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

After receiving Song Yu’s promise, I couldn’t bear to stay in the hospital any longer. I begged Song Yu to let me see Lu one last time, just to make sure he was alright.

Song Yu agreed.

On the way to the detention center, my heart was in my throat, and I couldn’t sit still. Perhaps it was a lingering professional hazard, but I always held a deep-seated fear and aversion to places like police stations, terrified that Lu might be getting beaten or bullied inside.

Suddenly, Song Yu asked me, “Why didn’t you call me when you were hospitalized for surgery?”

I lowered my eyes and replied indifferently, “The doctor said to have a family member come.”

“Family member?” Song Yu repeated meaningfully, then chuckled, “So when you said you didn’t want to continue working, it was because you wanted to go with that Fan Lu, right?”

I paused for a couple of seconds before nodding.

Song Yu didn’t say anything more and focused on driving.

My mind was a whirl of anxiety, fearing that I might say something wrong and trap myself in a difficult situation again.

Although I consider myself good at reading people and discerning their intentions, I couldn’t see through Song Yu at all.

I didn’t know which of his words were a test and which were sincere.

I knew nothing about Song Yu.

But right now, I didn’t have the luxury of time to think about all these complexities. I just wanted to see Lu as soon as possible.

About forty minutes later, we arrived at the detention center.

After Song Yu made the arrangements, a young police officer led me to a small room with just a table and two chairs, and no windows. The air was slightly musty.

“You wait here. He’ll be here soon,” the officer said before starting to leave.

I hurriedly stopped him, anxiously asking, “Officer, could you tell me if my friend’s case is serious?”

Perhaps due to Song Yu’s influence, the officer was patient enough to explain, “It depends on how the prosecution defines this case, whether it’s intentional homicide or assault.”

At the mention of ‘homicide,’ my head buzzed in panic, and I waved my hands frantically, “No, my friend wouldn’t kill anyone. It was just an accident… he’s not a bad person, he just…”

“The prosecution will conduct a detailed investigation to determine whether it’s attempted murder or assault. They won’t wrong a good person nor let a bad one go,” the officer said sternly.

I nodded weakly, then asked, “Officer, could you explain the difference between intentional homicide and assault?”

“If it’s assault with minor circumstances, the sentence might be about three years. Intentional homicide is different; even if it’s just attempted, but with malicious intent, it could be at least ten to eight years in prison.”

Hearing this, I gasped in shock.

Song Yu had said Lu grabbed a knife aiming for his heart, which would indeed be considered intentional homicide.

If judged as such, Lu’s entire life would be ruined.

Fortunately, Song Yu had agreed to help Lu, or else I would spend the rest of my life in regret and guilt.

After the young officer left, it wasn’t long before the door swung open, and Lu appeared at the entrance, accompanied by two unfamiliar policemen.

“You have only ten minutes for visitation, so make it quick,” one of the officers said before closing the door.

I sat on the chair while Lu stood at the door, just a few meters apart, staring at each other without speaking.

I had prepared a barrage of angry words, but the moment I saw Lu, I couldn’t utter a single one.

In just one night, Lu seemed to have lost weight, his hair was disheveled, dark circles under his eyes were alarming, stubble had appeared, and upon closer inspection, his lip was split.

“Why did you do it?” I asked, my face tense.

Lu lowered his gaze, looking elsewhere, saying nothing.

“Fan Lu, are you out of your mind?!” I suddenly stood up from the chair, my voice rising uncontrollably.

Lu remained silent.

Furious, I strode towards him, grabbed his collar, and swung my fist at his face. Lu staggered back, his back hitting the door with a thud.

Even then, he kept his mouth shut, refusing to speak.

Seeing him like this, I was both angry and heartbroken, clenching my fist and striking again.

I didn’t hold back with those punches, and Lu didn’t dodge or even blink, taking them squarely.

“Speak up, are you mute? Say something!” I shouted, gripping his collar tightly, my eyes burning with rage as I stared at the side of his face.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, “I’m sorry, Bai Yu, hit me.”

His words only fueled my anger further, and I shouted through gritted teeth, “Sorry? What good is sorry?”

“Do you know what you’re facing by doing this? Don’t you think about yourself? Didn’t you once say we could do anything as long as it wasn’t illegal?”

