Back Then, I Adored You

As it turns out, the world really is like that. There’s no one who can’t survive after leaving someone.

At this thought, Xu Wennuan laughed lightly. When she saw Wu Hao standing at her door without showing any intention to leave, she continued. “We’ve already broken up, and we have nothing to do with each other. We stopped having anything to do with each other over a year ago! So, Mr. Wu, can you leave?”

Mr. Wu…

These two simple words caused Wu Hao’s face to become as pale as a ghost, but Xu Wennuan did not continue wasting her breath on him. She lifted her head, keyed in her passcode again, and pushed open the door to enter her apartment. Then, she slammed it in Wu Hao’s face without hesitation or pity.

……

Because she had spent so much time walking in the cold breeze the day before, Xu Wennuan woke up with a cold. She forced herself to continue her day-to-day affairs despite her discomfort and stayed strong until the Spring Festival holiday, when she drove back to her parents’ home. Despite them nagging her every day to get married, Xu Wennuan’s cold did go away under her mother’s care.

Apart from accompanying her mother to pay respects at her grandmother’s house on the second day of her visit, Xu Wennuan spent the first few days of the Spring Festival holiday lazing around at her parents’ house by watching television, playing games, and sleeping.

On the third night, Xu Wennuan recalled that it would be Lu Bancheng’s farewell party the following day, the thought of which prevented her from sleeping well the entire night. The next morning, she crawled out of bed before her mother had even prepared breakfast.

She spent the entire morning finding things to occupy herself with, and by afternoon her mood had finally improved, even if only slightly. But then she received a call from Qin Zhi’ai asking her if she was going to attend the party. By “party,” Xu Wennuan knew that Qin Zhi’ai was referring to the farewell party for Lu Bancheng before he went to Beijing. If she didn’t go, she might never see him again in her life but, if she did go, it might be the last time that they would ever meet.

Xu Wennuan clutched her phone and slightly pursed her lips. She pondered over it for a few seconds before vaguely replying, “I’ll attend if I have nothing else going on tonight.”

…

Xu Wennuan eventually chose to attend. By the time she arrived, several people were already there and seated in the private room of the Majestic Clubhouse. Back when she had still been with Wu Hao, she had frequently socialized with Lu Bancheng’s circle of friends. As a result, she knew almost all the people who were present.

Qin Zhi’ai had already arrived, but she wasn’t in the private room, so Xu Wennuan took time to greet several people before she found an empty seat and sat down. After she had chatted for a while, the door to the private room was pushed open again, and Qin Zhi’ai, Gu Yusheng, and Lu Bancheng all entered together.

When Qin Zhi’ai saw Xu Wennuan, she turned her head and whispered something to Gu Yusheng. She then headed to her friend while calling out her name and sat down beside her. There was no telling what Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng were talking about, as music was playing in the background, but the two of them would lean their heads toward each other from time to time.

When Lu Bancheng responded to Gu Yusheng, his gaze finally landed on her. He nodded politely at her as a greeting, and then he and Gu Yusheng walked to a couch that was located beside the window and slightly farther away from Qin Zhi’ai and her.

Many people had shown up for the party, and the ambience of the private room was lively. The only interaction between Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan that night was when he had nodded at her earlier.