Back Then, I Adored You

With abandon, they kissed extensively with all the emotions harbored in their bodies before they finally parted reluctantly.

When Xu Wennuan raised her wet eyelashes, Lu Bancheng was already gazing at her with his deep, dark eyes, which glistened with a passion that she didn’t comprehend.

When they had kissed passionately earlier, his breath had been uneven, and now he stared at her fixedly for a long time while she recovered her normal breathing from the intensity of their kiss. Her eyes soon brightened, and he then lifted his hand up and touched her soft, fair cheek gently before he said joyfully, “Nuannuan, other than being with you, I can promise you nothing else. It’s not that I don’t want you, but right now I’m not worthy of you.”

“In that case, you don’t need to desire for me…”

If it hadn’t been two years since Wu Hao betrayed me, I wouldn’t dare muster the courage and chase after romance like this. But now, things are different. He’s taken 99 steps so it’s only right that I make the last move. It’s alright that he said he’s not worthy of me—he only needs to accept me.

Xu Wennuan looked back into Lu Bancheng’s eyes and said in a more serious and firm tone than before, “I’ll give myself to you. You only need to accept me.”

Lu Bancheng’s throat tightened and his words of persuasion were stuck there. After a long time, he forced himself to say, “Nuannuan, you’ll regret your decision some day in the future,” and then he went silent.

He then resolved in his heart to not listen to her anymore, as he would surely be bewitched by her and give in to her. Her voice, however, seemed to have cast a magic spell on him that forced him to hear every single word she said.

“Lu Bancheng, you’re aware that I have nothing to give to you other than my promise to never abandon or leave you in this lifetime.”

…

Three years later, after more than a thousand days and nights, Xu Wennuan had never run into Wu Hao again and never thought about him either except when she had infrequently passed his office building. She would vaguely recall that there was once a man named Wu Hao who had participated in some small part in her life.

It had been three years since she had last heard any news about Wu Hao. Although his business had always flourished, he inexplicably had sold his company right after it had listed. He had even sold all his shares, transforming himself from an ultrawealthy corporate world elite known among everyone to a man who disappeared from the public eye with his whereabouts unknown.

As summer went by, it was soon Qin Zhi’ai’s birthday.

Two weeks in advance, Xu Wennuan chose a day with beautiful weather to go to the mall and pick out a birthday gift for Qin Zhi’ai.

After circling around the mall for a couple of hours, she finally settled on a necklace that had just been released on the market.

As she followed the promoter to the counter to make her payment, a girl in her early 20s walked toward her as she clung onto a man in a suit and dress shoes. They were smiling and talking all the way.

Although Xu Wennuan had not seen him in three years, she still easily recognized Wu Hao even though he had been out of touch with everyone for an exceptionally long time.

Although she had truly put their past behind them, she could not help but to slow down her steps for a moment as they passed each other.

Sensing her out of the corner of his eye he looked up in her direction after responding to the girl who was with him. His expression remained unchanged and not a ripple of familiarity passed over his eyes.

“Ah Hao, after having been to all the shops, I still think the blue gemstone accessories in this shop are the best. Why don’t I buy a set?” The girl did not sense anything awkward, and she continued to ask for his opinion in a pampered tone as she clung onto his elbow.

Upon hearing her voice, Wu Hao instantly retracted his gaze from Xu Wennuan and turned to look at the girl with a deep, loving look before he replied obediently, “I have no comment. As long as you like it.”

The girl’s smile became radiant when she heard his response, and she tip-toed to give him a peck on his cheek. Wu Hao drew her into his arm before they walked past Xu Wennuan, who continued making her way to the cashier.

Xu Wennuan could vaguely hear them as the cashier was not far from the counter they stopped at. She could vaguely hear the girl chirp to Wu Hao, “Ah Hao, I love you,” after he apparently had bought the luxury jewelry.

After the girl said this, Xu Wennuan took out her bank card from her wallet and handed it to the cashier. As the cashier swiped the card, Xu Wennuan heard Wu Hao reply in a deep, tender voice, “I love you, too.”

