My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 11

The next morning, Gu Linchuan was in a foul mood during early office hours. Sitting at the head of the table, he listened to the department heads present their year-end reports, his icy aura lowering the room’s temperature by several degrees.

The attendees kept their heads down, trying their best to stay invisible, even making sure their breathing was shallow.

Then, they watched as Gu Linchuan picked up his vibrating phone. His eyebrows arched slightly, as if he had seen some wonderful news. His entire demeanor shifted like clouds parting for the sun, and a faint smile touched his eyes.

By the time the meeting ended, Gu Linchuan looked positively triumphant. His usually sharp, biting tongue actually offered words of comfort, telling them to keep up the hard work in the coming year.

The staff was terrified, looking up in horror to see if their boss had been possessed.

Gu Linchuan didn’t give them the chance to investigate. He finished his sentence and hurried out of the conference room, clutching his phone with a lingering smile on his lips.

He stared intently at the screen, not missing a single detail. He confirmed that it was indeed a friend request from Pei Ran. He stared at it for a long time before finally pressing “Accept.”

In his office, Pei Ran was revising manuscripts. He rubbed his tired eyes and picked up his pencil to continue drawing when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Surprised and hopeful, he took off his glasses and pulled out his phone. It was indeed Gu Linchuan accepting the request. Pei Ran searched through his stickers and sent a suitable greeting.

Pei Ran: [Cat Peeking.jpg]

Gu Linchuan looked at the sticker of a kitten peeking out of a box and meowing. He thought of Pei Ran acting just like that and couldn’t help but chuckle. However, he restrained himself and only replied with a question mark.

Pei Ran hadn’t known what he was thinking last night. In the middle of the night, as he sat on the sofa eating the cake bite by bite, he suddenly found his courage.

He had grabbed Leo’s shoulder and asked a random question, “Do you believe in me?”

Leo, who was busy laughing at a variety show, didn’t want to miss the highlights and quickly answered, “Yes, yes, I believe you.”

So, Pei Ran had grabbed his phone to send the request, but seeing how late it was, he feared disturbing Gu Linchuan and waited until work hours the next day.

Even seeing a question mark made Pei Ran happy. He held his phone, giggling foolishly.

Ting Ting pushed the door open and, seeing this, immediately covered her eyes. She shouted, “I didn’t see anything, I really didn’t see anything!” and made a move to close the door.

Startled, Pei Ran nearly dropped his phone, but he regained his composure quickly. “Come in.”

Ting Ting slipped inside and sat on the corner of Pei Ran’s desk, whispering gossip, “Who is it?”

Pei Ran put his phone away. “Knock before you come in next time.”

Ting Ting curled her lip, displeased. “Didn’t you tell me to be more free and just come in whenever I wanted?”

Pei Ran had forgotten his own rule. He choked on his words and changed the subject. “Why were you looking for me?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to go to Suzhou before the end of the year? I’ve booked the flight and made the appointment with the embroidery workshop. I’m just confirming the time with you.” Ting Ting hopped off the desk and showed him her tablet. “If there’s no problem, I’ll go prepare?”

Pei Ran checked the time. He could fly to Suzhou right after seeing Leo off on his flight. He nodded to indicate it was fine.

Ting Ting grabbed the tablet to leave, but she turned back at the door, staring suspiciously at Pei Ran and forcing him to look her in the eye. “It’s not Gu Chen, is it?”

“What are you thinking?” Pei Ran helplessly tapped her forehead. “Of course not. I only think of Gu Chen as a younger brother.”

“You think of him as a brother, but he might not think of you as one.” Hearing the negative answer, Ting Ting felt slightly relieved, but she couldn’t help but warn him. “Gu Chen is fine as a friend, but whatever you do, don’t date him. I can’t explain exactly why, but just don’t.”

Initially, Ting Ting hadn’t been so biased against Gu Chen. After all, he was handsome, wealthy, and considerate. When they first arrived in the UK and struggled to adjust, Gu Chen’s arrangements were always thorough and flawless.

