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

The first thing I did when I got back to my home in Hai City that evening was to go online and book an appointment with the doctor I had seen before, preparing myself for a comprehensive checkup the next day.

I could no longer put off addressing my stomach issues.

Over the brief ten-day holiday before the New Year, while others had gained 2 or 3 kilograms, I had not only failed to gain weight but had actually lost 3 or 4 kilograms.

This was not a good sign.

While preparing for the gastroscopy, I browsed through various online resources. However, the search results kept linking to information about gastric cancer. Despite telling myself not to look, my fingers uncontrollably clicked on one link after another. Most of the symptoms described for gastric cancer seemed to match mine. Although I didn’t want to believe it, the more I read, the more I began to suspect I might actually have gastric cancer.

No way, I definitely don’t have gastric cancer. These quacks online just love to exaggerate to scare people into visiting their clinics and buying their medicines. It must be that; I’m not going to be fooled.

I turned off my phone and decided to take a shower and get a good night’s sleep before going for the checkup the next day. However, just as I had finished undressing, my phone rang.

I glanced at it; Ren Hechuan’s name was flashing on the screen. I had told him when I would be returning to Hai City, and he must have timed his call based on that.

This was the first time he had called me since our conversation had ended inconclusively that night. I was actually quite nervous, considering I had rejected him before and hadn’t initiated any contact since. I had no idea what to expect from the call.

If he was angry, I planned to just smile and appease him as best as I could. That wouldn’t be too hard for me.

With that decided, I answered the call.

“Hello, Mr. Ren,” I greeted him with a smile.

“Yeah, you’re back,” Ren Hechuan replied with a laugh, his voice as gentle as ever, as if the unpleasantness of that day had never happened.

His normal tone instantly put me at ease, and I inwardly mocked myself for being overly worried. Why would such an important leader fuss over someone like me?

“Yes, I’ve just got home,” I replied honestly.

“Are you free tomorrow? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and I miss you,” Ren Hechuan said, his words embarrassingly intimate yet delivered with such natural ease, as if he were merely discussing work.

“Tomorrow? Well, tomorrow I might…”

I hesitated, wondering whether to reject him. I had just booked an appointment online; fortunately, it was with the doctor who had previously treated me. But if I rejected Ren Hechuan again, he would surely be upset.

“Is it inconvenient?” Ren Hechuan’s voice grew slightly heavier.

“I have an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow morning. My stomach has been bothering me lately, so…” After some thought, I decided to decline, prioritizing my health above all else.

Ren Hechuan chuckled briefly after hearing this, his laughter sounding disdainful and incredulous. “Bai Yu, it’s not easy for a man of my age to genuinely fall for someone. Although I like you, that doesn’t mean you can treat me like a fool, you understand?”

I knew he had misunderstood and quickly tried to clarify, “Mr. Ren, I really did make an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow, I…”

Beep—

Before I could finish my sentence, all I heard was the busy tone in my ear.

No doubt Ren Hechuan was definitely angry this time, thinking I was lying to him.

But if he’s angry, so be it. I actually wanted to distance myself from him. If he really ignores me, that would be perfect. Then I can just mail that card back to him, and it would be ideal.

Ha, Song Yu had tried to scare me before, saying it wouldn’t be easy to cut ties with Ren Hechuan. But I find it quite easy, at least easier than breaking up with him.

The next morning, I went to Hai University Hospital on an empty stomach. This top-tier hospital was always crowded, no matter the time. I had to wait from eight in the morning until ten-thirty to finally see the doctor, and my stomach was both hungry and aching.

Since I hadn’t gone for a follow-up in a long time, the doctor had completely forgotten about me. I had to remind him for a while before he vaguely remembered, and then I described some of the symptoms I’d been experiencing lately.

After listening, the doctor’s expression turned somewhat serious. “You haven’t been here for two months, have you?”

“Yeah, about that.”

The doctor stared at the computer screen, writing out a prescription while reprimanding me, “I told you to get a gastroscopy ages ago, but you kept putting it off. Now you’re in pain and vomiting blood, and you come to the hospital.”

I felt like a child who had done something wrong, keeping my head down and not daring to argue.

The doctor handed me two forms. “Go pay the fee, then head to the Endoscopy Room on the second floor.”

I hesitated and asked, “Doctor, are my symptoms… serious?”

The doctor sighed, “Whether it’s serious or not, we need to do a gastroscopy first. I hope it’s not serious.”

The doctor’s ambiguous words made my heart skip a beat, and the cases I’d read online flashed through my mind.

Could it be…?

No, no, what am I thinking? The doctor was just being cautious. He hasn’t diagnosed me with anything yet. Besides, I’m still young and healthy. Such a tragedy surely wouldn’t happen to me.

With the forms in hand, I anxiously went to the second floor. There weren’t many people in the Endoscopy Room, and after six or seven people, it was my turn. Afraid of the pain, I opted for intravenous anesthesia and fell asleep within seconds of lying on the bed.

