Hidden truth, intricate love

Since returning to China, Gu Yao and Lin Yue have been together almost daily, sharing their daily lives and concerns. Lin Yue considers Li Hao's support and companionship her greatest blessing, and she mentions him from time to time, her eyes always gleaming with tenderness. Gu Yao smiled as she listened, but inwardly, she felt a certain curiosity and anticipation for this "perfect boyfriend."

Finally, one evening, Lin Yue decided to introduce Gu Yao to Li Hao. Gu Yao, filled with anticipation, dressed up in her most elegant gown. She secretly thought, since Li Hao was so outstanding, Lin Yue would surely be proud of him.

The agreed location was a cozy restaurant. Lin Yue and Gu Yao sat by the window, awaiting Li Hao's arrival. Not long after, Gu Yao saw a tall, calm man walk through the doorway. He glanced around and then walked straight towards them. Her heart skipped a beat, and a hint of surprise and admiration flashed in her eyes.

Lin Yue stood up with a smile and gently took his hand: "Gu Yao, this is Li Hao."

Li Hao smiled slightly and nodded politely to Gu Yao. "Hello, Gu Yao. I heard Lin Yue mention you before, and I finally met you today."

Gu Yao looked at Li Hao and felt an inexplicable surge of emotion. She had originally thought that "Lin Yue's boyfriend" was just an ordinary person, but she had never expected him to have such outstanding temperament, elegant manners, and a look of confidence and composure. Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and she was speechless for a moment.

"Hello, Li Hao." Gu Yao tried to remain calm, smiling and extending her hand. "Lin Yue always mentioned you to me. Now that I've met you in person, you're even better than she described."

Li Hao smiled, gently shook her hand, then politely withdrew his hand and sat down next to Lin Yue. He naturally put his hand on Lin Yue's shoulder, his eyes gentle, and his love for Lin Yue could be seen at a glance.

Gu Yao felt a pang of sadness as she watched the scene unfold. She sighed inwardly, thinking, "Why did Lin Yue happen to meet such an outstanding person? Her luck is so good that it makes me jealous..."

She forced herself to smile and pretended to chat with them casually, but her mind was already in a mess. Originally, it was just a simple meeting between friends. Gu Yao didn't expect that she would have such a strong emotional impact on Lin Yue's boyfriend.

The dinner went very happily. Li Hao was humorous and shared interesting stories between him and Lin Yue from time to time. Gu Yao listened and looked at him casually, and her heart began to waver.

"How could one not be moved by such an outstanding man?" she thought silently. "From his appearance to his conversation, he is impeccable... How could Lin Yue be so lucky to find such a good partner?"

Gu Yao looked at Li Hao's profile, and a sudden surge of jealousy and resentment welled up in her heart. She tried to suppress the emotion, but deep down she couldn't help but think, "How great would it be if he were my boyfriend? We would definitely be a perfect match."

She knew it was wrong to think this way, but once the thought had occurred, it began to grow like a seed in her heart, making it impossible for her to return to her former peace. She knew she shouldn't have such thoughts about her best friend's boyfriend, but she was constantly struggling with it: "Lin Yue is so good to me, how could I betray her? But... why can't I help but fall for him?"

Gu Yao's inner struggle made her a little absent-minded. Her eyes involuntarily followed Li Hao's movements. Even in the moment when Lin Yue didn't notice, a hint of attachment appeared in her eyes.

After dinner, the three of them walked out of the restaurant together. Gu Yao suggested going to a nearby cafe, and Lin Yue agreed. Li Hao walked in front of the two of them to park the car, and Gu Yao took the opportunity to whisper to Lin Yue, "Lin Yue, I really envy you for finding such a good boyfriend."

Lin Yue smiled slightly, with a hint of contentment and happiness: "Yes, I also feel that I am very lucky. With Li Hao by my side, I can persist in the family business."

Gu Yao's smile was a bit forced. Her eyes followed Li Hao's figure, and the urge in her heart continued to intensify. She couldn't help but think to herself, "Lin Yue, you have always been so outstanding, and you have such a boyfriend. You have everything. And what about me? Why can't I have such a good love?"

Seeing the happiness on Lin Yue's face, Gu Yao struggled secretly in her heart. She knew that it was unfair to think this way to Lin Yue, but the jealousy and unwillingness in her heart made her unable to help but imagine - what would it feel like if she could appear beside Li Hao instead of Lin Yue?

