After Amnesia, I Learn I'm a Scumbag Top?! - Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Late at night, Pei Ji lay tossing and turning on the hotel’s single bed, completely unable to sleep.
The moment he closed his eyes, a single sentence automatically flashed through his mind, again and again, impossible to block out.
Fine, let’s get the marriage certificate first. Then we’ll get married.
When he’d heard those words, Pei Ji’s mind had been a chaotic mess. Chu Tinghan had been gripping his tie, further disorienting him. All he could think about was escaping Chu Tinghan’s clutches, so he’d nodded in hasty agreement.
Now that he’d calmed down, he wondered if they were rushing into marriage too impulsively.
While modern society lacked the elaborate rituals of ancient betrothal ceremonies like the Three Books and Six Rites, shouldn’t they at least meet each other’s families?
Pei Ji’s relationship with his own family was strained; his scumbag father probably wouldn’t care if he lived or died, so skipping that formality would be fine. But what about Chu Tinghan’s side? Shouldn’t he pay a proper visit to Chu Tinghan’s parents?
Given that Chu Tinghan was marrying a colossal scumbag of unprecedented magnitude, shouldn’t he have someone vet Pei Ji first?
Marriage isn’t a child’s game. Aren’t you afraid he’ll pull another “I’m bored now” stunt?
Pei Ji couldn’t understand why Chu Tinghan was being so decisive.
One moment he was vowing to take responsibility and settle down, and the next, Chu Tinghan was demanding they get married immediately.
Before coming here, Pei Ji had mentally drafted tens of thousands of words, terrified Chu Tinghan would reject him. But he only managed to get through the first few lines of his prepared speech before Chu Tinghan cut to the chase, insisting they get married immediately.
Logically, Pei Ji was the deadbeat husband and father, the gold-digging scumbag, while Chu Tinghan was the wronged sugar daddy.
Given such an unreliable marriage, Chu Tinghan should be the one feeling uneasy, not Pei Ji.
Yet, Pei Ji couldn’t shake the inexplicable sensation of a lamb walking into a lion’s den.
Things were progressing too smoothly, and that made him suspicious.
Buzz. His phone, resting on the bedside table, suddenly vibrated.
Pei Ji unlocked his phone and saw a new message from Chu Tinghan.
Chu: Send me the hotel location.
Pei Ji bolted upright in bed the moment he saw the message.
Late at night, just the two of us… what does he want here?
Could it be he wants to rekindle things…?
Panic surged through Pei Ji. His first instinct was to button his pajamas all the way up.
He stared at the chat window for ages, utterly stumped on how to reply.
Truth be told, even though he and Chu Tinghan had dated for two years and had a child together, he still couldn’t quite accept being intimate with Chu Tinghan.
Heaven only knew, just half a month ago, he was a high school student who had never even held hands. Now, after a sudden time-travel incident, he’d somehow fast-forwarded to having a wife, child, and a cozy family life—all at warp speed.
Who could I even talk to about this?
Sigh… fate truly plays cruel tricks…
The cursor blinked for an eternity in the text box as Pei Ji typed, deleted, and rewrote, repeatedly returning to zero characters.
Ten more minutes passed before Chu Tinghan, as if finally at the end of his patience, sent another message—this time, just a cold, single punctuation mark.
Chu: ?
Pei Ji closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
Since I’m marrying Chu Tinghan anyway, whether I sleep early or late, I’ll have to sleep eventually. With the resolve of someone facing certain death, Pei Ji sent Chu Tinghan his location.
As soon as he sent it, he immediately turned off the screen, as if trying to escape.
Then his phone buzzed again.
After a moment of resigned reluctance, Pei Ji reluctantly turned the screen back on, only to find, as expected, another message from Chu Tinghan.
But the message wasn’t what Pei Ji had anticipated. Instead, it read:
Chu: Tomorrow at 11 AM. Bring your ID. I’ll pick you up downstairs.
Taking me out?
Pei Ji reread the message to confirm he hadn’t misread it. He was utterly perplexed, unable to fathom what Chu Tinghan was planning.
After mentally bracing himself, he finally sent his first message:
Pei Ji: What for?
The reply came almost instantly:
Chu: To get married.
Pei Ji thought he was seeing things.
What did he just say… married???
So urgent?
Staring at the emotionless words and punctuation on the screen, Pei Ji couldn’t help but find the whole situation utterly absurd.
To an outsider, it might have sounded like a boss assigning tasks to an employee. Who would have guessed this was actually a fiancé dictating terms to his partner about their upcoming marriage?
It wasn’t even a discussion, really. Chu Tinghan maintained a commanding tone throughout the exchange.
Pei Ji wasn’t ready for marriage yet. After a long pause, he asked sincerely:
Pei Ji: Is tomorrow morning too soon?
Immediately regretting that the text sounded too cold and easily misinterpreted, he quickly added a puppy scratching its head emoji.
