Back Then, I Adored You

“Oh, that number. I haven’t used it in years. It’s out of service now,” Gu Yusheng explained simply and casually before he gave his new number. “Here’s my new number…”

Qin Zhi’ai didn’t pay attention to what he said after that. All she could think of was whether the number he had given her back then was his real number.

“Xiao’ai? Xiao’ai?” Xu Wennuan had been talking to Qin Zhi’ai for a quite while, but hadn’t received any response from her. She noticed Qin Zhi’ai had her eyes fixed on the screen on the wall. She shook Qin Zhi’ai’s shoulders and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Qin Zhi’ai regained her composure and gave Xu Wennuan an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I just suddenly remembered something.”

Xu Wennuan looked curious and asked with a smile, “What did you remember?”

“Nothing. I just forgot to pick up my mom’s prescription.” Qin Zhi’ai made up a random excuse. She looked around the room and saw Gu Yusheng had left.

She paused for a second and said to Xu Wennuan, “Nuannuan, I can’t stay any longer tonight. You’re going to come back to Beijing soon, anyway. I have to get my mom’s prescription. She hasn’t taken her medicine yet.”

“Okay, I’ll walk you out,” Xu Wennuan said.

“No, it’s all right,” Qin Zhi’ai said.

Even though Qin Zhi’ai had said she didn’t need Xu Wennuan walk her out, Xu Wennuan still walked her to the door of the clubhouse.

Qin Zhi’ai didn’t turn around to run to the street until Xu Wennuan had walked back through the Majestic Clubhouse’s revolving doors.

The street outside the Majestic Clubhouse didn’t allow any taxis to come, so Qin Zhi’ai had to walk on the sidewalk to the next street to hail a taxi.

On the way, Qin Zhi’ai passed a bridge. While she walked across the bridge, she saw Gu Yusheng talking on the phone ahead of her. She suddenly stopped.

His car was parked on the side of the street with its hazards on. Qin Zhi’ai didn’t know who he was talking with, but while he was on the phone, he grabbed a cigarette from his car. He lit it, stood next to the car, and talked as he smoked.

The phone call wasn’t long, since when he put his phone away, he had only smoked half of the cigarette. He didn’t immediately get in the car. Instead, he turned around and leaned on the car. He had the cigarette in between his teeth as he watched the flashy neon lights. He took his time smoking.

Qin Zhi’ai hadn’t thought she would see Gu Yusheng. The questions that had been worrying her in the Majestic Clubhouse came back to her again when she saw Gu Yusheng at this moment.

She really wanted to know why he would have given her a wrong number back then.

She wondered if it was an accident or on purpose.

Qin Zhi’ai dared not continue to guess, yet she couldn’t help walking towards Gu Yusheng.

It seemed that Gu Yusheng had heard her walking. He turned his head to look in her direction with the cigarette still in between his teeth.

Qin Zhi’ai paused for a second before she continued to walk towards Gu Yusheng. She greeted him with a smile, “Mr. Gu.”

Gu Yusheng nodded at her. He might have felt like he hadn’t acted as nicely as he should have, since they had only just met in the party room, so he took the cigarette out and responded to her with courtesy. “Are you going home, too?”

“Yeah.” It might have been because Gu Yusheng talked to her, but Qin Zhi’ai seemed to have more courage. She pointed at the taxi station behind him and said, “I’m getting a taxi here.”