After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 53

An Yu had quietly been working as an apprentice in the cake shop for some time. Every time she had to sneak past her parents and classmates to get there, it required extreme caution. In the midst of this careful effort, An Yu finally produced a cake she was satisfied with. Even the shop’s chef thought she was progressing at an astonishing speed.

Lin Duxi’s usual routine involved staying at school a bit after classes to study. Taking advantage of the last ten minutes of the final class, when everyone else was immersed in their studies, An Yu slipped out of the classroom. The security guard at the school gate was a stern-looking man. He leaned his head out of the small window of the guardhouse and shouted at An Yu.

An Yu pulled out a prepared fake note from her pocket and handed it to him. The guard frowned as he held it, then glanced up at An Yu before turning aside to let her through.

An Yu exhaled in relief, grabbed a passing car to the cake shop, picked up the cake, and hurried back. Even though she moved quickly, the round trip still took a significant amount of time.

By the time she returned to school, the lights in the academic building were already off, the gates were locked, and the security guard had vanished. She reluctantly ran along the fence, and when she reached a spot where she could see her classroom, she froze.

The classroom lights were off, and the entire campus was submerged in dim darkness.

An Yu’s face softened a little. She still held the cake and felt a bit sad. She walked under a tree, placed the cake on a book she had balanced there, and grabbed the branches to climb up. She refused to give up—she had to enter the classroom to see that Lin Duxi wasn’t inside.

Using the wall for support, she climbed up and sat on it. Looking down, she somehow recalled the first day of the second year of high school when she had first seen Lin Duxi. Come to think of it, ever since she had met Lin Duxi, it had been a long time since she had climbed over a wall.

Her spirits lifted a bit. As she prepared to jump down, she heard noisy voices coming from a nearby alley, shouting and chattering. Just listening, she could smell the acrid stench of cheap cigarettes.

Frowning slightly, she glanced at the alley, her eyes reflecting pure disgust. But as she looked away, her gaze froze.

It was summer evening, and the sky hadn’t fully darkened. In the dim alley, a splash of color stood out against the darkness and grime—blue and white caught An Yu’s eyes like a piercing shard.

An Yu climbed down from the wall and stood behind a tree, where she could clearly hear the conversation in the alley.

“This is the one you called number one, huh? Pretty face. Huh? What, looking down on us little thugs, huh? Zezi, didn’t you say she was rich? Look at her outfit, so shabby. Those shoes are practically whitewashed. Are you messing with me?” a slick-looking thug said, wearing tight clothing and holding a half-smoked, extinguished cigarette between his lips. He seemed to be the leader of the group.

“Of course, she, she was even in a luxury car during summer break. She must be rich,” a guy named Zezi, dressed like the others, quickly explained.

“Don’t worry, Brother Liu, she’ll pay back the money in a couple of days. Our friendship, a brother wouldn’t cheat you, right?”

Brother Liu glanced at Lin Duxi coolly. Lin Duxi, wearing her school uniform, leaned against the soot-blackened wall of the alley, frowning deeply but fearless, looking straight at Brother Liu.

“Not bad, pretty good-looking,” Brother Liu stepped forward, revealing yellowed teeth, smiling lewdly. “Doesn’t matter if she’s poor. I’ve never tasted this kind of thing. How about it, number one, pay up or…” His gaze lingered on Lin Duxi.

Lin Duxi clenched her hand, pressing it against the wall. Unnoticed by the others, her other hand reached into her pocket, gripping a utility knife. In her mind, she silently calculated how to end this with a single strike—but her expression remained faint, her eyes cold, freezing the thugs in place.

“Wow, so pretty! Is she really a goddess like that?”

“Zezi, who do you know her from? Hook a few for me, hehe. So pretty,” another voice said.

“Brother Liu, your drool, stop drooling…”

Brother Liu’s tongue pressed against his cheek as he swallowed, eyes fixed on Lin Duxi. “Zezi, remember to call me brother-in-law tomorrow,” he said with a lewd grin.

At that moment, Lin Duxi suddenly reached toward his chest, her movement sharp and fierce, determined to go all out.

But before her hand could strike, a person appeared in front of her, collapsing to the ground—An Yu. Lin Duxi froze for a moment, seeing An Yu standing there. Taking advantage of the thugs’ shock, she grabbed Lin Duxi’s hand, and the two sprinted away.

The thugs were stunned, watching them escape, only returning to reality when Brother Liu rolled on the ground, clutching his leg and screaming. They helped him up and gave chase.

An Yu tightly gripped Lin Duxi’s wrist, weaving through the alley. Lin Duxi, looking at her back, said nothing, but gripped An Yu’s hand even tighter. The wind slammed against her chest, filling her lungs with painful air—but amidst the near-suffocating pain, Lin Duxi felt truly alive again.

They ran through the alley, An Yu knowing the area well from previous rides with friends. She led them in circles and finally out to the school gate. An Yu knocked on the guardhouse window to borrow the phone.

The guard was likely on patrol and not in the guardhouse. An Yu frowned, panic rising. She reached to grab Lin Duxi’s hand to calm herself but found it empty. Her heart skipped, panic shooting through her body. Turning, she saw Lin Duxi behind her, holding a cake box, eyes sparkling.

An Yu walked over, holding Lin Duxi’s wrist. Her eyes drooped. “Where did you find this? I was planning to make you a birthday cake myself.”

Lin Duxi couldn’t help but feel a surge of sweetness, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“You’re smiling? Let’s get inside first. I’ll call my parents to pick us up and then report this to the police.”

“Mm.”

“Don’t deal with them. I’ll make sure my parents teach them a proper lesson!”

Those scumbags deserved to be melted in the furnace of hell, buried in society’s shadows.

