49: Chapter 50 The Crack and Shen Nian's Abnormality

Yu Bo's heart skipped a beat. He took the hand she had resting on his face and led her outside. "The project is going quite smoothly. There's a team making glasses for the visually impaired that's very interesting; we've basically decided to invest. It's just… I'm not quite used to the food in Jiangcheng, and I've been sleeping a bit late." He explained, half-truthfully, avoiding the most critical part. In the flickering light, he appeared somewhat quiet, even… distant.

The car heater was on, and soothing light music was playing. Yu Bo tried to find some lighthearted topics, talking about what he'd seen in Jiangcheng and interesting anecdotes from his investment trip, such as Zhou Ming, the engineering guy from the "Bright Path" team whose eyes lit up whenever he talked about technology, and Su Xiaoxiao, who was as lively as a little sun. Tianxue listened, occasionally chiming in with a few words, a polite smile on her lips, but the smile never quite reached her eyes.

"Tianxue," Yu Bo finally couldn't help himself. He took her hand and gently rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "Is there… something on your mind?"

Yin Tianxue turned her head to look at him, her gaze complex, and remained silent for a moment. The car stereo happened to finish a song, and the brief silence made the air feel stagnant.

"Last night," she began, her voice very soft, yet it was like a small pebble tossed into the lake of Yu Bo's heart, "did Shen Nian… contact you again later? Besides work." She specifically emphasized the four words "besides work."

Yu Bo's heart constricted violently, as if gripped by an invisible hand. He tried his best to maintain a calm expression on his face, even revealing a touch of perfectly timed confusion. "Why are you asking about this suddenly? She just sent a message asking if the trip was going well and mentioned next week's review meeting. I replied, sticking to the facts. What's wrong?"

He answered quickly, his tone natural, even carrying a touch of helplessness and tolerance for his girlfriend's sudden "check-up." But only he knew that a thin layer of sweat had instantly broken out on his back.

Yin Tianxue looked at him quietly, those beautiful eyes seeming to be able to see through people's hearts. She watched him for several seconds before slowly looking away, gazing ahead, her tone devoid of emotion. "It's nothing. I just feel… she seems exceptionally 'attentive' to you."

This sentence was like a thin needle, gently pricking Yu Bo. He tightened his grip on her hand, his tone solemn. "Tianxue, she and I are just an investor and an entrepreneur. That is all. What she is 'attentive' to is the development of 'Wing Flight,' not me as a person. You have to believe me."

"I believe you." Yin Tianxue said quickly, even squeezing his hand back, but then immediately withdrew hers gently, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just… don't really like the way she looks at you."

Yu Bo was momentarily speechless. He could not defend the look in Shen Nian's eyes; there was indeed something in them that didn't belong to a simple business partner. He could only express his stance more forcefully. "I will be careful to keep my distance in the future. I will avoid any behavior that might cause her to misunderstand. I promise."

Yin Tianxue didn't speak again, just gave a soft "Mm," leaned back against the seat, and closed her eyes, as if she were tired.

Yu Bo looked at her slightly weary profile, and the thorn in his heart pricked deeper. He knew that his "promise" just now might have temporarily appeased her, but it hadn't eliminated the unease at the bottom of her heart. And this unease stemmed from Shen Nian's undisguised intentions, and also from… the complex attitude he might have inadvertently revealed, one he hadn't even fully sorted out himself.

A subtle crack had appeared in their trust. It wasn't because something irreparable had happened, but because of potential risks and a lack of complete honesty. Yu Bo felt a wave of helplessness; he clearly wanted to protect, yet he seemed to have made things more complicated.

Back home, the familiar lights and the aroma of food greeted them. The housekeeper had made the dishes he loved, and Yin Tianxue also pulled herself together to eat with him and chat about daily life. But Yu Bo could feel that within that intimacy, there was a trace of caution mixed in. At night, they slept in each other's arms; Yin Tianxue fell asleep quickly in his embrace, her breathing even, but he could feel that her body was not as completely relaxed as usual against him; instead, it carried a slight, imperceptible stiffness.

