After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 11

The staff handed out the drawing props to everyone one by one. An Yu drew casually and saw the number “ONE” written in capital letters on the bamboo slip. She couldn’t help but suspect that the system had done it deliberately.

“Next, each member, in order, please select a picture. Our first member, An Yu, please go ahead,” the host announced.

An Yu stood up obediently. Her peripheral vision caught Lin Duxi’s soft gaze on her, and for a fleeting moment, she froze. The content of last night’s painting suddenly flashed through her mind. She shook her head slightly to clear it and then moved forward as usual, though Lin Duxi’s puzzled gaze followed her like a shadow.

She approached the production staff, who signaled for her to start choosing. There were six photos: two fans, two drum towers, and two boats. Before she could make a choice, she heard the system in her mind:

“Host, do not select the two with boats.”

Although An Yu knew why, she asked anyway, “Why not?”

“No reason. You just need to complete your task.”

“Oh.”

She raised her hand slowly toward one of the pictures depicting a boat and water, but just as she was about to touch it, she abruptly turned to a different picture of a fan.

At that moment, a sudden sharp pain shot through the depths of her mind, like a broken string snapping. Though it lasted only an instant, it made her shiver from deep inside, her hands and feet went cold, and she instinctively grasped the table, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.

“What’s wrong, Teacher An?” a staff member whispered in concern.

An Yu shook her head. “Nothing, just didn’t sleep well last night. Feeling a bit dizzy,” she replied as she took the picture and turned to leave.

[Why only show my back and not my face? Keeping some suspense?]

[Quite immersive, the guests don’t know the pairings, and neither do the viewers—interesting.]

[Drawing lots, hope there’s no backstage manipulation.]

An Yu returned to her seat and unintentionally met Lin Duxi’s gaze. The beautiful eyes were full of worry.

“Host, keep your position in order. Do not break the rules,” the system said coldly, devoid of any emotion.

An Yu turned her eyes away to avoid Lin Duxi’s gaze and didn’t respond. She lowered her eyes, tapping the picture in her hands, lost in thought.

Lin Duxi received no answer and grew more concerned. An Yu’s earlier movements had instinctively tightened her heart. For the first time, she hated having so many people around during the filming. She bit her lip and lightly kissed An Yu’s knuckles before calming herself.

Watching Lin Duxi get up to pick her location, An Yu finally asked the system,
“System, are you sure Lin Duxi will choose the picture with the boat?”

“Of course,” the system replied, its cold, mechanical tone tinged with disdain.

“Why are you so sure? How can you tell? Can you predict it?” An Yu asked, curious.

“She’s the female lead! What she does, I know! Didn’t I already know she would pick the slippers? Host, take care of yourself. Such small matters don’t need to be asked,” the system replied.

Satisfied, An Yu said no more and quietly watched the remaining members select their pictures.

[Pictures chosen, let’s see which two are so in sync.]

[Hurry up! I’m the impatient king! Urgent as an order!]

Qiao Qingzhou looked at the fast-flying comments and smiled. Then she said,
“All members have selected their pictures. Let’s see which two members will form a pair. First, the two members who picked the drum tower, please raise your pictures.”

Xie An’an and Yu Fei raised their hands, surprised to see each other, yet politely teasing one another.

“So our little Xie and little Yu form a pair. Congratulations! You’ll start today’s drum tower journey together. Next, the two members who chose the fans, please raise your pictures.”

“Host, just watch!” An Yu heard the system say.

She raised her picture first and glanced around. Instinctively, her eyes landed on Lin Duxi, who coincidentally looked at her. Surprisingly, there was no sign of upset in Lin Duxi’s eyes—only a smile.

Her eyes curved gently, her expression warmer than before, soft amusement flickering. Slowly, she raised her hand holding the picture, the closed fan on it strikingly noticeable.

“Teacher An, what a coincidence—we’re partners,” Lin Duxi’s calm voice floated into An Yu’s ear.

An Yu froze for a brief two seconds, then felt a surge of mischievous delight, which made her lips curl into a smile. Lin Duxi saw this expression as genuine pleasure in teaming up with her and couldn’t help smiling back.

[Mutual eye contact and smiles! Too sweet!]

[Beautiful girls looking at each other—so satisfying.]

“System, what do we do now?” An Yu feigned panic. “The female lead is my partner! What am I supposed to do? You said she would pick the boat, and now this—what do I do? I’m so anxious!”

