After Rebirth, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessive - Chapter 41
The mountain climb yesterday had been exhausting. By the time everyone returned, it was already late at night, and they were all so tired that they quickly tidied up and went to bed. When daylight broke, no one had woken up yet. Qiao Qingzhou, unusually, delayed the live broadcast slightly.
When An Yu woke up, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Lin Duxi sleeping peacefully beside her, facing her. Unlike the last recording session, the two of them weren’t sharing the same blanket this time. Lin Duxi’s long eyelashes cast delicate shadows under the scattered light, her skin fair with a rosy tint. An Yu couldn’t help but gaze at her deeply.
As if disturbed by the sunlight, Lin Duxi frowned slightly. An Yu quickly snapped out of it and averted her gaze, waiting until Lin Duxi settled again before quietly getting up.
While brushing her teeth, she suddenly remembered what the system had told her during dinner last night. Her hand, squeezing toothpaste, froze for a moment. She instinctively shook her head, then felt foolish.
There was no way the so-called “detection device” the system had installed in her could be discovered so easily. If she wanted to find it, she’d have to wait until the recording started.
An Yu put the toothbrush in her mouth and began brushing gloomily. Just then, a ding sounded in her mind, followed by large words appearing in her consciousness:
[Male-Female Lead Interaction Progress: 0/10. Time remaining: 14:00]
An Yu: ?
She checked the time on her watch-exactly 10:00 AM. There were 14 hours left until midnight.
The system was now forcing her to complete tasks. An Yu brushed her teeth faster while pondering how to fulfill this “interaction progress.” The system hadn’t finished explaining last night, but the implications were clear-failure to complete the task would have consequences they both understood.
She didn’t want to experience that bone-deep, sweat-drenched agony again.
During breakfast, An Yu absentmindedly ate while thinking about the task in her mind, her gaze repeatedly drifting toward Lin Duxi. Lin Duxi naturally noticed the change.
The seating arrangement still followed the team pairings. With just a slight lift of her head, Lin Duxi met An Yu’s cautious glances, which An Yu subtly shifted away from each time.
Lin Duxi: “…”
She smiled faintly. Ah Yu’s attempts at hiding were still too amateurish-just like when she used to sneak glances in high school.
Lin Duxi always delighted in finding similarities between the present An Yu and her past self. Each discovery made the memory of that passionate girl clearer, deepening the connection between them. She never tired of it.
The next time their eyes met, Lin Duxi even deliberately blinked at An Yu, amused by the way An Yu visibly froze for a second before her lips curled into a smile.
[They’re just eating, but why are these two making eyes at each other? More of this, please-I love it!]
[A friend of a friend works on the crew. She said that in Hello, Friend , Lin Duxi and An Yu share a room-and the important part is, there’s only one bed in that room!]
[Seriously? No way! Ahhh, Qiao Qingzhou, how much precious footage are you hiding? Release it now!]
[One bed! And no cameras in the room, so whatever they do on that bed is completely private. (Covering mouth and laughing)]
[Petition for the director to release the hidden footage!]
[Goodness, you two still can’t keep your eyes off each other at the table after all the secrets you must’ve shared in the room? How inseparable are you?!]
An Yu stumbled through breakfast and finally decided to just ask Lin Duxi for help directly. Lin Duxi had always been sharp-back in high school, she’d always catch An Yu’s little tricks. Though she never scolded her harshly, she’d press a finger to An Yu’s forehead and chide her half-sternly, half-indulgently, saying, “Don’t do it again next time.”
There was no real threat in it, and An Yu never listened, but Lin Duxi kept saying it anyway. Later, An Yu’s antics became even more deliberate, just to hear that indulgent tone again.
Snapping out of her reminiscence, An Yu laughed at her own past childishness-then realized she’d gotten a little too lost in memories.
After breakfast, Qiao Qingzhou announced the day’s itinerary.
“Everyone, please prepare-we’ll be walking on a glass walkway today. We’ll also be camping tonight, so you’ll need to bring some supplies,” Qiao Qingzhou said, switching the megaphone to her other hand before continuing.
“Also, since An Yu and Xie An’an placed first in yesterday’s hike, they don’t have to participate in the glass walkway activity. If neither of you is afraid of heights, this is a pretty nice perk.”
An Yu and Xie An’an exchanged glances. Xie An’an shrugged indifferently, so An Yu didn’t say anything either, though her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Lin Duxi again.
Lin Duxi listened to Qiao Qingzhou with a calm expression. An Yu averted her eyes before Lin Duxi could notice her staring.
An Yu opened the door from the outside and immediately saw Lin Duxi sitting on a chair, meticulously organizing some items. Hearing footsteps, Lin Duxi looked up and met An Yu’s clear eyes. She smiled faintly before lowering her head to continue sorting.
An Yu slowly walked over and sat across from her, watching as Lin Duxi handled her backpack. Tentatively, she asked, “What are you doing?”
