Back Then, I Adored You

”I thought I would only see him once and then never again. I was blessed to become his secretary after applying for an internship at that company. I was his secretary for three months, and then my internship ended. I didn’t sign the employee contract with the company, so I’ve lost contact with him again.

”Mr. S, you asked me what kind of man he is. Hmm…” Qin Zhi’ai paused writing. She tilted her head and looked through the crystal clean window at A High School.

I first saw Gu Yusheng right there for the first time when I was young.

The sun had been bright and hot on that summer afternoon. She had been walking up some stairs with a heavy suitcase and, without even looking at her, he had helped her carry it as he was passing her. He set it down at the top of the stairs and then walked away with a few other boys. When she had looked up at him, she could only see his long and thin figure.

Then time flew by. Years had passed. No matter when she recalled that scene, she always felt excited and happy, just as she had since it had happened so long ago.

Qin Zhi’ai’s expression suddenly became soft. She bit the end of her pen as she reflected on that scene before writing again.

”He is tall and handsome. I still remember the first time I saw him; my only thought had been he was the one I was looking for, no matter how many guys I might meet in the future. Oddly, though, he always looked naturally arrogant for some reason. It might be his personality. He was a soldier like you. He had a very big dream. He’s as handsome as Prince Charming, but he has a bad mouth. He gave me a very bad nickname, little sweetheart. He has many bad habits. He’s addicted to smoking. He has a temper. And yes, he is quite arrogant; he doesn’t just appear so. He does have a very nice name, though.”

Qin Zhi’ai stopped writing and hesitated for a second. She didn’t dare to write Gu Yusheng’s last name, so she only used his first name. ”His name is Yusheng. Mr. S, you have said you would like to give us your blessing, that you hoped Yusheng and I would fall in love, get along, and understand one another. I really appreciate your kind words, but I don’t think I can be with him, because I...” Qin Zhi’ai moved her pen on the paper and continued to write more. By the end, her eyes were red.

She finished with a fond goodbye and checked for mistakes. She put the letter in an envelope, stuck a stamp on it, and quietly sat while sipping a cup of honey water. Thinking about the last paragraph of her letter, she became emotional for some time. After calming down, she stood up, paid her check, and left the cafe carrying the envelope.

She dropped it in a mailbox as she walked to the school to find Xu Wennuan, who soon called her on the phone to find her.

Xu Wennuan’s face had no more tears. She ran to Qin Zhi’ai with a smile and put her arm into Qin Zhi’ai’s arm. She tilted her head and talked excitedly as she always did. ”Xiao’ai, let’s go shopping. I have not shopped for a long time. After that, let’s go watch a movie, and I’ve not sung karaoke for a long time either. Before we do all of this, we better have a big lunch.”