After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 49
Blood-chaotic splashes of red, falling like roses from the sky. Soft crimson fabric blotted out the sunlight, dyeing the entire world in scarlet.
The ground was covered in a layer of red, creeping like a living thing toward Lin Duxi’s feet. Breathing heavily, her vision was filled with that overwhelming red, staining her skin, invading the pale, exposed flesh. The sight of that vast expanse of crimson sent a sharp, heart-wrenching pain through her chest, forcing her to double over. Yet her eyes remained fixed on that red, an irresistible urge pulling her forward.
Staggering, Lin Duxi pushed herself up and stumbled toward it. The closer she got, the heavier her steps became, as though a thousand blades had pierced her heart. The pain was suffocating-until she saw the figure lying on the ground.
Her lover’s eyes were closed, as if she were merely sleeping, serene and untroubled. She wore a red dress, and around her, roses bloomed wildly from the cold concrete. Amid the sea of red, her pale skin stood out even more starkly.
“A-Yu…” Something lodged in Lin Duxi’s throat, and it took all her strength to force out that hoarse cry.
Red rain began to fall from the sky, pattering onto the ground, dripping onto the rose petals, soaking An Yu’s body. The crimson droplets stained her fair skin, yet she remained peaceful, unmoving, letting the rain wash over her.
“No… No…” Lin Duxi’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Trembling, she reached out to wipe the rain from An Yu’s face, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t stop. Her fingers brushed lightly against An Yu’s cheek before she gathered her into her arms, shielding her from the downpour.
The rain soaked through Lin Duxi’s clothes, staining her skirt. Her eyes burned red as choked sobs escaped her.
“A-Yu… my A-Yu… my… NO!”
“A-Yu!”
Lin Duxi jolted awake, gasping for air, drenched in cold sweat. The sticky discomfort barely registered as she frantically took in her surroundings-dark tent fabric, not the blood-red road from her dream.
She unzipped the tent and bolted outside.
“A-Yu… A-Yu…” The name spilled from her lips like a mantra until she reached An Yu’s tent. There, she slowed, then crouched down.
The world was silent, bathed only in moonlight. The soft glow cast her shadow against the tent.
Inside, An Yu’s breathing was steady, deep in slumber. Lin Duxi pressed her ear closer, listening, and the sound soothed her frayed nerves. Only then did the lingering terror of the nightmare begin to fade.
That dream-it felt so real . The agony in her chest still throbbed, and the more she dwelled on it, the sharper the pain became. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from reliving it, until tears blurred her vision.
Her hands shook as she unzipped An Yu’s tent and saw her sleeping peacefully on her side. Lin Duxi’s gaze darkened, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes-eyes that held only An Yu.
Without a second thought, she crawled inside and wrapped her arms around An Yu, burying her face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar scent. The phone call from yesterday and the suffocating fear from the dream crashed over her like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her. Only by holding An Yu could she ease the weight crushing her chest.
The tight embrace roused An Yu from sleep. The moment she became aware of the restraint around her, her instincts kicked in-she jerked violently, trying to break free.
“A-Yu.” A familiar voice, rough with tears, whispered against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. An Yu froze, recognizing the faint, lingering scent in the air.
“Lin Duxi? Did you get the wrong tent?”
Lin Duxi didn’t answer. Instead, she nuzzled deeper into An Yu’s shoulder and murmured, “Don’t move. This is my reward.” Her tone was stubborn, almost obsessive, her arms tightening possessively.
An Yu stiffened, then remembered the “reward” she had promised Lin Duxi earlier. Slowly, she stopped resisting and let herself be held.
“Sleep.”
“Mm.” Lin Duxi’s muffled reply was barely audible as she nestled closer, her breathing gradually steadying. The warmth and presence of An Yu wrapped around her like a shield, quieting the storm in her mind.
An Yu closed her eyes, but her thoughts refused to settle.
What happened to Lin Duxi? Why did she suddenly come to my tent? And why does she seem so upset? Just last night, she was angry at me, accusing me of lying…
The questions swirled in her head, but before she could voice them, Lin Duxi had already fallen asleep against her.
Soft breaths tickled An Yu’s ear, sending heat creeping up her neck. She exhaled slowly, then turned to face Lin Duxi. The other woman slept curled up, her fingers clutching An Yu’s clothes like a lifeline.
An Yu’s expression was unreadable, her chest tight with an indescribable ache. Gently, she pulled the blanket over Lin Duxi and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. In the quiet of the night, with her senses heightened, emotions she had long suppressed surged uncontrollably. Her lips parted, whispering words lost to the darkness-words only she would ever hear.
“How… do I stop my heart from racing like this?”
Lin Duxi was woken by noise. The clamor outside made her already chaotic thoughts even messier. Frowning, she instinctively reached out to pull the person beside her closer-only to grasp empty air.
Her heart plummeted, and she bolted upright, scanning the small tent. She was alone.
