After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 24

“It still feels a little disappointing.” Lin Duxi held her for a few seconds before letting go, tugging at An Yu’s sleeve, her brows slightly slumping. “My mask isn’t finished yet.” She lowered her eyes; her raven-like lashes trembled gently in the sunlight, as if expressing her sadness.

An Yu thought she was regretting about her own mask, and when she tilted her head to look, she indeed saw the grotesque mask next to an unfinished one quietly resting on the table. Just like its owner, it seemed to want to hide everything, not letting anyone see it.

An Yu couldn’t help the faint ache in her heart. “I’ll help you,” she said.

Lin Duxi lifted her head at her words. “But your mask isn’t finished either, Ah Yu. Making masks is troublesome. Let mine be for now; it’s fine if I don’t wear it at the gathering.”

She truly was thinking about An Yu’s feelings.

An Yu smiled softly and couldn’t help but reach out to stroke Lin Duxi’s hair. Lin Duxi, still with slightly reddened corners of her eyes from the earlier pain, looked a little flustered under her touch. An Yu’s fingers ran through her smooth hair, feeling like she was stroking a little cat.

“It’s okay, wait a moment,” An Yu said. She stood up and went to her own desk, handling something on the mask.

Lin Duxi watched her careful movements and couldn’t help but recall how gentle she had been while bandaging her wound earlier. Her gaze unconsciously became burning.

Afraid of being caught on camera, Lin Duxi turned her gaze away. She noticed the unfinished mask on the table, which she hadn’t touched before. She couldn’t bring herself to handle it carelessly and instead focused on her own mask.

How would Ah Yu help her, just like she held her hand earlier?

She wanted to feel that embrace from An Yu again—the sensation of being enveloped in her presence—something unreachable in countless dreams, something she longed for every time she awoke from pain alone.

Suddenly, Lin Duxi wanted to create something. She picked up a file and, ignoring the wound on her hand, started to carve downward.

At that moment, a mask appeared in her line of sight, and Lin Duxi instinctively stopped to take it. It was a little cat mask, beautifully painted and crafted, and she instantly liked it.

An Yu took the file from her, noticing her slightly stunned expression, and swallowed her worried, irritated words. She said softly, “If the mask I make for you later doesn’t fully satisfy you, you can wear this one first.”

Lin Duxi looked at her; An Yu played with the file, deliberately not meeting her eyes, though her slightly reddened ears betrayed her.

Lin Duxi was momentarily stunned, her dark, beautiful eyes filled with a mix of emotions. She lowered her eyes, gently tracing the patterns on the little cat mask.

“Did you make this, Ah Yu?”

“Yes,” An Yu said, swallowing. If Lin Duxi didn’t like it, she truly wouldn’t know how to make it up to her.

“It should be… bearable, right?” she said cautiously.

Lin Duxi raised her head. She restrained her complex emotions, leaving only endless joy in her eyes. “I really like it.”

Especially, especially like it—so much that she nearly couldn’t hide her secret thoughts from An Yu.

Hearing this, An Yu finally relaxed. “I’m glad you like it.” She moved a small stool beside Lin Duxi, sat down, and slowly started working on her mask.

“You talk, I’ll make it according to your instructions.”

Lin Duxi: “Okay.”

“What about that… other mask?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

They’re just having a little playful fun, exchanging masks. I’ll buy some snacks; their eye contact is definitely not innocent—this is so fun to watch!

Their interactions are so genuine. I’d believe Lin Duxi is acting, but An Yu… unless she’s possessed, they really do have something between them.

As a fan of this pairing, seeing their sincere interaction, I can’t help but shout: YuXi is the best!

In the evening, the town’s gathering usually started at sunset, so Lin Duxi and An Yu didn’t prepare dinner and went with the others to the market.

Director Qiao Qingzhou nearly fainted when she learned about Lin Duxi’s accidental injury. She had already imagined Lin Duxi’s fans storming her house and insisted on taking Lin Duxi to the hospital.

But Lin Duxi merely smiled and showed her bandaged hand. “An Yu already disinfected and bandaged it; no need to bother, Director Qiao.” She knew the wound she caused herself wasn’t serious.

After repeatedly confirming she was truly fine, the director eventually persuaded her to go to the hospital later. After Lin Duxi left, she broke into a cold sweat, increasingly uneasy about what Lin Duxi had said—it sounded a bit like boasting.

As evening approached, the townspeople began bustling about. This town thrived on tourism, so the gathering was decorated very festively.

The six of them drove to a lively area and could see the streets lined with decorations full of local charm.

The car stopped at a crowded spot; from a distance, they saw a sea of people—locals and tourists alike.

“The town has a long history and retains many traditional programs. Attending the gathering feels like celebrating an ancient festival. Please pay attention to your partners, and don’t get separated,” the director kindly reminded.

The crew couldn’t drive into the crowd, so they stopped outside. The director reminded them that a bonfire would be lit at the center in an hour.

An Yu checked the time and saw it was still early. She got out first but instinctively wanted to turn around, feeling uneasy amidst so many people.

Lin Duxi, standing beside her, was instantly swept along by the crowd. An Yu, worried about her injured hand, followed quickly despite her own discomfort.

Walking through the noisy streets, the more people passed, the stronger An Yu’s sense of resistance became. She broke into a cold sweat as idle gossip reached her ears:

“Isn’t this An’s daughter? Oh dear…”

“The An family is really unfortunate. Both parents died, leaving just this little one. What will happen now?”

