After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 65

When it came to understanding the other side of Lin Duxi beneath her gentle and pure appearance, An Yu believed that if she claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.

Back in high school, when her relationship with Lin Duxi wasn’t as close, An Yu could only observe her from afar and conclude that she was a gentle person-polite to everyone, the epitome of a model student in the eyes of teachers, and an unattainable white moonlight in the eyes of her peers.

An Yu had once thought the same. Lin Duxi was academically outstanding, always treating others with warmth, as if no amount of perfect words in the world could fully capture her essence.

But as she spent more time with Lin Duxi, An Yu began to sense a strange atmosphere between them. It was hard to define, but she didn’t dislike it, nor did it stop her from always leaning in Lin Duxi’s direction.

Back then, An Yu had liked Lin Duxi very much. The affections of youth weren’t as heavy or restrained as those of adults-all her feelings were written plainly on her face. Every time she saw Lin Duxi, her heart would surge with excitement. An Yu couldn’t pinpoint exactly when she had fallen for Lin Duxi. By the time she realized it, that fondness had already become a weighty presence in her heart, roaring relentlessly and churning like turbulent waves.

Fortunately, Lin Duxi liked her too.

After graduation, the two of them followed their hearts and got together. Lin Duxi would often cling to her, demanding love and affection. If An Yu refused, she would burrow into her arms and plead. An Yu adored her too much-she was willing to give her anything she asked for.

It was then that An Yu began to catch glimpses of the obsession hidden beneath Lin Duxi’s gentle exterior. The mild-mannered, seemingly fragile Lin Duxi was like a delicate dodder vine, slowly wrapping around An Yu. By the time An Yu realized it, she could no longer extricate herself from Lin Duxi.

That faint trace of possessiveness, only visible to An Yu during their passionate romance, now flickered in Lin Duxi’s eyes, reflecting the dim light of the night in the darkened room.

An Yu met her gaze, taking in the smile in Lin Duxi’s eyes, and felt a chill in her heart. For a moment, it was as if she had returned to that rainy night years ago-the clamor of raindrops against the window, the heat rising between their bodies, An Yu lying in her arms, quietly sobbing as she asked if they would always be together. Lin Duxi had gently kissed her knuckles while cleaning her up, her damp, flushed eyes brimming with infatuation and obsession as she murmured,  Yes.

An Yu lowered her gaze, freeing her hand from Lin Duxi’s grip. She interlaced her fingers, lightly rubbing the spot Lin Duxi had just kissed. It burned as if scorched by spring fire, growing hotter by the second.

Her mind was a mess, but in the end, her heart sank as she softly replied, “That’s good. As long as you’re following your heart.”

Lin Duxi’s smile deepened. “Will A-Yu be happy?”

The question caught An Yu off guard.  Would she be happy?

She hadn’t completed the mission assigned by the system and had been thrown into punishment. Was she happy? But even now, knowing that Lin Duxi would never have any future with Pei Lu, knowing that the mission had ultimately been futile, she didn’t feel much of anything.

She should be happy, right?

So An Yu gave a slight nod in response.

Lin Duxi’s face blossomed into a smile, her eyes glimmering with light.

An Yu turned her head toward the night concealed by the curtains. “What time is it?”

“Almost midnight. Are you still sleepy?” Lin Duxi lifted the blanket and draped it over An Yu.

An Yu shook her head, then remembered something.

“Where’s my phone?”

The light in Lin Duxi’s eyes dimmed slightly. It seemed she wouldn’t be able to sleep with An Yu tonight after all. She got up and walked to a nearby cabinet, opened it, took out a jacket, and retrieved the phone inside before handing it to An Yu.

An Yu thanked her and turned on the phone, searching for her chat with Shi Yu. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lin Duxi still watching her. “I need to apologize to Shi Yu. I promised to go to the welfare home with her today.”

Lin Duxi nodded. “I already told her you weren’t feeling well and couldn’t go.”

