Chapter 91: Softness Amid Chaos
Liang Xiaoluo could no longer discern her feelings. If Ye Tianlin's actions were just to provoke her, she could forgive him. But now, with those incriminating photos, how could she convince herself it was all just a game?
She couldn't lie to herself anymore.
Her heart sank into a pool of despair.
Knock, knock, knock.
As Xiaoluo wallowed in her sorrow, a soft knock sounded at her door, accompanied by a gentle voice. "Xiaoluo, are you awake?"
The knocking persisted, growing more urgent. "Xiaoluo, can you hear me? Xiaoluo?"
She couldn't summon the strength to respond. Her throat felt as though it had been sliced open, every word caught painfully inside.
When no answer came, the person outside couldn't wait any longer. Using a spare key, they unlocked the door and rushed in.
Seeing Xiaoluo sitting motionless on her bed like a lifeless doll, the person panicked and ran to her side, pulling her into their arms. "Xiaoluo, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
It was Ye Tianqing.
Xiaoluo remained unresponsive, her vacant eyes fixed on her phone screen as if it held something she couldn't look away from.
Noticing her unnatural state, Tianqing's gaze shifted to the phone in her hands. He called her name repeatedly, but she didn't respond. Out of concern, he reached for the phone, curiosity gnawing at him.
The moment he unlocked the screen, Xiaoluo suddenly reacted. Snatching the phone back, she turned away, panic flickering in her eyes. "Good morning, big brother…"
Despite her belated reaction, Tianqing had already seen the damning photo: Ye Tianlin and Gu Lingzi locked in an intimate embrace.
"Xiaoluo!" His voice carried a mix of anger and disbelief.
"Why are you here, big brother?" Xiaoluo tried to feign calmness, as if nothing had happened.
Tianqing stood abruptly. "I'm going to confront him. He needs to explain this to you!"
Only then did Xiaoluo realize he had seen the photo. She grabbed his sleeve, her dry tears breaking free again as she cried out hoarsely, "No, big brother! Don't go!"
Her raw, pleading voice struck Tianqing's heart like a blade. He froze, his anger dissolving into helplessness.
Turning to face her tear-streaked face, he felt his chest tighten with pain. "Xiaoluo, why do you let yourself suffer like this?"
"This is the path I chose, isn't it?" she whispered through her tears.
She didn't know why she felt safe confiding in Tianqing, why she let him see her most vulnerable side. Perhaps it was because he had always been there, a quiet guardian who offered her warmth when she was at her lowest.
She hadn't felt genuine warmth in so long. Tianqing's presence became a lifeline she clung to without realizing it.
Seeing her like this, Tianqing swallowed his questions. He didn't want to deepen her pain by reopening her wounds. He even began to question himself, regretting his push for Tianlin to open his heart to Xiaoluo. Perhaps he had misjudged. Perhaps Tianlin didn't truly love her.
His motivations had been selfish, a desire to sever Tianlin's ties to their mother and restore peace to their fractured family.
But Xiaoluo knew none of this.
Tianqing stayed with her in silence, offering quiet companionship. Neither of them noticed the wounded gaze of someone watching from the shadows. The observer's heart broke further with each passing moment.
Tianqing's focus remained entirely on Xiaoluo, leaving no room to notice anyone else—not even Yan Ruoxi.
"I'm fine now," Xiaoluo finally said, forcing herself to regain composure.
Tianqing nodded. "Let's head downstairs. Grandpa is waiting for us."
"Alright," she replied softly.
The two descended together, one after the other.
At the dining table, Gu Lingzi's parents had already arrived and were deep in conversation with Ye Lao.
"Oh? So Tianlin and Lingzi didn't come back last night?"
"Hahaha, young people love to play. It's only natural."
"Yes, we shouldn't meddle in their fun."
Ye Lao and Gu Lingzi's parents chatted away, oblivious to Xiaoluo and Tianqing's quiet arrival. Only when Tianqing coughed did they notice.
Even then, they showed no sign of guilt or discomfort. It was as if their remarks had been deliberately made for Xiaoluo's ears.
Xiaoluo's expression betrayed nothing, but inside, her heart bled.
Yan Ruoxi entered shortly after, her face pale, as if she had weathered a storm.
Seeing her, Tianqing told Xiaoluo, "Eat something first. Then Ruoxi can accompany you for a checkup and maybe a walk."
He worried Xiaoluo's earlier distress might have affected the baby and wanted her to visit the hospital. However, he couldn't accompany her himself without raising eyebrows, so he suggested Ruoxi.
But Ruoxi, who was usually warm and accommodating, refused coldly. "I have something to do. I don't have time."
Tianqing was taken aback by her bluntness. This wasn't like her.
"Ruoxi…" he began, but she brushed past him and left without looking back.
The atmosphere at the table grew tense.
Ye Lao frowned. The couple he had always thought to be harmonious seemed to be falling apart.
Gu Lingzi's parents seized the opportunity. "If Ruoxi is busy, why don't we accompany Xiaoluo instead? After all, we owe her thanks for lending Tianlin to Lingzi last night. It's the least we can do."
Xiaoluo instinctively wanted to refuse, but Tianqing spoke up first. "There's no need to trouble you. I'll take Xiaoluo myself."
His uncharacteristic breach of decorum drew sharp looks from everyone present.
"Enough," Ye Lao interjected. "Tianqing, you have business at the company. Let Gu Lingzi's parents take care of this. It's their kind gesture."
Caught between his grandfather's command and Xiaoluo's silent acquiescence, Tianqing reluctantly stepped back.
"Thank you," Xiaoluo said, her voice steady but resigned.
After breakfast, Gu Lingzi's parents escorted Xiaoluo to the hospital for her checkup. Tianqing wanted to follow but was stopped by Ye Lao.
"Tianqing," the elder said gravely, "do you know what you're doing?"
"What do you mean, Grandpa?" Tianqing asked, confused.
"She is your brother's woman. Don't forget your place," Ye Lao admonished, his tone heavy with disappointment.
Tianqing stiffened, his fists clenching at his sides.
Ye Lao had seen enough. First the scandal with Tianhao, and now hints of impropriety with Tianqing. Gu Lingzi's parents were right—keeping Liang Xiaoluo in the family was a recipe for disaster.
In Ye Lao's heart, his resolve hardened. Gu Lingzi's proposal to remove Xiaoluo suddenly seemed all the more reasonable.