Chapter 161: The Conspiracy – A Wedding Bride
"I believe I will have another chance to return." For Shiro, titles and honors held little significance. What truly mattered was knowing that the people he cared about were still alive and well in this world. That alone was enough.
"Your Highness..."
"Let's go. We have somewhere to be," Shiro instructed.
"Hmm?" Ryan was puzzled.
Shiro didn't elaborate. As they prepared to leave, he glanced back at the smoldering wreckage of the car near Tianlin's vehicle. It was reduced to little more than charred debris, and for a moment, he seemed to picture the tragic demise of the person inside. "She was a pitiful woman," he said softly.
Ryan took a quick look at the scene and replied, "She brought it upon herself. If she hadn't harbored ill intentions, she wouldn't have been set up like this."
"Yes. Without malice, her once-beautiful life could have stayed untainted." Shiro withdrew his pity-filled gaze and turned away.
The two left the accident site.
An hour earlier, Tianhao, who had lost track of Gu Lingzi's car, arrived at the crash site in a panic. His eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the burned-out shell of a vehicle, along with the faintly recognizable license plate. His hands trembled as he slowly approached.
"Lingzi... Lingzi..."
It was Gu Lingzi's car—Tianhao recognized it instantly.
Earlier, he had overheard a suspicious conversation between Yan Ruoxi and Hualin, which only heightened his concern for Gu Lingzi. Moreover, with Tianlin having humiliated the Gu family overnight and turning them into a citywide laughingstock, his worry for her only deepened.
For days, Tianhao had stationed himself near Gu Lingzi's apartment, only to witness a peculiar man entering her building about an hour before she stormed out like someone possessed. She sped off in her car with a clear destination in mind.
Unable to stop her, Tianhao followed from a distance, careful not to be noticed. But somewhere along the route, he lost track of her car.
Now, all that remained of Gu Lingzi was this charred wreckage.
"Ahhh!" Tianhao roared in anguish.
Why? Why did this have to happen?
His eyes burned red with grief and rage. The only person he could think to blame was Tianlin.
Clenching his fists, veins bulging, he growled, "Tianlin, you'll pay for this with your life!"
Outside the Royal Hotel, an hour had passed since Tianlin was last seen. The old patriarch was becoming visibly anxious.
"Hualin," he asked, "do you think something might have happened?"
Hualin gently patted his shoulder. "Father, don't worry. Everything is fine," she assured him.
But deep inside, a smirk tugged at her lips. Gu Lingzi and Liang Xiaoluo—both nuisances who stood in her way—should have already been erased from this world by now. Soon, no one would challenge her hold over Tianlin.
Just as Hualin began savoring her apparent victory, a sleek Lamborghini pulled into view. It came to a halt, and out stepped Liang Xiaoluo, supported by the maid Xiao Yue. Seeing both the old patriarch and Hualin, Xiaoluo's eyes flickered with surprise.
The old man's expression mirrored her shock.
Even Hualin was taken aback.
"Grandfather?" Xiaoluo asked, bewildered. "Why are you here?"
"My dear Xiaoluo, you're finally here!" The old man quickly wheeled himself closer and clasped her hand warmly, a broad smile lighting up his face.
Xiaoluo froze in astonishment. "Grandfather, you've regained consciousness?"
The old patriarch nodded, his tone brimming with affection. "Yes, I've recovered. And now, I can welcome you properly."
His unexpected warmth left Xiaoluo uneasy. "Grandfather, I... I don't understand."
Her mind spun, struggling to piece together the scene before her. Why was the old man here? Could it be that Tianlin was also getting married today, in this very hotel?
Catching her confusion, the patriarch chuckled heartily. "Oh, you silly girl. Tianlin played quite the trick on you!"
"I've been deceived?" Xiaoluo blinked, her bewilderment deepening.
"Yes," he said with a grin. "The bride Tianlin is marrying today is none other than you."
The revelation hit Xiaoluo like a bolt of lightning. Her thoughts raced back to the night of the fire, to the figure she had glimpsed before losing consciousness—how closely it had resembled Tianlin. Even in her dreams, she had heard his voice.
And then there were her father, stepmother, and stepsister, with all their odd behavior these past few days...
The truth dawned on her. "It was him... Tianlin planned all of this!"
Tears welled in her eyes as the old man recounted every detail of Tianlin's elaborate scheme. Finally, her tears spilled over.
Every seemingly cold-hearted act, every moment of distance—it had all been for her protection, for their shared future.
That cruel man... How could he hide everything so well?
"Grandfather," she asked through her tears, "is all of this true?"
The old man nodded firmly. "Every word is true."
Overwhelmed by emotion, Xiaoluo covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. Just moments ago, she had been drowning in despair; now, Tianlin's love had turned her world upside down.
"Grandfather said your car broke down, and Tianlin couldn't wait, so he drove off to find you himself. Didn't you see him?" the old man asked, puzzled.
"Find me?" Xiaoluo was at a loss.
She hadn't encountered Tianlin on the road. Instead, she recalled how the driver had suddenly sped up midway, seemingly avoiding something behind them. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn't managed to look back properly.
The patriarch's expression turned serious. "How could you not have seen him? Tianlin specifically said he went to find you. Could something have gone wrong?"
A sense of unease settled over him. The memory of Tianlin's tense demeanor before leaving resurfaced.
"Grandfather, please tell me—has something happened to Tianlin?" Xiaoluo pleaded, her voice trembling.
Her eyelids twitched uncontrollably, as though warning of impending disaster. Her heart raced, refusing to calm.
"It should be nothing," the patriarch said, though his own hands trembled. "I'll call Zuo Lun and check."
As he fumbled to retrieve his phone, it slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. His pale face betrayed his mounting fear.
"Father, relax. Tianlin will be fine," Hualin said with a feigned calmness. Yet deep down, unease gnawed at her. Xiaoluo's safe arrival was a twist she hadn't anticipated.
Had her hired men failed to eliminate her?
But how? They had reported trailing Xiaoluo from the moment she left, planning to strike just as they had orchestrated Gu Lingzi's fatal crash. Everything had seemed flawless.
Hualin picked up the dropped phone and handed it back to the old man. But before he could make the call, Shiro arrived at the scene.
Xiaoluo's heart skipped a beat as she recognized him. Her mind flashed back to the brief moments on the road when the car had swerved. In the mirror, she had seen someone who looked strikingly like Shiro.
"Shiro?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you here?"
"I suggest you all head to the hospital," Shiro said grimly. "Tianlin's been in an accident. You need to go see him."