The Mouth Is Stubborn, But the Body Is Quite Honest [Rebirth] - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: 016 “Could You Please Get Off Me First?”

Gu Linlang’s eyes lit up as if she had thought of something: “System, you said before that the Intimate Contact Missions only trigger when Qi Wanyang and I are within one kilometer, right?”

“Yes, Host,” the System replied without any defense.

Gu Linlang’s lips curved into a slight smile, and she immediately had an idea. She decided to happily grant herself a long vacation, get far away, and enjoy some peaceful, Qi Wanyang-free days!

She decided to act immediately. Her hospital stay was complete, her knee was almost better, and her thesis was finalized. Taking a few days off to travel was no problem at all. Gu Linlang immediately called her dad, Gu Hongyi, first telling him she was fully recovered and ready to be discharged.

Gu Hongyi was still uneasy, so he called the doctor to confirm. Only after the doctor gave the nod did he consent to her discharge, even arranging a driver to take her home.

At home, Gu Linlang packed while briefing her dad on her travel plans. She was well-versed in international travel. Though Gu Hongyi was worried about his recently discharged daughter running off, he knew he couldn’t stop her and could only lecture her for a long time.

To set her father’s mind at ease, Gu Linlang promised to send him many travel photos and anecdotes, which finally brought Gu Hongyi a measure of relief.

With her luggage quickly packed, Gu Linlang took the family car straight to the airport. She was familiar with the procedures and went through security quickly. Since this was a spur-of-the-moment trip without advance booking, first class was full, and she had to settle for economy class. This didn’t affect her good mood at all. After queuing briefly with the crowd, she boarded the plane smoothly.

The flight attendants greeted passengers with smiles. Gu Linlang quickly found her window seat. Since she was in the last row, the adjacent seat was still empty. Watching the ground gradually disappear outside the window, her mood soared. She was already imagining a free period without Qi Wanyang and those bothersome Intimate Contact Missions.

The plane leveled out, and Gu Linlang put on her headphones to listen to music, eventually falling asleep.

Suddenly, a severe jolt woke her. The flight attendant’s urgent announcement rang out: “Attention passengers, we are experiencing strong turbulence. Please return to your seats immediately and fasten your seatbelts, and stow your tray tables. For your safety, please remain quiet and cooperate with the crew’s instructions. We will resume normal flight as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation.”

But this turbulence was clearly abnormal. The entire cabin quickly erupted into chaos, with panicked screams from passengers everywhere. Gu Linlang’s heart sank, a sudden premonition washing over her. Just then, the System’s cold mechanical voice exploded in her mind: “Warning! The aircraft has encountered extreme airflow. The Host must find Qi Wanyang within 30 minutes and complete a kiss on her cheek. Failure to do so will result in an aviation disaster.”

Gu Linlang was dumbfounded, utterly unable to believe it. Is this broken System insane? Is one Intimate Contact Mission really going to cost the lives of everyone on the plane?!

Gu Linlang’s palms were slick with cold sweat from anxiety. Her mind was buzzing, like ten thousand bees trapped inside. She desperately tried to communicate with the System: “Before, the worst it did was trigger a heart attack or some weird bad luck, but at least it only harmed me! Now you’re going to drag everyone on this plane to their deaths?!”

“Yes, Host. If you do not wish the people onboard to perish, please complete the Intimate Contact Mission immediately, or the plane will not return to stable operation.” The tone was like a weather report, sending a chill down Gu Linlang’s spine. For the first time, Gu Linlang truly felt the cold cruelty of this Rebirth System. But the System ignored her feelings and continued in its professional tone: “Furthermore, congratulations, Host. Upon completion of this Intimate Contact Mission, in addition to the regular Love Value, a random Fortune Bag reward will be dropped.”

Congratulations on what! Who cares about a Fortune Bag now! Gu Linlang stomped her foot in frustration, knowing that once this mission was issued, it was irreversible. She forced herself to calm down. Judging by the situation… could Qi Wanyang really be on this plane?! It couldn’t be this much of a coincidence, could it? If something truly happened, wouldn’t Qi Wanyang also… The thought spurred Gu Linlang into action. She violently unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up, looking around the violently shaking cabin like a nervous wreck. She had to find Qi Wanyang immediately and complete this cursed Intimate Contact Mission to prevent this disaster.

