Chapter 126: You Were the One Who Didn’t Want Me First

Night fell.

Jiang Ciyou returned to Green Shade Villa. For a fleeting moment, she had actually hoped to see the lights on inside. But it was only for a moment. She quickly regained her composure. She and Bo Jinxiu had already broken up; she could no longer look to him for strength.

Returning to the villa, she stubbornly turned on every light in every room. In an instant, the house was ablaze with brightness. She then turned on the television to watch a popular variety show. It was funny and boisterous, and she cranked the volume up high, as if that would make the space feel a little more alive. Without realizing it, she fell asleep right there on the sofa.

Elsewhere, in the executive office of the BJ Building, Gao Cen finished his briefing and said, "President, Miss Jiang has returned to the country. She arrived in Rongcheng at 11:30 this morning and should be at Green Shade Villa now. Would you... like to go see her?"

Gao Cen knew his boss followed every move Miss Jiang made. He hoped for them to be together, because Bo Jinxiu was only normal when he was with Jiang Ciyou, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and schedule. Otherwise, he was nothing but a work machine. The problem was that his relentless work pace was exhausting; as his personal secretary, Gao Cen was on call 24 hours a day and was on the verge of collapse. The entire company was also filled with complaints. No one understood what had come over the president, who was expanding their reach like a madman. They had fought several acquisition battles in the past few days, and while Bo Jinxiu’s leadership ensured they were mostly victorious, everyone was worn thin. The president was a business genius who could hold meetings, review plans, and listen to reports day and night, yet he expected everyone else to do the same. Everyone was being driven to the brink of insanity. Gao Cen was incredibly distressed; the company really could not function without Jiang Ciyou. He feared he would die young at this rate.

Bo Jinxiu was reviewing a project proposal. Hearing Gao Cen’s voice, his handsome brows furrowed slightly. "Gao Cen, do you feel you have too little to do?" His voice was cold and sharp, clearly displeased.

Gao Cen replied honestly, "No, sir. I’ll get back to work." He left tactfully.

Once alone, Bo Jinxiu set down his fountain pen. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the calfskin chair, pinching the bridge of his nose as a flicker of exhaustion crossed his face. He understood what Gao Cen meant, but whenever he rested, his mind was filled with visions of Jiang Ciyou.

One month. They had been broken up for nearly a month—at least, from Jiang Ciyou’s perspective, it was a formal separation. Bo Jinxiu touched his temple, where a faint scar remained. Remembering the time she had lashed out at him, his heart felt heavy. She had truly shown no mercy.

Yet, Bo Jinxiu knew he could not get close to her. Although Bo Wanhua was in Italy, she had eyes within the company. Bo Jinxiu allowed these informants to exist, as he needed them to feed Bo Wanhua the narrative he wanted her to believe. Since she had already discovered that he and Jiang Ciyou had lived together for three years, she had grown suspicious. He had to dispel those doubts. He needed her to believe that his relationship with Jiang Ciyou was merely a fleeting romance, devoid of any genuine emotion. He also had to make her believe they had completely severed ties. Given Bo Wanhua’s personality, if she knew Jiang Ciyou was his true weakness, he could not imagine what she might do.

He missed her deeply, but he could not approach her. He couldn't even go for a glimpse. Bo Jinxiu even worried if they had truly broken up for good. Until he had the strength to protect her, he dared not take the risk. Fortunately, the resort project was his trump card. If it progressed smoothly, his grandfather would grant him full authority. By then, once he had the strength to contend with Bo Wanhua, he would have a way to reclaim everything from her and leave her with nothing. Once her power was dismantled, he would no longer have to fear anything.

However, he worried. Could Jiang Ciyou wait until that day? Would she fall in love with someone else before then? Or, even when that day came and she learned the truth, would she ever turn back to him?

The next day, Jiang Ciyou’s annual leave ended, and she went to the television station. During a meeting, Tang Fei suddenly announced, "After the advanced experience we gained at the Jing Station, the station director has decided that we will co-produce a variety show with them. We have even invited Director Xie, the godfather of variety shows."

Tang Fei shifted his tone, "Ciyou, I’m putting you in charge of this. You will be the point of contact for Director Xie’s team. This show is the inaugural project for our Rong Station; the director has put his own capital into it as a producer, so you must take it seriously."

Jiang Ciyou said flatly, "Why me? What about my anchor work?"

"Linda is planning to return. Of course, the prime anchor position is still yours, but Linda will substitute for you when you are busy. How does that sound?" Linda was a veteran of the station who had held the prime anchor position for a decade before jumping ship to the Jing Station two months ago. It was unexpected that she would return so soon, and her market value had changed. It was generous of the Rong Station to accept her back. In fact, Linda had treated Jiang Ciyou well in the past; she had been the one to mentor her when she first arrived, and they had a good relationship.

Jiang Ciyou nodded. "I have no objections to Sister Linda coming back."

Tang Fei knew she would agree. On the surface, she was the "ice queen" of the station who kept to herself, but in reality, she was the most loyal and sentimental of them all. "Good, it’s decided then. I’ll give you the contact information later. Work hard; this is a new venture for our station. If it succeeds, you’ll be a hero of the Rong Station. The director says that if the show is a success, he’ll take the station public and distribute shares to you."

Hearing about shares, Jiang Ciyou instantly perked up. She loved equity above all else. It was the promise of shares that had convinced her to become a designer for QUEEN. Speaking of shares, it reminded her of one thing: it was time to take back the shares from Jiang Xiaoxiao.

Before she could reach out, Yao Shulan called her that afternoon. It was the first time she had called in three years. Looking at the name blinking on her screen, Jiang Ciyou felt a sharp pain in her heart. The contact was still labeled "Mom."

Jiang Ciyou slid to answer. "Auntie Yao, is there something you need?"

The person on the other end paused for a long time. "Xiaoyou, are you refusing to even call me Mom now?" Yao Shulan’s voice was filled with palpable sadness.

Jiang Ciyou bit her lip, finally saying, "You were the one who discarded me first."

Silence stretched across the line for a long time. Jiang Ciyou heard the sound of Yao Shulan’s soft sobbing. After a while, she composed herself and said, "If you refuse to acknowledge me, so be it. But come to the hospital. Your father has had a sudden heart attack and has been admitted."