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

Luo Yewen stared at me, his face a kaleidoscope of colors. I knew I’d spoken out of turn again, so I turned and headed for the door.

“Where are you going? I can give you a ride!” Luo Yewen called after me.

“Personal business!” I replied without looking back.

He didn’t press further, and I was relieved he didn’t follow. I wouldn’t have known how to handle the awkwardness if he had.

I got into a taxi, and when the driver asked for my destination, I told him “Cat’s Eye Alley.”

That’s where Lu lives.

Last night had been unbearable. I talked with Lu for a long time, and he said he missed me and asked me to visit when I had the chance.

When he opened the door and saw me, he was stunned.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I pushed past him, kicked off my shoes, and flopped onto his small couch in the living room without any pretense.

Lu closed the door and turned to ask, “You’re here so early. Have you eaten?”

I shook my head with my eyes closed, “No, I’m not hungry.”

He didn’t say anything, but soon I heard the sound of the gas stove in the kitchen. I knew he was making food for me.

Having barely slept, my mind was foggy. I leaned back on the couch and, listening to the clatter of pots and pans, drifted off.

Half-asleep, I heard Lu gently calling me, “Bai Yu, eat first, then you can sleep.”

“Bai Yu? Wake up, have some noodles first.”

I groggily opened my eyes to see a steaming bowl of egg noodles on the coffee table.

Lu sat down next to me and handed me chopsticks, “Eat while it’s hot, then get some good rest.”

For some reason, looking at the noodles made me want to cry. Maybe it was the pent-up frustration.

I used to have little money, but every day I commuted with Lu, ate street food together, and even spending a few hundred on hotpot felt like a festive splurge.

We worked hard for a better life, and though times were tough, they were happy.

Now I have money and my own place, but I don’t enjoy my meals, I don’t sleep well, and it’s been ages since I laughed genuinely.

In just over a month, my mindset had changed so drastically.

Seeing me hesitate, Lu urged, “What are you thinking about? If you don’t eat soon, it’ll turn into mush.”

I sniffed, picked up the bowl, and began to eat in big gulps.

Lu poured me a glass of water, cautioning, “Eat slowly, don’t choke.”

With my face buried in the bowl, tears dripped onto the noodles, swallowed down with the broth.

“Bai Yu, have you been really tired lately?” Lu asked with concern.

A lump formed in my throat, but I continued slurping the noodles, mumbling, “No, I’m fine.”

“Do you know you’ve lost weight and look unwell?” Lu added.

I forced a laugh, lowering my head further, “No way, besides, I never liked being chubby, clothes don’t look good.”

“You can’t fool me, Bai Yu. We’ve known each other too long for that.”

“Is it your boss? Are you two…” Lu trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

I put down the bowl and looked at Lu, tears still streaking my face. “Lu, I’m hurting.”

“It hurts here.” I pointed to my heart.

Lu wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I leaned into him weakly, my nose still twitching. Just thinking about Song Yu made my heart twist with pain.

Suddenly-

“Bai Yu, come with me!”

I didn’t pay much attention to the meaning behind Lu’s words, still lost in my own sadness, and replied casually, “Where are we going?”

“Let’s go back to my hometown together. We can leave Hai City behind, forget everything here, and start anew.”

I sensed something was off about Lu’s words and lifted my head from his shoulder, looking at him in confusion.

“I’ve saved over seven hundred thousand. We can go back to my hometown, get a loan, and buy a house. Didn’t you say you love eating cake? We can open a cake shop, and then you can eat your favorite cake every day, okay?”

My eyes widened, and I forced an unnatural smile. “Lu, what are you talking about? I… I have to go.”

Just as I was about to stand up, Lu grabbed my wrist, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Bai Yu, I originally wanted to wait until I’d saved more money to tell you this, but I’m afraid if I don’t say it now, I might never get the chance.”

I felt breathless, my mind completely blank.

Lu stood up and faced me, his deep eyes fixed on mine, speaking each word deliberately, “Bai Yu, I like you. I want to take care of you.”

“I don’t care what you’ve been through lately. I just know I don’t want you to be sad. Come with me, Bai Yu. Let’s leave Hai City together. I’ll make you happy, trust me.”

“Lu, you… I…” My mind was a whirlwind, and I stammered, unable to form coherent words.

Lu actually likes me. He has feelings for me?

