Back Then, I Adored You

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

Qin Zhi’ai was sobbing to the point of being unable to speak a few times. After much effort and hard swallowing, she finally managed to plead, “Please, stop. Stop talking about this…”

“Xiao’ai, could you relay this to that girl if you ever meet her one day?” Gu Yusheng continued to ignore her pleas.

Qin Zhi’ai could tell instinctively that what he was about to say would undoubtedly make her break down. She did not want to listen nor relay his words.

But Gu Yusheng did not intend to spare her from hearing his story. Neither did he give her the chance to avoid it. Slowly, he turned around and faced her.

Standing motionless, his gaze bore into her tear-stricken face and, after a long time, his eyelids slightly fluttered. As if he had braved the mountains and rivers solely just to reach Hangzhou to convey these words to her, he spoke once more in a more solemn tone. “Tell her that there is a man called Gu Yusheng, and he will wait for her for the rest of his life.”

Tears streamed down Qin Zhi’ai’s face like a river overflowing from a dam. She raised her hands and repeatedly tried to wipe the tears away, but they only trickled down her cheeks more fiercely. Eventually, she covered her face with her palms and bawled.

Gu Yusheng stood and stared in silence as she sobbed. After a long time, he finally asked gently, “Little troublemaker, things have already reached this stage. Are you still reluctant to admit that you are the little troublemaker whom I’ve been waiting for all the while?”

Qin Zhi’ai’s wails softened, as if she had detected something. Waves of panic erupted within her.

Could he have guessed that I…?

Before the thoughts could fully develop in her mind, Gu Yusheng drew in a deep breath and spoke again, giving a response to the question in her mind. “Little troublemaker, I’ve known for a long time that you are the little troublemaker whom I’ve been waiting for all this time.”

Qin Zhi’ai looked up at him with her bloodshot eyes full of tears and unspoken questions.

How does he know that I was little troublemaker? I’d always done a good job in masking my identity from him…

Gu Yusheng knew what she was puzzled about, but he gave no explanation to her and continued to speak. “Little troublemaker, it must have been aggravating to be in love with me. I’m sorry. This will not happen anymore in the future. Thus— thus… could… you still love me?”

Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he resumed. “Xiao’ai, don’t worry about my grandfather, Liang Doukou, or the news that’s been spreading like wildfire for the past two days. The news isn’t true, and we can think of a way to resolve matters with my grandfather. You only need to think about the two of us…”

Every word that he spoke was firm with resolution, such that, toward the end, his eyes, too, teared up. “Let’s be selfish and unbridled and think about just the two of us for once.”

As long as you still love me and are willing to be with me, nothing will be a problem.

We could always find a way to resolve any problem, couldn’t we?

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Gu Yusheng turned and looked at Qin Zhi’ai with his eyes burning with expectation.

“Little troublemaker, let me ask you once more. Now that many years have passed and we are no longer who we were back in our younger days, do you still love me?

“Or should I say, little troublemaker, I want you to be by my side for the rest of our lives. Would you be willing to?”