After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 54

After returning home, An Yu immersed herself in studying the script Ning Xuan had given her. Director Tan Yiyan was notoriously strict when it came to casting, so An Yu had to give it her all-she  had  to secure this role.

The company’s attitude toward her was mixed. On one hand, she had offended the CEO’s son, and higher-ups were considering sidelining her. On the other, they were eyeing the buzz surrounding her and Lin Duxi. Some even called her, subtly probing about their relationship.

An Yu brushed it off, calling it all “just for show,” but inwardly, her resolve to leave the company only grew stronger. Online, her name was practically glued to Lin Duxi’s-when people mentioned her, they thought of Lin Duxi, but when they mentioned Lin Duxi, they rarely thought of  her  .

The company would collapse within a year due to a scandal. An Yu thought,  No matter what, I can’t let any of that dirty water splash onto Lin Duxi when it happens.

She buried herself in the script, only snapping out of it when exhaustion finally hit her. Stretching, she realized it was already dark outside. She poured herself a glass of water and checked her phone.

Shi Yu had sent her a few messages three hours ago.

[You free lately? Remember what I said about visiting the orphanage? Wanna go now?]

[I went a couple of days ago and saw that woman we met during afternoon tea. It’s complicated-I’ll tell you in person.]

[I’ve been watching your show with Lin Duxi. Um… good luck. I saw you two.]

The last message was sent half an hour after the first two. An Yu wondered what Shi Yu had been thinking during that gap. She replied:

[I’m free the next couple of days, but I’ll be busy after. Let me know when works for you.]

The moment she sent it, Shi Yu called.

“Okay, let’s go the day after tomorrow. I remember Lin Duxi was from that orphanage too,” Shi Yu said, reminiscing. “Not many in our class knew-only you, since you were closest to her. I only found out because, as class monitor, I handled her records.”

An Yu smiled bitterly but didn’t respond. She  had  known Lin Duxi grew up in an orphanage, but nothing beyond that. Back then, she’d only ever walked Lin Duxi to the gates-she’d never gone inside.

Looking back, she’d been careless in their relationship, knowing so little about Lin Duxi despite being her closest friend. That lack of understanding had planted the seeds of their breakup.

“Since she’s from there too, why not bring her along? She knows the place. You might even find some of her childhood stuff-aren’t you curious?” Shi Yu coaxed.

An Yu wavered. “I’ll ask her next time I see her. So… you and that woman, you finally talked?” Her face warmed slightly at the thought of  childhood  Lin Duxi.

She  was  curious. Desperately so.

“Well… I saw her at the orphanage, so I asked her to play with the kids together. We exchanged contacts and agreed to meet next time. That’s it.” Shi Yu’s voice grew noticeably flustered, though An Yu, preoccupied with thoughts of Lin Duxi, didn’t notice.

After chatting a bit more, An Yu hung up.

A heavy feeling lingered in her chest. She couldn’t shake the memory of Lin Duxi’s odd behavior during the show, nor the way she’d frozen when the car door slammed earlier. A growing unease settled over her.

An Yu searched online for explanations, scrolling until her gaze locked onto one term:

PTSD.

Perhaps shadows from childhood trauma.

She frowned.  Lin Duxi lived in an orphanage-how could she have childhood trauma?  Skeptical, she skimmed the article at first, but the further she read, the tighter her chest became. By the end, her entire body felt cold.

The article detailed a patient’s account of childhood domestic abuse-how the sound of slamming doors or shattering glass would trigger uncontrollable trembling, as if fists and curses were about to rain down again. The shadows never left, haunting every quiet night, every sudden noise, every unexpected kindness. Only therapy had helped.

An Yu’s brow furrowed deeper with each word. Several times, she had to pause, gulping water just to keep reading. By the end, she couldn’t deny it-too much of it matched Lin Duxi’s reactions.

She closed her eyes, massaging her temples. The words pulsed in her mind, jabbing at her nerves.  She was in an orphanage. This doesn’t make sense.  But another voice countered:

How do you know there weren’t bullies there? You never visited. And what if she had a family before the orphanage? What if her family was the reason…?

The thought sent a chill through her.

At 24, she still trembles at those sounds. What did she go through?

An Yu sat on the couch, her phone discarded beside her. The notification light blinked twice, but she didn’t notice. She cradled her forehead in her hands, exhaling shakily.

Why hadn’t she noticed any of this in high school?  Back then, Lin Duxi’s sharp edges had softened only for her, pulling her into a protective shell. But An Yu hadn’t cherished it.  They could have stayed together.

Another sigh escaped her.

She stayed on the couch until late into the night before finally forcing herself to cook something simple. Just as she dropped noodles into boiling water, a knock came at the door.

An Yu checked the clock: 11:30 PM.

Lin Duxi? At this hour?  Remembering what she’d read earlier, she hurried to answer.

Lin Duxi stood there in a formal black suit, a V-neck blouse revealing pale skin. She was still in full makeup, her red lips a stark contrast against her fair complexion. A black blazer draped over her shoulders-she must have thrown it on after getting home.

“An Yu, do you have a flashlight?” Lin Duxi asked.

“I think so. Come in, I’ll look.” She stepped aside, letting Lin Duxi in before shutting the door against the chilly autumn wind.

Lin Duxi sat on the couch while An Yu rummaged through drawers. She handed her the flashlight.

“What do you need it for?”

Lin Duxi flicked it on, a sharp beam cutting through the living room. She turned it off. “The power’s out at my place. I can’t find mine.”

“An outage? Could be a short circuit.”

Lin Duxi shook her head. Clutching the flashlight, she stood to leave, but An Yu stopped her.

“Let me come check with you.”

Lin Duxi’s apartment was pitch black. She pulled open curtains, letting moonlight spill in. An Yu watched her, brow creasing slightly.

In her past life, after being betrayed and frozen out by her company, An Yu had learned all sorts of survival skills-things her 18-year-old self would never have imagined.

After inspecting the wiring, they found the issue: a burnt-out connection causing a short. An Yu pulled out her phone to call an electrician, only to see the time-past midnight.

No one would come at this hour.

The screen’s glow lit up the dim room. Lin Duxi saw it too and gently patted An Yu’s head. “It’s fine. I’ll just sleep and call someone tomorrow.” She smiled, ever understanding.

How could anyone guess she carried such shadows?

An Yu lowered her gaze, recalling the article’s words:

Afraid of being alone. Afraid of silent nights.

Her chest tightened.  Was that why Lin Duxi clung to her during the show?

She swallowed the words on her tongue. Lin Duxi had never spoken of this. She’d wait until she was ready. Until then, she’d just… quietly watch over her.

“Lin Duxi, stay at my place tonight.” The words slipped out softly, barely audible.

Lin Duxi froze. “Huh?”

“You haven’t washed off your makeup. You have work tomorrow, right?” An Yu kept her eyes on the moonlit floor. She didn’t have proof, but she couldn’t leave Lin Duxi alone in that dark, empty apartment.

Lin Duxi’s grip on the flashlight tightened. Heart pounding, she stepped forward and pulled An Yu into a sudden embrace.

An Yu stiffened before relaxing into it. Then-

A soft, cool touch grazed her neck, sending sparks down her spine.

“Don’t move,” Lin Duxi murmured. “This is the price for your kindness. Let me hold you for a while.”

If I don’t hold you like this… I might do something much worse. So please-keep me restrained.