Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 13

Ying Ruo was confused. He looked at the 30,000 RMB transfer, felt somewhat overwhelmed, and quickly began typing.

【Ying Ruo: I can certainly treat you to dinner.】 【Ying Ruo: But you don’t need to give me money.】

The status changed to The other party is typing…

【UCL BMS Duan Zhuyan: Can you afford it?】

Ying Ruo frowned.

【Ying Ruo: I am not in debt anymore. I should be able to afford a meal, right?】

【UCL BMS Duan Zhuyan: This restaurant is 1,000 pounds per person.】

【Ying Ruo: .】

【Ying Ruo: [Payment of 30,000 RMB received]】

When Duan Zhuyan saw that Ying Ruo had accepted the money, his mood instantly brightened, and he felt remarkably satisfied.

【Duan: Stay where you are.】

【Duan: I will pick you up.】

He lowered his head to finish the reply, tucked his phone away, started the car, and drove toward the pinned location.

Ying Ruo was still staring at the “1,000 pounds per person” part.

Good heavens, 1,000 pounds per person. Are we eating gold?

Ying Ruo truly did not understand the wealthy; spending tens of thousands of RMB on a single meal was beyond him. What he understood even less was that he apparently used to love it. Was it because he was eating money that he liked it so much?

Before he could figure it out, the Bentley he had sat in yesterday pulled up in front of him.

It had been too dark last night to see clearly, but now, under the perfect blue sky and natural light, the luxury of this multi-million-dollar Bentley was revealed in full, from every angle.

The window rolled down.

Duan Zhuyan leaned against the seat back, his face slightly turned, one hand lazily resting on the steering wheel. The light falling into the car cast a glazed sheen over his deep features. His brows were sharp, cold, and arrogant, exuding an aura that warned strangers not to approach. The black stud in his ear also glinted with a freezing hardness.

He didn’t speak. His cold gaze swept over Ying Ruo, and he simply tilted his chin slightly, gesturing for him to come over.

Ying Ruo instinctively gripped the straps of his backpack.

What kind of event is this? So sudden, and there was no advance notice.

Ying Ruo hesitated for a moment, wanting to run, but the person in front of him was his creditor. Thinking it would be ungrateful to leave, he steeled himself and headed for the back door to pull the handle.

However, before he could reach it, the man in front spoke first.

“Am I your chauffeur? Why are you sitting in the back?”

Duan Zhuyan’s voice was low and cold, carrying an unquestionable authority as he added a light jab, “Get in the front.”

Ying Ruo timidly pulled his hand back.

He let out a soft “Oh” and then scurried to the passenger side, opened the door, and sat down.

Duan Zhuyan watched Ying Ruo settle in but didn’t look at him. He simply said indifferently, “Don’t overthink it. I am not trying to go on a date with you. I am just afraid you will starve to death.”

Ying Ruo held his backpack, not understanding, but he nodded.

Duan Zhuyan stopped talking and drove him to the restaurant.

As soon as they entered, the luxury of the establishment was palpable. Everyone inside wore suits or gowns. The background music was an unknown violin piece, elegant and melodious, giving the place a very sophisticated vibe.

A server led them to a window seat and handed them the menus.

Ying Ruo glanced at the menu. It was too high-end for him to even understand, so he said, “You order.”

Duan Zhuyan ordered quickly, reciting several English dish names to the server, who then went to prepare them.

Ying Ruo had always thought Duan Zhuyan’s English sounded very pleasant. His voice was deep, and his pronunciation was standard and fluent, without any accent—gentle, clear, and unhurried, as if it were landing softly on one’s eardrums.

After ordering, Duan Zhuyan noticed Ying Ruo staring at him.

The youth’s eyes were beautiful, round, and light-colored, like pieces of clear glass. When he looked at someone, the corners of his eyes would slightly curve upward, making it look as though his heart and soul were focused entirely on that person—innocent and pure.

Duan Zhuyan felt his heart tremble. Keeping a stiff face, he asked, “What are you looking at me for?”

Ying Ruo always answered when asked: “I think your voice sounds very nice, especially when you speak English.”

The tone was too sincere. Duan Zhuyan was caught off guard, unsure of how to react for a moment. He could only pretend to take a sip of water and said in a low voice, “At least you know.”

He stayed quiet for a bit, propping his chin on his hand as he looked at Ying Ruo. The tips of his ears were slightly red. “How do you feel?”

Ying Ruo: “What?”

“Do you remember anything?” Duan Zhuyan’s voice softened considerably. “Before you lost your memory, you came here several times.”

Ying Ruo looked around the room.

Oh. So that was why Duan Zhuyan had randomly sent him money and told him to treat him to dinner. He was trying to help him regain his memories.

However, Ying Ruo had no impression of the place. He shook his head and said, “I am sorry, I can’t remember.”

He even felt a little guilty. He hadn’t even started looking for his memories yet, so he quickly expressed his intention: “But don’t worry, I have a preliminary plan for how to find my memories.”

Seeing his determined expression, Duan Zhuyan raised an eyebrow. “Let’s hear it.”

Ying Ruo was prepared for this question and answered fluently: “I plan to find my undergraduate teachers and classmates.”

Duan Zhuyan: “?”

Duan Zhuyan frowned. “What for?”

Ying Ruo: “I want to get a specific understanding of how I came to the UK as an exchange student.”

Duan Zhuyan suddenly had a bad feeling.

“It hasn’t been long since I lost my memory. Online, it says that asking about important events that happened during the amnesia period helps with recovery,” Ying Ruo explained seriously. “I think studying abroad should be a very important event for me, so I want to go and ask to see if I can remember anything.”

Duan Zhuyan: “…”

Duan Zhuyan: “……?”

The air went silent.

