Chapter 136: The Fiancée
Liang Xiaoluo forced herself to sleep, but after an eternity of tossing and turning, she couldn't stand it anymore. Throwing off the blanket, she ran downstairs, grabbed an umbrella by the door, and pushed it open. Before she even had a chance to open the umbrella, cold raindrops splattered against her skin, sending a chill through her body. Shivering, she quickly opened the umbrella and ran toward Ye Tianlin.
"Ye Tianlin…"
Her voice was nearly drowned out by the pounding rain hitting the umbrella. Ye Tianlin, barely holding on, raised his eyes. His lashes were soaked, clumping together from the rain. By the time he focused on her, Liang Xiaoluo was already standing in front of him.
Ye Tianlin blinked through the rainwater dripping down his face. A faint, bittersweet smile curved his lips as he whispered, "Liang Xiaoluo, I knew… you couldn't let me go…"
"Ye Tianlin!" she cried out, anger and worry mixing in her voice. "What are you doing out here? Do you want to die?"
Without waiting for his reply, she straightened her posture, her heart a mix of pain and frustration. If he was determined to self-destruct, how could she stop him?
As she turned to leave, Ye Tianlin grabbed her hand, his grip weak yet unyielding. "Xiaoluo…"
She froze, her tear-filled eyes meeting his.
"Don't hate me. I… I really need you…" His voice broke, his pain cutting through the sound of the rain.
His plea pierced her heart. Before she could respond, Ye Tianlin swayed and collapsed toward the ground. Liang Xiaoluo reacted instinctively, throwing her body under his to catch him.
"Ye Tianlin!" she screamed, holding his unconscious form. "Wake up! Ye Tianlin!"
The night blanketed the Ye family mansion in a suffocating stillness. After standing in the pouring rain for so long, Ye Tianlin's body burned like a furnace, his temperature alarmingly high. Liang Xiaoluo sat by his bedside, her back pressed against the wall, watching the IV drip slowly feed into his vein.
Lin the butler and the doctor bustled about, trying everything to bring Ye Tianlin's fever down. If his temperature didn't lower soon, it could cost him his life.
"Miss Xiaoluo, you should get some rest. It will take some time for his fever to break," Ye Tianqing suggested gently, worry lining his face.
Liang Xiaoluo shook her head. "I'll stay here."
Her mind was a storm of emotions. Was this all part of his plan? Did he deliberately stand in the rain, knowing she'd be watching? Was this his way of keeping her tied to him, bound by guilt?
Ye Tianlin… how cruel could you be?
Hours later, his fever finally subsided. The doctor declared him out of danger, and Lin the butler turned to Ye Tianqing. "Young Master, Second Young Master is stable now. You can rest; I'll take over."
Ye Tianqing hesitated, glancing at Liang Xiaoluo.
"You all can leave. I'll stay and look after him," Liang Xiaoluo said softly.
Despite their protests, she insisted, and eventually, everyone left her alone with Ye Tianlin.
She sat by his bedside, watching his sleeping face. "Ye Tianlin… are we going back to hurting each other again?"
Her voice carried a quiet resignation. She gazed at him with sorrow in her eyes. "I don't want to fall for you again… Can't you just let go?"
No answer came. The silence of the room was suffocating, filled with an unbearable emptiness. Was this sadness? Resentment? Or had they both grown numb to the pain?
Liang Xiaoluo sighed deeply, her thoughts drifting as she stared out at the faint drizzle through the window. Her attention was drawn back to the room when a shadow passed by the door. She turned her head sharply but saw nothing when she went to investigate.
Shaking her head, she dismissed it as her imagination and closed the door again. Little did she know, a figure lingered near the staircase, their eyes gleaming with malice as they stared toward Ye Tianlin's room.
The next morning, Ye Tianlin woke up. His gaze was sharp despite his pale complexion. "Who took care of me last night?" he asked Lin the butler.
Lin hesitated for a moment. "It was Miss Xiaoluo, sir."
Ye Tianlin's furrowed brow relaxed slightly, a faint trace of warmth crossing his cold expression. "I knew it…"
"Sir, you should eat something," Lin said, handing him a bowl of porridge.
Ye Tianlin took it without complaint and ate quickly. Feeling refreshed, he dressed and left for the office. Since Ye Lao's collapse, he had taken on a leadership role in the Ye Group, commanding respect and fear in equal measure.
Meanwhile, Yan Ruoxi came to check on Liang Xiaoluo as usual. "Xiaoluo, are you up?" she called softly.
Liang Xiaoluo opened the door to see Yan Ruoxi smiling brightly. "Good morning, Sister-in-law."
"Come down for breakfast with me. After that, I'll take you out for a bit. You've been cooped up here too long," Yan Ruoxi said, hoping to lift her spirits.
"Alright," Liang Xiaoluo agreed with a small nod.
At the breakfast table, the only other person present was Ye Tianhao, looking as disinterested as ever. Most of the family was either at the company or the hospital.
"Tianhao, when did you get back?" Yan Ruoxi asked casually.
"Just now," he replied indifferently.
Before the conversation could continue, the TV blared a headline that caught everyone's attention.
"Breaking news! The much-anticipated wedding of Ye Group's second young master, Ye Tianlin, has taken a dramatic turn. Rumors suggest that Gu Lingzi, daughter of the influential Gu family, will replace his original fiancée, Liang Xiaoluo. Is Gu Lingzi the ultimate winner in this high-stakes battle for Ye Tianlin's heart? Stay tuned as we uncover the truth…"
Yan Ruoxi panicked. "Let's eat out instead, Xiaoluo. It's too stuffy in here," she said quickly, pulling Liang Xiaoluo away.
Liang Xiaoluo showed no reaction. She had expected this. It was only a matter of time.
Ye Tianhao, however, clenched his fists. The lingering scent of Gu Lingzi's perfume from last night enraged him. She was his, and no one else would take her away—not even Ye Tianlin.
As they drove away from the mansion, the tension in the car was palpable. Yan Ruoxi's nervousness was evident, and she clutched her chest as if trying to steady her breathing.
"Sister-in-law, are you okay?" Liang Xiaoluo asked, noticing her pallor.
"I'm fine…" Yan Ruoxi's smile was forced, but her face betrayed her discomfort. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and her lips turned a worrying shade of purple.
"Sister-in-law, you're lying!" Liang Xiaoluo pressed, her voice rising with concern.
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Yan Ruoxi's wrist to check her pulse. Her expression darkened as she felt the weak, erratic rhythm.
"Driver, take us to the hospital!" Liang Xiaoluo ordered urgently.
"No! I can't go to the hospital!" Yan Ruoxi protested weakly, panic flashing in her eyes.
"Why not? Are you hiding something from me?" Liang Xiaoluo's voice wavered as realization dawned. "Sister-in-law… Do you have a heart condition?"
Yan Ruoxi's silence was all the confirmation Liang Xiaoluo needed.
"No matter what, we're going to the hospital," Liang Xiaoluo said firmly.
Yan Ruoxi's lips trembled as she whispered, "Please… don't let Tianqing find out…"