After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 20

An Yu realized someone was casually holding her body, her arm draped over the person’s neck. She wanted to resist, but the dizziness in her head hit harder than ever before.

Weakly leaning against Lin Duxi, a faint, refreshing fragrance drifted into her nose, tugging at her aching mind. A gentle voice, as clear and cool as mountain spring water, reached her ears, yet it sounded muffled, as if separated by a layer of glass.

So fragrant… so soothing…

The last thing An Yu remembered was that delicate scent before she fell unconscious.

When she woke again, the first thing she saw was a pure white ceiling, a bright fluorescent lamp hanging in the middle, its light stinging her pupils.

An Yu raised a hand to block the glare and sat up, glancing around before noticing the IV drip in her arm. Confusion washed over her.

Just then, the curtain beside her was pulled aside. The school nurse, dressed in medical scrubs, took one look at her dazed expression and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Student, what time did you go to bed last night? You’ve been sleeping here for ages.”

“Huh?”

An Yu turned her head toward the window. Outside, the sunset painted the sky in layers of swirling clouds, casting a colorful afterglow.

She rubbed her head.  Has school already ended?

The nurse turned and called out, “Student, your friend is awake.”

Footsteps approached, and for some reason, An Yu felt a sudden tension. The faint scent from before resurfaced in her mind.

Hear the voice before seeing the person.  Before the curtain was even pulled back, An Yu heard her speak.

“An Yu! You’re finally awake!”

For some inexplicable reason, a pang of disappointment struck An Yu’s heart. She couldn’t pinpoint where this emotion came from, but she forced a smile. “Shi Yu.”

Seeing that she was fine, Shi Yu finally relaxed. She walked to An Yu’s bedside and lightly smacked the blanket covering her. “What happened? How did you just faint out of nowhere during class?”

The nurse explained, “This student must have stayed up too late last night. Not enough sleep, plus the weather turning colder-it’s easy to catch a cold. You can go back after finishing this IV drip. Remember to take care of yourself. Health is the foundation of studying.”

An Yu scratched her head sheepishly and nodded in agreement.

Shi Yu raised an eyebrow at her embarrassed expression. “Do you know how long you slept? Four hours! What were you even doing last night?”

Hearing Shi Yu’s question, An Yu’s muddled mind finally cleared. She asked, “Shi Yu, were you the one who brought me here?”

Shi Yu, who had been chattering nonstop, paused at the question. After a moment, she answered, “It was Lin Duxi who carried you here. Just now, someone came looking for her, so she stepped out.”

“Just now?” For some reason, despite the many details in Shi Yu’s words, An Yu latched onto only this one phrase.

“Yeah. After she brought you here, she stayed the whole time to watch over you. Someone came to find her earlier, but she didn’t want to disturb you, so she went outside.” Shi Yu decided to tell her everything that had happened.

An Yu’s heart jolted. An intense urge surged within her-she  needed  to see Lin Duxi. That faint, lingering fragrance coiled around her mind. She looked up at the nearly empty IV bag and said to the nurse,

“Nurse, I think my cold is already better. Can you take the needle out now?”

The nurse chuckled. “Even miracle medicine doesn’t work that fast. Fine, the drip’s almost done anyway.” As she removed the needle, she added, “That girl who brought you here looked really worried. The moment we got to the infirmary, she helped me with everything-getting you settled, placing a cold towel on your forehead. Are you two close friends?”

“She’s my desk mate.”

Though it was a simple statement, both Shi Yu and the nurse paused. The way An Yu said it carried an inexplicable sense of possessiveness.

Once the bleeding stopped, An Yu threw off the blanket, put on her jacket, and dashed outside. Shi Yu called after her from inside.

“Hey, An Yu! Where are you going? Are we still on for riverside barbecue later?”

An Yu waved from a distance. “No, I just got over a cold. I shouldn’t be out in the wind.”

