After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 44

The scenery below the mountain gradually expanded in An Yu’s vision, each frame reflected in her eyes. It should have been a pleasant sight, yet her gaze remained hollow, devoid of any real interest. The cable car rumbled as it continued its descent, and An Yu couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

Earlier, at the summit, she had helped Lin Duxi reach the finish line. She had let Lin Duxi sit on a bench to rest, but Lin Duxi had grabbed her sleeve, unwilling to let her leave. Her reddened eyes had stared straight at An Yu, leaving her unusually flustered. Even now, An Yu could still feel the restless pounding of her own heart.

“An Yu, where did you and Lin Duxi first meet?” Xie An’an asked, reading the rapid barrage of comments on the live stream. She voiced the audience’s curiosity-and her own.

An Yu turned her head, her gaze shifting to Xie An’an. She lowered her eyes as if in thought before answering vaguely, “While filming.” That was the simplest explanation. The earliest connection netizens had made between the two of them was through behind-the-scenes footage from a drama-the first time she and Lin Duxi had met again with clear minds.

“Oh, so you two must be really close then,” Xie An’an remarked.

Close.

An Yu smiled faintly, her eyes downcast. She and Lin Duxi  had  been close once-so close that it surpassed even the wildest fantasies of their shippers.

It was a tradition at Jiangcheng No. 2 High School to hold an autumn sports meet every year. Seniors were exempt, and the event was scheduled after the first round of exams.

An Yu and Lin Duxi had long since abandoned the rules their homeroom teacher had imposed on An Yu. They openly leaned against each other between classes, chatting. It was during those moments that An Yu realized Lin Duxi’s aloof, silent demeanor was just an act. Almost every break, whether An Yu was present or not, whether she was sleepy or not, Lin Duxi would insist on talking to her for a few minutes before letting her go.

News of the sports meet quickly spread through the grade. When An Yu heard about it, she was busy clearing away the extra milk teas and letters that had mysteriously reappeared on her desk-after a brief disappearance, they had returned in full force, requiring her to spend extra effort dealing with them.

Lin Duxi had been called out by the math teacher to discuss a problem set. An Yu pulled a large bag from her backpack, stuffed the unwanted items inside, and headed for the trash bin.

“An Yu, what’s that in your hand?” A girl with glasses and a bob cut-Xu Ting-asked as An Yu passed by.

“Nothing, just some snacks,” An Yu replied, tossing the bag into the bin. She clapped her hands and turned to leave, but the girl called out again, handing her a bottle of water.

“Here, take this. I had one extra when I was handing them out,” Xu Ting said casually.

An Yu accepted the water, glancing around. Seeing identical bottles on the desks of the nearby students, she didn’t think much of it and thanked her before returning to her seat.

Lin Duxi had already returned and was bent over her desk, solving math problems. Hearing the scrape of the chair, she looked up, her gaze lingering on the bottle of water now placed on An Yu’s desk.

“Did I disturb you?” An Yu asked as she sat down.

Lin Duxi shook her head but didn’t return to her work. An Yu, taking the hint, busied herself with her own things.

Lin Duxi’s eyes swept the room, eventually landing on the identical bottles of water in the hands of several students in the back row. Then, calmly, she looked away.

After class, Lin Duxi went to the back of the room to throw something away. Standing in front of the trash bin, she stared at the bag in her hand.

“Seriously? You’re really going to make your move at the sports meet? I don’t think An Yu would-”

“Come on, ‘strike while the iron is hot.’ Even if it doesn’t work out, we’re still classmates, right?”

Lin Duxi released her grip, and the bag fell into the bin with a soft thud.

The class’s sports committee member was going around with a sign-up sheet for the sports meet. When he reached An Yu and Lin Duxi, he hesitated. Neither of them seemed like the type to participate. But with so few names on the list, he decided to ask anyway.

“Hey, either of you want to sign up for anything?”

An Yu didn’t even look up. “No.”

The sports committee member: “…”

He turned to Lin Duxi, fully expecting her to decline as well, and was about to walk away when a hand suddenly snatched the sheet from him.

“When is the sports meet?” Lin Duxi asked, scanning the options.

The committee member perked up immediately. “Next Sunday. There are still a lot of slots open. What do you want to sign up for?”

Lin Duxi picked up a pen and, without hesitation, wrote her name under one event.

An Yu, pretending to focus on her homework, stole a glance.

Women’s long-distance run.

The committee member took the sheet back and let out an impressed whistle.

“Three thousand meters? You’re a lifesaver!” Thrilled, he hurried off to recruit more participants.

Once he was gone, An Yu turned to Lin Duxi with a questioning look.

Lin Duxi blinked innocently.

Finally, An Yu couldn’t hold back. “Three thousand meters?”

Lin Duxi nodded. Then, propping her chin on her hand, she asked, “Are you worried about me, An Yu?”

An Yu stiffened, her heart suddenly pounding like a drum. She turned her face toward the blackboard, clearing her throat. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not.”

Lin Duxi smiled and gently turned An Yu’s face back toward her. “Fine, I’m the one overthinking things. But will you come watch me at the sports meet?”

Her voice was soft, like a feather lightly brushing against An Yu’s skin. An Yu nodded slowly. “I don’t have anything planned next Sunday. Maybe I’ll drop by.”

Lin Duxi’s smile widened.

Over the next few days, Lin Duxi began staying after evening self-study to practice. The classroom emptied by half, leaving An Yu sitting alone at her desk, doodling absentmindedly.

