He Thought She’d Never Leave—Until She Did - Chapter 26

Song Yu had learned more—about Zhou Rong, about An He. That very night, he flew straight to San Francisco, stormed into Zhou Rong’s apartment, dragged her off the bed, and clamped his hand tightly around her throat.

“You’re not sick? Then you’re not really from the Zhou family. Tell me—who the hell are you?”

“All these years, you’ve been pretending to be fragile in front of me, constantly bringing up how you once saved my life—turns out, you were just using me. Very bold of you.”

“Be honest. Who are you really? What’s your connection to my mother?”

His fingers pressed harder against her skin, his tone turning vicious. “So you never needed those blood transfusions… Then where did all of An He’s blood go?”

Zhou Rong’s eyes bulged, her breath strangled. She struggled to speak, gasping, “Ay—Yu, w-what are you saying? I—I don’t understand.”

“You don’t understand?” Song Yu’s jaw tightened. “That’s fine. You will.”

Just before she blacked out, Zhou Rong broke down. “I’ll talk—I’ll tell you everything!”

Song Yu released her, his voice sharp. “If you dare lie to me, you know what’ll happen.”

Of course she knew. Trembling, Zhou Rong stammered, “I… I’m not really the Zhou family’s daughter. Madam found me outside one day and took me in. She knew you still cared about the Zhou family’s young miss, so she made me pretend to be her.”

“I’m perfectly healthy—I never had any blood disease. As for Miss An’s blood, Madam…”

Song Yu’s gaze darkened. “Say it.”

Zhou Rong bit her lip. “Madam had it thrown away.”

Thrown away…

The image of An He’s pale face after every blood donation hit him like a knife to the chest. She had risked her life thinking she was saving someone—only to be deceived.

Song Yu’s hand curled into a trembling fist. “What else?”

“Madam told me you liked the Zhou family’s young lady. She said if I could win your heart as her, I’d have everything.” Zhou Rong knelt down, voice shaking. “I even went to see Miss An once… said some terrible things.”

He didn’t need to hear the details to imagine them. Song Yu’s fingers cracked audibly from how hard he clenched his fists, his dark eyes flashing with cold fury. “You really have guts. Aren’t you afraid I’ll destroy you?”

“I’m scared,” Zhou Rong whimpered, clutching his leg. “But Madam promised—you wouldn’t hurt me.”

That promise was the only reason Zhou Rong dared play the role of substitute. Madam Song had even assured her that once everything worked out, Song Yu would marry her.

Thinking of all the humiliation An He had endured, Song Yu couldn’t bear another word. He kicked Zhou Rong aside. “If you ever try this again, I won’t spare you!”

An He hadn’t expected to open her door and find Song Yu standing there. His eyes were bloodshot, his face drawn and pale—like a man on the verge of collapse. Her voice was cool. “What are you doing at my door?”

Song Yu straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall and stepped forward, holding out a thermos. “I made porridge for you. It’s your favorite—millet and pumpkin, with sugar. Drink it while it’s still warm.”

His sudden eagerness made her wary. “Song Yu, what do you want this time?”

Lately, he had been unpredictable—doing strange things she couldn’t read. An He refused coldly. “I already had breakfast. Take your porridge and eat it yourself.”

“Hehe, I got up at four to make it,” he said softly. “I still have a fever right now—if you don’t believe me, feel for yourself.”

He caught her hand and tried to guide it to his forehead.

An He hated being touched. She yanked her hand away. “Song Yu, will you ever stop? I said I’m not drinking it!”

Her hand brushed the thermos; it slipped and fell. The porridge spilled everywhere.

For a moment, regret flickered across Song Yu’s face, but he quickly forced a smile. “It’s fine. I’ll make more later.”

“Don’t bother.” Her voice was sharp. “It’s been five years. I’m not who I used to be. I don’t even like millet porridge anymore.”

“That’s okay,” he said quickly. “Tell me what you like, I’ll make it. Anything you want.”

An He gave a short laugh. “What’s wrong, Song Yu? Is the Song Corporation going bankrupt? Why else are you hanging around me?”

“The company’s fine. I just want to take care of you.”

That made her laugh out loud. “Take care of me? Don’t bother. If you’ve got so much time, go take care of your precious Miss Zhou. You’ve loved her for years, haven’t you?”

“Hehe, you’ve got it wrong. I don’t like Zhou Rong. I’ve only ever thought of her as a sister.”

A sister? Who would believe that?

