Back Then, I Adored You

“He wished me a happy birthday, but I had to trick him into saying it.”

Gu Yusheng’s face gradually twisted into a scowl. Other than his mother when she was still alive, he had only wished a “happy birthday” to one girl in his lifetime.

That girl was little troublemaker, and he had said this to her on Liang Doukou’s birthday.

So I was the one whom Qin Zhi’ai had loved for eight years…

His heart and lungs seemed to have come to a complete standstill.

Gu Yusheng stared hard at this sentence and silently read it over and over, as if he couldn’t comprehend what it had meant. He turned on his computer, searched for Liang Doukou’s personal information on the internet, and confirmed on an entertainment website that her birthday was one day apart from Qin Zhi’ai’s birthday.

Back then, he was still unaware of his feelings for little troublemaker, yet he couldn’t help but travel all the way to Paris to give her a birthday present. He had even said, “Happy Birthday,” right before the end of the day. But little troublemaker had said that she hadn’t heard him clearly.

At that point in time, her birthday was already over, and he’d become slightly depressed over it. Quickly, though, in a rage he had said, “Forget it then.”

Little troublemaker had simply replied, “Oh.” She hadn’t continued to pester him to repeat himself, but she had projected a sense of disappointment and sadness that had made him feel terrible.

He had wanted to console her, but he hadn’t been able to find the right words so, instead, he kissed her, which spiraled into an intimate lovemaking session. At the end, out of the blue, he had said to her, “Happy Birthday, little troublemaker. Happy Birthday.”

At that moment, her eyes had looked so bright they were glowing.

And yet, now, in this letter, he was just realizing that she had to trick him into wishing her a “happy birthday.” Even more revelatory was the fact that Liang Doukou’s birthday is one day from little troublemaker’s birthday.

That means… that means…

As he tried to grasp the meaning of all this, Gu Yusheng began feeling afraid. He eventually laid the letter down and picked up another one.

He’d received this letter several months after separating with little troublemaker. In that letter, she had asked, “S, does the girl whom you like share your feelings as well?”

Because he’d received this letter not that long ago, he clearly remembered that he had replied to her, “A, the girl who had taught me love, was gone.”

Gu Yusheng didn’t open the next letter that Qin Zhi’ai had written to him, because he had memorized its contents. She had written, “S, I’m the same as you. I’ve left the man whom I love.”

Back then, when he’d first read this, he’d felt like a coincidence had arrived as an opportunity of destiny. He had lost his loved one at the same time she had left hers. They were both single.

But now, the coincidence had been outdone, because he was almost certain that she is in fact the little troublemaker whom he’d been looking for all this time.

Gu Yusheng remained motionless before his desk as if he had fossilized. After sitting in silence for a long time, his eyes eventually slid back into focus.

He stared at the darkness outside the window for some time before taking out his cell phone from his pocket.

Qin Zhi’ai’s on rather good terms with Xiaowang…

Finding Xiaowang’s number, Gu Yusheng typed lightly on the screen and sent a message: “Xiaowang, I want you to find an excuse to ask Qin Zhi’ai out now.”