“An Yu, did you draw this?”

A voice suddenly sounded above her. An Yu’s hand jerked, leaving a stray mark on the paper. She looked up, instinctively covering her sketch.

Xu Ting didn’t seem to notice her reaction. Instead, she looked delighted. “It’s so cute! Is it a kitten?”

An Yu nodded awkwardly.

“I didn’t know you were so talented. Why didn’t you become an art student?” Xu Ting asked, making herself at home.

An Yu thought for a moment. “Maybe because I couldn’t handle the intensive training.” As she spoke, she flipped the page, hiding the drawing.

Xu Ting nodded understandingly. “Then, could you draw something for-”

“An Yu.”

A cool voice cut through their conversation.

An Yu looked up. Lin Duxi stood by the door, her uniform jacket slightly open, breathing heavily. She walked over and sat down beside An Yu.

Fresh from her run, she was still catching her breath, her cheeks flushed, strands of hair clinging to her skin. Her plain face looked even more striking.

“What was the homework for Chinese class?” she asked, flipping through her textbook, seemingly oblivious to An Yu and Xu Ting’s conversation.

An Yu frowned. “I’m not the Chinese class rep. Why ask me?”

Lin Duxi sighed and turned to her. “Because you were the only one who didn’t sleep through that class.”

An Yu: “…”

She pulled out her Chinese textbook and workbook, trying to recall the teacher’s instructions. Then, flatly, she said,

“The Chinese teacher didn’t assign any homework.”

Lin Duxi grinned. “So you  do  know.”

An Yu was thoroughly unamused by her teasing. She turned back to see if Xu Ting had more to say, only to find that the girl had already left. Shrugging it off, An Yu turned again-and froze.

Lin Duxi was holding a very familiar sketchbook, studying its contents with great interest.

Heat rushed to An Yu’s face. She reached out to snatch it back, but Lin Duxi caught her wrist in one smooth motion.

“The kitten is adorable. Can I have it?” Lin Duxi asked bluntly.

An Yu stammered, “Y-you-th-this-”

“Then it’s settled.” Lin Duxi released her wrist, carefully tore out the page, and tucked it into her Chinese textbook.

An Yu took the sketchbook back, her face burning. That drawing hadn’t been an ordinary kitten-and now Lin Duxi had taken it. Thankfully, Lin Duxi didn’t realize the kitten was based on her…

“An Yu,” Lin Duxi’s expression turned serious, though her eyes remained gentle. “The long-distance race starts at three on Sunday. Will you come watch me?”

An Yu’s face was still hot. She avoided Lin Duxi’s gaze. “Didn’t I already say? I’m free that day. I’ll stop by if I’m bored.”

Lin Duxi couldn’t suppress a smile. “Good. I’ll find you.”

An Yu raised an eyebrow. “There’ll be so many people watching. How could you possibly find me?”

Lin Duxi just smiled. “If you come to see me, I’ll find you.”

An Yu turned away, but the corners of her lips curled up uncontrollably.

On Sunday, the school generously gave all first- and second-years a day off-though they were restricted to campus.

An Yu disliked crowded places-they were hot and noisy. She sat in the classroom, reading, while a handful of classmates did their own things. The ticking of the clock on her wrist grew louder in the quiet room.

She hadn’t absorbed a single word. When the minute hand finally hit “12,” she shot up from her seat and strode out.

“An Yu.”

Just as she stepped into the hallway, a female voice called her back. She turned to see Xu Ting.

“What is it?”

“An Yu, I…” Xu Ting clenched her hands, took a few steps forward, and took a deep breath.

“Do you have someone you like?” she asked tentatively.

The question caught An Yu off guard. For some reason, Lin Duxi’s face flashed through her mind. She stiffened.

Seeing her hesitation, Xu Ting’s confidence wavered. But since she’d already started, she decided to go all in.

“If you don’t have someone you like-”

“Wait, Xu Ting.” An Yu cut her off, checking her watch. She was running out of time.

“The sports meet started a while ago. I want to go watch someone’s race. Can we talk after?” she said hurriedly.

Xu Ting blinked. “O-okay. I’ll go with you.”

An Yu sprinted toward the field, not refusing Xu Ting’s request. She was desperate to see Lin Duxi-it was already past three. She had to make it.

When she reached the track, a sea of spectators blocked her view. She jumped, barely catching glimpses of the runners.

At least it hasn’t ended yet.  She sighed in relief, squeezing through the crowd until she reached the front.

But just as she emerged near the finish line, before she could spot Lin Duxi, the crowd erupted into cheers-and a warm, soft body crashed into her arms.

An Yu staggered back, barely keeping her balance. Instantly, people swarmed around them, shouting excitedly.

“First place! Lin Duxi took first!”

“Lin Duxi! What’s wrong? Someone help her!”

“Class Three wins! We’re number one!”

An Yu tightened her grip around Lin Duxi’s trembling, sweat-drenched body, momentarily stunned.

“Lin Duxi?” She called her name worriedly, not noticing how intimate their embrace was.

Lin Duxi’s scorching breath fanned against An Yu’s neck, turning her fair skin pink. Then, she felt Lin Duxi shudder in her arms, as if holding something back.

“An Yu,” Lin Duxi gasped weakly, a faint smile in her voice. “I found you.”

“Don’t talk. Let’s get you somewhere to rest.” An Yu tightened her hold, about to move, when a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

Lin Duxi let out a muffled whimper against her.