Back Then, I Adored You

The moment she pressed the lock button, with the keys beside her, he would be unable to enter the car.

Was my reaction so overboard that he completely misunderstood me?

She had to admit that she would have felt scared and on guard if he had gotten close to her a year ago. It was only natural that she had reacted so strongly at that time, as it had been related to her mental state, as well. Moreover, back then, he hadn’t been the only man she had felt this way about—She treated all men equally. But now, things were no longer as bad or as serious. She merely sat up because she had been shocked awake.

But he never would have done this for me in the past. He hates me because I aborted his child, and his attitude toward me has always been terrible. Why is he suddenly so considerate toward me now after a year?

Xu Wennuan did not notice that Lu Bancheng was dominating all her thoughts. She tilted her head and stared at the car keys. There was no telling how long she had remained in her daze until she finally lifted her head and looked through the car window at Lu Bancheng leaning against the railing with an umbrella in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

The rain wasn’t heavy, but there was wind. Even though he had an umbrella, raindrops still managed to assault his body and drench his clothes. He appeared as though he wasn’t feeling it, though, as he continued taking drag after drag on his cigarette with his eyebrows furrowed.

Lu Bancheng has never liked smoking. When I first met him, he gave me the impression that he was a gentle, clean, and unique man. Yet now he’s a completely changed man.

His eyes are the same, and his aura is the same, as well, but there’s something indescribably melancholy clinging to him. It seeps out through the gaps of his fingers from time to time.

Xu Wennuan hadn’t kept track of how long she had been staring at Lu Bancheng until he lit another cigarette. At that moment, the rain turned into a downpour, and she could vividly hear the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the roof of the car while watching water droplets beginning to drip from his clothes.

If he continues standing there like that, he’ll catch a cold… All he cares about is letting me sleep with ease in the car… Does he not care about himself at all?

There was a feeling in Xu Wennuan’s heart that she could not quite describe. She really hated him—She hated him so much that she didn’t care if he lived or died, but at this moment she realized that she was softening.

Xu Wennuan bit her bottom lip and ultimately followed her heart. She lifted her hand and lowered the window that Lu Bancheng was nearest to and shouted at him through the rain.

Lu Bancheng thought he was hallucinating. He stopped smoking but didn’t look back at the car.

Xu Wennuan called out again, “Lu Bancheng.”

This time, Lu Bancheng lifted his head instinctively and glanced at the car window. When he saw her face through the rain, his entire body froze like he had just encountered something incredulous. His fingers trembled violently as well. After some moments, he replied, “Hm?”

Xu Wennuan lifted the corners of her lips and paused for a second before she said, “The rain is really heavy. If you stay there, you’ll get sick. Get back into the car.”

The clarity of her view was obstructed by sheets of rain, so she didn’t notice how wide Lu Bancheng’s eyes grew when he heard her words. While watching him remain rooted to the ground, she thought he was unwilling to get back in, so she pushed open the car door and started emerging to get him back into the car.