My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 1

“Do you even deserve it?”

As night fell, a light snow began to drift through the air. Pei Ran happened to pass by a familiar roadside cafe.

Seven years had passed, and the place had been renovated. It no longer looked anything like it used to.

Pei Ran pushed the door open, walked inside, and ordered a cup of hot cocoa.

To his surprise, the server still remembered him. “Little Pei? It’s been so long!” she exclaimed happily.

Pei Ran looked up, caught off guard. He smiled and said, “Long time no see.”

“I really didn’t expect to run into you again. You and Little Gu haven’t been back since graduation. Did you go away for university?”

Pei Ran’s hand tightened slightly. He nodded and replied, “Yes, I went abroad to study.”

“Studying abroad is great, you have a bright future ahead!”

The cafe was busy during the winter. While chatting, the employee handed him his drink and went back to work.

Pei Ran was left alone, staring blankly out the window. The hot cocoa grew cold in his hands before he finally pushed the door open and left.

He walked aimlessly along the street for a while until his phone rang.

“Ran-ge, I sent someone to pick you up. Are you in the car yet?” the voice on the other end asked with concern.

Pei Ran glanced at the street. Vehicles were rushing past, but none were there for him.

“Not yet,” Pei Ran murmured, looking down and kicking at the thin layer of snow on the ground.

Gu Chen checked his phone, estimating the time. “The snow is causing traffic. The driver probably had to take a detour. Just wait a little longer.”

“Okay, I’m not in a hurry,” Pei Ran said softly.

“It’s freezing out there. I told you I should send you home first, but you wouldn’t listen,” Gu Chen nagged over the phone.

Pei Ran let out a soft laugh. “I’ve been away for too long. I just wanted to walk around.”

“I haven’t been back in a while either. When we have time, let’s go for a walk together,” Gu Chen suggested.

As they chatted, the sound of a car horn reached his ears. Pei Ran looked up and saw a low-profile, luxury car stopping in front of him.

Once the car came to a complete stop, Pei Ran opened the door and climbed in. He said quietly, “The car is here. I’m heading out now.”

Gu Chen nodded and gave a quick acknowledgement before adding, “If it feels stuffy, tell the driver to turn on the air purifier. Don’t open the window, the wind is freezing.”

Pei Ran loved feeling the breeze when he traveled, regardless of whether it was winter or summer.

“Understood.”

“You go ahead. I can’t leave here just yet,” Gu Chen said, his voice muffled as he responded to someone calling him in the background. “Got it, I’ll be there soon.”

Pei Ran stared out the window. The warmth of his breath immediately fogged up the glass. “Go finish your work. I’m a grown man, you don’t need to worry.”

Gu Chen replied, “The roads are slippery because of the snow, so be safe. Make sure to call me when you get home.”

Just as Pei Ran was about to respond, the car suddenly slammed on the brakes. The momentum threw him forward, resulting in a dull thud.

Gu Chen heard the noise and asked urgently, “What happened?”

Pei Ran rubbed his reddened forehead and replied, “Nothing, just a sudden stop.”

Gu Chen felt relieved and ended the call.

The car began moving smoothly again. Pei Ran happened to look up and caught the driver’s eyes in the mirror. He felt an eerie sense of familiarity.

Had they met somewhere before?

Pei Ran stared at him as if dazed, forgetting to look away for a moment.

Feeling the intense gaze from behind, the person in the front seat cleared his throat. Pei Ran realized he was being rude and quickly pretended to play with his phone.

“Is Mr. Pei chatting with his boyfriend?”

The man in the driver’s seat spoke suddenly. His voice was intentionally low and raspy, sounding quite strange.

It was an intrusive question.

Pei Ran felt uncomfortable, but he answered patiently, “No.”

“Then, does Mr. Pei have a boyfriend?”

Pei Ran frowned. He didn’t want to answer. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and said, “Sir, I’m a bit tired. I’m going to nap for a bit. Please wake me up when we arrive.”

The driver acted as if he didn’t understand and asked again, “You just returned to the country, are you getting used to it?”

 Pei Ran took a deep breath. “A lot has changed, but it’s not like I can’t get used to it.”

The scenery outside was flying by. Concrete jungles had sprouted up, and familiar things were slowly disappearing. The people from his past were also fading away…

“Mr. Pei…”

Just as he started to speak, Pei Ran cut him off. “Sir, I’m really tired.”

