My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 19

Grandfather Mei had a light palate, so the table was filled entirely with healthy green vegetables. He also held the habit of “no talking while eating,” so the group spent the meal quietly grazing on their greens.

After dinner, Grandfather Mei slowly ambled into the garden for a walk to aid digestion, bringing Pei Ran along with him.

The old man walked leisurely in front, looking back at Pei Ran with a kind, gentle expression. “Why do I feel like we’ve grown distant, as if you’ve become a stranger to your grandfather?”

“I haven’t,” Pei Ran replied, staying a step behind as he followed.

Grandfather Mei stopped and looked at him, shaking his head. “Your appearance hasn’t changed, but your mindset has.”

When Pei Ran was a child, he was mischievous and a bit of a troublemaker. Among the four of them, everyone except Mei Ye had been a real handful.

“Maybe I’ve just grown up,” Pei Ran said.

“Yes, you’ve all grown up, and I’ve grown old.” Grandfather Mei withdrew his gaze and continued his slow stroll, his tone reflective. “I heard a few whispers about what happened back then. You’ve suffered these past few years.”

Hearing this, Pei Ran shook his head. “It wasn’t bitter. It’s all in the past now. Am I not doing well now?”

“Mei Ye told me you were hospitalized a couple of days ago. Is your body feeling any better?” Grandfather Mei asked with concern.

“I’m all better now. Thank you for worrying about me, Grandfather.” A wave of warmth surged through Pei Ran’s heart.

“After our walk, come with me to the study. I’ll check your pulse and see where your body is lacking so we can patch it up early,” Grandfather Mei said. “If you don’t pay attention when you’re young, it won’t be easy to fix once you’re older.”

Pei Ran didn’t think his health was that bad and didn’t want to waste the elderly man’s time and energy. He declined softly, “Thank you for your kindness, Grandfather, but my health is fine. The hospitalization was just an accident.”

“What? Are you looking down on this old man? Do you think my skills have declined since I retired?” Grandfather Mei feigned anger.

“Of course not…” Pei Ran hurriedly waved his hands in denial.

Grandfather Mei’s gaze landed on his face, his tone certain and composed, carrying a powerful aura. “Your lip color is pale, and there is a light blue tint under your eyes. You stay up late often, don’t you?”

Pei Ran felt guilty. “Occasionally… if work requires it…”

“The tip of your nose is dull, and your complexion lacks moisture. Your diet is irregular, too. I bet you frequently skip breakfast.”

Pei Ran felt even guiltier. “I eat breakfast.”

Grandfather Mei continued his interrogation. “Do you rarely get sick, and therefore think you are strong and invincible?”

“Isn’t that the case?” Pei Ran looked up, puzzled. That was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to trouble the old man.

It was true that Pei Ran rarely got sick. Usually, when others caught a cold or started coughing after being in the rain, Pei Ran had no reaction. He had always believed it was because he exercised regularly and had a good constitution.

Grandfather Mei let out a huff. “Thinking like that is completely wrong. You are actually weak to the extreme. Your internal organs have lost their nourishment to the point where your body can’t even muster a response like a fever or a cold.”

Pei Ran was startled. He had never imagined that was the reality.

The two talked as they finished their lap around the garden, eventually making their way back to the house and into the study.

Grandfather Mei had designed the study to look like a traditional Chinese pharmacy. It wafted with the faint, pleasant scent of herbs, and three walls were lined with cabinets holding precious medicinal ingredients.

Grandfather Mei sat formally behind the desk. “Stretch out your hand.”

Pei Ran didn’t dare disobey this time. He rested his wrist on the small cushion as instructed.

Grandfather Mei checked his pulse carefully, glancing at Pei Ran’s face from time to time, remaining silent for a long while.

The silence made Pei Ran feel uneasy.

Finally, Grandfather Mei withdrew his hand and said slowly, “Your body is too weak, and your qi and blood are depleted. You must recover slowly through proper care.”

He then asked about Pei Ran’s daily routine, whether he woke up startled in the night, and so on. Pei Ran answered everything honestly.

After listening, Grandfather Mei stood up, wrote down a prescription, folded it, and handed it to him. He then went to the medicine cabinet to gather the herbs, his movements practiced and efficient.

