After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 1

The world before her eyes was blurred, as if smeared with glue. The surroundings were eerily silent-even the relentless howling wind that had always filled An Yu’s ears had vanished without a trace.

Her heart pounded violently in her chest, her lungs on the verge of bursting. Every breath was agony.

She was about to die.

An unknown amount of time passed before the torment gradually faded. Feeling returned to her numb limbs, and An Yu struggled to open her eyes. Having been in darkness for so long, her vision remained hazy. Faint, shadowy figures swayed before her like puppets in a shadow play, laughing and speaking words she couldn’t make out.

Along with them came the overwhelming stench of alcohol, making her already muddled head even dizzier. She sat there like a broken, drafty machine, stiff and unmoving.

Suddenly, a large hand gripped her right shoulder, fingers deliberately brushing against her skin. The icy touch and the immediate urge to vomit jolted An Yu awake, plunging her into a frozen abyss. The scene before her sharpened into focus.

“Xiao An, how’s it going playing the second female lead? Why don’t you let big brother here-ah!”

In less than two seconds, the overweight man who had pretended to casually embrace An Yu was now sprawled on the floor, thrown by her with such force that the wine bottles and glasses on the table shattered alongside him. Shards of glass mixed with red wine, staining the floor a glaring crimson.

Gasping for air, An Yu stared at the man writhing in pain on the ground, her entire body trembling. Just as she had rehearsed countless times in her dreams, before anyone could react, she kicked off her high heels and hurled them at the two stunned men. Seizing their moment of confusion, she bolted out of the private room.

“Ah! Damn it, chase her! Haha, she’s got some fight in her! Struggling makes it more fun! We’re in for a good time tonight-go after her!”

The curses chased her like a shadow. An Yu sprinted desperately through the first-floor hall, her legs weak but her speed unrelenting.

Run! Don’t let them catch you!

People in the hall watched curiously as the barefoot girl dashed past, only to shrink back when they saw the men chasing her, hurling obscenities.

An Yu was fast. After shaking off her pursuers, she rushed straight into the women’s restroom, locking herself in the farthest stall. She crouched on the toilet seat, hugging her knees, drenched as if caught in a downpour. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and she didn’t dare breathe too loudly, straining her ears for any sound outside.

This dream… feels so real.

Gradually, her breathing steadied. Outside, footsteps occasionally rushed past, making An Yu freeze and hold her breath-only to laugh at herself the next moment.

Haven’t I done this so many times in my dreams? I thought I’d gotten used to it.

Chaos seemed to erupt outside the restroom, the noise growing louder before fading into the distance…

Don’t fall asleep! If they find me, it’s over! I can’t fall into their hands again-those people and the paparazzi waiting outside with their cameras are all in on it together.

The alcohol they’d forced on her was clearly drugged. An Yu’s head felt unbearably heavy, as if she might pass out any second.

Gritting her teeth, she mustered all her strength and slapped herself twice across the face.

Slap!

The pain instantly cut through her drowsiness. Her pale, bloodless cheeks flushed red. She jumped off the toilet, lifted the lid with one hand, and stuck her fingers down her throat with the other.

After what felt like an eternity, the sound of flushing filled the stall. An Yu sat back down, wincing as a sharp pain shot through the sole of her right foot when she stood. Frowning, she lifted her foot-a fingernail-sized shard of glass was embedded deep in her flesh, blood seeping from the edges.

She must have stepped on it in the private room. The thought made her immediately peer under the stall door to check the floor outside.  Good, no bloodstains.

Given her current situation, she needed to get out and find a doctor to remove the shard. Besides, she had no strength left. For now, she’d stay put and wait to wake up from this dream.

This wasn’t the first time she’d had this dream. Ever since the day she was cyberbullied, she’d been trapped in this endless cycle, desperately wishing she could change everything-undo the root of her suffering.

An Yu tilted her head up at the blinding fluorescent light above.  But how?

From the moment she was dragged drunk into Zhao Fang’s room, she’d fallen into their trap. Though she’d fought her way out, the paparazzi had snapped photos of her entering late at night. Without warning, the images were plastered online, sparking a wave of cyberbullying, a forced hiatus, and then…

Hurried footsteps outside interrupted An Yu’s thoughts. Her already taut nerves stretched even tighter as she pressed her ear to the door, listening intently.

Someone was arguing in hushed tones, too far away for her to make out the words.  Probably here for me.

An Yu curled into herself, staring wide-eyed at the door. Her nerves were frayed, and the alcohol made her exhaustion unbearable. She could only pray for the people outside to leave-and for herself to wake up soon.

But then, the footsteps grew louder, drawing closer.

