After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 110

The cicadas outside the window still buzzed noisily. The patient had pushed the window open, and a warm breeze slipped through the gap, brushing against both of them, rustling the hems of their clothes.

Though barely a week had passed since they parted, the relationship between An Yu and Lin Duxi had undergone a seismic shift-so much so that An Yu no longer knew how to face her.

Lin Duxi’s eyes remained as clear and captivating as ever, deep pools that seemed to pull one in, making it impossible to look away. And now, those very eyes were gazing at her with such tender affection.

An Yu forced herself to avert her gaze, trying desperately to ignore those eyes. But Lin Duxi’s stare burned against her skin, so intense that An Yu could neither sit still nor stand comfortably. She mechanically spooned congee into Lin Duxi’s mouth, her movements stiff.

Nervousness made her appear cold, as if she were scowling under duress. But who could tell that her hands trembled as she held the bowl?

Lin Duxi knew.

After rigidly finishing the task, An Yu hastily set the bowl aside. Though it was just a plastic container, it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in her grip.

She tossed it into the trash bin beneath the bed, leaving her hands empty-and unsure of what to do next.

Should she say something? But what?  They were already broken up. Mock her ex? An Yu couldn’t do that. She knew she still had feelings for Lin Duxi, which only made staying here even more unbearable.

Lin Duxi had been the one to end things.  And yet here An Yu was, feeding her congee in the middle of the night-like some pathetic fool. She cursed herself inwardly, sitting stiffly beside Lin Duxi, her left hand resting limply at her side.

Then-something warm and soft pressed against her palm.

An Yu’s entire body locked up, her spine tingling with tension.

But the hand in hers wasn’t as restrained as hers. Slender, pale fingers interlaced with An Yu’s, locking them together in a tight clasp.

An Yu’s breath hitched. She whipped her head around, eyes reddening. She wanted to shout, to demand answers-but unshed tears pooled in her eyes instead.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to harden her expression, refusing to look so vulnerable. She jerked her hand away, but Lin Duxi’s grip held firm. She shook harder, but her strength waned with each futile attempt.

“Lin Duxi, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” An Yu hissed, the emotions she’d bottled up finally surging forth like a tidal wave. ”  You  were the one who broke up with me! So what’s with the hand-holding? What’s your game-am I just some toy to you?” Her voice cracked by the end, rough with suppressed anguish.

The commotion drew glances from nearby visitors in the morning-crowded hospital. Lin Duxi shifted to shield An Yu from their stares, then pulled her trembling body into an embrace.

An Yu struggled, but Lin Duxi only held her tighter-until the IV in her hand bulged from the strain, startling An Yu into calling for a nurse.

Throughout the nurse’s reinsertion of the needle, Lin Duxi never looked away from An Yu, her gaze steady and reassuring, slowly calming the storm inside her.

An Yu turned her head away, refusing to meet those eyes-but her attention remained fixed on Lin Duxi’s bandaged hand.

Once the nurse finished and instructed Lin Duxi to press down on the puncture site, An Yu immediately stepped in to take over. Her voice was low and hoarse as she muttered,

“You’d better have a damn good explanation for all this. And what the deputy director said about your fever-what really happened?” She didn’t mention love. Didn’t mention the breakup. Her tone was ice.

Yet Lin Duxi’s lips curled into a faint smile.

When she was unconscious in her room, she truly thought she was going to die. After being rushed to the hospital, she heard An Yu’s voice. At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but as their conversation grew clearer, the words pierced her eardrums.

Suddenly, she realized-she didn’t want to break up at all. To hell with Lin Yongfeng, to hell with his threats. She refused to let things end so ambiguously between her and An Yu.

In the days after their breakup, she felt completely numb to the world, her chest hollow, leaving only an empty shell. Those dark, endless days finally saw sunlight again the moment she heard An Yu’s voice.

An Yu had come back for her. She never wanted to be apart from An Yu again.

So Lin Duxi spoke, briefly summarizing what had happened during that time-though she left out the details about An Yu’s parents and the days following their breakup.

Yet even those few simple sentences sent An Yu’s emotions into turmoil all over again. By the time Lin Duxi finished speaking, An Yu was already in tears.

“They’re not even human-they’re worse than scum!” An Yu’s hands clenched into fists, her nails nearly digging into her palms, the corners of her eyes reddening.

Lin Duxi said nothing, reaching out to gently pry open An Yu’s fists, massaging her palms to soothe the marks.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The fire in An Yu’s voice softened under Lin Duxi’s touch. She pouted. “Aren’t we partners? Why keep it from me?”

Lin Duxi lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands, her expression shadowed, before finally meeting An Yu’s eyes.

“He said… if he couldn’t get money from me, he’d come after you. I didn’t want them threatening you. I didn’t want to drag you into trouble…”

“How could it be trouble?!” An Yu’s voice rose sharply, her anger flaring.

