Chapter 98
Jiang Chenyin’s eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t have imagined that this question would come from Lan Yuxin’s mouth.
For a moment, she didn’t even know how to answer, or whether she should. Her eyes were full of hesitation.
But it was this hesitation that left Lan Yuxin speechless. After a long while, she murmured, “I know, I know…”
She straightened up and took several deep breaths, for the first time feeling her head in such a mess. The words “Teacher Jiang likes the little block of wood” kept circling in her mind, like a tangled mess.
“She’s fifteen years younger than you,” Lan Yuxin said, pacing back and forth with her hands on her hips, a little incoherent. “Your family and her family are close. Old Master Jiang even wants to make her his granddaughter-in-law. You and Sister Ye have known each other for more than a decade, right? You two are of the same generation. The little block of wood has to call you ‘Auntie.’ When you were an adult, she was only three. She was still in diapers, right? When you were dating, she was still in kindergarten, sucking on a lollipop…”
“Alright, that’s enough!” Jiang Chenyin said in a low voice, closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair. “I know…”
She knew all of what Lan Yuxin had said better than anyone. The close relationship between the Jiang and Bo families, her long-standing friendship with Ye Xialan, and the huge age gap between her and Bo Muyu.
Each of these was like a sharp arrow, piercing her heart the moment she thought of it.
She was so much older than Bo Muyu. She had experienced despair and storms, while Bo Muyu had just entered society. She had seen so much of the world, while Bo Muyu was still struggling.
But she had seen so many things, yet she could not look down on her feelings for Bo Muyu.
“What on earth am I talking about…” Lan Yuxin rubbed her face in frustration and simply sat down on Jiang Chenyin’s desk.
Jiang Chenyin still had her eyes closed, only the tightly furrowed brow showing the torment in her heart at this moment.
Lan Yuxin sighed. “Actually, it’s not impossible. If you can hide it a little better, nothing will happen. Anyway, everyone knows you have a good relationship with her. But there’s one difficult point. She’s at that age, after all. She’ll definitely be pressured to get married…”
“Alright, don’t say any more,” Jiang Chenyin said, opening her eyes and biting her lip, her eyes slightly bloodshot. “Since you can count them all, then you should also know that I can’t.”
Lan Yuxin fell silent and said no more. From her angle, Jiang Chenyin’s eyes were deep, and her side profile was still gentle and beautiful, but she seemed a little thinner than a few days ago.
“Sigh, what a mess you’re in…”
Lan Yuxin sighed and got off the desk, pacing to the floor-to-ceiling window to look at the tall buildings outside. After a while, she turned back to look at Jiang Chenyin.
This age gap was very exciting. And their relationship was so close. If they really started dating, it would definitely be very passionate. Jiang Chenyin had a gentle yet strong personality. How many men in society now could stand their wife being stronger than them? Jiang Chenyin with an obedient and clueless person like Bo Muyu would be a perfect match.
And they knew each other inside out, were extremely familiar. Dating would just be adding a few more intimate things to their daily lives. This would definitely not be a problem!
Lan Yuxin raised an eyebrow, suddenly wanting to give Jiang Chenyin a push.
In late January, as the Spring Festival approached, Qinzhou became much quieter.
Many people were already preparing for the New Year. The Lin Corporation was also holding its annual meeting.
Song Muqing was dressed in a black woman’s suit. Her black hair, which was usually down most of the time, was tied up, making her look even more shrewd and capable, meticulous. She walked out of her room and ran into Lin Chuwan, who was going to the living room. The other person turned and left without a word.
She followed behind and suddenly asked, “You haven’t been in contact with your junior recently?”
Lin Chuwan’s footsteps did not stop, and she did not pay any attention to her.
In the living room, Mother Lin was watching TV. Seeing the two of them come out, she waved. “Are you two going out? Come, come and sit for a bit.”
Song Muqing nodded with a smile and sat down on the single sofa. Lin Chuwan sat down beside her mother.
Mother Lin took Lin Chuwan’s hand and asked Song Muqing, “Muqing, for the annual meeting tonight, have Uncle Wei drive you. It’s not safe to drink and drive.”
Song Muqing nodded. “I know.” She thought for a moment, then tilted her chin up. “Auntie, I want Xiao Wan to go with me.”
Lin Chuwan was taken aback for a moment, and before Mother Lin could speak, she replied, “I don’t want to go.”
Mother Lin asked with a puzzled look, “Why not? The annual meeting tonight will be very lively. You shouldn’t always be with this old lady. It’s good to go out with Muqing.”
Song Muqing’s gaze shifted to Lin Chuwan’s face, her eyes unreadable, and she said in her usual tone, “This company is yours, after all. I’m just helping you manage it. No matter what, you should attend some events. The annual meeting doesn’t require you to do anything. You just have to show your face. I won’t be staying very late either. I’ll be back when it’s about time.”
Mother Lin smiled and agreed, “That’s right. Go with Muqing. If it’s still early when you come back, you can go for a walk outside. There’s no rush to come back.”
Lin Chuwan bit her lip and did not look in Song Muqing’s direction, but she could feel her gaze on her. With things having come to this, she had no reasonable excuse to refuse, and besides, what Song Muqing had said was indeed reasonable.
“Alright, I’ll go.”
Song Muqing nodded slightly and said to her, “Then it’s about time to go. You can change your clothes, get your hair done, and then we’ll go.”
For the past few years, the Lin family’s business had been entirely in Song Muqing’s hands, but the real manager was Lin Chuwan. Lin Chuwan’s older brother, Lin Youfan, knew that she had no interest in business. Before he passed away, he had entrusted Song Muqing to take care of his mother and sister, as well as the family business.
