After Amnesia, I Learn I'm a Scumbag Top?! - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

On the thirteenth floor of the office building, Guan Nan recounted his bizarre encounter with Pei Ji to Chu Tinghan in painstaking detail.

“He really said that?” Chu Tinghan set aside his work and looked up in surprise.

“Absolutely,” Guan Nan replied, standing a step away from Chu Tinghan and clearing his throat dramatically. He then proceeded to reenact the scene, mimicking Pei Ji’s nervous stammer. “He stammered, ‘I-I’ve turned over a new leaf. I want to… live a proper life with him.'”

To ensure authenticity, Guan Nan even meticulously replicated Pei Ji’s nervous stammer.

Though he couldn’t quite capture Pei Ji’s expression, his tone was spot-on. After finishing, Guan Nan straightened his back, his eagerness for praise radiating unmistakably.

Chu Tinghan gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment before suddenly chuckling softly. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Tell him to come up.”

C-come up?!

Hadn’t they agreed never to involve themselves with Pei Ji again?

Guan Nan had already driven Pei Ji away as Chu Tinghan had instructed.

He had even declared to Pei Ji with righteous indignation: Chu Tinghan wants nothing to do with you for the rest of his life! May we never meet again in this life or the next!

His attitude had been so harsh back then, he’d practically chased Pei Ji away with a stick.

So why did he suddenly want to see Pei Ji now?

Chu Tinghan noticed Guan Nan standing frozen in place and urged him, “What are you waiting for? Go find him.”

Guan Nan instantly petrified, his expression cracking into a strained smile. “Uh… Pei Ji… he already left a long time ago.”

As he spoke, his ramrod-straight posture visibly slumped, and he subtly edged backward a few steps.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to see him?” Guan Nan swallowed nervously.

“When did I ever say that?” Chu Tinghan’s face remained composed, but his tone sent a chill down Guan Nan’s spine.

Guan Nan shrank back, lowering his head so low he dared not meet Chu Tinghan’s gaze. His voice came out as a barely audible murmur, like a mosquito’s buzz: “He was so cold to you before… I just assumed you wouldn’t want to see him again…”

Chu Tinghan was utterly speechless, anger slowly simmering within him.

But it was too late; Pei Ji was long gone. Even his fury was futile now.

Chu Tinghan rubbed his temples in frustration, then said after a moment of contemplation, “Tell Aunt Zhang I’ll be home tonight.”

These past few days, Chu Tinghan had been swamped with concert preparations, opting to sleep in the company’s break room to save time. But today’s unexpected turn of events left him with no patience for work; all he wanted was to rush home and see Pei Ji.

After all these years, this was the first time he’d ever seen Pei Ji lower his head and admit defeat, even promising to make their relationship work.

The sheer improbability of it felt like manna from heaven.

How could Chu Tinghan possibly let such a golden opportunity slip away?

As this thought took hold, Chu Tinghan’s mood brightened instantly, a smile involuntarily curving his lips.

But in the next moment, he watched in disbelief as Guan Nan took another step back, nearly doing the splits.

Chu Tinghan felt a sudden sense of unease.

Sure enough, Guan Nan stammered, his voice trembling, “Um… Pei Ji moved out right after he was discharged from the hospital. He probably doesn’t live at that house anymore.”

Chu Tinghan’s smile froze instantly. “He moved out?”

He immediately stood up and strode over to Guan Nan, his voice urgent. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

So preoccupied with his career, he had neglected his home and carelessly let the man he loved slip away.

Guan Nan swallowed nervously and cleared his throat. “We… haven’t had a chance to inform you yet.”

Chu Tinghan was so furious his teeth itched. He glared at Guan Nan for a long moment, at a complete loss for words. He was truly angry, but had no outlet for his fury.

Guan Nan’s mind raced, desperately seeking any way to save himself. “Even though he left today, I have a feeling Pei Ji will definitely come back for you.”

Chu Tinghan shot him a sidelong glance, a cold, self-mocking smile twisting his lips. “He’ll never come back for me.”

“He might,” Guan Nan insisted, his neck stiffening with stubborn determination to survive. “He will come back.”

Chu Tinghan looked displeased and puzzled by Guan Nan’s words. He sighed dismissively. “Pei Ji is a man of unyielding pride, unwilling to bend. After your harsh words, he’ll never return—that’s just his character.”

Guan Nan repeated stubbornly, “He will come back.”

