My Ex-Boyfriend is Chasing Me Again - Chapter 1

Xu Yan never expected that after six years, the first time he saw Ji Ran again he would be in such an embarrassing state.

His left leg was completely immobilized from the fall, his eyes still glistening with the remnants of tears, and his windbreaker—torn to shreds by the bushes—hung precariously on his frame. Xu Yan felt he looked no better than a disaster victim.

How unlucky. He had only come to Yunpan Mountain to scout some outdoor locations, and he still managed to tumble into a thicket.

And why of all people was it his ex-boyfriend who just happened to be conducting geological surveys on Yunpan Mountain who came to his rescue, instead of the mountain’s medical staff?

To make matters worse not only was his ex-here, but his ex’s colleagues were all here too.

So humiliating. And to be humiliated right in front of his ex—he wished he could just vanish into the ground.

“Can you move?” Ji Ran gently touched Xu Yan’s left leg and Xu Yan glared at him in pain.

“I can’t move!” Xu Yan replied awkwardly then pulled out his phone its screen completely shattered. He tried his best to dial “120” on the display now covered in red and green static.

He hadn’t been trying for long before the phone was taken from his hands.

“I’ve already called 120.” Ji Ran said, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “I can carry you down the mountain?”

Xu Yan looked up at Ji Ran in surprise. Six years was enough to turn a boy into a man. The fair skin he remembered had been weathered by wind and dust into a healthy bronze. His unruly hair was messily tucked under a farmer’s hat, but aside from sharper features, his eyes and brows were exactly the same as they were six years ago.

Handsome. But how could he let his ex-carry him down the mountain? A person with any self-respect couldn’t possibly accept such a pitiful situation.

“No need” Xu Yan said, propping himself up on his elbows in an attempt to stand. But before he could Ji Ran lifted him effortlessly into his arms. Startled, Xu Yan immediately wrapped his arms around Ji Ran’s neck.

“Damn it  Ji Ran! Put me down.”

“Don’t move.” Ji Ran frowned ignoring Xu Yan’s struggles as he called out to his senior colleague not far away. “Senior Gou, sorry my boyfriend is injured. I need to take him down the mountain.”

“Huh? Okay.”

And so, under the watchful eyes of the entire surveying team.  Ji Ran carried Xu Yan—whose face was flushed red as he buried it tightly against Ji Ran’s chest—swiftly down the mountain.

Leaving only the team leader, Gou Jing utterly bewildered. Since when did his junior brother suddenly have a boyfriend?

Nanjing City, Yunpan Second Hospital.

Xu Yan lay listlessly on the hospital bed watching the slow drip of the IV above him.

His left leg had been diagnosed with a fracture and was now encased in a thick plaster cast.

His leg hurt with every movement—it was awful. And without his phone he was bored out of his mind.

“Your phone.” Ji Ran walked into the hospital room carrying a thermal lunchbox and handed Xu Yan a brand-new phone.

“You bought this? Thanks.” Xu Yan immediately sat up in bed upon seeing the phone. As he began transferring his data, he asked, “How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

“You deleted me from WeChat.”

The air suddenly grew tense. Xu Yan was so embarrassed he felt his scalp tingle but Ji Ran acted as if nothing was wrong sitting down beside the bed and opening the thermal lunchbox.

Inside was millet and pumpkin porridge.

Xu Yan hated porridge but millet and pumpkin porridge was the only kind he could stomach.

So even after six years Ji Ran still remembered.

“Eat light these days, take good care of yourself.” Ji Ran said, picking up a spoon and bringing a mouthful of porridge to Xu Yan’s lips.

Xu Yan was startled and quickly took the spoon saying urgently”I can do it myself.”

His leg was broken not his hands.

In the awkward air a sudden warmth seemed to rise. The early spring atmosphere was like this—subtle elusive emotions could be stirred up by the restless air.

So strange, so ambiguous.

Xu Yan buried his head in the porridge trying not to overthink.

“Xu Yan” Ji Ran opened his WeChat QR code and waved it in front of Xu Yan’s eyes.”Can we add each other back?”

Xu Yan looked up staring at Ji Ran’s face trying to catch a hint of embarrassment. There was none not a trace.

“Ji Ran we already broke up.”

“I think a decent ex-boyfriend should be like a dead person. Don’t you think so?”

Finally, Xu Yan saw a crack in Ji Ran’s usually indifferent expression—confusion and helplessness flooded his face.

After a long pause he asked dazedly, “We broke up?”

“Didn’t we break up six years ago? Stop calling me your boyfriend from now on,” Xu Yan felt inexplicably annoyed.

“Six years ago” Ji Ran lowered his gaze as if sinking into some painful memory. The veins on his forehead bulged and his heavy breathing filled Xu Yan’s ears.

Ji Ran crouched on the ground like a speechless, trapped beast, gasping for breath in agony.

What happened to him?

Xu Yan hadn’t expected Ji Ran’s reaction to be so intense. He quickly pressed the bedside call button.

“I’ll call a doctor for you.”

“No need.” Ji Ran replied hoarsely then retched dryly. He forced a bitter smile as he stood up his once-clear eyes now tinged with red veins.

He looked utterly exhausted.

The nurse arrived promptly but as soon as she stepped into the room Ji Ran politely asked her to leave.

“It’s nothing just an accidental press.”

“Don’t press it for no reason. It wastes time.”

“Mm, yes, I’m really sorry.”

Listening to Ji Ran apologizing repeatedly to the nurse in the hallway, Xu Yan recalled his earlier state and felt an inexplicable pang of heartache.

Why did Ji Ran seem so much more fragile now compared to high school?