During several social mixers, Gu Chen had even warded off a few unwanted suitors for her. At the time, she felt that if Pei Ran could move on from his past and be with Gu Chen, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

That was until one night, during a drunken gathering, she saw the way Gu Chen looked at Pei Ran. It wasn’t gentle or affectionate, it was a look of near-greed. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, he looked like he was watching prey that had fallen into a trap.

Subconsciously, she remembered Gu Linchuan’s eyes. They were soft and full of joy. Every time he looked at Pei Ran, his eyes would light up instantly, as if they held starlight, his love overflowing.

From then on, she began to observe Gu Chen, becoming more certain that his feelings weren’t sincere.

Pei Ran was stunned. It was rare to see Ting Ting show such obvious dislike for someone. “Did you two have a falling out?”

“No, what conflict could I possibly have with him?” Ting Ting waved her hand. “I’m just reminding you to keep your eyes open when looking for a boyfriend.”

Pei Ran tried to cover it up, saying with a smile, “I’m not dating, I’m just chatting with a friend.”

Ting Ting had her own judgment. She didn’t believe him, wearing an expression that said she was watching him struggle to make an excuse.

Pei Ran drew all day. His fingers were sore from holding the same position. He massaged them and packed up to leave.

Just as he got into his car, Leo sent a message saying he was craving pastries from Yunjinzhai and asked Pei Ran to take a detour to buy some.

Seeing this, Pei Ran turned around and went to Yunjinzhai. As if possessed, he said to the server, “Two boxes, please. Thank you.”

By the time he snapped out of it, he was already walking out the door carrying two boxes of mung bean cakes and osmanthus cakes.

Looking at the pastries in his hand, Pei Ran pulled out his phone and sent a sticker to Gu Linchuan.

Pei Ran: Are you free? [Cat Waving.jpg]

The other side replied almost instantly: Something up?

Pei Ran took a photo of the pastries he was holding.

Pei Ran: The pastries from Yunjinzhai are delicious. Do you want to try some?

A moment later, the reply came: Sure.

Pei Ran raised his eyebrows, put his phone away, and drove to Gu Linchuan’s company.

The receptionist had been instructed, so when she saw him this time, she took the initiative to smile. Pei Ran responded politely and took the elevator, following his memory.

Assistant Chen met him at the door. “President Gu is still in a meeting. Please wait in the office for a moment.”

Thinking of Leo’s hungry mouth back home, Pei Ran said, “Could you please pass this to him for me? I’ll be going now.”

Assistant Chen’s smile froze. He hurried to stop him. “Is Mr. Pei in a rush?”

Pei Ran thought about it. “No.”

“Then please wait in the office for a bit.” Assistant Chen breathed a sigh of relief and reassured him, “President Gu will be done very soon.”

Pei Ran couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so he messaged Leo saying he would be home late and went into the office to wait.

Assistant Chen made him some tea, set out some snacks, and then left. Once the door was closed, Chen let out a long breath and patted his chest, heart racing. He had almost let the man slip away.

A few curious employees crowded around, whispering, “Assistant Chen, who was that? He’s so handsome.”

Another chimed in, “Yeah, I thought he was beautiful the first time he came.”

Assistant Chen, intending to introduce him to everyone, said, “That is the person in President Gu’s heart. Watch your manners. No photos, no gossip. Just follow my lead and call him Mr. Pei.”

The crowd “oh-ed” in unison, their curiosity piqued. They stopped their work, and Assistant Chen satisfied them by sharing a few appropriate stories.

Gu Linchuan’s meeting didn’t last long. After it ended, he hurried back to his office.

He pushed the door open to find Pei Ran sitting properly on the sofa. Half of the tea was gone, but the snacks hadn’t been touched.

Seeing him enter, Pei Ran stood up and walked toward him, but stopped in front of him, looking like he had something to say but couldn’t find the words.

Gu Linchuan held out his hand, asking for the treats, “Where’s the food?”

Pei Ran handed him the pastries, reminding him that the shelf life was short and to eat them as soon as possible.

There was another box sitting quietly on the sofa. Gu Linchuan glanced at it, looked away, and asked casually, “Don’t you dislike mung bean cakes?”

Pei Ran blinked, surprised. “They’re for a friend, not for me.”

