Chapter 175: Youth Hurts, Growing Up Hurts Even More
In the days since their separation, Ye Tianlin had been searching for the right moment to explain everything to Liang Xiaoluo. He wanted her to know that all his cruel actions were meant to protect her. But would such an explanation ever suffice?
The wounds he inflicted on her heart were like scars—ones that might never heal.
Even he wasn't sure how to mend them.
Liang Xiaoluo ran wildly, desperate to escape the suffocating fear that gripped her. But before she could go any farther, someone grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
"Let go of me! Let me go!" she screamed hysterically.
"Xiaoluo, what's wrong?" Ye Tianqing's calm voice broke through her frenzy.
She turned to see him, and in that moment, all the strength left her body. Collapsing onto the ground, she murmured in despair, "Why? Why would he deceive me like this? Why would he hurt me so cruelly?"
Ye Tianqing paused, understanding dawning on him. He crouched beside her, his voice soft and steady. "Xiaoluo, do you trust me?"
Her tear-filled eyes slowly lifted to meet his.
"Let me tell you the truth about him," Ye Tianqing said gently.
Liang Xiaoluo's tears halted.
As she listened to Ye Tianqing's words, her mind slowly pieced together the puzzle of Ye Tianlin's actions. Each revelation felt like a hammer blow, shattering the image she had built of him. But it also lifted a weight from her heart—a weight she hadn't realized she'd been carrying.
"Is it all true, big brother?" Her voice wavered, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She didn't know what to feel anymore—whether it was pain for the truth or regret for all the misunderstandings.
One tear escaped, sliding down her cheek and soaking into the grass below. She sat silently, letting Ye Tianqing's words fill in the gaps of her understanding. These truths had been hidden from her for so long.
Youth was painful, but the moment of growing up hurt even more.
"Tianlin loves you deeply," Ye Tianqing said with quiet conviction. "I've never seen him care about anyone the way he cares for you. If not for the pain of his past, he wouldn't have closed his heart for so long."
Ye Tianqing wanted to help his brother keep Liang Xiaoluo in his life. Only she could heal the brokenness in Ye Tianlin's soul.
Liang Xiaoluo absorbed Ye Tianqing's words in silence. Strength seemed to return to her limbs as she stood up. Though tears still lingered in her eyes, she managed a small nod of gratitude before turning and walking back to where she had fled from.
Watching her retreating figure, Ye Tianqing felt a sense of relief and satisfaction.
"Ye Tianqing."
He turned abruptly, startled by the voice. He hadn't realized Yan Ruoxi had been standing behind the tree, listening.
Time seemed to freeze as he locked eyes with her. His heart raced uncontrollably, and his breaths came quick and shallow.
She stepped forward, her face pale with sorrow. Wordlessly, she handed him a document. "It's signed. Let's divorce."
Yan Ruoxi's voice was steady, but the faint tremble in her hands betrayed her emotions. She turned to leave, but Ye Tianqing instinctively reached out, grabbing her wrist.
He wanted to explain—wanted her to understand.
In the past, he thought their marriage was just an arrangement, a contract devoid of any real feeling. But now, as she prepared to leave, he felt an ache in his chest, a sense of loss he couldn't ignore.
When she glanced back at him, his words caught in his throat.
"Is there something you want to say?" she asked coolly.
For a moment, Ye Tianqing remained silent, then slowly released her hand.
Without hesitation, Yan Ruoxi walked away.
As he watched her disappear, an unbearable sorrow settled in his heart. He realized this might be the last time he ever saw her.
In the study, Ye Tianlin sat in silence, lost in his thoughts. Liang Xiaoluo's departure had thrown him into turmoil, and a heavy sadness hung in the air.
He kept telling himself he couldn't give up, that he had to find her and bring her back. But every time he thought of her tear-filled eyes, his courage faltered. What if his words only hurt her again?
The sudden sound of the door opening snapped him out of his reverie.
He looked up, startled to see Liang Xiaoluo standing there. Her presence filled the room with a tension so palpable it was hard to breathe.
Ye Tianlin shot to his feet, his emotions a whirlwind of joy, confusion, and hesitation. Should he approach her? Should he pull her into his arms? Or was she here only to lash out at him?
Liang Xiaoluo held her head high as she walked into the room, her face serious.
"You're not going to ask why I came back?" Her voice was calm, but the undertone of coldness stung.
Ye Tianlin froze. He wanted to ask, but the sight of her red-rimmed eyes and pale face made him hold back. "You're angry with me, aren't you?" he asked, his voice laced with self-recrimination.
Her lips curled into a faint, almost mocking smile. It was the first time she had seen him so flustered.
Ye Tianqing's words echoed in her mind—he loves you deeply—and for the first time, she believed it.
"Yes, I'm angry," she said. "So angry that I never want to see you again. Stay away from me, Ye Tianlin."
His sharp intake of breath was audible. "Do you always have to say you're leaving? Is that the only thing you want to tell me?" His voice, thick with frustration and sorrow, rose slightly. "Do you really want to leave me so badly?"
She looked at him then, her gaze unwavering. His face, usually so composed, was etched with desperation. In that moment, everything became clear to her.
She had forgotten many details of their shared past, but she could never forget how, in her darkest moments, he had always been the one to save her.
Her heart ached, overwhelmed by his love for her—love so deep it terrified him.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She had intended to tease him, to make him suffer the way she had suffered. But seeing his anguished expression, she couldn't keep up the charade.
Before she could second-guess herself, she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Pressing her face into the crook of his shoulder, she clung to him tightly.
Ye Tianlin froze, his sharp words dying in his throat. Her sudden embrace left him stunned.
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. A mix of emotions swirled in his chest—relief, joy, and something deeper, something he couldn't quite name.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled against his skin. "Thank you for always being there for me."
Tears slid silently down her cheeks as she held him tighter.
"Liang Xiaoluo, didn't I tell you? I hate it when women cry," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
But she could hear the warmth in his tone.
Her tears continued to fall, but now they were tears of relief, of gratitude, of love.
When she finally pulled back, she smiled faintly through her tears. "Ye Tianlin… stop lying to me, okay?"
The sight of her fragile yet hopeful expression broke through his defenses. His voice shook as he said, "I won't lie to you again. Liang Xiaoluo, I love you."
Before she could respond, her body swayed, and she collapsed into his arms. Her strength was gone, but her lips still carried the trace of a smile.
"Liang Xiaoluo!" Ye Tianlin called her name, his voice filled with fear and urgency.
In her final moments of consciousness, she heard his worried cry and felt his warmth surrounding her. A faint sense of comfort washed over her as she sank into the darkness.