Chapter 135: From This Moment, Strangers
"Fine!" Yan Ruoxi abruptly stood up.
Liang Xiaoluo glanced up, her sorrowful gaze meeting Yan Ruoxi's resolute expression.
Yan Ruoxi grasped Liang Xiaoluo's hands firmly. "I'll figure out a way to get you out of here."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and strode out of the room.
Liang Xiaoluo watched her retreating figure, her heart sinking deeper into despair. Could leaving really be an option?
Ever since Ye Tianlin told her he was going to marry Gu Lingzi, Liang Xiaoluo had lived like a walking corpse. Her eyes, though heavy with exhaustion, refused to close.
Whenever she did close them, the pain in her chest would creep up again—sharp, relentless, suffocating.
How she wished she could escape this place…
"Miss Xiaoluo! Miss Xiaoluo!"
The world always found a way to disturb Liang Xiaoluo's fragile peace. She dragged herself out of bed and trudged to the door. When she opened it, Lin the butler stood there, his face filled with urgency.
"Please, come downstairs quickly! Things are getting out of hand," he pleaded.
Liang Xiaoluo's eyelids twitched, but her expression remained composed.
Under Lin's anxious gaze, she slowly descended the stairs. As she drew closer, the sounds of objects smashing and a sharp female voice became clearer.
Liang Xiaoluo furrowed her brows slightly. When she finally arrived, she saw the source of the commotion—Yan Ruoxi. Normally gentle and soft-spoken, Yan Ruoxi now looked like a lioness ready to pounce, her voice sharp and biting.
"Ye Tianlin! If you won't marry Xiaoluo, then let her go! Why do you insist on keeping her here, forcing her to suffer?" Yan Ruoxi's face was flushed with anger, her voice rising.
Ye Tianlin sat there, unmoved, as if her words were insignificant. His indifferent demeanor only made Yan Ruoxi more furious.
"Answer me, Ye Tianlin! If you still consider yourself a man, then speak up! What right do you have to trap her here? What gives you the right to take away her freedom?" she yelled, almost trembling with rage.
Her words hit a nerve. Ye Tianlin's face darkened, and he finally spoke, his voice dripping with disdain. "Because she's my woman."
"What?!" Yan Ruoxi's eyes widened in disbelief. "You dare call her your woman? After you caused her miscarriage, made her cry endless tears, and allowed her to be bullied by everyone? Do you want her to live as a reviled mistress, scorned by the world as a shameless homewrecker?"
"Ruoxi, enough. Stop this," Ye Tianqing tried to intervene, but Yan Ruoxi was far from done.
She had once thought Ye Tianlin truly loved Liang Xiaoluo, that his love was worth enduring all the pain for. But now, seeing his arrogance and cruelty, she knew this man wasn't worth waiting for.
Ye Tianlin's tone turned icy as he responded, "That's between Xiaoluo and me. It's none of your concern."
Yan Ruoxi was so furious she momentarily lost the ability to retort.
"Tianlin," Ye Tianqing started, "she's your sister-in-law. Show some respect—Xiaoluo?"
His startled exclamation drew everyone's attention. All eyes turned to Liang Xiaoluo, who stood silently at the bottom of the stairs, watching the chaotic scene like a marionette with no will of her own.
"Xiaoluo, don't worry about him. I'll take you away," Yan Ruoxi declared, patting her chest as if to reassure Liang Xiaoluo and herself.
She had promised to help Liang Xiaoluo escape and was determined to keep her word.
Ye Tianlin stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "You don't have the right to take her away."
"Ye Tianlin!" Yan Ruoxi screamed.
Ignoring her outburst, Ye Tianlin grabbed Liang Xiaoluo and pulled her toward him. In his haste, he inadvertently tugged on her injured hand. The force reopened the wound, and pain shot through Liang Xiaoluo's arm. She gritted her teeth, swallowing the agony.
Yan Ruoxi's sharp eyes caught the blood soaking through the bandage. Furious, she shoved Ye Tianlin aside and grabbed Liang Xiaoluo's hand. "Your wound has reopened! Does it hurt?" Turning to Lin, she barked, "Get the first aid kit, now!"
Ye Tianlin stood frozen, staring at the bloodied bandage. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Liang Xiaoluo!" he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Yan Ruoxi shot him a glare colder than ice. "Do you need to see her die before you're satisfied?"
Liang Xiaoluo remained silent, her head bowed.
"Ruoxi, save the lectures. Let's just treat her wound," Ye Tianqing urged.
Yan Ruoxi followed his lead, focusing on tending to Liang Xiaoluo's injury.
Ye Tianlin watched from a distance, his expression conflicted. He wanted to approach her but couldn't find the courage or the right words.
When Yan Ruoxi finished, she didn't hold back. "If you have even a shred of decency, let Xiaoluo go. Give her back her freedom."
Ye Tianlin didn't respond.
Liang Xiaoluo knew better than to hope. She gently tugged on Yan Ruoxi's sleeve and shook her head. "Sister-in-law, I'm tired. I just want to rest."
"But Xiaoluo—"
Liang Xiaoluo looked up briefly, her gaze meeting Ye Tianlin's. Her voice was soft but carried an undeniable finality. "I'll stay by his side… until he's tired of me."
"Xiaoluo…"
Without another word, Liang Xiaoluo retreated to her room, leaving everyone else staring after her. She knew Ye Tianlin too well. Unless he released her himself, she would never escape him. So why fight?
Yan Ruoxi stormed upstairs, her fury barely contained. "Are you happy now, Ye Tianlin?"
Ye Tianqing sighed heavily, giving his brother a long, meaningful look. "Tianlin, I don't know what your plans are, but I hope I'm right in believing you truly care about Xiaoluo."
With that, he too left.
Ye Tianlin stood alone, his gaze fixed on the staircase Liang Xiaoluo had disappeared up. Her final glance at him was burned into his memory—a silhouette so solitary and forlorn it made his chest ache.
The night brought with it a torrential downpour. The sky, heavy with storm clouds, seemed to mourn alongside the world. Thunder rumbled ominously, and lightning lit up the darkened heavens.
In her dimly lit room, Liang Xiaoluo stood by the window, peering out through the heavy curtains. Her slender fingers brushed the fabric aside as she stared at the figure standing in the rain. Despite the distance and darkness, she recognized him instantly.
Her face remained emotionless. There was no pity, no pain, only an overwhelming restlessness that gnawed at her.
What was left for her to hold on to? A man who only brought her endless suffering? There was nothing left.
Down below, Ye Tianlin stood motionless in the pouring rain. His suit clung to his frame, soaked through. Raindrops mingled with the water streaming down his face, making it hard to tell if he was crying or simply drenched.
He clenched his fists tightly, refusing to move. The cold rain seeped into his skin, leaving him shivering, but he didn't care. His eyes stared blankly ahead, unfocused and dazed.
From above, Liang Xiaoluo watched, her heart heavy with despair. She couldn't bear to look any longer. Letting the curtain fall back into place, she turned away.
She lay on her bed, pulling the blanket over her head in a futile attempt to block out the sound of the rain and the image of Ye Tianlin's broken figure.
She had to stop thinking about him.
She had to stop feeling anything at all.