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

I had no idea how I managed to get back to my dad’s room. It was only a few steps away, yet it felt like an arduous journey. Song Yu didn’t follow me out, and for that, I was grateful. At least he spared me the embarrassment of causing a scene at my home.

I lay back on the bed, my mind a chaotic mess, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Thankfully, my dad had drunk enough to remain undisturbed by my restlessness.

Then I heard a creak from the room next door. I sat up, ears perked, listening intently. It sounded like the door to Song Yu’s room opening, followed by the front door, and then the sound of a car engine starting. It seemed Song Yu intended to leave in the middle of the night.

I sat there for a moment, then got up and went to the room next door. The door was ajar, and the room was pitch black. I turned on the light and stood there, lost in thought. The bed was neatly made, with no trace of the struggle from earlier, as if Song Yu had never been there at all.

I let out a soft sigh. With Song Yu gone, I felt a sense of relief, yet there was an inexplicable emptiness in my chest.

Suddenly, I noticed that one of my anime figures was missing from the desk. Upon closer inspection, it was the Straw Hat Luffy.

A pang of sadness tugged at my heart, a bittersweet ache. Perhaps Song Yu had a vulnerable side too, one that was hidden beneath the tough exterior shaped by his childhood and life experiences.

But wait, why was I making excuses for him? Feeling sorry for him?

I must be out of my mind.

I gave myself a frustrated tap on the head. Song Yu leaving was a good thing. With him around, I felt constrained, unable to speak or act freely.

I just wanted to spend the New Year with my parents and sister. It had been so long since I felt the warmth of family.

I thought with Song Yu gone, I’d finally get a good night’s sleep, but I ended up staying awake, probably due to my dad’s snoring.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, my mom yanked me out of bed.

I had only fallen asleep around three in the morning, and I was so tired I could barely open my eyes. I heard my mom’s voice, sharp with urgency, “Bai Yu, get up! Your boss is gone, the car’s missing.”

I turned over, mumbling sleepily, “Yeah, I know, Mom. I’m so tired, let me sleep a bit longer.”

“Oh, you silly child, how can you be so clueless? He came to spend New Year with us, and now he’s left without a word. Aren’t you going to ask why?”

My dad had gone outside to check and returned, picking up his phone from the table. “I need to call President Song. Maybe I drank too much last night and was rude to him.”

As he started searching for Song Yu’s number, I quickly opened my eyes and stopped him, “Dad, there’s no need to call. President Song left because of some urgent business.”

My dad looked at me, doubtful. “But he… he didn’t mention anything about it yesterday.”

I cleared my throat, improvising, “There was an unexpected situation at the company. President Song didn’t have time to inform you before he left.”

Hearing this, my dad finally relaxed, muttering, “As long as it wasn’t our fault for being impolite.”

My parents’ commotion left me wide awake, so I got up, washed, and had a quick breakfast before helping them with the seafood in the yard. My mom planned to sell it at the town’s seafood market after the New Year.

While we were halfway through, two black SUVs pulled up outside. Five or six young thugs jumped out, led by a middle-aged man.

My dad and I stood up, watching them warily. My mom took my sister inside, not wanting her to be scared if things got heated.

“What do you want this time?” my dad demanded angrily, stepping forward.

“Heh, what do you think we want? You don’t cough up the money, so we have to come,” the middle-aged man said, lighting a cigarette with a smirk. “Listen, just call that boss from Dongfang Construction and tell him to settle the payment. Let’s all have a peaceful New Year.”

From what he said, it seemed Dongfang Construction was Song Yu’s friend’s company.

“I told you, I don’t know any construction company boss. You better leave, or I’ll call the police!” my dad threatened, fuming.

“You think we’re fools? You don’t know him? How could such a big boss get the provincial and city authorities involved over your little burial ground, even getting the town mayor to personally approve the land for you? And you say you don’t know him?”

“You really won’t cry until you see the coffin, huh?” the man said, his tone turning menacing.