I don’t know how long it was before the doctor woke me up. Probably due to the anesthesia, I felt completely dazed.

“Did you come here by yourself?” the doctor asked.

I was momentarily stunned and didn’t respond immediately.

“I didn’t see any family members outside.”

This time, I finally gathered my thoughts. “Oh right, I came by myself.”

My throat felt sore, and my mouth was filled with the taste of disinfectant, likely from the gastroscopy tube.

The doctor handed me the gastroscopy results and said seriously, “There’s a tumor at the base of your stomach. Whether it’s benign or malignant, we’ll need to remove it for pathology to determine. Go back to your attending physician to arrange for hospitalization.”

The doctor’s words struck me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me utterly stunned. My mind went blank, and I forgot how to think.

I felt like I hadn’t fully woken up.

This is ridiculous. How could I have a tumor?

Impossible, absolutely impossible. I must be dreaming.

I pinched my thigh hard, the sharp pain instantly shooting through my nerves to my brain.

Ouch, this isn’t a dream.

I really… have a tumor!?

The doctor’s urging words buzzed in my ears, and I had no idea how I managed to walk out of the Endoscopy Room. Like a zombie, I wandered through the bustling hospital lobby, my legs moving without my brain’s command, leading me back to the attending physician.

I handed him the report, standing stiffly by his side, barely daring to breathe.

After reading the results, the doctor sighed deeply, “Well, it’s about what I expected. Let me check if there’s a bed available for you to be admitted, and then we’ll schedule a time with the Oncology Department to get the pathology done as soon as possible.”

“…Doctor, do I have stomach cancer?” I asked with difficulty, my voice choking.

I used to think the word ‘death’ was far removed from me, but now it had suddenly appeared right in front of me, leaving me defenseless and unsure of how to face it.

I was truly scared; never in my life had I felt so frightened and helpless.

I really fear death; I don’t want to die.

“It’s hard to say. Without the pathology, no one can be sure what exactly you have,” the doctor said, handing me a stack of papers. “Get admitted first, and let’s get the pathology done. Your condition can’t be delayed any longer.”

I detected a glimmer of hope in the doctor’s words and quickly asked, “Doctor, does that mean there’s a good chance I don’t have cancer?”

“I can’t guarantee that; it’s fifty-fifty. We’ll have to wait for the pathology results.”

Fifty-fifty.

Which means there’s a good chance this is just a false alarm, that I’m scaring myself.

Thinking about it, I’m still young, probably just a regular stomach ulcer. Besides, there are plenty of people around me with stomach issues; why would I be the one with cancer?

It must be a mistake.

Even though I kept trying to reassure myself, telling myself there’s no way I have cancer, the morning’s hospital visit had truly plunged my mood into a low point. I was so downcast that I didn’t even notice a black business car slowly trailing me as I walked home through the neighborhood.

Just as I passed the community rockery, the business car suddenly accelerated and stopped beside me. Instinctively, I looked up, and two burly men came straight at me. Before I could even scream, I was dragged into the car, which sped out of the neighborhood.

Once inside the car, I was completely stunned, my heart pounding erratically.

Am I being robbed?

But I’m dressed casually and not carrying a bag; I don’t look like someone with money.

Including the driver, there were four men in the car, each built like they could knock me out with a single punch. At this moment, I dared not struggle or resist.

I sat in the back, sandwiched between two of the men, feeling like there was a steel plate in my waist, not daring to move an inch or even utter a plea.

After about a minute or two, seeing they hadn’t made any aggressive moves, I cautiously spoke up.

“Hey, brother, have you guys… got the wrong person? I have no quarrel with you. What are you doing?”

The man on my right gave a cold snort. “You’re the one we want, Bai Yu.”

Hearing him call my name so precisely, I knew things weren’t looking good for me. Still, I tried to reason with them, “You must be mistaken. I-”

“No mistake. Don’t you know who you’ve crossed?” The man threatened me with a grim face. “You’ve really got a death wish!”

His words were like a bucket of ice water, chilling me to the bone.

Who could I have offended?

Could it be Jin Sheng? But that didn’t make sense. He’s just a local thug in Xin Ze, not someone with the power to stir up trouble in Hai City.

But aside from Jin Sheng, I couldn’t think of anyone else I might have offended.

“Big brother, you must have the wrong person. I haven’t offended anyone. Please, let me go. I won’t say a word, and I definitely won’t call the police.”

“Please, have mercy. Let me go. I’m truly innocent.”

I pleaded repeatedly with the people in the car, but they acted as if they couldn’t hear me, completely ignoring my pleas.

I couldn’t fight them, nor did I have any chance to escape. The feeling of waiting helplessly to be slaughtered was like a dull knife cutting into my flesh, unable to kill me but constantly tormenting me.

I didn’t know where they were taking me or what I would face next. The unknown terror painted all sorts of gruesome scenes in my mind, racing wildly.