“A-Yu?” Panic clawed at her throat as she unzipped the tent and stepped outside. Rain poured down, drenching her thin clothes, but the chill barely registered. Her frantic gaze swept the area-until it locked onto An Yu, standing a few meters away.
“You’re awake.” An Yu handed her a towel, then opened an umbrella. “Don’t catch a cold.”
Lin Duxi stared at her, silent, her gaze burning with intensity.
The weight of that stare was too much. An Yu averted her eyes and explained, “It started raining heavily, and the river’s water level rose. I woke up to help move the equipment. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I let you sleep.”
Before she could finish, Lin Duxi turned away. “I’m going back to sleep.” Without another word, she ducked back into An Yu’s tent.
An Yu stood there, umbrella in hand. “…?”
Morning arrived, the sky clear as if last night’s storm had never happened. An Yu sat by the water, staring at the flowing stream with frustration.
The rain had been relentless, swelling the lake until it swallowed the rocks where she and Lin Duxi had sat the night before. It was as if their conversation had never taken place.
An Yu had buried her high school memories deep, not just because of her parents’ deaths, but for another reason-
She was terrified that Lin Duxi had never truly loved her.
The months after graduation haunted her like needles stabbing her heart in the dead of night. That period had been a whirlwind of extremes-bliss and devastation, leaving her numb. But the fear of discovering that Lin Duxi’s love had been a lie was paralyzing.
If that were true, the fragile thread holding her together would snap. The one thing she had clung to would crumble, dragging her into an abyss she could never escape.
So she had locked herself away, dulling her feelings for Lin Duxi. After their breakup, she had convinced herself over and over that she didn’t love Lin Duxi-a pathetic but effective coping mechanism. It had kept her going until now.
But now, every interaction with Lin Duxi was chipping away at those walls. She couldn’t ignore the evidence of her past love, and the cognitive dissonance made her recoil from Lin Duxi’s affection. Combined with the system’s restraints, she was trapped in a cycle of doubt and certainty.
It felt like she was being torn in two-one half the passionate, fearless girl who had loved Lin Duxi, the other the broken woman who had convinced herself that love was a lie.
Last night, seeing the redness in Lin Duxi’s eyes had shattered something inside her. The memories of their youthful love came flooding back, vivid and undeniable. And now, faced with those feelings again, she didn’t know how to reconcile them.
A crew member called her name, snapping her out of her thoughts. She stood and began packing her things. Her tent wasn’t far from Lin Duxi’s, and when she reached it, she found it already neatly folded beside her backpack.
She looked up-Lin Duxi was crouched by her own tent, packing up. A bittersweet warmth spread through An Yu’s chest, but it only made the ache worse. She walked over, intending to help.
The moment she reached out, her hand was swatted away. Lin Duxi glanced up, one arm defensively blocking An Yu’s approach. Seeing An Yu’s stunned expression, she checked her hand-no mark-then went back to her task without a word.
An Yu’s hand hovered midair before she slowly withdrew it. She stood there, watching Lin Duxi work, not daring to intrude again. The hurt in her eyes was unmistakable.
Lin Duxi noticed but didn’t react-though the corner of her lips twitched in satisfaction.
She loved this-having An Yu’s emotions so completely tied to her. She wanted to stretch this moment, to soothe the unease gnawing at her heart.
In the end, An Yu never got to help. The two didn’t exchange a single word, and viewers quickly picked up on the tension.
[Why haven’t Xiao Lin and Xiao An talked at all? I’m getting scared.]
[Maybe their ‘relationship’ was just for the show? Fake couples always fall apart when interests clash.]
[Shut up! Did you not see how An Yu kept looking at Lin Duxi? She even lost games because she was distracted. How is that fake? You’re just a hater!]
[Are we sure they’re fighting? Feels more like a lovers’ spat. An Yu kept glancing at Lin Duxi during the games-got scolded by Xie An’an too. So cute!]
[Xie An’an: Wow, third-wheeling hurts.]
Xie An’an, watching An Yu sneak glances at Lin Duxi even as she lost game after game, finally pieced it together-they were fighting.
An Yu’s mind was a mess. Guilt over last night warred with self-doubt, tangling into an inextricable knot.
A water bottle suddenly appeared in her line of sight. She looked up-Xie An’an.
“What’s wrong? Did you piss off Lin Duxi?”
An Yu winced but didn’t deny it. Xie An’an plopped down beside her.
“Your mood is written all over your face. You were awful at the games earlier.”
An Yu’s grip tightened around the water bottle. “I want to apologize, but… I don’t know how.”
Before she could finish, Xie An’an stood and marched over to Lin Duxi, gesturing animatedly.
“Lin-laoshi! An-laoshi says she needs to talk to you!”
Lin Duxi glanced at An Yu, then away, her expression unreadable as she murmured something to Xie An’an.
An Yu’s stomach dropped. That look-it terrified her.
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Zei_An
Lmao you better not tell Lin Duxi to move on again