My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 4

The next few days were a blur of activity. Pei Ran led the interns through the initial drafts while simultaneously managing the material selection. He worked himself to the bone, keeping his mind buried in the chaos to avoid having a single moment of quiet reflection.

Only after the bulk of the work was finished did Pei Ran allow himself to slow down and catch his breath. When Tingting came in to drop off some documents, she asked him sheepishly what time they would be leaving the next day.

Pei Ran paused, checking the time. Seeing her look of anticipation, he let out a soft laugh. “Tomorrow morning.”

Tingting cheered, “Awesome!”

The following morning was misty and gray. The group gathered downstairs, where Gu Chen had thoughtfully arranged a car for the staff. For Pei Ran, however, Gu Chen arrived in a low-key yet luxurious Bentley.

Gu Chen had clearly put effort into his appearance. As he stepped out of the driver’s seat, a collective gasp went up from the group. Rachel was the first to tease him, “Chen! You look like a real Prince Charming today!”

Gu Chen smirked, stepping forward with a gentlemanly hand-kiss to acknowledge her blunt praise. He then moved to Pei Ran’s side, lightly bumping his shoulder. The silent plea for a compliment was obvious; if Gu Chen were a puppy, his tail would be wagging at a mile a minute.

Pei Ran looked up at him. Over the past few years, Gu Chen had grown quite tall, forcing Pei Ran to tilt his head back slightly to catch his eye. Gu Chen’s effortless, youthful energy made Pei Ran smile.

With a hint of amusement in his eyes, Pei Ran asked, “Well then, Prince Charming, when do we depart?”

“Immediately!”

Someone in the crowd let out a cheer, and the group noisily split up into their respective cars.

Gu Chen opened the door for Pei Ran, placing a hand over the frame to protect his head. Before closing the door, he leaned in and whispered something in Pei Ran’s ear. The two shared a look, and a smile spread across their lips.

Rachel and her friends caught the exchange and immediately began squealing with excitement, pressing their faces against the car windows to spy, wishing they could be right there in the front row.

The roads were slick. For the first half of the drive, Gu Chen was focused and serious, his driving so textbook-perfect it could have been a training video. He only turned to speak to Pei Ran when they stopped at red lights.

Pei Ran found it funny. Back abroad, Gu Chen drove like a man possessed, with speeding and drifting being his daily routine.

At another red light, Gu Chen tapped the steering wheel and cursed with a laugh, “Driving this slow and steady is no fun at all!”

“At least I’m not terrified for my life, so it’s great for me,” Pei Ran replied calmly, taking a sip of water and raising an eyebrow playfully.

Gu Chen chuckled. Remembering something, he asked, “Why didn’t you move into the place I set up for you? Did you not like it?”

It was a riverside penthouse in a prime location with easy transportation and a quiet environment. Gu Chen had spent a lot of effort making sure the interior design matched Pei Ran’s tastes exactly. Even though Pei Ran had declined, Gu Chen wasn’t upset, only concerned. If Pei Ran had said a single negative thing about it, he would have had it redone until it was perfect.

Pei Ran shook his head. “It’s not that I didn’t like it. Being at the studio is just more convenient.”

For a workaholic like Pei Ran, a place where he could start working the moment he opened his eyes was ideal. Besides, he lived alone, and a house that big would feel empty and lifeless.

“Alright, whatever you want,” Gu Chen said, always yielding on the small things. “Just let me know if you ever want to move.”

“I will.”

Gu Chen hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “I went home for dinner last week. My brother didn’t seem to know you were back in the country. Did you not tell him?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Gu Chen felt a pang of regret, glancing nervously at Pei Ran’s expression.

Pei Ran’s breath hitched for a second, but his face remained neutral. His voice was steady as he replied, “I’ll let everyone know once things have settled down. There’s no rush.”

He said everyone, not him.

