After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 78

She had previously invited Lin Duxi to go to the welfare center together, but Lin Duxi couldn’t make it due to other commitments. At that time, what kind of expression did Lin Duxi have?

An Yu carefully recalled-under the harsh light of the corridor, Lin Duxi’s slender back was bathed in the glow.

The look Lin Duxi gave her then was the same gentle and composed one as always, mixed with an emotion An Yu couldn’t quite decipher.

Now, she knew.

It was nervousness. The kind of nervousness that longed for An Yu to know the truth yet feared her discovering it.

As this realization settled in, An Yu felt her entire body tremble, her heart burning faintly at the thought.

Lin Duxi led An Yu to her door, paused, and tilted her head to look at her.

An Yu unlocked it with her fingerprint.

The door opened, and the dim interior was illuminated by the light from the doorway. Lin Duxi, still holding An Yu’s hand, didn’t let go, pulling her inside as they stepped in one after the other.

The moment she entered the room, before she could even react, she felt a tight pull on her hand and stumbled into a warm embrace.

Her back pressed against something soft, and she froze in place, hot breaths against her neck, tingling her fair skin.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, burying her entirely in An Yu’s embrace.

It was too close. Lin Duxi nearly lost herself in An Yu’s tenderness, the lingering warmth enveloping her. She bit her lip and lightly pushed An Yu’s head away with the last shred of her consciousness, whispering,

“Ah Yu…”

An Yu’s mind was already muddled from overthinking and the alcohol, but Lin Duxi’s actions only made the system in her head blare incessant warnings.

So annoying.

An Yu parted her lips, her teeth gently grazing the flushed skin, her lips and tongue teasing. The see-through long dress Lin Duxi wore proved quite useful at this moment, as fragmented, soft moans slipped into her ears with the breeze, lifting her mood.

This was more like it.

Satisfied, An Yu released her lips and soothingly kissed the spot she had just tormented, then obediently rested her head on Lin Duxi’s shoulder.

“I went to the welfare center yesterday,” she said, her voice low and muffled, sounding almost aggrieved-as if she hadn’t been the one causing mischief just moments ago.

Lin Duxi stiffened, then replied,

“I know. You told me.”

Buried in the crook of Lin Duxi’s neck, An Yu murmured,

“I met a really adorable little girl there. Her name is Xiao Xiao.”

Drunk An Yu was unbearably cute. Lin Duxi pushed back the thoughts of what she was supposed to do next, relaxing entirely in An Yu’s embrace, letting herself be held. A faint smile touched her lips.

“Xiao Xiao… what a sweet name. Just like Ah Yu.”

An Yu frowned slightly, letting out a small, disgruntled sound from her throat, as if protesting the comparison.

Lin Duxi’s heart melted. Unable to resist, she tilted her head and nuzzled An Yu’s hair.

“Xiao Xiao told me that a few years ago, someone caused trouble at the welfare center and destroyed a lot of things.”

Lin Duxi’s entire body went rigid. The smile on her face froze, and the thick, intimate atmosphere in the air vanished instantly. A breeze slipped through the gaps in the window, brushing against them, and Lin Duxi shivered.

She turned her head slightly and met An Yu’s clear eyes in the darkness.

In the end, judgment was inevitable.

Lin Duxi turned her head back, gripping An Yu’s hand tightly where it rested on her waist, and slowly closed her eyes.

“I know about that incident. Would you like me to tell you about it?” Despite her best efforts to steady her voice, the words still came out trembling.

An Yu’s heart felt as though it were being clenched tightly. She heard herself respond hoarsely,

“Okay.”

“The people who caused the trouble… were a family. They found out that a relative they’d abandoned had scored first in the city in the college entrance exams, so they went to her demanding money. When they didn’t get it, they destroyed things at the welfare center. The director was so angry she ended up hospitalized.”

“As for that top scorer… she took up tutoring, did every side job she could think of to raise money, but in the end, it still wasn’t enough. Those scoundrels realized they couldn’t squeeze anything out of her, so they threatened to go after the people close to her. Fortunately, they were arrested in the end.”

Lin Duxi recounted that painful memory in a natural tone, as if she were narrating someone else’s story rather than her own lived experience.

An Yu felt as though her heart had been gouged out, bleeding profusely.

“Stop…” An Yu realized her entire body was trembling. These seemingly indifferent words were all things Lin Duxi had personally endured. Just the slightest thought of it made her heart ache unbearably.

A wave of cowardice rose in her again-forcing Lin Duxi to relive her past would be nothing short of torture. She shouldn’t have asked her to speak of it.

But if left unspoken, that thorny seed would continue to fester between them. Only by digging out the festering wound could it truly heal.

She had to do this. Lin Duxi thought so too, which was why she had supported An Yu’s decision to confront it.

Lin Duxi obediently fell silent. She reached out and gently caressed An Yu’s cheek, her fingers brushing against cool tears. To lay bare her most unbearable memories, all for the sake of winning even a sliver of affection from the one she loved-she felt no pain.

“Back then… was this the reason you broke up with me?” An Yu loosened her embrace and turned Lin Duxi to face her. Heartache and other turbulent emotions churned violently in her chest.

Lin Duxi said nothing, but the depth of emotion in her eyes spoke louder than any words. Her heart constricted out of habit as she gazed at An Yu, desperate to find the emotions she longed for in her eyes.

