He Thought She’d Never Leave—Until She Did - Chapter 18

The day after tomorrow.

Standing amid the bustling crowd, An He took in the familiar surroundings, her lips curving gently upward. Suddenly, a small hand tugged at hers. A soft, childish voice called out, “Mommy.”

An He looked down, the smile on her face deepening. Her arched brows and gentle eyes seemed to hold the world’s most beautiful scenery. She asked softly, “What is it, Xixi?”

“Is this Mommy and Xixi’s hometown?”

“That’s right,” An He said, rubbing her daughter’s head. “This is where we’re from. Do you like it?”

“I do.”

Two-year-old Xixi had a pair of big, watery eyes and fair skin. Her sweet, soft voice was like honey, and she wore a white princess dress, looking just like a little royal who had stepped out of a storybook castle.

The only flaw was her frail frame—years of illness had left her more delicate than other children, making her look even more fragile in the crowd.

“Mommy said there are really good doctors here, right?” Xixi tilted her head curiously.

“Yes.” An He picked her up. “Once we see the doctor, Xixi will be able to run and play like all the other kids. Wouldn’t that make you happy?”

“Happy!” Xixi planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Xixi wants to be like the other kids too.”

An He smiled. “You will be, sweetheart. I promise.”

“Hehe, over here!”

From a distance, Tiantian waved excitedly at An He.

An He lifted her head and waved back. “Xixi, that’s your godmother.”

Xixi turned her head and called out brightly, “Godmother!”

Tiantian ran over and scooped the little girl into her arms. “Xixi, godmother missed you so much.”

Over the past five years that An He had been away, Tiantian visited her every year. At first, she went to see An He. Later, it was to help take care of Xixi. Eventually, she became Xixi’s godmother.

“Xixi missed godmother too,” Xixi said with a pout. “Godmother, kiss kiss.”

Just as Tiantian leaned in and their laughter filled the air, a ripple of noise spread through the crowd.

“Hey, that man looks familiar—who is he?”

“You don’t know? That’s Song Yu, the president of the Song Group.”

“Whoa, that’s him? He’s so handsome.”

“Handsome and ruthless. I heard he just landed another major deal.”

“Wait, isn’t he dating the Zhou family’s daughter?”

“Maybe. But who knows? These rich family alliances—nothing’s real until the wedding’s done.”

An He caught snippets of their whispers. Her expression stayed calm as she glanced toward the commotion—and there, through the crowd, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.

A silver suit.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist.
Tall, straight legs.
Still as striking as he’d been five years ago.

After a single look, she withdrew her gaze.

Tiantian, worried she might feel uncomfortable, whispered, “Hehe, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’ve been fine for a long time.”

Taking Xixi from Tiantian’s arms, she soothed gently, “Let’s go ride godmother’s car, okay?”

“Okay!”

An He carried the child while Tiantian pulled the suitcase. The two walked away chatting and laughing.

But just as they reached the exit, the tall man turned sharply.

“President Song, it’s Miss An,” his assistant said quietly.

Song Yu’s gaze fixed on the retreating figure. The sharp line of his jaw grew even colder, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he finally spoke. “Is everything arranged?”

Assistant Liu Chen adjusted his glasses. “All set, seven o’clock start.”

“Good. Let’s go to the office first.”

After finishing his work at the company, Song Yu went to his usual private club, where he ran into Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng swirled the wine in his glass and clicked his tongue. “Who would’ve thought that the almighty President Song, always buried in meetings, would pull something like this? Cancelling appointments, staging a grand show at the airport—just to catch a glimpse of his beloved.”

He grinned. “Man, I regret not being there in person. Must’ve been a sight watching you pacing around the terminal like that.”

“So, you skipped a billion-dollar deal just to make an appearance in front of An He? Did she even look at you?”

He laughed again. “Wait, let me guess—judging by that frozen face of yours, I’d say no. Your precious sweetheart didn’t even spare you a glance, did she?”

“Hurts, doesn’t it?”

Zhou Heng could barely stop laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re actually sad.”

Song Yu shot him a cold look, but Zhou Heng only smirked wider. “I never thought you’d stoop this low. The man with OCD, actually standing around in public for hours—did you get cured?”

“What happened to not touching strangers?”

“What happened to not being watched like a performing monkey?”

“Guess love really does conquer all.”

Before he could finish, Song Yu kicked him in the leg. Zhou Heng yelped, collapsing back on the sofa. “What the hell? If you’re that worked up, go talk to An He!”

Song Yu’s throat tightened. “I will. Sooner or later.”

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that,” Zhou Heng said with a grin. “Let’s see how long it takes you to win her back.”

Elsewhere, after putting Xixi to sleep, An He went into the walk-in closet to change. Tiantian leaned on the doorway. “You just got back—can’t work wait for a bit?”

“It’s already arranged. I have to go.”

An He didn’t like socializing, but she had no choice. She’d made a promise—and besides, Xixi’s surgery required money.

“I know it’s for Xixi,” Tiantian said, pulling a bank card from her pocket. “This is my savings. Take it for her surgery.”

“That’s your money. I can’t take it.”

“Come on, don’t be so polite. Take it.” Tiantian pressed the card into her hand. “You’ve been working day and night since you adopted Xixi. You’ve lost so much weight.”

