My Ex-Boyfriend is Obsessed with Getting Back Together - Chapter 9

On the evening of Christmas Eve, the other members of the studio had already left early to enjoy the holiday, leaving behind only Tingting’s group and Leo, who had been roped into working overtime.

Pei Ran pinned a stack of sketches to the drawing board. His fingertip rested on the centerpiece—a lady’s long dress—as he introduced the design to everyone in a calm voice.

The lines on the board were sharp yet possessed an Oriental softness. The core element was a Suzhou embroidery lotus pattern, trailing in fragmented accents across the neckline and hem.

Pei Ran had drawn it with such precision that, upon closer inspection, one could even see the texture of the thread. Leo was the first to offer his opinion, “Using traditional craftsmanship to open the domestic market is, in my view, very appropriate.”

Tingting and the others agreed completely, though they harbored some concerns regarding the embroidery.

Tingting stepped forward and pointed to the lotus on the hem, “High-density Suzhou embroidery will make the skirt very heavy, causing it to lose its natural fluidity. If we switch to a lighter fabric, the embroidery might look out of place.”

At this, everyone fell into deep thought. It was indeed a problem.

Zhang Tanyi pondered for a moment before coming up with a solution, “What if we adjust the stitching? I remember there’s a flat-stitch method in Suzhou embroidery that can preserve the texture to an extent while reducing the weight.”

“It’s worth considering,” Pei Ran nodded, adding a few more strokes to the sketch, “I’ll make a trip to Suzhou before the New Year. Tingting, please contact the local embroiderers for me to confirm if this is feasible.”

Rachel didn’t know much about traditional Eastern techniques and listened with a bit of a dazed expression. Seeing that everyone had reached a decision, she said, “I’ll get the muslin samples out as soon as possible, prioritizing the lady’s dress.”

By the time the meeting ended, night had already fallen. Seeing the others return to their desks to open their computers, Pei Ran couldn’t bear it, “Let’s not work overtime on Christmas Eve. Go home and get some rest.”

Tingting and Rachel immediately made plans to go shopping together. Zhang Tanyi joined in with a laugh, and seeing this, Leo wanted to follow along as well.

“Ran-ge, want to come with us?” Tingting noticed Pei Ran’s solitary figure and called out an invitation before leaving.

Pei Ran waved them off, smiling as he told them to go, “Have fun. You can come to me for reimbursement tomorrow.”

The four left in a flurry of excitement. Silence settled over the studio. Pei Ran composed himself and went back to his work.

However, with things weighing on his mind, he couldn’t focus. After only a few strokes, he stopped, took out his phone, and stared blankly at a certain string of numbers.

Seeing that there was only half an hour left before Christmas Eve ended, Pei Ran steeled his heart, closed his eyes, and pressed the call button. He held his breath immediately, a secret spark of anticipation rising within him.

Ring… ring…

The call was picked up after just one ring. A familiar voice came through the line, sounding slightly distorted in his ear.

“Who is it?” Gu Linchuan sounded like he was in a very good mood. The words seemed to carry a trace of a captivating smile as they left his lips.

Pei Ran placed his phone on the desk, his hands laced together, and replied softly, “Mr. Gu, it’s Pei Ran.”

“Oh, Pei Ran,” Gu Linchuan repeated his name, but then mischievously offered no follow-up.

Afraid that the man had forgotten who he was again, Pei Ran added, “We met a few days ago, do you remember?”

Gu Linchuan said, “Mhm. And? Why are you calling me?”

“I have something to say to you,” Pei Ran gathered his courage. After speaking, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Gu. I hope that not just tonight, but for all the years to come, you are safe and everything goes well for you.”

Even though Gu Linchuan had prepared himself, his heart still constricted sharply. The hand holding the phone paused noticeably. He looked up at the glowing lights of the studio and asked, knowing full well the answer, “Where are you?”

Pei Ran answered honestly, “The studio.”

Gu Linchuan’s voice was husky as he told him, “Is it convenient to come down?”

Pei Ran’s heart skipped a beat. As if they shared a telepathic connection, he glanced toward the window and started jogging downstairs, “I’ll be right down.”

