Back Then, I Adored You

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

At that time, he had been in junior high school. He hadn’t gone abroad yet, and he had been Gu Yusheng’s classmate.

At that time, Tianjie Square had already been built there, as well as the wishing well.

At that time, they had often gone skating in this square after school.

In the evening, there would be a lot of people in the square, and many people would throw coins in the wishing well, making their wishes.

At that time, a little girl with her good friend had run to the wishing well and had prayed earnestly. “This is the wishing wee that I’ve told you about. It will always answer you, and as long as you make your wish, your dreams will come true.”

“Really?” the other little girl had asked.

“Absolutely.”

Then, each one of the two little girls had taken out a one yuan coin and thrown it into the wishing pool. They had clasped their hands in front of their chests and looked down, earnestly making their wishes.

At that time, he and Gu Yusheng had been there beside the pool, and there had been several other boys who had believed in the little girl’s serious words. Then they had all copied the behavior of the girls and made wishes, except Gu Yusheng, who had been laughing at them with disdain. Gu Yusheng had stood up, skillfully controlling his skates, making a beautiful turn.

Many years had passed since then. He would have forgotten such an old memory if he hadn’t seen Gu Yusheng come to this pool to make a wish that night.

How much does he miss that girl, and how much does he want to see that girl that he would come to this wishing well and pray so sincerely and earnestly, doing what a child does?

In other words, how desperate and helpless is he, that he even tried this?

…

Gu Yusheng stood in front of the wishing well for a long time before returning to the car.

He looked at the time, and it was 1:30 am. Then he looked at the date. It had only been half a month since she had left him, but he felt unable to live through this period.

It’s said that time is the best medicine and can cure all pain.

However, day after day, he found that time wasn’t a medicine, but a poison.

Since, compared to the hard feelings he’d had when they had separated at first, the deep feelings he was unable to forget were the most terrible and hurtful.

He was extremely afraid that he would never meet her again in the rest of his life, and that their story had ended.

Because the rest of his life was too long, and it was too hard for him to forget her.

…

Time flew so fast that it was New Year’s Eve in an instant.

Qin Jiayan had found temporary work during the winter vacation, so he couldn’t even return home on New Year’s Eve.

Although it was only Qin Zhi’ai and her mother at home, her mother had still prepared a full table of sumptuous dishes.

During these two days, her mother’s body was in a worse condition, but her mother insisted on staying up late until midnight. After that, she entered her room to sleep.

Qin Zhi’ai wasn’t sleepy. She sat on the small sofa in the living room, turned the TV volume to the minimum, and continued to watch the Spring Festival Gala Evening program.

When the last song, the familiar “Unforgettable Tonight,” which was performed each year, played, the cell phone on her knees vibrated.

She looked down at the caller ID and saw it was Xu Wennuan. Xu Wennuan must have seen the message I sent at midnight.

Qin Zhi’ai couldn’t answer the phone at home, because it would disturb her mother. She put on her coat, took her cell phone, and went to the hallway. Then she answered, “Nuannuan.”

As soon as she finished talking, Xu Wennuan’s excited voice came over from the phone. “Xiao’ai, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year.” It was noisy on Xu Wennuan’s side, and there were the repeated noises of fireworks and cheers. Qin Zhi’ai leaned against the wall of the corridor and asked softly, “Are you outside?”