Chương 12: Tang Shilin

Ye Xinren's footsteps echoed through the empty corridor. He searched every corner, his heart growing heavier with each step. His eyes scanned the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jiang Yanxu, but there was no sign of him.

The hall was already brimming with people. The tables were heaving with food, drinks, and the kind of noise that comes with too many voices, too many lives interwoven. The crowd was loud, vibrant—yet Ye Xinren felt isolated, as if he were a ghost among the living. He weaved through the throngs, searching desperately, his eyes falling on faces he didn't recognize.

Turning, Ye Xinren was about to leave when a hand unexpectedly landed on his back. He jumped, startled, his heart racing as he spun around.

"Yanxu ...."

His voice was on the verge of relief, but as his eyes met the different person, his joy vanished into thin air. The smile he wore faltered, crumbling like paper. His heart sank into a pool of confusion and disappointment.

It was Tang Shilin, his mother-in-law. Ye Xinren forced a smile, but it was weak, barely holding the pieces of his breaking facade together.

"Xin'er," she said, her voice a soft but probing question. "Where is Yanxu? Why are you alone?"

Tang Shilin's gaze moved over him with an intensity that only a mother could muster, a gaze full of concern, mixed with confusion. Ye Xinren's throat tightened as he considered the words he could say, the things he couldn't say.

Tang Shilin's eyes narrowed as she looked at him, questioning, and then, almost as if she knew something was wrong, she reached out and cupped his chin, tilting his head back so he was forced to meet her sharp, unblinking eyes.

"Tell me, Xin'er," she insisted, her voice low, almost a command. "What happened?"

For a long moment, Ye Xinren stood there, his lips parted as though the words were stuck somewhere deep inside. He didn't want to speak them, didn't want to admit the hurt that was building up inside him. But Tang Shiliu wasn't the kind of woman to let things go easily, especially not when it came to those she cared for.

Finally, he gave up.

"Yanxu ... his attitude changed." Ye Xinren's voice trembled as he spoke, the words raw, vulnerable. "He's been avoiding me, acting like ... like I'm a stranger."

Tang Shilin's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of disbelief flashing through them. "What are you saying?" she murmured, more to herself than to him. "This doesn't make sense. He loves you, Xin'er. Everyone can see it. He wanted to marry you for so long—he even kicked Yan An out of his life just to be with you."

Ye Xinren shook his head, unable to find comfort in them. "But why, then? Why did he treat me like that today? I ... I don't understand." His voice cracked. "It felt like he was just pretending all this time. Like it was all a lie."

The silence that followed stretched painfully long. Tang Shilin's eyes softened with understanding, but the expression on her face was clouded with doubt. "Are you sure, Xin'er? I've seen how much he loves you. He even moved your wedding up, just to make you happy."

"I know what I feel," Ye Xinren murmured, his voice distant. "But sometimes I wonder ... has he been lying to me all along? Maybe he never really wanted this. Maybe he was forced into it."

The words were like acid on his tongue, but once they left his lips, they hung in the air, unshakable. Tang Shilin's face tightened, and for a moment, Ye Xinren saw a flicker of something in her eyes—was it guilt? Compassion?

"Xin'er," Tang Shilin's voice softened as she reached out to pull him into her arms. "I know this hurts. I know this is hard. But don't doubt him like this. He did want to marry you. He loves you. I can see it, everyone can."

In that moment, Ye Xinren let himself be enveloped by her warmth. He had no parents, and the cold absence of them had always left a hollow feeling inside of him. But Tang Shilin, despite the complexities of their family, had always been like a mother to him. Her comfort was an anchor in the storm.

"Please, don't let him hurt me again, mother," Ye Xinren whispered, his voice muffled against her chest. "I've waited for him for five years ... and after everything I went through with his parents, I can't take this again. I just ... I just can't."

The pain in his voice was unmistakable. Tang Shilin felt it deep in her chest, and it made her heart ache for the young man in her arms.

"I won't let him hurt you again," she promised, her voice firm with resolve. "I'll make sure of it. He will apologize, and he'll understand what he's done."

Ye Xinren lifted his head, looking up at her with tear-filled eyes. The weight of his longing, his vulnerability, all poured out in that moment.

"Thank you, mother," he said quietly, a soft smile breaking through his sorrow. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Tang Shilin smiled back, gently wiping the tears from his cheeks. She gave him a final reassuring hug before motioning for one of the guards to approach. "Go find Jiang Yanxu," she instructed the guard, her voice cold with authority. "Bring him here. Now."

The guard nodded quickly and rushed off.

Tang Shiliu turned back to Ye Xinren, her expression softening again. "Everything will be alright, Xin'er. You'll see. He'll come back to you. And he won't ever hurt you again."

Ye Xinren, nodded, believed that everything would be okay.