Back Then, I Adored You

Gu Yusheng stared at her face, took a sip of mango juice, and said nothing.

The melodious song continued: “Back to where we started, I remember that was a rainy day. You held me tight in your arms and said you would love me forever.”

Qin Zhi’ai had not heard or sung this song since she had left Gu Yusheng last year. Now, every lyric and note was so familiar to her that she felt a panic hearing it now.

She held her breath, looked at Gu Yusheng in the dim light, and asked with a gentle smile, “What’s the name of this song? It sounds good.”

When Qin Zhi’ai said this, she couldn’t help but think that her acting skills were still good.

I was a stand-in actor for two years, then I was Liang Doukou’s substitute for more than half a year. Of course I learned something.

Gu Yusheng had continued to test her with details, and he was far calmer than Qin Zhi’ai imagined. After hearing her two doubtful replies in succession, he finally said, “Final Destination.”

His tone was calm, as if they were just casually chatting.

“Um.” Qin Zhi’ai took the straw in one hand and stirred the mango juice several times without drinking it. Her tone was as calm and casual as that of Gu Yusheng. “Who sang it?”

Gu Yusheng took a sip of mango juice and gave the name of the original singer.

“I haven’t heard that name.” Qin Zhi’ai was proud of herself for neither blushing nor feeling nervous being this deceptive. Not even her eyes blinked.

Gu Yusheng responded “hmm” faintly and then said, “I’m not too familiar with the singer.”

Qin Zhi’ai did not know how to respond to this. Then he said, “The reason I knew this song, this singer, is because of a girl.”

The girl he mentioned is me, right?

Gu Yusheng continued, “She once sang this song to me in Music Fountain Square on Wanyi Pedestrian Street.”

“That night, she and I watched a movie, went to Chen’s for dinner, and then took a walk on Wanyi. She chatted with me for a long time. Told me not to smoke, not to drink… And then she sang this song to me.”

Qin Zhi’ai had not expected him to recall all these details from the past.

When she’d heard “Final Destination” begin to play, she had tried to suppress the memories in her mind so as not to become sad, but with Gu Yusheng’s recalling the past she couldn’t not think of it. That night, her singing to Gu Yusheng, felt as if it had just happened yesterday.

“She sang very well. I think she even sounded better than the original.”

Yesterday, after having seen the scar on her leg, Gu Yusheng still believed that she was little troublemaker despite her perfect reactions and evasiveness. The experience with her period had already convinced him.

On the night they had returned to Beijing, he had decided he would continue to test her.

The only difficulty, however, was that his heart filled with such regret and sadness when he talked about the past.

Gu Yusheng was afraid he couldn’t contain his emotions before he was completely sure. He took a cigarette from his pocket and politely asked, “Do you mind?”