He tried to save himself with a cute emoji.
Unfortunately, Chu Tinghan wasn’t buying it.
Chu: I’m very busy. Tomorrow morning is the only time I’m free. If you don’t want to get married, fine. But then we’ll never see each other again.
Pei Ji panicked, feeling like Chu Tinghan was about to delete him and block his number at any moment.
He frantically typed a reply:
Pei Ji: I’ll marry you.
After a pause, he added:
Pei Ji: I’ll definitely be there on time tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Director Chu, who was desperately trying to maintain his cool, aloof persona, was nearly bursting with laughter. He quickly saved the puppy scratching its head emoji Pei Ji had sent.
Who would have thought? he mused. One car accident transformed my fiancé—his personality completely changed, and now he’s even learned how to be cute!
Director Chu expressed his satisfaction with this.
“Director Chu?” Aunt Zhang called softly from behind him.
Chu Tinghan turned, surprised. “Aunt Zhang, you’re still up?”
“Yes, I wanted to ask—now that Little Pei has left, should I clean out his room?”
She paused, then added, “He left in such a hurry, he forgot to take many of his things. He told me to dispose of them as I saw fit, but I thought I should ask you first.”
Hearing this, Chu Tinghan’s good mood instantly soured.
Left in such a hurry, and even forgot to take his things?
Just how badly does Pei Ji want to leave me?
But no matter. Soon, they’ll be husband and husband in name and law. Once they get their marriage certificate, Pei Ji will never be able to leave him again.
The thought sent a thrill through Chu Tinghan, his blood beginning to boil.
“No need to clean it out.”
Aunt Zhang pressed, “What about the things he left behind? Should I throw them away or keep them?”
“Keep them. He’ll be moving back in a few days.” A faint, fragmented smile flickered in Chu Tinghan’s eyes.
Aunt Zhang blinked, then chuckled knowingly. “So, you and Little Pei have reconciled?”
Chu Tinghan raised an eyebrow. “Yes. We’re getting married.”
Hearing this, Aunt Zhang beamed with contentment as she tidied up nearby, chattering away.
Little Pei, though usually quiet and withdrawn, is a good sort. Gentle-natured, handsome, and talented, especially with that guitar of his—he plays it like magic.
“He plays the guitar for you too?” Chu Tinghan’s smile froze, twisting into a perplexed expression.
He’d rather play for Aunt Zhang than for me, huh?
He had begged Pei Ji, overtly and subtly, for so long, yet he could count on one hand the number of times he’d heard him play the guitar. Each time, Pei Ji’s face was cold and reluctant, as if forced to perform.
Aunt Zhang, startled that Director Chu had overheard her musings, hurried to explain, “Oh, no, I was just cleaning downstairs that day and happened to hear him.”
Chu Tinghan nodded, but his mind wouldn’t let it go.
Happened to hear him? How come I’ve never “happened” to hear him play?
Tsk, no way. I need to find a way to get Pei Ji to play for me willingly.
After a moment’s contemplation, Chu Tinghan suddenly asked, “Aunt Zhang, you mentioned Pei Ji might have amnesia. Is that true?”
The next day, as agreed, Pei Ji arrived at the hotel lobby half an hour early.
While waiting, he paced restlessly back and forth in front of the hotel entrance, his nervous energy making the security guard’s head spin.
First time getting married, and I’m already this nervous? he thought.
He glanced down at his outfit. Having packed light, the only formal piece he had was the white shirt he was wearing.
The early spring chill made the thin shirt insufficient, so he’d added a gray overcoat for warmth.
Originally, he’d considered wearing a tie, but the moment he picked one up, he couldn’t shake the embarrassing memory of Chu Tinghan tugging on his tie the day before, pulling him forward. Without another thought, he quickly stuffed the tie into the bottom of his suitcase, hiding it.
Even without the tie, Pei Ji’s outfit still looked effortlessly stylish, striking a perfect balance between casual and refined.
This should be presentable enough for the marriage registry, he thought.
After a few more minutes, a familiar black car pulled up in front of him.
Pei Ji recognized it instantly—the same one that had picked him up from the hospital.
He straightened his clothes slightly and approached the car.
The rear window slowly lowered, revealing a face as cold and aloof as a glacier, yet undeniably noble.
Chu Tinghan glanced at Pei Ji, his expression utterly blank. “Get in.”
His attitude was so indifferent that Pei Ji briefly wondered if this was a forced marriage.
Well, marrying the man who had sponged off me and then dumped me probably wasn’t Chu Tinghan’s first choice either, Pei Ji thought to himself. Maybe he’s doing this for the child.
Lost in thought, Pei Ji forgot to get in and stood rooted to the spot, looking like a wayward youth being forced into marriage.
Thinking Pei Ji was about to back out, Chu Tinghan coldly ordered the driver, “Drive.”
The wheels had already turned halfway before Pei Ji snapped out of his reverie and frantically grabbed the door handle. “Wait!”