“I’m fine,” An He said with a soft smile. “I eat, I sleep, and I’m happy. Xixi’s my little lucky star.”

“Fine, fine, you’re perfect,” Tiantian sighed. “But listen—Xixi’s important, sure, but so are you. Take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

“Back in Nancheng, it’s hard not to run into people from the past. Are you ready for that?”

“If I had the courage to come back, I have the courage to face it. Don’t worry about me.”

“Still…” Tiantian hesitated. “If you run into Song Yu—”

“He and I ended a long time ago,” An He said calmly. “Even if we meet, it doesn’t matter.”

But An He hadn’t expected they’d meet so soon.

That night’s banquet was one she attended with a friend—a man she’d met in Los Angeles. He’d helped her several times; they became close, and eventually business partners.

He handled external affairs; she managed internal operations. Within the industry, people only knew of Mr. Tang—never realizing there was also a Ms. An behind the scenes.

She hadn’t wanted to attend, but Tang Wei insisted she come out and network a bit. Thinking of Xixi’s medical bills, she agreed.

Thankfully, she’d gone through several rounds of greetings without seeing anyone familiar. That relaxed her considerably.

Holding her glass, she mingled with polite smiles, her laughter soft and graceful.

Until—

A deep, familiar voice cut through the noise. “Hehe.”

It was as if all time and light converged into that single sound. Her fingers trembled slightly around the glass.

But she masked it well. After the initial flutter, her composure returned. She turned, calm and poised, as though facing a stranger.

“President Song.”

She didn’t even bother with long time no see. Her tone made it clear she hadn’t been hoping for this reunion.

But Song Yu was different—he had planned for this moment for so long. His heart surged as he took a step forward. “Welcome back.”

No one knew how many days and nights he’d waited for this.

At last, she’d returned.

“Thank you.”

That was all. She turned away, said goodbye to the man beside her, and began to walk off.

Song Yu couldn’t let her go. He followed, until they reached a quiet corner.

He blocked her path. “Hehe, let’s talk.”

An He’s eyes dropped briefly to his hand before she looked back up. “President Song, is there something you need?”

Her tone was polite and distant—perfectly proper, yet to him it felt like a blade through his chest. His eyes reddened despite himself.

He looked at her with aching tenderness, but it stirred nothing in her.

When he didn’t speak, she said evenly, “If there’s nothing, please move aside.”

“There is something,” Song Yu said. “How have you been these five years?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve been very well.”

She stepped back slightly, the distance between them painfully clear.

“You still hate me that much?” he asked, his fingers curling into fists. “You still don’t want to see me?”

“You’re joking, President Song,” she said calmly. “We’re not close enough for me to feel anything like that.”

“Not close…”

His heart felt as though it had been hollowed out—only pain remained. His lips trembled before he could speak again. “Hehe, don’t be like this.”

His hand shook as he reached for hers, but she pulled back first. “President Song, we’re not familiar. Please respect yourself.”

His hand froze midair—awkward, suspended between retreat and reach.

After a long silence, he said hoarsely, “Hehe, my mother wants to see you.”

Mother…

An He had none. Her birth mother had abandoned her, her adoptive mother never cared for her. In this world, aside from Xixi, she had no one.

“Sorry, my mother’s been dead for years. I’m not sure who you’re referring to.”

“My mother,” Song Yu said quietly. “She’s been ill for five years and keeps asking for you. Could you visit her?”

Thinking of the past, An He only felt one thing—she wanted no ties with the Song family ever again.

“I’m busy. I can’t.”

“Hehe,” his voice cracked, “just once. Only a few minutes.”

“I already said I’m busy.” Her gaze was calm, utterly detached. “President Song, you’re crossing a line.”

Once, they’d shared the most intimate of moments. He could still remember her soft gasps beneath him.

Who would have thought that after only five years, everything would change so completely—that she would now look at him as if he were nothing.

The pain in his chest made it hard to breathe. He staggered back a step. “Do you hate me?”

Hate…

An He smiled faintly. “Why would I hate someone who means nothing to me?”

In other words, she didn’t care—so how could she hate him?

“Hehe, if I apologized, would you forgive me?” His voice trembled with desperate hope. He thought that if he spoke softly enough, she would melt—like before.

“Forgive?” She gave a short laugh. “President Song, we’re not close enough for forgiveness to even matter.”

She glanced toward Tang Wei. “My boyfriend’s waiting for me. Excuse me.”

Boyfriend?!

The words hit him like a thunderbolt. For three years, he’d secretly followed her from afar, watching from the shadows. Even when illness forced him to stop—

No. She couldn’t have a boyfriend.

He wouldn’t allow it.

Song Yu chased after her—only to freeze at what he saw next.

An He was in another man’s arms. The man ruffled her hair, then cupped her face and kissed her deeply, right there under the chandeliers.

The banquet was loud, but Song Yu still heard it—the faint, wet sound of their kiss.

And the man murmured against her lips, “Baby, you taste so sweet.”

A sharp pain exploded in Song Yu’s chest. He clutched it, stumbling back, knocking over a table. Glasses crashed to the floor and shattered, cutting his ankle and staining his sock red.

Heads turned.

But the two locked in a kiss didn’t even glance his way.

Never in his life had Song Yu felt pain like this.

It felt like he might die right there.