A Promise in a Thought 71

Chapter 71

Not long after the God of War wrap-up party, the rumors about Bo Muyu within Hongsheng reached their peak. And the truth was just as the rumors pointed to: the original screenwriting supervisor was removed, and Bo Muyu was promoted.

No one in the entire screenwriting department dared to say another word. But Bo Muyu didn’t care about these things. After her promotion, she moved into a single office and couldn’t hear anything. No matter how much people criticized her, it was an indisputable fact that the prospects for God of War were very good.

Just as she was promoted, Jiang Chenyin’s manager had accepted a collaboration for an anime voice-over. Jiang Chenyin had to be out of town for a few days and could only report the good news by phone.

With nothing to do in the evening, Bo Muyu asked Yang Shuhan out for a drink. Yang Shuhan mysteriously told her on WeChat that she was bringing someone along.

Bo Muyu was still wondering who she was bringing, but she understood as soon as they met. Yang Shuhan’s excited and shy look, and the young man she was holding onto, anyone could tell that they were in a relationship.

After Yang Shuhan’s introduction, Bo Muyu discreetly sized up the man. He was very young, the same age as them, and his eyes would also curve up when he smiled.

“Xiao Han, it’s only been a short while. You’re actually off the market,” Bo Muyu said with a hint of a smile, stirring her cold drink with a straw.

The young man smiled without a word, the love in his eyes for Yang Shuhan impossible to hide.

Yang Shuhan said happily, “Oh, didn’t I tell you before? A handsome guy came to our unit! It’s him!”

It seemed she had said that. Bo Muyu thought for a moment, a little surprised. “It’s him? Then you’re developing quite quickly.”

“Hehe…” Yang Shuhan scratched her temple. “It’s mainly because we both have feelings for each other. We just happened to have a chance to confess, so we got together.”

Bo Muyu looked at her slightly embarrassed look, and then at the young man beside her who was quietly listening to her speak, and a smile couldn’t help but appear on her lips. But in a flash, she thought of the unspeakable feelings in her own heart, such a strong emotion, yet she couldn’t utter a single word.

Compared to Yang Shuhan’s sweetness at this moment, Bo Muyu began to feel an indescribable sourness, spreading in her heart.

She was silent for a while, then asked, “Who fell for the other first? And who confessed first?”

Yang Shuhan glanced at her boyfriend and said shyly, “It’s hard to say who fell first, but he was the one who confessed first. I happened to like him too, so I also confessed to him.”

Bo Muyu squeezed the cold drink cup, the chill seeping into her fingertips, and then asked, “Then you didn’t need to pursue each other? You just got together?”

Yang Shuhan shook her head and held her boyfriend’s hand with a beaming smile. “Not really. After we confessed to each other, I felt a little regret that I hadn’t been pursued by him, so I had him pursue me for a while, and then we got together!”

How was that a proper pursuit? It was clearly the fun of a mutual love.

Bo Muyu’s eyebrow twitched, but she still held on to the last bit of hope and asked, “Then how should one pursue someone?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never pursued anyone,” Yang Shuhan said, spreading her hands and then pointing at her boyfriend. “You can ask him.”

Bo Muyu had no choice but to look at her boyfriend. At this point, there was not much hope left in her heart.

Sure enough, the young man looked as shy as Yang Shuhan. “I don’t know either. I’ve never pursued anyone. That time I confessed to Xiao Han, I was also planning to slowly ask her out more if she didn’t agree.” He paused, then showed a bright smile with his white teeth. “But I think the most important thing is the heart. First, you have to have a heart that truly likes the other person.”

Bo Muyu was taken aback for a moment, silently lowered her head, and took a sip of her cold drink. An inexplicable bitterness and the sourness in her heart merged into an indescribable taste.

Between her and Jiang Chenyin, how could just a heart that liked the other person be enough? If Jiang Chenyin were her age, then the difficulty would be a little less. But Jiang Chenyin was of the same generation as Ye Xialan, an elder she called “Auntie.”

Yang Shuhan’s brow furrowed tightly as she studied her. After a moment, she grabbed her hand in surprise and said excitedly, “Oh my god! Xiaoyu, do you have a secret crush on someone! Which handsome guy!”

Bo Muyu was startled and hadn’t even reacted when Yang Shuhan exclaimed again, “Could it be your roommate? Oh my god! You’ve been living with someone since last year! Tell me who it is! Has your wooden head finally opened up!”

Her voice was so loud that some people around them looked over. Bo Muyu pried her hand away with an amused laugh and said, “Don’t get so excited. It’s nothing. I was just asking.”

“Really?” Yang Shuhan had been sitting opposite Bo Muyu with her boyfriend, but now she stood up, bent over, and grabbed Bo Muyu’s hand, not letting her pull away. “No, I don’t believe you! You must be lying to me!”

Bo Muyu suppressed the desire to confide in her heart and said calmly, “Really not. I was just asking. Maybe I’ll need it in the future.”

Yang Shuhan held on, hesitant and troubled, and carefully observed her expression. She saw that her gaze did not waver, and she did not stammer when she spoke, looking very calm.

“Alright, I’ll barely believe you,” Yang Shuhan finally let go and sat back down, continuing to hold her boyfriend’s arm, who helplessly rubbed her head.

Seeing that Yang Shuhan was no longer suspicious, Bo Muyu was relieved and asked again, “What if you can’t get the person you’re pursuing?”