The Pei Ji he’d seen today was completely different from the man he’d known before. His eyes were clear, his demeanor sincere, and even his temperament seemed to have improved. The oppressive gloom that had once enveloped him had been replaced by a youthful vigor, like a naive young man fresh out of school, still harboring hope.

Moreover, Pei Ji had explicitly stated today that he would take responsibility, his tone utterly serious and not joking.

So Guan Nan had a vague yet persistent feeling that even though Pei Ji had met with resistance, he would inevitably return.

The following afternoon, Guan Nan went downstairs to buy medicine for Chu Tinghan. As he stepped out of the elevator, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

Pei Ji stood backlit, the warm golden sunlight outlining his tall, imposing silhouette.

To Guan Nan, this scene was no less dramatic than a hero’s entrance in a movie.

Guan Nan practically sprinted towards him, three steps at a time, his heart pounding so hard he almost burst into tears.

His savior had finally arrived!

Caught off guard by the sudden figure leaping in front of him, Pei Ji froze for a moment, still dazed.

Before he could even process what was happening, the other man had already seized his hand, shaking it vigorously without waiting for permission.

“What a coincidence, Brother Pei! Fancy seeing you again!” Guan Nan’s face nearly split into a flower-like grin.

That “Brother Pei” left Pei Ji pleasantly surprised. Just yesterday, Guan Nan had insisted he not use such familiar terms, yet today he was actively cultivating a fraternal bond.

Pei Ji responded with a handsome smile: “Brother Guan—”

He was cut off before he could finish. Guan Nan clapped him on the shoulder, his smile ingratiating. “Eh, what’s with the ‘Brother Guan’? Too formal! Just call me Guan Nan.”

Pei Ji’s expression twisted slightly, utterly baffled by this sudden 180-degree shift in Guan Nan’s attitude.

“You’re here to see Director Chu, right? I’ll take you up.” Guan Nan gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid he might bolt.

“Oh, okay,” Pei Ji nodded, dazed.

After taking a few steps, he noticed Guan Nan was carrying a plastic bag containing what looked like a medicine box.

Pei Ji pointed to the box, a hint of concern in his voice. “What’s this?”

“It’s Director Chu’s medicine,” Guan Nan explained. “The pharmacy made a mistake earlier and gave me the wrong one. I was just about to go exchange it.”

“He’s sick?” Pei Ji asked, surprised.

So he’s actually capable of showing concern for others, Guan Nan thought in astonishment, waving his hand dismissively. “Just a minor illness. Director Chu hasn’t had much appetite lately and keeps dry-heaving. Probably a stomach bug. Nothing to worry about.”

“…Dry-heaving?!” Pei Ji stumbled, tripping over his own feet.

In his mind, dry-heaving was almost always associated with pregnancy.

Could it be that Chu Tinghan…?

Pei Ji couldn’t bear to complete the thought.

Already struggling to accept the existence of their two-year-old child, he’d truly want to die if Chu Tinghan were carrying another one.

The future me is such a bastard…

Pei Ji’s heart sank into despair.

So, was I sent seven years into the future to cut my losses and atone for my sins?

Heavens, I’m still just a recent high school graduate!

Ding— The elevator reached the thirteenth floor.

Pei Ji, head bowed and steps heavy, followed Guan Nan forward.

He only snapped out of his daze and lifted his head when they entered Chu Tinghan’s office.

Standing at the doorway, Pei Ji gazed up at the handsome man just five steps away.

The man seemed oblivious to his presence, not even glancing up from his paperwork. His demeanor was chillingly indifferent, as if Pei Ji weren’t in the room at all.

After an awkward moment of silence, Pei Ji remained rooted to the spot, unsure what to say.

The atmosphere grew increasingly strange.

Guan Nan frowned, glancing at Chu Tinghan, who remained calm and composed as he flipped through paper documents. A string of question marks flooded his mind.

Is he putting on a show now?!

Yesterday, when he heard Pei Ji had already left, he nearly chased after him in a panic. What’s with this sudden cold act today?

How utterly absurd…

Guan Nan grumbled inwardly, but what choice did he have? His boss, Director Chu, was known as the aloof Song God in the industry. As his assistant, Guan Nan had no choice but to play along.

Guan Nan cleared his throat and announced loudly, “Director Chu, Pei Ji is here.”

Yet Director Chu remained stubbornly oblivious, leisurely flipping through the stack of documents before him. Only after an agonizingly long pause did he close the file with deliberate slowness, offering a coolly indifferent “Hmm.”

Guan Nan: “……”

What a waste of talent. Director Chu could have been a star actor.

