After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 70

Several kilometers away from An Yu and Shi Yu, there stood an old, dilapidated neighborhood nearly forgotten by the city’s rapid development.

The crumbling walls shed chunks of plaster, the gray-white fragments littering the damp, moldy ground where swarms of insects thrived in the dark, humid crevices.

The afternoon was leisurely, but the overcrowded residential buildings trapped the late summer heat, making even the early autumn breeze useless against the stifling warmth.

A few elderly men sat together, lazily fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, chatting idly.

The muddy ground, still wet from the recent rain, was pockmarked with puddles that silently reflected the gloomy sky.

From a distance, a man appeared on the street, his face tightly concealed beneath a hat. His already filthy shoes splashed through the puddles, the water spraying up and drawing the attention of the elderly residents sitting at their doorsteps. They whispered among themselves.

Hearing their murmurs, the man suddenly turned his head and glared at them with a sinister gaze that instantly silenced them. All they could see was a glimpse of his yellow hair peeking out from under his cap.

The man adjusted his clothes, hiding the bruises on his face, then scurried away like a rat fleeing the scene.

Once he was gone, the old folks resumed their hushed gossip.

“Isn’t that Yongfeng’s son? I recognized his yellow hair.”

“Must be. Who else around here has yellow hair?”

“Why’s he back? Didn’t he just get out? Came back to extort money from his mom again?”

“Who knows? Family matters, tsk tsk… Oh, stop talking, he just looked back. Last time, he beat Meiyi’s kid so badly they ended up in the hospital. Don’t stare at him.”

Lin Ze fled all the way home. When he saw the shabby, broken door, the anger from his encounter on the street flared up instantly. He strode forward and kicked it violently, forcing it open with a creak-who knew how much longer it could hold?

Zhao Sunan, who had been cooking by the door, flinched at the noise. When she saw who it was, her heart didn’t calm-instead, it clenched tighter.

“Xiao Ze, Xiao Ze, what happened to you? Who did this to your face?” Her anxious voice woke the man who had just fallen asleep in the inner room. The man stumbled out, reeking of alcohol, a liquor bottle in hand.

“What the hell are you screaming for? You think I won’t beat you just because it’s daytime?” He staggered closer and recognized the person at the door, his expression darkening.

“Why are you back?”

Lin Ze glanced at him dismissively, ignoring the question, and instead held out his hand to Zhao Sunan.

“Give me money.”

Zhao Sunan froze. “X-Xiao Ze, I haven’t gotten my salary this month yet…”

“Give. Me. Money.” Lin Ze frowned impatiently.

“Enough!” the drunken man bellowed. “What’s all the yelling about? If our son needs money, just give it to him! What’s the fuss? Don’t tell me you’re broke after volunteering at that damn orphanage?”

The woman lowered her head, enduring his verbal abuse. It had been six years since that incident, and she hadn’t returned to the orphanage since. Yet this man kept bringing it up.

With that, the man casually tossed his liquor bottle aside. It shattered on the ground with a loud  bang  . Then he yanked open a drawer under the TV stand, pulled out a worn-out purse, and fished out a wad of cash from inside.

Before he could count it, Lin Ze snatched it away. “Thanks, Dad.”

The man studied the bruises on his son’s face. “What happened to you?”

At this, Lin Ze’s eyes darkened with malice. He gritted his teeth. “Lin Duxi did this.” The memory of her cold, disgusted glare in that alley still made him tremble with rage. He wanted to tear her apart.

Hearing this, both the man and the woman froze. The woman behind him even began to shake uncontrollably, while the man’s expression twisted with hatred.

“That bitch! Now that she’s made it big, she doesn’t even acknowledge her own uncle? And she dares to lay hands on my son?” He rolled up his sleeves. “If I don’t teach that ungrateful wretch a lesson, I’ll change my damn surname!”

The woman reached out as if to stop him but was cowed into silence by his glare. She instinctively pulled down her sleeves, covering the unhealed wounds beneath.

Drunk and furious, the man began smashing things in the house. “If Mom and Dad hadn’t only paid for my older brother’s education back then, I wouldn’t be in this mess! Their whole family owes me! My brother got burned to death by his wife, and now Lin Duxi owes me even more! Now that she’s rich, she won’t even spare a cent? What a goddamn  ungrateful wretch  !”

“Back then, wasn’t she cozying up to some rich guy? When Xiao Ze went to ask her for money, she ran faster than anyone! And you!” He suddenly turned to Zhao Sunan, his face red with rage. “You’ve got some nerve, sneaking off to see her behind my back, even volunteering at that place! What, were you planning to work there for free forever if I hadn’t found out?”

Zhao Sunan instinctively backed away until her back hit the wooden door. A hand suddenly blocked Lin Yongfeng’s arm.

“Dad, Lin Duxi lives in a high-end neighborhood now. It’s not easy to get money from her anymore.” With one sentence, he redirected the man’s attention.

“Then what do we do? We finally found out where she lives.” The man grabbed another empty bottle and hurled it at the woman. It smashed at her feet, making her flinch violently.

“I’ll keep staking her out. If she hasn’t moved, we’ll find her eventually. We’ll force her to pay.”

Lin Yongfeng lit a cigarette. “She used to give us something, but now? Not a damn cent. She’s really grown wings.” He glanced at his son, who was now taller than him, and jerked his chin at Zhao Sunan.

