Back Then, I Adored You

Xu Wennuan retracted her gaze within a second.

When confronted with her complete disregard of him, Lu Bancheng asked amicably, “Nuannuan, you’re back?”

As she changed into her slippers, Xu Wennuan did not acknowledge Lu Bancheng’s presence. When she rose to her full frame, Lu Bancheng spoke again. “Nuannuan, you went shopping today? What did you buy?”

Xu Wennuan grabbed her shopping bags and headed for the guest room while turning a deaf ear to Lu Bancheng the entire time.

Lu Bancheng spoke for the third time when she passed by him. “Nuannuan, I made your favorite dishes. They’ll be ready soon. Go rest for a while, and I’ll call you for dinner when it’s ready, okay?”

What greeted him in response was silence.

Lu Bancheng turned his head to look at Xu Wennuan’s back. “Nuannuan, are you thirsty? Let me get some water for—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the guest room was forcefully slammed shut, followed by the sound of the lock turning.

In the past month, the only times she had spoken to him and faked her smiles were when she visited his parents’ house with him during the Spring Festival. Other than that, she had treated him with complete indifference. She had not once seen him or heard him, just as she had mentioned that night.

He had been going home early and cooking for her when his work obligations allowed it; however, not only had she not taken a single bite, but she had never even looked at the complex gourmet dishes he’d been painstakingly preparing.

Lu Bancheng stared at the closed door for a while before he sighed and entered the kitchen again. He would continue to cook for her even if she refused to eat anything. He knew that she wouldn’t forgive him so easily, but he still had to try his best to earn her forgiveness.

After the dishes were ready, Lu Bancheng knocked on Xu Wennuan’s door. There was no response even after knocking a few times.

The only time Xu Wennuan emerged from the guest room was when a courier arrived at their doorstep and required her signature. She signed the receipt, waited for the courier to leave, and then turned around to return to the guest room.

This time, Lu Bancheng blocked her path. “Nuannuan, you can’t not eat your dinner. No matter what, you have to at least eat a little bit.”

Xu Wennuan maintained her silence while making a detour around him to return to her room. Lu Bancheng quickly followed her and blocked her path once again. “Nuannuan, I bought you a present when I went on a business trip two days ago.” As he said that, he pulled out a brocade box from his pocket.

Ever since what happened, he had bought her many presents, but she had not accepted a single one of them.

Lu Bancheng was afraid that she would walk away without even taking a look at it as she had done so many times. As such, he pulled open the brocade box and thrust it into her hands.

It was a very delicate diamond bracelet, but there was not a trace of joy in Xu Wennuan’s eyes, and she handed the gift back to him.

“Nuannuan, this is my gift to you. Please accept it…”

Xu Wennuan did not wait for Lu Bancheng to finish. She dumped the brocade box on the coffee table nearby and swiftly entered the guest room again. Lu Bancheng remained where he was for a long time before he removed his apron, dumped it on the couch, and walked toward the window wall.

He watched the night view outside for a while, until the door to the guest room was opened. Lu Bancheng turned around self-consciously and looked at Xu Wennuan as she approached him.

Lu Bancheng’s eyes began to fill with joy and, when she stopped before him, he called out in a small voice, “Nuannuan.”

Xu Wennuan ignored him as she handed him the paper bag in her hands.