After Being Reborn, My Ex-Girlfriend Became Obsessed - Chapter 41

Yesterday’s mountain climb had been exhausting. After everyone returned, it was already late at night. Feeling very sleepy, they quickly tidied up and went to bed. By the time daylight broke, no one had woken up. Rarely, Qiao Qingzhou delayed the live broadcast schedule a little.

When An Yu woke up, sunlight poured through the gap in the curtains. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Lin Duxi lying on her side, peacefully asleep. They weren’t sharing the same blanket like during the last recording. Lin Duxi’s long lashes cast shadows in the sunlight, her skin was fair with a hint of pink, and An Yu couldn’t help but stare deeply.

Startled by the sunlight, Lin Duxi slightly frowned. An Yu quickly snapped out of it and looked away, waiting until Lin Duxi calmed down before slowly getting up.

While brushing her teeth, An Yu suddenly remembered what the system had said to her at the dinner table yesterday. Her hand paused mid-motion, and she shook her head subconsciously, feeling utterly foolish.

How could the detection device the system had installed be so easy to notice? If anything, it should have triggered only when the recording began.

She continued brushing her teeth in a gloomy mood. At that moment, a “ding” sound rang in her mind, and a few large characters appeared in her thoughts:

[Male and female lead interaction: 0/10, time remaining: 14:00]

An Yu: ?

She glanced at her watch. It was exactly 10:00 a.m., meaning she had 14 hours left until midnight.

The system had begun forcing her to complete the task. An Yu hastened her brushing while thinking about how to increase the interaction score. The system hadn’t fully explained last night, but she already knew the consequences of failing the task.

She didn’t want to experience that deep, sweat-drenched, overwhelming feeling again.

During breakfast, An Yu distractedly ate while thinking about the task, her gaze constantly returning to Lin Duxi. Naturally, Lin Duxi noticed the change in her.

Their seating arrangement still followed team order. Lin Duxi slightly raised her head and caught An Yu’s carefully averted gaze. An Yu immediately turned her eyes away again.

Lin Duxi: …

She smiled slightly. An Yu’s act of hiding her emotions was still too naive—just like when she secretly peeked in high school.

Lin Duxi always enjoyed noticing those similarities between the present An Yu and the passionate girl she remembered. Every time she found a familiar trait, their connection deepened, and she delighted in it.

When their eyes met again, Lin Duxi even deliberately winked at An Yu. Seeing An Yu freeze briefly, she curved her lips into a smile.

[Even though it’s just breakfast, why are you two exchanging looks like that! I love it! ]
[My friend knows someone from the show “Hello, Friend,” and apparently, Lin Duxi and An Yu are staying in the same room—and there’s only one bed!]
[Really? No way! Qiao Qingzhou, release all the precious footage! ]
[One bed! Since there’s no equipment in the room, it’s basically fine! (covering mouth laughing) ]
[Oh my, you two can’t even keep your eyes off each other at the table—so inseparable!]

An Yu hurriedly finished breakfast. Ultimately, she decided to ask Lin Duxi for help directly. Lin Duxi had always been clever. Back in high school, whenever An Yu tried some small trick, Lin Duxi would notice. She wouldn’t scold her severely but would gently tap her forehead and say half-reproachfully, half-affectionately, “Don’t do it next time.”

It had no real authority, and An Yu never obeyed—but she did it to hear Lin Duxi’s indulgent voice again.

Snapping back to reality, An Yu laughed at her past childishness but realized she had indulged in too many memories.

After breakfast, Qiao Qingzhou announced the day’s itinerary.

“Everyone, get ready. Today we’ll be walking the glass plank road. Tonight we’ll camp, so make sure to bring some necessary items.” He held the megaphone in one hand as he continued.

“Also, An Yu and Xie An’an earned first place in yesterday’s mountain climb. Therefore, for the glass plank road, you two won’t need to participate. If neither of you are afraid of heights, this is a nice bonus.”

An Yu and Xie An’an exchanged glances. Xie An’an shrugged casually, and An Yu didn’t say much, but her eyes naturally drifted toward Lin Duxi.

Lin Duxi listened attentively, her gaze calm. An Yu quickly looked away before she could notice her staring.

Stepping outside, An Yu immediately saw Lin Duxi sitting on a chair, carefully organizing things. Hearing her footsteps, Lin Duxi looked up and met An Yu’s clear eyes. She smiled slightly, then lowered her head to continue packing.

