After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 81

The summers in Jiang City were always fleeting. Though it was still summer, the nighttime temperatures had already begun to drop, and the once-deafening chorus of cicadas had gradually faded away.

At four in the morning, the top fan of An Yu and Lin Duxi’s CP pairing,  “Did You Sleep Today?”  , posted a fan art piece on Weibo. Within a few hours, it was pinned to the top of their profile.

The notification from her phone woke Lin Duxi, but she didn’t feel the usual grogginess upon opening her eyes.

She had always been indifferent to most things in life. An Yu was the only person in this world who truly held her attention. Nights without An Yu felt no different from daytime to Lin Duxi.

The only time she slept soundly was during the show’s recordings when they shared the same bed.

Opening her phone, a notification from her special follow popped up. The bright screen cast a faint glow in her dark pupils, like scattered starlight. Lin Duxi took a quiet breath and stared intently at the image on her phone.

Two girls in blue-and-white school uniforms walked hand in hand down a path bathed in golden light. The road ahead was clear, yet their gazes never strayed from each other. The zippers of their uniforms fluttered in the wind, tracing elegant arcs in the air.

They turned their heads to look at one another, their eyes alight with tenderness, their reflections merging in each other’s gaze. The affection was deep yet natural, as if this was how things were always meant to be.

[Did the artist stay up this late just to draw? As their fan, I’m about to cry.]

[What’s this? CP content? Let me take a bite! What’s this? CP content? Let me take a bite! What’s this? CP content? Let me take a bite!]

[Good morning, artist! Is this something a mere mortal like me is allowed to see? Such pure romance!]

[Artist, you’ve changed your style, but I love this kind of art too! Every piece you make could be a wallpaper or profile picture! I’m crying!]

[Looking at the artist’s profile, I noticed they only follow the CP supertopic for these two. No way, is the artist a pure-hearted fan?!]

Lin Duxi stared at the image, her heart trembling as if something had brushed against it, leaving a tingling sensation. Her fingers shook slightly as she long-pressed the picture and saved it.

She initially wanted to set it as her lock screen but then remembered that An Yu still didn’t know she had discovered her identity as “Sleeping 24 Hours a Day”. Reluctantly, she gave up on the idea and instead sent a message to “Did You Sleep Today?” in their private chat.

[Artist, you stayed up so late drawing. Please remember to rest.]

Putting down her phone, the loneliness that had lingered in her heart earlier was now completely filled with thoughts of An Yu-overflowing with affection for her.

Lying back down, Lin Duxi thought about going to see An Yu in the morning but then remembered she had stayed up late. A pang of guilt struck her, and in the end, she drifted off to sleep with An Yu still on her mind.

It was a peaceful night.

Tomorrow would mark the start of the third episode of  “Hello, Friend”  . An Yu and Lin Duxi’s first-place ranking was undisputed, and the comments under the official Weibo post were filled with anticipation.

Following instructions from the production team, An Yu and Lin Duxi were to arrive at the filming location a day earlier than the others. Qiao Qingzhou deliberately didn’t explain why during the show.

“This is a reward for coming in first,” was all she said before booking their flights.

When An Yu finished packing and stepped out of her apartment, she coincidentally ran into Lin Duxi, who was also leaving at the same time. Their suitcases met before they did.

Seeing her, the ice in Lin Duxi’s eyes melted instantly, replaced by a warm, spring-like gentleness.

An Yu turned to lock her door, and Lin Duxi stood there, watching her with tender focus. The intensity of her gaze made An Yu’s ears turn red, and she couldn’t help but grumble internally.

“What’s so interesting about watching me lock a door?”

The words slipped out as a way to ease her own nervousness, but Lin Duxi heard them anyway.

The sound of suitcase wheels rolling against the floor echoed before bumping lightly against the freshly locked door.

Before An Yu could fully turn around, she was pushed back against the cold, hard surface of the door. A damp warmth pressed against her collarbone, and she froze in place.

The culprit showed no restraint, gently nipping at the thin skin until it flushed pink before finally pulling away.

An Yu was already covered in a fine sheen of sweat but made no move to push her away. She didn’t  want  to.

Satisfied, Lin Duxi kissed the spot once more before lifting her gaze to meet An Yu’s blushing face, her own lips slightly reddened.

“A-Yu is so beautiful.”

She reached out to straighten An Yu’s slightly disheveled clothes, then pulled her suitcase toward the elevator, leaving An Yu standing there in stunned silence.

Lin Duxi hadn’t used much force, but the place where she had bitten tingled, the sensation spreading through An Yu’s entire body.

She stood there for a long time, only snapping out of it when Lin Duxi called her from inside the elevator. Finally, she came to a realization.

Lin Duxi  really  liked biting people.

And… had Lin Duxi just answered her earlier question?

The production team had booked seats on the same flight for both of them, fully expecting them to travel together. They even arranged for staff to meet them at the airport.

As soon as the two stepped into the terminal, they were surrounded by a group of crew members, some holding live-streaming equipment.

[Wow, what’s this? A special treat for the winners?]

[They’re live-streaming? Unexpected! Are those my CP?!]

[Production team, you sneaky devils! Secretly giving them a live broadcast? But I love it!]