“Why not use time rewind to go five minutes back and choose again? You’re so skilled; this simple rewind should be easy,” the system snapped.

An Yu chattered on, anxious. The system, already surprised by Lin Duxi’s choice, grew even angrier at her endless chatter.

“Shut up!”

Obediently, An Yu closed her mouth, though the corners of her lips still curled slightly.

“Now, you can only proceed like this. During any task where the male and female leads may interact, you must carry out your mission to the fullest! Understood?”

An Yu suppressed a laugh. “Got it.”

The next second, she felt a sudden lightness—probably the system leaving her mind to fix the bug.

“Yo-ho, it seems An Yu and Lin Duxi have quite the connection. Congratulations on forming a pair,” Qiao Qingzhou excitedly said.

[Roommates/Neighbors pair.]

[Can same-gender pairings really happen? Interesting twist for a show.]

[Scripted, right? I thought this would be a free-reality show, but it seems there’s a script.]

“The remaining pair is Pei Lu and Feng Zhinian. Congratulations to both,” Qiao Qingzhou continued.

“Wait,” Pei Lu suddenly spoke, eyes sharp as he looked at everyone.

“What’s the matter?” Qiao Qingzhou asked in confusion.

“I think we need to redraw,” Pei Lu said coolly.

“Why?” Everyone asked in unison.

Pei Lu’s gaze stopped at Lin Duxi.
“This show is a romance-themed reality program. Partners shouldn’t be of the same gender, so I request a redo.”

His statement drew everyone’s eyes to him. An Yu frowned at his persistent attitude.

“But our program never specified that partners must be male or female. Selection is completely fair,” the director said, hiding a smile.

Pei Lu was momentarily stunned. “I don’t want to be paired with someone of the same gender. I think others feel the same.” He looked at Lin Duxi, trying to see agreement in her eyes, but she was gazing at An Yu, unaffected.

“The show’s script never mandated male-female pairings. Any pair can form friendships as well as romantic connections,” An Yu couldn’t tolerate his arrogance and replied.

She waited a few seconds and felt no pain in her body—her guess was correct: the system’s departure caused no issues.

Pei Lu was silenced by her words. No one else agreed with him, and Lin Duxi’s gaze never left An Yu, her eyes filled with love.

“I agree. Partnerships can also be friendships,” Lin Duxi said gently, looking at An Yu. Though secretly, she didn’t want to be just friends with her—or even use the word “friend.”

An Yu glanced at her, made eye contact, then lowered her eyes again.

“I think so too. The teams are set, and enough time has passed; a reshuffle isn’t realistic,” Xie An’an agreed.

Pei Lu had nothing to say. He glared at An Yu and turned his head in frustration.

[Wow, Pei Lu is so handsome!]

[Is this the typical domineering CEO type? Even his words sound possessive.]

[What are you saying? Is it wrong for him to question the pairing?]

Seeing the heated discussion in the comments, Qiao Qingzhou quickly moved on.

“All teams are now assigned. Please get on the vehicles to head to the location.”

An Yu stood up to move toward the vehicle, but a warm hand held hers. She was startled and turned to see Lin Duxi.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, subtly pulling her arm free from Lin Duxi’s grasp.

The brief warmth she had just received vanished. Lin Duxi hesitated, a twinge of regret on her face, but quickly smiled.

“Of course, I go with my partner,” she said, glancing around. Taking advantage of the crew’s momentary distraction, she leaned close to An Yu’s ear, stopping just a fraction away, and softly said,

“Thank you for covering for me earlier. I don’t know how to repay you.”

Her voice was soft, tinged with intimacy, mixed with a humid warmth brushing An Yu’s earlobe. Then she quickly moved back, carefully observing An Yu’s ear, which she had just flustered.

An Yu remained calm. “I just thought he was a bit pushy. You overthink things,” she said lightly, glancing at Lin Duxi before stepping forward.

Hearing An Yu’s teasing remark, Lin Duxi didn’t feel hurt as usual. An Yu’s weakness hadn’t changed in all these years; her words were upright, yet her ears had already turned red.

Lin Duxi smiled softly and followed, her steps light.

This was her secret, hers alone. On every dark, suffocating night, thinking of that sunny girl and her slightly flushed ears allowed her to claw her way out of an endless abyss and find a small measure of solace.

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