Once everything was done, Grandfather Mei handed over the medicine but then had a second thought. “Why don’t you stay here tonight? I’ll have the housekeeper brew the medicine for you.”

Pei Ran instinctively wanted to decline. “That’s not necessary, Grandfather.”

“There are some spinach and cherry tomatoes planted in the yard. I’m just an old man and I harvest them so slowly. It would be nice if someone was here to help me,” Grandfather Mei said, feigning distress.

“Grandfather, I’ll help you,” Pei Ran could only say.

“Mei Ye!” Grandfather Mei called out toward the door, beaming with joy. “Have the housekeeper prepare a bedroom for Xiao Ran.”

Mei Ye appeared out of nowhere and nodded. “Understood, Grandfather.”

Once everything was arranged, Grandfather Mei chatted for a bit longer before growing sleepy. He let out a yawn and headed to his room.

Pei Ran was still a bit worried and asked Mei Ye, “Will it be a bother?”

“Not at all.” Mei Ye chuckled softly and told him, “Grandfather likes the company. He’ll only be happy if you stay.”

Pei Ran felt relieved and followed Mei Ye upstairs.

To his surprise, Mei Ye led him around the third floor before stopping in front of a specific door.

“There’s only one guest room left, and the others haven’t been cleaned. The servants have already gone off duty at this hour, so maybe…” Mei Ye pointed toward Gu Linchuan’s door. The implication was clear.

Pei Ran remained silent for a few seconds before trying to struggle. “Maybe I should just go home.”

Mei Ye said, “Didn’t you promise Grandfather you’d help him pick vegetables tomorrow?”

Pei Ran thought about it. “I’ll get up early tomorrow and come over before Grandfather wakes up.”

Mei Ye countered, “Old people sleep very little. He’ll be up by five. Are you sure?”

Pei Ran felt he could still be saved. “Then I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“If Grandfather wakes up and finds you on the sofa, I’ll be the one facing family discipline.”

Pei Ran was still racking his brain for a reason.

Suddenly, the door in front of him opened. Gu Linchuan stood there, looking annoyed as if the noise had bothered him.

“You two are chatting pretty happily in front of my door. Is the living room just for decoration?” He had just finished a shower. His hair was damp and his bathrobe was half-open, revealing a glimpse of his chest.

Mei Ye couldn’t even look at him. He sighed and touched his forehead, wondering when his friend had become such a “closet flirt.”

“We’re leaving now.”

Pei Ran was about to bolt when someone caught him by the back of his collar.

Both men stopped him at once. Mei Ye called out to him, while Gu Linchuan directly reached out to pull him.

“Stay right there.”

Gu Linchuan’s face darkened even further. He asked, “Where are you going? Have you two still not finished talking after all this time?”

Being pulled by the wrist, Pei Ran stumbled and nearly fell into Gu Linchuan’s arms. The tip of his nose was almost touching the man’s Adam’s apple.

Pei Ran hurriedly pulled back to create some distance and explained, “We’re finished talking.”

“Who said this was just the entrance to your room?” Mei Ye stood to the side, watching them with interest. “This is clearly our Xiao Ran’s room too. Linchuan, don’t be so overbearing.”

Gu Linchuan arched an eyebrow and looked at Pei Ran, his eyes asking a question.

This room was specifically kept for Gu Linchuan when he stayed over. Only Gu Linchuan ever used it.

Pei Ran wanted to cry but had no choice but to give in. He said, “Um… there aren’t enough guest rooms. Can I stay in your room for the night?”

Before Gu Linchuan could speak, Pei Ran quickly added, “If it’s not okay, then forget it.”

Internally, he was praying desperately that Gu Linchuan would just slam the door and tell him “don’t even think about it.”

After all, Gu Linchuan had amnesia and had forgotten their past.

But Pei Ran remembered everything vividly. He remembered every year before he was eighteen, how they had been so inseparable.

They slept in the same bed, shared the same popsicle, and would sneak kisses in the quiet of the night when no one was around.

Now, he was just an outsider who had to ask permission before stepping into someone else’s private space.

When something that was once so easy to reach becomes a luxury, Pei Ran thought, he would rather not have it at all.