Gu Linchuan frowned and pushed further, “Which friend? The one you’re living with?”

“We aren’t living together, he’s just staying over temporarily.” Pei Ran quickly explained to avoid a misunderstanding. “He was my classmate in the UK. He came to visit, so I’m letting him stay at my place for a bit.”

“So you just bought these for me on the way while buying for him?” Gu Linchuan’s brow remained tightly knit.

Seeing Gu Linchuan obsessing over such a small thing, Pei Ran let out a soft laugh. He reached out, touched Gu Linchuan’s brow, and gently smoothed the wrinkles away.

Both of them froze. Pei Ran pulled his hand back as if he’d been electrocuted, his fingertips still feeling the lingering warmth of Gu Linchuan’s skin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Pei Ran apologized quickly.

Gu Linchuan suddenly turned around, carrying the pastries toward the door. “Let’s go.”

Pei Ran stared blankly at his own fingertips. Seeing that Gu Linchuan was already walking away, leaving only a silhouette, he snapped out of it and hurried to follow.

Gu Linchuan walked him all the way to his car before finally stopping. After their eyes met, both remained speechless.

Pei Ran got into the car, rolled down the window, and waved. “See you next time.”

Gu Linchuan nodded. “Mm.”

Gu Linchuan stood tall, like a sturdy pine tree in winter, quietly watching Pei Ran’s Mercedes slowly drive away. The car grew smaller and smaller until it was just a blurry black dot in his vision, finally disappearing at the end of the road.

The world suddenly went quiet, leaving only the sound of the wind through the treetops and the constant thumping of the heart in his chest.

When Gu Linchuan headed back, he ran into Assistant Chen.

Chen was carrying documents, busy as could be, but he still had the mind to ask about the box of pastries. “Sent by Mr. Pei? You’re a lucky man, President Gu. How does it taste?”

Gu Linchuan opened the box and held it out. “Want a taste?”

Assistant Chen wasn’t that socially unaware; he smiled and politely declined.

The Mercedes slowed to a stop, and Pei Ran stepped out, heading quickly into his home.

As soon as he opened the door, Leo threw himself forward in tears to complain. “Why did you take so long? I’m starving for these!”

Pei Ran felt a subconscious twinge of guilt and handed him the box. “Eat up.”

Leo drooled over the box, popped a piece into his mouth, and his eyes immediately lit up. “Ran! You have to try this! It’s absolutely divine!”

Pei Ran didn’t like mung bean cakes, but he didn’t want to spoil the mood, so he tried a small piece. The texture was soft and chewy, sweet but not greasy, it truly was delicious.

Leo stuffed a second piece into his mouth and asked, “What were you doing just now?”

Pei Ran’s hand paused as he took off his coat, trying to stay casual. “I went to see a friend.”

Leo “oh-ed” and stopped asking, focusing on the pastries while making sure to save a piece of osmanthus cake for Pei Ran.

As the taste of mung bean cake lingered on his tongue, Pei Ran suddenly remembered the events of the day and realized something was wrong. How did Gu Linchuan remember that he didn’t like mung bean cakes?

Could it be that Gu Linchuan was starting to remember things?

Pei Ran took out his phone and sent a message to confirm.

Pei Ran: How did you remember that I don’t like mung bean cakes? [Cat Confused.jpg]

Pei Ran waited by his phone for quite a while before a reply came.

Gu Linchuan: Qi Heyun told me.

Gu Linchuan: I was in the shower.

Gu Linchuan: Where do you get all these stickers?

Pei Ran breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt a hollow sensation in his chest. If Gu Linchuan actually remembered, he might have just deleted him right then and there.

Pei Ran: You don’t like them? Then I won’t send them anymore.

Gu Linchuan: I didn’t say I don’t like them. Send whatever you want.

Pei Ran then found a few more cute kittens in his sticker library and saved them for later use.

Pei Ran: [Cat Goodnight.jpg]

It was a calico cat stretching toward the camera before coming closer to nuzzle the lens.

Gu Linchuan turned around and went back into the bathroom. He took a cold shower to calm down before finally replying.

Gu Linchuan: Goodnight.

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