My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 6

On his second day at Yuebay, Pei Ran received an early invitation from Qi Heyun to join the three of them for a game of billiards that evening.

Pei Ran initially wanted to refuse, but Qi Heyun resorted to acting spoiled and cute, pestering him until he finally gave in.

In the social circles of Nancheng, these three were known for being incredibly particular. Everything had to be “exclusive.” Their yachts and private jets were exclusive, and even the early morning slots at the suburban golf course were fully booked by Gu Linchuan as his private domain.

The billiard hall had been bought by Qi Heyun years ago as a birthday gift for Mei Ye, though he had strictly stipulated that Mei Ye wasn’t allowed to sneak in alone, he had to bring Qi Heyun along whenever he played.

Qi Heyun talked Pei Ran’s ear off about the clever design details of the hall as he flicked the door open and slipped inside first.

There was no main overhead lighting in the room. Instead, the space was illuminated by custom warm spotlights hanging over two top-tier Xingpai billiard tables. The light pooled perfectly over the dark green felt. The cue rack held a uniform set of handmade cues from the UK, three of which were engraved with their initials, the wood grain looking almost flawless.

Qi Heyun pulled out his personal cue. With his right hand gripping the wood, knees slightly bent, and center of gravity lowered, he leaned his upper body forward. With a sharp thrust of his arm, there was a muffled thud as the cue ball slammed into the rack. The colored balls scattered, and a solid-colored ball rolled into the corner pocket with a crisp, clean sound.

“How was that?” Qi Heyun asked triumphantly. “Who wants to take me on?”

Gu Linchuan turned and pulled out his own cue, gesturing for Qi Heyun to keep playing since he’d made the shot, effectively accepting the challenge.

The two were evenly matched at the start, making it hard to tell who would win. Finding it a bit dull to watch, Mei Ye slipped out onto the balcony for a smoke, with his “little tail,” Pei Ran, following close behind.

Mei Ye stood on the balcony with a cigarette between his fingers. Out of consideration for Pei Ran, he didn’t light it, simply biting down on the filter every now and then.

Pei Ran reached out his hand, asking, “Do you have another?”

“Here.” Mei Ye looked quite surprised, his eyebrow arching slightly as he handed over a cigarette and a lighter. “So you really do both smoke and drink now.”

Pei Ran’s hand paused for a second before he chuckled softly, “Just to relax.”

Mei Ye teased, “The academic pressure abroad must have been huge, right?”

Pei Ran thought back seriously and joked with a hint of truth, “It was. Every time a message came in from my professor, I felt a surge of fear.”

Mei Ye laughed out loud, taking the opportunity to observe Pei Ran.

The way Pei Ran lit the cigarette was practiced. His thin lips lightly pressed against the filter as the scarlet ember flared and then settled. A wisp of white smoke drifted from between his teeth, giving him an air of both elegance and nonchalance.

Mei Ye leaned in with his own cigarette, borrowing Pei Ran’s light, and they stood in silence for a long while.

The wind was strong on the balcony, so the cigarette burned down quickly. Mei Ye exhaled a final puff of smoke and glanced at him. “Now that you’re back, are you going to leave again?”

Pei Ran held the cigarette between his fingers and smiled at the question. “Why? Can’t bear to see me go?”

“What’s it to me?” Mei Ye said, his words contradicting his heart. He glanced at a certain someone inside the room and couldn’t help but speak up for him. “Leaving just like that, you really are heartless.”

“Hasn’t he lost his memory?” Pei Ran was suddenly choked by the smoke and began to cough violently, his low voice sounding a bit raspy. “It’s actually quite good that he forgot me.”

Mei Ye opened his mouth to say something but ultimately let out a sigh instead.

Mei Ye didn’t stay outside for long before Qi Heyun started shouting for him from inside. Mei Ye flashed a smile and left the balcony.

Pei Ran hadn’t smoked much of his second cigarette, letting the wind take half of it. There were no lights on the balcony, and the only source of light was a small orange tree in the corner draped in colorful fairy lights, which made his eyes ache.

