After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 52
Since An Yu’s last unauthorized escape, the security at home had noticeably tightened. Her parents, who were rarely around, had been spending more time with her lately. Surprisingly, An Yu didn’t mind staying in, and the time with her parents had been unexpectedly harmonious.
She had previously discussed with her parents the idea of having Lin Duxi tutor her. After asking Lin Duxi, the latter agreed but refused any payment. An Yu’s parents respected her decision, and soon, their summer tutoring plan was set in motion.
Lin Duxi would come to An Yu’s house every day to tutor her, staying for lunch and dinner. An Huaili and Yu Yingzhen even prepared a guest room, hoping she would stay overnight, but Lin Duxi firmly declined. An Yu didn’t see any issue with it, but since Lin Duxi was so adamant, she didn’t insist.
At first, Lin Duxi would take the bus to An Yu’s home, located on the other side of the city, arriving punctually at 7 a.m. every day-so precise it was as if she had an internal clock.
An Yu’s slow-witted mind sensed something odd, but no matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t figure out what it was.
Until one day.
The morning had started clear and cloudless, but by the time the butler finished his morning routine and glanced outside again, a torrential downpour had begun. He checked the time.
6:10 a.m.
The butler looked at the heavy rain pounding against the ground, then up at the second floor. Assuming Lin Duxi wouldn’t come in such weather, he didn’t bother waking An Yu.
Some time later, the iron gate at the front of the villa creaked open. Wen Zhenhe, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, tensed and hurriedly checked the clock.
7:03 a.m.
Then, the doorbell rang. He rushed to open it and was immediately hit by a wave of damp, chilly air.
“Sorry, I’m late,” Lin Duxi panted, clutching her backpack tightly. Water dripped from her hair, sleeves, and pants, quickly forming a small puddle on the floor.
She crouched down, placing the backpack on the dry floor, and unzipped it to check the contents. Despite being drenched herself, the books inside were dry-only slightly dampened by the water dripping from her clothes.
“Miss Lin…” Wen Zhenhe was momentarily stunned, but years of professionalism snapped him back to reality. “You should go take a shower.”
Lin Duxi glanced down at her soaked clothes, then bowed slightly in apology.
An Yu had developed a regular routine, usually waking up a few minutes past seven. This time, when she opened her eyes, the sky was ominously dark. Rubbing her eyes, she thought it was still early and dozed off again before finally getting up. When she checked the time, she realized it was already well past seven.
Confused, she looked out the window. The oppressive dark clouds made her inexplicably sad. Maybe Lin Duxi didn’t come because of the rain , she thought.
Still in her nightgown, An Yu headed downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she spotted Lin Duxi sitting on the living room sofa.
Lin Duxi’s hair was loose, and she was sipping tea quietly. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, her gaze meeting An Yu’s.
Dressed in a plain white dress, her slightly damp hair adding an ethereal softness to her bare face, Lin Duxi looked like a celestial being who had descended to earth. In front of her were neatly stacked textbooks-purchased by An Yu’s parents for their tutoring sessions-along with a few notebooks filled with Lin Duxi’s handwritten notes.
An Yu froze mid-step.
It was at that moment that she realized what had been bothering her all along.
Lin Duxi went home every night at 9 p.m., sometimes taking the family car, sometimes the bus. Given that they lived on opposite ends of Jiangcheng, the trip likely took her until 11 p.m. or later. After that, she still had to prepare exercises, solve them herself, and tailor a study plan for An Yu-only to wake up early the next day to take the bus again.
From that day on, An Yu became adamant that Lin Duxi had to be driven to and from her house by the family chauffeur. Lin Duxi found it strange, but no matter how much she asked, An Yu refused to explain. She only said that if Lin Duxi didn’t agree, their tutoring sessions would be moved from her house to the orphanage.
Left with no choice, Lin Duxi reluctantly complied.
The butler, Wen Zhenhe, might have understood some of the reasoning, praising An Yu: “Miss has a kind heart.”
An Yu merely smiled. She knew it wasn’t kindness-but she couldn’t quite articulate the real reason. There was just a voice in her heart, pounding so fiercely it ached, telling her that this was what she had to do.
Lin Duxi’s tutoring was tailored to An Yu’s needs. An Yu’s foundational knowledge wasn’t weak-she had just neglected her studies for a while. Now, she only needed to catch up on what she’d missed.
An Yu had a habit when thinking deeply: she would fix her gaze on one spot until something distracted her.
Once, while lost in thought, her eyes inadvertently landed on Lin Duxi.
Lin Duxi sat beside her at the study desk, wearing a faded short-sleeved shirt, her elbow propped up as she frowned slightly at the problem in front of her. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow over them, some of it catching on Lin Duxi’s long lashes. They fluttered faintly, like a fairy who had strayed into the mortal world.