“I said I don’t know him, and I mean it. If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police right now,” my dad said, pretending to dial on his phone. I glanced over and saw he hadn’t even pressed 911.

The man scoffed from a distance, blowing out smoke. “Old man, don’t bother. Even if you call the police, we’ll be out after a cup of tea. But don’t forget, you have a family. If you push us, don’t blame us for being ruthless.”

Hearing this, my dad’s hand froze over the phone. I knew he was scared.

“Ah, very clear!” I suddenly laughed, holding the phone to my ear.

The man frowned, eyeing me coldly. “What are you babbling about?”

I waved the phone with a grin. “Oh, nothing, just recorded all your fearless words.”

“Dad, call the police. With this recording, if anything happens to us, it’ll be on them,” I said loudly for them to hear, giving my dad a reassuring look to encourage him to call.

“Bai Yu, will this work? They’re Jin Sheng’s men, and if…” my dad whispered, still hesitant.

“So what? The government has taken down plenty of big criminals. A small-town thug like him can’t cause much trouble.”

“If you can’t explain to the police, I will,” I said firmly, reaching for the phone to call.

Seeing I was serious, the man interrupted harshly, “Fine, you win! We’re leaving!”

The man finished speaking and angrily turned to get back into his car, with his gang of hoodlums following suit and driving off.

Watching their car disappear into the distance, I silently heaved a sigh of relief.

Despite my tough talk just moments ago, I was more clueless and nervous than anyone. It’s always the local thugs who are the hardest to deal with, no matter how powerful outsiders might be.

For now, they were just intimidated by me, but by the afternoon, they might realize their mistake and come back to provoke and harass my family again.

Therefore, it was urgent to find a way to get Song Yu’s friend to resolve this issue at its root, otherwise, they would relentlessly target my family.

After these people left, my parents lost interest in handling the seafood, especially my mom who kept sighing and even started complaining, “See, I told you there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Didn’t I say it would come to this?”

My dad glanced at me secretly and then glared at my mom irritably, “What nonsense are you spouting? What free lunch? This is all thanks to our son’s hard work. Would their boss help us if our son was worthless?”

“Besides, didn’t you also boast about how our family gained respect from the burial ground incident? Who are you trying to fool with this talk now?”

Knowing she was in the wrong, my mom was scolded and fell silent.

“Mom, Dad, I’ll ask President Song to handle this, don’t worry. I won’t let them disturb us again,” I promised earnestly.

Hearing this, a smile finally returned to my mom’s face.

I checked the time; it was nearly noon. I figured that even if Song Yu had driven overnight to Hai City and taken a nap, he should be awake by now.

Despite my reluctance to bother him, the issue with the burial ground forced me to call him.

After pondering for a while, I picked up my phone and dialed Song Yu’s number.

After four or five rings, there was still no response. Just when I thought no one would answer, Song Yu’s raspy voice came through the phone, sounding as if he had smoked ten packs of cigarettes.

“President Song, are you… okay?” I tentatively asked.

“It’s fine.”

His brief response plunged us back into an awkward silence. Although it wasn’t the right moment to bring up my family’s issues, I still plucked up the courage and said, “President Song, I need your help with my grandfather’s burial ground issue. Those people came to our house again this morning. I was hoping you could talk to your friend to handle it, otherwise, they’ll keep causing trouble.”

“I know I have no right to ask this favor,” I closed my eyes and spoke in a low voice, “but I can’t stand to see my parents stressed every day. I’m hoping you can help me out.”

After finishing my plea, there was another long silence on the other side.

About four or five seconds later, Song Yu simply replied with an ‘okay’ and then hung up.

The line went dead, leaving only the beeping tone in my ear, and I still held the phone, not yet disconnected from the conversation.

Throughout the call, Song Yu had spoken only a few words, his tone as still as stagnant water, seemingly filled with melancholy and disappointment.

Perhaps he was hoping I would say something else, but I didn’t.

