Chapter 119: Reunion, Nothing More
"I'm going home on my own," Liang Xiaoluo declared, refusing to pay Ye Tianlin any more attention.
She walked ahead, but despite his reluctance, Ye Tianlin followed closely behind. "Liang Xiaoluo, you're going to drive me crazy!"
She couldn't help but laugh. How could a grown man act so much like a child?
What Liang Xiaoluo didn't know was that Ye Tianlin's tumultuous childhood, shaped by Kelin, had robbed him of any semblance of a normal upbringing. His life had been marred by constant fear, leaving scars she couldn't begin to fathom.
The small, dilapidated house still emitted a faint musty odor. Liang Xiaoluo led the way, while Ye Tianlin trailed behind. The moment they approached, Liang Hui and Lin Meiling tensed up, their expressions guarded.
"Dad!" Liang Xiaoluo knocked on the door and called out.
The sound of her voice startled Liang Hui. He rushed to open the door, his eyes red-rimmed with emotion. "Xiaoluo, is that really you? My Xiaoluo!"
"Dad!" The two embraced tightly.
It had been far too long since they last saw each other. Liang Hui didn't know she had left the Ye family or that she had suffered a miscarriage. The Ye family had kept him completely in the dark.
"Xiaoluo, has something happened? Has someone been bullying you? Tell me, and even if it costs me my life, I'll get justice for you!" Liang Hui's voice trembled with anger.
"Anyone who dares bully her will have to deal with me first," Ye Tianlin's voice drifted in from behind, calm but with an edge of steel.
Liang Hui's protective instincts kicked in. He pulled Xiaoluo behind him, glaring at Ye Tianlin as if the man were a wolf eyeing his prey.
"Dad, it's okay. Tianlin came with me to visit you," Liang Xiaoluo explained, tugging on her father's sleeve.
"He came to see me?" Liang Hui's disbelief was written all over his face.
Ye Tianlin, the high and mighty heir, in a place like this?
"Dad, this is my first visit, and I didn't bring anything. You're not going to turn me away because of that, are you?" Ye Tianlin's tone softened as he addressed Liang Hui.
Liang Hui froze, and Lin Meiling quickly nudged him. "Old man, what are you waiting for? Let our son-in-law come in!"
Ever since Lin Meiling witnessed Xiaoluo being mistreated at the Ye family's estate, her attitude toward Xiaoluo had shifted. She finally understood how hard life had been for the young woman. The years had taught her the difficulty of being a stepmother and navigating family conflicts.
"Of course, of course! Please come in!" Liang Hui was taken aback when Ye Tianlin called him "Dad," but it filled him with unexpected warmth.
Perhaps Xiaoluo's choice wasn't so wrong after all. Maybe she really could find happiness and move past their painful history.
"Stepmom, come inside too," Liang Xiaoluo called out to Lin Meiling, who lingered hesitantly by the door.
Lin Meiling hesitated, her guilt from years of mistreating Liang Xiaoluo weighing heavily on her. She had once feared that all of Liang Hui's inheritance would go to his biological daughter, Xiaoluo, leaving nothing for her own daughter, Lin Xue. That fear had fueled her unkindness.
But the family's bankruptcy had changed everything. Witnessing Xiaoluo's hardships at the Ye estate had awakened a sense of shame and empathy in her.
"Xiaoluo, I—" Lin Meiling stammered, ashamed of her past behavior.
"Let's let the past stay in the past," Liang Xiaoluo said, offering her stepmother a small smile. She had experienced so much; there was no point in holding onto old grievances.
Lin Meiling's heart warmed, and she smiled back.
The oppressive clouds of old conflicts seemed to lift, replaced by a tentative peace.
At the dinner table, Liang Hui and Lin Meiling warmly insisted that Ye Tianlin stay for a meal. For the first time, Ye Tianlin experienced the comforting warmth of a home-cooked meal. He ate with an appetite he hadn't realized he had.
Partway through the meal, Lin Xue returned from her part-time job.
Lin Meiling, always the planner, couldn't resist asking Ye Tianlin to help find Lin Xue a good marriage prospect. Out of respect for Liang Xiaoluo, Ye Tianlin agreed.
Later, Liang Xiaoluo and Lin Xue washed the dishes together, their laughter filling the kitchen like that of true sisters.
Meanwhile, Ye Tianlin explored Liang Xiaoluo's old bedroom. Liang Hui joined him, eagerly explaining the stories behind the many photos on the walls.
"Xiaoluo was such a cute child," Liang Hui said with pride, pointing at a picture of a young girl with doll-like features.
As they reminisced, an old photograph slipped out of a stack and onto the floor. Ye Tianlin picked it up. The worn image depicted four people: Liang Hui, a young Xiaoluo, and two others who weren't Lin Meiling or Lin Xue. Intrigued, Ye Tianlin asked, "Dad, who are these two?"
Before Liang Hui could answer, Xiaoluo entered the room, having finished with the dishes. "Dad, Tianlin, what fruit do you want? Lin Xue and I can go buy some."
Startled, Liang Hui hastily snatched the photo from Ye Tianlin and hid it behind his back. With forced cheer, he said, "Anything is fine, as long as it's something Xiaoluo picks. I'll like whatever you get."
Ye Tianlin was taken aback by Liang Hui's sudden reaction, his curiosity piqued.
"What about you, Tianlin?" Xiaoluo asked.
Sensing Liang Hui's unease, Ye Tianlin decided to play along. "I'm the same. As long as Xiaoluo picks it, I'll love it."
Blushing, Xiaoluo hurried out the door. "Fine, I'll go now!"
As soon as she left, Ye Tianlin turned back to Liang Hui, his expression serious.
Hesitant at first, Liang Hui eventually sighed. "You're wondering about the other two in the photo, aren't you?"
Ye Tianlin nodded, his curiosity evident.
"One of them is my late wife, Xiaoluo's mother. The other is her older sister, Liang Xiaomu," Liang Hui revealed, his voice heavy with emotion.
"Xiaoluo has an older sister?" Ye Tianlin exclaimed in shock.
He had never heard Xiaoluo mention a sibling, other than her stepsister Lin Xue. He knew that her mother had been a police officer who tragically lost her life at the hands of criminals seeking revenge. But an older sister?
"She's never mentioned it to you because she doesn't remember. Xiaoluo herself doesn't know she has a sister," Liang Hui explained.
"What? How is that possible?" Ye Tianlin was incredulous.
"She has selective amnesia," Liang Hui admitted reluctantly.
"Selective amnesia?" The words echoed in Ye Tianlin's mind, raising a storm of questions.
How could Xiaoluo, who seemed so normal, have amnesia?
Liang Hui recounted the tragic story of how Xiaoluo's sister had sacrificed herself to save her, and how the trauma had led Xiaoluo to repress those memories.
Ye Tianlin listened intently, his heart aching with each revelation. He clenched his fists as Liang Hui described the potential progression of selective amnesia. While Xiaoluo currently seemed fine, in the worst-case scenario, her condition could worsen, leading her to forget everything—even the people she loved.
The thought of Xiaoluo forgetting him was unbearable.
"Don't worry too much," Liang Hui reassured him. "The doctors have said her condition is stable. It's unlikely to cause any major issues."
But for Ye Tianlin, the possibility of being forgotten by Xiaoluo loomed like a dark shadow.