After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 69

Because she wasn’t speaking to Lin Duxi face-to-face, Anyu had no way of knowing Lin Duxi’s true situation. Looking at her replies on the phone, it was as if Lin Duxi’s gentle responses were whispered right into her ear, making the tips of Anyu’s ears flush red.

Not long ago, Anyu had bought a car to make her travels more convenient. Somehow, Lin Duxi found out and insisted on going with her. Unable to resist her soft and gentle words, they bought the car together. On the way back, Lin Duxi sat in the passenger seat, quietly and tenderly accompanying Anyu.

Shaking off the memories in her mind, Anyu put on her coat and carried the school supplies and snacks she had prepared for the children downstairs. Since there were many items, she had to make several trips. On her last trip upstairs, she tilted her head to glance at Lin Duxi’s door and then checked the time.

It was almost noon. There was still no movement in Lin Duxi’s apartment; she should have already gone to work.

Anyu withdrew her gaze, carried the last box downstairs, got in the car, and drove away from the community.

At the moment Anyu started the car, the corner of the curtain in Lin Duxi’s apartment was lifted, and she stared blankly as Anyu’s car grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

The woman sitting across from her pushed her glasses up with her index finger, following Lin Duxi’s gaze, and asked, “Is that Miss An?”

Lin Duxi nodded slightly without looking away.

Jiang Wen said, “Your relationship with her has improved a lot. You were chatting with her just now, right?”

Lin Duxi turned her head, her eyes flickering. “How did you know?”

Jiang Wen smiled faintly. “You were smiling while chatting with her.” It was the first time in all her encounters with Lin Duxi that Jiang Wen had seen such a genuine smile, and she couldn’t help but take another look at Lin Duxi’s gentle expression.

Her knuckles unconsciously curled around the pen as she lightly rubbed the paper. The blank page was marked with ink from her earlier writing. The notebook she used to record Lin Duxi’s words had been filled with Anyu’s name countless times because Lin Duxi mentioned her so often.

Jiang Wen had come early that day, wanting to see this “Anyu” she had never met in person but whose name she knew so well. Seeing the person her patient constantly thought about would help her better understand how to proceed with treatment.

“Let’s start.” Lin Duxi hid her emotions and drew the curtain closed, her fingers tracing the fabric covering her knees, her thin lips slightly moving.

When Anyu and Shiyu arrived at the Jiangcheng Orphanage, it was nearly noon. Due to road construction, part of the main route was impassable after last night’s rain. They had to park a few hundred meters away and walk the rest of the way to help the staff carry the supplies inside.

The midday sun was glaring. After the autumn rain, droplets hung from the branches, and leaves washed down by the rain formed a green-and-yellow path on the ground, giving a unique charm to the scenery.

Anyu walked on the sidewalk ahead, while Shiyu walked beside her, looking a little downcast. Anyu asked curiously,

“You didn’t sleep well last night?”

Shiyu shook her head, covering her cheeks with both hands. “I was supposed to come with Sister Jiang, but she suddenly had work.”

Anyu understood and was about to think of something to comfort her when Shiyu continued:

“But as a doctor, she must be very busy. I understand. Next time, I want her to spend time with me properly.”

Anyu asked, “Is Sister Jiang the one you saw at the café?”

Shiyu nodded. “When I came to the orphanage before, I noticed she was here and got to know her.” She omitted the difficulty of finding Doctor Jiang and explained it briefly.

Anyu nodded in understanding, then turned her gaze to the surrounding scenery out of boredom.

They passed a dilapidated park. Anyu’s eyes swept over it and froze. Looking at the equipment inside, she felt a sudden sense of familiarity, as if a feather had brushed over her heart, stirring a slight tremor.

Shiyu noticed Anyu wasn’t beside her and hurried back, seeing her staring at the park. Curious, she asked,

“What’s wrong? Do you want to go play?”

Anyu snapped out of her daze. “Nothing. Let’s keep going.” She took a deep look at the park and turned away. The feeling of familiarity, however, lingered in her heart.

The director of the orphanage had been waiting for them at the gate for some time. Seeing them approach, she walked over quickly.

“Miss Shi, Miss An, you’re here.”

Shiyu and Anyu shook hands with her.

Shiyu said, “We’ve prepared some things for the children. They’re still in the car. Could you get some people to help carry them in?”

The director smiled kindly. “Okay, you two go ahead. We’ll find some of the older children to help carry your things.”

Shiyu went along with them. Anyu wanted to go too but was stopped by the director and Shiyu, who suggested she first meet the children.