“Do you think I’m stupid?” An He’s eyes hardened. “What kind of brother visits his sister in the middle of the night, flies halfway across the world for her birthday, tells everyone not to bully her, and leaves his girlfriend behind when she cries?”

Each word hit him like a slap.

“Song Yu, should I keep going?”

He reached out, his voice hoarse. “Hehe, I’m sorry. I was an idiot. I shouldn’t have hurt you because of someone who didn’t matter. I swear, I won’t ever do it again.”

He drew her into his arms. “Hehe, I missed you so much.”

Then he kissed her—wildly, desperately—hoping to erase the past with his lips.

But the only thing he got was a loud smack.

An He slapped him hard. “Song Yu, you disgust me.”

She’d never want a man who had touched someone else. “What is it now? Trying to make me your substitute again? Didn’t get enough last time?”

“No! I never saw you as a substitute!” he said, a red handprint burning across his cheek.

“No?” she sneered. “You actually believe that yourself?”

“I did things that made you misunderstand, yes—but that’s not what I meant. I’ve always liked you, Hehe, not Zhou Rong. Please believe me.”

“Enough. I don’t care who you like anymore.” She lifted her chin. “Leave.”

“Hehe, your surgery was delayed yesterday. Let me take you to the hospital today.”

“No. You’re a busy man, President Song. Go handle your own affairs.”

“Xixi would want to see me,” he said, catching her wrist. “She told me so.”

“You’ve broken promises so many times already.” An He’s smile was cold. “I’ll explain it to Xixi. She’ll understand.”

He had indeed broken promises—countless times.

“Hehe.” His voice cracked with pleading. “I know I was wrong.”

“Xixi’s waiting for me at the hospital. Let go.”

Reluctantly, Song Yu released her hand.

She took a few steps, then stopped without looking back. “Do me a favor, President Song—clean up your mess before you leave.”

To her, both the porridge and the man were trash.

The surgery lasted ten hours—from dawn till nightfall. An He’s eyes were red and swollen. Tian Tian rushed in, catching her before she collapsed. “Don’t worry, Xixi’s going to be fine.”

An He nodded. “Yes, she’ll be fine.”

She prayed with all her heart—willing to trade her own life for her daughter’s.

Song Yu didn’t dare show his face. He waited in another corridor. Zhou Heng nudged him. “You’re really not going to see her?”

Leaning against the wall, Song Yu’s voice was low. “She doesn’t want to see me.”

“So because she doesn’t want it, you won’t go? When did you become such a coward?”

“I just don’t want to upset her. She’s been through enough.”

Zhou Heng gave a mocking click of the tongue. “Who would’ve thought the almighty President Song could be so tender? You brought this on yourself.”

Song Yu didn’t deny it. He deserved the pain.

“Relax,” Zhou Heng said. “The doctor told me—the surgery will be a success.”

Song Yu swallowed hard. “Mm.”

An hour later, the doctor came out. “The surgery went very well.”

Before An He could even respond, her vision went black. She fainted.

As her consciousness slipped, she felt herself falling into someone’s arms—a familiar voice shouting anxiously, “Hehe! Hehe, wake up! Please wake up!”

That voice… it was Song Yu’s.

People had always said Song Yu was cold, detached, never touched by women. But when he burst through the emergency door carrying her, everyone froze.

He ran like lightning, holding her close, yelling for help. “Doctor! Somebody help her!”

He stayed with her through every test and scan, refusing to let go even when the doctors asked him to.

When he found out she had just undergone surgery herself, guilt tore through him.

Only after hearing the doctor say she was fine—just exhausted—did he finally calm down and carry her back to the ward.

When the nurse came in, Song Yu dismissed her immediately.

Zhou Heng frowned. “You’ve never taken care of a patient before. Think you can handle it?”

Song Yu’s gaze never left An He. “I can.”

“There’s a mountain of work waiting for you at the company. You’re really not going back?”

“The company has plenty of people. They don’t need me right now.”

“What about those multi-billion projects? You’re not signing them?”

“No.”

At that moment, nothing existed for him but An He.

“Fine.” Zhou Heng clapped his shoulder. “You stay here. I’ll handle things at the office.”

Tian Tian wanted to stay too, worried for An He, but Zhou Heng dragged her out. “Come on. Trust me—Song Yu will take good care of her.”

“Why should I trust you? I barely know you!” Tian Tian frowned.

“Then we can fix that.” Zhou Heng smirked. He had met her before—soft, tearful little thing.

He’d seen her cry more than once… and always wanted to kiss her tears away. Today, he finally did.

