Back Then, I Adored You

She didn’t have to do much, just hang around the office until half past three before she drove back to Gu Yusheng’s house.

Qin Zhi’ai walked into the house and noticed that Gu Yusheng’s slippers weren’t there when she bent down to change her shoes. She was a little surprised and frowned, then stood up and walked into the living room.

As she had just walked out of the foyer, she saw the housekeeper was about to walk upstairs with a cup of coffee.

The housekeeper heard Qin Zhi’ai and stopped. “Miss, you’re back.”

Qin Zhi’ai responded with a smile and voiced the doubts that she had when she changed her shoes. “Did Gu Yusheng leave the house today?”

“Mr. Gu went out and just came back,” the housekeeper said.

Qin Zhi’ai responded with “oh.” She walked up one stair and saw the coffee in the housekeeper’s hand. She stopped and asked, “Is the coffee for Gu Yusheng?”

“Yes.” The housekeeper stopped. She seemed to remember something and started to nag Qin Zhi’ai. “He likes his coffee with half sugar, one cream when he works. If it’s the morning, Mr. Gu likes to have tea—Pu’er, white tea, or green tea. Red tea is his favorite though—”

Why did the housekeeper start to talk about Gu Yusheng’s preferences for coffee and tea? Does she want me to remember it to make Gu Yusheng happy? Qin Zhi’ai thought to herself.

Unfortunately, it was too late. She had been in this house for a long time, and it didn’t seem helpful to remember it now.

If it had happened earlier, Qin Zhi’ai would have remembered it by heart and been happy to learn what he liked and didn’t. However, she felt sad to hear about it now. She interrupted the housekeeper, “I can take the coffee to him for you.”

The housekeeper wanted Qin Zhi’ai to be closer to Gu Yusheng. When she heard what Qin Zhi’ai said, she immediately passed the tray to her with a smile.

Qin Zhi’ai was worried that the coffee wouldn’t taste good when it was cold. She went directly to the study without changing out of her clothes.

The door wasn’t closed all the way. When she knocked on the door, it cracked open a bit.

After a while, a hoarse voice said from the study, “Come in.”

Qin Zhi’ai pushed the door open and looked inside.

She didn’t see Gu Yusheng at his desk.

She walked two steps forward with the tray and saw Gu Yusheng standing on the balcony.

He didn’t seem to care who it was that had walked in. He had his back facing the door as he watched the sunset and smoked.

When Qin Zhi’ai walked to the desk and put down the coffee, Qin Zhi’ai saw Gu Yusheng had finished his cigarette and was searching for another one.

Why is he smoking so much? What happened? What put him in such a terrible mood? Qin Zhi’ai thought.

Qin Zhi’ai frowned and hesitated for a while, but she decided to talk to Gu Yusheng. She said to his back, “Smoking too much isn’t good for you.”

Gu Yusheng paused in the middle of lighting the cigarette and grew quiet. He didn’t turn around immediately. After a while, he turned around to look at Qin Zhi’ai in surprise. “Why did you come?”

“I was going upstairs and brought the coffee for the housekeeper.” After Qin Zhi’ai said this, she pointed at the cigarette between his fingers and repeated in a low pitch, “Don’t smoke.”

Gu Yusheng didn’t say anything. He only looked at Qin Zh’ai for a few seconds and put the lighter and cigarette away. He walked up to Qin Zhi’ai. He remembered that she didn’t like smoke, so he turned his body and opened the window.

Gu Yusheng walked to the desk and picked up the coffee to take a sip. He looked up and asked, “Why did you come home so early?”