Reluctantly, Anyu followed the director into the orphanage. The facilities were well-equipped, and there were many play structures for the children. Anyu listened to the director’s introduction as she walked through.

They reached the cafeteria just as lunch began. The sounds of children talking filled the room. Seeing the children, the director’s eyes curved with a warm smile.

“When the children eat well, my heart feels as sweet as honey.”

“By the way, Miss An, you haven’t eaten yet. Let’s go have some food first.”

They sat in a corner, watching the children eat and tidy up.

Anyu’s appetite was subdued. She picked up some food, then put it down. The director noticed and asked,

“What’s wrong, Miss An? Is the food not to your liking?”

Anyu shook her head, curling her fingers, and asked the question that had been on her mind:

“Director, a few hundred meters from here, next to a community, there’s a park. Do you know it?”

The director put down her chopsticks, thinking for a moment. “I do, but our children don’t go there. It’s too far; I’m afraid they’d get lost. Why, Miss An? Is there something wrong with the park?”

Anyu shook her head slightly. “It just feels familiar. I think I’ve been there before.”

The director smiled kindly. “Perhaps you came there as a child and met good friends, which made it feel familiar. Sometimes, it’s not the place that feels familiar, but the memories of the friends you were with.”

Anyu’s fingers froze around her chopsticks. She replied evenly, “Maybe.”

The director looked around at the new and complete facilities, reminiscing, “I think it was the summer about six years ago. The orphanage had financial difficulties, and the old director got so worried he had to be hospitalized. I was the deputy director back then, worried sick over the medical costs and the orphanage’s funds. I thought we’d have no solution, but just when things looked bleak, a couple who had always supported us donated a large sum. It not only solved the orphanage’s urgent needs but also covered the old director’s medical costs. I was so grateful and thought I would repay them when they next visited—but for some reason, they never came again.”

Anyu felt her breathing go out of control. Her voice trembled as she asked, “That couple… were their surnames…?”

“An, I remember the man’s surname was An. The woman’s surname might have been Yu. We were so grateful to them.”

Anyu’s body temperature seemed to freeze in that moment. Even though it was early autumn, she shivered, only returning to herself when the director’s concerned call brought her back.

She followed the director out of the cafeteria in a daze. The children’s laughter echoed around her, the sunlight shone on her, yet it could not warm her inner chill.

Shiyu noticed her odd behavior while playing with the children and came over, asking,

“What’s wrong? You look pale.”

Anyu shook her head and buttoned her coat. “Just a bit cold,” she said, walking past her.

After lunch, Anyu and Shiyu helped the staff tidy up the courtyard. Some children ran around, causing occasional chaos and laughter.

Anyu smiled at the scene, and a small hand suddenly slipped something into her palm. She looked down to see a little girl staring straight at her.

Unfolding the piece of paper, she saw it was written in pencil with crooked letters:

(“Wishing Duxi sister a long, long time together”).

The little girl didn’t know how to write the character “溪” and used Pinyin instead.

Anyu raised an eyebrow and smiled. She crouched down to meet the girl’s eyes. “How do you know Lin Duxi?”

The little girl looked straight at her and then quickly ran away. A nearby staff member laughed and said,

“Xiaoxiao loves watching you and Lin Duxi’s show. She always watches seriously when it’s time.”

Anyu smiled. The ripple in her heart calmed as she folded the paper, put it in her pocket, and zipped it up.

Her gaze wandered to the wall, where photos of volunteers were displayed. She lingered on them and soon found a photo of her parents in the most prominent spot. Her eyes dimmed slightly, then she noticed a familiar but strange woman in the corner.

A staff member, noticing her interest, explained,

“This is Su Nan. She’s capable and kind, but… well…”

Anyu looked up, asking, “But what?”

The staff member glanced at the woman in the photo with pity. “She married a bad man. He didn’t work, drank excessively, and the family’s expenses relied entirely on her meager salary. She hasn’t been able to come to the orphanage for years.”

“I heard her husband drinks and hits her,” another staff member added.

“Hits her? How do you know?”

“That way,” the first one said, pointing. “We live in the same neighborhood. Her husband is notorious—spending her money on women and alcohol, and he hits her. Su Nan… well, you know.”

“The other day, her son got into trouble again. He was sent to the police station, and she had to bail him out.” The staff member’s tone carried some disdain.

Anyu listened and roughly understood. Suddenly, she asked about the son.

“What’s her son’s name?”

The staff member paused, thinking. “I think she mentioned her son was in trouble recently. She said something like Ah Ze… Ah Ze.”

Anyu’s heart tightened. She suddenly recalled the documents she had seen before leaving.

Ah Ze… Lin Ze.

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