Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 19

When Xu Chunjiang was about to head to work, he was intercepted by his daughter’s persistent whining.

“I don’t feel well. Dad, Mom, can’t you both stay home with me today?” Xu Yingran lay sickly on the bed, a cool towel—freshly placed by Zhao Yu—resting on her forehead.

Zhao Yu looked at her daughter and tried to reason with her. “Ranran, isn’t it enough that I’ve taken the day off to stay with you? Why must your father stay behind too?”

Xu Yingran refused to budge, closing her eyes and throwing a fit. “I just want both of you to be with me.”

Xu Chunjiang had already changed into his work uniform. Seeing his daughter making such a scene put him in a difficult position. Ultimately, it was Xu Yingran’s thick-skinned persistence and soft-hearted pestering that finally made him relent.

“Alright, alright.” Zhao Yu helplessly touched Xu Yingran’s burning cheek and said, “Neither your father nor I will go anywhere today. We’ll stay right here to keep you company, okay?”

Only then did Xu Yingran nod, finally satisfied.

Leaving Xu Yingran to rest in her room, the couple went to eat breakfast and called their respective workplaces to request a day off.

In truth, both knew that a simple illness didn’t require two people to stay home, but Xu Yingran’s behavior today was highly unusual. Xu Chunjiang discussed it with his wife and decided to humor her; after all, missing one day of work wouldn’t result in much of a pay cut. They decided to treat it as a day spent accompanying their daughter.

By around 10:00 AM, the effects of the beer had completely worn off, and Xu Yingran’s complexion gradually returned to normal.

She had spent the entire morning in bed. Zhao Yu and her husband were in the outer room watching television and chatting with the neighbors. Fu Qiao’s mother, Hu Mei, had also woken up; hearing that Xu Yingran was sick, she had dropped by for a quick visit and remained at the door to chat with Zhao Yu.

“Is that so? Is it confirmed?” “Yes, the storefront has been secured. It’ll likely be ready in a month or two.” “Having been neighbors for so many years, I’m actually a bit sad to see you go so suddenly.” “It’s nothing. We’ll still see each other often. Oh, don’t tell anyone else just yet; our side isn’t fully finalized. I’ll let you know once everything is set.” “I understand.”

Xu Yingran vaguely overheard her mother and Hu Mei talking, but she couldn’t quite make sense of it, so she simply rolled over on the bed out of boredom.

Her gaze fell on the lush green branches outside the window. The garden of the old residential complex was planted with many fruit trees, including several cherry trees older than Xu Yingran herself and two osmanthus trees planted close together. Autumn was the season for cherries to ripen and for the fragrance of osmanthus to fill the air.

Xu Yingran could already catch a faint whiff of the scent. She thought that after this lingering drizzle, the ground beneath the trees would likely be covered in fallen blossoms.

The thought made her feel a bit protective. Had she known, she should have collected them to make osmanthus honey; after all, Fu Qiao loved those sweet, fragrant treats.

Thinking of Fu Qiao made Xu Yingran’s heart itch. She rubbed her nose and decided to get out of bed; since it was already this late, her parents certainly wouldn’t be heading out to work now.

Just as she emerged from her room, she saw Zhao Yu entering with a bundle of celery.

“Why are you up?” Zhao Yu set down the vegetables she had been cleaning and walked over, asking with concern, “Are you still feeling unwell?”

Xu Yingran shook her head. “I feel much better now.”

Hearing this, Xu Chunjiang came out of the inner room and looked at her. “Do you want to take another dose of that medicine I bought you?”

Zhao Yu countered, “Why take it now? Wait until after lunch.” She then looked at Xu Yingran with lingering worry, asking repeatedly, “Are you sure you’re okay? Do we need to go to the hospital?”

Actually, the couple had planned to take her to the hospital that morning, but Xu Yingran didn’t dare go. She had used the rain as an excuse, saying the roads were bad and she wanted to lie down for a bit first; if she didn’t improve, it wouldn’t be too late to go then.

Her parents had no choice but to agree. Seeing her now, it seemed a bit of rest really had done the trick; her complexion looked significantly better.

“What are we having for lunch?” Xu Chunjiang asked. “Stir-fried pork with celery, plus the leftover loofah soup and braised chicken from yesterday.” Zhao Yu turned to Xu Yingran. “Is there anything else you want? I can go prepare it.” Xu Yingran shook her head. “This is fine. I don’t have a craving for anything in particular.”

After a quick lunch, Xu Chunjiang went back to his room to work on the design drawings for his factory. Zhao Yu, having nothing to do and seeing the persistent drizzle outside, turned on the TV.

The volume was low, and combined with the rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain against the window, it created the perfect white noise for a nap. The beer she drank that morning finally seemed to take full effect; Xu Yingran lay back on her bed, let out a yawn, and drifted into a hazy sleep.

In her dream, she returned to the age of twenty-eight. She had just finished some work at the office, and the clock on her desk showed exactly 6:00 PM.

