”
“At Hongsheng,” Bo Muyu said, her smile fading as she looked at her. “Do you remember that senior from my university I mentioned, Su Man? She has taken over Hongsheng. She talked to me about signing a contract before I graduated. My work is going very smoothly now. I’m a contracted screenwriter at Hongsheng.”
“Hongsheng…” Jiang Chenyin’s fingertips, which were holding the book, twitched.
The previous boss of Hongsheng was Su Zhengyang, a renowned and highly experienced director who had been nominated for the Best Director award at domestic film festivals several times and had won it three times.
Su Man was Su Zhengyang’s daughter, and her takeover of Hongsheng had attracted media attention. Even though Jiang Chenyin was abroad, she had heard about it as she occasionally followed domestic news.
At the time, she didn’t have any particular thoughts about Su Man taking over Hongsheng. After all, Su Man was still young, and it wouldn’t be easy to build a career. But in the past two years, Hongsheng’s development had been nothing but forward progress, which was quite impressive.
Seeing her in thought, Bo Muyu asked, “Auntie Yin, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Hongsheng is a good company,” Jiang Chenyin said with a smile. “But why didn’t you ask Uncle Zong to arrange a job for you back then? With Uncle Zong looking out for you, wouldn’t work be more comfortable?”
Without thinking, Bo Muyu blurted out, “Because you hadn’t come back yet.”
After she said it, both of them were stunned for a moment. Then Jiang Chenyin started to laugh and reached out to pinch her nose.
Because of Jiang Chenyin’s closeness with Ye Xialan, Bo Muyu had been brought to the Jiang family to play since she was very young. Old Master Jiang and Old Madam Jiang both adored the child, and Jiang Yingzong and Jiang Gaojun were also close to her. Over time, Bo Muyu was jokingly called the Jiang family’s child with a different surname.
Jiang Chenyin asked, “So, do you want to come over now? I’m back, and I’ll be taking over some of the work here.”
If Jiang Chenyin was there, of course Bo Muyu wanted to go, but…
“No, thank you,” she refused softly. “I want to train myself a bit.”
Jiang Chenyin raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. She couldn’t help but think, this child has really grown up.
Before she could finish her thought, Bo Muyu lowered her head and mumbled, “Anyway, the contract is only for three years. I’ll come find you in three years…”
“Ahem…”
Jiang Chenyin coughed, trying to stifle a laugh, but she couldn’t hold it in and raised a hand to cover her lips.
Bo Muyu’s face grew hot from being laughed at. Not knowing how to act coy like other girls, she lowered her head even further, her gaze practically glued to the floor.
“Alright, hurry up and go to work. Don’t be late.”
Finally, Jiang Chenyin let her go. Bo Muyu hastily said, “Okay,” turned, and slipped out the door.
Without a doubt, Bo Muyu wanted to work where Jiang Chenyin was. She had no doubt that if Jiang Chenyin had come back a little earlier, before she joined Hongsheng, she would have chosen to be closer to Jiang Chenyin without hesitation.
But now…
It’s better not to. It’s already settled. If I trouble Su Man or Jiang Chenyin because of my own whims, it would seem very childish.
Bo Muyu sighed softly, then turned her attention back to her computer screen.
Her job was a screenwriter. Her daily tasks consisted of researching, brainstorming plots, and then fleshing out every detail to present the story completely and meticulously in the form of a script.
She had been able to join Hongsheng smoothly not only because Su Man had lobbied on her behalf with Su Zhengyang, but also because she had already participated in writing a movie script during university, which was directed by Su Zhengyang. The movie was released this year and ranked fourth at the box office among films released at the same time.
At noon, Bo Muyu went to a restaurant near the company for lunch by herself. The female colleague she was relatively close to and often talked with had been dragged away by someone else today, so she was on her own.
People always told Bo Mingliang and Ye Xialan that it was okay for a child to be a little introverted when they were young. When they grew up and knew more people and things, they would naturally become more cheerful. Besides, there was nothing wrong with being a bit introverted; they might even be more mature than others.
The couple had held onto these words and waited until now, but they were still waiting for Bo Muyu to become cheerful. Compared to her peers, she was far too introverted. If others didn’t approach her, she wouldn’t initiate conversation. Now that she was working, if it weren’t necessary, she probably wouldn’t utter a single word.
She sat with her tray in a corner by the window. The sound of laughter and conversation from couples and friends at nearby tables filled the air. She silently looked out the window, thinking about the script she was currently working on.
“Xiaoyu, why aren’t you eating? What are you thinking about so intently?”
A clear, gentle female voice came from in front of her. The space before Bo Muyu suddenly darkened as someone sat down.
“Senior,” Bo Muyu said, looking up to greet her.
“How many times have I told you? Just call me by my name when we’re not at work. Always calling me ‘Senior’ makes it seem so distant.”
The newcomer had a refined and beautiful face. She was dressed in a well-fitting professional suit, her long, waterfall-like black hair tied up, giving her a serious yet modest look.
Although her words complained about Bo Muyu not using her name, her tone held no trace of grievance, but rather a hint of gentleness.
Just then, someone from Hongsheng passed by and called out, “President Su.” She turned her head and responded with a smile.
Bo Muyu said apologetically, “I’m used to calling you that. I can’t change it all at once.”
Su Man smiled. “Forget it. I’m not blaming you. Hurry up and eat.”
“Okay.”
Bo Muyu said no more and ate her meal in silence.
After a short while, Su Man suddenly put down her chopsticks and said, “Xiaoyu, there’s a movie that came out recently. I hear it’s quite good. As it happens, I also wanted to find some time to talk to you about God of War, the script you’re writing now. We can discuss it together after the movie. Are you free after work tonight?”
Bo Muyu looked up and met Su Man’s expectant gaze. She pressed her lips together and thought carefully.
“I’m sorry, Senior.” A thought flashed through Bo Muyu’s mind, and she clung to the image that had appeared. “I want to go home early after work.”
Su Man smiled and asked, as if casually, “Oh? Is something going on?”
Bo Muyu first shook her head, then nodded, not knowing what to say.
Su Man’s fingers, holding her chopsticks, tightened abruptly. The smile in her eyes faded, but her voice remained gentle. “Are you in a relationship and too embarrassed to tell me? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Bo Muyu immediately denied it. “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Su Man was slightly taken aback, then she laughed. She picked up a piece of pork rib from her own plate and put it on Bo Muyu’s. “Alright, then I won’t ask. We can just schedule it for another time. Hurry up and eat. After you finish, go back and rest.”
Her warm gaze rested on Bo Muyu’s face, her lips slightly pursed as if in thought, but in an instant, her smile returned.
Bo Muyu lowered her head and ate, silently wishing for the evening to come quickly.
There wasn’t enough time to talk properly this morning. Tonight, I have to be with Jiang Chenyin just like before. I have to give Jiang Chenyin a good, long hug.
And there are so many things I haven’t done yet. Although I can’t think of what they are right now, I definitely won’t be satisfied with just a few words like yesterday.
I’ve thought about her and missed her for so many years. How can I not do anything?