Oh my God, how did I not notice before?

I thought Lu just saw me as a good friend, which is why he tolerated me and treated me well.

I never imagined he actually liked me.

But I don’t have any feelings for him beyond friendship.

“Bai Yu, I know you can’t accept this right away. I won’t pressure you. Take your time to think about it. I’ll wait for you.” Lu said, moving to hug me, but I pushed him away. Lu’s expression changed abruptly, and he winced, clutching his arm.

I suddenly remembered his arm hadn’t healed yet.

“Lu, are you okay? I didn’t mean to, I just…” I hurriedly stepped forward to support his right arm, nervously stumbling over my words.

Fan Lu used his healthy left arm to pull me close, and while I was still in shock, his lips pressed against mine without warning.

The moment our lips touched, I gasped and instinctively pushed him away.

Lu stood there, staring at me blankly.

I raised my hand to wipe my mouth harshly, glaring at Lu with anger. “Fan Lu, I’ve always seen you as a good friend, never thought of having any relationship beyond friendship, and it won’t happen.”

Lu’s expression turned incredibly sorrowful, and I could clearly see his lips trembling slightly.

But I still rejected him heartlessly, “Lu, I really value our friendship and don’t want anything to ruin it.”

“I hope you understand what I mean. Let’s pretend this never happened. I have something to do later, so I’m leaving now.”

I cast a timid glance at Lu and turned to walk towards the door.

“Bai Yu!” Lu called out to me.

I stopped in my tracks but didn’t turn around.

“Bai Yu, whether you like me or not, I just want you to be healthy and happy. If the person you like keeps making you sad, even if he’s the king of the world, I won’t let him off.”

My nose tingled, and tears welled up in my eyes. I choked up and said, “I understand. Thank you, Lu.” Then I pulled the door handle and left Lu’s house.

As soon as I stepped outside, tears streamed down my face.

I didn’t know why, but I just felt like crying, a kind of indescribable grievance.

I wasn’t someone who cried easily, but ever since I met Song Yu, I’ve cried more times than I can count, and my laughter has become increasingly rare.

Ah, why am I thinking about him again?

I thought coming to Lu’s place would help ease my troubles, so I wouldn’t be alone at home overthinking. But instead, my worries piled up, and my mind felt like a tangled mess.

At this moment, I suddenly wanted to find someone to drink with, to get so drunk that I wouldn’t have to think about anything.

I opened my contacts and scrolled through the names, all of them CEOs and bosses of major companies. Especially after working for Song Yu, the circle I interacted with had elevated to a higher level.

Looking at those illustrious titles, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. My circle was so narrow that I couldn’t even find someone to drink with.

After much deliberation, I decided to reach out to Zhang Jishu, the chairman of Boyang Electronic Technology, whom I’d been in contact with recently.

Huanya had always wanted to venture into the e-commerce field, and Boyang was one of the top three leading e-commerce enterprises in the country.

I had met him twice at banquets before, and he always attended with his wife, appearing to be quite decent.

Choosing to drink with him was partly because he was humorous, in his early forties, not exactly handsome but at least easy on the eyes, and partly because he could provide some convenience for Song Yu in work…

Damn! I thought of him again.

Forget the second reason; I just wanted to find someone to drink with, that’s all.

I stared at Zhang Jishu’s number in my contacts, hesitating for a long time before finally dialing it.

I expected to wait a while before someone answered, but surprisingly, after just two rings, Zhang Jishu picked up and accurately called out my name.

“Assistant Bai?”

I smiled politely, “President Zhang, you still remember me.”

Zhang Jishu laughed heartily and then said, seemingly sincerely, “Assistant Bai is so striking, how could I forget?”

I chuckled lightly, brushing off his compliment.

Zhang Jishu then asked, “What’s up? Is there something you need from me, Assistant Bai?”

Feigning difficulty, I squeezed out a soft voice, “Actually, it’s nothing much. I just wanted to invite President Zhang for a meal.”

“I kind of regret calling now; President Zhang is so busy, how could you have time to dine with me?”

“Who says that? If Assistant Bai invites me, how could I not have time? How about this, tonight, after I finish a video conference with F Country at 5 PM, we can have dinner together. How does that sound?”

“Have you thought about what you want to eat?”

I happily agreed, “Alright, see you tonight.”