After hanging up, the “tool-man” business partner, who had accompanied Gu Linchuan all evening and was frozen stiff from the cold wind, rubbed his hands together and chuckled, “President Gu, seeing as it’s getting late, what about my proposal?”

Gu Linchuan mercifully waved him off, indicating he could leave, “I’ll consider it.”

The partner was overjoyed. He rushed forward to shake hands, but Gu Linchuan happened to lift his hand to take a sip of coffee. The partner didn’t feel awkward about his hand hanging in mid-air, quickly withdrew it, and bid Gu Linchuan farewell.

The partner had barely left when Pei Ran arrived. Seeing two cups of coffee on the table, Pei Ran thought he had an appointment with someone else and hesitated to sit.

Gu Linchuan looked up at him and explained, “I was just discussing business with someone. We’re finished now.”

“Did you call me down for something specific?” Relieved, Pei Ran sat down across from him.

“I just happened to be handling matters here. It was a coincidence that you called, so I figured I’d have you come down for a drink. Don’t overthink it,” Gu Linchuan spoke as if he didn’t understand why Pei Ran was questioning it, “Besides, I am your benefactor. I don’t need a reason to ask for your company.”

Hearing such a long explanation, Pei Ran thought to himself that he wouldn’t dare overthink it. It wasn’t as if Gu Linchuan was waiting here for him on purpose, right? He wasn’t that vain.

Still, Pei Ran repeated in confusion, “Benefactor?”

Gu Linchuan gave a natural snort, his expression noble and haughty, “You did something wrong to me, but I forgot it and haven’t held it against you. Doesn’t that make me your benefactor?”

Pei Ran was amused by this logic. Then, his smile faded slightly as he lowered his voice and asked softly, “You’re not holding it against me because you forgot. If you remember in the future, could you continue not to hold it against me?”

“Don’t act spoiled,” Gu Linchuan frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly like a wolf lurking in the dark, “So, what exactly did you do to wrong me?”

“I didn’t…” Pei Ran paused, trying to explain while choosing his words carefully, “When I left, I didn’t tell you. I even lied to you.”

Gu Linchuan’s breathing grew heavy. His fingers tightened out of sight. He asked, “Will you do it again?”

“I won’t. I swear,” Pei Ran immediately held up three fingers near his temple, “If I break this, may Heaven strike…”

Gu Linchuan interrupted him, “Enough. You don’t need to finish that.”

Pei Ran obediently shut his mouth, leaving the oath unfinished.

Gu Linchuan stood up. Noticing that Pei Ran’s neck was bare, he handed him the scarf sitting nearby, “Since you’re the first person to wish me a Merry Christmas, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Pei Ran was pleasantly surprised, almost incredulous, “Really? Did Mei Ye and Qi Heyun not tell you?”

“They’re Chinese, they don’t care for foreign holidays,” Gu Linchuan walked forward slowly for a few steps, then stopped to wait when he saw Pei Ran standing there dazed, “Keep up.”

Pei Ran snapped out of his reverie. He hung the scarf neatly over his arm and hurried to follow, only to bump straight into Gu Linchuan’s chest.

After bumping into him several times, and this time looking like he was throwing himself into the man’s arms, Pei Ran almost started to doubt himself. He took a step back and quickly explained, “No, I didn’t mean to.”

A deep, helpless voice sounded above him as Gu Linchuan draped the scarf around his neck, “Are you trying to play a snowman?”

Half of Pei Ran’s face was buried in the scarf, leaving only his sparkling eyes visible. He smiled with a watery gaze, staring straight at the man.

Gu Linchuan reached out to cover his eyes. Hearing an inquisitive “mhm” from the boy, he offered no explanation. He let go and walked straight ahead, with Pei Ran jogging to keep up.

The night was as dark as ink. The Lamborghini roared along the winding mountain road like a black beast ready to pounce. The city’s neon lights were soon left at the foot of the mountain. The clouds dispersed, and the starry sky above grew clearer.

