Back Then, I Adored You

Gu Yusheng instinctively began to follow Qin Zhi’ai until he suddenly felt his grandfather’s hand slipping out of his. His heart wrenched tightly and, as if frozen in time, he couldn’t find it in himself to move any farther.

Old Master Gu mumbled out loud for a long time and, before Gu Yusheng responded, his breathing became increasingly strained, to the point where he was seriously breathless at times.

Upset by the sight of this, Nanny Zhang pleaded, “Young Master, I beg of you. Please just agree to Old Master’s requests, even if you’re just humoring him. Young Master! Please! Young Master!”

While all that was required of him was a simple “alright,” the word was stuck in his throat like a fish bone. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. His hands were quivering hard; moments ago they had been warm in contact with hers, but now they felt chilly with a sense of dread.

He gaped a few times and ultimately said nothing. Instead, he moved toward his grandfather’s ear and muttered, “Grandpa, let’s talk about this when you’re awake.”

Nanny Zhang repeated anxiously from the side, “Old Master, the Young Master said that he’ll talk about this with you once you’re awake. Did you hear that? Old Master?”

Old Master Gu appeared to hear nothing as if in a daze. He continued mumbling repeatedly, “Yusheng, Xiaokou, Yusheng…” before slipping into unconsciousness again.

…

Upon reaching the first floor, the elevator door opened and, as Qin Zhi’ai was about to step out with her bag in hand, upon looking up she saw Liang Doukou rushing toward her in stilettos with an anxious look on her face.

Liang Doukou, too, noticed Qin Zhi’ai at the same moment and stopped abruptly with a look of surprise. She slowed down to a stop and, after staring blankly at each other, Qin Zhi’ai snapped back to her senses and hastened her steps as she exited the elevator.

As she made her way around Liang Doukou and walked some 15 feet away, Liang Doukou finally reacted and snapped her head back to stare at Qin Zhi’ai.

“Stop right there!”

Qin Zhi’ai’s lifted foot hesitated for a brief moment, but then she put her weight on it and continued to walk away.

“Didn’t you hear me? I told you to stop right there!” Liang Doukou cried out once more. Her voice sounded exceptionally shrill on the silent and empty first floor.

As she spoke, she chased after Qin Zhi’ai in her stilettos.

Just when Qin Zhi’ai was about to reach the building exit, Liang Doukou reached out her hand and yanked Qin Zhi’ai by the wrist.

“Why are you here?”

Without waiting for her reply, Liang Doukou exclaimed, “You’re here to find Yusheng, aren’t you?”

After all she had done, she still had failed to chase Qin Zhi’ai away from Gu Yusheng.

Liang Doukou had thought that Qin Zhi’ai would have hidden herself and moped in silence once she read that Liang Doukou was about to marry Gu Yusheng. But just two days earlier, having seen Gu Yusheng standing at the foot of Qin Zhi’ai’s apartment building, she had been driven to reveal old photographs to the press that Zhou Qian had saved, in an attempt to create scandalous news.

Never would she have expected to meet Qin Zhi’ai at the hospital when rushing to grandpa Gu’s side after her night filming.

The anger that Liang Doukou had been suppressing for so long was now erupting.

“What does grandpa Gu’s illness have to do with you? What right do you have to be here?”