Back Then, I Adored You

Gu Yusheng’s memories had come back to him. The image of Qin Zhi’ai in her school uniform was gradually becoming clearer in his head. Back then, they were both young. Qin Zhi’ai looked so innocent in his memory.

Qin Zhi’ai was laughing so hard and looking carefree as she played computer games at the internet cafe.

Qin Zhi’ai was so beautiful sitting in the classroom on a sunny afternoon, reading a novel as she thoroughly enjoyed chewing her gum.

Qin Zhi’ai’s face turned red when she couldn’t figure out how to talk back to me.

Qin Zhi’ai, squatting in the heavy rain with two movie tickets, was crying so hard that she couldn’t catch her breath.

So, he was so close to a girl that he could pull her into his arms and become part of her life if he had only reached his hand out. But he hadn’t reached his hand out and had pushed her away instead.

Even in his dreams, these memories had hurt even though they had seemed so far away. When he woke up, though, the memories became even more painful, especially as he tried to examine every detail that had occurred in his dreams. Emotionally, he felt as though his skin was being peeled away.

No wonder he had thought her eyes were beautiful and attractive when he saw little troublemaker the first time.

No wonder when he had almost been hit by a car and her voice yelling at him had sounded so familiar.

No wonder he had the same sharp pain the moment he was not sure if he should continue with or give up little troublemaker and when Lu Bancheng had blatantly pointed out how he actually felt about her.

He did not have a crush on Qin Zhi’ai because her eyes looked like those of little troublemaker but because Qin Zhi’ai was his love. He liked little troublemaker because her eyes resembled those of Qin Zhi’ai.

He had managed, somehow, to forget her throughout all those years, but she had gotten into his bone and blood.

That was why he had been so influenced and emotionally controlled by little troublemaker after he had met her.

And in the end, he finally had realized it was his love for Qin Zhi’ai that made him like little troublemaker.

Gu Yusheng’s hand on the blanket started to shake, and his forehead creased deeply. His emotions took over his hands, which shook uncontrollably as he gripped the blanket so hard that blood started to flow back in the IV on the back of his hand.

“Yusheng! Yusheng!” his grandfather shouted while shaking Gu Yusheng’s arm when he saw the blood shooting backward in the IV tube. He immediately pressed the bell on the wall to call for help, which arrived with the entry of doctors and nurses.

Fully awoken by so many in his room, Gu Yusheng moved his eyes around to see who was in the room, but their faces were blurry to him. In an instant, he pulled the needle out of the back of his hand, flipped his blanket off, and jumped out of the bed. He put on his slippers but made no attempt to change out of his hospital gown. He grabbed his cell phone and ran out of the room, ignoring his grandfather and the medical staff yelling after him.

Two taxis happened to be parked just outside the hospital. As he opened the first one’s door and jumped in, he gave the driver Qin Zhi’ai’s address.

As they approached the gate of Qin Zhi’ai’s complex, Gu Yusheng saw a convenience store and told the driver to stop there. He paid the fare with his cell phone and walked inside for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He opened his pack of cigarettes as he strode to Qin Zhi’ai’s building.