After I Was Gone, Mr. Song Said He Loved Me

On the surface, I appear obedient and easy-going, but deep down, I still have the rebellious spirit of youth etched in my bones.

I bow and scrape to Song Yu, partly because of the allure of money and partly because I’m captivated by his personal charm.

I must admit, Song Yu is a very successful businessman. On one hand, he has me learn from Catherine how to analyze and manipulate human emotions, and on the other, he has me enrich my inner self in finance tutoring courses, broadening my horizons and packaging me as something more than just a pretty face.

Although these tasks are challenging for me, my competitive nature always sparks my potential.

It’s natural to aim high.

Yet, I don’t want to be Song Yu’s personal public relations agent forever. I acknowledge that such thoughts might seem despicable.

But every time Song Yu unrelentingly unleashes his desires on me, I can’t help but entertain inappropriate thoughts.

Sometimes I wonder, if Nian Hua had left Song Yu back then just because he was poor, wouldn’t it be easy for Song Yu, with his current status and wealth, to win Nian Hua back?

However, despite the length of time, there seems to be no progress between them; instead, they seem keener on tormenting me.

I cried out in pain.

I was speechless.

It turns out, in Song Yu’s heart, Nian Hua and I are fundamentally different.

Although the tutoring course instructors praise me for developing a keen business sense, and Catherine says my demeanor resembles that of a contemporary college student…

In Song Yu’s eyes, these are merely illusions he has crafted. Deep down, I’m still that bar boy who sold his looks for money.

Even though Nian Hua had abandoned him, he remains the indelible mark on Song Yu’s heart, irreplaceable by anyone.

…

Although I’m nominally an employee of Huanya and have a work ID, I don’t have to clock in every day; whether I go to work or not is up to me.

Song Yu is very busy, and the place where I meet him the most is his home villa, where we are intimately involved.

When he can’t find me and I can’t see him, I must always report my whereabouts to him.

Most of the time, I’m either at the tutoring course or hanging out with Catherine, running around with her.

After some time, I finally understood why Song Yu wanted me to stick with Catherine. This woman is truly remarkable; whether dealing with celebrities, business tycoons, or government officials, she manages everyone with ease.

I watch carefully, remember everything, and naturally, I learn a lot.

Catherine always praises me for being smart and clever. In just over a month, I seem to have changed completely.

I always respond with a smile, noncommittal, but deep down, I feel a bit proud-not so much because of Catherine’s praise, but because I can prove myself in front of Song Yu.

I’ve accompanied him to several dinner parties. At these gatherings, where relationships are complex, I always handle myself with ease, even when faced with men and women with ulterior motives. I manage to defuse these situations with a laugh, never again showing the helpless fear I felt the first time I accompanied President Wu.

One noon, just after leaving the tutoring course, my phone rang in my pocket. Without thinking, I knew that only Song Yu could time his call with such precision.

I took out my phone, and indeed, “Song Yu” was flashing on the screen.

I answered the call, and Song Yu’s deep voice came through immediately: “I’m waiting for you across the street.”

I looked up and saw his familiar black Rolls-Royce parked by the curb, the window halfway down, Song Yu’s profile visible as he spoke on the phone.

By the time I came to my senses, he had already hung up.

I crossed the pedestrian lane and ran over, familiarly reaching to open the front passenger door, only to find Nian Hua also sitting inside. My hand froze for a moment on the handle. I quickly retreated to the back seat and got in.

“President Song, Mr. Nian,” I greeted politely.

Fortunately, I’m accustomed to feigning smiles; otherwise, I’d really struggle to manage my expressions.

Nian Hua nodded shyly, as if caught on a date, while Song Yu appeared completely at ease, showing no signs of guilt about our clandestine relationship.

Song Yu didn’t say where we were going, and I didn’t ask, just quietly sitting in the back listening to them chat about their college days. Song Yu occasionally laughed, Nian Hua joining in, sometimes feigning annoyance at the pranks Song Yu had played on him in school.

Song Yu drove us to Nian Hua’s company building. As Nian Hua was unbuckling his seatbelt, Song Yu asked with a touch of concern, “Are you sure you don’t want me to say hello to Wu Guangzhi for you?”

Nian Hua smiled, lips pursed, “No need, President Wu is very polite to me, he won’t make things difficult.”

“And besides, if he really asks why I’m late, I’ll just say I was up all night discussing life with President Song of Huanya. That should suffice, right?” Nian Hua winked slyly, his face radiating the sweet happiness of being in love.

Song Yu smiled indulgently, giving a few more words of advice before letting him go.

After Nian Hua left, Song Yu restarted the car, and I sat silently in the back.

My feelings were indescribable.

No wonder he hadn’t responded to my location message last night; he had been with Nian Hua.

“Why aren’t you talking?” Song Yu glanced at the rearview mirror.

I was stifling frustration, and my words were sharp, “What’s there to talk about? Discuss life with you?”

The double meaning in ‘discuss life’ was obvious even to a fool.

Song Yu ignored the bitterness in my tone, simply smiling, “You’re over a decade younger than me, discussing life isn’t appropriate, but talking about sex could work.”

“…Scoundrel.” I muttered under my breath.

“Do you know about Huadong Real Estate?” Song Yu suddenly asked seriously.

“Yes, it’s a real estate company that just went public this year.”

Song Yu nodded in approval, “Good, you’re progressing quickly.”

“That’s not progress. It’s hard not to know when you watch financial news every day,” I replied, though secretly thrilled inside.

The satisfaction of being recognized by Song Yu was even greater than the pleasure of earning a lot of money.

As he drove, Song Yu said, “Recently, the province approved a municipal construction project worth over 2 billion yuan, to be located in Hai City. All major real estate firms submitted bids, and only Huadong Real Estate has the strength to compete with Huanya.”

“What should I do?” I asked.

Song Yu turned to give me a meaningful smile, “I have an appointment to play golf with the municipal secretary, Wang Li’an, at Meishan Manor this afternoon. What comes next is what you do best.”