Tian Tian’s eyes went wide. Only one thought ran through her mind—this man is insane.

Song Yu stayed busy—talking nonstop about the past five years, about his remorse, his love, his stupidity.

If he could, he’d stab himself just to atone.

“Hehe, I’m sorry. I really am.” The proud CEO of the Song Corporation now sounded small, broken. “If you wake up, you can hit me, curse me, do whatever you want.”

“I was blind back then—I didn’t recognize that the girl who saved me was you. I thought it was Zhou Rong.”

“But please believe me—I never loved her.”

“From beginning to end, the only one in my heart was you.”

“I didn’t know how to express it before, but I will now. I’ll tell you every day—I love you.”

“Hehe, wake up, please. When you do, we’ll go see Xixi together. She must be missing her mommy.”

An He dreamt.

In her dream, she saved a young boy. “Go! I’ll distract them!”

Men chased after her, shouting, “If you don’t stop, we’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish!”

She kept running—faster, faster—until a car suddenly came out of nowhere and hit her.

As she lay there bleeding, she thought faintly that maybe dying like this wasn’t so bad… at least she wouldn’t be thrown into the ocean.

When An He finally woke, a gentle voice was calling her name. She followed it toward the light.

When her eyes opened, she saw a familiar face—sharp eyes, straight nose, thin lips.

Song Yu.

Her first reaction was to slap him.

“What do you want this time?”

He caught her, murmuring, “Don’t move—you’re still on an IV.”

An He looked at the needle in her hand, then up at the IV bag, and suddenly remembered. “Where’s Xixi?”

“In her room,” he said. “When your drip finishes, I’ll take you to her.”

“I want to see her now.” She reached to pull the needle out, but he stopped her. “No—you’re too weak. Let it finish.”

“Stay out of my business, Song Yu!” She struggled. “I’m going now!”

“Hehe, please—just one more hour, then you can go.”

“No.” She slapped him again. “Get out.”

He didn’t even flinch. He caught her hand gently, studying it. “Does it hurt?”

She stared at him like he was crazy. “I said, leave me alone.”

“Hehe,” his voice softened, “are you thirsty? Want some fruit?”

“Do you not understand human language? I said no!”

“But how can I not care?” His voice broke. He took her hand and pressed it against his own cheek. “Fine—if you won’t hit me, I’ll do it for you.”

And he did—slapping himself again and again with her hand between his own.

By the tenth slap, An He yanked away. “You’re insane! Go see a doctor—stop losing your mind in front of me!”

“Hehe, you just can’t bear to hurt me, right?” His tone was almost gentle. “It’s okay. Hit me as much as you want—I don’t mind.”

He meant it.

She hurled a pillow at him. “Get out! I said get out!”

He didn’t budge. “Can I at least give you some water?”

“No.”

“Fruit?”

“No!”

“Xixi said she wants to see her mom smile,” he said softly. “You don’t want her to worry, do you?”

“Don’t use Xixi to guilt me,” she snapped. “She’s mine. You’re not allowed to see her again.”

“Hehe, I have money,” he said suddenly, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to it. “We can go anywhere you want, buy anything you want. Let me help raise Xixi with you, please.”

“I’ll do anything—just say the word.”

She stared at him coldly. “Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

“Fine. Transfer all your assets to me, then I’ll think about it.”

“That’s it?” He looked hopeful.

“You heard me. Everything. Not just your properties—the rest too.”

No one knew exactly how rich Song Yu was, but he always ranked among the top three on the rich list.

She said it only to make him give up.

But—

“Alright,” he said simply. “I’ll give it all to you.”

He clapped his hands. The ward door opened, and Liu Chen walked in, holding a stack of documents.

“President Song,” Liu Chen said respectfully, “all your assets have been transferred to Miss An, including your shares in the Song Corporation.”

An He stared at him, speechless.

Song Yu had already completed the transfer before she woke up—he’d planned it since the day they met again.

He wanted to give her everything good in the world.

“Hehe, it’s all yours now.”

“…”

“Song Yu,” she said quietly, “don’t think this will make me forgive you.”

“Then what will?” He brushed his fingers across her cheek, voice soft. “Just tell me, and I’ll do it.”

A bird landed outside the window. An He turned toward the sound, her lips curling faintly. “Jump out from here, and I’ll forgive you.”

Liu Chen’s face drained of color. “President Song, that’s the twentieth floor—you can’t!”

But Song Yu only tilted her chin up, meeting her eyes. “If jumping is all it takes… then I’ll jump.”