After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 23
After the break, An Yu and the others boarded the car and arrived at a folk handicraft shop. Looking at the shop’s signboard, she finally understood what the system meant by a “group activity.”
“Welcome to the most renowned and representative art shop in this town-a handmade wooden mask store. Every mask here is meticulously carved by skilled craftsmen,” Qiao Qingzhou explained to the group. After setting the scene, she got straight to the point.
“Tonight, the town will hold a festival, an unmissable event for tourists. Everyone can participate wearing masks they make themselves. We’ve invited a master craftsman with thirty years of experience to demonstrate the process. After learning, you can create your own masks in whatever style you like.”
[These masks are so beautiful, and they have such a unique, exquisite style. Are there any ways to buy them? I want one!]
[Carving a mask must take a lot of time and effort. It looks exhausting.]
[I can’t wait to see my favorite CP again! I wonder what kind of masks they’ll make.]
After the director finished explaining the rules, the participants were left to their own devices. An Yu watched as the craftsman sat on a stool, holding a block of wood, demonstrating step by step how to carve the desired shape with his tools.
She sat beside the craftsman, picked up a scrap piece of wood, and sketched out lines with a pencil. Following the craftsman’s instructions, she mimicked his movements, using a chisel to gradually shape the wood. She had learned painting before, and her family had encouraged her to explore various artistic techniques, including carving. This was just her picking up an old skill again. Before long, she earned praise from the craftsman.
In contrast, the others struggled with their carving. Once An Yu got the hang of it, she voluntarily stepped aside to give the others a better position near the craftsman.
She walked over to a pile of wood materials, and suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind. She quickly sketched the design before the inspiration faded-she would carve that . Just as she was about to start, her peripheral vision caught Lin Duxi nearby.
Lin Duxi held a chisel and a hammer, staring intently at the wood in front of her. She positioned the chisel along the marked line, raised the hammer, and was about to strike when a warm touch interrupted her movement-and her thoughts.
Lin Duxi’s breath hitched. The next second, a familiar warmth enveloped her, seeping into her heart. The sensation materialized as slender, jade-like hands gently guided her wrists, adjusting her grip.
“Don’t hold the chisel too vertically here. Tilt it slightly,” An Yu’s cool, detached voice whispered by her ear. The sound sent electric currents coursing through Lin Duxi’s body, her heartbeat thundering so loudly it threatened to shatter her chest-each pulse a confession of longing. For a moment, she forgot to respond, letting An Yu guide her hands as they carved the wood together.
An Yu focused entirely on adjusting Lin Duxi’s posture. With both hands holding Lin Duxi’s, the position made it seem like she was embracing her from behind, enveloping her completely.
Her breath, steady and warm, brushed against the fair skin of Lin Duxi’s neck, igniting a flush. Her slender fingers unconsciously grazed Lin Duxi’s, stirring ripples in her heart. Lin Duxi’s expression remained composed, but deep in her eyes, a smoldering flame flickered.
I want to turn around and kiss her. I want to be kissed until I can’t breathe, then collapse into An Yu’s arms and be gently comforted.
Just the thought of such a scenario made Lin Duxi tremble with excitement. She longed to act on her desires-to kiss An Yu, to drown in her presence. She could never ignore An Yu’s existence.
[Is this something a peasant like me is allowed to see?!]
[They hugged!!! They actually hugged! And in such an intimate position-I knew they were real!]
[Are things moving this fast? Are they seriously not faking it for publicity?]
[Stop being salty. Just because they’re close doesn’t mean it’s fake.]
An Yu remained absorbed in guiding Lin Duxi’s hands, but then she noticed Lin Duxi’s breathing growing increasingly rapid-each exhale fanning flames in her chest. Realizing just how intimate their position was, An Yu’s hands suddenly felt scalding. A blush crept up her cheeks, and she quickly let go.
“Got it?” She cleared her throat, standing up as if nothing had happened.
The warmth of An Yu’s presence faded, along with the touch of her hands. Lin Duxi stared at the half-finished mask in her hands, a pang of loss gripping her heart.
She wanted to shake her head and say she didn’t understand, to ask An Yu to keep teaching her-but she feared being judged. The conflicting emotions tangled in her chest.
I want to stay like this, held by An Yu… but I can’t.
“I think I get it now,” Lin Duxi nodded in response.
An Yu accepted this. Glancing at Lin Duxi’s mask, she saw that the basic shape had already been carved. The rest could be done alone. Satisfied, she turned and returned to her own workstation, fully immersing herself in her mask.
Thanks to her strong drawing skills, she spent less time designing the mask than the others. Combined with her practice on scrap wood, she quickly made significant progress.
She paused to wipe her sweat, preparing to continue, when she noticed Pei Lu walking over to Lin Duxi with his own mask in hand.