She drove home, and upon entering, she heard Fu Qiao’s voice. Fu Qiao was chatting with the housekeeper, seemingly discussing what to cook with the fresh vegetables she had just bought. Hearing the door, Fu Qiao turned around and smiled at Xu Yingran. “Why are you home so early today?”

Seeing the adult Fu Qiao filled Xu Yingran with joy. She walked over and took her hand. “I missed you, Wife.”

Fu Qiao’s cheeks flushed. The housekeeper discreetly retreated to the kitchen, leaving the two of them to share an intimate moment in the living room.

“Did you do something wrong again?” Fu Qiao asked, her cheeks red but her eyes bright. She stared at Xu Yingran. “Usually, you don’t come home unless I call to nag you. What’s the occasion that brought you back so early today?”

Xu Yingran replied in a low, aggrieved voice, “In your eyes, the only reason I’d come home early is if I’m in trouble?”

Fu Qiao remained noncommittal. She toyed with Xu Yingran’s fingers for a long moment before looking up. “Xu Yingran, I love you.”

Looking into those clear eyes, Xu Yingran felt her heart skip a beat. Something deep within her was about to burst forth—it was desire, and it was longing.

“Wife…”

Xu Yingran cupped Fu Qiao’s face, but just as she was about to lean in for a kiss, her vision blurred. She snapped her eyes open, waking up.

The rain outside was lighter than it had been at noon, tapping softly against the window frame. As soon as Xu Yingran opened her eyes, she saw Fu Qiao sitting at her desk.

Fu Qiao didn’t look as mature as she had in the dream. Her youthful cheeks looked soft, and the fine peach fuzz on her skin made her look like a child. Even her hair seemed exceptionally smooth.

Fu Qiao seemed to be wrestling with a difficult problem, her brow slightly furrowed. She hadn’t noticed Xu Yingran watching her.

Once Fu Qiao finished the problem and flipped the test paper over, she realized Xu Yingran was awake. Seeing a pair of bright black eyes staring at her gave her a start.

“You’re awake?” Fu Qiao turned around, sounding puzzled. “Why didn’t you say anything? You scared me.”

Xu Yingran sat up and looked at the test paper. “Why are you at my house? What time is it? Where are my parents?”

Faced with the barrage of questions, Fu Qiao tidied the desk while answering. “I came over after school let out. It’s already past 6:00 PM. Your parents went out to buy groceries; I saw them just as I was coming in.”

Hearing this, Xu Yingran felt a wave of dread. How could she have slept so long? She had slept through the entire afternoon!

She hurriedly threw on her shoes and ran out. Seeing her in such a rush, Fu Qiao quickly followed.

The rain was still drizzling, and Xu Yingran didn’t even grab an umbrella. Since her parents weren’t home, she was terrified they had gone back to that specific pedestrian crossing. She feared she was about to lose her loved ones all over again.

In truth, she didn’t know if the past could be changed. If something happened to them again, she didn’t know if she could handle the reality of losing her parents twice.

Cold rain lashed her face. Though the rain wasn’t heavy, it was dense. Xu Yingran didn’t find her parents on the old street after leaving the complex, so she headed toward the intersection where the accident had occurred in her previous life.

As she drew closer, the crowd grew thicker. People stood in small groups on the roadside, peering ahead, making Xu Yingran’s heart leap into her throat.

“Something happened over there.” “Seems like a car plowed into the pedestrian crossing.” “Oh dear, were people hit?” “I don’t know. I heard it was pretty bad; the car didn’t show any signs of braking. It was terrifying.” “I heard people were struck, but the details aren’t clear. You have to look further ahead.” “What’s there to look at? Can’t you see the police are already here? They’ve set up a cordon; you can’t get in even if you wanted to.”

The more Xu Yingran heard, the more terrified she became. She sprinted toward the scene, and after a few steps, she saw a crowd gathered three layers deep.

“Excuse me, sorry, let me through…”

Xu Yingran pushed through the crowd. Almost everyone was holding an umbrella, blocking her view of what was happening inside. She remembered that if one wanted to go to the wet market, this was the path they had to take.

Her heart, which had been heavy with dread, now felt like it was about to explode with pain. She couldn’t tell if the liquid on her face was tears or rain. She desperately tried to squeeze through, but the people stood like a solid wall, blocking her path.

“Xu Yingran!” Fu Qiao, holding an umbrella, shouted from behind. “Xu Yingran, what are you doing? Come back here!”

But Xu Yingran didn’t listen. She continued to struggle forward until a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and hauled her out of the crowd.

“Let go of me!” Xu Yingran struggled. “I have to get in there!”

Xu Chunjiang held his daughter fast, scolding her with a frown. “The police are doing their jobs; why are you trying to join the commotion?!”

Xu Yingran froze at the sound of his voice. She turned her head to see her parents standing right there in front of her, perfectly fine. In an instant, her nose stung with emotion, and she threw herself into her parents’ arms.