Chapter 58
“Yuxin,” Jiang Chenyin was both amused and exasperated, but after a moment, she sighed. “You know I’ve always been uneasy. I know I didn’t push Shao Sinan off, I never intended to do anything, and I didn’t even know his mental state…”
She paused, then took Lan Yuxin’s hand and said in a deep voice, “But when Mrs. Shao came to me and said that her husband had passed away and her family was in hardship, I thought of the Shao Sibei from over a decade ago. A child who was only in elementary school, who should have been carefree, like Muyu, with the love and care of her parents, without a single worry…”
“Alright, alright,” Lan Yuxin patted her arm with pity and comforted her in a low voice, “I know you couldn’t bear it. If it were me, I probably would have helped too. The child is innocent, after all.”
Jiang Chenyin nodded. “The money I gave her was enough for her to live comfortably for a long time, and she could even start a small business. Her future life would definitely be secure.”
“Speaking of which…” Lan Yuxin thought of the main point in Jiang Chenyin’s words just now, a mocking smile on her lips. “What’s the deal with that Shao Sibei kid? If you become his girlfriend, the neighbors won’t think his family suddenly got rich from some shady business?”
“Watch your words,” Jiang Chenyin couldn’t help but laugh.
Lan Yuxin wouldn’t listen to her and continued to express her opinion, “What kind of idiotic idea is that? A grown man finds a girlfriend, the girlfriend is rich, and his family becomes rich too. Does he think that being a kept man is a legitimate profession?” She paused, her expression even more contemptuous. “And this idiot wants to be your boyfriend? Has he considered whether his IQ is even worthy of carrying Old Master Jiang’s shoes? And he wants to be a son-in-law?”
After Lan Yuxin’s rant, a lot of Jiang Chenyin’s worries dissipated. Now that she had finally stopped, she smiled and patted her hand. “Of course I rejected him. But Yuxin, that’s not the point.”
Lan Yuxin’s brow furrowed even tighter. She turned to pour Jiang Chenyin a glass of wine, then turned back and asked, “Are you saying that this is that old witch’s plan? To have her son find a way into your bed? And then bring her along to success?”
Jiang Chenyin took the glass and took a sip of red wine, a layer of worry in her eyes. “I don’t think it’s that simple. What Shao Sibei meant just now was that if I were with him, then when I give their family money in the future, it wouldn’t arouse the neighbors’ suspicion.”
Lan Yuxin raised her wine glass and clinked it against hers. “That’s right. So I said he’s a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh, treating being a kept man as some supreme dream.”
“Yuxin, don’t you find it strange?” Jiang Chenyin said in a deep voice. “This agreement ends this year. I’ve already done my utmost. But from what Shao Sibei said, he doesn’t know that my sponsorship has a time limit, and he even came up with such a so-called solution to clear up the rumors.”
Lan Yuxin thought for a moment and asked, “Are you saying that this could be the old witch’s plan to tie you down?”
“That’s very likely,” Jiang Chenyin said, taking another sip of wine and frowning. “But I don’t think it was Mrs. Shao’s idea for Shao Sibei to come to me, because he doesn’t seem to be able to keep a secret. He’s not at the level of being cunning. I think Mrs. Shao didn’t tell him that my sponsorship has a time limit because she has other plans.”
Lan Yuxin looked at her for a long while, the corners of her mouth twitching, her eyes full of disbelief. “What, is she addicted to sucking blood? Does she think that just because you gave once, you’ll give a second and a third time?”
Jiang Chenyin pushed her hand away and got off the high stool, slowly walking towards the sofa, saying as she walked, “Once you succeed once and taste the sweetness, of course you’ll want to do it a second and a third time.”
Lan Yuxin quickly followed and grabbed her clothes again, her eyes wide. “Don’t tell me you’re still planning to give!”
“You’re overthinking it. I have no such obligation,” Jiang Chenyin rolled her eyes and pulled her to the sofa to sit down together.
Only then did Lan Yuxin relax. The sofa was more comfortable, so she sat next to Jiang Chenyin, holding her wine glass.
“I’m planning to find something to suppress her before she takes action. Otherwise, even if we signed a settlement agreement before, if she gets angry and thinks that if she can’t get the money, she’ll ruin me, then it might be troublesome to deal with it at that time.”