The way Pei Ran was avoiding his brother, Gu Lincuan, was so obvious that Gu Chen subconsciously frowned. An awkward silence settled between them, and the air in the car felt heavy.

“I heard that my brother is going to be part of an arranged marriage with Miss Song. They’ve set a time for everyone to get together,” Gu Chen said in a light, casual tone. “Come with me, okay?”

“I’ve been away for too long. I’ve lost touch with everyone in that circle, so I won’t go and spoil the fun,” Pei Ran said, turning his head to look out the window.

He clenched his fists beneath his sleeves. Why did it feel like the whole world was trying to tell him that Gu Lincuan was moving on for good?

“You’ll get back in touch once you hang out. Aren’t you planning to settle down here? You need to socialize,” Gu Chen said, steering with one hand and turning the wheel sharply. “Want to listen to some music? Is it getting a bit dull in here?”

Pei Ran looked back at the screen, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Gu Chen’s elegant fingers scrolled through a cluttered playlist.

“Ran, I said something wrong,” Gu Chen’s fingers stiffened as he became flustered. “Did I upset you?”

“Just play this one.”

His finger hovered, finally selecting a playlist titled Free.

Pei Ran had added every song to that playlist himself, but it had been so long that he couldn’t quite remember what was on it. A soothing intro began to play, and a deep, magnetic male voice started to sing:

Here is the lock, here is the key Open it, set yourself free, free, free Moving along, singing a song Fly like a bird, liberate me, me, me, me Say goodbye to yesterday

Pei Ran didn’t answer. He just hummed along softly, resting his arm on the door frame and tapping out a beat.

Song Yanyi, the heiress of Xushi Pharmaceutical Group, was an only child who had shown incredible leadership within the family business in just three years. In terms of looks, family background, and talent, she was indeed a perfect match for Gu Lincuan.

Pei Ran couldn’t help but picture the two of them standing side by side. They truly were a stunning couple. The thought made him let out a soft sigh. Since Gu Lincuan had found his own happiness, it was only right for Pei Ran to offer his blessings.

“No,” Pei Ran finally answered the earlier question, giving him a calm smile as he reached over to ruffle Gu Chen’s hair. “I’m not that sensitive. You didn’t say anything wrong.”

Gu Chen relaxed, his face brightening. “So, will you go?”

“I’ll go. Don’t worry,” Pei Ran said quietly, his voice fading into the wind.

Yuewan was a property owned by the Gu family. Located along the riverbank, it occupied the heart of a forested peninsula. It was fully equipped with every luxury and was a favorite vacation spot for the wealthy youth of Nancheng.

Once they arrived, a private butler stepped forward to lead the group to their rooms to drop off their luggage.

Pei Ran and Gu Chen were the last to arrive. As they got out of the car, they happened to run into several interns who were heading out to go horseback riding.

The interns were laughing and playing, but the moment they saw Pei Ran, their expressions froze. After some playful shoving, they immediately straightened up and greeted him, “Hi, Ran!”

Pei Ran saw right through them and laughed helplessly. “Since we’re on vacation, just have fun. Don’t worry about anything, and don’t look at me as your boss.”

They nodded vigorously, though it was clear they weren’t really listening. They remained stiff as they walked away, and it was only after they disappeared around a corner that the sounds of their playfulness returned.

Gu Chen watched this and couldn’t help but laugh. He grabbed Pei Ran’s shoulders and looked him over seriously. “That’s strange. You don’t look like the King of the Underworld to me.”

Pei Ran kept a straight face, then suddenly stuck out his tongue and made a silly face at him.

Before Gu Chen could recover from the shock and burst into laughter, Pei Ran grabbed his room key and headed upstairs. Gu Chen quickly chased after him, still laughing uncontrollably.

Once the door was closed, the world finally went quiet. Pei Ran unpacked his things and went to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

“Am I really that scary?” He pinched his own cheeks and practiced a warm, charming smile.