An Yu’s good mood, which had lasted all day, suddenly darkened. She lowered her head, picked up a file, and forced herself to focus.
But she turned away too quickly-missing the glance Lin Duxi cast in her direction. Lin Duxi’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. She was looking at me just now…
Lin Duxi’s gaze darkened as she stared at the mask Pei Lu had left behind after his lengthy speech.
Time passed, and An Yu’s mask gradually took shape. She carefully painted it with pigments.
Then, a soft hiss reached her ears-quiet, but unmistakable. And familiar.
An Yu’s head snapped up. Sure enough, she saw Lin Duxi holding her hand awkwardly. Alarm shot through her, and she rushed over.
Lin Duxi smiled as she approached. “What’s wrong, A’Yu?”
Her tone was light, but her hands remained hidden below the table.
An Yu frowned and reached for them. Lin Duxi instinctively flinched.
An Yu froze. Normally, Lin Duxi would have eagerly taken any chance to touch her.
Seeing her expression, Lin Duxi realized she couldn’t hide it anymore. She quickly extended her hand first. “Of course I couldn’t fool A’Yu. It’s nothing, just a small cut.”
An Yu’s eyes fell on the bleeding finger. A small cut? A chunk of flesh near her thumb had nearly been gouged out, blood still welling up. An Yu’s heart ached unbearably.
“It’s fine, A’Yu. A band-aid will do. It doesn’t hurt.” Compared to An Yu’s distress, Lin Duxi seemed unfazed. But the calmer she acted, the more it pained An Yu.
An Yu’s chest tightened. Softly, she said, “I’ll get the gauze.” She sprinted to the car. After Lin Duxi’s fever that morning, she had moved all her medicine into her backpack just in case. Now, she quickly found gauze, cotton swabs, and antiseptic before hurrying back.
Kneeling beside Lin Duxi, she gently dabbed the wound with antiseptic. Her movements were so tender that even though the sting made Lin Duxi tremble, she couldn’t help but smile.
A’Yu is so gentle with me. It’s intoxicating.
An Yu’s hand stilled for a moment before swiftly finishing the disinfection and wrapping the gauze.
She didn’t dare relax until the bandaging was done. Only then did she exhale in relief.
Standing up, her body stiff from tension, she felt slightly dizzy. She met Lin Duxi’s eyes, her own finally free of worry. But when her gaze inadvertently landed on the mask beside Lin Duxi, she froze.
This mask is hideous. It’s not Lin Duxi’s.
Lin Duxi admired the neatly wrapped bandage, complete with a small bow, and couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked up to compliment An Yu but found her staring elsewhere.
Following her gaze, Lin Duxi saw the mask and smiled faintly. “This is Teacher Pei’s mask. He asked me to adjust it for him.”
Her voice was as gentle as ever, but to An Yu, it felt like a thousand blades piercing her heart. Everything she’d just done suddenly seemed like a joke.
It was me who told Lin Duxi to collaborate with others. That’s why she helped Pei Lu-and hurt her hand.
Knowing Lin Duxi, she would never help someone without reason.
Because of my words, Lin Duxi got hurt. An Yu recalled the wound-small but deep. Others might not think much of it, but she couldn’t help her overwhelming distress.
She didn’t know why it hurt so much. Was it guilt? Or was it because she’d never seen Lin Duxi like this before?
All she knew was that it hurt .
Lin Duxi noticed her furrowed brow and self-reproachful expression. She stood, using her uninjured hand to tilt An Yu’s face toward her, forcing her to focus.
“Don’t overthink it, A’Yu. I’ll worry. Besides, your bandaging is so good it doesn’t hurt at all. Don’t fret.” Her voice was slow and soothing, like a lullaby calming An Yu’s turbulent emotions.
An Yu stared into her eyes-those affectionate eyes filled only with her. She blinked, then looked away reflexively.
Lin Duxi’s smile faded. Her heart ached. Still won’t look at me?
Gazing at An Yu’s limp hands, she murmured, “It does hurt a little.”
An Yu immediately turned back, reaching for her wound. But Lin Duxi gently caught her wrist, stepping closer to encircle An Yu’s waist.
“Let me hug you, A’Yu. It won’t hurt if I do.”
An Yu froze, her nostrils filled with the scent of Lin Duxi’s hair, yet she had no desire to pull away, allowing Lin Duxi’s arms to slowly tighten around her.
Perhaps An Yu was too stunned-despite her usual sharp sensitivity to color, she failed to notice that the mask was completely clean, without a single trace of blood. Normally, when someone was injured, the seeping blood would drip downward with gravity, inevitably staining the mask with vivid streaks of red.
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Zei_An
That’s a crazy move Lin Duxi 😭 don’t hurt yourself