Chapter 145: Gazing at Each Other Across the Horizon
Ye Tianqing and Yan Ruoxi spoke almost in unison.
"It's been a long time, model couple!" Hilo's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. His piercing eyes flashed with sharpness, and an innate air of authority radiated from his every movement, a commanding presence that seemed impossible to ignore.
"Hilo, after so long, you're still so unserious," Yan Ruoxi remarked, familiar with Hilo from their earlier years.
Ye Tianqing had also gotten to know Hilo through Yan Ruoxi, which was when he discovered Hilo's hidden, true identity.
Ye Tianqing had already encountered Hilo recently at the hospital, but Yan Ruoxi hadn't returned in time to see him.
"Hahaha, after all these years, Ruoxi, you're still as beautiful as ever," Hilo teased. "So, you're treating my Xiaoluo to a meal—how about inviting me along too?"
Yan Ruoxi glanced at Hilo, puzzled by his words.
"Xiaoluo? With you?" she asked, confusion flickering in her eyes.
Hilo smirked. "Ruoxi, surely you're not that stingy?"
"Of course not. Let's all go together," Yan Ruoxi replied, though she still didn't understand what was going on.
Hilo turned to Liang Xiaoluo with a grin. "Xiaoluo, today's our lucky day. Lunch was on Tianlin, and now dinner's on Tianqing. Saves us the trouble of deciding what to eat tonight!"
Liang Xiaoluo looked at Hilo in surprise. He seemed different today, almost as though she were an outsider, unable to grasp his intentions.
"You had lunch with Tianlin?" Yan Ruoxi and Ye Tianqing asked, once again in unison.
"Hm? Ruoxi, are you and Tianqing conjoined twins? You keep finishing each other's sentences," Hilo said innocently, blinking his strikingly handsome eyes. "Anyway, lunch wasn't great. Tianlin brought his fiancée—she was so arrogant, it was unbearable. She even made our Xiaoluo storm off, and I had to spend the whole afternoon searching for her."
Liang Xiaoluo grew increasingly uneasy. Why was Hilo telling her brother and sister-in-law all of this?
"Hilo!" She tugged on his sleeve, trying to stop him from saying more.
"Let's go, I'm starving. Time to eat," Hilo said, brushing off her attempts to interrupt.
Yan Ruoxi and Ye Tianqing exchanged thoughtful glances.
At a high-end restaurant, they dined together. Hilo kept up light chatter, occasionally dropping remarks that hinted at Liang Xiaoluo's scandal. At one point, he mused aloud, "I wonder if Tianlin's found out who leaked those photos."
The mention of the photos made Yan Ruoxi's face turn pale. Her hands trembled, and her knife and fork clattered loudly onto her plate.
"Ruoxi, are you alright? What's wrong?" Ye Tianqing asked, concerned.
Yan Ruoxi forced a strained smile and shook her head. "I'm fine. I just need to use the restroom."
"Oh, seems like everyone's rushing to the restroom today. I might as well go too," Hilo remarked lightly, rising to follow her.
This left Ye Tianqing and Liang Xiaoluo in awkward silence.
Yan Ruoxi hadn't slept well for days. The man who had given her the photos haunted her thoughts. She had anonymously sent the pictures to the newspaper, intending to shatter the relationship between Ye Tianlin and Liang Xiaoluo. Yet, instead of achieving her goal, Ye Tianlin had seemingly hidden Liang Xiaoluo from the world, making her impossible to find.
Watching Ye Tianqing's despondence over the past few days, Yan Ruoxi deeply regretted her malicious actions. She had not only inflicted pain on Liang Xiaoluo but also caused herself endless guilt.
"Ruoxi, why so hurried for the restroom?" Hilo's voice caught up to her as he stopped her steps.
"It's nothing," she replied nervously, trying to enter the restroom.
Hilo grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the emergency staircase.
"Hilo, what are you doing?" Yan Ruoxi's voice quivered with unease.
"Ruoxi, we've known each other since we were kids. I know exactly what kind of person you are," Hilo said calmly, looking directly at her.
Yan Ruoxi wasn't good at lying. Whenever someone pressed her on a lie, she became visibly uneasy, unable to meet their eyes, her body betraying her guilt.
Hilo hadn't wanted to suspect her. But when he saw the fleeting guilt in her eyes toward Liang Xiaoluo, he knew she was hiding something.
He needed answers—answers that would prove his oldest and closest friend wasn't the culprit.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about. I need to go," Yan Ruoxi stammered, her eyes darting around as she tried to leave.
Hilo pulled her back, his voice sharp. "You were the one behind it, weren't you?"
Yan Ruoxi froze. It felt as though her heart had stopped. Her entire body stiffened.
"I—I don't know what you mean…" Her teeth chattered as she spoke.
"Yan Ruoxi!" Hilo's voice rose in anger as he gripped her shoulders. "Why? Why would you do something so cruel? You've always been kind—why would you harm an innocent woman? What were you thinking?"
Yan Ruoxi clenched her teeth, her fists trembling. Tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't reveal the truth—she couldn't tell Hilo about her heart condition or that she had done all this to push Liang Xiaoluo toward Ye Tianqing. These secrets couldn't be exposed.
"Speak, Ruoxi! Why did you do it?" Hilo demanded, frustration and disappointment evident in his voice.
Just then, a soft voice trembled from behind them: "You…"
Hilo and Yan Ruoxi turned to see Liang Xiaoluo and Ye Tianqing standing there. Shock was written all over their faces.
Liang Xiaoluo covered her mouth, her expression one of disbelief. This was, perhaps, the most stunning revelation of her life.
She had always assumed Gu Lingzi was behind the scandal. Beyond her, she had never suspected anyone else.
Though the incident had caused her immense pain, she had found a way to cope, convincing herself it was merely bad luck. But now… to learn that the person who leaked the photos was Yan Ruoxi—the woman she had regarded as a sister, who had comforted her and offered her warm smiles—was devastating.
This once-kind figure had now revealed herself as a devil hiding behind a mask, extinguishing the last flicker of warmth in Liang Xiaoluo's heart.
"No, this isn't real," Liang Xiaoluo whispered, stepping back in fear. "It's not possible… not you, Sister Ruoxi. It can't be you…"
Her voice cracked as tears brimmed in her eyes. Unable to bear it, she turned and ran.
"Xiaoluo!" Yan Ruoxi called after her, trying to follow, but Hilo held her back.
"I'll go after her," he said, glancing at Ye Tianqing. "You deal with this."
Yan Ruoxi couldn't meet Ye Tianqing's gaze. Her hands trembled as cold sweat drenched her palms. Her face turned as pale as a sheet.
"Let's go back and finish our meal," she muttered, trying to escape.
But her body betrayed her. Her heart clenched painfully, making her gasp for breath.
Ye Tianqing grabbed her arm, his voice icy. "Ruoxi, why? Why does it have to be you?"
The pain in his voice was unbearable. This woman, whom he had shared his life with for three years and thought to be the kindest person he knew, had done something so inexplicably cruel.
"Why?" he asked again, his voice breaking.
"I… I…" Yan Ruoxi couldn't find an explanation.