Only then did the man stop talking.

The heater in the car was on full blast, and a faint woody scent filled the air. It felt very calming, and Pei Ran soon fell asleep.

When he finally woke up, the scenery outside had become familiar. Pei Ran shook off the lingering chill and began to quietly observe the driver.

Even with a mask on, his deep, well-defined eyes were impossible to hide.

When Pei Ran’s gaze fell on the man’s hand resting on the steering wheel, he raised an eyebrow. Those hands were exceptionally beautiful.

Veins traced a path down to the cuffs of his dark coat. Perhaps because of the cold weather, his skin was a sickly shade of white, and his knuckles were flushed red.

Pei Ran watched him boldly. While turning a corner, Pei Ran didn’t pay attention and his head bumped lightly against the window. The “thud” was very clear in the quiet cabin.

The driver looked over at the sound. His ears turned bright red, and he awkwardly looked away.

The car was moving slowly and took a bit of a detour. Considering the snowy, slippery roads, it made sense. Pei Ran wasn’t in a rush, so he didn’t say anything.

The car crossed the bridge and soon reached the destination.

Pei Ran said his thanks and got out.

The moment the door opened, cold wind mixed with snowflakes blew down his neck. Pei Ran shivered at the sudden chill. He pulled his coat collar tight and started walking away.

The car that should have left remained parked. The passenger window rolled down, and the person inside looked out at him from the shadows, his face obscured.

The man’s lips parted. He didn’t lower his voice this time, but spoke in his natural tone.

“Pei Ran.”

The central business district was crowded and noisy, so the man’s faint call from the car wasn’t particularly noticeable.

However, Pei Ran caught it clearly. His heart skipped a beat, feeling as if he had missed something very important. He turned toward the sound.

For a moment, the whistling wind and the noisy crowd seemed to fall silent, as if only the two of them existed in the world.

Pei Ran’s heart was pounding so hard it made his ears ache.

The warmth of his breath turned to mist in the cold air, blurring his vision, but that gaze was so intense it was impossible to ignore.

That voice was too familiar. Could it be…

“Please, wait a moment,” Pei Ran murmured, his words lost in the noise of the street.

It had only been a few seconds, but to Pei Ran, it felt like a lifetime.

The window rolled back up, and the car pulled away smoothly. Within moments, it turned a corner and disappeared into the sea of traffic.

Pei Ran stood there dazed, staring at the direction the car went. After a long while, he hit his own head with his hand and let out a sigh. He gave a bitter smile and turned to leave.

How could it be him? He was probably just tired and oversensitive, he thought.

The lights were off in the apartment. Moonlight streamed in through the window. Pei Ran sat cross-legged on the rug, surrounded by several empty beer bottles.

Pei Ran held another can in his hand, taking one gulp after another.

Beer has such a low alcohol content, it’s so hard to get drunk, Pei Ran thought expressionless as he let out a burp.

In reality, he rarely drank without restraint these days. After all, a sluggish brain from a hangover was bad for work.

But for some reason, tonight, he really wanted to get drunk. He wanted to drink until he lost consciousness, letting the alcohol numb his nerves so he could forget everything and sleep.

At that moment, Leo, who was on the other side of the ocean, started a video call. Pei Ran stood up and grabbed his laptop to answer.

“Good morning, Ran! Was your trip back home smooth?” Leo’s handsome, mixed-race face filled the screen. A second later, he stared at the alcohol in Pei Ran’s hand and complained, “Ran, why are you drinking alone again!”

“I’m not brooding, come on, cheers!” Pei Ran held up his beer can and tapped the camera, finishing the rest of the drink. “Everything went well. However, it’s already night here in China, so you should say good evening.”

Leo leaned closer to the lens, suddenly realizing. “Oh right, the sky is dark. Look at my side.” He moved his head to show the morning light behind him.

Pei Ran looked through the window on the screen and saw the bright sky. “The weather looks great.”

“Yeah, it’s rare for the sun to come out in England.” Leo was making breakfast, so he carried the phone around until he found a good spot to set it down. “Ran, will you come back to live in England? You have to come back, even though the food here is terrible! For example, this sandwich I’m about to eat is the worst thing ever!”

Leo spread ketchup on the rock-hard bread, took a fierce bite, then followed it with a gulp of milk, looking completely indignant.

Pei Ran felt like laughing.