His phone started ringing on the bed, so he stopped smiling, washed his hands, and went to answer it. When he picked up, a chaotic jumble of voices came through the other end.

Tingting laughed and let them shout for a bit before moving to a quiet corner. “Are you settled in? We’re all over here playing golf. They say they want to challenge you to a match.”

Pei Ran smiled, saying nonchalantly, “Tell them to beat you first.”

During their years studying in the UK, Tingting had challenged Pei Ran every single year. Whether it was golf, badminton, tennis, or even basketball, she had lost every single time without exception.

Tingting jokingly punched the air. “Fine, I’ll let them challenge me first then.”

Pei Ran hung up and finished tidying the room. Outside, the sun was trying to peek through the thick layers of clouds, casting a soft glow over the landscape.

Swoosh— Pei Ran pulled the curtains shut. The blackout effect was excellent, and the room was instantly plunged into darkness. Leaving only a small nightlight on by the bed, Pei Ran climbed under the covers and buried himself in the duvet.

The mist cleared, giving way to a rare, bright sun. The brilliant light hit the grass, which was still damp with dew. Occasionally, a mischievous child would run past, kicking up tiny droplets of water.

In the middle of the grass was an irregular stone path that ran across the lawn, leading from the entrance of Yuewan straight to the underground bar.

The man walking at the front had a lazy posture. Squinting against the sudden brightness of the sun, he looked somewhat relaxed. Despite the freezing temperatures in Nancheng after the recent snow, he wore only a white overcoat over a black turtleneck. A simple necklace hung around his neck, glinting in the sunlight.

He reached up to push his gold-rimmed glasses back into place, looking every bit the part of a sophisticated rogue. His appearance drew stares from many passersby along the way.

Two other men followed behind him, both bundled up sensibly in heavy down jackets. One of them, clearly more sensitive to the cold, was even wearing a scarf and gloves.

“Wow, look at our CEO Gu. Ever since his ‘White Moonlight’ returned to the country, he’s a completely different man. Just look at that smug, satisfied face,” the man in the scarf teased, jogging a few steps to catch up to Gu Lincuan.

Gu Lincuan didn’t bother responding. He just gave the man a cold side-eye before stooping slightly to pass through the flashy bar lobby and into their private suite.

The bar was warm. Qi Heyun hurriedly stripped off his coat, scarf, and gloves, flopping onto the sofa with a satisfied groan.

“Why is Nancheng so cold this year?” Qi Heyun complained. “This down jacket makes me look so bloated!”

Gu Lincuan picked up a glass of whiskey, took a small sip, and pushed another glass forward. “You’re late. The drink is there, help yourself.”

Qi Heyun didn’t hesitate and downed the drink in one go. He then turned to Mei Ye to complain, “Tsk tsk tsk. Sister! Look at him!”

“Sister” was his nickname for Mei Ye. When they were kids, he didn’t recognize the character for “Ye” and only knew the pronunciation “Mei,” so he had called him “Sister” ever since.

Hearing the nickname again, Mei Ye gave him a helpless look and grabbed the discarded scarf to wrap it back around Qi Heyun’s neck.

“Enough. He’s already annoyed, so don’t provoke him. The booze is everything you like, so don’t act like a spoiled brat.”

“He’s annoyed? About what? Did his ‘White Moonlight’ find a boyfriend abroad?” Qi Heyun pulled the scarf off, becoming curious for once.

Mei Ye covered his mouth. “Keep your voice down.”

Qi Heyun looked at Mei Ye, then at Gu Lincuan. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously before slapping his forehead in realization. These two were definitely keeping a secret from him! He looked at Mei Ye again, but Mei Ye looked away.

Qi Heyun puffed out his cheeks. “This is no fun at all.”

Dressed all in black, Gu Lincuan’s presence was sharp and cold. He looked somewhat exhausted as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Hearing that, his eyes darkened. “Things are about to get very interesting.”

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