I was really scared. Who could save me?

The car sped along the road. They didn’t cover my face like in the movies, letting me watch the scenery outside, seemingly unconcerned whether I would remember the route.

It wasn’t until the car reached the central district that I understood why they didn’t bother to hide it from me. A little further ahead was Ren Hechuan’s mansion.

It seemed the person I had offended was Ren Hechuan.

That wretched old man. Just because I turned him down a few times, he resorted to kidnapping me like this.

But knowing it was Ren Hechuan, my heart, which had been hanging by a thread, suddenly settled. As a high-ranking official in a state-owned enterprise, wealthy and influential, he wouldn’t dare do anything illegal like murder.

After about five more minutes, the car indeed stopped in front of Ren Hechuan’s mansion. The two men dragged me out of the car, and I stumbled along as they led me to the front door.

The person who opened the door was Ren Hechuan’s female secretary.

She walked up to me, gave me a mocking once-over, and said with a smile, “Come on, Mr. Ren is waiting for you upstairs.”

I swallowed hard, my legs feeling like they were made of lead as I followed her up to the second floor.

Although this was my second time here, it was my first time going upstairs.

A woman led me to a room, knocked on the door, and without waiting for a response, she pushed it open and shoved me inside.

Once inside, I was stunned by the scene before me. This was no ordinary room; it was a sex dungeon.

The roughly forty square meter space was dominated by a large iron bed in the center, with nylon ropes and chains tied to each of its four corners. Near the window stood a towering cabinet over two meters tall, filled with various teaching tools, with whips hanging in a row, among other implements.

Yet, what truly terrified me wasn’t the room itself, but the sight of Ren Hechuan sitting on a leather sofa, flanked by three men, all watching me with predatory gazes.

Instinctively, I knew I had to run.

I stepped back, attempting to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

Then, heavy footsteps approached from behind, and two men grabbed my shoulders, lifting me like a chick back into the room.

“What are you doing? Let go… let me go!” I struggled desperately, glaring at the instigator in front of me: “Ren Hechuan, what are you playing at? Let them release me!”

“Let go, damn it, let go!”

Ren Hechuan, sitting casually on the sofa, slightly raised his hand, and the men immediately released their grip on me.

Breathing heavily and chest heaving, I sneered, “Mr. Ren, if you wanted to meet, we could have met normally. Was it really necessary to drag me here like this?”

“Mr. Bai, I didn’t want to meet you this way either, but I gave you a chance, and you didn’t value it,” Ren Hechuan replied, lifting his eyelids to look at me with a sinister smile.

“You!” I seethed, but eventually, I had to bow my head. “Fine, what do you want? Why did you bring me here?”

Ren Hechuan smiled wistfully, “Nothing much, just wanted to make up for a past regret.”

“What… what regret?” I panicked, sensing that the regret mentioned by Ren Hechuan was not something I could handle.

Ren Hechuan didn’t answer but gestured lightly with his chin to the men on either side. All three approached me.

My pupils dilated with fear, guessing their intentions. I turned to run, but the three of them grabbed me, lifting me off the ground by my waist.

“Let me go, you bastards, what are you going to do?”

“Let go, put me down, what are you planning!”

“Damn it, Ren Hechuan, what are you doing? Let them release me!”

With that, I was thrown harshly onto the bed. Two men held my arms and legs down firmly, while another man tied my wrists and ankles to the bed corners with nylon ropes. Despite my best efforts to struggle, I was securely trapped, unable to move.

This scene was eerily similar to when Wang Li’an had tortured me before.

Terrified, my face turned pale, tears streaming down as my muscles reflexively twitched.

“Mr. Ren, I was wrong, I’ll do whatever you say from now on, please, just spare me this time!”

“Mr. Ren, please, I know I was wrong. A great man doesn’t dwell on the past; please let me go this time, give me another chance.”

My voice trembled continuously as I pleaded with Ren Hechuan, my tears soaking my cheeks, hopelessly wishing he would forgive me.

I was truly scared, fearing a repeat of what Wang Li’an had done to me.

Despite his age, Ren Hechuan was capable, and if he decided to violate me heedlessly, I was sure I would not survive.

My pleas seemed to finally elicit some reaction from Ren Hechuan; he stood and walked over to the bed, looking down at me with an indifferent gaze.

“Mr. Ren, let me go, I won’t make you angry again. Remember, you said you liked me? You said I reminded you of your comrade…”

“Shut up!” Ren Hechuan snapped harshly.

I froze, immediately silenced, trembling.

“You only resemble him in looks a bit, but you are not him; he was always obedient, unlike you… always trying to outsmart me.”

“Bai Yu, haven’t you learned anything about surviving in Hai City? Hasn’t anyone taught you what to touch, what not to touch, whom you can provoke, and whom you cannot?”

My mind raced, suddenly recalling what Song Yu had told me. He had warned me not to mess with someone like Ren Hechuan, but I hadn’t taken his words seriously, and now…