63: Chapter 64 Looking

After work, she didn't go to Yu Bo's place, but sent a text instead: "I have something to do tonight, I'm going to my parents'. Don't wait for me."

The Yin Family villa was brightly lit but excessively quiet. Her father, Yin Hanhai, was reportedly at a social engagement and hadn't returned yet. Her mother, Lin Wanru, was arranging flowers in the living room. Seeing her return, a flash of surprise crossed her face, quickly replaced by a gentle smile.

"Tianxue? Why are you back so suddenly? You didn't even give me a heads-up so I could have the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes." Lin Wanru put down her flower shears and stepped forward, keenly noticing the exhaustion between her daughter's brows that she was trying hard to hide.

"It was a last-minute decision; I wanted to come back and see you and Dad." Yin Tianxue forced a smile, changed her shoes, and tossed her bag casually onto the sofa, sinking into the soft cushions as if she had exhausted all her energy.

Lin Wanru sat down beside her, not asking too many questions, but simply holding her hand gently with a warm palm. "Tired? You look so pale. No matter how busy work is, you must take care of yourself." She paused, then mentioned as if casually, "What about Xiao Yu? Didn't he come back with you?"

Yin Tianxue's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, then relaxed. She lowered her eyelashes, staring at her interlaced fingers. "He... has things to do at the company."

Who was Lin Wanru? Having weathered decades in the Yin Family and seen all the ups and downs of human relationships, how could her daughter's subtle change escape her eyes? She didn't expose it, but simply patted the back of Yin Tianxue's hand gently. "Have some soup first. Nanny Wang stewed bird's nest; I'll go get some for you."

The warm and sweet bird's nest soup entered her stomach, slightly dispelling some of the chill in her heart. The mother and daughter chatted idly about domestic matters. The atmosphere seemed warm, but there was always an invisible veil between them. Lin Wanru took in all of Yin Tianxue's absent-mindedness.

During dinner, Yin Hanhai returned. Seeing his daughter at home, his stern face softened slightly, though he didn't say much during the meal, only asking about the company's recent situation. Yin Tianxue answered formally, picking unimportant things to mention, never breathing a word about Yu Bo or the video that had broken her heart.

After dinner, Yin Hanhai went to the study. Lin Wanru took Yin Tianxue for a walk in the garden. The early autumn night breeze carried a chill, rustling the plants in the courtyard.

"Tianxue," Lin Wanru stopped and looked at her daughter's pale profile in the moonlight, her voice gentle yet carrying an unavoidable strength, "tell Mom the truth, have you and Xiao Yu had a falling out?"

Yin Tianxue paused, her lips pressed tight, and didn't answer immediately.

"Your eyes can't lie." Lin Wanru sighed softly. "You've been like this since you were a child—whenever you feel wronged or encounter something sad, you like to bottle it up and hide back home. Tell Mom, what happened? Did he bully you?"

"No..." Yin Tianxue denied subconsciously, her voice incredibly dry.

"No?" Lin Wanru turned around to look directly into her daughter's eyes, her gaze seeming to pierce through any disguise. "Then tell me, why are you so distracted? Why do your eyes dodge whenever he's mentioned? Why did you run back alone late at night without even letting him call?"

The string of questions struck Yin Tianxue's fortified mental defenses like a hammer. Her nose tingled, and the suppressed pain, grievance, anger, and sense of betrayal from the past few days surged out uncontrollably like a bursting flood.

Tears fell silently, only a few drops at first, but they soon turned into uncontrollable sobs. She covered her mouth, her body trembling slightly like a leaf swaying in the autumn wind.

Feeling distressed, Lin Wanru pulled her daughter into her arms and gently patted her back, just as she had coaxed her when she was a child. "Cry, it'll feel better once you let it out. No matter what happens, Mom and Dad are here; the sky won't fall."

In her mother's warm embrace, Yin Tianxue finally dropped all pretenses and wept aloud. Brokenly and incoherently, she told her about the ten-second video, about Yu Bo's 'proactive' hug and kiss, and about her shock, pain, and the anger of being deceived and played for a fool.

