Back Then, I Adored You

To you I make a lifetime promise, that we grow old together.

That lifetime is with you. That promise is also with you.

…

Thursday was the housekeeper’s day off, so even though he was extremely busy at work, Gu Yusheng still managed to return home in the afternoon to have lunch with Qin Zhi’ai. He returned to the office only after she had laid down for a nap. By the time she woke up, it was already three in the afternoon.

Being alone in the villa with nothing to do, Qin Zhi’ai decided to head to the greenhouse to see if her plants needed trimming. Gu Yusheng had arranged for a gardener to take care of them after she had cultivated them when she had assumed Liang Doukou’s identity and was living there.

After trimming the plants, as she was about to check the time, she received a message from Gu Yusheng and replied spontaneously that she would prepare dinner for him. Before waiting for a response, she headed to the master bedroom to change clothes, grabbed her purse, and went out for groceries.

At the nearby supermarket, she selected several basic ingredients to go with the vegetables she had seen in the refrigerator. By four o’clock, she started strolling back home while enjoying the neighborhood. As she approached the entrance to the villa, she spotted a familiar car parked in front of the entrance gates, making her subconsciously stop in her path.

Since the night that Old Master Gu had come and quarreled with Gu Yusheng, she had been expecting his next visit. While she had tried to prepare herself mentally, she was still not ready to face him, but she knew she needed to address the problem before it could improve.

Standing there for a moment, she inhaled a deep breath before she continued to walk forward. The passenger in the car seemed to have spotted her approaching; as she got closer to the car, its windows rolled down. Through the window frame, Qin Zhi’ai could see Old Master Gu seated inside. She hesitated for a moment but, because she was now married to Gu Yusheng, she addressed him. “Grandfather.”

Although he’d heard Qin Zhi’ai’s greeting, Old Master Gu continued to keep a dead-ahead stare and showed no reaction. Standing awkwardly next to the car for some time, Qin Zhi’ai smiled and spoke again. “Grandfather, let’s go into the house.”

As she spoke, Qin Zhi’ai took the initiative to open the car door for him; however, he still refused to acknowledge her and remained motionless.

It was only when Nanny Zhang got out of the driver’s seat, walked around to the passenger door, and opened it for him did he finally raise his cane and bend his body to get out of the car.

Qin Zhi’ai closed the car door awkwardly and walked up to the gates to key in the PIN. Pushing the door open, she politely indicated for Old Master Gu to head inside. “Grandfather, please.”

Without bothering to look at her, Old Master Gu walked straight into the courtyard escorted by Nanny Zhang.

Lifting the bags of items that she had bought from the supermarket, Qin Zhi’ai hurriedly followed after him. After opening the door to the house, she was the first to head through the door. Placing the bags in a corner of the room, she retrieved two new pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet.

After asking them to take a seat, Qin Zhi’ai headed back into the kitchen and prepared a platter of fruits along with two cups of black tea. She courteously placed the snacks in front of Old Master Gu but, before she could even ask him to have some tea, he viciously slammed a large folder in front of her on the coffee table.