Chapter 139: I Want to Be Your Boyfriend

As Shen Yibai looked up, he happened to see Jiang Ciyou emerging from inside. He hurried over to her.

"Sister..." His voice carried a trace of caution, lacking his usual bright and cheerful tone.

"Young Master Shen, is there something you need?" Jiang Ciyou’s expression remained neutral, and her tone was matter-of-fact—much like the way Gao Cen and the others usually spoke to her. Yet, the formal address "Young Master Shen" still stung.

"Sister, are you still angry?" he asked. "Let me apologize, please. I shouldn't have hidden my identity, and I certainly shouldn't have deceived you. I hid who I was because my background is complicated. If I told everyone I met that I was Shen Yibai, they would either fawn over me for my status or fear me and run away. I never intended to deceive you, Sister. I just wanted to make a genuine friend—someone who likes me because I am Shen Yibai, not because of my surname or because my mother is Bo Wanhua."

He continued, "I didn't pretend to be poor to manipulate you. When I was in France, I really was poor. Because I was disobedient, my mother confiscated my documents and froze my accounts. I had to work odd jobs as an undocumented worker, and the pay was pitiful. The money I used to buy back my identity when I returned was what I had saved for a long time. I was truly penniless when I arrived. I really didn't mean to lie to you."

Jiang Ciyou looked at the young man before her. When they first met, his smile had been bright and warm. Now, his eyes were still clear and sincere, but they seemed clouded by a shadow. Despite herself, she felt a pang of pity. She knew well that Shen Yibai hadn't acted with malice. As he said, her change in attitude wasn't because of his deception, but because his status was too sensitive, creating too many concerns.

Jiang Ciyou had vowed not to enter the "chess game." She would never get involved in the affairs of the Bo family, and she had cut ties cleanly with Bo Jinxu. Yet, she had stumbled upon Shen Yibai—the biological son of Bo Wanhua. She dared not imagine what kind of nightmare would ensue if Bo Wanhua discovered that her son had been living in her home all this time. It would be another endless, turbulent drama.

Jiang Ciyou sighed. "Eboni, I am not angry with you. Truly."

Hearing his name, a spark of light returned to Shen Yibai’s eyes. "Really? Then can I move back to Jinxiu Garden?"

"No," Jiang Ciyou refused bluntly.

Shen Yibai’s shoulders slumped, looking like a scolded puppy. "You are still angry at me."

"Eboni, I met your mother briefly when I went to the capital some time ago. She does not like me. If she knew we were friends—especially if she knew you traveled all the way from France to find me—she would assume I have ulterior motives. I do not want to give Chairman Bo such a misunderstanding."

Shen Yibai was surprised. "You've met my mother?"

"Yes. So, Eboni, I don't hate you, and I'm not angry. I think you're a good person, but I don't intend to be friends with you. I am selfish; I will not offend your mother for your sake. Besides, we’ve only known each other for a few days—there is no deep bond between us. Ending this now is best for both of us."

Jiang Ciyou’s candor left Shen Yibai at a loss. "Are you casting me aside just because of my mother? Does the fact that I was born into the Bo family mean I have no right to be treated with sincerity?" His voice was laced with hurt.

"You have that right, but you should seek friends among those of equal standing, rather than trying to pan for gold in the sand. It’s not that we look down on ourselves; it’s that ordinary people like us cannot afford to provoke powerful figures like your mother. Looking out for one's own safety is not wrong."

"My mother isn't a demon. I don't believe she would interfere with me making a friend."

"She might not with others, but with me, she certainly would. If you don't believe me, go ask her."

Having said that, Jiang Ciyou ceased speaking. She walked over to his side and patted his shoulder. "Fate is fair. Born into such a wealthy family, possessing riches and status that most people will never see in several lifetimes, you must pay a price. My advice is to be a content, obedient rich kid. Enjoy what you have and stop obsessing over things that are hard to grasp, like so-called 'sincerity.' Perhaps it doesn't exist at all. Parents abandon their children, lovers turn into enemies—human hearts are fickle, and nothing in this world is truly real."

"I am a realist, and I am not worth your trouble. Our meeting was a matter of fate, but now that the fate has run its course, it is best to part ways amicably. Take care of yourself, Yibai."

With that, Jiang Ciyou turned to leave. Shen Yibai stood frozen in place, seemingly processing her words. Jiang Ciyou went to the parking lot and pulled her car out. As she passed the entrance of the television building, Shen Yibai seemed to snap back to reality. He ran forward and blocked the path of her car.

Fortunately, Jiang Ciyou reacted quickly, slamming on the brakes just in time to avoid hitting him. She was startled, and a rare, uncontrollable anger flared up within her. She slammed the car door open and marched over to him, raising her hand to deliver a sharp slap.

"Shen Yibai, have you grown tired of living? How many lives do you think you have to go around blocking cars in the street?"

"Do you think I wouldn't have stepped on the gas and sent you to the ICU? Is that big head of yours just for show? Before you act on impulse, can you think for a second? If you want to die, don't try to scam me and dirty my car in the process!"

Jiang Ciyou was truly furious. The slap hadn't been hard, but it was meant to teach him a lesson. Youthful impulsivity was one thing, but risking his life was another. If she had been distracted or panicked, she really might have hit him. Even now, she felt a lingering sense of dread.

Shen Yibai, scolded and stunned, stood before her looking aggrieved, tears welling in his eyes. "Sister, I like you!"

"It doesn't matter if you like me! Even if you do, I’m still going to scold you!" Jiang Ciyou was still in the heat of her anger, but she suddenly paused. "What did you say?"

Shen Yibai looked at her with a pitiful expression. "Sister, I like you. I liked you from the very first moment I saw you. Ever since you left France, I have thought of you every single second. I came here because of you. Sister, I don't just want to be your friend—I want to be your boyfriend."