Back Then, I Adored You

“What went wrong?” Zhou Jing asked anxiously on the phone.

Liang Doukou only sobbed and repeated, “Everything went wrong. Everything.” She had no other words to describe what had just happened.

“Xiaokou, calm down!” Zhou Jiang commanded even though she was worried.

Liang Doukou fell silent. After a moment, she asked, “Can you come pick me up at Gu Yusheng’s house?”

Gu Yusheng’s house.

Zhou Jing’s heart dropped. A bad feeling crept over her as the silence intensified with the phone at her ear. She finally asked, “Did you see Gu Yusheng?”

“Yes,” Liang Doukou responded through her sniffling.

“Did he find out you had a body double?” Zhou Jing asked.

“Yes.” Liang Doukou began crying again. Before Zhou Jing could get her attention, Liang Doukou said, “Can you stop asking questions and just come pick me up now?”

“Okay, I’m coming. Try to stay as calm as possible.” Zhou Jing comforted Liang Doukou a bit more before they hung up.

Liang Doukou sat on the cold pavement for some time before getting on her feet. She walked to the yard and started picking up her clothes and other belongings that Gu Yusheng had thrown everywhere.

Whether torn or broken, she walked and stooped to collect her things and piled them in the trunk of her car. She only stopped when the trunk was so full it almost wouldn’t close.

Zhou Jing had not arrived yet, and Liang Doukou stood alone in the yard for some time. She eventually walked to the car and pulled the door open. As she was about to get in, the house door suddenly flew open.

She immediately turned around to see Gu Yusheng walking out of the house.

Liang Doukou stopped herself from getting in the car, captivated by Gu Yusheng as he approached. Her heart was racing.

Was it what I said about his grandfather? Maybe he’s afraid I’ll go talk to him. He certainly cares about him. Maybe he’ll ask me to not leave…

Liang Doukou calmed herself down with these thoughts, and a glimmer of hope seemed possible, but as Gu Yusheng walked near her he continued right past her.

Am I wrong? Is it something else?

In shock, Liang Doukou turned around and saw Gu Yusheng stop at her trunk.

What is he doing?

Gu Yusheng opened the trunk and took out a Chanel gift box.

Liang Doukou opened her eyes wide. She had guessed right—Gu Yusheng wanted her to stay.

Gu Yusheng then took out a second, a third, and a fourth gift box.

With tears on her face, her mouth curled up and as if she was being wronged said, “Yusheng.”

Gu Yusheng made no indication that he had heard her.

He continued his search through the trunk and took out another gift box. Satisfied, he closed the trunk, gathered all the boxes, and walked back to the house. As he walked past her, Liang Doukou called out his name again. “Yusheng.”

Gu Yusheng slowed down while fixing his eyes on the purse she was carrying.

It was the gift he had given to little troublemaker. That was the purse that was missing from its gift box in the closet.