An Yu walked over and sat across from her, looking at her handling the backpack. She asked tentatively, “What are you doing?”

Without raising her head, Lin Duxi said softly, “For tonight’s camping, you’ll need insect repellent. I was afraid you’d forget, so I packed it for you.” She handed the backpack to An Yu.

An Yu took it, checking inside—it had everything necessary.

She composed herself, gripping the backpack, then looked at Lin Duxi, only to find her resting her chin in her hands, watching her.

An Yu froze, unable to speak for a moment.

Lin Duxi’s thin lips moved, and her eyes darkened slightly: “Do you have something to say to me, An Yu? After all these years, you still get nervous when it comes to important matters.” She stared at her, smiling slowly.

Embarrassed, An Yu scratched her head and said, “It’s Director Qiao.” She lied. If she told Lin Duxi the truth—that the world was just a novel and she was the heroine meant to be with the male lead—Lin Duxi would coax her while simultaneously calling the psychiatric hospital. Better to let Qiao take the blame for now.

“Director Qiao?”

“Yes, Director Qiao told me that because you and Pei Lu are in the same group with little interaction, and ‘Hello, Friend’ is a romantic show, you need to have some interaction. So she asked me to tell you.”

An Yu silently apologized to Qiao in her heart. On the surface, she looked composed, as if genuinely relaying the director’s instructions.

But despite her relaxed demeanor, her words were still slightly flawed. Lin Duxi noticed the lie but kept resting her chin in her hands, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Really? Why didn’t Director Qiao tell me herself?”

An Yu quickly added, “You went to bed early last night, so she didn’t disturb you and told me instead.”

Lin Duxi nodded, her mouth curving slightly. She slowly nodded again, concealing the thoughts lingering in her eyes.

An Yu watched her nod silently, growing anxious, unsure what to say, her hands unconsciously gripping the bag tighter.

Lin Duxi noticed this and concealed her amusement, pretending to think, frowning lightly as if in trouble.

“Okay, but…”

An Yu’s heart leapt. However, upon hearing Lin Duxi’s next words, her heart fluttered again, and she waited anxiously.

“Normally, shows like this should follow true feelings, right? But my true feelings aren’t about interacting with Pei Lu.” Lin Duxi leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of An Yu, instantly closing the distance.

“But if you, An Yu, want me to follow the director’s instructions, that’s also fine.”

Lin Duxi’s gaze traced An Yu’s cheeks, lingering on her collarbone. An Yu couldn’t help but gasp slightly, forgetting to push her away.

Sensing An Yu trembling, Lin Duxi’s lips curved, exuding an almost dangerous aura—like a flower growing in an abyss: beautiful, intoxicating, and full of thorns.

An Yu recalled that rainy day after high school, when Lin Duxi also exuded that dangerous charm, holding her hand and leading her down.

Her normally serene, pure face now exuded something… irresistible.

An Yu blushed deeply, turning her head to avoid Lin Duxi, trying to regain her composure.

Lin Duxi looked puzzled. Why was An Yu blushing? She glanced at her own outfit, regretting not wearing the lace sleepwear from last time.

Raising her hand, she gently adjusted An Yu’s face to look at her, leaning in slightly, closing the distance again.

Forced to meet her gaze, An Yu saw Lin Duxi’s eyes half-smiling. Her gaze lingered on An Yu’s lips, tracing them as if mesmerized.

An Yu’s heart raced, recalling the times Lin Duxi had so effortlessly controlled her. She subconsciously resisted, wanting to push her away, but Lin Duxi leaned close and whispered by her ear:

“However, I want some… compensation.”

Compensation?

After speaking, Lin Duxi released her hands and returned to her position, gently watching An Yu for a response, as if her previous provocative actions hadn’t happened.

An Yu drove away the lingering thoughts in her mind and asked tentatively, “Compensation?”

Lin Duxi nodded. “Some little wish, perhaps, something simple. This requirement can be exchanged for the task the ‘director’ asked me to do, right?” Her gaze shimmered.

Feeling guilty and flustered from Lin Duxi’s earlier actions, An Yu didn’t think about why she needed to pay “compensation” for a task that was actually the director’s. She simply thought fulfilling Lin Duxi’s wish could save her from the punishment and seemed worth it.

“Okay, deal.” Lin Duxi’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes bright with delight.

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