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

After hearing my dad’s words, Song Yu’s expression darkened slightly. “A friend of mine mentioned this to me once.”

As soon as he spoke, all eyes turned to him.

“The burial ground at Deer Skull Cliff was initially contracted by a local developer from Xin Ze Town. The paperwork was being processed at the city level. When the issue with your grandfather’s burial ground arose, I used my connections at the provincial level to have the contract transferred to my friend’s construction company.”

“To avoid disputes, I had my friend privately compensate them for their initial expenses, which was about ten million. Later, those people seemed to have changed their minds and demanded ten times more. My friend dismissed them, and it seems that, unable to trouble my friend, they’ve come to bother you instead.”

“What do we do now?” I was getting anxious.

If things were as Song Yu described, wouldn’t they keep causing trouble since they hadn’t received the money?

Although my dad didn’t quite understand what Song Yu was saying, seeing our worried expressions, he started to panic too.

“Bai Yu, is this serious? Does it have anything to do with our family? Are we going to get into legal trouble?”

“It’s okay, Dad, with… with President Song here…” I glanced at Song Yu, forcing myself to reassure my dad, “He’ll definitely have a way to resolve this.”

“Right, President Song?” I looked at Song Yu pleadingly. Although I was reluctant to show weakness to him, at this critical moment, there didn’t seem to be a better option. Besides, he had been involved from the start, so he wouldn’t just stand by.

“I’ll call my friend later to see what he thinks. We’ll try to resolve this peacefully. If their demands are too outrageous, then we’ll have no choice but to call the police.”

“We can’t call the police!” my dad interjected sternly.

“Why not?” I didn’t understand. How could we not report such bullying behavior?

“You don’t understand. Do you know who those thugs causing trouble at our house are? They’re underlings of Jin Sheng from the town. He’s involved in the underworld. Can our family afford to provoke them?”

“I mentioned calling the police just to scare them off. If we actually get them arrested, how will our family live peacefully afterward?” My dad sighed heavily after speaking.

Jin Sheng was a notorious gang leader in Xin Ze Town, dealing with developers and contractors, helping them collect debts. He earned a significant commission for each job done.

He had a bunch of young, unemployed followers who had just entered society, mostly aged seventeen to twenty-something, with little sense of restraint. If we really got entangled with them, it wouldn’t be something that could be resolved just by calling the police.

For a moment, the entire family was enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere.

We had come home for the New Year, only to be caught up in such a mess, instantly diminishing the festive spirit.

Seeing everyone in low spirits, my mom tried to change the subject, “Oh, it’s almost New Year. Let’s not talk about these unpleasant things. Bai Yu, your boss must be tired from driving. Come, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

My dad agreed, “Yes, yes, it’s New Year. Let’s not talk about this. Let’s eat first.”

I led Song Yu to the small kitchen, where a large round table was set up in the center, filled with various seafood dishes, all of my favorites.

My dad invited us to sit down, then poured himself a glass of loose baijiu and a glass of premium Moutai¹ for Song Yu.

Our family couldn’t possibly afford such expensive liquor, so it must have been sent over by Song Yu earlier.

I instinctively blocked the drink for Song Yu, “Dad, President Song doesn’t drink alcohol.”

My dad paused, thinking Song Yu didn’t drink baijiu, and asked, “Then does President Song drink beer?”

“No, Dad, President Song doesn’t drink any alcohol…”

Song Yu raised his hand to interrupt me, smiling as he accepted the glass of baijiu, “It’s okay to have a drink once in a while.”

I stared at Song Yu in surprise. This was only the second time I’d seen him drink since we met, the first being when he drank on behalf of Nian Hua, and I remembered it vividly.

Song Yu glanced at my dad’s glass of loose sorghum liquor and curiously asked, “Uncle Bai, why aren’t you drinking the Moutai?”

My dad smiled shyly, his dark skin showing a hint of blush, “President Song, your liquor is too good; I’m not used to it.”

Song Yu nodded understandingly and didn’t insist.

I poured myself a glass of beer, not joining my dad in drinking baijiu. In fact, I hadn’t had baijiu or pure red wine for quite some time.

My stomach always felt bloated, and drinking beer and burping a few times made me feel more comfortable.