Jiang Chenyin swirled the wine in her glass, leaned forward to place it on the coffee table, and then leaned back. She turned her head and saw that the fabric covering Lan Yuxin’s chest was a little askew, revealing a beautiful view.
“Put on your clothes properly. What do you look like?” Jiang Chenyin said helplessly, averting her gaze and reaching out to adjust the collar of her coat.
Lan Yuxin had been thinking about her own troubles, but hearing her tone, she immediately laughed out loud. “No… you’re so old, why are you still so prudish? I haven’t even said anything, and you’re already getting worked up.”
Jiang Chenyin stared at her coldly. “Can’t I be prudish at my age?”
“No, no, you can, you can!” Lan Yuxin laughed so hard her whole body was shaking. She put her wine glass on the coffee table, then came back and hugged Jiang Chenyin’s arm, saying seriously beside her, “About that matter just now, see what preparations you need to make in advance. If you need my help, just tell me.”
Jiang Chenyin’s eyes were deep, a smile on her lips. “I don’t need a big star like you. Just act well in your dramas for me.”
“Tch…” Lan Yuxin said, relieved to see that she was no longer as worried as before.
The two of them were silent for a long while. Lan Yuxin moved her arm. “Hey, you’ve handled Meng Yi’an, right?”
“Long ago,” Jiang Chenyin nodded with a smile, crossed her legs, and said after a deep breath, “I’ve also told Muyu everything. That child is smart. She had already guessed most of it before I even opened my mouth.”
Lan Yuxin frowned and asked, “Then you’re not planning to find someone to spend your life with? Not all men are the same. There must be someone with high emotional intelligence who is suitable for you.”
She would occasionally bring up this topic with Jiang Chenyin, and Jiang Chenyin would usually just say, “We’ll see,” and then change the subject, never going into a deep discussion. Of course, she knew why. First, she had been scared off by that kind of psycho-like pursuit, with a life at stake, and then people would casually label her as “heartless” and “hurtful.”
Yes, that kind of behavior from Meng Yi’an.
If it were her, she wouldn’t even bother with love. She would just go out and play with young stars when she was free. Anyway, life was not just about family. Work and enjoying life were the important things.
But this time, after she brought it up, Jiang Chenyin did not change the subject as she used to, but instead lowered her head and smiled.
“What are you smiling at?” Lan Yuxin asked curiously.
Jiang Chenyin was still smiling. She looked up and her eyes relaxed. “I was originally planning to try and pursue someone if I liked them. After all, if they rejected me, they wouldn’t be hurt. But now, at my age, I no longer have any expectations for finding a partner. My life now is very full and beautiful. It doesn’t matter to me whether I have a lover or not.”
Her expression was relaxed, her posture at ease. It was clear that she really thought so.
Lan Yuxin gritted her teeth and hinted, “Teacher Jiang, President Jiang, don’t you feel lonely at night? You don’t even have someone to hug and gossip with.”
Jiang Chenyin raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment, then smiled. “Someone to hug and gossip with? I do.”
Lan Yuxin was taken aback for a moment, and the next second, she grabbed her shoulder in a huff and shook her a couple of times, saying through gritted teeth, “Jiang Chenyin! You know what I’m talking about. How can that little one be the same? No matter how good she is to you, she can’t sleep with you!”
Jiang Chenyin’s eyes were still curved up. “I know. But with her here, I’ve never felt lonely.”
She had always felt that Bo Muyu’s heart was very close to hers. She never felt sad because she didn’t have a lover, only a child by her side. They were intimate and had a tacit understanding. From her body to her heart, and even to her soul, she never felt lonely.
She really liked this kind of life, liked watching Bo Muyu slowly transform by her side, liked protecting this little sun, and also liked being comforted by the warmth of the little sun.
As Jiang Chenyin thought this, her eyes softened.
Lan Yuxin had to remind her, “No matter how much you spoil her, she will have a boyfriend sooner or later. She can’t be so dependent on you forever. When she has someone she likes, she won’t be as clingy to you as she is now.”
