Back Then, I Adored You

Lu Bancheng was afraid that Xu Wennuan would feel helpless if she came out of the shower to find him gone, so he whipped out his phone and leaned against the wall as he left a message for a food delivery, which arrived promptly half an hour later. Lu Bancheng boiled some water, made some warm milk, and then walked to the door of the master bedroom.

Out of consideration for the trauma he had inflicted on her in the past, Lu Bancheng knocked and did not enter. He stood outside the door and waited for a long time, and, when Xu Wennuan had not emerged, he pushed the door handle lightly and cracked open the door. His initial plan had been to call out to Xu Wennuan and hand her the warm milk, but before the words in his mouth could take form, he saw Xu Wennuan sitting on the floor in a fetal position. She appeared to be crying.

Lu Bancheng pursed his lips. He was tired of her resistance against him and her repetitive rejection even though he had taken precautions to keep a distance from her. Regardless, he took quick steps into the room.

When Lu Bancheng arrived at her side, Xu Wennuan lifted her tiny face as if she had sensed his presence. Besides looking slightly pale, there were no traces of tears on her face. It was only then that Lu Bancheng sighed in relief. He bent down, handed her the milk, and said amicably, “Drink some warm milk. It’ll make you feel better.”

Without speaking, she reached out and took the glass, brought it to her lips, and started sipping. With this, Lu Bancheng’s anxiousness eased slightly. When he saw how she had not even bothered drying her hair after her shower, Lu Bancheng rose and went to the bathroom. He found a dry towel, kneeled beside her, and started gently drying the water droplets clinging to the ends of her hair.

After she had finished drinking the milk, Lu Bancheng said, “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t dry your hair. Let me dry it for you, okay?”

Xu Wennuan responded quickly, not with silence or a nod, but instead a soft hum, making Lu Bancheng smile. He reached out to pull her up and take her to the vanity. With a hairdryer in one hand and a comb in the other, he dried her hair as he untangled some knots. When he was finished, he set the dryer aside and urged her to go rest on the bed.

She agreed and laid down; then Lu Bancheng tugged at the blanket and meticulously covered her body with it. He turned off the light and whispered, “Go to sleep.” Having not slept well the previous night, and with everything she had gone through today, she quickly closed her eyes and fell asleep upon hearing Lu Bancheng’s words. Lu Bancheng waited until her breathing was steady before he left the master bedroom and gently closed the door.

He initially wanted to leave, but he recalled all the nightmares she used to have, and, since she’d been bullied that night, he wondered if a nightmare might not startle her awake again. After some contemplation, Lu Bancheng was ultimately unable to set his heart at ease. He sat on the couch in the living room and turned on the TV, lowered the volume, and passed the time.

The minutes ticked by, and there was silence from the master bedroom. Just as Lu Bancheng could no longer fight his drowsiness and was starting to sink slowly into sleep, a sharp scream pierced through the night, and he instantly opened his eyes. The surroundings again were silent.

Lu Bancheng exhaled. He thought he was dreaming, so he shut his eyes again, but just before he could fall asleep, he heard a thud coming from the bedroom. He immediately stood up from the sofa and rushed into the master bedroom. When he pushed open the door, he saw that Xu Wennuan had fallen on the ground. He immediately exclaimed, “Nuannuan!”