“You really think our relationship isn’t strong enough to handle this together? And so you just chose to break up?” An Yu let out a bitter laugh, glancing at the medical chart beside them. “So you made that decision while delirious with fever?”

Lin Duxi nodded. “I was feverish the whole time.”

An Yu was at a loss-torn between heartache and frustration. Seeing Lin Duxi looking so frail and docile, she didn’t know whether to scold her or hold her. In the end, her anger dissolved into helplessness.

With a huff, An Yu turned away, sulking.

A moment later, something brushed against her shoulder. When she turned back, Lin Duxi was blinking up at her with innocent eyes.

“A-Yu, don’t be angry. If you have to be mad, be mad at me. I’m the one who hurt you.” Her voice was filled with such guilt that An Yu’s heart shattered.

An Yu exhaled deeply, shooting Lin Duxi a sidelong glance.

“I  am  mad. Even now, thinking about it makes me furious.” But what rose even stronger in her chest was pity. She didn’t dare dwell on what those unspoken days must have been like for Lin Duxi-how much pain she must have endured.

Lin Duxi hung her head lower, consumed by remorse. She reached for An Yu’s hand, pressing it against her own chest. Through the fabric, An Yu could feel her heart pounding wildly.

When Lin Duxi looked up again, her damp eyes held An Yu’s gaze-deep and unwavering, reflecting only her. The tips of her ears flushed pink as her lips parted slightly.

“Do whatever you want with me, as long as A-Yu isn’t angry anymore.”

Despite her doing nothing overt, An Yu felt like her entire body had been set aflame, heat rushing to her skin. Frozen in place, she could only watch as Lin Duxi pulled her into an embrace, resting her head against An Yu’s shoulder and breathing in the scent of her hair.

“Just don’t be angry with me.”

An Yu’s heart raced chaotically as they pressed close, her hands still attuned to the rhythm of Lin Duxi’s heartbeat, until slowly, unconsciously, they fell into sync.

“I was delirious from fever when I said those things. A-Yu has every right to be angry. It’s my fault. Punish me however you want-just don’t leave me. Please, A-Yu.”

Warm dampness seeped into An Yu’s shoulder, and her heart ached as if carved by a knife.

If her initial reaction to the breakup had been rage, now, knowing the truth, that fury had transformed into heartache and helplessness.

Lin Duxi was only eighteen-just like her-yet she’d endured all this alone, still putting An Yu first.

Tears threatened to spill. An Yu took a steadying breath before gently pulling Lin Duxi away from her shoulder.

Lin Duxi’s eyes were red-rimmed, her hospital gown only emphasizing her fragility. When An Yu tried to disentangle herself, Lin Duxi instinctively leaned back in, only to be stopped.

An Yu grabbed a tissue, her slender fingers tenderly wiping the tear tracks from Lin Duxi’s face.

She’s so cute. I want to kiss her.

The thought startled An Yu. Flustered, she straightened up and cleared her throat.

“You should rest. The Lin father-son duo have done enough to land themselves in jail. I’ll find the evidence.”

Lin Duxi sniffled, her eyes still glistening. She opened her mouth-perhaps to say it was too much trouble-but swallowed the words. She’d just managed to calm An Yu down; she couldn’t risk upsetting her again.

Instead, she nodded obediently and settled back against the pillows.

“The area where they live might have clues. Lin Yongfeng never worked-most of their expenses were covered by Zhao Sunan’s income, but it wasn’t enough. They must have had other sources.” Lin Duxi paused, then added, “Zhao Sunan could be the key.”

An Yu nodded, replaying Lin Duxi’s words as she walked out of the ward.

Lin Duxi watched her go, only closing her eyes once An Yu was out of sight.

But seconds later, the door creaked open again, followed by familiar footsteps. She looked up.

An Yu had returned for some reason, walking over to tuck the blankets more securely around Lin Duxi. Then, with a hint of awkwardness, she muttered,

“I never said I’m not angry anymore. I haven’t forgiven you-this is just… helping.” She avoided Lin Duxi’s eyes, staring instead at the silver bracelet on the bedside table.

Lin Duxi gazed at her, her already softened heart melting into something warm and tender. She smiled.

“I know. A-Yu has every right to be angry. I’ll do my best to make it up to you.”

The words themselves were ordinary, and Lin Duxi’s tone gave nothing away-yet An Yu’s mind spun with unintended implications. Her face burned, her skin flushing pink all the way to her collar. She hurriedly looked down, shoving the thoughts aside.

“Good. Don’t expect me to forgive you so easily.” With that, An Yu fled the room, nearly forgetting to shut the door behind her.

Lin Duxi watched her retreating figure, laughter bubbling up. Her eyes held a tenderness even she didn’t recognize-a quiet devotion, as if the sun, moon, and stars existed only to illuminate An Yu.