Back Then, I Adored You

He hadn’t realized he had left his house key in the car until the doorbell rang three times. He immediately went back to the car, took the key out of the console compartment, and quickly walked back to the house.

When he walked to the middle of the front yard, he saw that the porch light was now on and the door was open. Nanny Zhang had opened the door after she heard the doorbell and was standing there looking sleepy. She didn’t recognize Gu Yusheng until he started walking toward her.

When she was young, she had been Gu’s nanny. She had watched him grow up and had always treated him as her own son.

Since the last time he had fought with Old Master Gu about Liang Doukou, at the beginning of last year, he had not come back to the house. Seeing Gu Yusheng standing there surprised Nanny Zhang. She walked up to him and said, “Young Master, you are finally home. Come and let me see you. Look at you. You’re thinner.”

Gu Yusheng felt guilty hurrying past her, as he did love her, but he had to get to his room. He told her not to follow him but she did anyway, asking, “Young Master, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat.”

Gu Yusheng shook his head and said, “Thank you” to her, just as he reached his hand out to push open the door to his old bedroom.

“Young Master, are you going to sleep here tonight? I’ll make the bed for you.”

This is the first time Young Master has wanted to sleep here this year. Grandpa Gu will be so happy to see him tomorrow morning.

Nanny Zhang could not help but smile as she took bed sheets from the closet and carried them in her arms to Gu Yusheng’s bedroom.

Gu Yusheng did not stop Nanny Zhang. He walked to the bookshelf in front of the bay window, pulled the drawer open, and started to search for something.

“Young Master, what would you like to have for breakfast tomorrow?” Nanny Zhang asked as she made the bed. “Tomorrow morning, I will ask the housekeeper to go to the market early to buy a fresh fish. I’ll make you your favorite steamed fish, and I’ll soak the adzuki beans tonight.”

Nanny Zhang turned around to look at Gu Yusheng as she talked. She saw him taking everything out of the drawer and tossing it all on the floor. She left the bedsheet on the bed and hurried over, saying, “Young Master, what are you looking for? I can help you.”

Gu Yusheng took the drawer out of the bookshelf to confirm nothing was left in it. He stood up, opened another drawer, and continued searching.

Nanny Zhang squatted down to clean up the mess Gu Yusheng was making. She nagged at him as she cleaned up after him. “Young Master, what are you really looking for? It’s getting really late. Why don’t you go to sleep and look for it tomorrow? Tomorrow when the other nannies wake up, with their help, we can find it quicker.”

As Nanny Zhang talked, Gu Yusheng had already walked to the closet. Most of the clothes in the closet were his childhood clothing, with the exception of two suits. Other than that, nothing else was in there. He passed his hands over some of the clothes to see if anything was in them, but he found nothing.

He walked into the bathroom and searched every drawer and cabinet, even underneath the sink. He turned around to look at Nanny Zhang, who was busy cleaning, and asked, “Nanny Zhang, where did all my school stuff go?”

“There was too much stuff in your room, and finally just last year the other nannies and I cleaned your room and put most of your things in storage in the attic…”

Before Nanny Zhang could finish speaking, Gu Yusheng had left the bedroom and went to the attic.