An Yu’s gaze lingered, unable to look away. A powerful thought surged in her mind:
If every day could be like this, I wouldn’t mind at all.
A light tap on her head snapped her out of her reverie. Flustered, she quickly picked up her textbook, her heart pounding so loudly it drowned out her earlier thoughts. Yet deep inside, a sprout of something new was growing wildly, unstoppable.
But the moment she looked away, Lin Duxi subtly rubbed her left elbow-where a patch of skin had been scraped off, now scarred over.
An Yu had always regretted not giving Lin Duxi a gift for her eighteenth birthday. She wanted to make up for it, but after spending the entire summer together, she still hadn’t figured out what Lin Duxi liked.
Lin Duxi was always so indifferent, her demeanor cold and unapproachable. But An Yu sometimes wondered-was it her imagination, or did Lin Duxi’s eyes soften just a little when looking at her?
I’m so shameless , An Yu thought.
The summer ended, and with it, Lin Duxi’s tutoring. An Yu still hadn’t found the perfect gift-until she suddenly remembered Lin Duxi’s favorite fruit.
I could make her a cake!
At the start of their senior year, there was an exam. An Yu performed well, her grades significantly improved. Even their homeroom teacher praised her repeatedly. Unconsciously straightening her back, An Yu glanced at Lin Duxi, who smiled back at her with approval in her eyes.
However, while An Yu’s grades had risen, so had everyone else’s. The seat next to Lin Duxi became a coveted spot, and An Yu didn’t get it. Shi Yu had already transferred to the liberal arts class in the second semester of their sophomore year. When An Yu had asked why, Shi Yu’s lips had parted as if she had much to say-but then she stiffened, sensing a gaze from behind An Yu.
Shi Yu’s shoulders slumped, and she forced a bitter smile. “After studying science, I realized I prefer liberal arts. I want to be a screenwriter.”
After all, I never liked science to begin with.
An Yu’s new deskmate was a girl named Xu Ting. They hadn’t interacted much before. In front of them sat the class monitor, Qi Yuankang, who often turned around to discuss problems with Xu Ting. Not wanting to intrude, An Yu would tactfully leave to find Shi Yu on the other side of the classroom.
Every time she passed Lin Duxi’s seat in the middle of the room, her eyes would involuntarily flicker toward her, her heart fluttering.
Lin Duxi was as focused as ever, bent over her desk, solving problems as if nothing could distract her. Knowing how crucial their final year was, An Yu suppressed the urge to talk to her, not wanting to disturb her.
After school, An Yu would rush to a bakery to learn cake-decorating for an hour. Her interactions with Lin Duxi grew even fewer-but she didn’t mind. She kept imagining Lin Duxi’s expression when she finally presented the cake, and each thought fueled her determination.
This became one of the few things she had ever persistently pursued.
The moment An Yu left the classroom, the conversation between Xu Ting and Qi Yuankang shifted.
Qi Yuankang watched through the window as An Yu’s figure disappeared down the hallway before turning back.
Xu Ting couldn’t help but tease, “If you like her, just confess. What’s the point of staring at her back?” Her gaze drifted toward Lin Duxi, darkening slightly as she lowered her voice. “Aren’t you afraid someone else will confess first?”
Qi Yuankang frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s not a single guy around An Yu. Who else would confess to her?”
Xu Ting: “…” This guy… She gave him a thumbs-up, frustration simmering inside.
She’d realized the truth back in their sophomore year. Why couldn’t he see it?
“Maybe we should broaden our perspective,” she hinted.
“Based on my observations, An Yu doesn’t seem to like anyone. I’ll try my luck-maybe after the college entrance exams,” Qi Yuankang said firmly, still staring at the empty hallway.
Xu Ting: “…” Just like me back then-won’t admit it until it’s too late. She didn’t bother arguing, her eyes instead settling on Lin Duxi, who remained seated, quietly working on her problems.
With a soft sigh, Xu Ting looked away.
Lin Duxi sat perfectly straight, her pen halting mid-stroke. By the time she noticed, a large ink blot had already stained the workbook. Her cold eyes fixed on the ugly mark, the shadows in her gaze revealing a hidden, obsessive darkness.
Slowly, she tore out the ruined page-edges perfectly aligned.
Her deskmate glanced over. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s dirty. Cleaning it up,” she replied tonelessly. The chill in her voice made her deskmate shudder, and they quickly looked away.
Lin Duxi folded the torn paper neatly, again and again, her expression eerily calm-as if crafting something delicate. As she moved, the skin on her left elbow stretched, flawless and unblemished, as if no scar had ever existed.
She held the folded square between her fingers before letting it drop into the trash.
And in that moment, the madness in her eyes spilled over completely.
Why must people keep trying to steal what I’ve worked so hard to claim?
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