The office was eerily silent. With Chu Tinghan refusing to speak, Pei Ji felt like he was sitting on needles, his heart pounding in his throat.

After another tense moment, Chu Tinghan finally lifted his gaze, casting a cold, piercing glance at Pei Ji. His slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as he asked, his voice utterly flat, “What do you want?”

Pei Ji couldn’t discern a hint of emotion in Chu Tinghan’s narrow phoenix eyes. After careful consideration, he replied, “Let’s talk about what happened between us.”

A moment later, he heard Chu Tinghan let out a cold, mocking laugh. His tone remained utterly devoid of inflection as he said, “Didn’t we already break up long ago? What’s left to discuss?”

“The past is the past, and now is now,” Pei Ji said earnestly, a glint of sincerity in his eyes. “I’ve turned over a new leaf. Let’s start fresh and live a good life together.”

With that, Pei Ji glanced in Chu Tinghan’s direction, hoping to gauge his reaction.

But most of Chu Tinghan’s face was obscured by the computer screen, leaving only strands of hair visible as they spilled over his shoulder.

The strands brushed against Chu Tinghan’s suit as he moved, swaying like a small animal’s tail. Pei Ji felt a strange itch in his heart at the sight.

At least I didn’t end up with some balding, middle-aged boss, Pei Ji thought irrelevantly. If he were rich and handsome like Chu Tinghan, it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Live a good life together?” Chu Tinghan raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical.

“Yes,” Pei Ji nodded earnestly. “I’ll take responsibility for you and the child.”

The child?

Hearing that word, Chu Tinghan froze for a moment, then curled his lips into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I never thought you’d actually take responsibility for a child.”

To Pei Ji, the remark sounded like a sneer.

Still, he knew he deserved the accusation. By all accounts, he was an irresponsible bastard. Chu Tinghan wasn’t wrong.

So Pei Ji didn’t get angry.

After a moment’s contemplation, Pei Ji said earnestly, “A child’s upbringing has a profound impact, especially a stable family. He’s only two years old and doesn’t remember anything yet. It’s not too late to make things right.”

These words came from the depths of his heart, the result of days of deep reflection.

He had longed for a happy, complete family since childhood, but the home he had finally dared to hope for had crumbled before his eyes.

Because he himself had grown up without a proper family, Pei Ji couldn’t bear the thought of his own child suffering the same fate.

He vowed never to let his child repeat his mistakes. He would take responsibility and give his child the family he deserved.

Moreover…

After two years of a passionate, clandestine relationship with Chu Tinghan, he couldn’t simply dismiss him with a casual “I’m bored.” Such callousness was beyond the pale; he couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

He owed it to Chu Tinghan, who had given him two years of genuine affection, and to himself—the man who refused to be a scumbag.

Pei Ji cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped closer to Chu Tinghan, lowering his head to meet his gaze. “Can we… can we make this work properly?”

Perhaps due to nervousness, Pei Ji’s long eyelashes trembled slightly as he spoke.

Chu Tinghan leaned back in his chair, studying him with a leisurely gaze for a moment, then curled the corner of his lips into a knowing smile. “Sure, why not?”

Hearing Chu Tinghan’s agreement, Pei Ji’s eyes lit up, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips.

The next moment, a force yanked his upper body forward.

Chu Tinghan reached out and tugged at his tie, a playful smirk on his lips.

Losing his balance, Pei Ji swiftly pressed his hand against the headrest beside Chu Tinghan’s head, narrowly avoiding falling into his arms.

Warm breath brushed his face, instantly shattering Pei Ji’s painstakingly maintained facade of composure.

Chu Tinghan showed little reaction, slowly straightening up and leaning closer. His lips curved into a seductive smile as he whispered, “Then let’s get our marriage certificates first. We’ll get married.”

With that, Chu Tinghan narrowed his eyes, his smile resembling that of a fox who had just outsmarted its prey.

Pei Ji stared into Chu Tinghan’s beautiful, captivating eyes, his heart skipping a beat.

The close proximity, their warm breaths mingling, suddenly made the atmosphere charged with unspoken tension.

Unable to withstand Chu Tinghan’s piercing gaze, Pei Ji awkwardly averted his eyes, letting out a muffled “Mm.”

The silent room grew even quieter, so still that they could almost hear each other’s hearts pounding like drums.

Pei Ji’s palms began to sweat, and for the first time, he realized just how loud his own heartbeat was.

Along with the pounding heart came a disquieting feeling… like he had been tricked.