Chapter 89: Fear—Stay Away from Me
Damn it. This woman. He had only left for a short while, and she was already openly enticing another man.
And that man was his older brother.
Ye Tianlin knew Liang Xiaoluo wasn't that kind of person, yet he couldn't stop the flood of suspicion. His past traumas had left him incapable of trusting anyone.
This distrust was a monster he couldn't tame.
With clenched fists, Tianlin smashed his hand against a nearby tree, the sharp sting of pain barely tempering the fire in his heart.
"Brother Lin, so here you are!"
Gu Lingzi's voice broke his thoughts as she approached.
She had been searching for Tianlin all morning. Her parents had used the excuse of sightseeing to arrange some alone time for her with Tianlin. But shortly after her parents conveniently left, Tianlin had disappeared, leaving her to search aimlessly.
Now, finding him in the backyard, she hurried to his side.
Tianlin's mood couldn't have been worse. Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving Lingzi trailing behind like sticky gum on his shoe.
Feigning cheerfulness, she clung to his arm, speaking in a tone loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. She hoped Liang Xiaoluo would see her.
When the two of them entered the villa, they ran straight into Xiaoluo.
Lingzi clung to Tianlin's arm and cheerfully said, "Brother Lin, my parents had to leave unexpectedly, but I had such a wonderful time today!"
Her act was flawless, her words so sweet and sincere. Yet what surprised her most was that Tianlin didn't bother to expose her lie. Was he upset with Xiaoluo again?
The thought sent a spark of excitement through Lingzi. Every time Tianlin and Xiaoluo quarreled, she saw an opportunity.
"You're back," Xiaoluo said, forcing herself to remain calm.
She reminded herself that there was nothing between Tianlin and Lingzi. Just last night, he had confessed his love to her. She had to trust him.
Tianlin said nothing.
"Brother Lin, let's go to Dream River's most famous bar tonight, okay?" Lingzi pressed on.
Still, Tianlin remained silent.
After shooting Xiaoluo a cold glance, he turned and walked toward his room without another word.
Xiaoluo stood frozen, unable to make sense of what had just happened. Why did it feel like the man who had returned was a stranger?
Lingzi's act dropped the moment Tianlin left. She sneered and muttered, "Hmph, what a mood killer. Even Brother Lin can't stand to be around you."
She, too, turned and left.
"Xiaoluo?"
Yan Ruoxi had just returned, her face pale as if she had fought a battle.
Xiaoluo hastily wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Sister-in-law, you're back."
"What's wrong?" Ruoxi asked, seeing through her façade.
"Nothing," Xiaoluo said, smiling even wider, though it was tinged with bitterness. "I'm just tired. I'll skip dinner and rest in my room."
Without waiting for Ruoxi's reply, Xiaoluo hurried upstairs, afraid her tears would betray her if she lingered.
Ruoxi watched her retreating figure, confused, until she noticed Ye Tianqing also watching Xiaoluo from afar.
"Tianqing?" she called softly.
Startled, Tianqing replied, "You're back."
"Yes."
Their conversation ended there, a few clipped words with no further warmth. Tianqing didn't even notice the paleness of her face as he turned and left for his room.
Ruoxi's heart twisted painfully. Once again, she felt invisible.
No one cared about her. Not about her trip to the hospital earlier to confront her deteriorating heart condition. Not about the fact that she had to act normal despite the relentless advance of her illness.
Why didn't he care?
Her days were numbered.
Passing by Tianlin's room, Xiaoluo paused. The door was ajar, and she could see inside.
After hesitating, she raised her hand and knocked lightly before stepping in.
Tianlin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a cigar in his hand, smoking in silence. His lonely figure tugged painfully at her heart.
"You…" she began, taking tentative steps toward him.
She reached out, wanting to touch him, to dispel the isolation clinging to him. But her hand, heavy as lead, fell back to her side.
"You shouldn't smoke so much. It's bad for your health," she said softly.
Tianlin remained silent, the oppressive stillness of the room making her skin crawl.
"I'll go now," Xiaoluo said, turning to leave, her heart sinking with each step.
Before she could take another, Tianlin moved. He grabbed her arm and pressed her against the desk, his fiery gaze boring into her like a predator cornering its prey.
Xiaoluo glared back, her instinctual fear clashing with her determination not to appear weak.
"What's on your mind?" Tianlin's voice was low, dangerous. He pulled her closer, his breath hot against her ear.
"Nothing," Xiaoluo said through gritted teeth, trying to suppress her trembling hands.
"Liar," Tianlin hissed. "Are you afraid of me again?"
"No!" Xiaoluo snapped, though her body betrayed her.
"Then why won't you look at me?" he demanded, pinning her with his dark, bloodthirsty eyes.
Forcing herself to meet his gaze, she said coldly, "Is this good enough?"
Tianlin's expression darkened. Leaning in, he asked, "Why don't you ask me where I went today with Gu Lingzi?"
Wasn't she supposed to care about him? Why didn't it bother her that he had spent the entire day with another woman?
"Where did you go?" Xiaoluo asked mechanically, avoiding his gaze by staring out the window.
Tianlin grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him. "Don't give me that indifferent look. Do you think it's okay not to care?"
"Yes," she said, her voice hollow. "I don't care."
Would it even matter if she did?