This night, for Yu Bo, was even harder to endure than that night in Jiangcheng. Physical exhaustion could be recovered from, but the burden in his heart and that quietly emerged crack—he didn't know how to mend them. He could only hold the woman in his arms tighter in the darkness, as if doing so could protect everything.

A week later, the internal review meeting for the new "Yifei Intelligence" product was held in their newly relocated, spacious conference room in the technology park. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was the slightly desolate but still bright sky of early autumn in Jiangzhou; inside, the room was well-lit and the temperature was comfortable.

Yu Bo brought the CFO, Zhao Min, and a newly hired investment manager focused on the hard-tech sector to attend the meeting.

Shen Nian was the last to enter the conference room. The door was pushed open, and she walked in. In an instant, the conference room seemed to brighten up a bit.

Today, she was wearing a navy blue suit skirt with an extremely tailored cut; the fabric was crisp, the lines clean, perfectly outlining her tall, full, yet powerful figure. Inside, she wore a white silk shirt with an exquisite ribbon tied at the collar. Her long hair was meticulously pulled back into a low bun, revealing her smooth forehead and the graceful lines of her neck. Her makeup was even more refined and appropriate than usual; her red lips were a steady bean-paste color, her eyebrows were drawn with a heroic spirit, and her eye makeup was deep and clean. Her whole person exuded an aura of competence, professionalism, and unquestionable authority, a stark contrast to the alluring, fragile, or even crazy appearance she had revealed at cocktail parties, dinners, or even at the hotel entrance that night.

"Chairman Yu, Director Zhao, Manager Wang, welcome." Shen Nian walked to the head of the table, her gaze sweeping calmly over the three of them. It lingered on Yu Bo's face for no more than a second before she politely moved it away, her smile standard, her tone composed. "Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come."

Her voice was clear and forceful, carrying a carefully controlled steadiness, without any unnecessary softness or fluctuation. Her opening remarks were concise and clear, and she immediately cut to the chase, operating the PPT herself to begin the report.

The report lasted for nearly two hours. Shen Nian's presentation was logically rigorous and the data detailed; her explanation of technical details, market analysis, competitive landscape, financial forecasts, and even potential risks was clear and thorough. Her speaking speed was moderate, her key points prominent, and when faced with several quite sharp questions raised by Yu Bo's side, she answered fluently, citing data with ease, and occasionally even humorously diffusing the overly tense atmosphere, demonstrating a very strong ability to control the room and professional competence.

Throughout the entire process, her body language was open and confident, her gestures clean and decisive, and her gaze fell mostly on the PPT or the person asking questions. Eye contact with Yu Bo was limited to the necessary gaze when he spoke, as well as an indicative glance to seek his opinion during key points of the report. That gaze was calm and waveless, strictly professional, without any probing, hints, or unnecessary emotions—it was even more "formal" than how she treated Zhao Min and the others.

She played the role of "President Shen Nian" perfectly—an entrepreneur with outstanding ability, worthy of trust, and wholeheartedly planning for the development of "Wing Flight." The woman who had once cried in the night, forced a kiss, and poured out her heart seemed to have never existed.

While listening and taking notes, Yu Bo observed Shen Nian calmly from the corner of his eye. Her performance was impeccable, one could even say far exceeding expectations. The progress of "Wing Flight" was also exciting. Logically, he should have felt satisfied and relaxed. But it was precisely this "perfection" and "normality" that made the string of vigilance in his heart tighten further.

It was too normal, normal to the point of being abnormal. Given Shen Nian's personality and the stubbornness she displayed that night, could she really switch modes so easily, without any hard feelings? Or was she using this extreme "professionalism" and "distance" to build a stronger barrier, or… to pave the way for a deeper scheme?