130: Chapter 231 Taking Guoguo Away

In the afternoon in Spring City, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the banana leaves, casting dappled, swaying shadows on the villa's polished floor.

The air was filled with the warm, lazy atmosphere unique to southern cities, mingled with the sweet, cloying scent of newly bloomed tuberose in the courtyard.

Everything appeared serene, peaceful, and removed from the troubles of the world.

However, the air in the villa's living room was stagnant to the point of suffocation.

Yin Tianxue looked at her friend before her.

Though they hadn't seen each other for only a few months, it was as if most of Tang Guo's soul had been drained away.

Her once bright and beautiful face had lost its color; her eyes held a thick, unshakable panic and exhaustion, and even the smile she struggled to force was stiff and fragile.

Beneath her loose maternity dress, her lower abdomen was clearly rounded, but there was no trace of the joy of nurturing new life in her; there was only a heavy burden and bottomless fear.

Yin Tianxue's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and pain, accompanied by a cold fury, spread through her in strands.

She forced herself to maintain a calm exterior, but her gaze was sharp as a knife, sweeping past Yu Bo, who looked ostensibly concerned but whose eyes were inscrutable, and past Aunt Zhang, the nanny who kept her head lowered but was constantly monitoring the situation.

"Guoguo, you've lost weight." Yin Tianxue stepped forward and gently took Tang Guo's cold hand, feeling her slight trembling.

"Tianxue..." Tang Guo's lips trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened, but she fought back the tears, only gripping Yin Tianxue's hand tighter, as if it were her only piece of driftwood.

Her gaze darted quickly toward Yu Bo before dropping instantly like a startled rabbit.

"Let's sit down to talk; Guoguo shouldn't stand for too long." Yu Bo stepped forward at the right moment, his tone gentle but carrying an unquestionable sense of guidance. He helped Tang Guo sit on the sofa and sat naturally beside her, forming a semi-enveloping posture of protection (or perhaps, surveillance).

"Aunt Zhang, go make some tea. Use the box of black tea I brought; Tianxue likes it."

Aunt Zhang acknowledged and retreated, leaving only the three of them in the living room.

"The environment here is quite nice, very quiet, and suitable for recuperation," Yu Bo spoke first, breaking the silence, his tone as relaxed as if he were introducing a vacation villa. "It's just a bit dull for Guoguo to be alone, but fortunately, Aunt Zhang is here to keep her company. Guoguo must be happy that you could come to see her, Tianxue."

He looked at Tang Guo with gentle eyes. "Right, Guoguo?"

Tang Guo kept her head lowered, nodding almost imperceptibly, and let out a vague "Mm" from her throat.

Yin Tianxue took everything in.

Yu Bo's performance was flawless—gentle, considerate, and attentive—perfectly portraying the image of a "wrongdoer" who was "forced to take responsibility and strive to make amends" and a "protector."

If she hadn't seen the fear practically overflowing from Tang Guo's eyes with her own eyes, and if she hadn't personally experienced those lies and betrayals, she would have almost been deceived by this facade of his once again.

"Yu Bo," Yin Tianxue said, her voice calm and ripple-free, "I would like to speak with Guoguo alone. It's personal talk between girls; it's not convenient for you to be here."

The smile on Yu Bo's face didn't change in the slightest, but his eyes darkened almost imperceptibly.

"Of course. You sisters have a good chat. I'll go to the study to handle some emails. I'll be right upstairs; call me if you need anything."

He stood up, leaned over with extreme naturalness, and left a soft kiss on Tang Guo's forehead. "Be good, don't get too worked up, take care of your health."

Then, he flashed an apologetic, slightly helpless smile at Yin Tianxue. "Tianxue, please try to guide her more; she's got a lot on her mind right now and is always prone to overthinking."

With that, he walked upstairs with steady steps. The sound of his footsteps disappeared at the end of the second-floor corridor.

Almost the moment Yu Bo's figure disappeared, Tang Guo's constantly tense body suddenly relaxed, and then she began to tremble violently, tears no longer controllable as they gushed out.

She clutched Yin Tianxue's hand tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh, but she couldn't utter a complete syllable, only broken, suppressed sobs.