“Miss, please enter your password,” the cashier said with a smile.

Smiling back, Xu Wennuan lifted her hand up, keyed in her password, and signed her name. After her item was wrapped, Xu Wennuan left the jewelry shop as the promoter escorted her.

After she was some distance away, the promoter then turned and went back to the shop. Wu Hao, who had followed the girl to try on jewelry in front of the display window, turned his head and looked out of the shop through the bright, transparent glass window.

As Xu Wennuan held her bag and stood in the elevator area, she was making a phone call with an exceptionally brilliant smile on her face.

Thirty seconds later, a tall man walked over to her with a small one-year-old boy, who was sucking on a pacifier. Upon seeing her, he reached out his hands to be hugged. Xu Wennuan handed the bag in her hand to Lu Bancheng and took the little boy in her arms.

With his head slightly lowered, Lu Bancheng muttered something to Xu Wennuan, and she nodded her head lightly. Afterward, he hugged her waist, and they entered the elevator to go downstairs.

Although they had only walked two steps, Wu Hao could clearly see that Lu Bancheng’s steps were slightly unstable, as his legs had probably not yet fully recovered.

Just as they were about to disappear from Wu Hao’s line of sight, he saw Lu Bancheng’s mouth form the words, “Nuannuan.”

Xu Wennuan looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Wu Hao’s lips then moved again. “I love you.”

Xu Wennuan smiled, but because Wu Hao could only see he profile, he could only guess that she had probably replied to him that she loved him, too, as Lu Bancheng’s eyes deepened with a smile.

The boy, whom Xu Wennuan was still holding onto, also broke into a grin when he saw that his parents were smiling. His pacifier fell to the ground and his smiling face instantly changed and he broke out in tears. Then the trio disappeared from Wu Hao’s sight.

…

When they reached the underground parking garage, Xu Wennuan handed the boy to Lu Bancheng and got in the driver’s seat. After paying the parking attendant, they were on their way. Looking straight ahead into the brilliant, glaring sun through the windshield, she recalled an earlier encounter with Wu Hao, and scenes from the past began flashing before her eyes. She was suddenly curious.

If Wu Hao hadn’t told me the truth back then, and if I had really believed what Lu Bancheng and Guoguo were getting married, wouldn’t Lu Bancheng have lost me then?

The question suddenly popped out of her mouth. “Bancheng, if I didn’t know anything back then, if I hadn’t looked for you in the hospital, and if I hadn’t gotten together with you, what would your life have been like?”

Lu Bancheng, who had been teasingly pinching his son’s cheek, stopped and pondered deeply for a moment before he said, “I probably would never have married in my lifetime.”

Xu Wennuan would have been lying if she said that she was not touched by what he said, but she merely smiled and replied, “Aren’t you foolish…”

A hint of a smile surfaced in Lu Bancheng’s eyes. “Am I?”

After a pause, Lu Bancheng’s expression became slightly serious. “For your sake, I would even be willing to die, not to mention being a fool.”

—The End—

Ye Feiye, on 17 January 2017, 11:27 p.m.

It’s time to say goodbye again, Yusheng and Zhi’ai. Goodbye to their three encounters and three romances. Goodbye, Bancheng and Wennuan. Goodbye to Wu Hao, who is still bound by his first love. And goodbye to all of you who have accompanied me for so many days.

But will we have a chance to meet again? Will all of you meet me again for my new book in April? I hope that we can meet again on a day in April.

These stories truly end here but, subsequently, there will still be side stories about Qin Jiayan (Qin Zhi’ai’s brother) and Little Peanut (the daughter of Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi’ai).

These two side stories will not be long, perhaps 60 to 80 chapters in total. I promised my readers in the VIP chat that I would write them for those who want to read them, so for those who cannot bear to part can still come check in every night. For those who do not wish to read these side stories, it’s alright. We shall say goodbye until we meet again in my new story coming in April.

I hope that you will remember someone named Ye Feiye who accompanied you from summer until deep into the winter, from 2016 to 2017, and, if possible, to continue walking through life together.