An Yu’s breath hitched. Her entire body turned ice-cold, but the fear sharpened her mind. She frantically scanned the cramped stall for anything she could use as a weapon.

There was nothing.

Finally, her gaze landed on the glass shard in her foot.

Without hesitation, she lifted her foot, grabbed the shard, and clenched her jaw as she yanked it free. A glistening, blood-stained fragment, sharp as a blade, now rested in her palm.

With its edge, she could slit a throat. If she was going down, she’d take these scum with her.

Clutching her makeshift weapon, An Yu steeled herself for a final stand. The moment the footsteps neared, she shoved the door open and lunged, aiming straight for the person’s neck.

Her blood roared in her ears. Success seemed within reach-until her wrist was abruptly seized in a crushing grip.

Excruciating pain shot up her arm. A muffled groan escaped her lips as her vision blacked out, and she collapsed forward.

Instead of the cold, hard floor, she landed in a warm, soft embrace, enveloped in a soothing, faint fragrance.

I’m saved.

The realization was her last thought before overwhelming exhaustion pulled her under.

The final sensation she registered was a woman’s voice-low, commanding, laced with concern. It was beautiful, and oddly familiar.

Even under the heavy influence of alcohol, An Yu’s sleep was far from peaceful. She tossed and turned as fragmented memories surged back into her mind, weaving together in a chaotic dance.

A blue-and-white school uniform, a summer night, a spider’s web… Images flashed through her mind like a reel of film.

Finally, the storm in her head quieted, leaving behind only a single, youthful yet resolute voice that soothed her restless heart.

“A Yu.”

Night deepened, swallowing the city in darkness and burying all hidden, suppressed emotions along with it.

The woman on the bed slept fitfully. Despite the sleep-inducing incense burning in the bedroom, her brows remained furrowed. After seeing off the doctor who’d rushed over in the middle of the night, Lin Duxi quietly returned to the bedroom.

She sat in a chair by the bed, watching An Yu’s restless sleep. Countless emotions flickered in her eyes before melting into a deep, overwhelming tenderness.

Reaching out, she gently smoothed the crease between An Yu’s brows. Under the pale moonlight, her hand trembled-like a mad collector who’d finally obtained a treasured jewel but dared not touch it.

Then, she withdrew, returning to her motionless vigil, staring obsessively at the woman before her, her eyes red-rimmed.

When An Yu had a nightmare in the middle of the night, Lin Duxi gripped her hand tightly, nails digging into her own palm until An Yu calmed. Only then did she loosen her hold, pressing a soft kiss to An Yu’s fingers.

In the dark, her lips curved into a faint smile, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears-and something darker, something unhinged.

When An Yu woke up, she was disoriented for a moment.

Last night’s dream felt so real-heart-pounding, like racing ghosts and gods.

She blinked, reaching for her phone on the nightstand to check if that person-the one who claimed to know the truth about her parents’ deaths-had messaged her. But her hand froze mid-air.

Wait… Didn’t I already meet that person? In that abandoned office building, where we both fell from the rooftop with the 700,000 meant for the exchange? The world had turned crimson.

Thud!

The blankets tangled around An Yu as she tumbled to the floor. Pain shot through her right foot, and she clutched it-only to find it wrapped in gauze.

Injured. Restroom. Glass. Red wine. That fragrance…

Her head snapped up as she took in her surroundings.  This isn’t my apartment. Last night wasn’t a dream.

I’ve been reborn!

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on realizing your rebirth! The mission officially begins now!]  A cheerful mechanical voice echoed in An Yu’s mind, shattering her worldview.

“Who are you?” An Yu tensed, scanning the room.

[Don’t be afraid, Host. I’m your system. You’re the supporting female lead in a novel-the kind who paves the way for the protagonists’ love story. The reason you’ve been reborn is that in your past life, the male and female leads couldn’t be together, largely because you failed your mission. Now that you’ve been given a second chance, don’t mess it up.]

It took An Yu half an hour to barely accept that she was merely a character in a novel-and that she now had tasks to complete.

“So last night… that was real? I wasn’t dragged into a hotel, no paparazzi photos, no cyberbullying?” Her voice shook with disbelief.

[Yes, Host. You avoided those events. But the butterfly effect means no one can predict what happens next.]  The system replied emotionlessly.

An Yu relaxed slightly at this, her wariness fading as she continued questioning the system.

“You said my mission is to bring the male and female leads together. Who are they? Do I know them?”

[Of course you do.]  The system’s tone was almost mocking.

[Lin Duxi and Pei Lu-the male lead of the drama you’re currently filming-are this story’s protagonists.]

Lin Duxi?

The name made An Yu pause. It had been so long-so long that the memories associated with it had gathered dust in the recesses of her mind.