After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 6

When An Yu arrived at her agent’s office, the door was closed. She knocked and entered after hearing a response.

“An Yu, you’re here. This is an invitation for a variety show. Just sign it and participate-it’ll help you gain some exposure,” Ning Xuan handed her a contract.

An Yu took it and skimmed through it.  “Hello, Friend”  -what kind of show is this?”

Ning Xuan looked up and turned her chair toward her. “A variety show combining romance, travel, adventure, and daily life. The director has done many shows like this before-good quality but not very popular. I recommended you to her. Go and get some screen time to boost your visibility. The drama you played a supporting role in is gaining hype even before airing, so maybe you can ride that wave.”

The unspoken implication: If the show  does  blow up, someone else would’ve taken your spot.

Remembering what the system had told her earlier, An Yu went through the formalities and agreed. Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow at how quickly she signed. “Wow, you’re decisive today. Keep it up.”

An Yu smiled. “Is there anything else, Sister Ning? If not, I’ll head back.”

Ning Xuan frowned in displeasure. “An Yu, why the rush?” She pushed a stack of scripts toward her. “I got you some more roles in other productions. Pick a few and go audition.”

An Yu flipped through them-all poorly made dramas.

She took a deep breath. “Sister Ning, I think you might’ve misunderstood. Right now, I want to focus on the variety show you just mentioned. Can we put these scripts on hold?”

After much persuasion, An Yu finally talked Ning Xuan out of forcing her into those roles. “So  this  was your plan. No wonder you signed so quickly today. Fine, Director Qiao’s show  is  better quality than these scripts. If you perform well, it could even become a defining work for you. You’re the most promising artist I manage-don’t disappoint me.”

An Yu agreed repeatedly.

On her way back, An Yu looked up the director of  Hello, Friend  . She found that the director had originally made art-house films before switching to lifestyle variety shows, which still didn’t gain traction. This time, the director had added romance and live-streaming elements, planning to test the waters with a few newcomers.

An Yu was one of them. But she wondered-how would Lin Duxi and Pei Lu end up joining such an obscure show? The system remained silent, useless as ever, so An Yu gave up.

Leaning against the car window, her gaze wandered aimlessly until she caught a familiar car in the rearview mirror.

She tilted her head slightly and spotted a black car trailing behind the taxi through the tinted window. The two vehicles weren’t too close, with several cars separating them. If An Yu hadn’t seen that car before, she wouldn’t have been sure.

It was the paparazzi from that night.

How had they found her? How long had they been following her unnoticed?

An Yu turned back, clasping her hands under her chin. The feeling of being watched crawled over her skin, every inch of her body tense. She forced herself to stay calm.

Paparazzi following a nobody like her wasn’t cost-effective-unless their target wasn’t her.

Then it hit her.

Lin Duxi.

At the restaurant, only she and Lin Duxi had interacted-and the paparazzi had seen it. Realizing they’d followed the wrong person, they must’ve guessed she had a close connection to Lin Duxi. Using her as a lead, they might even track down Lin Duxi’s home.

Lin Duxi had just won Best Actress, and the system’s interference had sparked rumors. Now was the peak of her popularity-whoever dug up her secrets first would strike gold.

What a brilliant plan.

An Yu suddenly scoffed.  These people really have no bottom line when it comes to money.

She had no interest in Lin Duxi’s scandals, but that didn’t mean she’d let paparazzi exploit her to invade someone else’s privacy.

She glanced at the persistent car in the rearview mirror, her eyes darkening.

She didn’t know if the paparazzi already had her address, but to be safe, she needed to move as soon as possible. Luckily, she’d already considered relocating-she was just speeding up the process.

Back home, An Yu stood by the window, peering down from behind the curtains. Sure enough, the car was parked not far away. Her neighborhood had lax security and heavy foot traffic, so the paparazzi’s presence wouldn’t stand out.

She closed the curtains and called Ning Xuan.

“Sister Ning, there are paparazzi following me around my place. Do you know anyone selling or renting out apartments? I need to move.”

“Paparazzi?  You  have paparazzi? Did the heat fry your brain?” Ning Xuan sounded amused.

An Yu suppressed her annoyance. “It’s probably because  Night Like Frost  is getting hype, and I play a somewhat notable supporting role. They’re hoping to catch something.”

Though Ning Xuan didn’t think it was a big deal, she agreed. “Alright, what kind of place are you looking for? I’ll ask around.”

“Somewhere with good security. Just for me. The sooner, the better.”

“Got it. I’ll keep an eye out. Stay put for now-I’ll contact you if I find something.”

After hanging up, An Yu collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow with a sigh.

She wasn’t in a desperate hurry to move. If she were, she could’ve gone to the villa in the suburbs. But she couldn’t bring herself to face that empty, dusty house alone-once so lively and warm, now forgotten.

