After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 73

Ever since Lin Duxi received the call from the Deputy Director, her heart had been uneasy, as if an invisible boulder were pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She could only do her best to maintain the calm expression on her face and bid farewell to Anyu gently in front of the café.

Before leaving, Anyu lightly kissed her on the lips—soft and sweet—which greatly eased the anxiety in her heart.

Watching Anyu get into a taxi and drive away, Lin Duxi’s faint smile finally faded. She gripped her phone tightly; the sweat on her palm blurred the screen and also hid the contents of her recent call log.

The taxi sped along quickly; seeing her so anxious, the driver increased his pace. By the time she arrived back at the orphanage, it had barely been half an hour. Lin Duxi hurriedly got out.

The orphanage’s main gate was wide open, but the courtyard was completely empty. In the noisy summer, the silence was eerie—almost frightening. Lin Duxi held her breath.

She hurried across the yard. Around a corner not far away, she heard loud, chaotic voices. Her heart pounded to its limits; childhood fears weighed her down like lead, making her gasp for air, her back beaded with sweat, her entire body trembling.

Gritting her teeth, she dragged her feet almost like she was shuffling forward. Then she saw Lin Yongfeng and Lin Ze standing in the yard, cursing loudly, with Zhao Su’nan being helped up by several staff members. Not a single patch of her skin was unmarked.

Lin Duxi’s appearance at the corner immediately drew the staff’s attention. Lin Yongfeng and Lin Ze still had their backs to her, unaware of her presence, absorbed in scolding Zhao Su’nan.

“Ha! If it weren’t for Old Zhang and the fact that our orphanage has a high school student surnamed Lin who became the city’s top scorer, I wouldn’t have run into you at all. And yet you’ve been hiding things from me! What, Lin Duxi made you obsessed? A city top scorer makes you so happy—how is she even your daughter?!”

“Why are you so concerned about Lin Chengzhou’s child? Did Lin Duxi’s mother give you money before she died? Where’s the money? Show it!”

His insults were unbearable. A few staff members tried to intervene, but as soon as they took a step forward, his glare made them retreat.

Zhao Sunan, her face streaked with tears, was supported to her feet but could only shake her head.

“I didn’t… she didn’t give me any money, I didn’t…”

“You fing bh! I gave you a chance, and you still dare talk back? Come with me!” He raised his hand to pull her over, but the staff held Zhao Sunan back, and he lost face, pointing and cursing at the staff.

“And you in this orphanage, letting her work without paying a cent! I’ll sue you to death!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! These are volunteers, they’re here willingly, understand?!” a staff member finally snapped back.

The man didn’t respond, staring at the staff member with cold, dark eyes. The staff member, intimidated, looked away and noticed Lin Duxi standing not far off. His expression froze, and his gaze followed hers.

Lin Duxi unclenched and then clenched her fists again, finally stepping forward and meeting the man’s gaze without showing any fear.

This was only the second time she had met Lin Yongfeng. The first time, he had ordered Zhao Sunan to abandon her at a desolate, abandoned construction site. She had wandered alone for two days before collapsing on the roadside.

The memories she had deliberately avoided surged like a tide. She could not escape them, only endure them. The pain and suffering tore at her, leaving her soul trembling. Yet at this moment, she had no choice but to hide it from others.

“Yo, isn’t this the orphanage’s top student? Why are you back?” Lin Ze looked at her disdainfully.

“Did you do well on the college entrance exam and go to a good school, forgetting about us poor relatives, cousin?”

Lin Duxi glared at him. “I have no family. What are you to me?”

“Damn it.” Lin Ze, provoked by her words, rolled up his sleeves, ready to hit her, but Lin Yongfeng stopped him.

“This is our family’s top student. What are you doing?” he said, restraining the enraged Lin Ze, then stepped in front of Lin Duxi.

“Lin Duxi, you know, my father made me drop out so my brother could go to university. Look at what I’ve become. Half of this is thanks to my brother. He owed me a lot, and now that he’s been dead for years, it’s only fair that you, his daughter, repay me.”

Lin Duxi, sensing the dangerous aura around him, stood her ground.

“I said I have no family.”

The man smirked, pressing his tongue to his palate, then suddenly slapped Lin Duxi. The force was so strong she had to steady herself against a nearby wall.

Her ears were ringing; her cheek burned. In the midst of this haze, her first thought was not to let Anyu see her distress.

