Back Then, I Adored You

Outside of awkward moments whenever she visited the Gu Mansion, life had been smooth sailing for Qin Zhi’ai lately; however, on the day of her pregnancy checkup, a disturbing incident occurred.

Gu Yusheng had worked overtime for three hours on Tuesday so that he could finish the tasks that he needed to handle on Wednesday in advance.

Late Wednesday morning, he had an early lunch with Qin Zhi’ai before escorting her on a stroll to the car parked just outside the gates, where Xiaowang was waiting to take them to the hospital.

Within two hours, the series of pregnancy tests had been completed. The obstetrician reported, “The baby is very healthy. The heartbeat and growth are normal. Keep maintaining the status quo…” After she finished explaining the good results, she pointed at the scans and began to go through them with the couple. “This is the nose, these are the eyes, here’s the mouth, and these are the tiny arms and legs…”

Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi’ai had difficulty distinguishing the varying shadows on the scans; nevertheless, they continued to listen intently like elementary school children with exceptional focus.

As Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi’ai came out of the obstetrician’s office, they saw a long line of men supporting their pregnant wives. Because she had always been lean, and today she happened to have worn a baggy shirt, it was hard to tell that she was pregnant. Upon seeing how the other men were assisting their wives, Gu Yusheng reflexively reached out to support Qin Zhi’ai.

As they were walking past the restroom, Qin Zhi’ai stopped in her tracks and said, “Wait for me here for a moment. I should use the restroom.”

Upon seeing how wet the floor was at the entrance, Gu Yusheng carefully supported Qin Zhi’ai to the entrance of the restroom so she wouldn’t slip. A few women began exiting the restroom, bumping into him and giving him unwelcome looks. He reluctantly released his grip on Qin Zhi’ai and nagged her to be careful as she disappeared inside.

Once in the restroom, Qin Zhi’ai waited for two people already in line to use the toilet. When she walked out and washed her hands at the sink, she noticed a familiar silhouette in the mirror above the sink. She then turned around to get a clearer look.

There was Jiang Qianqian with her designer shades on and her long, wavy hair flowing down her back. Decked out in a loose, puffy skirt and holding her phone at her ear, she walked past Qin Zhi’ai.

This is an obstetrician’s clinic. Why would Jiang Qianqian be here?

Qin Zhi’ai felt her heart stop as she could not stop herself from taking another direct look at Jiang Qianqian.

As if she could sense someone watching her, Jiang Qianqian tilted her head slightly and took one glance over at Qin Zhi’ai. Retracting her gaze, Qin Zhi’ai could clearly see in the mirror that Jiang Qianqian was wearing a pair of white, flat sneakers, reminiscent of sneakers she had worn when they’d been in high school together many years ago.

Qin Zhi’ai exited the restroom highly distracted. When she got to the entrance and met with Gu Yusheng, he, in contrast, was in excellent spirits.

Holding up the scans, he stared at the shadows and analyzed them as they walked, chatting out loud, “Xiao’ai, this is little peanut’s eyes… Here is the nose… Is this the mouth?”