Ever since Pei Ran had brought Leo local specialties and taken him out for Chinese food, Leo’s stomach had become very hard to please.

“Of course I will. Once things settle down here, I’ll come back to see you,” Pei Ran said, standing up to turn on the light.

Leo’s eyes widened, and his voice got louder. “And when will that be?”

Pei Ran thought for a moment. “After the New Year, probably. I have to see this group of interns through the quarter.”

“No way!” Leo finished the bread in a few bites, wiped his hands on his clothes, and ran around the house with his phone, likely looking for textbooks for class. “I’m coming to see you for Christmas. Spending the holidays alone is so boring!”

“Then come,” Pei Ran smiled. “I’ll definitely prepare a huge, beautiful Christmas tree for you.”

Leo was excited and already imagining the tree. Then, he remembered he would have to come back for classes after the holiday, and he felt a wave of disappointment. “Ran, why did you have to go back to China? The studio in England was doing so well. You guys left so suddenly, and I’m not used to being alone.”

Pei Ran comforted him. “It’s fine, I just went back home, it’s not like we’ll never see each other. Don’t worry so much.”

Leo had his backpack ready and was holding a piece of chocolate. He caught sight of the brushes scattered on the table and, remembering something, leaned in with a mysterious look. “Ran, do you remember that painting you gave to the school before you left?”

Pei Ran nodded. Brighton University of the Arts had organized a campus charity auction during the arts festival, asking staff and students to donate work. Since he was leaving, Pei Ran decided to join in and donated a painting.

Leo was already out the door and riding his bike. The wind rushed past as he spoke in an amazed tone. “A few days ago, the arts festival started, and a mysterious buyer spent 5,200 pounds on that piece! I don’t know the details, just that it was a Chinese person, not very old, likely an international student, but not from our school.”

That much? Even Pei Ran was shocked for a moment. It was just the work of an ordinary student, and his skills were still a bit unrefined.

Pei Ran hesitated before asking uncertainly, “Are you sure they didn’t buy the wrong one?”

“How is that possible!” Leo shouted, nearly bumping into a pedestrian. “I heard from the festival volunteers that the buyer stood in front of the painting for a long time before deciding to buy it. Your work must have moved him.”

The news had caused a stir on campus. Everyone was curious about the identity of the buyer. The discussion on the campus forum was non-stop, but no one could figure it out.

Pei Ran was skeptical. His oil painting skills weren’t that high, as it was just a hobby. He couldn’t imagine why someone would pay such a high price for his work.

“You guys didn’t pool your money to buy it just to surprise me, did you?” Pei Ran smiled, still finding it hard to believe.

He hadn’t followed what happened to the painting after he donated it, so he never expected someone to buy it for that much.

“Wow, you caught me,” Leo said solemnly, before laughing. “I’m joking. I wish we had that kind of money.”

Leo had arrived at the classroom building. Seeing that he was almost late, he rushed upstairs and accidentally cut off the video call.

Pei Ran chuckled. “So reckless.”

It was late at night. Pei Ran smelled like alcohol, so he gathered the empty bottles to throw them out and took a shower before bed.

The bathroom was filled with steam. After washing up, Pei Ran let the hot water run over him for a little longer.

The image of a cold, tall figure standing in front of the painting appeared in his mind. People were passing by and it was noisy, but the man remained perfectly still.

Opening the bathroom door, Pei Ran dried his hair. His mind drifted, and before he realized it, he had picked up a piece of paper and a pencil to start drawing.

In the quiet of the night, only the sound of the pencil scratching against the paper remained. A moment later, the image in his mind came to life on the page.

Pei Ran stared at the drawing in a daze. A sudden impulse burned through him, making his pulse race.

The person in the drawing seemed to move. He slowly turned around, but his face was still unclear. Pei Ran rubbed his eyes and stared hard, trying his best to see who it was.

Finally, Pei Ran saw it clearly. The young man in the drawing had cold, peach-blossom eyes, and the mole under his right eye seemed to glint. His lips moved as if he were saying something.

It was actually Gu Lincuan’s face?

In an instant, Pei Ran snapped out of it. He raised his hand and slapped himself hard. He didn’t hold back, and his cheek immediately turned red.

Pei Ran’s expression was blank, but his palms were clenched so tight his skin was nearly breaking. He grabbed the drawing he had just finished, tore it to shreds, and threw it on the floor, turning his head away.

Pei Ran muttered to himself, “Do you even deserve it?”

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