My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 16

“We will never part.”

Pei Ran spent another day cooped up in the guesthouse before he felt completely recovered. He went to the hospital for a check-up to confirm it wasn’t the flu and wasn’t contagious before setting a time to meet with the embroidery workshop.

At the beginning of the year, the embroiderers at the workshop were busy with many projects, so they could only spare two hours a day to communicate with him. Pei Ran wasn’t in a hurry. He made the most of those two hours, first clearly expressing his needs and then bringing out his fabric samples to ask about the feasibility of the design. He had prepared three types of fabric: chiffon, organza, and silk. His ideal choice was chiffon.

The embroiderer didn’t dare to make any promises at first, only saying she would try it out. Her efficiency was impressive, within a week, she had embroidered the patterns onto all the samples. During that week, Pei Ran stayed at the workshop to learn stitching techniques, just beginning to get the hang of it.

“Out of these three fabrics with the lotus vine pattern, the silk works best. It preserves the light, airy feel you want to the greatest extent,” the embroiderer explained, laying out the three finished samples for him.

If used for everyday clothing, the lotus vine embroidery wouldn’t look much different on any of them, it would even look quite exquisite. However, it didn’t achieve the ethereal effect Pei Ran was looking for. Only by researching a new mixed stitching technique could they potentially solve the visual heaviness.

Naturally, silk wasn’t Pei Ran’s first choice. He wanted to try one more time. “Teacher, is there any chance for the chiffon to achieve this effect?”

The embroiderer couldn’t guarantee it. She simply said, “If you insist, I can try, but I’m not sure what the final result will be.”

Pei Ran was overjoyed. “I’m already very grateful that you’re willing to try.”

To show how much he valued the project, Pei Ran went to the workshop every day to keep a close eye on the progress. Half a month passed, and good news came from the workshop. The embroiderer had found the perfect stitching method. Not only did it look fluid and elegant, but it also physically reduced the weight of the garment.

Pei Ran discussed with her to produce a small batch of samples first to see how the finished garment looked before making final adjustments. Once everything was done, Pei Ran breathed a sigh of relief. The hardest part was over. What followed would be a long wait and constant trial and error.

After booking his flight, Pei Ran sent a message to the studio group chat. “Mission accomplished!”

The group chat immediately exploded with excitement.

“Great job, Ran! I knew you could do it!”

“This is amazing. Chiffon paired with Su embroidery, I feel like this piece is going to be a hit.”

“Of course it will. This is Ran’s design, after all.”

Pei Ran chuckled softly, put down his phone, and started packing. He had lived there for over half a month and had become quite familiar with the owner. Knowing he was leaving, the owner felt a bit sad.

A knock came at the door. Pei Ran didn’t look up, folding his clothes one by one into the suitcase. “The door isn’t locked, come in.”

The owner stood in the doorway. “Xiao Pei, packing already?”

Seeing it was the owner, Pei Ran put down his things and walked over. “Yes, I’m leaving soon.”

The owner handed him a bag. “This is a small token of our appreciation. You’ve stayed here for so long and helped us out quite a bit. We’ve come to think of you as a younger brother, so we’re quite sad to see you go.”

Knowing Pei Ran was from out of town, the owner had picked out some Suzhou specialties for him, including fragrant Biluochun tea and sweet, soft glutinous rice cakes. Pei Ran took them. They felt heavy in his hands, and his heart warmed. “You’re too kind. I didn’t really do much.”

“I hope you like them,” the owner smiled. “Alright, I won’t keep you. Take your time packing.”

Pei Ran nodded and gently closed the door.

Two hours later, Pei Ran walked out of his room with his suitcase. As he passed the lobby, he intended to find the owner to say a formal goodbye. Instead, the owner came running up holding two knitted dolls. “I’m glad I caught you! This is for you.”

“What are these?” Pei Ran took them. The small dolls were a pair, holding hands.

The owner explained, “Nannan knitted these for you. Let her explain it to you.”

A little girl popped out from behind the owner, smiling brightly. “Brother!”

During his stay, Pei Ran had often helped look after the child, so she liked him very much. Knowing he was leaving, she had knitted these dolls for him. The little girl expertly hugged his leg. “Brother, Mama and I knitted these together for you. I hope you like them.”

Pei Ran ruffled her hair and said softly, “I love them very much. Thank you, Nannan.”

He pointed to the other doll, curious. “Nannan, who is this one supposed to be?”

At first, he thought it was the girl herself, but the doll had short hair. For a moment, Pei Ran couldn’t tell.

The girl answered clearly, “It’s the big brother who carried you inside that day!”

Pei Ran froze for a few seconds before realizing she was talking about Gu Linchuan, and his face instantly flushed. “Why did you think to knit one of him?”

“Because he saved you, he’s a big hero! And he’s your good friend. By knitting you together, you’ll never be apart.”

Never be apart. Those were just the innocent words of a child, but Pei Ran’s heart skipped a beat. He wanted that to be true more than anything. He put them in his pocket, patted them preciously, and knelt down to look the girl in the eye. “I’ll take good care of them. I really love this gift, thank you.”

“You’re welcome! Goodbye, Brother.”

When the plane landed in Nancheng, Ting Ting and Gu Chen were at the airport to meet him. They stood side by side. Ting Ting was wearing sunglasses that covered most of her face, her arms crossed over her chest. Gu Chen was leaning in, whispering something in her ear, and Ting Ting gave a small smile.

“What are you two chatting about so happily?” Pei Ran walked up with his suitcase and patted them both on the shoulder.

Hearing his voice, the two quickly turned around. Ting Ting took off her sunglasses, and Gu Chen stepped forward to take Pei Ran’s luggage.