Lin Wanru listened quietly, her brow furrowing tighter and her gaze gradually turning cold. Only after Yin Tianxue finished and her crying had mostly subsided did she speak in a low, unprecedentedly serious tone: "Are you sure the video is real? It wasn't faked?"

"It should be real. I've seen that woman; she's a very beautiful woman," Yin Tianxue sobbed, answering hoarsely.

Lin Wanru was silent for a moment, then asked, "Xiao Yu... what did he say?"

"I haven't asked him yet." Yin Tianxue lowered her head. "I don't know how to ask. The video... it's captured very clearly."

"Silly child, how can you lose your composure before the matter is even cleared up?" Lin Wanru wiped the tears from her daughter's face, her tone turning gentle again but carrying an unquestionable firmness. "Even if it's true, you must hear his personal explanation and understand the context. Seeing isn't always believing, especially with something like this that's been edited to show only the most sensitive moment."

"But Mom..." Yin Tianxue raised her tear-blurred face, "that action... he hugged her, and he even... how could that be fake?"

"Mom isn't telling you to deceive yourself." Lin Wanru pulled her daughter down to sit on a garden bench and held her hand tightly. "Mom is telling you that when judging a person or an event, you can't just look at one fragment. Although I haven't had much contact with that boy Yu Bo, based on your father's and your usual descriptions, as well as my own observations, he isn't the type to easily betray his feelings or lose control of himself. There might be more to this story."

"What hidden details could there be?" Yin Tianxue shook her head in pain. "No matter how many hidden details there are, it doesn't change the fact that he responded to that kiss."

"That's why you need to talk to him and find out why he did what he did at that moment." Lin Wanru's gaze was far-reaching. "Was it a lapse in judgment while drunk? A momentary infatuation? Or was he framed? Perhaps... the video itself was a setup? Tianxue, your eyes are blinded by emotion right now, and the judgments you make are likely to be irrational. Give him a chance to explain, and give yourself a chance to uncover the truth. Even if... even if it eventually proves he really did make a mistake, it won't be too late to decide where to go from there."

Her mother's words were like a clear spring, slightly washing away the chaotic silt in Yin Tianxue's heart. Yes, what she had seen was the result—those ten seconds that broke her heart. But what happened before? And what happened after? Why did Yu Bo lose control at that moment? She knew none of this. Was it really fair to sentence him to 'death' just like that?

"Then... what about Shen Nian?" Yin Tianxue thought of that woman's beautiful and aggressive face, and her heart stung. "She clearly knew Yu Bo had a girlfriend..."

"Shen Nian?" Lin Wanru's eyes narrowed slightly. "The female boss of 'Yifei Intelligence'? You guys had dinner together before?"

Yin Tianxue nodded and told her mother everything: how Shen Nian had 'coincidentally' appeared at her yoga class, how she had visited their home, and how closely she collaborated with Yu Bo in business.

After listening, Lin Wanru pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "This woman is not simple. Her approaching you and trying to please you might not be because she genuinely wants to be your friend. Women in the business world, especially one like her who started from scratch to reach her current position, have thoughts and methods far beyond ordinary people. Her feelings for Yu Bo likely go beyond mere business appreciation."

"Mom, you mean..." Yin Tianxue's heart sank.

"Mom is just speculating." Lin Wanru patted her hand. "But regardless, this woman has already planted the seeds of doubt between you and Yu Bo. And now with this video... Tianxue, you must remember, the more it's like this, the calmer you need to be. Don't let your emotions or outsiders lead you by the nose. What you need to see clearly is Yu Bo's heart, not what others want you to see."

Her mother's calm analysis and wise guidance gradually cleared Yin Tianxue's chaotic thoughts. Yes, what she needed most now was not to suffer alone or impulsively sentence Yu Bo to 'death,' but to find out the truth. If Yu Bo truly betrayed her, she would never forgive him. But what if... there was more to the story?

"But Mom, as soon as I think of that scene, my heart..." Yin Tianxue covered her chest, which still ached intensely.

"Mom knows, Mom understands." Lin Wanru hugged her daughter tightly with heartache, soothing her gently. "But some people, they just can't wait."