Seeing his distress, I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Surprised by my reaction, Qiao Luo hurried over to wipe my tears away. His rough hands brushed against my cheeks, and through sobs, I said, “I believe you. No matter what, I believe you.”
Qiao Luo’s case was complicated. I asked my dad to help investigate, but every lead pointed to someone deliberately trying to implicate him, without evidence to prove his innocence.
In the days following, I could hardly eat or sleep. Seeing my state, Dad sighed constantly, and Auntie Shen tried several times to console me. But I knew that if Qiao Luo wasn’t cleared soon, the charges would ruin his future. The thought alone made me tremble.
Auntie He Pei had grown visibly thinner in just a few days. Her eyes were always red, and she constantly blamed herself for not guiding Qiao Luo better, believing her negligence had led to this. The guilt and worry overwhelmed her, and she eventually fell ill.
I didn’t tell Qiao Luo about Auntie He Pei’s condition. Whenever he asked, I’d lie, saying she was fine and working hard to find a way to get him out.
But I knew I couldn’t keep lying forever.
I never expected Gu Yu to approach me at this time. The first thing he said was, “Yun Hao, I know how to help Qiao Luo. Do you trust me?”
Gu Yu’s appearance brought a glimmer of hope to my despair.
He explained that he’d heard about Qiao Luo’s situation at school and that someone from his neighborhood, a former employee at Lei Zi’s repair shop, could prove Qiao Luo’s innocence. Gu Yu took me to meet this neighbor, who agreed to help.
From that moment, Qiao Luo’s case took a turn for the better. The neighbor went to the police station to provide a statement, prompting a reevaluation of the case.
As Gu Yu and I left the station, the bright spring sunlight outside caught me by surprise. Walking alongside him for a long stretch, I finally stopped and turned to him. “Gu Yu, thank you. Thank you for helping Qiao Luo without holding a grudge.”
Hearing this, Gu Yu smiled faintly and said, “Though Qiao Luo and I are rivals, I never wanted to ruin his life. His father caused my family’s tragedy, and I can’t help but dislike him. But I know what it means to live with a clear conscience.”
His words made me lower my head in shame. Truthfully, when Gu Yu first offered to help, I had doubted his motives. Given the deep animosity between him and Qiao Luo, suspicion was natural. But I was desperate and willing to take a chance. Thankfully, I made the right choice. And thankfully, Gu Yu was a man of integrity.
Sensing my guilt, Gu Yu spoke again, his voice gentle. “Yun Hao, even I don’t fully understand why I did this. I told myself it was because I knew the truth and had a responsibility to share it. But why did I learn the truth in the first place? I think… maybe it was because of you. Because I was worried about you, I couldn’t help but try to do something.”
Gu Yu’s words left me momentarily stunned. I looked up in surprise, only to see him wearing an expression of effortless calm.
Seeing my reaction, he smiled lightly and said, “Come on, the bell’s about to ring.”
The investigation into Chen Qiao Luo resumed, and a week later, he was released.
Auntie He Pei was overjoyed and prepared a celebratory meal at home, inviting me over. At the table, she couldn’t stop piling food onto my plate and thanking me repeatedly.
Meanwhile, Qiao Luo opened the pull-tab on a can of coconut juice and handed it to me. His gaze was filled with earnestness and emotion.
He said, “Zhu Yun Hao, thank you.”
I hesitated but eventually said, “Actually, the one who truly helped you was Gu Yu.”
The moment I mentioned Gu Yu’s name, both Qiao Luo and Auntie He Pei froze. It took a while for Qiao Luo to recover. He looked at me and asked, “You’re saying it was Gu Yu who helped get me out?”
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