The past few years were like a cloud of smoke. The image of Lin Youfan’s pale face and solemn words was still before Song Muqing’s eyes.
Song Muqing waited quietly outside the styling room, and only when the door was opened did she have a moment of a daze.
The Lin Chuwan who walked out was dressed in a pure white embroidered cheongsam with a black shawl, dignified and elegant. Her originally slightly curly chestnut-colored long hair had been straightened, and her gentle and intellectual aura was even more pronounced.
Song Muqing nodded at the stylist, then held out her hand to Lin Chuwan. “Let’s go.”
Lin Chuwan hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took her hand. The warmth of her palm made her a little dazed for a moment.
The driver, Uncle Wei, was driving. Song Muqing and Lin Chuwan sat in the back seat, a certain distance between them, like strangers who were not familiar with each other. Lin Chuwan tried her best not to think too much about Song Muqing’s purpose, only thinking about what she needed to do after they arrived, and then to go home when the time was up. She didn’t want to be with Song Muqing for a single second.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling. It was that she didn’t dare.
The buildings outside the window kept moving back. Lin Chuwan sniffled and adjusted her shawl.
In the hotel’s banquet hall, Song Muqing went on stage to give a speech and introduced Lin Chuwan’s identity to the company’s employees. The two of them held hands the whole time, the warmth lingering, and so did their smiles.
When they were toasting and chatting with the company’s senior executives, Lin Chuwan had gazed at Song Muqing’s smiling side profile several times, only feeling that the current scene was like a dream. They could actually hold hands and chat with others like this. She could actually smile at Song Muqing in front of so many people.
But, all of that was fake. When Song Muqing smiled at her, there was clearly no warmth in her eyes.
After going through the motions, Song Muqing finally hinted that she could go to the side and rest. She let out a secret sigh of relief in her heart and found an empty table and chairs in a corner of the banquet hall to rest for a bit.
Not long after she sat down, a man who had been paying attention to her for a long time came over to make small talk. Seeing her gentleness tinged with a hint of distance, he did not stay for long. As she was watching the bustling crowd in the banquet hall, and she herself could not get into this state at all, a woman with shoulder-length hair sat down beside her.
The other party was a senior executive of the company, in her early thirties, and she sized her up with a smile. “Miss Lin, hello. I’ve long heard of your reputation.”
“Hello,” Lin Chuwan also returned a smile, but she was puzzled in her heart.
The woman smiled. “I haven’t seen you since I took over the work here. This is the first time we’ve met today. You’re just as the rumors say. No, you’re even better.”
“Rumors?” Lin Chuwan was a little curious about this.
The woman’s gaze was very gentle, and she still smiled at her. “Many people say that Miss Lin is beautiful and has a gentle personality, which makes people easily feel protective. I’ve always been half-believing, and only after seeing you today do I have to affirm this statement.”
“Those are all just exaggerations. You’re flattering me,” Lin Chuwan’s lips curved up.
The woman continued, “You rarely attend company events. Do you not like this kind of occasion?”
Lin Chuwan smiled and said, “Not really. I just usually spend time with my mom, so I rarely participate.”
The woman looked at her with a smile, nodded, and then said in a slightly more serious tone, “I hope I can see you again next time. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lin Chuwan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Out of courtesy, she still smiled and nodded.
The woman finally stood up and left with satisfaction, but Lin Chuwan always felt that something was not right, and the air had become heavy. She clutched her chest, adjusted her shawl, and then glanced at the banquet hall. She didn’t know when, but Song Muqing was already gone.
This time, Lin Chuwan felt even more stuffy here. She simply left the banquet hall, intending to take a walk in the garden and then notify the driver, Uncle Wei, to come over.
Who knew that as she was passing a corner, she heard the faint sound of laughter and conversation. It was a woman’s voice.
A clear female voice laughed softly, “President Song, I’ve asked you out so many times and you’ve never agreed. I don’t have the motivation to ask you again.”
Although she said so, the beautiful-faced woman was clearly very happy and even reached out a finger to tap Song Muqing’s sleeve. Song Muqing was facing Lin Chuwan’s direction, and she did not respond to the woman’s action, but her gaze was fixed on the other party.
“I don’t have much time. It’s not on purpose,” Song Muqing’s voice was placid, but not as cold as usual.
Just then, the woman let out a low laugh. “Then let’s go for a walk in a couple of days?”
Song Muqing smiled. “We’ll see.”
Lin Chuwan looked at this scene in disbelief, her retreating steps a little unsteady. She almost fled this place.
Her steps were in a panic several times on the way to the parking lot, because Song Muqing’s expression and tone just now were very familiar, so familiar that her eyes had turned red at the first opportunity. After Song Muqing had whispered in her ear, “I like you. What should I do?” their relationship had reached an ambiguous peak.
Song Muqing’s gaze, which was always like a sharp sword, would instantly melt when it touched her, and her tone would no longer be cold. Although placid, it carried a warmth that she could feel.
But that Song Muqing, after she had cruelly pushed her away, no longer existed. All that was left was the cold and ruthless woman of these past few years. How many times had she dreamed in the middle of the night, going back to the time when their relationship was at its most ambiguous? She was afraid that after she had broken through that layer of window paper, Song Muqing would retreat, afraid that her fear of being abandoned would reappear, so they had a tacit understanding.
Those days were the most beautiful. They both knew the feelings in each other’s hearts, and every day was as if they were immersed in honey.
How good it would have been if that day had not happened. If she had not taken Song Muqing to see her brother, how good it would have been.