Without looking up, Lin Duxi replied softly, “We’re camping tonight, so I’m preparing insect repellent and medicine. I was afraid Ah Yu might forget, so I helped pack it for you.” She handed the backpack to An Yu.
An Yu took it and checked the contents-everything was there.
She composed herself, gripping the backpack, then looked up at Lin Duxi-only to find Lin Duxi already gazing at her, chin propped on her hand.
An Yu froze, the words she’d prepared stuck in her throat.
Lin Duxi studied her, her lips curving slightly as a dark, unreadable light flickered in her eyes. “Does Ah Yu have something to tell me? Even after all these years, you still tense up when you have something important to say.” She smiled slowly, still watching An Yu.
An Yu felt a little embarrassed. She scratched her head awkwardly before speaking.
“It’s about Director Qiao.” She lied-after all, telling Lin Duxi outright that this world was just a novel, that she was the female lead who had to end up with the male lead, would only result in Lin Duxi gently coaxing her while dialing the mental hospital’s number. After some thought, she decided to let Director Qiao take the blame for now.
“Director Qiao?”
“Director Qiao spoke to me and said that since you and Pei Lu haven’t had much interaction as teammates in this episode, and because Hello, Friend is a dating show, she wants you and Pei Lu to interact. So she asked me to tell you.” An Yu apologized inwardly to Qiao Qingzhou, but her expression remained perfectly serious, as if she were genuinely relaying the director’s words.
No matter how composed she appeared, though, her explanation was full of holes. Lin Duxi immediately realized she was lying but continued watching her with raised eyebrows, chin resting on her hand.
“Really? Why wouldn’t Director Qiao tell me herself?”
An Yu stiffened slightly but quickly added, “You were asleep early last night. She didn’t want to disturb you, so she told me instead.”
Lin Duxi nodded, lowering her head to hide the amusement in her eyes.
An Yu watched her, growing anxious as Lin Duxi remained silent. Unconsciously, her grip on the backpack tightened.
Lin Duxi noticed immediately. Suppressing a smile, she pretended to think it over before looking up at An Yu with a slightly troubled expression.
“Fine, but…”
An Yu’s heart leapt, only to clench again at Lin Duxi’s next words. She waited nervously as Lin Duxi continued.
“Generally speaking, shows like this are supposed to be about authenticity, right? But my authentic feelings aren’t inclined toward interacting with Pei Lu.” Then she suddenly leaned forward, bracing her hands on either side of An Yu, closing the distance between them.
“But if Ah Yu wants me to follow the director’s instructions, that’s not impossible.”
Lin Duxi’s eyes traced An Yu’s face, her gaze lingering almost obsessively on An Yu’s lips, as if her stare alone could brand her skin.
An Yu’s breath hitched, her body trembling slightly under the intensity. She forgot to push Lin Duxi away, too focused on waiting for her next words.
Sensing An Yu’s trembling, Lin Duxi smirked, exuding an almost dangerous aura-like a flower blooming in the abyss, beautiful yet treacherous, its thorns drawing blood from anyone who dared to pluck it.
An Yu suddenly remembered that rainy day after high school graduation, when Lin Duxi had radiated the same dangerous energy, guiding An Yu’s hand downward…
And then-
Despite her cool, untouchable demeanor, the things Lin Duxi did were so…
An Yu’s face flushed unexpectedly, her breath growing uneven. She turned her head away, breaking free from Lin Duxi’s proximity and trying to calm herself.
Lin Duxi was puzzled. Why had An Yu suddenly blushed? She glanced down at her own outfit, regretting not wearing that lace nightgown from last time.
She looked back at An Yu, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Reaching out, she cupped An Yu’s face and turned it back toward her, forcing eye contact before leaning in even closer.
An Yu had no choice but to meet her gaze. Lin Duxi’s eyes held a teasing glint as they dropped to An Yu’s lips, tracing their shape with fascination.
The sensation made An Yu’s heart tremble, as if she were back in those days when Lin Duxi had complete control over her. Subconsciously, she recoiled from those memories, wanting to push Lin Duxi away-until Lin Duxi finally spoke, her breath warm against An Yu’s ear.
“But Ah Yu will have to pay me a reward .”
A reward?
After saying this, Lin Duxi released her and retreated to her original position, watching An Yu with a gentle smile as if she hadn’t just done something so suggestive.
An Yu shoved all unnecessary thoughts out of her mind and cautiously asked, “A reward?”
Lin Duxi nodded. “Just a small exchange. Like granting me a tiny wish or something. Such a simple request should be fair in return for completing the ‘director’s’ task, right?” Her eyes gleamed with mischief.
Too flustered and guilty to question why she had to pay the “reward” for a task supposedly assigned by the “director,” An Yu simply thought that fulfilling one of Lin Duxi’s wishes to avoid pain was a good deal. Without overthinking, she agreed.
“Okay, deal.”
Lin Duxi’s lips curved in delight.
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Zei_An
I really like how perceptive Lin Duxi is, although sometimes she’s scary lmao