Chapter 131: Leave? She's Mine
Liang Xiaoluo sensed something was wrong. Her expression tensed as she asked, "What's wrong with Grandpa? Did something happen?"
Butler Lin glanced at Ye Tianlin, then at Liang Xiaoluo. After much hesitation, he sighed deeply and revealed, "Master Ye had a stroke this morning and is currently in the hospital."
"A stroke?" Liang Xiaoluo gasped in shock.
In her memory, Grandpa Ye had always seemed robust and full of energy. How could he have suddenly fallen ill?
"Yes," Butler Lin confirmed. "Actually, the Gu family started pressuring Ye Corporation in secret last night. This morning, our stock price plummeted dramatically. The old master was so affected by the news that his emotions spiraled out of control, leading to the stroke."
"A stroke..." Liang Xiaoluo's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened in disbelief.
For someone his age, a stroke could be life-threatening. A single misstep in recovery might be fatal.
"How could this happen? Grandpa looked fine. Why would this happen so suddenly?" she muttered.
"The old master always puts on a brave face, smiling through everything. He never lets anyone know how much he's truly enduring," Butler Lin said with a sorrowful shake of his head.
A lump formed in Liang Xiaoluo's throat, and she found herself unable to speak. The ache in her chest grew, sharp and suffocating.
No wonder Ye Tianlin hadn't shown up for their appointment. No wonder he had been so short-tempered and agitated when he arrived. No wonder…
She clenched her fists. It was clear she still didn't fully understand him. She had always assumed that someone like him—proud, aloof, and seemingly indifferent—would never care about others' feelings. But in reality, he was simply terrible at expressing his emotions. Beneath the surface, he was just a clumsy, lonely child carrying everything on his own.
"Miss Xiaoluo," Butler Lin pleaded earnestly. "I know I've been rude to you in the past. But right now, I have no idea how to help the young master. Please, you must try to persuade him to stop hurting himself. If the old master wakes up and sees him like this, imagine how heartbroken he'll be."
"Don't worry, Butler Lin. I'll take care of him," Liang Xiaoluo promised.
At that moment, the family doctor rushed in, panting. "Old Lin, what's going on?"
The doctor froze when he saw Ye Tianlin's disheveled and injured state. He moved forward instinctively, but Liang Xiaoluo intercepted him.
"This…?" The doctor looked confused.
"Leave it to me." Liang Xiaoluo took the medical kit from the doctor's hands.
Though Ye Tianlin's injuries didn't seem serious, Liang Xiaoluo knew she could treat him better than any doctor could. However, his physical wounds weren't her main concern; it was his emotional turmoil that needed tending.
The doctor glanced at Butler Lin, who nodded in silent agreement. Reluctantly, the doctor left with Butler Lin, leaving Liang Xiaoluo alone with Ye Tianlin.
Liang Xiaoluo sighed heavily as she approached the bar, where Ye Tianlin sat slumped, drunk beyond coherence. His bloodied hand continued to drip steadily onto the counter as he nursed yet another bottle of alcohol.
"Tianlin, that's enough," she said softly but firmly, taking the half-empty bottle from his hand and setting it aside.
She gently helped him off the high stool, his heavy frame nearly toppling her. Straining under his weight, she managed to guide him to the living room sofa, where she lowered him carefully.
Retrieving the medical kit, she knelt beside him. "Stay still. Let me check your hand."
Examining his injured hand, she was relieved to find it was only a superficial cut and hadn't damaged any bones. She opened the kit and began cleaning and dressing the wound with practiced care.
Ye Tianlin remained surprisingly docile. Unlike the way he had treated Butler Lin earlier, he made no protest or resistance under Liang Xiaoluo's touch. He sat slouched on the sofa, his head drooping, his gaze unfocused, and his movements sluggish—completely at her mercy.
By the time she had finished tending to him, he was lying down, his breathing slow and even.
"Tianlin, let's get you to your room so you can rest," Liang Xiaoluo whispered, her voice filled with quiet concern.
She tried lifting him, but his weight was too much for her. Seeing no other choice, she called for Butler Lin, who quickly arrived to help.
"Thank you," Liang Xiaoluo said as the two of them worked together to support Ye Tianlin up the stairs.
Surprisingly, Ye Tianlin didn't struggle. He allowed them to guide him, his movements slow and compliant.
They gently laid him down on the bed in his room. Liang Xiaoluo turned to Butler Lin. "You can rest now. I'll stay with him."
Butler Lin hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright. Call me if you need anything."
Once everyone had left, the room fell silent. Liang Xiaoluo sat at the edge of the bed, gazing at Ye Tianlin's face. Even in his drunken stupor, his features were flawless—long lashes, sculpted jawline, and skin free of imperfections. Yet there was a certain vulnerability, a heaviness to his expression, that tugged at her heart.
She reached out, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek. "You're carrying so much, aren't you?"
He bore everything on his own shoulders—every crisis, every expectation. How exhausting that must be. But what could she do for him?
Butler Lin had mentioned the Gu family's moves against Ye Corporation. If she hadn't appeared, if Gu Lingzi and Ye Tianlin had been together as everyone intended, would Ye Tianlin's life have been easier? Would Grandpa Ye have avoided his stroke? Would Ye Tianlin have been spared this anguish?
Perhaps everything was her fault.
A bitter thought crept into her mind: Should I leave him?
The idea sent a stabbing pain through her chest.
"If I leave you… will things get better?" she whispered.
As she stood to leave, Ye Tianlin suddenly bolted upright. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with surprising strength. His bloodshot eyes locked onto hers, wild and intense.
"Xiaoluo," he rasped. "Are you going to leave me too?"
Startled by his sudden movement, Liang Xiaoluo froze. "Tianlin…"
His voice trembled with desperation. "Everyone I care about leaves me. Are you going to abandon me too?"
"Tianlin, it's not like that! I—"
Before she could finish, Ye Tianlin pulled her back, pinning her beneath him on the bed. His reddened eyes burned with raw emotion as he loomed over her.
"Why?" he growled. "Why do you want to leave me?"
"You're drunk, Tianlin," she pleaded, trying to reason with him.
"Drunk?" He laughed bitterly, his breath reeking of alcohol. "Do you think I can't feel pain just because I'm drunk?"
His grip tightened, his anguish boiling over. "You'll leave, just like everyone else."
"No, Tianlin, I won't leave you!" she cried, struggling against his hold.
But her protests only seemed to provoke him further. His lips crashed onto hers with a fierce intensity, silencing her cries.
"Stop! Let me go!" she screamed, but her voice was muffled.
His grasp was unrelenting, his strength overwhelming. No matter how hard she tried to push him away, it was as if he was determined to hold onto her—desperate, broken, and lost.