59: Chapter 60 I want to find a woman to share you with

Yu Bo cooked while listening impassively. Shen Nian didn't bring up any sensitive topics, didn't pry into their privacy, and didn't deliberately steer the conversation toward him. She acted like a high-EQ guest visiting a friend's house, chatting about products, funny life anecdotes, and industry news in a way that left no room for criticism.

But this was exactly what felt most off to Yu Bo. It was too perfect—so perfect it felt unreal. Shen Nian was definitely not someone who did useless work; she had gone to the trouble of entering this space for more than just delivering an aroma diffuser and having some small talk.

The aroma of food gradually filled the air. Yu Bo had prepared four dishes and a soup: Steamed Sea Bass, Blanched Choy Sum, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, Crab Roe Tofu, and a Mushroom Chicken Soup. They were all Yin Tianxue's favorites, with a light and fresh flavor profile.

"Dinner's ready." Yu Bo walked out of the kitchen carrying the soup bowl, his expression as calm as ever.

In the dining room, the lights were warm. The three of them took their seats, with Yin Tianxue sitting beside Yu Bo and Shen Nian sitting opposite them.

"Chairman Yu's cooking is truly excellent; just the smell alone is enough to make one's mouth water." Shen Nian looked at the table of dishes, which were perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and praised him sincerely, her eyes clear and devoid of any hidden agenda.

"It's just home cooking; I'm glad President Shen doesn't mind it." Yu Bo served a bowl of soup for Yin Tianxue, his tone flat.

The atmosphere during the meal wasn't awkward. Yin Tianxue took the initiative to find topics, mentioning that Bright Path would soon be going to Deep City and thanking Shen Nian for the assistance she provided. Shen Nian responded humbly, saying they were learning from each other, and then naturally steered the conversation toward Wing Flight's upcoming Pre-A Round Financing, asking for Yu Bo's opinion as an investor. Her attitude was professional, maintaining a tone strictly for discussing business.

Yu Bo also provided several suggestions from a professional perspective, and the dialogue proceeded smoothly and with restraint within the business realm. Shen Nian no longer showed any personal emotions beyond those of a business partner; she didn't even let her gaze linger on Yu Bo's face for too long, spending most of her time communicating with Yin Tianxue.

The meal was peaceful and could even be described as pleasant. Shen Nian's conversation, insights, and well-timed compliments and self-deprecation made it difficult for anyone to harbor ill will toward her. Even Yin Tianxue's guard against her seemed to have softened considerably in such a relaxed atmosphere.

After dinner, Shen Nian stayed for about fifteen minutes, drank a cup of tea, and then stood up to take her leave, giving a valid reason—she had an overseas conference call later that evening.

Yin Tianxue and Yu Bo saw her to the door.

"I've really intruded today; thank you for your hospitality." Shen Nian stood at the door with a sincere smile, her gaze lingering for a moment on Yu Bo and Yin Tianxue with a sense of well-wishing. "Seeing you two doing so well makes me truly happy for you. Tianxue, Chairman Yu, I wish you eternal happiness."

After speaking, she waved and turned to leave elegantly, without a hint of lingering.

After closing the door, only the two of them remained in the apartment. The air seemed to settle into silence.

Yin Tianxue turned and leaned into Yu Bo's embrace, looking up at him. "Shen Nian today... seemed quite normal? Did we overthink things before?"

Yu Bo held her, his chin resting on the top of her head, but his gaze was fixed on the closed door, his eyes deep.

Normal? Yes, it was too normal. It was so normal it felt like a meticulously rehearsed scene.

In the span of a single meal, Shen Nian had successfully and subtly shifted her status from "business partner" to a "friend" who could visit their home and even gain a certain degree of approval from Yin Tianxue. She had neutralized part of Yin Tianxue's hostility and showcased her value, EQ, and "harmlessness." She had even left behind a "blessing" at the end.

Everything had been carried out so naturally, so perfectly.

But Yu Bo knew this was definitely not the end. It was more like a new beginning. Shen Nian had successfully embedded herself into their social circle in a more three-dimensional way. In the future, she would have more reasons like being "on the way," "just happening to be nearby," or "bringing a little something" to appear more naturally.