“This little one is the family treasure; the couple really let go easily.”

An Yu tried not to pay attention, but the murmurs hit her sharply. She shook her head, attempting to dismiss them, yet the whispers surged like a tide, leaving her gasping for air.

The town’s festive atmosphere was strong; Lin Duxi pulled An Yu from shop to shop, enjoying the local goods.

“Ah Yu, look at this,” Lin Duxi said, holding a box of pastries. But she noticed An Yu’s expression had turned serious and distracted.

“Ah Yu, what’s wrong?” Lin Duxi quickly put the pastries down, shaking An Yu’s arm to snap her out of her daze.

“I’m fine, just tired from a long day,” An Yu said, calming herself.

Lin Duxi relaxed slightly. “Ah Yu, you must be tired. Sorry I made you do extra work. Let me help you get out; we can rest, right?”

“I’m fine, let’s explore a little more,” An Yu replied. She didn’t want to ruin Lin Duxi’s mood, carefully watching her injured hand while holding it.

Lin Duxi looked at her with a complicated expression, watching her lead the way into the crowd.

As dusk fell, lanterns lit the streets. At the center, a large pile of firewood had been stacked for the bonfire, with a safety perimeter around it. Staff occasionally checked the time, preparing to light it.

An Yu and Lin Duxi wandered the outskirts for a while, meeting many of Lin Duxi’s fans, delaying them. By the time they reached the center, the bonfire was already lit.

The flames illuminated everything like daylight. An Yu spotted Pei Lu standing in the crowd, scanning around, and frowned.

“Hope my host creates opportunities for the leads in the afternoon and evening,” the system’s morning words resurfaced in her mind. An Yu gritted her teeth, reluctantly pulling away from Lin Duxi.

Meanwhile, Lin Duxi browsed a shop, finding a little cat pendant and enjoying it. When she turned to share her joy, An Yu had disappeared into the crowd.

Panic surged. Had An Yu abandoned her again, disappearing like before?

Clenching her hands, Lin Duxi ignored the bleeding from her injured hand. She felt no interest in the pendant she had just liked.

Just then, people shouted: “Lin Laoshi!”

Pei Lu approached. Lin Duxi’s thoughts cleared. Facing the camera again, her expression returned to normal.

“The bonfire has started. Go watch,” Pei Lu said.

Lin Duxi smiled slightly. “Alright, let me buy something first.” She purchased the little cat pendant, eyes flickering with understanding.

An Yu had left, and someone behind her probably wanted Lin Duxi to interact with Pei Lu. Lin Duxi decided to play along.

“Lin Laoshi’s pendant suits you quite well,” someone remarked.

Lin Duxi smiled faintly, her eyes emotionless. “Is that so?”

An Yu stood not far off, watching Lin Duxi walk away with Pei Lu. A pang of sadness rose in her chest. She felt uneasy, reached for some items, intending to rest and prepare dinner, yet continued into the crowd toward the bonfire.

The closer she got, the more the crowd pressed in, making her suffocate. Her limbs weakened, yet she pressed on.

Lin Duxi, walking with Pei Lu, slipped away from him through the dense crowd and was not found by the filming crew.

She had acted enough; whoever was behind An Yu probably wouldn’t notice. She planned to return to the car to wait for her.

Suddenly, shouts erupted: “Fire! Fire!”

“Lin’s house is on fire! Call the police! Get water!”

“The couple is still inside, save them!”

“The fire’s huge! First, extinguish it!”

No one noticed a little girl rushing in and getting knocked down by the frantic crowd.

Lin Duxi, feeling pain, fell to the ground but continued to stare at the blazing fire, her dark eyes reflecting the flames but remaining impenetrable.

Her pretty dress was stained with dust and dirt. She muttered, “Mom…”

“Mom,” Lin Duxi whispered with trembling lips, her eyes filled with mist, a sense of despair contrasting the chaos around her.

A warm hand suddenly held her wrist. Lin Duxi shivered and turned to meet An Yu’s concerned gaze.

“Ah Yu.” Her lips moved slowly, eyes slightly red, a wave of pain and despair only stirred by seeing An Yu.

Sensing Lin Duxi’s unusual state, An Yu said softly, “It’s too hot here. Let’s go out.” She led her to a quiet, cool spot.

Lin Duxi let herself be guided, saying nothing.

An Yu sat her down away from the fire. The heat dissipated immediately.

“What happened just now?” An Yu asked, puzzled at Lin Duxi’s unusual calm smile.

“I was scared by the sudden fire,” Lin Duxi explained. She held Lin Duxi’s hand while massaging it gently. “It’s okay now. With you here, I’m not afraid.”

Seeing Lin Duxi smile, An Yu relaxed but noticed the bandage bleeding.

Her face changed. She quickly took alcohol and fresh bandages from her bag.

“The wound reopened. I’ll bandage it again,” An Yu said, gently removing the old bandage. Indeed, a slit had opened on the nearly healed wound. Her expression turned grave—she still hadn’t protected her properly.

An Yu carefully wrapped her hand again, her delicate fingers brushing past Lin Duxi’s hand, unintentionally stirring her.

Lin Duxi watched her movements, her gaze darkening. She clenched her other hand, biting her lip in restraint.

AnYu, don’t be so gentle and then push me away. I really can’t control myself.

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