Time stretched on, second by second. Pei Ran looked at him expectantly, looking quite pitiful.

“If we forget it, are you going to go sleep in the vegetable patch?”

Gu Linchuan’s expression was unreadable. After exchanging a look with Mei Ye, he walked into the room without a word, leaving the door open.

He hadn’t said no, but he hadn’t said yes either. He only said, “If you want to shower, be quick. Lights out at ten sharp.”

Pei Ran checked the time; it was already past nine.

He hadn’t set any expectations for the request, so regardless of the outcome, he was prepared to accept it. The answer now made his tense nerves relax suddenly, giving him a sense of unreality.

He wanted to say something, but Gu Linchuan’s back had already disappeared. He bit his lip at the doorway for a long moment before finally stepping into the room, taking a new set of pajamas to go shower.

He kept his eyes strictly ahead the entire time, not sparing a single glance at Gu Linchuan, who was sitting by the bed.

The bathroom was still damp, filled with lingering steam. Pei Ran smelled the faint scent of body wash in the air and swallowed hard.

Internally, Pei Ran screamed at himself to wake up and not be dazed by the situation.

He turned the water temperature down, finally calming himself. He finished quickly and stepped out in his pajamas.

He slowly shuffled over to Gu Linchuan and asked, “Can I sleep on the bed?”

Gu Linchuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Where else would you sleep?”

“Okay, thank you. I’ll get some rest then. Goodnight.” Pei Ran said it all in one breath, turned to the bed, lifted the corner of the blanket, and climbed in.

He lay perfectly straight, occupying only a tiny corner of the bed for fear of crowding Gu Linchuan.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep. If he fell asleep, he wouldn’t have to think about anything.

“Get up,” Gu Linchuan’s voice sounded above him.

Pei Ran didn’t even ask why. He crawled right out from under the covers, his face flushed from being muffled.

“How on earth did you survive in the UK?” Gu Linchuan asked, sounding puzzled. He pointed in front of him. “Stand here.”

Pei Ran did as he was told. Before he could speak, a pair of large hands reached out and touched his head.

Pei Ran finally realized that in his hurry to finish earlier, he hadn’t dried his hair properly.

“I’m sorry, I got the pillowcase wet,” Pei Ran said.

Gu Linchuan didn’t answer, focusing instead on drying Pei Ran’s hair.

Once it was done, Pei Ran crawled back into the blankets and tucked himself in.

Gu Linchuan looked at his fingers, which had just touched Pei Ran’s soft hair. He felt a faint tingle at his fingertips.

Pei Ran is doing this on purpose. He’s so calculating, he thought darkly.

Purposely not drying his hair, purposely showing those damp ends in front of him.

After a moment, he finished tidying up, walked to the bed, turned off the lamp, and lay down as well.

In an instant, the pitch-black room was filled only with the sound of their shallow breathing.

“Gu Linchuan,” Pei Ran called out softly.

“What?” Gu Linchuan replied.

“Are you asleep?” Pei Ran pulled the blanket down a bit, staring at the ceiling, asking the obvious.

“…” Gu Linchuan turned his head to look at him. “If I wasn’t awake, who would be answering you?”

“You were the one who asked Grandfather Mei to check on me, wasn’t it?” Pei Ran’s voice was very soft, but his tone was certain.

“The lights are out, so go to sleep. Don’t think about irrelevant things.” Gu Linchuan closed his eyes, lying in a standard sleeping posture.

Pei Ran’s eyes curved into a smile. “You’re a really good person.”

Suddenly being given a “good person card” made Gu Linchuan’s heart feel like a lake with a stone thrown into it. Ripples spread out, throwing his mind into chaos.

After a long time, Gu Linchuan finally came up with a response: “You don’t say?”

“I should say it,” Pei Ran disagreed, shaking his head. “When you’re good to me, I will remember it.”

“Then you have a very good memory,” Gu Linchuan said with a hint of sarcasm.

Pei Ran didn’t catch the underlying meaning. He continued to smile. “One should always remember the happy and fortunate things. Otherwise, life would be too bitter.”

After saying that, Pei Ran closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

Hearing the breathing of the person beside him, Gu Linchuan felt a rare sense of peace.

That night, both of them had pleasant dreams.

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