Just like her.

Qiao Qingchuan’s fingers trembled as she typed the last few words of the Weibo post and hit  send  . If someone had told her Lin Duxi would join her variety show, she’d have laughed it off as a joke. Yet here she was, posting it for real.

The hashtag  [Lin Duxi Joins    Hello, Friend    ]  quickly trended. At first, netizens thought it was another cheap attempt at clout-chasing-until they saw Lin Duxi’s repost.

The internet was stunned.

[Baby, are you tired and need a break? Let’s go to a slower-paced show instead, okay?]
[Am I seeing this right? Lin Duxi joining  Hello, Friend  -isn’t this a dating show?! I had to double-check the official summary. Yep, it’s got romance.]
[I mean, she’s 24-what’s wrong with wanting to date? And she’s already an award-winning actress. Dating won’t hurt her career. Let her do what she wants.]
[Y’all are worried about her love life, but I’m just thrilled she’s finally doing a variety show! New binge material!]
[Checked out the director’s past works-solid ratings. Worth looking forward to.]

Fans soon took over the comments, steering the narrative toward: [Lin Duxi just wants to relax. Who says dating shows always end in relationships?]

But amid the uniformity, a few stray comments stood out.

[Lin Duxi joining a dating show! I checked the official cast list-guess who else is in it? An Yu!]
[The An Yu from  Night Like Frost  ? I know her! I spotted her in the behind-the-scenes clips-so pretty.]
[OP, are you saying Lin Duxi joined  because  of An Yu? That’s… a stretch. Good luck with that.]
[Hey, I remember Lin Duxi and An Yu talking in the BTS footage. They seemed oddly formal-definitely something going on.]
[You can ship Pei Lu × Lin Duxi × An Yu, but we can’t ship An Yu × Lin Duxi? Well, I’m shipping it anyway! Peak chemistry! And when the show airs, I’m editing the sweetest clips!]
[Support!]

An Yu was surprised to see herself trending alongside Lin Duxi. The fact that people were shipping them was even more shocking.

So a few NPCs aren’t bound by the system’s rules after all.

She watched as the comment threads grew longer, with some even creating a CP fan page for her and Lin Duxi. Though the numbers were small, it was still bizarre.

She closed her phone and got dressed.

Ning Xuan had found a few places matching her criteria, and she’d been checking them out one by one. Today’s viewing wasn’t high on her list. Ning Xuan had praised it-two units per floor, quiet, excellent security-but the rent was suspiciously low. The owner was supposedly in a hurry to move abroad and didn’t want to waste utilities. An Yu smelled something fishy and saved it for last.

Following the address, An Yu arrived at the upscale neighborhood. Surrounded by serene woods and parks, it was refreshing. The security was far better than the previous places she’d seen, and the location was ideal.

The guard mentioned it was a top choice for celebrities. An Yu stayed silent but mentally added points.

The elevator reached the designated floor. The agent gave a detailed tour.

“Great airflow, plenty of natural light, spacious-you could fit two pianos in the living room. Only two units per floor, and the neighbor next door rarely stays over, so no disturbances.”

An Yu looked around. It  was  better than the previous options, fully furnished and move-in ready. Her earlier doubts faded under the appeal. She signed the contract on the spot and scheduled movers for the next day.

The final cast for  Hello, Friend  was announced. To everyone’s shock, Pei Lu was also joining. After Lin Duxi, his participation inevitably linked them together.

Their CP fanbase skyrocketed. When An Yu reposted the announcement, the comments were flooded with their shippers, while her and Lin Duxi’s small fanbase kept quietly to themselves.

Pei Lu’s fans, seeing Lin Duxi “paired” with someone else, lashed out and raided the fragile CP fan page. Members fled in droves. An Yu almost pitied them.

As she was about to turn off her phone, a WeChat notification popped up-Lin Duxi.

Lin Duxi:  “A-Yu, I’ve cleaned your coat. When are you free? Let’s meet up-I’ll return it, and we can have dinner.”

Her voice message was soft, laced with a pleading sweetness. The online buzz didn’t seem to faze her.

An Yu:  “No need for dinner. Just keep the coat for now. I’ll let you know when I’m free.”

Hearing the clear rejection, Lin Duxi didn’t push.  “Okay. I’ll wait for you to contact me. I’ll bring it to you then.”

The slight dejection in her voice tugged at something deep in An Yu. A mischievous impulse struck, and she held down the voice message button.

Lin Duxi stared at the notification, her heart stuttering. Afraid An Yu might retract it, she quickly pressed play.

To her surprise, there was no sound-just An Yu’s faint breathing, captured in the recording.

Lin Duxi shuddered, as if her soul had been struck. With each exhale, the tremors deepened, her eyes burning with obsessive devotion.

She put on headphones, replaying it endlessly, whispering fervently:

“A-Yu.”