The fact that she showed no ulterior motives today only proved that her patience and ambition were even greater than imagined. What she wanted was perhaps not temporary ambiguity or impulse, but a more long-term, more solid... kind of connection, or replacement.

"Perhaps." Yu Bo replied in a low voice to Yin Tianxue, tightening his arms and pulling her closer into his embrace. "But why did you let her stay? She's toward me..."

Yin Tianxue nodded in his arms. "I know. But sometimes, I really want to find a woman I don't dislike to share you with. You're too vigorous; you leave me exhausted every time."

Yu Bo didn't say anything more, only gently kissing her forehead.

Yin Tianxue nodded in his arms. "I know. But sometimes, I really want to find a woman I don't dislike to share you with. You're too vigorous; you leave me exhausted every time."

These words carried a playful pout, along with a hint of an almost ridiculous joke and test that only the most intimate lovers would share. After experiencing Shen Nian's "perfect" dinner performance, Yin Tianxue's half-serious remark was like a small pebble gently tossed into the lake of Yu Bo's heart, yet it stirred up ripples larger than expected.

Yu Bo's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He looked down at the woman's upturned face in his arms. Under the light, her eyes were clear, carrying a hint of lazy seductiveness and... some kind of complex emotion he couldn't quite read. Was it a joke? Was it a slip of the tongue under fatigue? Or... was it some deeper insecurity or testing that even she wasn't clearly aware of?

He didn't answer immediately, only holding her tighter before burying his face in the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath of her reassuring scent. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low, muffled voice, "What nonsense are you talking about? There's only you, always only you."

Yin Tianxue didn't seem entirely satisfied with this answer, or perhaps she herself was startled by the words she had just blurted out. She remained silent for a while before asking in an even softer voice, almost a whisper, "Yu Bo, I'm saying if... if I weren't here, would you be with her?"

This question was more direct and sharper than the previous comment about "sharing." It tore away the warm disguise of the dinner and pointed directly at the core issue of Shen Nian's attraction to Yu Bo.

Yu Bo's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, and his breathing stalled for a moment. He knew he had to answer this question seriously; any perfunctory or hypocritical answer could bury hidden dangers for the future.

He didn't deny it immediately, nor did he offer an emotional confession. He maintained his embrace, thought for a few seconds, and then spoke slowly in an unusually calm, even honest-to-the-point-of-cruelty tone:

"I probably... would have."

He felt the body in his arms instantly tense up. He immediately tightened his grip, not giving her a chance to break away or show a hurt expression, and continued in that matter-of-fact tone, as if analyzing a business case unrelated to himself:

"Shen Nian is beautiful, smart, capable, and ambitious—she is the type of partner many men dream of. She is like a ripe peach, emitting an enticing aroma, plump, juicy, and full of charm. Very few normal men, when in close contact, could remain completely unmoved."

He paused, feeling Yin Tianxue's breathing grow shallow. He looked down and kissed the top of her head, his voice turning lower but becoming even clearer and more firm:

"But, Tianxue, there is no 'if' in this world. I met you, fell in love with you, and I have you. You aren't an option for 'if I didn't have'; you are my 'established fact,' my 'only choice.'"

"No matter how beautiful, good, or enticing Shen Nian is, she is 'someone else.' But you are 'mine.' In my heart, in my future, and in all my plans and desires, there is only you. Other women, whether they are peaches or apples, have nothing to do with me. No matter how moving they are, they cannot move me here."

He took Yin Tianxue's hand and pressed it against the left side of his chest, over his heart. There, the heartbeat was steady and strong.

"This place, from the moment I decided on you, has only beaten for you and can only hold you. No one else can squeeze in, and... they aren't worth squeezing in for."

He spoke very slowly, every word sounding as if it had been carefully considered, yet carrying complete sincerity and certainty. He didn't belittle Shen Nian to elevate Yin Tianxue; instead, he objectively acknowledged Shen Nian's attraction, but this precisely highlighted the unshakeable nature of his feelings for Yin Tianxue—it wasn't because there were no better options, but because having chosen her, all other "better" options lost their meaning.