“We were just talking about my brother’s engagement banquet. I heard…” Gu Chen groaned and shut his mouth, clutching his stomach and not daring to say another word.

Pei Ran’s smile faltered, his face turning pale. He forced a smile. “Is that so? What did you hear?”

Ting Ting had cut him off with a punch, looking dissatisfied as she glared at Gu Chen. He really had a knack for bringing up the one thing he shouldn’t. She quickly regained her smile and took Pei Ran’s arm. “It’s nothing. Let’s go, let’s go. I’m starving from waiting. Let’s go eat. To celebrate you finishing the Su embroidery task, I booked a table at Guiyao Restaurant. The others are almost there.”

She pulled Pei Ran away without looking back, completely ignoring Gu Chen behind them.

At Guiyao Restaurant, Pei Ran and Ting Ting got out of the car first, leaving Gu Chen to park. As the car drove off, Ting Ting watched it with an annoyed expression and led Pei Ran upstairs.

“Alright, Gu Chen didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t be mad at him,” Pei Ran said, having calmed down enough to comfort the fuming Ting Ting.

“Not on purpose?” Ting Ting got even angrier, her voice rising. “I think he’s up to no good. It’s so frustrating.”

“He probably just wants me to move on quickly. After all, we broke up a long time ago,” Pei Ran said softly.

“Don’t forget who made you break up,” Ting Ting stopped in her tracks and looked directly at Pei Ran. Her words were blunt and chilling. “He is also one of the culprits.”

Pei Ran fell silent, looking away and not daring to meet her eyes. After a long moment, he whispered, “No, it was an accident, it was fate. No one did anything wrong.”

“Ran!” Ting Ting was frustrated, wishing she could make Pei Ran wake up completely. “Don’t keep lying to yourself.”

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded behind them, followed by Gu Chen’s confused voice. “Ran, Ting, you guys haven’t gone up yet?”

Gu Chen had finished parking and happened to run into them mid-argument. The two of them choked back their emotions, their expressions looking worse than before. Ting Ting furrowed her brow, gave Gu Chen a once-over, let out an ambiguous hum, and then turned to walk away coolly.

Gu Chen was baffled and felt a bit awkward. “Does Ting not like me very much?”

“No, she’s just in a bit of a rush, it’s fine,” Pei Ran forced a smile to comfort him. “Let’s go, let’s head up.”

During the meal, the three of them were preoccupied, but the others were excited. After eating, they weren’t ready to end the night and planned to go to karaoke. Ting Ting wasn’t interested. She waved them off, using the excuse of not feeling well to leave early.

Pei Ran also mentioned he was tired from the flight and wanted to go home and rest. Before leaving, Pei Ran stood up to walk Ting Ting to the door, telling her, “Get home safely.”

Ting Ting nodded, looking like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing and turned to leave.

Gu Chen was being pulled into drinks by Rachel and the others. He couldn’t get away and shot Pei Ran a look for help, only to be dragged back into the crowd. Pei Ran watched this and gave a small laugh. He picked up his coat from the chair and said to the group, “Have fun, I’m heading out.”

“Take care, Ran!” voices called out behind him.

Back at home, Pei Ran dropped his disguise. His eyes grew cold, the corners of his mouth, which had been stiffly upturned all day, flattened, and his heart felt dead and empty. He hadn’t been home in a long time, and there was almost no alcohol left. Pei Ran felt extremely irritable, and his palms began to tingle.

He took out his phone, intending to check his work emails. But as he looked at the words, he couldn’t focus. It felt as if the letters had come to life, buzzing and chattering in his ears until his temples throbbed with pain. Pei Ran had mild anxiety. He had seen a doctor and didn’t need medication, but whenever it flared up, he would get splitting headaches.

The nerves in his temples contracted violently, pulling at his optic nerves. It felt as though someone were grabbing and tearing at them, causing involuntary tears to stream down his face. Pei Ran curled up in a corner, hugging his legs tightly, burying himself as if he had found a warm harbor.

After a long time, Pei Ran felt his soul leave his body. The pain seemed to become a sensation outside of his consciousness. Before fainting, he thought he saw a figure rush through the door, and then he fell into a warm embrace. It was an embrace that smelled of citrus and sunlight.

“Ran, where do you want to go to university?” A young Gu Linchuan, fresh from a basketball game with a flushed face, looked at him with eyes that sparkled.

Pei Ran walked beside him, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun. “To the capital. I heard the design program at Capital Arts University is the best.”

“Then I’ll go to the capital too. We will never part.” The young Gu Linchuan looked up, downed half a bottle of water, and laughed as he put an arm around Pei Ran’s shoulder. “When you turn twenty, we’ll get married.”

“I never said I’d marry you,” Pei Ran said, his face turning red as he tried to push him away.

“It’s okay,” the young Gu Linchuan laughed wildly. He pulled him into his arms, cherished him with a kiss on the forehead, and cupped his face. “Then I’ll marry you instead.”

Pei Ran leaned against his chest and wrapped his arms around his waist. “You’re so shameless.”

The young Gu Linchuan laughed. “I only need you.”

The two embraced under the sunset, as if time had frozen in that moment. If this was a dream, Pei Ran hoped he would never wake up.

Boom!

The next second, thunder roared and lightning struck wildly across the sky. His arms suddenly felt light. Pei Ran watched helplessly as the boy who was just standing in front of him vanished, dissolving like smoke.

The rain began to fall. Pei Ran collapsed onto the ground, the rain soaking his hair until it stuck to his face in strands, the water flowing into his eyes. He tried desperately to hold onto something, but he came up empty-handed.