Chapter 82: Rejection and Disgust
Ye Tianhao's self-esteem, deeply tied to his position in the family, was crushed by Gu Lingzi's scornful remark. Her dismissal stung more than he could admit, but instead of retreating, he lashed out.
Springing up from the floor, he closed the distance between them in a few strides and, without warning, swept her into his arms. Gu Lingzi's proud face was inches from his as his low, menacing voice rumbled, "Gu Lingzi, I'll show you that I'm better than both of my brothers."
Ignoring her protests, he carried her into his room. With one forceful motion, he tossed her onto the luxuriously soft bed. His lips twisted into a dangerous smile as he leaned over her, his weight pressing down just enough to make her squirm.
The Chaos in the Mansion
Downstairs, the air in Liang Xiaoluo's room was heavy with tension. Ye Tianlin had just returned, his face marked with bruises and his lip split—a clear testament to Ye Tianqing's earlier fury. Yan Ruoxi's eyes widened in alarm as she approached him.
"Tianlin, what happened to your face?" she asked, her concern genuine.
Before he could respond, Ye Tianqing entered, his expression stormy and his fists still trembling from their earlier altercation. Yan Ruoxi, sensing the unspoken hostility between the brothers, quickly intervened.
"Tianqing, come with me," she said, tugging on his arm. "I need your help with something downstairs."
Reluctantly, Ye Tianqing allowed himself to be led away, leaving Ye Tianlin and Liang Xiaoluo alone.
A Fractured Moment of Care
Ye Tianlin sat beside Liang Xiaoluo, his guilt and anger warring within him. She remained silent, her vacant eyes staring ahead as if the world around her had dissolved into nothingness. It was this emptiness in her gaze that pierced his heart.
Taking the ointment left behind by Yan Ruoxi, he began to gently apply it to her burns. His touch was uncharacteristically tender, as if fearing that any additional pressure might shatter her entirely.
"I need to check the rest of your injuries," he murmured. "I won't... I won't do anything. I just need to make sure you're okay."
Liang Xiaoluo neither acknowledged nor resisted, her silence a tacit agreement. As he unbuttoned her shirt to reveal the bruised expanse of her collarbone, his jaw clenched. The redness and swelling betrayed the severity of her burns and the cruelty behind them.
But it was the faint, deliberate handprints on her stomach that made his vision blur with fury.
"Was it Gu Lingzi?" His voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but it carried the weight of a storm brewing beneath the surface.
Liang Xiaoluo remained mute, her face devoid of expression.
Ye Tianlin's fists curled into tight balls, his knuckles turning white. He stood, intent on finding Gu Lingzi and making her pay, but Liang Xiaoluo's cold hand reached out, halting him.
"Don't," she said flatly, her tone void of life. "It's not worth it."
A Heartbreaking Confession
Ye Tianlin turned back, his frustration evident. "Not worth it? After what she did to you?"
Liang Xiaoluo's eyes finally met his, and for the first time, he saw the glimmer of tears threatening to spill. Her voice was soft but firm. "It wasn't her. It was me. I did this."
Ye Tianlin froze. Her words didn't register immediately. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't want it," she said, her hand moving to rest on her stomach. "I don't want this child. I want it gone."
Her confession hit him like a blow to the chest. For a moment, he could only stare at her in disbelief. Then the rage he had barely suppressed exploded.
"Liang Xiaoluo!" His voice thundered through the room, the intensity of his anger causing her to flinch. "That's my child! You have no right to take away its chance to live!"
He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her as his frustration boiled over. "How can you be so heartless? This child—our child—is innocent!"
Liang Xiaoluo's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Heartless? Maybe. But what kind of life would it have, being born into a loveless marriage? I won't let it suffer."
A Fragile Understanding
Ye Tianlin's grip loosened, his hands falling to his sides as her words sank in. The fire in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a quiet, unspoken pain.
"You think there's no love here?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "Is that really what you believe?"
Liang Xiaoluo didn't respond. Her silence was answer enough.
The room fell into a suffocating silence, broken only by the sound of her shallow breaths. For the first time, Ye Tianlin felt truly helpless. He had no words to convince her, no actions to prove her wrong.
All he could do was hold her. So he did, pulling her into his arms despite her resistance.
Liang Xiaoluo's tears soaked his shirt as she finally broke down, her sobs wracking her body. "Why?" she whispered. "Why does it have to be like this? Why do I always have to feel so small, so broken?"
Ye Tianlin's arms tightened around her, his own tears threatening to spill. "You don't," he murmured. "You're not broken, Xiaoluo. You're stronger than you think."
But as the two of them sat there, clinging to one another, both knew that words alone wouldn't heal the wounds they carried—or bridge the chasm between them.