Sure enough, after the phone call with Song Yu, those thugs never came to my house again. Our family had a lively and joyous New Year celebration.

On New Year’s Eve, I sent Song Yu a text message wishing him well. He didn’t reply, which didn’t surprise me. After all, our last encounter at my house ended on a sour note.

But I’ve done my part in terms of etiquette; whether he acknowledges it is up to him.

After returning to the M Country, Chi Jin was incredibly busy, juggling his father’s illness and company affairs. Yet, no matter how hectic things got, he insisted on a daily hour-long video call with me across the ocean.

Most of the time, I would just place my phone in a corner, continuing with my household chores while chatting with him. He would watch me intently as I bustled around, not saying much.

As I finished bundling up the last fishing net, I noticed Chi Jin staring at me intently. I chuckled and asked, “Is watching someone handle fishing nets that fascinating?”

Chi Jin laughed on the screen and said, “I’m just assessing whether my future wife is competent. What if I end up marrying someone who can’t do anything? I’d be at a loss.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Future wife? Who’s your wife?” I glared at him fiercely.

“Oh, come on, I’m just joking. Why so serious?” Chi Jin rolled over on his bed with a mischievous grin.

“Can’t be bothered with you!” I said, ready to end the call.

“Wait, Bai Yu.”

“What? Anything else?” I asked, keeping a stern face.

“Any news on the account book?” Chi Jin asked, his expression turning serious.

“It’s not that easy, you know. I’m not a detective. Even if I were, Song Yu is so clever, he wouldn’t let me find out where the account book is so quickly.” I scoffed, curling my lips. “But, I did overhear him talking to a foreigner the other day, and they seemed to mention the account book.”

Chi Jin’s eyes lit up instantly. “What else did he say?”

“They were speaking in English, which I didn’t quite understand, but they mentioned something about the World Bank.”

Chi Jin nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself, “Looks like my dad was right. Song Yu does have that account book.”

“What did you say?” I asked, not quite catching his meaning.

Chi Jin snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. “Oh, nothing. I just meant that this task is indeed challenging for you. But we’re running out of time. In just over a month, Song Yu’s stocks will be unfrozen. Once he regains his financial footing, along with the support from those mentioned in the account book, my dad’s position will be in jeopardy.”

“If Song Yu becomes the new chairman of Huanya, no one will be able to hold him accountable, and your friend’s death will remain unresolved.”

Chi Jin’s words were filled with urgency, making me tense up as well. “I know! I’ll get it as soon as I can.”

Chi Jin didn’t say much more, just reminded me of a few things before ending the call.

I’m feeling quite conflicted now, unsure if what I’m doing is right or wrong. I know Chi Jin is using me, and Lu’s death has inadvertently tied us together. Seeking revenge on Song Yu, bringing him down, seems to have become my obsession.

After the initial anger and impulsiveness subsided, I began to reflect on the past and wondered whether I should place all the blame on Song Yu.

Lu’s death seemed to be influenced by Song Yu, but if Lu hadn’t attempted to assassinate Song Yu, he wouldn’t have ended up in prison. Even if Song Yu might have enticed Lu, Lu’s actions and motivations were real.

Including the last time I saw Lu, he openly declared his intention to kill Song Yu, but Song Yu just managed to evade him.

The root cause of this tragedy was my unilateral decision to breach the spirit of the contract, publicly ending the employment relationship between Song Yu and myself, using Chi Jin to provoke Song Yu’s limits, which resulted in physical punishment.

By this account, the person I should truly hate is myself.

I’ve known about this cause and effect for a long time; I’ve just been too scared to face it.

I lack the courage to admit that I caused Lu’s death, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the collapse.

So, I might as well keep hating Song Yu.

At least, at least that allows me to live on without guilt.

During the New Year’s celebration at home, everything was fine except for two things that troubled me: my stomach and Ren Hechuan.