[Do they even know about this? An Yu’s shocked face is adorable! And Lin Duxi looks amazing too! What a god-tier couple!]

The sudden appearance of a camera in front of her caught An Yu off guard. Despite having filmed two episodes already, she was still visibly startled. Instinctively, she tugged at her collar, covering the bite mark on her collarbone.

Lin Duxi’s pupils dilated slightly before she quickly realized this was the production team’s real intention behind booking their flights. She moved closer to An Yu, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

She never missed an opportunity to assert her possessiveness over An Yu.

“Bet you didn’t expect this, right? This is your reward for winning!” a staff member said excitedly.

“We really didn’t,” An Yu admitted.

“There’s still some time before your flight. We’d like to interview you both-would that be okay?”

An Yu and Lin Duxi exchanged glances before An Yu nodded.

“You two ranked first among the six participants. How do you feel about that?” The host cut straight to the point, asking the most anticipated question.

The rankings were determined entirely by CP fans, so responding to their placement was essentially responding to the fans’ support. It was a delicate matter that required careful wording.

The viewers’ hearts raced as the barrage of comments on the live stream momentarily paused.

An Yu glanced at Lin Duxi, who happened to be looking back at her. Their eyes met, each reflecting the other’s image.

Lin Duxi turned to the camera with a faint smile.

“Thank you all for your love and support. We’ve seen all your votes.” Her lips curled slightly as she wrapped an arm around An Yu’s, holding her tightly.

An Yu added, “Thank you, everyone.”

It was a standard response, but it carried sincerity.

[They’re hugging! They’re hugging!]

[So formal! Can’t you say something like, ‘We’re together’?]

[Am I hearing things? I always thought Lin Duxi said ‘An Yu,’ but today it sounds like ‘A-Yu.’]

[Same! I noticed it during the show too. ‘An’ and ‘A’ sound similar, and without subtitles, I thought I misheard. But she really said ‘A-Yu,’ right? That’s a pet name!]

[Is it really ‘A-Yu’? At first, ‘An Yu’ sounded a bit off, but now the more I hear it, the more it sounds like ‘A-Yu.’ Does that mean Lin Duxi’s been calling her ‘A-Yu’ since Episode 1? What else have I missed?!]

The staff asked a few more questions, which both answered, but the audience’s attention had already shifted entirely to the “An Yu” versus “A-Yu” debate.

Despite the host’s attempts to steer the conversation back, the sweetness between Lin Duxi and An Yu was far more captivating than any scripted content. The comments remained fixated on the topic.

Realizing this, the staff gave up and let the discussion flow. After all, engagement was engagement, regardless of the topic.

“An Yu, are you feeling unwell?”

An Yu blinked. “No?”

“I thought you might have a cold since you’ve zipped your jacket all the way up in this warm airport.” The staff member chuckled awkwardly. “Glad you’re not sick.”

An Yu stiffened slightly. The heat she had just managed to suppress at her collarbone flared up again, and the tips of her ears, hidden beneath her hair, burned crimson. She forced a smile.

Lin Duxi’s grin widened.

By the time the interview ended, An Yu practically fled from the crew’s sight-though Lin Duxi was still holding her hand, so her escape was more symbolic than actual.

“Slow down. I’m a little tired,” Lin Duxi’s soft voice murmured behind her, so close it felt like a whisper against her ear.

They had only walked a few dozen meters. There was no way Lin Duxi was actually tired. An Yu huffed internally but obediently slowed her pace.

Lin Duxi gazed at her even more tenderly.

An Yu’s ears burned under her stare, and she tried to pull her hand free.

“Walk by yourself.”

But before she could fully let go, Lin Duxi caught her wrist, fingers sliding between hers until they were tightly interlaced.

“No. I want to hold A-Yu’s hand.” She pouted.

“Earlier, when they asked how you felt about being my partner, you said you ‘quite liked it.'” Lin Duxi looked at her accusingly.

An Yu frowned. “Was that wrong?”

Lin Duxi shook her head, the light in her eyes flickering with her movement.

“You shouldn’t have said ‘quite like.’ You should’ve said ‘really like.'” She insisted stubbornly, her grip tightening as if to prevent any chance of An Yu slipping away.

“‘Quite like’ isn’t the same as ‘really like.'”

An Yu, worn down by her persistence, relented. She knew all too well the mischievous side hidden beneath Lin Duxi’s innocent demeanor. Even when they were together before, Lin Duxi had always seized every opportunity to seek reassurance of An Yu’s affection.

“I really like having Lin Duxi as my partner,” An Yu said, meeting her eyes with a hint of exasperation.  “Is that better?”

Lin Duxi didn’t answer. Instead, she took a step forward, closing the distance until An Yu’s vision was filled with only her.

“Then what about me?”

“Do you like  me  ? Not as a partner. Just… Lin Duxi.”

A gust of wind seemed to roar in An Yu’s ears. The lingering heat of late summer surged back, crashing recklessly through her chest.

Her system’s warnings blared in her mind, alerting her of overstepped boundaries, but An Yu felt detached from them. The thunderous beat of her heart drowned out the noise, leaving only Lin Duxi in her vision.

“I already told you that six years ago.”