After the Soul Swap Between Love Rival AO - Chapter 20

Instinctively, Cheng Luanxin glanced at Song Qiuchi.

Song Qiuchi had no idea what Cheng Luanxin’s pheromones smelled like, so she didn’t understand the meaning behind that look—only returning a puzzled expression.

Snapping back to reality, Cheng Luanxin picked out a lemon-citrus donut and handed it to Du Zhiruo. “Here you go.”

Du Zhiruo murmured softly, “You like it too, don’t you?”

Cheng Luanxin stiffened, her face flushing. The question almost sounded like a challenge to Song Qiuchi—Do you like Cheng Luanxin?

For a moment, she was grateful for their body swap. Otherwise, she’d never have known Du Zhiruo felt this way about her.

Pretending not to understand, she replied, “It’s alright. I prefer strawberry.”

Du Zhiruo blinked thoughtfully as she accepted the donut. “Thanks.”

Cheng Luanxin’s heart pounded wildly as she averted her gaze. “I’ll go hand some out to the crew too.”

Soon, the once-overflowing bowl was nearly empty, the lounge now filled with the sweet aroma of donuts.

She settled back onto the couch, squeezing in among the others.

Host Annai smiled and asked, “So, how was today’s date?”

Cheng Luanxin chuckled sheepishly. “Pretty fulfilling, actually.”

“And you, Luanxin?”

Song Qiuchi pondered for a moment. “More fun than I expected.”

“How did you decide on making desserts?”

Our agents picked for us. Of course, Cheng Luanxin couldn’t say that. Instead, she answered earnestly, “Just the two of us dating would’ve been too dull. We wanted everyone to have something to look forward to—to feel more involved.”

Su Ling grinned. “It definitely worked. The wait was worth it.”

Anna asked, “What does everyone think about their date today?”

Liang Shengxia reflected seriously and commented, “They interact so naturally. I feel like my past dates were too forced, overly planned.”

Bian Ning also chimed in, “I agree, their dynamic feels natural and fun—sweet, even. I really like the atmosphere between them.”

Cheng Luanxin, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise, said, “Oh, it’s nothing special. We’ve known each other for a long time, after all.”

After chatting for a while longer, Anna summarized, “Well, today’s model couple observation date has been successfully completed. Tomorrow and the day after are free time for everyone to get to know each other better. I recommend using these two days to prepare some daily necessities. Next Monday, our group activity will be mountain climbing, and we’ll be away from the dorm for two days.”

Su Ling widened her eyes. “Not staying in the dorm? Does that mean we’ll be sleeping on the mountain?”

Lin Zhiyun was also surprised. “Are we climbing a really high-altitude mountain?”

Anna nodded. “Yes, the program team has arranged for us to climb Mount Meng together.”

Mount Meng is a famous scenic spot in the country, located in a neighboring province, covering an area of over a thousand square kilometers. Its highest peak exceeds two thousand meters, attracting a large number of tourists every year.

Bian Ning’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I’ve been to Mount Meng before! A photography team I was with went there a couple of years ago to take pictures. The scenery is really amazing!”

He Ran looked uneasy. “It’s not too dangerous, is it? I’m actually a little afraid of heights.”

Liang Shengxia reassured her, “Not at all. These kinds of scenic spots have well-maintained, man-made trails. They’re very safe—don’t worry.”

Cheng Luanxin, who had never traveled outside her province before, suddenly brightened up and instinctively nudged Song Qiuchi beside her. “This is great! We’re going on a trip together! Let’s think about what we need to prepare!”

Though Song Qiuchi had more travel experience, it was usually limited to family vacations to islands or mountain resorts—never mountain climbing. Hesitantly, she said, “We should look up some guides. But we don’t have many tokens left.”

Cheng Luanxin had already stopped caring about tokens. “That’s what I’m here for! It’s not every day we get to go on a trip, so let’s not skimp. We can always earn more tokens later!”

