Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 14

Hu Mei leaned over to look at Xu Yingran, who was sprawled across the table in a daze. “Oh dear, how did this child get so drunk?” she asked worriedly.

Fu Qiao’s father, Fu Jun, stood by her side, clearly finding the situation amusing.

“She’s just a young girl after all; she can’t handle her liquor,” Fu Jun chuckled. “Drunk after just one bottle of beer?”

Although Yao Jin had only finished half a bottle, her cheeks were also flushed bright red. She sat perfectly upright on her small stool, her back as stiff and straight as a board.

Fu Qiao went to fetch Yao Jin’s driver from the hotel. “I’m so sorry,” she said to the driver. “Could you please help get her home?”

The driver looked at his young mistress in a panic. “How much did she have? Was it the hard stuff? Red wine?”

Fu Jun took a puff of his cigarette and smirked. “Beer.”

The driver: “…”

Hu Mei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “These kids… they have school tomorrow. How did they let themselves get like this?”

“I just didn’t expect two bottles of beer to do someone in this badly,” Fu Jun remarked.

“Stop making snide remarks,” Hu Mei snapped at him. “Go help the man.”

As the driver and Fu Jun helped Yao Jin out of the alley, Fu Qiao looked down helplessly at the soundly sleeping Xu Yingran and knit her delicate brows.

“Mom, I’ll help her home,” Fu Qiao said, turning to Hu Mei. “You still have the stall to look after, so don’t worry about it.”

“Can you manage on your own?”

“I can.”

Fu Qiao slung both their backpacks over her shoulders and shook Xu Yingran to wake her up. “Wake up, Xu Yingran.”

After being shaken for a good while, Xu Yingran finally opened her eyes blearily, looking at Fu Qiao with a dazed expression.

Xu Yingran froze for a second before mumbling, “…Wife, why are you here?”

Fu Qiao: “…”

She no longer found it strange. After all, Xu Yingran had been calling her “wife” every other day for the past two days.

“Can you walk on your own?” Fu Qiao looked down at her. “I can’t carry you. If you can’t walk, I’ll have to go to your house and get your parents.”

Hearing this, Xu Yingran stood up unsteadily. Fearing she would fall, Fu Qiao quickly supported her. “Why didn’t you say something before standing up?” she said crossly. “What if you fell?”

“I won’t,” Xu Yingran laughed, her face beet-red. “I’m not drunk.”

Fu Qiao didn’t believe a word of it. She turned and called out to Hu Mei, who was still busy collecting payments, “Mom, we’re leaving!”

Hu Mei looked up from her work. “Be careful on the road. Get some rest as soon as you get back; don’t come back to help me.”

“Okay!”

Fu Qiao supported Xu Yingran as they walked out of the alley. Xu Yingran was swaying precariously, her left foot tripping over her right. It was terrifying to watch, and the effort of holding her up left Fu Qiao drenched in sweat.

Despite her state, Xu Yingran remained stubborn. “I’m not drunk. Don’t hold me, I can do it myself.”

Fu Qiao’s temper flared. It was a sweltering day, she was covered in sweat, and now she had to haul a drunkard home. She let go of Xu Yingran and snapped, “Fine. Since you aren’t drunk, take two steps. If you don’t fall, I won’t hold you.”

Xu Yingran lifted her foot to move forward, but her legs turned to jelly. As she began to topple sideways, a panicked Fu Qiao lunged forward to catch her. The momentum carried them both, and Xu Yingran pinned Fu Qiao against the roadside wall.

Thump—

Fu Qiao felt her heart suddenly begin to throb violently. She was leaning against the wall with her arms around Xu Yingran’s waist, her nose filled with the other girl’s scent.

Xu Yingran smelled faintly of laundry detergent—a sweet, clean scent that was incredibly pleasant.

“Xu… Xu Yingran…”

Fu Qiao lost her composure. She looked up at Xu Yingran, her heart racing so fast that her hands began to tremble.

Xu Yingran kept her head lowered. The dim yellow glow of the streetlamp shone from above, casting her face into a shadow that made her expression unreadable.

The night breeze blew, making Fu Qiao feel even more lightheaded.

With a flushed face, Fu Qiao turned her head away and whispered, “…Get up. I’m taking you home.”

“Mm… Wife, I was wrong.”

Xu Yingran leaned her weight against Fu Qiao, hugging her waist and pinning her to the wall. She spoke in a wheedling, coquettish tone. “Wife, why did you only just come to take me home? I only had a little bit to drink today, I’m really not drunk.”

There were still many people on the street, and they began to turn and stare, making Fu Qiao’s face turn an even deeper shade of red.

She buried her head in Xu Yingran’s shoulder and whispered, “You have the wrong person. I’m not your wife.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yingran protested, “How can you not be my wife? We… we’re already married!”

Fu Qiao’s face burned. She said urgently, “When did I ever marry you? Don’t talk nonsense!”

Xu Yingran grew upset. She pressed her drunken forehead against Fu Qiao’s and stared at her for a long time before suddenly giggling like a fool. “Wife, you’re so pretty.”

By now, the redness had spread from Fu Qiao’s face down to her neck.

“Wife, please don’t be mad at me,” Xu Yingran said coaxingly. “It was that woman A-Jin who forced me to drink. She even recorded a video of me saying I wouldn’t come home by 9:00 PM. I was wrong, I was really wrong. I promise you, Wife, I’ll always be home before curfew from now on. I won’t drink with those shady people, and I’ll report my itinerary to you every day. Just… can you please not cut my allowance this month?”

Fu Qiao listened in a daze, having no idea what kind of madness had taken hold of Xu Yingran.

Seeing that Fu Qiao didn’t answer, Xu Yingran assumed she was still angry. She reached out and tilted Fu Qiao’s chin up. “Wife, are you really mad? Then… then go ahead and cut my allowance. I don’t spend much when I’m out anyway. I have a gas card for the car, the canteen for food, and shopping cards for the supermarket.”

“But you really can’t stay mad at me,” Xu Yingran whispered. “Stop being angry. How about I give you a kiss?”

As she spoke, she lowered her head to kiss her. Terrified, Fu Qiao threw up a hand and shoved the other girl’s head aside.

“Huh?” Xu Yingran squinted her eyes in confusion. “Wife?”

“Who… who-who-who is your wife!”

Fu Qiao’s brain felt like it was about to short-circuit. She had almost been kissed by Xu Yingran!!!

The two had known each other since they were in diapers; they had gone through kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school together. To suddenly be pinned against a wall and nearly kissed by Xu Yingran left an indelible mark on Fu Qiao’s young and fragile heart.

How could this person go so crazy after drinking? Calling her “wife” every other second was one thing, but trying to force a kiss on her!

“Do you even know who I am?” Fu Qiao asked, her face crimson. “Xu Yingran, look at me. Am I really your wife?”

Xu Yingran blinked in confusion, then took a long, serious look at Fu Qiao before breaking into a beaming smile.

“You are my wife~”