“Later, call Factory Manager Li. Tell him to take our son back to the factory.”

The woman muttered under her breath, “After what happened last time, Manager Li won’t dare hire him again. If you want to ask, do it yourself. Don’t make me do it.”

The man’s face darkened. “What did you say? Hurry up and call him! You really don’t know your place!” He raised his hand threateningly.

The woman had no choice but to pick up her battered phone and retreat into the bedroom to make the call.

Once she was gone, Lin Ze leaned closer to Lin Yongfeng. “Lin Duxi’s been getting close to some woman lately. We could use her to force Lin Duxi to pay up.”

Lin Yongfeng clapped his son on the shoulder. “That’s my boy. You’re right. Lin Duxi’s always been desperate to hide her past. But we’re her only family left in this world.”

Behind the thin bedroom door, Zhao Sunan pressed her back against the wood, trembling uncontrollably. The vile, mocking laughter seeped through the cracks, filling her ears. A surge of dread rose in her chest.

I have to warn Duxi. Fast.

An Yu stood by the courtyard wall, taking deep breaths to steady herself. Despite the sunlight, a deep chill clung to her, one that even the warmth couldn’t dispel.

Pieces of a puzzle she had never noticed before were falling into place.

The man in black was named Lin Ze-Lin, like Lin Duxi. Zhao Sunan’s son shared the same name. And Zhao Sunan had once volunteered at Lin Duxi’s orphanage.

An Yu’s heart twisted. Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, but a small, warm hand suddenly grasped hers.

“Sister, your hands are so cold.” A clear, childish voice piped up beside her. An Yu looked down and saw the little girl who had slipped her the note earlier. She remembered her name-Xiaoxiao (  Little Smile  ).

“What’s wrong, Xiaoxiao?” She crouched down to the girl’s level, forcing a gentle smile.

“Your hands are cold. Can I warm them for you?” The innocent voice soothed some of the turmoil in An Yu’s heart.

Just as An Yu was about to respond, the girl continued, “Did you warm Duxi-jie’s hands like this too?”

An Yu’s smile froze. She didn’t know how to answer, her fingers stiffening in the child’s grasp.

When she didn’t reply, Xiaoxiao pressed on stubbornly. “Sister, did you? On the mountain, did you warm Duxi-jie’s hands like this? The headmistress said only people who are really close do that.”

“Where is Duxi-jie?” she asked again.

An Yu finally found her voice. “Duxi-jie is busy right now. Next time, I’ll bring her with me, okay?”

Xiaoxiao released her hand, her head drooping as if disappointed.

“Duxi-jie won’t come.” Children spoke without filters, their thoughts unfiltered.

An Yu’s heart lurched. “Why do you say that?”

Xiaoxiao looked up, then suddenly covered her mouth as if she’d said something she shouldn’t have. Without another word, she turned and ran off.

An Yu found her later, sitting alone on a wooden rocking horse in the backyard. A staff member nearby followed An Yu’s gaze and sighed.

“Xiaoxiao is such a sweet child, just a little shy.”

An Yu turned to her, silently urging her to continue.

“Xiaoxiao… she came to the orphanage on her own. She said her parents didn’t want her anymore. We were shocked. When we asked, she told us she couldn’t sleep one night and went to the living room for water. That’s when she overheard her parents talking about giving her away so they could have another child. She didn’t want that, so she ran away.”

“This child… to hear her own parents say they didn’t love her-how heartbreaking. We named her Xiaoxiao (  Little Smile  ) because we wanted her to smile more.” The staff member sighed again before walking away, leaving An Yu alone with her thoughts.

Xiaoxiao rested her forehead against the horse’s head, pouting as if lost in thought. Suddenly, a lollipop appeared in front of her, instantly capturing her attention.

“Do you want it? It’s yours.” An Yu held it out to her.

Xiaoxiao looked up at An Yu’s gentle expression and timidly reached out. “Thank you.”

An Yu sat on the ground beside her, bringing herself to the girl’s eye level.

“Can you tell me what you were going to say earlier?”

Maybe it was the closeness, or maybe the magic of candy, but after a moment’s hesitation, Xiaoxiao unwrapped the lollipop and popped it into her mouth.

“But you have to promise not to tell anyone else.”

An Yu smiled and held out her pinky. “I promise. Let’s pinky-swear.”

Xiaoxiao trusted her instantly, eagerly linking her tiny finger with An Yu’s. She began recalling, “A few days ago, the moon was really round. The headmistress gave us yummy mooncakes.” She started with unrelated details, and An Yu listened patiently.

“The mooncakes were so good I ate too many. At night, I got thirsty and went to get water. After drinking, I saw how bright the moon was and wanted to look at it. The headmistress’s room is down the hall, so I sat in the corridor and heard voices inside.”

“It was the headmistress talking to the old headmistress (  who had passed away  ). She said that during Mid-Autumn Festival, the spirits of our loved ones miss us too.”

“I heard the old headmistress say that because of  that incident  , Duxi-jie hasn’t come back in years.”

An Yu’s heart skipped a beat. “What incident?”

Xiaoxiao frowned, thinking hard.

“I heard the headmistress say… Duxi-jie’s old family came looking for her. They argued at the orphanage, and the old headmistress got so upset she ended up in the hospital. They were really mean. It scared Duxi-jie so much she never came back.”