The Way We Were (归去来)

Timing and Subtitles Brought to you by the Can We Go Back? Team @ Viki

You...

I have seen you in the past.

- You are Miao Ying's college mate in Tsinghua university, right? - Yes.

What are you doing here? Are you an overseas student?

I'm not.

Are you here in the States for leisure or work?

None of these.

- You are here to look for Miao Ying? - No.

Tell me then. A few days ago, why

did you show up at the motel where Miao Ying is staying?

- You saw me? - You are still telling me now that you are not here to look for her?

I definitely came here because of her but I'm not looking for her.

Are you playing word games with me?

You are here for her but you are not looking for her.

Are you going to tell me next that you are stopping her marriage

and that you had nothing to do with whatever had happened?

I'm not stopping her marriage.

Would I have this ability?

What did you say to her before we were going to register?

I didn't do anything at all. We haven't even met.

She doesn't know I'm here.

What did you study?

Computer Science.

No wonder. You can't even lie.

We checked several hotels in San Francisco before we found out that Miao Ying was staying in that motel.

She ran away from her family. You are the only one who knew she's there.

Are you still going to insist that you haven't met her?

Before you came, I was definitely the only one who knew she was there.

It's because I...

I followed her from the Government Administration Office till the motel.

She definitely didn't know I was there too.

You flew all the way here from afar.

First, you didn't meet her, Second, you didn't contact her and watched her escaped from her marriage and tailed her.

It was only the two of you all those time and

you didn't see each other face-to-face. You also didn't tell her you were here

till you followed her back to Stanford

and got caught by me. Do you even believe what you were saying?

Tell me. What are you doing in the States?

I wasn't going to do anything.

When I heard she was getting married, I merely wanted to take a look.

What did you want to see?

To personally see her getting married.

Just like at a funeral before they nail down the coffin,

there would be no regrets.

I'm sorry.

I'm not talking your marriage. I'm just telling you how I feel.

Do you love her?

How long have you been courting her?

I didn't court her.

Are you kidding me?

You have known her for four years and you didn't court her or confess to her?

Whether I court her or confess to her, the result will be the same. I don't have any chances.

Don't tell me it has always been a one-sided love.

Saying things like you love her but couldn't say it.

You have been silently protecting her in the background?

That's right.

Are you saying that you didn't do anything and she suddenly changed overnight?

Do you think it's because of me?

I really want to admit it and you can blame me but this is not the case

because she doesn't even know that I like her.

You don't need to regard me as your rival in love too.

Because I'm not even a spare tire.

If you don't believe me, you can ask her

whether we met in the States. She will think you talking in alien language.

Can you tell me then?

From the Government Administration office till the motel,

what did Miao Ying do?

After she left the Government Administration office, she went to beach.

There was a rock there.

She cried there for a long time.

She went to the motel after that till you showed up.

That's all?

That's all.

Frankly, you don't have any rivals in love.

It's not like no one has ever liked her. When the first batch fell,

the second batch then recklessly pounced towards her. Waves after waves. Only ending once all are dead.

Not a single one could win her heart.

Because she has only you in her heart. The rest were just like fleeting clouds.

Although you were not in Tsinghua but you were a legend there.

Can I say more?

Are you both having conflicts?

There are no problems or conflicts between us.

I don't know why either.

This is strange

and rather complicated.

Can I say more?

I can guarantee that it's not because Miao Ying has changed her feelings towards you.

Why are you so sure?

I don't have any proof or evidence.

I don't have the rights to speak on behalf of her. I don't have the rights to judge your love too.

But it can be considered that I know her.

When did it start?

Are you talking about my secret crush?

Four years ago when I first saw her in college.

Why didn't you let her know?

I know the limits of my abilities.

But shouting it out load is stronger than dying from holding it in.

I don't think so.

If I can't give happiness to the one I like,

love is meaningless then.

Moreover, I also asked myself

how I could make her happy. Just like now, when she already has everything.

The answer is none.

Although you didn't say it but you have done a lot.

I couldn't control myself.

In the past 4 years, I thought of ending it every day, even to the point of hoping that it didn't start.

I don't have any way to control myself from loving or not loving.

I also have no way of changing her indifference towards her suitors.

I know that she won't like me.

But I still love her. I still couldn't do anything at all.

But I finally realized one day.

that your love might be meaningless to her, but its meaningful to yourself.

Even if it brought me fleeting happiness or unending pain,

even if it's a hopeless love,

it's way more meaningless than the boring things like

repeatedly going to work and getting off work everyday,

eating, sleeping, and waiting for your salary to enter your account.

Love is the most meaningful that happened to my life,

even if no one knows about it.

Perhaps, you think I'm very pitiful.

A masochist that lives within crooked reasoning.

But for me, she's the air that's making me want to continue living.

She's the candy that I will endure gladly endure hardship for.

Is it hard for you to understand my state of treating torment as just being a pleasant moment

of relaxing my bone?

But it's understandable too. For a person rich in many aspects like you who has the money, the status, and love,

how could you understand the poor man's happiness of ordinary people like us?

Only once you're poor to my level can you know that

if your love doesn't care if the other person loves you back or not,

if you don't even have the instinct to ask her to love you the same way that you love her,

even willing to let her know that you loving her is no big deal,

then if you don't put any hope in this kind of love, you won't have any disappointment.

A love that doesn't aim to possess won't be painful because of losing.

It will only be happy because of loving.

This is what you mean by 'my love has nothing to do with you'?

That's right.

When love only concerns yourself, you then get to have the greatest freedom.

You can love anyone you want. You can love as long as you want.

You can also get high by being in a one-sided love.

Of course, others can also find me pitiful.

But it's fine. Since my love

has nothing to do with others, their criticisms have nothing to do with me too.

Even if your love is just a neglected and trivial thing to the person that you love,

it still can become a major event that lights your life and startle the heaven and earth.

You are quite an interesting person.

I will be going to the airport now and will be leaving the US for Beijing.

That's why, you came today to silently say goodbye to her?

In this trip, you initially planned to take a look and then give up.

Right. If you don't see the coffin, you won't cry.

Sorry, I didn't mean it.

How come I came up with a coffin analogy? So sorry.

Now that you didn't see the coffin, you're not planning to give up, am I right?

Just like how I was unable to control it from starting,

I also am unable to control when it will end.

But don't worry. I never had any destructive power. I also won't have one in the future.

I'm going now. Goodbye.

Goodbye. I'm happy to have met you.

I also am happy to meet you.

Bro, you two must become blissful.

A love that doesn't aim to possess

won't be painful because of losing.

It will only be happy because of loving.

Even if your love is just a neglected

and trivial thing to the person that you love,

it still can become a major event that lights your life

and startle the heaven and earth.

Miao Ying,

I will never pester you again for why you left the marriage registration center.

I just want to love you like I used to in the past.

To love you more than I did in the past.

Hello.

Hello.

Hi.

Hi. Check in please.

This is my passport.

You're from China?

That's right. You too?

Can't you tell?

You are checking in that early?

It's still too early?

Just you?

It's just me.

Okay then.

How many days will you be staying?

For a week first.

You... you are staying for that long?

A week is considered long?

It's too long.

It can't be that I'm not welcomed by you to stay for that long?

I'm not. Because I have lots of empty rooms,