Watching her figure grow smaller, the nurse sighed and rubbed her temples. “She’s  still  sick-why is she running around?” Then she glanced at Shi Yu, who was still staring after An Yu, before slowly shifting her gaze to a nearby statue of a famous figure.

“Aren’t you going to tell her? You’ve been here keeping her company all this time too.”

Shi Yu smiled faintly, her eyes fixed on An Yu’s retreating figure, her expression unreadable.

The school was unusually empty after classes had ended. An Yu ran around the infirmary area but couldn’t find Lin Duxi anywhere. Slowing to a walk on the sports field, a hollow feeling wrapped around her heart, leaving her inexplicably frustrated.

Then, a sound came from the exit beneath the podium not far away. An Yu’s ears perked up. Her heart leapt, and she hurried over.

As she approached, she confirmed it was indeed Lin Duxi. Her disappointment vanished instantly, and she was about to call out her name when she noticed someone else standing opposite Lin Duxi.

An Yu slowed her steps, watching from a distance as the girl across from Lin Duxi quickly shoved an envelope into her hands. Lin Duxi’s expression remained cold as she said something in response. The girl seemed shocked, about to argue, when she suddenly looked up and spotted An Yu.

An Yu: “…”

Lin Duxi followed her gaze and turned, spotting An Yu standing not far away. After exchanging a few more words with the girl, the latter left dejectedly, envelope in hand.

Under Lin Duxi’s watchful eyes, An Yu stiffly walked forward, scrambling for something to say to break the awkwardness. But before she could, Lin Duxi stepped closer, pulling out a tissue to gently wipe the sweat from An Yu’s forehead.

“Why are you sweating so much?” She frowned, her expression completely different from the cold detachment she’d shown earlier. “Did you run all the way here, An Yu?” Her tone carried a hint of reprimand, but mostly concern.

“Were you looking for me? You should’ve stayed in the infirmary. It makes me worry.”

An Yu snapped out of her daze, struggling to break free from Lin Duxi’s tender gaze. She fibbed, “I wasn’t looking for you. The nurse said running a few laps would help me sweat out my cold.” She even struck a running pose, ready to bolt, but Lin Duxi grabbed her jacket and pulled her back.

Lin Duxi tugged her into place and continued wiping the sweat from her neck. “Alright, if you’ve already run enough, you should rest now.” Her tone was coaxing, as if speaking to a child.

The two were standing close. An Yu could see the long lashes fluttering slightly against Lin Duxi’s lowered eyes, like soft feathers. The clean scent of laundry detergent mixed with her natural fragrance was intoxicating.

Unable to help herself, An Yu blurted out, “You were the one who carried me to the infirmary.”

Her tone was certain. Lin Duxi paused-she hadn’t planned on hiding it anyway. Nodding, she smiled and leaned in, cupping An Yu’s face with both hands as she said softly,

“If my desk mate suddenly passes out beside me, how could I just sit back and do nothing?”

“But now you’ve run out of the infirmary. Did you finish the IV? Does your head still hurt?”

An Yu didn’t answer. Her entire focus was on the warmth spreading from where Lin Duxi’s hands touched her cheeks, burning all the way to her ears.

Noticing her reaction, Lin Duxi’s lips curled in satisfaction. But when she caught sight of An Yu’s slightly reddened ears, she froze for a second before letting out a quiet laugh.

Before An Yu could ask what was so funny, a ringtone sounded from Lin Duxi’s uniform pocket.

Both of them stiffened. Lin Duxi released her, pulling out her phone to answer the call.

Freed from the touch, An Yu felt her racing heartbeat gradually return to normal. She glanced around awkwardly, waiting for Lin Duxi to finish the call.

Lin Duxi’s expression darkened as the call continued. “Fine, wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”

Hanging up, she frowned. The next bus wouldn’t arrive for a while-who knew how long it’d take to get back?

An Yu, noticing her distress, spoke up softly.

“Let me take you back.”