Hidden truth, intricate love

Chapter 209 Gu Yao’s “Comfort”

After Lin Yue left, Gu Yao saw that Li Hao looked haggard. She was full of pride in her heart, but on the surface she still pretended to be worried. She said softly, "Li Hao, I'm really worried about you. It hurts me to see you like this. If you need any help, I will always be by your side."

Li Hao gave her a tired look, his eyes full of pain and contradiction: "Gu Yao, thank you so much for your support. Maybe you are right, maybe Lin Yue and I really can't go on."

Gu Yao was secretly delighted, feeling that she had finally succeeded in making Li Hao give up on Lin Yue. She patted Li Hao's hand gently and said softly, "You can't force love. Perhaps breaking up is a relief for both of you. Li Hao, no matter what the future holds, I will always be by your side."

Li Hao nodded slightly. Although his heart was still filled with guilt and pain, Gu Yao's thoughtfulness made him feel a little comforted, as if he had found some support in this broken relationship.

Lin Yue returned home and sat alone in her dark room, her heart filled with despair. She had never imagined that Li Hao, whom she loved so deeply, would misunderstand her so deeply. Even after she repeatedly explained, he still chose to believe Gu Yao's slander. A flicker of determination flashed in her eyes. She knew she could no longer continue to indulge in this painful relationship.

Lin Yue began to reevaluate her life, deciding to let go of the relationship and focus on her career and future. She told herself that Li Hao was a thing of the past, and Gu Yao would no longer affect her life. She wanted to move on from this farce and find her own path.

Gu Yao noticed Lin Yue gradually fading from the company and Li Hao's life, and she felt secretly pleased. She knew she had completely isolated Lin Yue, gradually excluding her from Li Hao's life. She thought everything was settled, that she was in complete control of the situation, and even believed that Lin Yue would no longer be a threat to her.

She began to appear in Li Hao's life more frequently, taking care of his daily life, and even took the opportunity to hint at her feelings for him. She kept testing the waters, trying to gradually break the friendship between them and eventually win Li Hao's affection.

One night, Gu Yao deliberately created an opportunity to invite Li Hao to dinner. Under the warm candlelight, she carefully showed her tenderness and thoughtfulness, trying to make Li Hao feel her "sincerity".

"Li Hao, sometimes I really hope you can be happy and don't want to see you get hurt again." Gu Yao said softly, with a hint of implicit affection in her eyes.

Li Hao was stunned for a moment, feeling a faint sense of unease, but he couldn't directly reject Gu Yao's kindness. His feelings for Lin Yue were already broken, but Gu Yao's gentleness made him rely on her. He said lightly, "Thank you, Gu Yao. You've always been by my side, and I'm really grateful."

Seeing that he did not directly refuse, Gu Yao felt even more proud and felt that she was one step closer to success.

However, Gu Yao's pride did not last long. A few days later, Li Hao stumbled upon something unexpected that completely shook his trust in Gu Yao.

One day after get off work, Li Hao ran into Zhang Kai in the company parking lot. As they chatted, Zhang Kai suddenly brought up Lin Yue: "Haozi, I've always felt that Lin Yue has been misunderstood. Did you know? I found the account number for those anonymous letters, and it seems to be related to a friend of Gu Yao."

Li Hao's heart trembled, and he instantly remembered those anonymous letters and rumors. He frowned slightly, and asked with a hint of anger and uneasiness, "Zhang Kai, are you sure the anonymous letter is related to Gu Yao?"

Zhang Kai nodded, his tone firm. "Although I don't have solid evidence, those accounts are indeed connected to Gu Yao's circle. Moreover, her concern for you is a bit too deliberate."

Li Hao's heart was instantly filled with regret and anger. He suddenly realized that Gu Yao's "considerateness" and "innocence" might have been a false image, and he had believed her lies and hurt the truly innocent Lin Yue.

Li Hao was overwhelmed with regret, hating himself for having believed Gu Yao's slander and misunderstood Lin Yue's true feelings. He finally realized that he had been deceived by Gu Yao's lies and even lost the person he truly loved because of them. He was filled with guilt and self-blame, and he wanted to find Lin Yue immediately and apologize to her.

That night, Li Hao fell into deep reflection on his way home. He recalled the good times he had spent with Lin Yue and realized the unforgivable mistake he had made. He knew he might never be able to win Lin Yue back, but he was determined to uncover the truth and make Gu Yao pay for her actions.

The next day, Li Hao found Gu Yao without hesitation, ready to confront her face to face. His expression was grim, and his eyes were filled with anger and disappointment, which made Gu Yao feel uneasy.

"Gu Yao, give me an explanation. Were you the one who instigated those anonymous letters and rumors?" Li Hao asked coldly, his eyes piercing Gu Yao's heart like a knife.

Gu Yao was panicking inside, but on the surface she pretended to be calm and said with a smile: "Li Hao, what are you talking about? How could I do such a thing? I have always been on your side, how could I harm Lin Yue?"

Li Hao sneered, his eyes filled with sarcasm. "I've already found evidence that those anonymous letters are indeed related to you. Did you think I would be kept in the dark forever?"

Gu Yao's face turned pale instantly, and a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, but she still tried to argue: "Li Hao, you have to believe me, I would never do such a thing. Someone must be framing me and wants to destroy the relationship between us!"

Li Hao's eyes were cold and he said mercilessly, "That's enough, Gu Yao, stop acting. I used to feel guilty about you, but now I only feel disgust. Your self-righteous calculations have caused me to lose someone who is truly important to me. I will not let this account go easily."

Gu Yao's face paled, knowing her lie had been exposed. Anger flashed in her eyes, and her tone held a final struggle: "Li Hao, do you really think Lin Yue loves you? She just wants to use you. You were so easily fooled by her weak appearance!"

Li Hao's expression became increasingly cold. He no longer believed anything Gu Yao said and turned away, leaving Gu Yao with a look of despair. Gu Yao looked at his back, her heart filled with resentment and anger. She knew she had completely lost Li Hao.

Li Hao was determined to find Lin Yue and apologize to her, even though he knew his mistake was probably irreparable. He called Lin Yue, his tone filled with deep guilt: "Lin Yue, it's me... I'm really sorry. All the misunderstandings are due to my stupidity and credulity. I... I hope to talk to you in person."

Lin Yue was silent for a moment, and finally responded calmly: "Li Hao, I don't want to go back to the past. What you did is meaningless."

Li Hao's heart was filled with pain. He knew that he might never be forgiven by Lin Yue, but he still wanted to restore a little dignity and prove his sincerity to her.

"Lin Yue, I know I did something wrong. I just want you to know that my feelings for you have never changed."