Splish-splash—outside the window, heavy rain began to pour again. The wind rustled through the leaves, much like the late summer night rain before high school started, just as heavy.

The dim light seeping through the door crack kept Xu Yan awake no matter what.

Outside the thunderstorm pelted against the window accompanied by the sound of arguing beyond the door unintentionally forming a rhythmic demo.

“Wah. Dad, Mom, stop fighting!” Until Xu Yan’s younger sister, Xu Yao, let out a piercing cry that shattered the harmony he had imagined.

So annoying.

Xu Yan opened the door with a weary expression shielding his bewildered sister who was caught in the center of the argument. He said coldly”School starts tomorrow.”

“School? How can we afford school without money?” Xu Yan’s mother glared at him fiercely then pointed at his nose and shouted “Xu Yan, I raised you all these years and you’re completely useless!”

“I told you to take care of your sister. How did you do it? At this hour she’s still not asleep. How can you even think of sleeping?”

“I’m talking to you! I’m talking to you Xu Yan, are you dead or something?”

Xu Yan looked down at his mother hysterically shaking his arm feeling somewhat dazed.

He didn’t know how he should react or what kind of emotion he should show. The daily arguments had already numbed him.

He thought it might be nice to be dead—no need to think about anything. So he nodded and said, “Yeah I am.”

Slap! The palm had already landed on Xu Yan’s face. “Xu Yan are you trying to drive me to my grave?!”

“Alright school starts tomorrow. Xu Yan take your sister inside to sleep. Your mother and I need to discuss something.”

“Okay Uncle.” Xu Yan picked up his sister who was already somewhat stunned and turned to go to her bedroom.

After comforting his sister. Xu Yan finally returned to his own room and lay down.

The soundproofing in the room was terrible. He faintly heard the voices from the master bedroom next door:

“I told you long ago that son of yours Xu Yan can’t be raised to be loyal.”

“What does that have to do with me? It’s not like I haven’t taught him to call you ‘Dad.’ Even if he can’t be raised to be loyal, we still have to raise him. He’s registered under your Xu family’s household.”

“Raise him, raise him—I never said we wouldn’t. Tomorrow, we’ll pay Yao Yao’s tuition first. As for his we’ll wait a few days until we’ve saved up enough”

Hearing this Xu Yan let out a soft sigh as he lay in bed. The stinging pain in his heart felt like it was tearing him apart. He curled up on the bed hugging himself tightly. In the dim room only intermittent sobs could be heard.

Lilin Third High School. The air still damp and stuffy after a recent rain added even more resentment to the announcement of the arts and sciences class placements.

“Huh? How are you in Class 12? Class 12 is a regular class!”

“How could you hide from me that you chose liberal arts?”

“What a shame—I was so close to getting into the science accelerated class!”

Xu Yan had wanted to check the class placement results early but when he arrived he found the bulletin board already crowded with a bustling throng of people.

“Excuse me, could you help me check which class I’m in?” Xu Yan squeezed through the crowd and gently tapped the shoulder of the girl at the front of the line.

Xu Yan was relatively tall but without his glasses, he couldn’t read the list clearly and had to ask for help.

“No—” The girl at the front was initially impatient but she immediately fell silent upon seeing Xu Yan’s handsome face.

The boy before her had gentle curved eyebrows and exceptionally clear bright eyes. When he smiled the dimples on his cheeks added a touch of warmth to his demeanor. His sweet boyish face made him appear bright and cheerful.

“What’s your name classmate?” the girl asked softly.

“Xu Yan.”

“Second year Class 2. You’re in the science accelerated class! We’re in the same class!”

“Really? What a coincidence.” Xu Yan scratched his head sheepishly and replied with a smile.”I must have just barely made it in. Want to go to the classroom together?”

“No, no, I still have to wait for my friend. I’ll see you in class later.”

“Okay!” Xu Yan smiled and walked away but as soon as he turned around, his expression returned to its usual blankness.

It was exhausting. Every time he was at school he had to pretend to be sunny and cheerful. It was truly exhausting.

But if he didn’t act this way, he didn’t know how to interact with people or how to make friends. In his memory, the most popular kid in his elementary school class was exactly like this—always happy all day long. So he tried his best to imitate that classmate.

The effect was neither too strong nor too weak—it was a state where he had friends, but none with whom he truly connected.

It didn’t matter. As long as he appeared normal to outsiders, that was enough.

One week into the new semester, Class 2, Grade 11.

Xu Yan quickly blended in with the boys in his class, thanks to his exceptional imitation skills and social abilities.

Of course, there was one person he hadn’t managed to win over.

His desk mate in front—Ji Ran, who had ranked first in the grade during the class placement exams.

From Xu Yan’s observations, his desk mate not only didn’t appreciate his friendly gestures but even seemed annoyed by them.

“Ji Ran, top student, do you know about the physics homework? Want me to tell you?” Xu Yan poked Ji Ran, who was buried in solving problems, with the cap of his pen.

Ji Ran didn’t react.

“Top student, what are you having for lunch today? Give me some ideas.”

“Top student, which set of problems are you working on? Send me the link.”

“Top student, I tried that new bubble tea shop at the school gate the other day. Their grape jelly tea is really good.”

It was the first time Ji Ran had encountered someone so noisy—so noisy that he actually made a mistake on a particularly simple physics multiple-choice question.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Turning around with a dark expression, he said to Xu Yan, “If you keep asking these pointless questions, I…”

Hearing the gritted tone in Ji Ran’s voice, Xu Yan grinned shamelessly and asked, “What are you going to do?”

“Change seats.”

Was it really that bad? Had Xu Yan pushed someone to the point of wanting to change seats just one week into the semester?!

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