Hearing this, Du Zhiruo chimed in, “Are you two planning to go shopping together? Can I join you? I might not have enough tokens, but I’ll pay you back next time.”

Cheng Luanxin was taken aback. “No need to pay back! If you need anything, we’ll just get it for you. We’ve known each other for ages.”

Song Qiuchi lowered her gaze slightly. “Let’s all go together.”

Cheng Luanxin grew even more excited. After so many days of filming, apart from the first day, she had barely interacted with Du Zhiruo, who had mostly been with Song Qiuchi. Now, suddenly learning that Du Zhiruo might have feelings for her and even suggested shopping together, she was both shocked and overjoyed, practically wearing her happiness on her face.

Du Zhiruo smiled. “Then let’s set a time—the three of us can go to the supermarket together.”

Cheng Luanxin nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes! Just don’t forget to call me when you two head out. We’ll all go together.”

As the day’s filming finally wrapped up, the guests dispersed to their rooms, while Cheng Luanxin and Song Qiuchi dutifully returned to the kitchen to clean up.

Humming a tune, Cheng Luanxin leisurely scrubbed the molds.

Song Qiuchi stood beside her, wiping flour and grease off the countertop.

Cheng Luanxin couldn’t stop chattering: “Song Qiuchi, have you ever climbed a mountain? Is it really cold up there? Should we bring some autumn and winter clothes?”

Song Qiuchi paused for a moment: “The temperature difference between day and night might be significant, but bringing winter clothes is probably unnecessary.”

Cheng Luanxin began to daydream: “We can even watch the sunrise from the mountaintop! So romantic—this show is totally worth it!”

Song Qiuchi guessed Cheng Luanxin was probably fantasizing about Du Zhiruo again and casually agreed: “Yeah, it is pretty romantic.”

Cheng Luanxin added: “Don’t you dare oversleep! I heard sunrise on the mountain is super early!”

Song Qiuchi was taken aback: “You want to watch the sunrise with me?”

Cheng Luanxin: “Huh? Won’t everyone go together? What else?”

Song Qiuchi lowered her gaze: “Never mind.”

She had to admit, when Cheng Luanxin reminded her not to oversleep, she felt an inexplicable flutter in her chest—something between anticipation and melancholy. It was hard to describe exactly what she was feeling.

“Meng Mountain is so high—are there hotels up there? Will we have to camp? Food and water must be crazy expensive on the mountain, so we’d better prepare in advance, or we’ll get ripped off! Not that it matters to us, since we’ve got those rose tokens, haha.”

“Song Qiuchi, are you in good shape? You’re so delicate—what if you faint halfway up? I can’t carry you, you know! Don’t embarrass me by being useless.”

Song Qiuchi was speechless: “Cheng Luanxin, are you really this excited?”

Cheng Luanxin nodded: “Of course! I’ve never traveled far before—my grandma has trouble walking, so she can’t go on long trips. This is my first time going on a real vacation. How could I not be excited?”

Song Qiuchi thought for a moment: “Actually, I’ve never traveled with someone my age either.”

Cheng Luanxin grinned: “Then we’re in the same boat! Let’s look out for each other on the trip! We’re pretty much done here—let’s go rest for a bit!”

She rinsed the molds clean, organized the food coloring and decorations, and was about to leave when Song Qiuchi grabbed her arm.

Cheng Luanxin tensed, thinking Song Qiuchi was about to nitpick her again.

But instead, Song Qiuchi pulled a donut from her apron pocket: “I saved this for you. You never ate one.”

Cheng Luanxin looked closely—it was a freeze-dried strawberry donut.

“You said you liked strawberry flavor,” Song Qiuchi said awkwardly, avoiding her gaze. “I was afraid there wouldn’t be any left, so I grabbed one for you in advance.”

Cheng Luanxin’s face flushed, realizing Song Qiuchi had overheard her conversation with Du Zhiruo. She took the donut: “Thanks.”

Song Qiuchi lowered her eyes: “Let’s go.”