Chu Tinghan shot him a sharp look. “Are we getting married or not?”
“Yes,” Pei Ji replied.
Once inside, neither man acknowledged the other’s presence. They remained silent, like two strangers sharing a ride.
Pei Ji couldn’t figure out what he’d done to anger Chu Tinghan again.
He swore to the heavens he hadn’t wronged Chu Tinghan once since transmigrating here.
Chu Tinghan’s mood was as unpredictable as the June weather, shifting between sunshine and storm clouds.
Yesterday, the sky was a boundless expanse of blue; today, it was shrouded in thick, ominous clouds.
Pei Ji furtively glanced at Chu Tinghan out of the corner of his eye.
Chu Tinghan wore a stern expression, his mood clearly sour.
Seeing this, a daring thought suddenly surfaced in Pei Ji’s mind: Could it be that this man, just as I’ve always suspected, doesn’t truly want to marry me? Perhaps Chu Tinghan agreed to marry solely to provide closure for their two-year-old child.
The realization struck Pei Ji like a thunderclap.
So Chu Tinghan, like me, has been forced into marriage against his will.
But if that’s the case—
If neither of them wanted to be together, wouldn’t it be better not to marry at all? Even if they did, they’d only become a resentful couple, creating a toxic family environment that would severely harm their child.
Better to cut their losses now than regret it later.
Pei Ji gazed at Chu Tinghan’s exquisitely sculpted profile and stammered, “Chu Tinghan… do you really want to marry me?”
Chu Tinghan slowly turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and fixed him with a dangerous glare. “What are you getting at?”
Pei Ji felt his heart pound under Chu Tinghan’s intense gaze, but he couldn’t retract his words now. He steeled himself and continued, “Um… I just think getting a divorce later would be really complicated. What if we—”
“There won’t be a ‘what if,'” Chu Tinghan interrupted coldly.
“Are you really sure you want to marry me?” Pei Ji persisted, his courage surprising even himself.
In the next instant, Chu Tinghan, as if his patience had finally snapped, barked at the driver, “Stop the car!”
Pei Ji froze, utterly bewildered.
Chu Tinghan’s chest heaved violently, as if Pei Ji had infuriated him beyond measure. Through gritted teeth, he spat, “No. Get out.”
Hmph, already thinking about divorce before the wedding? Should I praise Pei Ji for being so foresightful and prepared?
Pei Ji opened his mouth, uttering a barely audible “Ah?”
What’s going on here?
Pei Ji was stunned.
“Get out!” Chu Tinghan repeated coldly, the two simple words carrying a bone-chilling intensity.
Boom! At that instant, a thunderclap suddenly exploded across the sky.
A dense, dark cloud massed overhead, instantly dimming the once-bright sky.
Pei Ji gazed at the churning black clouds and sighed inwardly, assuming Chu Tinghan had changed his mind due to a bad mood. Without protest, he obeyed Chu Tinghan’s order to open the door and get out of the car, his movements swift and decisive, betraying no hesitation.
Unbeknownst to him, in an unseen corner, Chu Tinghan’s hand clenched suddenly, his nails digging painfully into his palm. A flicker of resentment crossed his face.
His lips parted slightly, as if to call Pei Ji back to take shelter from the rain, but remembering the man’s indifferent departure, Chu Tinghan ultimately closed his mouth, saying nothing more.
Defeated, Chu Tinghan lowered his head, his jet-black eyes hidden behind stray strands of hair.
Left so decisively.
Would rather get drenched than share the same space with me, is that it?
Even with amnesia, Pei Ji still doesn’t want to be with me…
Pei Ji, oblivious to Chu Tinghan’s inner turmoil, could only watch the black car disappear into the distance, his expression blank.
Sparse raindrops began to fall slowly from the sky, the icy rain gradually soaking Pei Ji’s shoulders.
Pei Ji stood rooted to the spot, a sudden wave of unease washing over him.
Intuition told him he’d likely made a mistake, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.
Logically, Chu Tinghan should be setting off fireworks to celebrate escaping marriage with that scumbag. So why was his expression not only devoid of joy but even darker than before?
As the rain intensified, another Maybach suddenly pulled up in front of him.
Pei Ji instinctively stepped back, thinking it was Chu Tinghan. But the person inside was a stranger.
“Excuse me, are you Pei Ji? A Mr. Chu asked me to pick you up.”
Pei Ji was utterly bewildered. It took him a long moment to nod numbly.
He dumped me halfway, then sends a fancy car to fetch me? Chu Tinghan sure has a unique way of doing things.
As he settled into the Maybach, Pei Ji dried his hair with the car’s plush towel, a bizarre thought surfacing in his mind.
Though I hate to admit it, in this situation, I actually feel a bit like Director Chu’s… pampered kept man.
Just that my sugar daddy has a rather temperamental personality. Someone needs to smooth his ruffled feathers.