If she had gone straight home without picking up the cake, she didn’t want to imagine what might have happened.

Lin Duxi shook her head. “I don’t know them. The class monitor said someone outside was looking for me. I thought you were trapped outside, so I came.” She held An Yu’s hand, fingers intertwining.

By coincidence, Lin Duxi hadn’t thought of a way to communicate with An Yu. An Yu had been busy the past few days, and the distance between them felt vast. Lin Duxi’s heart felt hollow, like a wind-blown drum.

“Class monitor, don’t listen to him in the future. You aren’t close to him. Don’t accept messages from outside thugs. He can’t be trusted,” An Yu said decisively regarding Lin Duxi, even considering switching her seat away from the monitor.

“Then who should I listen to?” Lin Duxi asked.

An Yu was about to say to listen to her, but froze, realizing Lin Duxi was playing her.

Lin Duxi noticed her trap was found, but continued, “I’ll listen to you, An Yu. I’ll always listen to you, okay? From now on, I’ll listen to you.”

An Yu felt a flush of warmth at being called “An Yu” repeatedly. She stepped forward, yet refused to let go of Lin Duxi’s hand.

“From now on, ride in my car to and from school.”

“No need. I leave early in the afternoon anyway. And our homes are far apart. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“No. Come stay at my place,” An Yu blurted out. Then realized, blushing, she let go of Lin Duxi and walked ahead quickly.

“I mean, my guest room… you can stay there. And my grades just improved. My parents want to hire a tutor. I don’t like tutors. We can study together at my place,” she hurriedly added, her face redder by the second.

Lin Duxi only heard one thing: An Yu didn’t like tutors; An Yu liked her teaching.

Lin Duxi clutched the cake box, her heart racing at the thought. She ran after her.

They climbed over the school wall together. An Yu used the guardhouse phone to call her parents. Lin Duxi obediently stood outside, occasionally glancing at the cake, which bore the words, “Happy Birthday Lin Duxi.” Slightly crooked, yet perfect in her eyes.

An Yu had prepared this specially for her—even though her birthday had passed over a month ago, An Yu had not forgotten.

Lin Duxi felt overjoyed, her whole body trembling with excitement. She couldn’t help but caress the slightly cool cake box repeatedly.

An Yu closed the guardhouse door, returned to Lin Duxi, and held her hand again. Today’s events had been sudden; she only felt slightly safe with Lin Duxi by her side.

“My parents will be here soon. Let’s hide inside first,” she said cautiously.

They ran to a classroom, drew the curtains to block all light, and placed the cake on an empty desk. They huddled in a corner, like two small animals keeping each other warm.

After ten minutes, nothing happened outside; only the whistling wind marked the passage of time.

They drew the curtains slightly to peek outside. No one was in sight, and they finally relaxed.

An Yu’s body suddenly went limp as if she had lost all strength. She sat in a chair, legs weak, as Lin Duxi nestled close.

An Yu didn’t avoid her, nor did she reciprocate, letting her stay. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the cake on the desk.

“Let’s eat the cake. It won’t taste good if it sits too long,” she whispered.

Lin Duxi looked at the outline of the cake in the dim light. She could only make out the shape; the lettering was hidden by darkness.

“Okay,” she reached to open the box, but An Yu stopped her.

“Wait a moment. Close the windows and curtains. I’ll be back soon.”

Guided by memory, An Yu quickly found her way in the dark, ran to her classroom, searched her bag, and grabbed something before heading back downstairs.

She opened the classroom door. Moonlight streamed through the windows, illuminating Lin Duxi.

“You’re back,” Lin Duxi said.

An Yu closed the door and held a small camera in her hands.

“I bought it earlier and kept it in my bag. Moments like this need to be recorded,” she said, slightly out of breath.

Lin Duxi’s eyes misted. “Okay.”

An Yu turned on the camera. The classroom wasn’t completely dark; they drew the curtains and allowed scattered moonlight to fill the room.

Lin Duxi carefully untied the ribbon on the cake box. Inside was a double-layered cake.

Seeing the twisted letters on the cake, An Yu felt a pang of disappointment. “Not good enough. I’ll make it better next time.”

Lin Duxi’s breath caught. It was handmade by An Yu. “I really like it,” she said, wanting to preserve it like a specimen.

An Yu noticed her pause and worried she found it unattractive. A wave of regret hit her. She shouldn’t have rushed.

“Light the candles and make a wish,” she said shyly, her face flushing in the dim light.

Lin Duxi placed the candles, and An Yu, using the gift lighter from the chef, lit them one by one. The flames illuminated their small space and their faces.

An Yu’s eyes reflected the firelight. Lin Duxi looked up, seeing only herself.

“Close your eyes. Make a wish,” An Yu whispered softly, watching her intently.

Lin Duxi obeyed, clasping her hands, lips slightly curved. The gentle flames lit her devoted face. An Yu clicked the camera several times.

After blowing out the candles, they cut the cake. An Yu gave Lin Duxi a large piece. She scooped a bite with her spoon—the filling was her favorite jam.

“What did you wish for?” An Yu asked, leaning closer.

Lin Duxi was about to answer but An Yu stopped her.

“Never mind. Don’t tell me. Wishes lose their power if said aloud.”

Lin Duxi smiled. “It’s fine. I hope from now on, every birthday, I can eat a cake made by you, An Yu.”

“That simple?”

“That simple,” Lin Duxi whispered, eyes reflecting the moonlight and An Yu—full of longing and sincerity.

An Yu didn’t know—this was the first time someone had celebrated Lin Duxi’s birthday alone since she left home. The first time she could make a wish.

Lin Duxi secretly had another wish too—one she didn’t say out loud: to always be with An Yu.

She didn’t say it, only kept it in her heart, gazing at the full moon, praying it would come true.

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