After a wealthy woman went bankrupt, her live-in husband became her sugar daddy.

Chapter 185 Is there still a chance?

Jiang Yichen's gaze was like that of a lion poised to pounce, fixed on me with both the resolute determination of a hunter and an indescribable deep affection.

His eyes were deep and intense, as if he could see right through me.

The next second, he suddenly pinched my chin, the action both forceful and gentle.

He leaned down and kissed the corner of my lips. The kiss was so powerful that I instantly lost the ability to struggle.

My arms were held tightly by him, and I was completely trapped in his embrace, unable to move.

The kiss lasted a long time, until I could hardly breathe, before he slowly released me.

A deep, magnetic voice sounded in my ear: "Happy birthday, Gu Mo."

However, I did not feel happy because of the kiss; on the contrary, my heart was filled with deep worry.

I looked at Jiang Yichen with a complicated expression, my brows furrowed, and my tone tinged with helplessness: "You shouldn't do this anymore. This ambiguous relationship between the two of us will make all three of us uncomfortable. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want to be hurt either."

Jiang Yichen gently touched the corner of my lips, his eyes full of tenderness: "I will not marry Lin Nan, you don't need to worry."

I looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong with you two? Why won't you get married?"

He didn't answer my question, but instead released me and said in a deep voice, "Let's go downstairs and see the gifts."

He took my hand in one hand, interlocked our fingers, and pulled me downstairs.

We arrived at the gift box, and I opened it. Inside was a bag exactly like the one Shen Yan had given me.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across my face. If Shen Yan hadn't given me the same gift, I would have been very happy right now, since Jiang Yichen knew my preferences and what I wanted.

Jiang Yichen noticed that my expression was a little off and asked, puzzled, "Don't you like it? Didn't you like this bag for a long time?"

I gave an awkward laugh and explained, "Shen Yan gave me the exact same bag."

Jiang Yichen's face darkened instantly. He stared intently at me and asked, "You can only choose one. Who do you choose?"

Worried that he would get angry again, I quickly said in a flattering tone, "Of course I'll choose you."

Seeing my attitude, his expression visibly softened.

I continued slowly, "But I can't return the gift she gave me. How about this, I'll keep hers, and you can carry mine with you every day, okay?"

He nodded, reluctantly agreeing.

After returning to my room, I lay on the bed, tossing and turning, my mind filled with countless thoughts.

Jiang Yichen's words, "They won't get married," weighed on my heart like a boulder, keeping me awake at night.

Could there be more to their engagement than meets the eye? What other secrets are hidden that I don't know about?

The more I thought about it, the less I understood, and the less I could sleep. I simply gave up on sleep, got up, sat on the edge of the bed, and picked up a book to read.

However, the words in the book seemed to have lost their meaning, and I couldn't concentrate.

I don't know how much time passed, but drowsiness gradually crept in, and I finally fell into a deep sleep with the book by my side.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and saw obvious dark circles under my eyes, my brows furrowed.

I couldn't help but feel resentful towards Jiang Yichen; it was all his fault for speaking unclearly, making me stay up all night. I sighed helplessly and started preparing for school.

To my surprise, Jiang Yichen didn't leave this morning.

When I came downstairs, he was sitting at the dining table, looking at steamed buns and drinking milk.

Seeing me come downstairs, he asked with concern, "What happened to your eyes? Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?"

I waved my hand and explained weakly, "Oh, it's nothing. I have exams coming up, so I stayed up all night studying last night."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yichen nodded slightly, then placed a sandwich in front of me and said, "Eat quickly, I'll take you to school later."

I mechanically took the milk and sandwich and ate them bite by bite.

On the bus, drowsiness returned, and I unconsciously closed my eyes. Jiang Yichen didn't wake me up until we arrived at the school gate.

I turned my head and saw Song Le leaning against the car outside the door, looking towards the school gate.

I lowered my raised hand and looked back at Jiang Yichen, meeting his mocking eyes.

Clearly, he had noticed Song Le long ago; he was just waiting to see how I would choose.

Thinking about the misunderstandings that happened between me and Song Le a few days ago, I guiltily withdrew my hand.

Or should I take the day off from class and leave with Jiang Yichen right now? But the thought was quickly dismissed by Jiang Yichen's ambiguous smile.

"I'm not a petty person, how could I delay your class?" Jiang Yichen said seriously, but I could detect a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Since the boss has spoken, I have no reason not to obey.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and continue. When I reached Song Le's side, I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as I asked, "Song Le, are you here to see Song Yuan off?"

I know I'm being a bit presumptuous with this question, since Song Le's sister is also at this school, and his coming here doesn't necessarily mean he's here to see me.

But I couldn't help but feel a little hopeful that he would agree, so that I could help him find his sister without any awkwardness.

However, Song Le shook her head and said with a smile, "I'm here to give you a birthday present. I tried calling you yesterday but couldn't reach you, so I could only come today to give you a birthday present."

I subconsciously turned to look at Jiang Yichen in the car, feeling a little flustered.

Song Le followed my gaze and looked over. When he saw Jiang Yichen, his expression remained calm, and he even asked with concern, "Have you two made up?"

I quickly shook my head and explained somewhat awkwardly, "No, he just gave me a ride on his way."

Actually, I don't know why I don't want Song Le to know the true relationship between me and Jiang Yichen. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of complicated emotional entanglements, or maybe it's because I don't want to ruin our friendship.

In short, I chose to keep it a secret.

After hearing what I said, Song Le burst into laughter and said, "Does that mean I still have a chance?"

His smile held a hint of teasing, yet also a touch of seriousness. I looked at him, a sense of hesitation creeping into my heart.

I know I've always considered him a good friend, and our relationship is purely platonic. I don't want it to change for any reason.

So I took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Song Le, I've always considered you a good friend, and our relationship is one of friendship. I don't want it to change for any reason, including my feelings for other people. So please understand."