The medicine the doctor prescribed recently seems ineffective. I still experience bloating and acid reflux, and the pain is lasting longer, even affecting my sleep at night.

I searched online for my symptoms, and the doctor’s potential diagnosis was either an A1-A2 grade stomach ulcer or early-stage stomach cancer.

I was shocked after reading that. Stomach cancer?

How is that possible?

I’m only 21 years old, and by the age of the parts in my body, I’m just a newbie. How could I have stomach cancer?

Besides, I haven’t eaten anything terrible, just some alcohol. My dad has been drinking his whole life and he’s fine, so why would I get stomach cancer?

It’s impossible, absolutely impossible.

People always say not to look up illnesses online; even a healthy person can get scared into thinking they’re sick. That’s certainly true. I’ll wait a few more days and then go to a reputable hospital in Hai City for a thorough check-up.

Every day, Ren Hechuan wants me to send him various selfies. He rarely video calls or phones me; I guess it’s inconvenient with his family around.

I begrudgingly send him a few unflattering selfies, but that’s not enough for him; I know what he wants to see.

This kind of social pornography disgusts me immensely, perhaps also because he isn’t someone I like. Yet, I don’t dare offend him directly, so I reluctantly send a few photos of my legs or collarbones to appease him.

But after a couple of days, even those photos weren’t enough; he wanted more, even asking me to send him audios of me panting.

I was utterly speechless.

I politely declined him, saying I couldn’t do it.

This was the first time I directly refused Ren Hechuan’s request. I thought he would scold me angrily or say some harsh threatening words, as these powerful figures often do.

Yet, Ren Hechuan said nothing, didn’t message me or call. Our chat remained at my refusal, he didn’t contact me, and I didn’t bother him again.

The New Year quickly passed, and even though I didn’t want to leave home, I had to return to Hai City.

On the day of departure, I transferred a million to my mom so she could buy a house in Xin Ze Town. This would make it easier for her to sell seafood without having to travel back and forth between the town and the countryside. Most importantly, she could accompany my sister to school.

My sister turned fifteen during the New Year. She’s tall, standing at 1.7 meters, and has grown into a young lady with fair skin. I worry about her living away from home at school.

My mom and the others haven’t experienced the dirty and dangerous side of society, but I’ve seen plenty. A pretty young girl is bound to attract attention.

So, it’s better for my mom to stay in town and accompany her.

When my mom saw the money, she was shocked and kept asking where it came from. I concocted a story, saying it was my year-end bonus from my boss for my hard work. Only then did she hesitantly accept the money.

With everything arranged, I boarded the high-speed train back to Hai City…

Burial ground incident explanation:

The burial ground project was initially contracted out through proper procedures.

Bai Yu’s grandfather’s burial ground was in a prime location, not something you could buy with money. It wasn’t for sale because it was reserved for wealthy people or officials who cared about feng shui. This is easy to understand; you offer money, but they don’t sell.

Bai Yu’s family was stubborn, believing the government intentionally reserved good spots for capitalists and left the less desirable ones for ordinary people. They felt it originally belonged to their family.

Bai Yu enlisted Song Yu’s help, using his influence.

Song Yu did help, having his friend snatch the project that was supposed to belong to someone else.

However, the person had already invested significant funds in the initial operations. As mentioned earlier, Song Yu’s friend privately compensated the person for a loss of 10 million.

But later, the person wasn’t satisfied and demanded ten times more, a total of 100 million.

Song Yu’s friend ignored this demand, considering it extortion.

Then, the person involved the local gangsters to trouble Bai Yu’s family, hoping they would approach Song Yu’s friend for the money. They believed Bai Yu’s family and Dongfang Construction (Song Yu’s friend’s company) were closely connected; otherwise, they wouldn’t have intervened in the burial ground matter.

Therefore, the burial ground issue wasn’t something Bai Yu could resolve on his own. It involved substantial funds and project negotiations, requiring Song Yu’s friend’s intervention. Hence, they had to seek Song Yu’s help.