"Maybe... if I spend more time with him, he'll find out about me, okay?" A thought quietly surfaced in Gu Yao's mind, but then she felt ashamed and guilty for her thoughts. She knew that such thoughts were not only a betrayal of Lin Yue, but also a violation of her friendship.

She forced herself to suppress this emotion, trying to bury the throbbing in her heart, but the more she suppressed it, the stronger her inner desire became. She looked at Lin Yue with a smile and said casually, "Lin Yue, I will ask you more about how to find a boyfriend as outstanding as Li Hao in the future."

Lin Yue smiled and said, "Gu Yao, you are so outstanding, you will definitely find the right partner for you. You will find your own happiness."

Gu Yao felt extremely sad when she heard her words. She thought silently, "Lin Yue, you may not know that the happiness I want most now is everything you have."

Back home, Gu Yao tossed and turned, Li Hao's smile, voice, and gentle eyes repeatedly appearing in her mind. The more she tried to get rid of him, the deeper her heart palpitated for him.

She secretly asked herself, "Gu Yao, are you really going to give up this excitement? Maybe if you try harder, Li Hao will realize your good qualities." But then her mind pulled her back and she laughed at herself, "How can you be so selfish? He's Lin Yue's boyfriend, the most precious person to her. How could you have such thoughts?"

This feeling filled Gu Yao with inner conflict. She longed for Li Hao's attention, yet she feared exposing her feelings to the world and potentially hurting Lin Yue. Whenever she thought about potentially hurting Lin Yue, she felt a pang of guilt, yet the throbbing in her heart, like a vine, entwined itself more and more tightly.

She kept recalling the dinner scene in her mind: Li Hao's gentle gaze at Lin Yue, his indifferent smile, his calm demeanor... every detail made her heart beat fast.

Finally, she sighed deeply and made up her mind silently: "Gu Yao, no, you can't do this. Lin Yue is your best friend, and Li Hao belongs to her. You must control yourself and never let this feeling get out of control."

In the following days, Gu Yao deliberately reduced the chances of meeting Li Hao. She was afraid that she would lose control of her emotions again and let Lin Yue notice something. Whenever Lin Yue mentioned Li Hao, she would hide her throbbing with a smile and pretend to be indifferent.

However, the throbbing feeling in her heart for Li Hao never disappeared. Instead, it eroded her heart every night, making it increasingly difficult for her to calm down.

Although Gu Yao felt suffocated by guilt towards Lin Yue, her heart fluttered more and more as time went by. Li Hao's gentleness, his confidence, and his meticulous care for Lin Yue all made her unable to extricate herself. Her inner struggle was gradually swallowed by desire, and she finally began to think about how to get closer to Li Hao, even if it was just to see him a few more times.

One day, Lin Yue was busy with work, so she invited Gu Yao to attend the company's annual meeting and to accompany Li Hao to the banquet. Gu Yao secretly delighted herself, tried her best to hide her excitement, and agreed with a smile.

"Don't worry, Lin Yue, I will take good care of Li Hao." Gu Yao smiled gently, but the gleam in her eyes surprised her.

On the evening of the annual meeting, Gu Yao dressed meticulously, donning an elegant yet not overly flashy black gown. When she arrived at the venue, she spotted Li Hao from a distance. He was standing in a corner, quietly chatting with a few colleagues, his every move exuding a captivating aura.

Gu Yao took a deep breath, walked forward, smiled, and gently patted Li Hao's shoulder: "Li Hao, I'm here. I was entrusted by Lin Yue to accompany you tonight."

Li Hao saw that it was Gu Yao, smiled friendly, and nodded, "Thank you, Gu Yao. Lin Yue has been very busy lately, and it's great to have you accompany her."

Gu Yao's heart fluttered when she heard his words, secretly feeling that the opportunity was gradually ripening. She tried to suppress her inner excitement and said gently, "Lin Yue works too hard, and I'm worried about her. You must take good care of her."

"Of course." Li Hao smiled slightly, his eyes full of tenderness towards Lin Yue.

Gu Yao looked at his gentle eyes, and the jealousy in her heart surged again. She smiled gently and thought secretly: "If he could look at me with such eyes once, how happy would I be?"

Then, she picked up a glass of red wine, handed it to Li Hao, and raised the glass gently, saying, "Come on, let's toast to Lin Yue and your future."

Li Hao raised his glass in response, clinking it with hers with a smile. Gu Yao felt the warmth of his fingertips, and her heart fluttered, as if she had touched a forbidden place. She forced herself to remain calm and continued chatting with him.