At the end of the mountain road was an open observation deck. Following the railing, there was a gap. Outside the gap, there were no stone steps, only a small grass path worn down by footsteps. Down the slope lay a stretch of undeveloped natural meadow.

Night dew clung to the grass, mixing with the crisp scent of earth and greenery. A few massive boulders sat at the edge of the meadow, smoothed by the mountain winds.

Gu Linchuan went straight to the largest rock and sat down. Pei Ran mirrored his movements and sat beside him.

A staff member from the observation deck brought over a small fire stove and placed it in front of them. The continuous heat offset the chill of the biting mountain wind.

The starry sky spread out overhead without obstruction. The Milky Way looked like a glowing ribbon stretching across the black canopy. The crackling of the fire was the only sound as the bustling city lights lay spread out below them.

“When did you learn to race cars?” Pei Ran sat cross-legged and proper, turning his head to ask softly.

Gu Linchuan rested his head on his arms and lay back on the rock, thinking for a few seconds, “Probably during university.”

“Why did you suddenly want to race?” Pei Ran looked at him, the jumping flames reflected in his eyes, “Were you ever injured before the crash this year?”

Gu Linchuan’s voice was light, blending into the night wind, “For the thrill. In that kind of breakneck speed, you can clearly feel that you’re alive—and that you could die at any moment.”

In truth, for a long time after Pei Ran left, he had lost almost all perception of the outside world. He was like the walking dead. Ordinary, dull emotions could no longer touch him. He needed extreme, frantic feelings to suppress the pain in his heart.

It wasn’t just racing. Over the years, he had tried many extreme sports, and the various accidents had left his security company exhausted.

Pei Ran lowered his head and fell silent. The corners of his eyes seemed to grow moist.

“Why are you crying again?”

“I’m not crying.”

Gu Linchuan felt frustrated. Why did the boy always look like he was being bullied? He reached out a hand to tilt Pei Ran’s chin up, but after seeing the turbulent emotions swirling in his eyes, Gu Linchuan was rendered speechless.

When Pei Ran spoke, his voice carried a hint of a sob, “Tell me about it, please?”

Gu Linchuan didn’t know where to start, “What do you want to hear?”

Pei Ran thought for a few seconds, looking at a hideous scar visible on Gu Linchuan’s forearm, “Start with this one, okay?”

Gu Linchuan looked down and realized his sleeve had slid up slightly, revealing the mark.

This wound was a scrape from a rock face while he was climbing in South America. At the time, his spirits were high and his adrenaline was surging, so he had barely noticed it.

The wound wasn’t very deep, but because it wasn’t treated in time and he didn’t care for it properly, it had left a scar.

As he spoke, he remembered the injury on Pei Ran’s hand and asked to see it. Pei Ran obediently held out his hand. The wound was already healing, with new pink skin growing in. It likely wouldn’t leave a scar.

Seeing how intently Pei Ran was listening, Gu Linchuan sat up and began talking about his experiences climbing snow mountains. Pei Ran was curious and sat up straight, listening earnestly.

After a while, Pei Ran gradually grew quiet, leaving only the sound of shallow breathing. His head tilted and came to rest on Gu Linchuan’s shoulder.

Gu Linchuan’s breath hitched. He stopped talking immediately and adjusted his position to let the boy lean into his arms. His gaze was naked and undisguised as he stared at Pei Ran.

Asleep, Pei Ran looked very obedient, like a fluffy kitten trustingly exposing its belly to its master, feeling soft and warm in his arms.

When Gu Linchuan picked him up bridal-style, only one thought remained in his mind: Why is he so light? Does he not eat in the UK?

When they first met at the bar, he thought the person before him had grown much thinner. His features were sharp, the baby fat on his cheeks was gone, and his collarbones were deeper, giving off a sense of fragility.

He placed Pei Ran gently into the passenger seat and leaned over to adjust the seat height. Just then, Pei Ran turned over. Gu Linchuan was nearly knocked over and hurriedly braced a hand against the seat.

At this moment, Pei Ran’s breath brushed against his face, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Gu Linchuan gently brushed away the stray hairs on the boy’s forehead and pressed a soft kiss there.

“Goodnight.”

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