An Yu opened the chat and indeed saw unfamiliar messages in her conversation with Shi Yu, along with a call log lasting one minute and thirty-five seconds.

Shi Yu:   An Yu, are you ready? I’ll pick you up at nine tomorrow.

Shi Yu:   Are you there?

Shi Yu:   An Yu?

A few hours later, Lin Duxi had called Shi Yu directly-likely to explain the situation.

Relieved, An Yu turned off her phone and set it aside before lying back down. It was late; she would clarify things with Shi Yu tomorrow.

She glanced at Lin Duxi, who was still standing by the wardrobe in her nightgown, her slender, poised figure faintly visible.

“You stayed with me all day?”

Lin Duxi nodded.

An Yu couldn’t help but say, “I’m sorry for keeping you from your plans today.”

Lin Duxi’s heart stirred. “It’s fine. The person I was supposed to meet also had something come up. I’m happy A-Yu still remembers I had plans.”

An Yu sat up again, looking at her. “It’s really late now. You’ve been taking care of me all this time, and I’m feeling much better. You should go rest.”

At this, Lin Duxi stepped out of the shadows, allowing An Yu to see the exhaustion on her face. A stifling emotion lodged itself in An Yu’s throat. Lin Duxi had spent the whole day looking after her, likely without proper rest. A faint ache rose in her heart.

Lin Duxi didn’t move, stubbornly staring at her.

An Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. “Go rest. If taking care of me leaves you exhausted, I’ll worry.”

Finally, Lin Duxi’s gaze softened. She quietly watched An Yu, their locked eyes seeming to form tangible threads of silver moonlight in the night. In the end, it was Lin Duxi who looked away first. “I’ll go to the living room. Call me if you need anything, A-Yu.”

An Yu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She knew this was Lin Duxi’s greatest concession, but she didn’t want her sleeping on the cramped sofa. A pang of sorrow welled up in her heart.

“What if you catch it?” An Yu asked abruptly. Lin Duxi understood her meaning, and a note of joy crept into her voice.

“I won’t. The doctor said it’s just a common cold. A-Yu… do you want me to stay with you?”

Exposed by Lin Duxi’s directness, An Yu’s cheeks instantly flushed pink. “I just-I’m worried my fever might spike again in the middle of the night. That’s why I’m bothering you. If you don’t want to, forget it.”

Lin Duxi had already climbed onto the bed, lifting the blanket to wrap An Yu in her arms. Warmth enveloped her instantly, and An Yu couldn’t help but close her eyes.

“Whatever A-Yu says.”

An Yu obediently shut her eyes. She had slept all day and now felt wide awake. Her thoughts drifted back to what Lin Duxi had said earlier-and to that trending topic.

“Will Pei Lu be able to stay in the entertainment industry?” she asked.

Lin Duxi held her close, nuzzling her neck lazily before replying, “Maybe. I only exposed his cheating and how he mistreated his staff. The stuff about him abusing power for personal gain is still under wraps.”

An Yu was slightly surprised. How could someone like that still be the male lead? Then again, wasn’t this exactly the kind of cliché trope found in old-fashioned melodramas? Her astonishment faded, though she still found it hard to believe Lin Duxi had been the one to expose him.

There was no chance of anything happening between Pei Lu and her now-An Yu was certain of that. But what about the System? Would it give up on its mission, or would it find another male lead?

Pondering this, An Yu figured the System’s personality suggested it wouldn’t let her off so easily. Finding a new male lead seemed more likely. The fact that it hadn’t come after her despite her prolonged awakening supported this theory-it was probably too busy scrambling to deal with the fallout to bother her for now.

Her own female lead had exposed the male lead’s scandals. What a delightful surprise.

An Yu couldn’t help but smile. Thinking back on that punishment, she still found it hard to believe. The System’s so-called “punishment mode” had forced her to relive the pain of that moment, but in doing so, she had also recalled other details. A vague idea began forming in her mind.

With Lin Duxi beside her, An Yu’s unease dissipated. Surrounded by that familiar scent, her tense nerves gradually relaxed. Just as she was drifting into sleep, a soft, slightly husky voice murmured by her ear.