“Qi Wanyang! Are you on this plane?! Where are you?!” Gu Linlang shouted, completely disregarding the strange looks from other passengers. But instead of Qi Wanyang, she attracted a flight attendant.

“Ma’am! Please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt immediately!” The flight attendant quickly approached, sternly blocking her path.

“I have something extremely important! I must find my friend! Please let me pass!” Gu Linlang jumped up and down in distress, but the flight attendant blocked her like a wall: “The situation is dangerous! Please cooperate with our crew!” She then tried to push Gu Linlang back into her seat. But the current situation was beyond human control. Her cooperation was useless. Gu Linlang refused to endanger everyone on the plane and had no choice but to push past the crew member.

Other passengers stared strangely, pointing and whispering. More crew members rushed over to assist. Several lost their footing and tumbled awkwardly, causing chaos in the cabin. Gu Linlang guiltily looked at the fallen crew members, gritted her teeth, and continued toward first class. No one was in economy; Qi Wanyang had to be in first class.

She ran forward, yelling Qi Wanyang’s name. Her heart pounded so loudly it overcame the engine’s roar. If the Intimate Contact Missions didn’t suppress her heart condition, Gu Linlang felt she would have collapsed by now. Her breathing became increasingly labored, but her steps grew more determined.

“Ma’am! Return to your seat immediately!” A crew member squeezed through to grab her, but the plane lurched, and the person stumbled awkwardly. Gu Linlang grabbed a seat armrest to avoid falling herself. “Return to your seats!” other crew members yelled anxiously from behind. The plane was now shaking even more violently, feeling as if it might break apart at any moment. Passengers screamed and cried; panic spread like wildfire. Gu Linlang was frantic, knowing she could not delay. She took a deep breath, swallowed her fear, and dashed toward the first-class curtain. Just as she was about to pull it aside, the plane gave a sudden, sharp tilt, like a rollercoaster plunge, nearly flinging her away.

Gu Linlang slipped, on the verge of face-planting. In a flash, the curtain was pulled open, and a warm, strong hand grabbed her wrist. The next second, she was pulled into a familiar embrace. Because of the plane’s tilt, they both fell to the floor, and the other person’s right shoulder slammed into the cabin wall with a dull thump. “Ugh…” In her panic, Gu Linlang’s lips accidentally brushed the person’s cheek. And precisely at that moment, the plane’s violent turbulence miraculously ceased, and it instantly returned to stable flight, as if the terrifying ordeal had been a shared hallucination.

The astonished crew members looked at each other, their faces etched with disbelief. Passengers looked around, still reeling from the fright. Just then, the flight attendant’s sweet voice announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, the aircraft has now exited the area of turbulence and is currently flying smoothly. Our crew will continue to ensure your safety. We wish you a pleasant journey.”

As the announcement ended, the entire cabin erupted in cheers that nearly blew the roof off. Passengers cried, laughed, and high-fived, acting as if they had just narrowly escaped death. Gu Linlang slowly pulled herself out of that familiar embrace. Sure enough, Qi Wanyang was pinned beneath her, the two of them lying awkwardly on the floor. She realized she had also accidentally kissed her cheek moments ago. But she was too relieved to feel embarrassed, her mind focused entirely on surviving the disaster. “Qi Wanyang! You really are here! That’s great, we’re all safe!” Gu Linlang’s voice trembled with excitement.

The System’s mechanical voice sounded again, this time generously adding 100 Love Value points, much more than before. “Host, you also received a Fortune Bag. Would you like to open it now?” the System asked. Gu Linlang seemed deaf to the question, her eyes locked on Qi Wanyang, a smile forming unconsciously on her lips.

“You…” Qi Wanyang’s cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes complex, as if she had a thousand words to say. But the gazes of the surrounding spectators were shining on them like searchlights, causing her to swallow her words. In the end, she could only force out: “Could you please get off me first?”

Gu Linlang finally snapped out of her daze and scrambled up awkwardly.