Pei Ran closed his eyes and leaned back against the railing, tilting his head back to feel the night breeze on his face. With his long legs crossed, he looked inexplicably lonely.

He looked like a wounded fledgling that might fall at any moment.

Gu Linchuan hadn’t been putting much effort into the game, and Qi Heyun was accusing him of “going easy” and not respecting the competition.

Thud! With one stroke, two balls went into the pockets. Gu Linchuan’s gaze drifted uncontrollably toward Pei Ran on the balcony again. His brow furrowed as a wave of restless irritation rose within him.

Why does this person always look so fragile? Gu Linchuan felt dissatisfied. Clearly, this man was cold-hearted and lacked sentiment, yet he constantly behaved in front of him as if he had been abandoned by the world, looking as pitiful as if he’d suffered some great injustice.

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, he handed his cue to Mei Ye, signaling for him to finish the game, while he picked up a glass of wine and went to stand behind Pei Ran.

Pei Ran quickly noticed his arrival and composed his emotions and expression. “Mr. Gu, that last shot was very beautiful.”

Pei Ran was referring to the swerve shot Gu Linchuan had made, where the white ball curved in a perfect arc around an obstacle to hit the target ball precisely.

Gu Linchuan took a step forward and stood by his side. “Is it alright if I stand here?”

“Of course,” Pei Ran agreed with a smile, though he thought to himself, Haven’t you already stood here?

Gu Linchuan’s positioning was deliberate. It wasn’t exactly intimate, but their bodies would brush against each other with every small movement.

However, he was standing much closer than Mei Ye had, forcefully invading Pei Ran’s personal space.

Pei Ran had no choice but to quietly shift to the side. Gu Linchuan pressed closer with every move until they were eventually squeezed against the Christmas tree, leaving no room left to retreat.

Pei Ran caught that citrus scent again, making him feel lightheaded. His fingertips began to tremble uncontrollably, so he rested his wrist against the railing to keep it from being too obvious.

“I thought Mr. Pei was so busy catching up with old friends that he wouldn’t pay much attention to the game,” Gu Linchuan said smoothly, his words polished enough that the underlying bitterness was hard to detect. “Why don’t we have Qi Heyun come out later so you can go in and play a few rounds?”

“No need,” Pei Ran waved it off. “It’s been a while, I’m out of practice.”

“Let Mei Ye be your sparring partner, you’ll get the hang of it after a few balls,” Gu Linchuan said with a half-smile. “It’s also a good way to maintain the bond between friends.”

Pei Ran looked confused. “Mei Ye and I aren’t strangers, there’s no need to ‘maintain’ a bond.”

“Speaking of which, the four of us grew up together. It’s normal for me to be unfamiliar with you since I lost my memory and forgot some people and things,” Gu Linchuan said with a smirk, though his eyes remained cold and devoid of warmth. “But how come you only remember them and not me?”

“We didn’t have a very good relationship in the past,” Pei Ran forced a smile, his eyes darting away unnaturally. “I didn’t want to push myself forward and annoy you.”

“Looking at it that way, it seems you did something to wrong me?” Gu Linchuan narrowed his eyes, pressing for an answer.

“Did I?” Pei Ran’s smile faded completely. He fought back the stinging sensation in his eyes and asked softly, “I don’t think so?”

Gu Linchuan was puzzled. Why did he have that pitiful look again, even though Gu Linchuan hadn’t even done anything yet?

“Is that so?” Gu Linchuan countered. Looking at Pei Ran’s thin silhouette, he pushed harder. “Otherwise, why would I dislike you so much? I find you annoying the moment I see you.”

“Very annoying?” Pei Ran repeated in a low voice, as if trying to carve the words into his very bones.

“Perhaps,” Gu Linchuan replied mercilessly, continuing with vague, biting words while offering a disingenuous suggestion. “But Mr. Pei could show up a few more times. Maybe if I see you enough, I’ll become desensitized.”

Pei Ran sniffed slightly and took a step back, his tone serious. “Don’t worry, Mr. Gu. I will keep my distance from you.”

