After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 27

“About Director Tan’s script, I think you should give it some serious thought. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hope you can make up your mind,” Ning Xuan said to her, speaking earnestly.

“Let me know if you agree to audition, and I’ll try to secure some time for you.”

An Yu held the script tightly, lowered her head, and walked out of the office.

As soon as she closed the door, she ran into an unexpected visitor.

“An Yu, long time no see!” A man dressed fashionably greeted her lazily. Even in the office, under artificial lights, he still wore sunglasses.

An Yu curled her lips slightly: “Indeed, Mr. Qi, it’s been a while.”

“Oh, you should know by now, you’re Ning Jie’s favorite, so it’s not ‘An Yu’ anymore—you should call me ‘An Jie,’” the man, Qi Qi, said, pretending to be surprised. His gaze fell on the script in An Yu’s hands. He froze for a moment, then laughed with disdain.

“Should I say Ning Jie’s business sense is impressive? You just got a script as your career started picking up. Now you’ve got the chance to ride the wave—gotta make the most of it, right, An Jie?”

Qi Qi’s eyes, no longer hidden behind sunglasses, revealed undisguised contempt. His words were laced with insinuation, mocking An Yu for riding Lin Duxi’s popularity. He, who had once held all the power over her, now found himself beneath her overnight. He couldn’t accept it.

Moreover, he had previously suggested keeping An Yu as a kept woman to provide her with resources. When she refused, he had blocked her access before. Now that she had succeeded without him, he was even more determined to reclaim his pride. He assumed she would ignore him as before, making his words even more cutting.

“You know, in the entertainment industry, shamelessness really pays off. The chances of rising increase fast. But my face is important too—after all, I need to go home for dinner once a week. Don’t you agree?”

An Yu looked at him steadily, suddenly raised her hand, and slapped him across the face.

“Smack!” Silence fell over the office. Everyone nearby perked up.

Qi Qi, unprepared for the slap, thought she had been stunned by his words, but the next second, he felt a fiery pain across his cheek. He instinctively turned his head, covering his face in shock.

An Yu smiled faintly: “Oh, sorry! There was a mosquito on your face just now. I didn’t want it to suck your blood, so I killed it.” She showed her palm, revealing the crushed mosquito, with a trace of his blood.

Qi Qi was furious. That wasn’t just about the mosquito—An Yu had meant to hit him with it too. His cheek bore the mark, swelling visibly, yet he couldn’t retaliate.

“You’re right. You’ve got to take advantage of any opportunity to ride the coattails of someone popular, like following Lin Ying—at least you get a little something. Some people can only let mosquitoes bite them and still feel proud.” An Yu took the wet wipe from her assistant, cleaned her hands with disdain, and turned to leave.

“My hands aren’t clean! Xiao Song, let’s wash up. Bring the strongest disinfectant!”

Qi Qi had never been so humiliated in his life. An Yu was audacious—daring to speak to him like this. Looking around the office, everyone obeyed him, but she didn’t. He fumed, thinking of calling his father to have her blacklisted. His face, from neck to scalp, was flushed red, the handprint on his cheek making him look even more miserable. “What are you looking at? Don’t make me fire you all too!”

Xia Song followed behind An Yu, stifling laughter, only speaking when they reached the restroom: “An Jie, that was so cool! You should’ve done that long ago. But what about Mr. Qi? His father is a shareholder. You might anger the company, lose resources, or even be blacklisted. What now?” Xia Song worried, glancing at An Yu.

An Yu shrugged, smiled lightly, and began washing the blood off her hands. “Don’t worry, your salary will be paid. There’s always a way forward.” She glanced at the script on the table.

She had to seize this opportunity.

The company she was currently in was small and notorious in the industry. Many artists were treated differently. After the previous generation collapsed the company post her previous blacklisting, An Yu had no intention of staying.

After finishing the show, as per the system, the male and female leads were supposed to spark chemistry. Her role would naturally fade, so she had to plan for her own future, unlike her previous life, where she died with nothing, not even knowing her parents’ cause of death.

An Yu clenched her fists and made up her mind.

She planned to earn enough in these years, then live alone somewhere anonymously, slowly investigating the past.

In this world, the story needed the leads; someone like her was irrelevant.

As the first episode of Hello, Friend ended, online discussion didn’t fade. Instead, once the episode aired, the show went even more viral.

“Is this the first unrestricted love reality show in ages? The director is really bold.”

“I thought same-sex romance was just a gimmick, but it actually happened! I ship them so hard!”

“I only love Yu Xi, but the last two chose the wrong picture. What if they don’t get paired next episode? I’m so sad.”

“Don’t worry, go to the Yu Xi super topic forum! Tons of fanfics, detailed sugar, fan art. Don’t miss it!”