Jiang Chenyin’s heart trembled, and her smile froze, as if she had been suddenly awakened from a dream.
She had always understood what Lan Yuxin was saying. She had long thought of such a future, but now, being reminded by another voice, those feelings of loss once again rushed to her heart.
She lowered her head again and let out a low laugh. “I know. I’ve thought about it long ago. She will slowly mature, will accept the confession of a boy she mutually likes, will move out of my house, and over time, she will no longer contact me as often.”
Lan Yuxin’s heart ached as she listened, and she urged, “Then you should be more proactive too. Look around for men. With your qualifications, can’t you get anyone you want if you take the initiative? If you see someone you like, just give it a try. Maybe it will work out.”
To be honest, if Jiang Chenyin were to take the initiative to pursue a man, as long as the other person had a little bit of a good impression of her, Lan Yuxin felt that the success rate was as high as 99.99%.
Because there were really few flaws to be found in Jiang Chenyin. Her family background was excellent, she was beautiful, and her figure was good. Her personality was even more impeccable, gentle, kind, tolerant, and generous.
If she had to pick one, it would be that her kindness made her not hard-hearted enough, but fortunately, she was not foolishly kind without a bottom line.
Thinking of this, Lan Yuxin pouted and sized her up. This kind of woman was simply top-notch.
Just as Lan Yuxin was pondering in her heart, Jiang Chenyin chuckled softly, “Yuxin, I really don’t feel lonely at all. Even if Muyu moves out in the future, I can live alone. I’m already thirty-seven. I don’t have the motivation or desire to pursue so-called happiness anymore.”
Her tone was tinged with a smile, but Lan Yuxin inexplicably felt sad.
“Teacher Jiang, why don’t you consider me? We can be together. Two women can also sleep together,” Lan Yuxin said, winking, a little playful and flirtatious, trying her best to cheer Jiang Chenyin up.
“Huh? What?” Jiang Chenyin was taken aback.
Seeing this, Lan Yuxin’s smile became even more unbridled. She simply went with the flow and wrapped her arms tightly around Jiang Chenyin’s waist, moving even closer. As she got close to Jiang Chenyin’s side profile, a hint of slyness flashed in her eyes, and she deliberately lowered her voice, “Auntie Yin, I miss you…”
Jiang Chenyin’s whole body shuddered, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Her hands reflexively pushed Lan Yuxin away. “Yuxin! What are you doing!”
She moved to the corner of the sofa, her mind filled with Lan Yuxin’s low words from just now. Those words overlapped with Bo Muyu’s low “Auntie Yin, I miss you. Do you miss me?” from the video call a couple of nights ago, and she almost couldn’t tell the difference.
She quickly shook her head to drive the voice away, and then looked at Lan Yuxin, who had fallen to the other side, with a guarded expression.
“My god… Jiang, did you have to use that much force?” Lan Yuxin said, rubbing her waist as she sat up, her bright and beautiful face scrunched up into a bun. “I was just imitating the little one’s way of addressing you to cheer you up. Did you have to use all your strength to push me? I’ve really lost out.”
“I…” Jiang Chenyin sat back with some apology, not knowing how to explain the reason to her.
Lan Yuxin didn’t care that her clothes had slipped down. She crawled over and touched Jiang Chenyin’s abdomen, continuing to wail, “Oh my god, don’t you know that a person with a fitness background like you could kill a weak woman like me by pushing me? Pity me, a beautiful and delicate weak woman…”
Jiang Chenyin burst out laughing and patted her back. “I’m sorry, okay?”
Lan Yuxin hugged her shoulder and only then stopped her complaints, letting out a soft laugh. “Are you happy now? Let’s consider this matter over. Just do what you have to do. There’s nothing to be upset about.”
“I know,” Jiang Chenyin’s smile did not fade. “Yuxin, thank you.”
“That’s rare. You’re even thanking me,” Lan Yuxin said, letting go of her and smiling. “Let’s go. Let’s go to the dining room and eat. The chef I hired just left after he finished cooking. You can stay here tonight too. We can watch a movie and have a drink. Tomorrow, you can do what you want to do.”
“Okay,” Jiang Chenyin smiled faintly, grateful for Lan Yuxin’s thoughtfulness.
