Back Then, I Adored You

Qin Zhi’ai could barely carry Gu Yusheng to the car. When she made it, she put him in the backseat. She was afraid that he was too drunk and would be knocked around, so she put the seatbelt on for him.

On the way home, Gu Yusheng had his eyes closed, but his mouth kept moving.

Qin Zhi’ai focused on driving and didn’t pay attention to what he said. As they were close to the house, Qin Zhi’ai put on her bluetooth earbuds to call the house and ask the housekeeper to come out and help her.

As the car drove down the driveway, she saw the housekeeper was waiting in the yard. The housekeeper walked over once the car stopped. Qin Zhi’ai opened the backseat door. The housekeeper was shocked when she saw Gu Yusheng sitting there. She asked, “What happened to Mr. Gu?”

“He’s drunk,” Qin Zhi’ai said calmly. She reached her hand out and pulled Gu Yusheng out of the car.

Gu Yusheng was a little heavy, so Qin Zhi’ai could barely carry him. The housekeeper immediately went over to offer her help. They each held one of Gu Yusheng’s sides to carry him upstairs and lay him down on his bed.

“Can you make some honey water for him?” Qin Zhiqian asked the housekeeper. She took the dirty coat off of Gu Yusheng and threw it in the laundry basket in the bathroom.

Qin Zhi’ai took a towel and wet it with warm water. She twisted the towel a bit to dry it, then wiped Gu Yusheng’s face and neck with it. She grabbed the blanket next to him and put it over him.

The housekeeper walked in with a glass of warm honey water just when Qin Zhi’ai got up, ready to take the towel back to the bathroom. The housekeeper said, “Miss, do you want to help Mr. Gu drink some water? I can take the towel back.”

Qin Zhi’ai nodded and took over the glass as she passed the towel to the housekeeper.

She sat on the bed to lift up Gu Yusheng’s head and held the glass next to his lips.

Gu Yusheng was so drunk that he could only take two sips under Qin Zhi’ai instructions before he turned his head away.

Qin Zhi’ai didn’t know what else she could do, so she just put the glass on the end table. She glanced at the housekeeper from the bed and said in a low pitch, “You can go have some rest.”

“Okay, Miss,” the housekeeper said. She didn’t immediately leave. Instead, she stood there for a while before she said, “Miss, let me know when you need me”.

Qin Zhi’ai acknowledged her in a soft voice. The housekeeper left quietly.

As the housekeeper closed the door, the bedroom suddenly became very quiet.

Qin Zhi’ai was afraid that Gu Yusheng would vomit while he was laying on his back, so she stayed by his bed the whole night.

Gu Yusheng slept very lightly. His mouth kept moving. As it was getting dark outside, the room became quieter. The words coming from his mouth started to become clear.

“Gone, everything is gone,” Gu Yusheng murmured.

“Gone?” Qin Zhi’ai wondered what was gone. She frowned and couldn’t help moving closer to him.

“Captain Gu, CEO Gu,” Gu Yusheng murmured.

Qin Zhi’ai was even more confused, since he had been talking about everything being gone a second before and was now talking about Captain Gu and CEO Gu.

“Captain Gu, dream, every piece of land, every drop of blood, protect the country with my life.”

“Dream,””every piece of land,””every drop of blood,” and “protect the country with my life.” A memory from eight years earlier flashed in Qin Zhi’ai head: Gu Yusheng smoking a cigarette and telling her about his passions and dreams to protect the country as he looked up to the starry sky on the grass near his house.

As Qin Zhi’ai thought, Gu Yusheng started to murmur again with his eyes closed, “CEO Gu is so wonderful. We’re all jealous of you. I envy you, too. Haha…”