Gu Linchuan: “…”

The wind outside was cold. Pei Ran and Gu Linchuan stood side by side in silence for a moment. Pei Ran blinked his dry eyes and said to him, “The wind is getting strong. Do you want to go back inside, Mr. Gu?”

Gu Linchuan’s face was sour, and his words were equally blunt. “You’re very annoying, you know that?”

Pei Ran’s body stiffened. He pursed his lips and left without a word.

A moment later, through the balcony door, came Qi Heyun’s exaggerated cry: “Peipei, why do you look so pale? Did you catch a cold? I told you guys not to go out there. You all stand out there one by one trying to act cool, and then you come back in looking paler than ghosts.”

Qi Heyun had long been unhappy that no one was playing with him. He hovered around Pei Ran, bringing him some mulled wine to warm him up, chattering away incessantly.

Shortly after, Gu Linchuan also walked in from the balcony. He was surrounded by a heavy, low-pressure aura, looking as cold and grim as an Asura from hell.

“What’s wrong with Gugu?” Qi Heyun paused with the wine, stepped back a few paces, and nudged Mei Ye’s shoulder, whispering the question.

Mei Ye sighed and simply replied, “No idea.”

The four of them didn’t stay much longer before Pei Ran stood up to leave. Qi Heyun pulled Gu Linchuan over and urged him to see Pei Ran back, winking at him from the corner.

Pei Ran waved it off, declining politely. “There’s no need to go to the trouble.”

“Keep up,” Gu Linchuan dropped the cold command and walked straight out.

Qi Heyun gave Pei Ran a nudge, urging him to follow.

Seeing this, Pei Ran had no choice but to walk quickly, following a few paces behind like a little tail.

“Oof.”

Gu Linchuan stopped suddenly. Pei Ran wasn’t looking at the path and bumped straight into his broad, hard shoulder. His nose throbbed painfully, and he reached up to rub it.

Gu Linchuan turned around and asked, “Not watching where you’re going?”

Pei Ran met his gaze and froze for a split second before snapping out of it. “Sorry, I was walking too fast.”

“What’s the rush?” Gu Linchuan stared at him for a few seconds before looking away and continuing forward.

This time, the pace was slower, and Pei Ran unconsciously ended up walking side by side with him.

Pei Ran didn’t answer. In his heart, he quietly said, I’m not in a rush. He actually wished this path could be longer so they could walk slowly and spend a little more time together.

When they reached the hotel entrance, Pei Ran said his goodbye. “Goodbye, Mr. Gu.”

Gu Linchuan didn’t say anything at first, then suddenly reached out his hand. “My wallet.”

Pei Ran realized what he meant. He remembered their chance encounter at the bar. He had thought Gu Linchuan had no memory of him at all, but it turned out he remembered that.

Pei Ran explained, “I gave the wallet to Gu Chen. I was planning to have him return it to you.”

Gu Linchuan looked perplexed. He pointed at himself. “I am standing right in front of you. Why would you ask someone else to help?”

“Then should I go up and get it from Gu Chen now?” Pei Ran was utterly confused, unable to figure out what he wanted.

“No need.” Gu Linchuan held out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

Pei Ran obediently handed it over.

Gu Linchuan typed in his own phone number. He took a quick peek to confirm he wasn’t on the blacklist and let out a small breath of relief before handing the phone back.

“Next time, give it to me personally. Call this number before you come,” Gu Linchuan said with a sense of entitlement that was somehow hard to hate. “Didn’t you say you did something to wrong me before? You should make up for it, shouldn’t you?”

Pei Ran held the phone, staring at the familiar number in a daze. It wasn’t until Gu Linchuan’s voice sounded in his ear again that he snapped back to reality.

Gu Linchuan thought he was unwilling, and his tone became visibly irritable. “Is that not okay?”

Pei Ran quickly waved his hands, his tone almost coaxing. “Of course it’s okay. I’ll find a time to bring it over to you.”

He then added, “It will be soon.”

Gu Linchuan reverted to his arrogant self from their first meeting, his chin slightly tilted, no longer looking at him.

Before leaving, Pei Ran said to him, “Then, see you next time.”

See you next time, Gu Linchuan replied silently in his heart.

Support My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together