"Guoguo, don't be afraid, I'm here." Yin Tianxue hugged her tightly, stroking her back, her voice low and firm. "Tell me, what exactly happened? Was it really an accident? Did you really come here voluntarily?"

Tang Guo shook her head. "Tianxue, this place... is like a gilded cage. No one talks to me, Aunt Zhang is like a mute... Every day I look at the same sky, the same courtyard, I'm going crazy... I want to leave, I want to go home, I want to see my mom and dad... But..."

She looked down at her protruding abdomen, her fingers trembling as she stroked it. "In this state, where can I go? Even if I leave here, where else can I go? How can I explain this to my family?"

"Come with me." Yin Tianxue did not hesitate in the slightest, her voice resolute, carrying a reassuring power. "I will take you away from here, we'll leave right now."

"Now?" Tang Guo widened her eyes, her panic intensifying. "But Yu Bo... he's right upstairs! He... he won't let me leave!"

"Then we'll go talk to him."

A flicker of weak hope ignited in Tang Guo's eyes, but it was quickly covered by doubt: "Will he agree?"

"I'll go talk to him, he will agree." Yin Tianxue squeezed her hand. "Guoguo, you cannot stay here any longer. If you stay any longer, you will completely fall apart. For your own sake, and for the child's, you must leave. Don't worry, I'm here."

Looking at the unquestionable determination in Yin Tianxue's eyes and that familiar, trustworthy firmness, Tang Guo's confused and fearful heart seemed to have been injected with a stimulant.

She nodded forcefully, even though her body was still trembling slightly from fear. "Tianxue, thank you!"

Yin Tianxue patted her back gently, signaling her to compose herself, then stood up, walked to the stairs, and called upstairs: "Yu Bo, do you have a moment? Come down for a second, there's something I want to discuss with you."

The study door opened quickly, and Yu Bo walked down, his face still bearing a gentle smile, seemingly unbothered by the "sisters' private chat" downstairs. "What's wrong, Tianxue? Is Guoguo okay?"

Yin Tianxue walked back to the sofa, sat down beside Tang Guo, and motioned for Yu Bo to sit as well.

Her expression was calm, and her tone was one of discussion rather than confrontation: "I just chatted with Guoguo. Although the environment here is nice, it's too lonely. Aunt Zhang is, after all, just a nanny and can't truly communicate with her. Guoguo is currently in her pregnancy, and her mood is very important; always being cooped up alone is not good for either the adult or the child."

The smile on Yu Bo's face faded slightly. He looked at Yin Tianxue with focused eyes and nodded: "Yes, I have thought about this issue too. I originally intended to spend more time coming over to keep her company, but there have been many things at the company lately..."

"I know you're busy." Yin Tianxue interrupted him, her tone gentle but direct. "So I was thinking, why not let Guoguo come back with me first? I have a small villa in the suburbs; the environment is quiet, but it's close to the city center, the medical facilities are better, and it's more convenient for prenatal check-ups and so on. Plus, I can go over often to keep her company, talk, and help her relax. It's better than her being here alone. What do you think?"

Yu Bo did not answer immediately. He turned his gaze to Tang Guo, his eyes filled with inquiry and a trace of imperceptible probing: "Guoguo, what do you think yourself? Do you want to go back with Tianxue?"

Tang Guo kept her head lowered, not daring to look into his eyes, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum: "I... I kind of want to go back... There... there are people I know, it's not as stifling..." Her voice grew smaller and smaller, carrying a sense of guilt and fear.

Yu Bo was silent for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Yin Tianxue's calm and firm face and Tang Guo's shrinking, uneasy figure. The air in the living room became stagnant again, and only the ticking of the second hand of the wall clock was clearly audible.

"Since Guoguo wants to go back herself, and you are willing to take care of her, Tianxue, then of course I have no objections." His tone was gentle, even carrying a hint of "relief." "To be honest, I've also been worried that she's too lonely here alone, which isn't good for her mood. It's for the best that you can take her with you. Your conditions there are certainly more thorough than the temporary arrangements I've made here."

He stood up, walked over to Tang Guo, crouched down, took her hand, and looked up at her, his eyes so gentle they could drip water. "Go ahead, Guoguo. Go back with Tianxue, rest well, and be happier. Tell me anytime if you need anything. When I'm done with this busy period, I'll come to see you, hmm?"