Yang Shuhan tilted her chin at her boyfriend, and the young man smiled at Bo Muyu with a hint of regret. “Either you persist, or you give up.”

Yang Shuhan nodded. “That’s right. Either you continue, or you find someone else to pursue. It’s that simple.”

“Find someone else…” Bo Muyu lowered her eyes and murmured, “What if you can’t find someone else…”

“What did you say?” Yang Shuhan leaned a little closer. “Why do you have so many questions today? You usually don’t say a word.”

Bo Muyu sniffled, blinked a few times unnaturally to hide the stinging discomfort, and then quickly smiled. “Let’s go for a walk later. It’s been a long time since I’ve walked with you.”

Yang Shuhan tugged at her boyfriend’s arm and said coyly, “Baby, you’ll go for a walk with us later, right? Carry my bag for me.”

“Okay,” the young man replied, also being affectionate.

The corner of Bo Muyu’s mouth twitched. She lowered her head to drink her drink, not wanting to look at the couple in front of her for another second.

After they had finished shopping and returned to Jiang Chenyin’s house, Bo Muyu put away the toiletries she had bought for her and also changed their toothbrushes and cups to a matching set. Hers was a light blue, and Jiang Chenyin’s was a light pink, the same style.

She had had this little idea when they were shopping in the evening. When the sales assistant had told her that it was a couple’s set, she had secretly paid for it while Yang Shuhan and her boyfriend were not looking.

Although she had completely integrated into Jiang Chenyin’s life, such a thought was slowly pushing their original familial love onto another path. She felt her heart pounding, but she couldn’t help but be happy about this small action.

When there was only one person in this house, it would become very empty and lonely after nightfall. Especially after Bo Muyu had confirmed the nature of her feelings, this loneliness made it impossible for her to work as usual as when Jiang Chenyin was at home.

She went from the living room to her room on the second floor, and then to the gym on the third floor. Then she walked through the storage room and the study one by one. The house was so quiet that there was only the sound of her own footsteps.

The only warmth in this small villa was her and Jiang Chenyin’s room, and the phone with messages from her.

After she came out of the shower, she found that Jiang Chenyin had sent her a few messages, the last one being a voice message.

She eagerly clicked on it to listen. It was a sentence Jiang Chenyin had sent her in a very childish, loli-like voice: “Big screenwriter, Supervisor, are you hungry? I’m so hungry,” very much like a little girl of only a few years old, so tender that it made one want to pinch her little cheeks.

Bo Muyu suddenly felt her longing grow even stronger. Jiang Chenyin could almost make her lose control with just one sentence now. She hesitated for a moment, lowered her head and sniffled, and dialed Jiang Chenyin’s number.

As soon as the call connected, Jiang Chenyin’s soft, low laugh came through. “Big screenwriter, are you going to sleep?”

“Soon,” Bo Muyu felt her heart pounding and could only try her best to keep her tone steady. “Auntie Yin, why did you send me a voice message like that just now?”

“I was just teasing you,” Jiang Chenyin chuckled softly. “Didn’t I tell you that the anime character I’m voicing is a little loli? My public image is already fixed, so when I have an opportunity like this where I don’t have to show my face, I’d rather play a character that’s the opposite of my own image.”

She laughed after she finished, sounding quite happy about this job.

Bo Muyu laughed along with her. When they both stopped laughing, Bo Muyu’s eyelids lowered, and her voice deepened. “Auntie Yin, I miss you.”

She even felt her own voice tremble a little, because it was hard for her to say such words so freely now. In the past, when she didn’t know or understand, she would always blurt it out. Now, afraid that Jiang Chenyin would notice the slightest hint, she practically had to grit her teeth and hold it in.

Jiang Chenyin’s side was very quiet; she was in a hotel room. After hearing Bo Muyu’s words, she was silent for a moment, then her voice came, melodious, gentle, and slow. “I miss you too. I’ll be back soon.”

Bo Muyu immediately raised her other hand, opened her mouth, and bit the back of it, desperately stopping the confession that was about to escape. She knew that the “missing” in Jiang Chenyin’s words was different from hers, but she couldn’t help but be moved by them.

She let go of her hand and said in a muffled voice, “Auntie Yin, I…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Jiang Chenyin waited patiently for her to continue. It was clear from her voice that she was very pleased with the longing she had just expressed.

She felt her eyes sting uncomfortably. The emotions had become too heavy. She could only lower her head and say in a hoarse voice, “Let me pick you up the day you come back. You should arrive during the lunch break. I’ll pick you up.”

Just then, Jiang Chenyin’s silence was palpable. After a long moment, she said softly, “Director Duan said he’s going to pick me up.”

Bo Muyu froze instantly. Tears finally welled up in her eyes. She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself not to make a sound.

Jiang Chenyin quickly said, “I’ll go home and wait for you that day. We’ll have dinner together. I won’t eat out.”

“Okay. Bring me a cake when you come home,” Bo Muyu forced a smile. She sounded completely normal, but her other hand was clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Mmm, no problem,” Jiang Chenyin smiled softly, then paused and said, “Go to sleep. You have to work tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Bo Muyu hung up the phone, lowered her eyelids, and concealed all her emotions.

She tossed her phone aside, curled up on the bed, and hugged her legs. She asked herself, Hasn’t summer already arrived? Why has it suddenly gotten so cold?