Hidden truth, intricate love

Chapter 197 Leng Mo Appears

The atmosphere between Lin Yue and Li Hao had subtly shifted. Once inseparable, they had recently become somewhat distant and cold in their interactions. Initially, Lin Yue ignored these subtle changes, believing Li Hao's busy schedule had inevitably affected his mood. However, gradually, she began to notice that Li Hao's attitude seemed even colder than she had imagined, even tinged with a subtle sense of distance.

It all started one night a few days ago.

That night, Lin Yue prepared Li Hao's favorite dishes and waited for him to come home with great joy. She'd already set the table, lit the candles, and even carefully selected a bottle of red wine, just to give them a moment of warmth amidst their busy lives. But as the night wore on, Li Hao still hadn't returned, and Lin Yue's calls went unanswered. As she watched the food gradually cool on the table, her anticipation gradually turned to disappointment.

Finally, the door opened and Li Hao walked in expressionlessly. There was a hint of tiredness on his face, but his eyes lacked the tenderness of the past.

"Li Hao, you're finally back! I've prepared dinner for you, come and eat." Lin Yue tried to smile and greeted him.

Li Hao just glanced at the table coldly and said indifferently: "I've already eaten outside."

Lin Yue was stunned for a moment, and the joy in her heart instantly turned into invisible loss. She asked softly, "Why didn't you tell me? I was waiting for you to eat together."

Li Hao lowered his head to change his shoes and said in a cold voice, "I had some company social events and didn't have time to inform you."

This simple response was like a bucket of cold water poured over Lin Yue's heart, leaving her speechless. She had only meant to show concern for him, but she hadn't expected such a distant response. Lin Yue sighed inwardly, carried the cooled dishes to the kitchen, and quietly cleared the table, trying to mask her inner desolation.

Over the next few days, Li Hao's attitude remained the same. He was always leaving early and returning late, even canceling their planned weekend activities. Lin Yue noticed that their communication became less and less frequent, even simple greetings becoming infrequent. She couldn't understand why Li Hao's attitude had suddenly become so cold, and she felt confused and uneasy.

One night, Lin Yue mustered up the courage to try to talk to Li Hao. She asked softly, "Li Hao, is there something that's made you unhappy recently? You look a little off."

Li Hao frowned, his tone carrying a hint of impatience: "Nothing special, just a lot of work pressure. Don't think too much about it."

Lin Yue's perfunctory response left her even more perplexed. She felt as if Li Hao was deliberately avoiding communication with her, even deliberately keeping his distance. This cold attitude gradually enveloped her heart in an invisible pain, and she couldn't understand what had gone wrong.

Lin Yue tried to communicate with Li Hao many times, but he always brushed her off. She felt helpless, as if there was an invisible barrier between them.

In desperation, Lin Yue confided her distress to her best friend Gu Yao, believing that Gu Yao would give her some advice and help her understand and win back Li Hao.

"Gu Yao, I don't know what's going on. Li Hao has been particularly cold to me recently." Lin Yue's tone was filled with undisguised disappointment.

Gu Yao pretended to be concerned, patted her hands gently, and said softly: "Yueyue, maybe Li Hao is under a lot of pressure recently. Don't worry about it. Sometimes men will ignore the people around them when they are busy."

Lin Yue sighed, her tone filled with bitterness: "But he's never like this. No matter how busy he is, he'll always take time to care about me. But recently, no matter what I say, he doesn't care, and he's even unwilling to communicate with me."

Gu Yao was secretly pleased with herself, but pretended to be distressed on the surface. She sighed and said, "Maybe he's in a bad mood and wants to be alone. Try to give him some space and don't push him too much."

Lin Yue nodded. Although she was still uneasy, she chose to trust Gu Yao's advice and decided to give Li Hao some time and try not to disturb him. However, she still felt a sense of unease in her heart, vaguely sensing that uncontrollable changes were taking place between the two of them.

Gu Yao looked at Lin Yue's distressed expression, feeling smug. She knew her provocations were starting to work. As long as she continued to pretend to be a "caring" friend to Li Hao and a "good friend" to Lin Yue, she would be able to gradually drag their relationship into the abyss.

A few days later, Lin Yue mustered up the courage to prepare a homemade lunch box for Li Hao after get off work and personally deliver it to his office. She thought that perhaps Li Hao was just under too much pressure recently and in a bad mood, and she hoped that her care and consideration would warm him up and restore their previous intimacy.

However, when Lin Yue arrived at the company door with great anticipation and called Li Hao, Li Hao's tone on the other end of the phone was cold.

"Lin Yue, why are you here?" There was no warmth in Li Hao's voice, and even a hint of impatience.

Lin Yue was stunned for a moment, then suppressed her inner disappointment and said with a smile, "I made your favorite bento and wanted to deliver it to you personally."

"Lin Yue, I've told you before, I'm very busy. I don't need you to worry about these little things every day." Li Hao's tone was still cold, even a little annoyed. "If you really care about me, don't bother me."

When Lin Yue heard this, she felt a sharp pain in her heart and her hand holding the lunch box trembled slightly. She didn't understand why her good feelings were rejected so coldly by Li Hao.

"Okay... I understand." Lin Yue fought back her tears, hung up the phone, and silently turned away. It was as if the world around her had suddenly become silent. Her heart felt as if it was torn apart, and she felt increasingly humbled in this relationship.

Lin Yue returned home, her inner pain reaching its peak. She began to wonder if she had done something wrong to cause Li Hao's indifference. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, replaying every moment they had spent together. She couldn't understand why the once gentle and considerate Li Hao had become so unfamiliar.

After learning of her pain, Gu Yao took the opportunity to continue to pretend to be innocent and concerned, using vague words to try to further deepen Lin Yue's self-doubt.

"Yueyue, sometimes love is like this. Maybe he just wants more freedom." Gu Yao said deliberately lightly.

Lin Yue was stunned when she heard this, and the pain in her heart deepened. She had never doubted Li Hao's feelings, and even believed that he was everything to her. However, now, Li Hao's indifference made her feel extremely lonely and helpless.

"Gu Yao, I really don't know what to do... What should I do if he doesn't love me anymore?" Lin Yue's voice choked, her eyes filled with tears.

Gu Yao pretended to be distressed and comforted her, "Yueyue, maybe this is just a sign that he's in a bad mood. Don't give up easily. But if he really chooses to distance himself from you, then maybe that proves something..."