“We were supposed to leave Hai City today, we could have had a good life…”

“Why did you do it? Why, Lu…” By the end, my voice had shifted from anger to a choked sob, my hands dropping helplessly.

Lu pulled me into a hug, resting his chin on my shoulder, whispering, “Bai, I once told you that no matter who hurts you, even if it’s the king himself, I won’t let them off.”

“This time, that guy Song was lucky. I intended to spill some blood, but he got away. Next time, I’ll make sure he pays.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, and I quickly covered Lu’s mouth, fearing the police might hear.

“Are you crazy? Do you want to spend your life locked up here?” I hissed, lowering my voice. “Fan Lu, how could you even think of murder? Do you think killing Song Yu would let you live?”

My emotions couldn’t be described as mere anger anymore; it was fear. If Lu had really killed Song Yu, it would have been a disaster beyond redemption.

Lu lowered his head, not refuting my words.

I knew that despite his bravado, Lu must be scared inside; after all, he’s only 23 years old.

“Song Yu has already promised me that he won’t hold you responsible,” I sighed, trying to reassure Lu so he wouldn’t worry while he was here.

Lu’s tired eyes suddenly widened, and he snapped, “Did that Song guy threaten you with my situation? Damn these rich people…” The more he spoke, the angrier he got, his fists clenching tightly.

“No, Song Yu didn’t threaten me. I begged him. I begged him to let you go,” I quickly explained, fearing Lu might do something foolish once he got out.

Lu’s face darkened instantly, his pure eyes turning a shade of red. “You begged him? Who asked you to beg him? After everything he’s done to you, you still went to him?”

“I’d rather spend three years in jail than have you bow down to him for my sake!”

“Fan Lu!” I interrupted him sternly, “Can you be more mature? Do you think what you’re doing is good for me, standing up for me?”

“We can’t fight against people like him!”

“All you’re doing is wasting your time and causing pain to your family and friends. Nothing else will change.”

“Stop thinking about standing up for me. My problems are mine to handle. This is the path I chose, and I will bear the consequences.”

Lu heard the implication in my words and gripped my shoulders. “Bai Yu, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by the path you chose? Are you hiding something from me?”

I bit my lip nervously, avoiding Lu’s question. I was afraid that if I told him, he might do something reckless once he got out.

Just then, the door opened, and the police came in to take Lu away. “Time’s up. Whatever you have to say, save it for after the sentencing.”

I immediately caught the undertone in the officer’s words and asked anxiously, “What do you mean by sentencing? Didn’t you say… Lu is fine?”

“Besides, Lu… he didn’t really do anything, did he?”

I had seen Song Yu’s injuries. No broken arms or legs, just a minor injury to his right hand. It didn’t warrant such a severe term like ‘sentencing.’

The officer scolded coldly, “Attempted murder with a knife! And you say he didn’t do anything? Does someone have to be killed for it to count?”

“But earlier, an officer told me Lu’s case wasn’t determined yet. How did it suddenly become attempted murder?” I persisted.

“Earlier, it wasn’t clear. Now, with Mr. Song’s account of the incident and the surveillance footage from the underground parking lot, which matches Mr. Song’s description perfectly, Fan Lu was indeed trying to kill someone. This kind of malicious criminal intent won’t be forgiven by the law.”

The officer shot Lu a glance and said, “Come with me.”

Lu looked at me with a pale face, his mouth moved but no words came out. He shuffled behind the officer towards the door.

My heart clenched instantly, and all I could think was that I couldn’t let Lu leave like this.

I quickly caught up to the officer and asked urgently, “Officer, can I ask where Song Yu is now?”

The officer thought for a moment and said, “You mean Mr. Song? He’s on the second floor talking to our director.”

Lu seemed to realize what I was planning and became agitated. “Bai Yu, don’t go looking for him. Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for what I did. You don’t need to lower yourself to him.”

“Besides, I didn’t really do anything to him. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be out soon.”

“Please, don’t go looking for him. Just wait for me outside.”

I knew Lu was trying to comfort me, but once a case like this was sentenced, it wouldn’t be easy to overturn.

I gave Lu a long look and then turned to run towards the stairs. Even though Lu was shouting frantically behind me, I didn’t stop.

Right now, only Song Yu could save Lu…