A Promise in a Thought 64

Chapter 64

Jiang Chenyin was not a troublemaker. No matter how you looked at it, it was best if Mrs. Shao could stop her actions in time. The counterattack she had prepared was also for the sake of a peaceful life. Any consequences resulting from bringing up the past were never what she wanted.

On the weekend, Lan Yuxin invited her to her house for a drink.

After hearing her recount the confrontation between Bo Muyu and Mrs. Shao that day, Lan Yuxin couldn’t stop laughing. “My god, the little one is that amazing? I really underestimated her, hahahahahaha!”

“You’re still praising her,” Jiang Chenyin said, finishing the last sip of red wine in her glass and glancing up at her. “I was almost scared to death, you know? If I hadn’t felt something was strange and followed her that day, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“You’re too nervous,” Lan Yuxin said, casually pouring her a glass of wine and saying matter-of-factly, “Let me tell you, that old witch is in her fifties. No matter how arrogant she is, you have to consider the owner before you hit the dog. Although she must have been furious when she found out she was being tricked, the little one is your person. If she had slapped her, would she still want the money?”

Jiang Chenyin said in a huff, “What kind of analogy is that?”

“Pah, pah, pah…” Lan Yuxin quickly slapped her own mouth. “You have to consider the owner before you hit a person, okay!”

Jiang Chenyin frowned. “How could I have taken that gamble? What if she had slapped her? You say she would have weighed the consequences, but from the way she looked, she didn’t seem to have any.”

Lan Yuxin said, “Even if that old witch wouldn’t weigh the consequences, the little one is not a child anymore. She’s an adult. Of course she has a way to deal with the things she decides to do. Plus, you have the manager and the staff in your shop. How long do you think that old witch could have run wild? Someone would have restrained her in a few seconds.”

“What are you trying to say?” Jiang Chenyin asked, puzzled.

“You figured it out, huh?” Lan Yuxin smiled meaningfully, took a sip of her wine, and licked her lips seductively.

“Just say it,” Jiang Chenyin said, lowering her head and stroking the rim of her glass.

“Then I’ll just say it,” Lan Yuxin took a deep breath and sighed. “Teacher Jiang, don’t you think you’re spoiling her too much, treating her too much like a child? I wouldn’t say anything if you were her parents, but her parents are intentionally letting her be independent. Why are you still spoiling her so much? She’s an adult now and should be responsible for her own decisions. It’s a good thing that she wants to do something for you, but at the same time, she has to take on that responsibility, not have you clean up her mess.”

Jiang Chenyin quickly looked up and argued, “She didn’t ask me to…”

“I know she didn’t,” Lan Yuxin interrupted her, putting her glass down heavily. “I’m talking about you. You should face this matter properly. She’s not a child. She knows what she’s doing. You don’t have to stand in front of her for everything, otherwise the original intention of her parents letting her move in with you will be completely changed.”

This time, Jiang Chenyin did not answer immediately. She lowered her head again, and only after a long while did she say, “I know all that, but I couldn’t possibly watch Mrs. Shao about to hit her and not protect her.”

Lan Yuxin shook her head and said seriously, “Chenyin, what I mean is that you shouldn’t have followed her at all that day. You could have saved your questions for after she got home, and then the two of you could have communicated and discussed it, instead of directly following her and finishing the rest of the matter for her.”

The more she said, the clearer her meaning became. Jiang Chenyin understood. What Lan Yuxin meant was actually the same as what Bo Muyu had said that day. They were both emphasizing the same point: she had always kept Bo Muyu under her wing, even though Bo Muyu was already twenty-two.

“I’m used to it. It’s been like this since she was a child, until now,” Jiang Chenyin’s lips curved up, her emotions unreadable.

She was used to spoiling Bo Muyu, used to this child depending on her. Now, although she understood that Bo Muyu was not a child anymore, the fact that she had “grown up” had not yet been completely accepted by her in her heart.

“You have to start breaking this habit,” Lan Yuxin reminded her. “Remember what I said last time? Sooner or later, she will completely stop depending on you. From now on, you shouldn’t spoil her like a daughter anymore. She can’t be with you forever. You have to be mentally prepared for this.”

Jiang Chenyin’s eyelashes trembled, her expression as usual, but an unknown emotion was churning in her heart.

The events of this period seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally making her realize that there would come a day when Bo Muyu would have to leave her. Lan Yuxin’s repeated advice, Bo Muyu’s growth, everything was reminding her of this.

“I know,” she said softly.

Jiang Chenyin could not deny Lan Yuxin’s words, because even Bo Muyu had said very seriously, “Don’t treat me like a child anymore. I’m not a child. I’m an adult.”

Lan Yuxin couldn’t bear to see her so melancholic. She moved her wine glass and clinked it against hers. “In a couple of days, come with me to another city to meet with the new drama’s production team. Just treat it as a way to relax.”

Jiang Chenyin replied in a low voice, “Mmm.”

She needed some time to completely accept this. By the time she came back, she would definitely keep this in mind. Bo Muyu had grown up, was an adult, and didn’t need her to worry about everything. What she needed to do was to help Bo Muyu be independent.

At the same time, Bo Muyu went to the Lin family’s house to visit Lin Chuwan and Mother Lin.

Coincidentally, Mother Lin was out for afternoon tea with an old friend. Lin Chuwan and Song Muqing were at home.

The second before she was pulled into Lin Chuwan’s room, Bo Muyu glanced at Song Muqing’s half-open door, and then followed Lin Chuwan in.

Lin Chuwan poured a glass of water and also put some snacks on the coffee table for Bo Muyu, then studied her carefully.

