Back Then, I Adored You

Old Master Gu, who had remained silent from the moment that he heard those words until now, suddenly raised his cane and whacked it hard three times on the wall beside him.

“Old Mate Liang, the Gu family will not stay here any longer. If we did, the flesh and blood of our Gu family would suffer! This is your granddaughter, and I have no claim to manage her. I’ll leave it to you to decide for yourself!”

After speaking, Old Master Gu looked at each and every Gu family member, from one to the other across the room.

“What are you all still doing here? Let’s go!”

At his command, each member of the Gu family immediately followed Old Master Gu all the way to the elevator. Upon entering, Old Master Gu looked for a moment at Qin Zhi’ai, who was leaning in Gu Yusheng’s arms with stinging and bloodshot eyes from the wasabi. Holding back a stream of tears, Qin Zhi’ai appeared pitiful and even ill.

Old Master Gu moved his lips and subconsciously wanted to offer her comfort but, when the words came to him, he could not bring himself to say them. Eventually, he turned his face away and looked toward one side.

When the elevator door opened, Old Master Gu’s gaze curiously flitted back to Qin Zhi’ai. Coincidentally, she was also looking at him, and their eyes met. Stunned for a moment, Old Master Gu immediately assumed a poker face. Without giving it much thought, he said to Qin Zhi’ai, “Don’t think too much of this. I wasn’t defending you earlier; I was defending the reputation of the Gu family!” Old Master Gu then quickly walked away without waiting for Nanny Zhang to support him.

……

With such a ridiculous drama at his 80th birthday celebration, Old Master Gu’s spirits must be deflated…

Nanny Zhang was covertly surveying Old Master Gu as they drove away from the Peking Hotel. After a short distance, he broke his stare out the window and suddenly asked, “Xiaozhang, do you still have the contact details for the person who caused the car accident last Chinese New Year?”

Nanny Zhang was stunned for a moment, as this question was so unexpected, but she eventually replied, “Yes.”

“Give him a call. Meet him…” Old Master Gu paused briefly before continuing. “…Let’s meet him later today.”

……

When Qin Zhi’ai went to the restroom, Gu Yusheng walked out of the Peking Hotel, leaned against a lamppost by the road, and lit a cigarette. Barely halfway through his cigarette, Gu Yusheng saw Zhou Jing through the smoke while he was watching for Qin Zhi’ai to exit the hotel.

She had obviously already spotted him before he noticed her, as her gaze was already fixed on him. Gu Yusheng quickly retracted his gaze, lowered his eyes, and leisurely took a puff from his cigarette. A perfect circle came out of his nose with his breath. Before the smoke could fully dissipate, Zhou Jing, who had originally been standing at the entrance of the hotel, had already walked over and stopped a foot away from him.

Many times when things happen, we cannot wrap our heads around them. But when we quiet down and think through them afterward, it’s not impossible to understand matters.

Zhou Jing stared fixedly at Gu Yusheng for a long time before asking, “You bribed the attendant, didn’t you?”

As if he hadn’t heard her, Gu Yusheng smoothly brought his cigarette up to his lips, took another casual puff on it, and exhaled without responding.

“You already knew that Mr. Yang was married, right?” In the face of Gu Yusheng’s silence, Zhou Jing asked again.