Back Then, I Adored You

She rang the doorbell several times before a woman answered from the other side of the door, “Who’s there?”

The door opened, and she saw a face that she would never forget no matter how many years had passed. It was Jiang Qianqian.

Upon seeing Xu Wennuan, Jiang Qianqian’s coquettish face assumed an expression of obvious surprise.

The two women stood completely frozen in place, facing one another, as if someone had hit their acupoints.

The sound of shuffling feet could be heard in the room behind Jiang Qianqian, along with Wu Hao’s voice. “Is that our food delivery?”

As the words came out of his mouth, he walked toward the door and suddenly stopped six feet behind Jiang Qianqian.

With nothing but a towel wrapped around his lower body, his torso was fully exposed and marked with obvious and suggestive scratches.

Wu Hao stared blankly at Xu Wennuan for a long time, as if he had no idea who she was, until suddenly his pupils dilated with panic. Ignoring his inappropriate dress, he dashed out of the house, tripping in the doorway and stumbling forward to face her.

Enveloping her hands in his, he called out anxiously, “Nuannuan…”

Xu Wennuan’s eyes slid back into focus and gradually shifted from Jiang Qianqian’s face to his.

Women are not fools. Half the time, they are merely pretending to be. Before coming here, Xu Wennuan had already expected such a scene.

She had thought that when she confronted it she’d be seething in rage but, instead, she now felt a shocking sense of serenity.

Without a word, she brushed his hands off and made her way to the elevator.

Wu Hao reached out to grab hold of her but, before he could even touch her, she smacked his hands away with her bag. Scurrying in as the elevator opened, she jabbed at the close button. As the elevator descended, her eyes misted over with tears.

……

At 4:00 p.m. on the third day of Chinese New Year, Qin Zhi’ai still took the train bound for Shanghai.

For all these years, she had never thought about meeting Mr. S. When he had proposed to meet up, although she was slightly surprised, she also felt it would be the polite thing to do. They have been exchanging letters for many years and held a significant place in each other’s lives.

While they had arranged to meet at the Jiayuan Tea Restaurant at 7:30 p.m., by transferring to the subway at the Hongqiao Bus Station, Qin Zhi’ai arrived at the restaurant at 6:00 p.m.

After she mentioned Mr. S’s reservation, the waitress beamed radiantly and led her to a table by the window in the hall beyond the majestic reception area. Gesturing to a chair with one hand, she said, “Please take a seat, miss.”

As she sat down, the waitress fetched her a glass of warm water and then asked politely, “Miss, would you like me to take your order now, or would you prefer to wait for your friend?”

“I’ll wait for my friend.”

“Alright.” Smiling slightly, the waitress bowed and left the room.

Qin Zhi’ai randomly grabbed one of the magazines the restaurant offered and began casually reading it. When she finished reading it, Mr. S had not arrived yet.

Glancing at her phone, she saw that it was already 8:00 p.m. Her forehead crinkled.

What could have delayed him?

Grabbing another magazine, Qin Zhi’ai continued to read and wait patiently.

As the time approached 9:00 p.m., two familiar faces appeared.