Faint, kind voices reached her, and she felt herself being supported. Opening her eyes, she saw the Deputy Director and the old Director emerging, the latter leaning on a cane.

“Child, come here,” the Director said, worry in his eyes.

Lin Duxi was helped over and held in the Director’s arms. His textured hands gently stroked her reddened cheek.

“Child, does it hurt?”

Tears welled in her dry eyes at the rare feeling of concern from someone she respected. She nodded slightly.

The old Director then turned to Zhao Sunan and the two men across from them, telling a staff member to call the police, before addressing the two men.

“What are you two doing here? Why are you hitting people?”

The man glanced at Zhao Su’nan. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, bringing people against me. Don’t want to live, huh? Come with me!” Then he turned to the old Director. “And you, this is my house business! Lin Duxi and this woman are my relatives. I handle my own family—what’s it to you?”

The Director remained calm. “Lin Duxi is a child of the orphanage, just like any other here. What happened to Ms. Zhao occurred here, so it is my responsibility to intervene.”

Hearing this, the man wanted to strike again. Lin Ze stepped forward, scrutinizing the situation.

“You’re the Director? Fine. My mother worked here for free all these years, so you should pay her salary. And Lin Duxi, her father owed mine a lot, it should be repaid. Since you claim she belongs here, you pay her then.”

“Fifty thousand.”

A collective gasp arose at this figure. The Deputy Director was furious. “You scoundrels! Fifty thousand—why don’t you just steal it yourselves?!”

“No! We’ll smash it! Son, smash it!” The two men ran to another room, grabbing whatever they could to destroy. Staff tried to stop them but were driven back by the objects in their hands.

Lin Duxi wriggled free from the old Director’s embrace, shivering, rushing inside to stop them. She was struck by heavy objects during the scuffle, her body trembling in pain.

The two men continued to hurl abuse, moving to another room, and Lin Duxi followed, grabbing objects to stop them.

Outside, loud noises drew attention. Lin Duxi stepped out and saw the old Director collapsed on the ground, lips pale, blood draining from him. She didn’t know how she reached him, only that she held his hand with her icy fingers, feeling them even colder.

The police and ambulance arrived simultaneously, taking the troublemakers into custody. Lin Yongfeng was restrained, shouting at Lin Duxi as he was led away.

“Lin Duxi, as long as this orphanage exists, you can’t escape! Your father owed me, and you’ll never pay it off in your life!”

“Behave!” an officer warned.

“I’ll kill you,” Lin Duxi trembled, her eyes full of anger and fury. Her head spun, and she followed behind the medical staff, powerless, only able to watch the Director motionless on the stretcher. Her fingers felt icy.

Someone’s hand grasped hers, bringing her back to awareness.

“You’re injured badly. Come, let me dress your wounds.” A medical worker frowned as they held her hand.

Lin Duxi lowered her gaze and saw her hands covered in blood. The blood had pooled at her fingertips, deepening in color.

That explained why her fingers had felt so cold.

She followed the ambulance to the hospital. Most of her injuries were superficial, caused by being hit by objects, and were simply bandaged. She then rushed to the emergency room entrance.

The Deputy Director sat in a chair, hands covering his face, sighing deeply. The bright red “Emergency” sign above stabbed sharply at Lin Duxi’s eyes. She felt drained, weakly leaning against the cold wall, hugging her knees and burying her head.

It was all her fault. It was because of her that Lin Yongfeng and Lin Ze came after her. It was because of her that the Director ended up like this. Lin Yongfeng was right—she was just a burden to them, to blame for everything.

They wouldn’t be detained for long; having a record didn’t matter to them. Lin Yongfeng’s words, spoken before being restrained, hit her like a delayed bullet, piercing her heart.

Indeed, knowing her exam results, they had immediately come demanding money. They caused havoc in the orphanage, and now they had sent the Director to the hospital. They would definitely come after her again.

The hospital’s air-conditioning was strong. Lin Duxi crouched in a corner, clenching her teeth, eyes red. At that moment, she longed for a warm embrace—the one that held her, kissed her, let her be herself freely.

She missed Anyu so much. She wanted to see her, hold her, cry in her arms.

She just wanted one hug, one—she felt she was on the verge of collapse.

As the thought of longing formed, another terrifying possibility emerged in her mind. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, it assaulted the most vulnerable part of her heart like a flood, gouging a hole in her chest.

If they knew her address, would they find out about Anyu’s existence? And worse, if they couldn’t find her, would they go looking for Anyu?

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