Hidden truth, intricate love

Chapter 207 Gu Yao's Sophistry and Counterattack

Filled with anger and remorse, Li Hao decided to confront Gu Yao, expose her disguise, and make her pay for her actions. He carefully planned the conversation, using the clues from the anonymous letter to make it impossible for Gu Yao to escape. Li Hao believed that Gu Yao would confess her evil deeds in the face of such irrefutable evidence, but he underestimated her cunning and tactics.

One day, Li Hao invited Gu Yao to a cafe near the company. His expression was stern, and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. Gu Yao noticed the strange atmosphere and felt uneasy, but she still pretended to be calm and smiled as she walked into the cafe.

"Li Hao, why are you so serious today? Did you encounter something troubling you?" Gu Yao spoke in a gentle tone, pretending to be concerned.

Li Hao got straight to the point and said coldly, "Gu Yao, I've already found the source of those anonymous letters. I know it was you who stirred up trouble behind the scenes, created these rumors, and forced Lin Yue to leave."

When Gu Yao heard this, her expression froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and said with a feigned surprise, "Li Hao, what are you talking about? Those anonymous letters and rumors have nothing to do with me. I'm just your friend. How could I do such a thing?"

Li Hao's eyes were sharp as he handed over a printed document, pointing to the evidence on it and saying, "This is the proof. The account from which the anonymous letter was sent is related to your friend. You always thought I wouldn't investigate, but the truth is now before us. Are you still going to deny it?"

Gu Yao looked at the documents and felt a panic in her heart, but she quickly regained her composure, pretending to be innocent and hurt, and choked up, "Li Hao, I really don't know why you doubt me like this. I've always been by your side, helping you and supporting you. Do you think I'm such a vicious person? Are you sure these evidences aren't a frame-up for me?"

Li Hao was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected Gu Yao to refute him so calmly, even putting herself in the position of a victim. His tone remained cold: "Gu Yao, stop pretending. What you've done has not only destroyed the relationship between Lin Yue and me, but has also made me completely lose trust in you."

A gloomy look flashed across Gu Yao's eyes, but her expression remained soft and innocent. Her eyes were red, and her voice trembled. "Li Hao, I understand. It turns out that in your heart, my concern has never been important. Everything I did was for you, but I didn't expect you to doubt me like this. I'm really disappointed..."

Seeing Li Hao's continued indifference, Gu Yao hatched a plan: to turn defense into offense, portraying herself as an innocent "victim" who had been framed. She covered her face and sobbed softly, her voice filled with resentment and grievance. "Li Hao, you've never seen how much I love you. I wanted to silently support you and help you through the most difficult times. But now you're doubting me? Just because of some unclear clues, you've concluded that I'm guilty?"

Li Hao looked at Gu Yao's tears, a mixture of anger and confusion in his heart. He wanted to rebuke her hypocrisy, but her sobbing interrupted him. He couldn't help but start to suspect that perhaps Gu Yao was just implicated, and even began to think that his accusation might be too radical.

Seeing Li Hao's wavering expression, Gu Yao secretly felt smug. She decided to strike while the iron was hot and continue playing the innocent victim. She said in a trembling voice, "Li Hao, I thought there was a minimum of trust between us, but now it seems that in your heart, I am not as important as these groundless evidences."

Her acting completely disrupted Li Hao's judgment. His once clear thoughts began to blur, and the anger in his heart gradually cooled. He began to feel confused, unsure how to face this "innocent" friend. Gu Yao's tears and hurt expression made him doubt himself, thinking that he might have been a little extreme.

Seeing Li Hao wavering, Gu Yao sneered inwardly and decided to completely transform this opportunity into her own victory. She wiped away her tears, her tone carrying a hint of grievance and dissatisfaction: "Li Hao, if you think I really did these things, then I will leave your life and never bother you again. However, I still hope you can consider carefully whether Lin Yue's return is motivated by some ulterior motive."

Li Hao's inner struggle returned to him after hearing her hint. He recalled the various signs since Lin Yue's return, especially the rumors within the company, which only deepened his inner conflict. Gu Yao's words echoed in his ears like a spell, fueling his suspicions and even prompting him to consider Lin Yue's true motives.

Seeing this, Gu Yao continued to exaggerate, "Although Lin Yue left you, her reappearance by your side now may not be a coincidence. I'm not slandering her, I just hope you can see everything calmly and clearly, and not be easily fooled by appearances."

Li Hao's expression darkened, his doubts resurfacing. On the one hand, he felt a surge of guilt towards Lin Yue, but on the other, he couldn't help but wonder if her return held hidden agendas. Torn between reason and emotion, he was completely swayed by Gu Yao's cunning rhetoric.

Seeing her plan work again, Gu Yao was filled with pride and secretly mocked Li Hao's indecision and credulity. She knew that as long as she continued to maintain this "innocent" image, she would make Li Hao feel guilty about her, and thus completely destroy his trust in Lin Yue.

From that day on, Gu Yao began to distance herself from Li Hao, acting like she was hurt. She stopped contacting him and instead let him contact her. She knew that Li Hao's guilt would cause him to repeatedly dwell on the conversation and perhaps even feel guilty towards her. By putting herself in the role of "victim," she gradually transformed Li Hao's suspicion of her into concern.

Sure enough, a few days later, Li Hao took the initiative to meet with Gu Yao in an attempt to smooth things over. While he still harbored doubts about Gu Yao's behavior, her "hurt" expression prevented him from fully blaming her. Gu Yao cleverly exploited this, using Li Hao's guilt as a shield to further deepen his suspicions of Lin Yue.

One day, Gu Yao deliberately created an "encounter" and secretly mocked Lin Yue in front of Li Hao. She "accidentally" ran into Lin Yue in the company's tea room and showed a meaningful smile.

"Lin Yue, what is your purpose in coming back? Is it really for work, or... is there another reason?" There was a subtle provocation in Gu Yao's words.

Lin Yue gave her a cold look and responded mercilessly, "Gu Yao, stop pretending here. I know what you are doing, and I hope you understand that I am not someone who can be manipulated by others."

Gu Yao was irritated by Lin Yue's indifference, but quickly put on a hurt expression and said softly, "Lin Yue, I just care about you. How could you misunderstand me like this? Li Hao and I are just friends, and you always have a prejudice against our relationship."

Li Hao happened to walk into the tea room and overheard the conversation, feeling a mixture of emotions. Lin Yue's attitude made him doubt whether she truly harbored hostility towards Gu Yao, while Gu Yao's grievance and gentleness only made him feel that his suspicions about her were groundless.