“Next time we film the variety show, if I follow your lead, will you reward me?” The whisper tugged at her heart, pulling her deeper into surrender.

An Yu thought to herself-when the System issued its next task, she’d give Lin Duxi a reward. Lin Duxi would follow her lead, and whether they succeeded or not wouldn’t matter. It was a good deal.

Her consciousness slowly succumbed to Lin Duxi’s gentle voice. The last thing she heard was her own drowsy murmur of “Okay” before she sank into dreams.

Beside her sleeping form, someone propped themselves up on one elbow, gazing at her. Their eyes traced the lines of her forehead, her brows, the bridge of her nose, before finally lingering on her soft, rosy lips. A quiet smile curved their lips.

After successfully inviting Lin Duxi to live with her, An Yu promptly reported the arrangement to her parents. Her explanation revolved entirely around “Lin Duxi’s grades are excellent, and having her here will improve my own academic performance.” An Huaili was easily convinced, but Yu Yinzhen remained skeptical.

“It’s your senior year of high school. How can you be so sure Lin Duxi is willing to put her own studies aside to tutor you?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but through the speakerphone, it rang clearly in An Yu’s ears.

“Lin Duxi said that explaining problems to me is like solving them herself-it reinforces her own understanding,” An Yu replied, straightening her back to mask the guilt in her voice.

Yu Yinzhen finally relented, reminding her to treat her classmate well before hurriedly hanging up. And so, Lin Duxi moved in, and the two began living together.

At first, they were both awkward about the sudden change. An Yu would avoid Lin Duxi at home, and though Lin Duxi found it strange, she didn’t press the matter. She simply watched as An Yu grew increasingly flustered under her gaze, her fair cheeks flushing pink.

As the year drew to a close, neither of the two workaholic parents showed any desire to return home. An Yu was used to their business trips, but she couldn’t help feeling a little sad. On her eighteenth birthday, her parents, overseas, only called for less than ten minutes before vanishing again.

In the distant villa, the guests she had invited reveled noisily inside. An Yu stood by the frozen fountain, kicking idly at the tiles, bored.

The clamor and laughter behind her seemed to belong to another world. The people inside were mostly unfamiliar-children of business associates and a few classmates. Though her parents hadn’t attended, they had arranged everything down to the last detail.

The birthday segment had passed, and the extravagant eighteen-tier cake had been devoured in the chaos of games and laughter. An Yu wandered the garden, waiting for the noise to die down.

Behind her, footsteps crunched softly in the snow. An Yu turned and met Lin Duxi’s clear, bright eyes.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked.

Lin Duxi smiled, stepping closer to gaze at the stars with her.

“There are so many stars,” An Yu murmured.

“No moon. That’s why they’re so bright,” Lin Duxi replied.

An Yu frowned. “You really… have no sense of romance.”

Lin Duxi chuckled, her eyes reflecting the scattered starlight. Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled out a small box.

An Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She took it and carefully opened it-inside was a bracelet.

The silver-white bracelet gleamed under the starlight. Simple and unadorned, it bore only an engraving of a faint purple rose, with two letters inscribed inside:

A & L

“Happy birthday, An Yu,” Lin Duxi said softly, her lowered hands trembling with nervousness. The cost of this custom bracelet had nearly drained all her savings from part-time jobs. She was afraid An Yu wouldn’t like it-and even more afraid she’d discover the hidden meaning behind it.

Purple roses symbolized  captivated love  .

An Yu lowered her head, tracing the delicate patterns with her fingers before slipping it onto her wrist. When she looked up again, her eyes shimmered with joy. She took a step forward and gently embraced Lin Duxi. All the grievances she had felt earlier melted away in that moment.

And now, the deafening rhythm of her own heartbeat made her finally realize-the true nature of her feelings for Lin Duxi.

(Purple roses symbolize “captivated love.” Source: Baidu. Corrections welcome.)