My dad picked up his glass, glanced at me, and then solemnly said to Song Yu, “President Song, I must toast you with this drink.”

Song Yu quickly picked up his glass to join him.

“Bai Yu is my only son, and you should know his situation, he… sigh…” My dad sighed as he spoke.

I listened with growing anxiety, saliva unconsciously flooding my mouth. I knew my dad was about to talk about my sexual orientation, and I was worried he suspected something between Song Yu and me.

“I’m a simple man, not well-educated. I used to want Bai Yu to marry a wife and have a child, not asking for wealth, just to make a living. But he just… sigh…”

“Bai Yu may not be that robust, but he’s still a boy. I just don’t understand why a perfectly good boy would like men? His mother has cried countless times over this, and as his father, I feel ashamed.”

“But after talking with you for over two hours that day, I seemed to suddenly understand something. Maybe I’m getting old, and society has changed. I can’t always judge young people by my old standards.”

“Like you said, a man’s value can’t be defined by whether he likes men or women. Bai Yu isn’t some freak; he works in a big company and is so outstanding, surpassing many people. He can be recognized by everyone.”

“It’s my own stubbornness, always getting stuck on this.” My dad shook his head and took a sip of his drink.

Hearing my dad’s words, tears immediately welled up in my eyes, my nose tingling, feeling both touched and a bit heartbroken.

My dad might not have much money, but he’s been proud all his life, valuing his dignity more than his life. It must have taken immense determination for him to accept my sexual orientation.

Song Yu picked up the baijiu and took a sip with Uncle Bai, speaking earnestly, “Uncle Bai, I truly understand your feelings. However, Bai Yu is indeed a very hardworking person, resilient in his endeavors, and willing to endure hardships. As a young man just entering society, these qualities already set him apart from many others, even those with conventional orientations.”

“And this society has never lacked people with conventional orientations; what it lacks are individuals who can realize their self-worth. Bai Yu, despite his preference for men, has already achieved goals and accomplishments that many ‘normal’ men cannot. That’s where his personal charm lies, something that cannot be defined by gender.”

“To me, Bai Yu is not only an outstanding employee but also a close friend. I’ve never denied his value because of his orientation.”

“That’s precisely why I hold him in such high regard.”

Song Yu’s words not only eased my father’s concerns but also clarified the nature of our relationship, framing it purely as a revolutionary camaraderie between a leader and an employee.

No wonder my father didn’t have any reservations about Song Yu. With such eloquence, even I, the person involved, was moved, let alone my straightforward dad.

Sitting beside Song Yu, I dared not meet his gaze as he spoke. I knew he wasn’t talking about me; those admirable qualities were nowhere to be found in me.

But I did understand one thing-I seemed to have misunderstood Song Yu.

The reason my father took the initiative to call me home for the New Year was because Song Yu had previously provided him with psychological guidance, allowing me to return smoothly.

Yet, I couldn’t fathom why he would tell such lies to deceive my father. Was he having a change of heart, wanting to help mend my relationship with my family?

“Bai Yu, what are you thinking? Your drink hasn’t been touched!” My father snapped at me softly, seeing me lost in thought.

I snapped back to reality with a silly grin, picked up my glass to toast my father, but he nudged it towards Song Yu. “You should toast your leader. Without his support, you wouldn’t be where you are today,” my father said, giving me a knowing look, urging me to show some tact.

Reluctantly, I turned to Song Yu with my glass, stammering, “President Song… Thank you… Thank you for all your support. I will…” Pausing to take a deep breath, I forced myself to continue, “I will keep working hard for you and Huanya.”

Song Yu clinked his glass lightly against mine, smiling warmly, “Good.”

Perhaps it was the amount of alcohol I hadn’t consumed in a long time, or maybe I had forgotten to take my medication that evening. As the welcome dinner progressed, my stomach began to ache again, with waves of gastric acid rising.

To avoid disrupting the atmosphere at the table, I pretended to need the restroom and discreetly grabbed a bottle of mineral water, planning to step outside to relieve myself.

It turned out to be the right decision. As soon as I reached the toilet outside, I didn’t even need to bend over; everything in my mouth erupted like a fountain.

Ugh-ugh-