Chapter 144: Sincerity, Seeing the World
Gu Lingzi couldn't find an answer. Swallowing her anger, she turned and left.
Neither Gu Lingzi nor Liang Xiaoluo noticed that Ye Tianlin and Hilo had been watching them from the shadows for quite some time, overhearing their entire conversation.
When Gu Lingzi slapped Liang Xiaoluo, Ye Tianlin almost rushed out. If Hilo hadn't held him back, he would have made Gu Lingzi leave in tears.
"Did you know about this?" Ye Tianlin asked coldly.
Ever since the newspaper published the scandal about Liang Xiaoluo, Ye Tianlin had directed all his suspicions at Gu Lingzi. He feared the public's judgment would hurt Liang Xiaoluo and had decided to send her away, thinking it was the only way to protect her from further harm.
For days, he had been monitoring Gu Lingzi's every move but found no evidence linking her to the incident. If it wasn't Gu Lingzi, then who could it be? Hua Lin? Or someone else?
Ye Tianlin still hadn't found an answer.
"I don't think Gu Lingzi is responsible for this," Hilo said calmly.
Hilo had been suspicious of Ye Tianlin ever since Liang Xiaoluo had been sent to him. Today's outing was part of a carefully laid plan to observe Ye Tianlin's reaction and confirm his suspicions.
Ye Tianlin frowned, staring at Hilo as if demanding to know what he was hiding.
"That day, I saved Xiaoluo. Gu Lingzi's camera was destroyed by me. There's no way she could have kept any negatives," Hilo recounted, recalling every detail of that day.
Ye Tianlin's thin lips curved into a cold smile. "So you're saying someone else is targeting Liang Xiaoluo?"
"And there's one more thing you should know," Hilo said, his tone steady.
"What is it?" Ye Tianlin's voice was icy and commanding, leaving no room for refusal.
Hilo replied solemnly, "Do you remember the day you picked up Xiaoluo—the day she had a miscarriage? Early that morning, while walking by the river, I saw three men trying to throw Xiaoluo into the water. If I'd been a second later, it wouldn't have been just her child—Xiaoluo herself wouldn't have survived."
Ye Tianlin's face darkened as he listened, veins bulging in his clenched fists. His sharp eyes narrowed, and his voice dripped with cold anger. "Someone tried to kill Liang Xiaoluo?"
This was something Liang Xiaoluo had never mentioned to him. She had said it was an accident, but now he realized it was someone else's deliberate act.
"This is all I can tell you. I don't know what's going on with you, why you're so determined to hurt her," Hilo said, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "If you can't protect her, let her go. I'll protect her, even if it costs me my life."
Ye Tianlin's expression shifted instantly. His sharp gaze bore into Hilo's arrogant demeanor. He suppressed the furious roar rising in his chest and sneered, "You've fallen for her."
"Yes, I've fallen for her," Hilo admitted, finally confronting the feelings he had been avoiding.
Seeing Liang Xiaoluo's pain when she looked at Ye Tianlin had been unbearable. During the days he hadn't seen her, his life had felt empty, devoid of meaning. The more he tried to distance himself from his emotions, the more they consumed him.
Wasn't this proof that he had fallen in love with Liang Xiaoluo?
"I've warned you—she's my woman," Ye Tianlin said, his voice growing deeper and more menacing as he stared at Hilo.
Hilo glanced at Ye Tianlin with indifference and replied calmly, "I've never agreed to your warning. You just happened to meet her before I did. If I'd met her first, she wouldn't be your woman."
Ye Tianlin's long-suppressed rage erupted at Hilo's provocative words.
He stepped forward, grabbing Hilo by the collar. Fury burned in his eyes as he spat, "Hilo, you're courting death."
"Ha! That depends on your ability," Hilo shot back, refusing to back down.
Ye Tianlin raised his fist, ready to strike. Just then, Ryan, who had been secretly following them, jumped out and intervened. "Young Master Tianlin, let's talk this out. There's no need for fists."
The two men glared at each other, locked in a tense standoff.
Ye Tianlin finally lowered his fist. His cold gaze lingered on Hilo before he said in a chilling tone, "You and I—we'll always be enemies."
With that, he turned and left without looking back.
Watching Ye Tianlin's retreating figure, Hilo felt a pang of sadness.
Enemies—they were destined to be adversaries, a fate Hilo had never wanted.
"Prince Hilo." Ryan waved a hand in front of Hilo's face, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Ryan handed him a phone, showing him the screen. "Miss Xiaoluo is surrounded by danger."
Hilo's expression shifted as he stared at the images on Ryan's phone. No matter what, he needed to stay by Liang Xiaoluo's side.
Meanwhile, Liang Xiaoluo, having just argued with Gu Lingzi, felt utterly drained. As she wandered aimlessly, every step became heavier. Where could she go to heal her wounds?
Lost in thought, she didn't notice the pole directly in her path. Just as she was about to collide with it, a strong arm pulled her back.
"Careful!" a worried voice said.
Startled, Liang Xiaoluo stared at the pole in front of her. If she'd hit it, it would've hurt a lot.
Cold sweat broke out on her back. She turned to the person behind her and stammered, "Thank you… thank you so much."
"Xiaoluo!" The deep, magnetic voice struck a chord in her heart.
In an instant, her eyes reddened, and her nose stung with suppressed emotions. Her lips trembled, and tears threatened to fall.
"Big Brother," she choked out, her voice hoarse with emotion.
"Xiaoluo, what happened? Who bullied you?" Ye Tianqing asked, his worry evident.
Liang Xiaoluo forced a weak smile and shook her head. "No one bullied me."
In the Ye family, only Ye Tianqing and Yan Ruoxi had ever shown her kindness, like family offering warmth to her cold heart.