Ying Ruo was about to continue speaking, but he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees, and the pressure and aggression coming from the man in front of him became exceptionally strong, forcing him to shut his mouth.

The man’s fist was clenched so tight his knuckles were white and the veins on the back of his hand bulged. It felt as if he were about to snap the fork he was holding.

He lifted his eyelids, his cold, narrow eyes piercing Ying Ruo. His brows were locked in displeasure, his gaze dark and dangerous. He looked like an irritable predator locking onto its prey.

“Ying Ruo.”

Duan Zhuyan’s voice carried a trace of anger as he said each word slowly, “A whole living person is sitting right here. Are you blind?”

Ying Ruo swallowed, nervously rubbing his fingers together. He tested the waters carefully: “Um… do you know how I came to study abroad?”

Duan Zhuyan: “…”

Duan Zhuyan was utterly speechless. He closed his eyes, the gloom in them growing heavier. Suppressing his temper, he said through gritted teeth, “Am I telling you to find memories about how you came to study in the UK?”

Ying Ruo paused for two seconds. He had a sudden realization.

“So… you want me to find the memories of when we were dating, is that it?” Ying Ruo asked.

Duan Zhuyan almost wanted to kneel before him. He looked down coldly, his expression restrained, but his entire face screamed, Duh.

Ying Ruo shut up completely.

The violin continued to play its winding melody. The ambiguous, hazy glow surrounding the two of them was very faint. Ying Ruo almost thought he was doomed, but fortunately, the waiter brought several dishes, and the atmosphere became slightly less tense and awkward.

…Not really.

Ying Ruo was sweating and didn’t even dare to touch his fork.

At that moment, Duan Zhuyan spoke.

“That text message.” His voice held a trace of indiscernible restlessness. “Why did you send me a text like that back then?”

Ying Ruo looked at the man’s face. Even without thinking deeply, he immediately captured the text message mentioned. It was the last message he had sent before losing his memory.

For some reason, Ying Ruo felt his heart skip a beat. It was an indescribable feeling, and he didn’t know the cause. Perhaps seeing Duan Zhuyan looking a bit aggrieved and sad made his heart fluster or worry, yet he didn’t know how to speak.

But he didn’t get the chance to speak.

In the next second, he saw Duan Zhuyan’s expression change. The man gritted his teeth and said fiercely, “When you remember, I want to see what on earth is in that head of yours that made you dare to break up with me.”

Ying Ruo: “…”

Duan Zhuyan looked up with a sullen face, returning to his usual arrogant and rude self. He said irritably, “I am not saying I want us to get back together after you recover your memory. I just want you to regret it.”

“I want you to remember everything and then regret how much you’ve wronged me with what you’re doing to me now.”

Ying Ruo: “…”

He really wants me to regret it that much.

Well, being broken up with was indeed a blow to someone as high and mighty as him. Ying Ruo remained emotionally stable and understanding. He nodded and said, “Okay, I will work hard to get my memory back and make myself regret it.”

Duan Zhuyan: “…”

Duan Zhuyan: “……”

Talk about infuriating.

After Ying Ruo finished speaking, he glanced at the fuming Duan Zhuyan, then at the steak in front of him. “Um, I…”

“Don’t speak.”

Duan Zhuyan interrupted him. With a cold face, he cut the steak into pieces one by one, placed them in front of Ying Ruo, and said impatiently, “Eat.”

“…” “…” “Okay.”

After Duan Zhuyan dropped Ying Ruo back at the library, he went to the smoking area behind the building to have a cigarette.

It was cold. With winter time approaching, it got dark very early. Duan Zhuyan stood against the light, his back straight, lightly biting the cigarette. His expression was obscure and dark, flat and cold. Smoke escaped from between his lips, drifting into the air with the bitterness of mugwort.

He remembered the look of surprise on Ying Ruo’s face when he tasted the steak at the restaurant just now, and the satisfied way he ate the Napoleon cake. It was exactly the same as the first time they had gone.

Duan Zhuyan’s throat felt a bit parched. He irritably ran a hand through his hair, lowered his eyes, and extinguished the cigarette. The sparks struggled for a moment in the dark. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Song Chengxu’s casual voice came from the other side: “Yo, Old Duan. How rare of you to actually call me.”

Duan Zhuyan didn’t waste time. He sent over a file and said, “Find out who it was that sent him to Nuffield Hospital that day. I want all of that person’s information.”

“OK, no problem. Easy.” Song Chengxu opened the file and took a look, letting out a whistle. “But who is this cutie? He looks quite striking.”

Duan Zhuyan: “My boyfriend.”

Song Chengxu: “…”

“Hahaha, I knew it! Sister-in-law is truly beautiful. You and Old Duan are a match made in heaven.” Song Chengxu was sensible and immediately changed his tune. “But what happened to him? Why did he go to the hospital, my god?”

Duan Zhuyan’s voice was cold, as if asking an idiot: “If I knew, would I be coming to you?”

Song Chengxu: “…”

Song Chengxu knew Duan Zhuyan’s temper well, so he didn’t mention it again, switching to a lighter topic: “No wonder you’re keeping him like a treasure and won’t let us see him. Your little boyfriend is so good-looking and well-behaved.”

Duan Zhuyan: “Who asked for your opinion?”

Song Chengxu: 🙂

How are we even supposed to talk?

Song Chengxu didn’t say more. He shrugged and said, “Fine. Then remember to let your family know you’re safe. How long has it been since you contacted them? Your mom even came looking for me.”

The passing wind picked up fallen leaves, swirling them before they settled again in the chilling air.

“Yeah,” Duan Zhuyan said after a while, his expression weary. He tossed the crumpled cigarette pack into the trash can.

“After I deal with the bastard who hurt my partner.”