And she saw them.

An Yu’s eyes shimmered with fractured light. The Lin Duxi before her seemed almost illusory, and her nose stung with unshed tears.

A single answer from Lin Duxi was enough to put her at ease. Once she understood the reason behind their breakup, An Yu’s heart noticeably relaxed. The only emotion left was pure heartache, and the chaotic thoughts that had plagued her these past days finally dissipated.

With no more reservations, she voiced the question that had haunted her for so long.

“I found your childhood notebook in the storage room.”

Lin Duxi raised an eyebrow-a rare reaction-and smiled faintly. “Oh?”

“When my parents were alive, they liked doing charity work, including at this orphanage. They even took a photo with the director here. You knew my parents long ago… Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lin Duxi lowered her eyes, sorrow pooling in their depths. How could she explain that it was her useless pride? That as a selfish, sensitive teenager, she couldn’t bear for An Yu to see her shame, so she chose to hide it?

Seeing Lin Duxi’s silence, An Yu’s heart lurched, panic surging anew. The calm surface of her emotions shattered into violent waves. Under the haze of alcohol, her consciousness drifted, her thoughts scattering.

“In that notebook, you said you wanted to repay my parents.” She trusted Lin Duxi’s feelings for her, trusted the bond between them-but she feared that this love might be tainted by other motives.

“No!” Before An Yu could finish, Lin Duxi already knew what she would say. “That’s not what I meant! I respected them, but I would never use my feelings as repayment. I truly loved you, A-Yu. My feelings for you were never mixed with anything else.”

She grabbed An Yu’s hand and pressed it desperately against her chest, hoping An Yu could feel the fervent love pounding within her. The consequences of her long concealment were now laid bare, and all she could offer were feeble, frantic explanations.

“A-Yu, can’t you tell the difference in my love?” Lin Duxi’s voice trembled, her eyes brimming with tears. She was already a mess, her defenses crumbling under the weight of regret.

She had once lost the one she loved because of cowardice. Now that she’d been given a second chance, she couldn’t bear to lose it again. After enduring those dark days, even the briefest glimpse of light was something she clung to with desperation.

An Yu’s heart ached, the pain sharpening her muddled thoughts. She realized immediately that her words had hurt Lin Duxi.

Lin Duxi didn’t know her true intentions and would naturally panic at such a question. She shouldn’t have asked it now.

“That’s not what I meant. I never doubted you. I just wanted to know if my parents had interfered in our relationship. I’m sorry-I’ve had too much to drink.” An Yu spoke in a rush, her intoxicated mind struggling to articulate her thoughts.

Lin Duxi shook her head gently and cupped An Yu’s cheek. “I know. Let’s get you to bed.”

She was still so gentle, still so forgiving. Yet An Yu’s heart ached all the more. She could feel Lin Duxi’s blazing love, but Lin Duxi couldn’t sense hers in return.

Lin Duxi took An Yu’s hand and led her to the bedroom, tending to her with the meticulous care of a nurse until she settled into bed.

An Yu, drowsy from the alcohol, fought to keep her eyes open, afraid Lin Duxi would leave upset. She clung to her hand, refusing to sleep.

With a soft sigh, Lin Duxi leaned in and whispered soothing words until An Yu finally succumbed to exhaustion. Even then, Lin Duxi didn’t leave the room.

She tucked An Yu’s hand under the covers, turned off the dim lamp, and stood there, gazing at her with tender devotion.

Then she closed the door behind her.

The moment the door clicked shut, Lin Duxi’s strength drained away. She slid to the floor, her entire body shaking. After a long while, she steadied herself, stood, and walked out.

It was past midnight. Standing in the hallway, Lin Duxi didn’t know where to go. She returned home, changed clothes, and stepped outside.

Aimless, she wandered the streets with her head down.

Having gone hours without food, she paused by the roadside to catch her breath. Dawn had broken, and when she lifted her gaze, she recognized a familiar building in the distance.

Unconsciously, she had been walking toward the orphanage-or rather, toward her childhood.

But she could never catch up to it. And she didn’t want to face it.

Lin Duxi hailed a cab and gave an address. In the early morning light, with her haggard appearance, the driver didn’t connect her to the celebrity she was.

The car stopped near a dilapidated park. Lin Duxi got out and found a clean spot to sit, guided by memory.

The park, long neglected, had playground equipment that no one used anymore. Without visitors, decay set in quickly.

Lin Duxi stared blankly at the structures, her mind conjuring the day she first met An Yu. The face in her memory was blurred, but the firm, clear voice was etched into her heart, echoing endlessly.

Lost in recollection, she shut out the world around her. By the time she noticed someone sitting beside her, much time had passed.

Startled, she looked up-and froze.

“A-Yu…?”

An Yu smiled at her stunned expression. “I’ve been sitting here for so long, and you only just noticed?”

“How did you find me here?” Lin Duxi was still in disbelief. How could An Yu have known?

An Yu took her cold hands in her own, warming them.

“I had a dream. In it, I was a child again. I came to this park and saw a beautiful little girl being bullied by some mean kids, so I helped her fight back. We played here for a long time… but then she disappeared. I wanted to find her, so I came here.”

She turned to Lin Duxi, her eyes glimmering softly.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to remember.”