122: Chapter 223 Collapse of Trust and Confrontation (Part 2)

He spoke quickly, with clear logic and a sincere expression, even carrying the anxiety and helplessness of being wronged.

This was the "standard answer" he had rehearsed countless times in his mind to deal with such situations.

He categorized Shen Nian as a "stalker," explained Tang Guo's hug as "sibling affection," downplayed it, and shifted the focus.

However, Yin Tianxue just looked at him quietly. In those eyes, there was no relief or trust as he had expected, nor was there intense anger; there was only a kind of insightful, heavy sorrow.

"Then what about this morning?" she asked softly. Her voice was even lighter, yet it struck Yu Bo's heart like a heavy hammer. "The 'Anhe' Private Medical Center. Who was the woman who went inside? What was she holding in her hand? A pregnancy test report?"

Yu Bo's heart contracted suddenly. He hadn't expected Yin Tianxue to see the second round of revelations so quickly, and to ask so directly, piercing precisely into the core issue, the one that could not be covered up by "sibling affection."

His mind raced, and his face displayed the perfect amount of absurdity and anger: "Tianxue! That is a malicious Photoshop job! It's a rumor! What pregnancy test? I don't know anything about 'Anhe'! Someone wants to completely ruin me, ruin 'Yin Angel'! Can't you see that? This is a premeditated frame-up!"

He stepped forward, trying to grab her shoulders, his eyes filled with the pain and grievance of being doubted by his lover: "Tianxue, we have been together for so long, don't you know what kind of person I am? How much have I sacrificed for you, for 'Yin Angel'? How can you doubt me because of a few unclear photos and a few vicious rumors?"

His acting was impeccable, his emotions full, and he was almost convinced himself.

Yin Tianxue looked at his face, which was inches away and written with "sincerity" and "pain," and looked at his slightly reddened eyes from excitement. The last weak glimmer of hope in her heart flickered like a candle in the wind. How she wanted to believe him, throw herself into his arms, and tell him that this was all a nightmare. But... that message at the celebration banquet, the back view of him entering and leaving an apartment with another woman in the photo, Tang Guo's dependent hug... and at this moment, the flash of... imperceptible panic in his eyes that she had caught?

Was it real panic, or was it her imagination?

Intense pain and confusion almost tore her apart. She loved him, loved him enough to give everything for him. But if this love was built on lies and betrayal... she dared not think about it.

"Yu Bo," she looked at him, tears finally uncontrollable, rolling down in large drops, her voice broken, "I want you to look into my eyes and tell me, are you and Tang Guo really just 'siblings'? This morning, do you really not know about the 'Anhe' matter? Is that 'Nian' really just a 'stalker'?"

Every question was like a knife, slicing through her heart, and also pressing against Yu Bo's final line of defense.

Yu Bo watched her tears, his heart gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and suffocating pain and guilt instantly swept over him. For a moment, he almost blurted out part of the truth. But he couldn't. Once he admitted any point, the perfect image built on a high tower would completely collapse, Yin Tianxue would leave him, "Yin Angel" would collapse, and everything he had painstakingly built would vanish into thin air.

He reached out abruptly, pulling the tearful Yin Tianxue into his arms, holding her tightly, not letting her see the intense emotions churning in his eyes. His chin rested on the top of her head, his voice hoarse, with a thick, heart-wrenching sob:

"Tianxue, I swear... Guoguo and I are innocent. As for Shen Nian, I already handled her. Today's matter, someone wants to destroy us, destroy 'Yin Angel'. Please... trust me this one time, okay? Give me time, I will definitely find out, drag out the mastermind, and clear your name, clear our names!"

His embrace was warm and strong, his voice painful and firm. Yin Tianxue trembled and wept in his arms, as if all her strength had been drained. She didn't know whether to believe the vows she heard with her ears, the "evidence" she saw with her eyes, or the increasingly clear unease in her heart.

Ultimately, exhaustion, deep love, and the fear of the unknown overwhelmed everything. In his arms, like a lost child, she cried helplessly and brokenly. She was tired; she needed this embrace, even if it might not be entirely real.

Yu Bo held her tightly, feeling her body tremble and the scalding tears soaking his shirt. He closed his eyes, hiding the coldness and determination deep within. The crisis had been temporarily suppressed by lies and emotions, but it was far from over. Yin Tianxue's trust had developed a huge crack; she was no longer as unreserved as before.

He had to act immediately. On one hand, he had to use more fierce public relations means and thunderous methods to extinguish the fire on the internet and find and deal with Young Master Yang. On the other hand... he thought of Tang Guo, and the "trouble" in her belly. This "trouble" had to be resolved thoroughly and cleanly before Yin Tianxue's suspicion grew to a point of no return.

After soothing Yin Tianxue, who had cried until she was almost exhausted, and coaxing her to eat something and go to sleep, Yu Bo went to the study and locked the door. He lit a cigarette and, amidst the swirling smoke, dialed Tang Guo's number.

The phone was answered after only one ring, and Tang Guo's panicked voice, thick with nasal congestion, came through: "Hubby! The things online... the things online..."

"Shut up." Yu Bo's voice was as cold as Siberian ice, without any warmth. "Listen to me and do as I say. Now, immediately, pack a few simple changes of clothes and necessities. In an hour, someone will go to your place to pick you up. You go with him, and he will take you to a safe place to lay low for a while. Remember, turn off your phone, don't contact anyone, including me. When you get there, someone will take care of you and tell you what to do next. Do you understand?"

Tang Guo was stunned on the other end of the phone, followed by even greater panic: "Hubby! Where are you sending me? I... our child..."

"There is no 'our' child!" Yu Bo interrupted her sternly, his tone chilling, "Tang Guo, if you still want to have a chance to see me in the future, and want to keep everything you have now, then do as I say! Otherwise, suffer the consequences!"

The last four words pierced Tang Guo's heart like ice picks. All her fantasies and expectations were shattered at this moment. She held the phone, her whole body ice-cold, tears surging out silently, but she dared not make a sound.

"Did you understand?" Yu Bo's voice was unquestionable.

"... Un, understood." Tang Guo trembled, squeezing a few words out of her throat.

"Very good. Remember, absolute secrecy. Wait for me to contact you." After saying this, Yu Bo hung up the phone decisively.

He leaned back in his chair and exhaled a heavy cloud of smoke. Behind the smoke, his eyes were cold, sharp, and carried a kind of desperate, ruthless determination. The war on the internet was about to begin, and Tang Guo, this "hidden danger," had to be isolated. And the wounded angel at home... he needed to spend more effort to repair, to soothe, and to re-weave that web called "trust."