Back Then, I Adored You

“No,” Qin Zhi’ai said instinctively in denial. As she said this, her phone began to ring on the table.

Peeking at her screen, she frowned when she saw that the caller was Wu Hao.

Is Nuannuan looking for me?

Flashing an apologetic smile at Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng, she hurriedly picked up the call.

“Xiao’ai, did Nuannuan contact you?” Wu Hao asked on the other end of the phone.

“No.” Feeling strange about the abrupt question, Qin Zhi’ai asked, “It’s so late already. Isn’t she home yet?”

“No.”

Although his answer was short, Qin Zhi’ai clearly detected worry in his voice. In fact, she thought she also sensed some anxiety.

What is Wu Hao panicking about?

Furrowing her brows again, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” Wu Hao acknowledged. Unsure of how to explain the situation, he paused for a long time.

Finally, he said, “Xiao’ai, you are her closest friend. Please give her a call and find out where she is.”

As long as Qin Zhi’ai had known them as a couple, she had hardly known Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan to ever quarrel, much less have a fight with one another.

This was the first time that Wu Hao had ever asked her for help locating Xu Wennuan.

An immense fear like she had never experienced before began to grow in Qin Zhi’ai’s heart, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. After a moment, she said, “Okay,” and ended the call. Smiling apologetically once more at Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng, she searched for Xu Wennuan’s number and began to call her.

When Qin Zhi’ai had received Wu Hao’s call, she could tell that something was wrong between him and Xu Wennuan.

Despite her sense of trepidation, the possible conflicts she could imagine were merely those involving harsh words Wu Hao might have said to Xu Wennuan or, in the worst case, a serious argument.

After her call had gone through to Xu Wennuan, however, she realized how minor the conflicts that she had imagined were.

The phone had rung for a long time before Xu Wennuan finally answered it. Before Qin Zhi’ai could call out “Nuannuan,” a burst of crying could be heard from the other end of the call. The cries sounded as if a helpless and aggrieved child had finally found someone she could rely on.

Qin Zhi’ai was completely shocked by Xu Wennuan’s reaction.

For all the years that they had known each other, she had rarely seen Xu Wennuan cry or even have a sour face.

Yet, right now, she was sobbing hysterically.

Clutching her phone, Qin Zhi’ai remained stupefied for a long time. When she eventually recovered, Qin Zhi’ai pressed her anxiously. “Nuannuan, what’s wrong? Why are you crying so hard?”

Lu Bancheng had been making small talk with Gu Yusheng while waiting for Qin Zhi’ai to end her call but, upon hearing the word “crying,” he froze briefly. He turned to look at Qin Zhi’ai without finishing his sentence to Gu Yusheng and, a few seconds later, picked up from where he had left off. Paying close attention to Qin Zhi’ai’s phone conversation, however, his words came out in incoherently.

No matter how hard Qin Zhi’ai tried to console her, Xu Wennuan continued to weep. Qin Zhi’ai was also on the verge of tearing up when Xu Wennuan finally said in a choked voice, “Xiao’ai, Wu Hao has not been good to me. He has let me down!”