Fan: “Call me?!”

“Three days without your content feels like a century. I’ve missed your posts so much!”

An Yu laughed, slightly overwhelmed, as fans kept praising. She had only drawn a fanart of her and Lin Duxi a few nights ago, which inadvertently encouraged their CP (couple pairing) fans. It even became somewhat viral.

One comment stood out:

“Madam, take care of yourself, sleep early tonight.”

She immediately recognized the user from before. Their avatar was a long-time drama still, untouched for years, even their name aligned perfectly with hers.

An Yu liked the comment, replying: “Thank you for your concern, I will.”

Curious, she visited the profile. It was neat, barely used, yet had liked one of her posts.

She was about to exit when she received a private message:

“My friend also studied art. She draws at night and is too tired during the day. You should prioritize your health too.”

She realized this was a student.

“I only draw occasionally. But remind your friend to focus on studies, not skip classes,” she advised.

“We graduated long ago. She doesn’t draw anymore.”

“Oh, just a part-time thing? Your work looks great.”

“Yes, my work isn’t drawing, though recently it’s been busier. Drawing isn’t frequent.”

Talking to a stranger, An Yu felt unexpectedly open, as if no one would really know her.

“If you face difficulties at work, ask someone experienced—they can guide you.”

Experience?

Lin Duxi’s face flashed through her mind. She indeed had acting experience. Should she ask her for help?

Lost in thought, An Yu noticed her phone screen had gone dark. Worried, she reopened it, only to see the user had sent a farewell message.

“Goodbye. (Little cat waving.jpg)”

She replied: “Goodbye.”

An Yu tossed her phone aside, her mind wandering to Lin Duxi. She was clearly the best person to help her train for the audition—but if the system found out, it would question her. She didn’t want to waste words with it.

Deep in thought, she decided to draw first.

In her dim bedroom, An Yu sat at the desk. Pulling a ribbon from a drawer, she toyed with its slightly rough silk, wrapping it around one hand. Under the yellowish lamp, her eyes softened, then suddenly hardened as she tugged the ribbon tightly, her hand blanching while the skin reddened.

Golden dusk light filtered through the hallway. At Lin Duxi’s door, she hesitated, hand trembling, then knocked.

“Knock knock.”

No reply. Remembering the neighbor rarely stayed home, she turned to leave.

Suddenly, the door clicked open. Lin Duxi appeared in a thin nightgown, hair messy, eyes misty as if just woken.

“Ah Yu!” Seeing her, Lin Duxi brightened. “What’s wrong?”

An Yu blushed seeing her lightly dressed, quickly stepping forward to shield her from the wind.

“I came to check your hand,” she said.

Lin Duxi looked at her, still half-asleep.

“Hand?”

“Yes, your injury. It’s been a day; how’s it healing?”

She noticed Lin Duxi subtly pressing the recently scabbed wound with her thumb.

“Not sure, it split again on the way home.” Lin Duxi explained calmly, extending her hand for An Yu to see.

“Let me help,” An Yu said, taking off the bloodied bandage and replacing it efficiently. She noticed the wound would bleed soon, and her heart ached.

Lin Duxi sat reading a script attentively while An Yu worked.

“Is this your next role?” Lin Duxi asked.

An Yu nodded and stepped back. “I also wanted to ask if you have time to rehearse lines with me.”

Recalling the advice from the online user—“ask someone experienced”—she looked at Lin Duxi, who smiled, eyes sparkling.

“Sure,” Lin Duxi replied.

“But you have to agree to one condition.”

“What condition?”

Lin Duxi thought for a moment. “I haven’t decided yet. I should get something in return. I’ll tell you later.”

An Yu nodded.

They began rehearsing. Lin Duxi acted with both strictness and indulgence, a method effective for An Yu when they were young. Despite years passing, her approach hadn’t changed.

While Lin Duxi immersed in the character, An Yu struggled. Their close interactions filled the air with a subtle, lingering fragrance, distracting her.

Seeing her frustrated, Lin Duxi gently stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Al Yu. I’ll be free tomorrow evening to continue.”

After returning the script, Lin Duxi smiled at the door. An Yu entered her room, leaving the living room empty, with only the lingering scent of her presence.

Later, An Yu messaged Ning Xuan that she agreed to audition.

Ning Xuan quickly replied: “The audition is next week, right after the second episode is filmed. Got it!”

“If I pass the audition, we’ll officially move up!” Ning Xuan said.

An Yu smiled. Though she was planning to leave the company, she felt a twinge of guilt.

“Be bold at the audition, An Yu. Ning Jie isn’t here, right?” Ning Xuan added unexpectedly, signaling she knew An Yu’s plan.

“Okay!”

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