The approaching Bo Muyu was tall and thin. A long black trench coat made her shed the youthful aura of her school days, and her eyes seemed to always hold some unspeakable emotion.

She looked much more mature than when she had just started working, and also seemed even quieter, as if she had to keep things in her heart and figure them out on her own.

“Xiaoyu, why do you look so down?” Lin Chuwan asked, pulling her to sit down and saying with a concerned smile, “The script you wrote is being made into a movie. When it’s released, you’ll be a big screenwriter. Why are you still so sad?”

Bo Muyu took the water glass and leaned back on the sofa. After a sip, she shook her head. “There are so many screenwriters now. How can it be so easy to make a name for yourself?”

“That’s no reason to be so down,” Lin Chuwan said, placing a bag of potato chips in her lap with a smile.

Bo Muyu still shook her head, the hand that was not holding the glass wrapped around the bag of chips. She met Lin Chuwan’s gaze again. The other person was waiting for her to speak.

She had never gone into detail with Lin Chuwan about her work. The most they talked about was daily trivialities. It was as if it had been an unspoken rule for the past few years. For matters related to her major and work, she would consult with Su Man. For matters in her life, she would confide in Lin Chuwan.

And she would not deliberately divide these matters before telling Jiang Chenyin. But this time, it was an emotion related to Jiang Chenyin, so she could only turn to Lin Chuwan.

Of course, Lin Chuwan knew Bo Muyu’s habits, so she was waiting patiently.

After a long while, Bo Muyu lowered her head, her fingers stroking the cup with some helplessness, her voice deep. “Sister Chuwan, I’ve fallen for someone.”

Lin Chuwan was slightly surprised. “And then?”

“I don’t dare to tell her…” Bo Muyu’s voice was even lower, her dejection particularly obvious. “I’m afraid she won’t be by my side anymore after she finds out, so I don’t dare to gamble, don’t dare to let her know.”

This was the first time in a long time that Lin Chuwan had seen Bo Muyu so sad. She remembered that the last time Bo Muyu had shown this emotion was when she had told her about Jiang Chenyin having just gone abroad.

Lin Chuwan reached out and gently stroked her back from top to bottom, asking in a soft voice, “Is your relationship ambiguous, so you’re not sure if the other person likes you?”

Bo Muyu shook her head. “Her liking for me is not the kind I want.”

Lin Chuwan savored her words, and after a few guesses, she asked tentatively, “Are you friends?”

Bo Muyu was taken aback for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Hearing this, Lin Chuwan smiled faintly and comforted her, “You don’t have many friends. It’s rare to meet someone you can like. If it’s just the beginning, you can try to work on it for a while longer. Maybe you’ll get the result you want. Remember what I told you before? If you have someone you want to cherish, then you must not hide your feelings. But I also have to tell you, if you don’t feel any hope, then you should break it off while it’s not yet deep.”

Bo Muyu looked up in a daze. Lin Chuwan’s eyes were warm, but she couldn’t be happy at all. She didn’t feel the slightest sense of relief from the advice.

Because she knew that her feelings for Jiang Chenyin were definitely not just beginning. She had already developed feelings for her before she even understood what it was like to like someone.

It was she who had understood too late, who had come to know too late.

She couldn’t go back to that simple familial love. It had been impossible for a long time. She knew that it was wrong for her to have such thoughts about Jiang Chenyin, but when a wisp of fire was lit in her heart, she couldn’t bring herself to extinguish it.

Just the thought of it made her heart ache.

She shook her head vigorously at Lin Chuwan and squeezed her hand. “Sister Chuwan, I can’t break it off. There’s no way.”

Lin Chuwan’s words, “when the time comes, it will naturally break off,” were stuck in her throat. When something happens to you, no matter what others say, it won’t get through. Only when you’ve figured it out yourself, when you’ve sorted it out, will you let go without any more persuasion.

The current Bo Muyu was in such a situation, but Lin Chuwan hoped even more that she could get what she wanted. She just didn’t want to see her suffer in it. If it could end well, that would of course be the best.

Thinking of this, Lin Chuwan said with a gentle smile, “Then you should do what you want to do. As for the result, just let nature take its course.”

Bo Muyu gazed at her and saw encouragement in her eyes. After a long while, she nodded. “Okay, I know.”

Finally making Bo Muyu feel better, Lin Chuwan smiled. “If there’s anything you can’t figure out, don’t keep it to yourself. Remember to talk to me.”

The corners of Bo Muyu’s lips curved up, and she replied, “Mmm.”

After that, to prevent Bo Muyu from feeling down, Lin Chuwan turned the topic to her work and asked about some recent matters.

As it was almost dinnertime, Bo Muyu took her leave. Lin Chuwan asked her to stay for dinner, but she said she had to go back, so Lin Chuwan didn’t say any more and personally saw her out.

As they passed through the living room, she saw Song Muqing sitting on the sofa, engrossed in her phone. Bo Muyu stopped and greeted her, “Senior Song.”

Song Muqing looked up, her face cold, a faint curve on her lips. “You’re not staying for dinner?”

“No, I have something to do,” Bo Muyu replied politely.

Song Muqing nodded. Bo Muyu nodded goodbye to Lin Chuwan and left.

After watching Bo Muyu walk away, the smile on Lin Chuwan’s face was still gentle. She turned to go back to her room and happened to meet Song Muqing’s gaze, which had not yet been withdrawn.

Song Muqing’s gaze, which seemed to be colder than the late winter wind, shot over, as cold as an ice blade, as if to carve a bloody gash on her.