Back Then, I Adored You

“Nuannuan, I missed you too. Thinking about it, we actually haven’t seen each other in a long time. Let me have a look at you.” Qin Zhi’ai grabbed Xu Wennuan’s arm and moved her a bit away from herself. She looked at Xu Wennuan’s face with a smile. Xu Wennuan had cut her hair short and looked a lot sharper than before.

“We haven’t seen each other for a few years!” Xu Wennuan cupped Qin Zhi’ai’s face in her hands and looked at her for a while. She said, “You still look the same, only more beautiful.”

When Xu Wennuan was in college, she had come back to Beijing for winter and summer breaks. Xu Wennuan and Qin Zhi’ai would only see each other during the breaks.

After Xu Wennuan had graduated, she had gone to Shanghai, because Wu Hao had found a decent job there. She had found a job in Shanghai as well and started to become busy with her job. She rarely came back to Beijing. Qin Zhi’ai didn’t have the time and money to go to Shanghai because of what had happened to her father.

Counting the days, they hadn’t seen each other for nearly two years.

They called each other a lot, but they still had a lot to catch up on when they saw each other in person. They would have forgotten the suitcases at the door if the security guard at Peking Bistro hadn’t reminded them.

Qin Zhi’ai immediately helped Xu Wennuan carry her suitcase and walked into the lobby with her, hand in hand.

While Xu Wennuan left her suitcase at the front desk, Qin Zhi’ai remembered that Xu Wennuan had talked about her job interview the next day. She asked with a big smile on her face, “Nuannuan, are you coming back to Beijing since you have a job interview tomorrow?”

“Yes. Wu Hao’s job in Shanghai is good, but the salary isn’t very high. He wants to come back to start his own business. I would definitely like to support him.” Xu Wennuan filled out the form to store her suitcase in the clubhouse and walked to the elevator with her arm linked to Qin Zhi’ai’s. She giggled and said, “So, Xiao’ai, we can hang out everyday like we did in high school after I come back.”

“I’m getting really excited just by thinking about it. Nuannuan, do you know the exact date that you would move back to Beijing?” Qin Zhi’ai asked.

“I might have to move back at the end of next month. I can’t leave my current job until I complete the project I have in Shanghai. Wu Hao will go back to Shanghai with me and come back to Beijing next week. Once he has things settled here, I can fly here from Shanghai immediately.”

…

The two girls excitedly talked a little more about Xu Wennuan coming back to Beijing. Qin Zhi’ai didn’t realize where she was until they had already walked to the third floor of Peking Bistro and walked into the hallway. She asked, “Wait, aren’t these big party rooms? There’s only have two of us. What do we need these big rooms for?”

Xu Wennuan giggled and interrupted her as Qin Zhi’ai was about to ask the waitress if there were any seats downstairs. “Xiao’ai, I was just joking with you. I wouldn’t ask you to buy me dinner at such an expensive place. I wouldn’t do that to you. To be honest, I brought you here for a free dinner.”

“Free dinner? Is there anyone else coming tonight?” The waitress had pushed the door to room 3011 open before Qin Zhi’ai could ask anymore questions. It was quite loud in the room, like there were many people inside.

Xu Wennuan gave Qin Zhi’ai a look that said she was asking a stupid question. She dragged Qin Zhi’ai into the room without saying anything.

Qin Zhi’ai subconsciously looked around the room to check who the people were once she walked in the room. She fixed her eyes on the host of the party, Gu Yusheng.