Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 20

Xu Yingran later learned that an accident had indeed occurred at that intersection.

It was the same event: a driver, seeking revenge on society, had driven his car straight toward the crosswalk. However, perhaps due to the slippery road or some other reason, he missed the pedestrians entirely. The car crashed through the guardrail and plunged into the river. By the time the police arrived to recover the vehicle, the driver had already drowned.

None of the pedestrians were injured, which was truly the best possible outcome.

When Xu Yingran heard the news, she remained in a daze. Xu Chunjiang and Zhao Yu had taken a different route to buy groceries; upon returning, they saw Xu Yingran desperately trying to squeeze into the crowd and quickly pulled her out.

Now, the family was gathered together talking, while Fu Qiao stayed with Xu Yingran in her bedroom.

“Are you feeling any better?”

Fu Qiao looked at Xu Yingran with concern. Seeing her friend risk her life to push into that crowd earlier had terrified her. After returning home, Fu Qiao helped Xu Yingran change out of her damp clothes. Now, as they sat on the edge of the bed, Fu Qiao held her hands to warm them.

Xu Yingran’s hands were ice-cold, and all color had drained from her face. She looked even more fragile than she had that morning.

As her cold hands were warmed by Fu Qiao’s touch, Xu Yingran’s heart began to steady. She turned to look at the girl beside her, reached out, and pulled her into a hug.

Fu Qiao’s face flushed red at the sudden embrace, but she didn’t dare startle her. She allowed herself to be held, asking in a muffled voice, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling better?”

“…Yes.” Xu Yingran closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of Fu Qiao that always made her feel safe. “I was just… really scared just now.”

Fu Qiao thought for a moment, then raised her arms to return the hug. “Were you afraid something happened to your parents?”

Xu Yingran nodded. “I can’t imagine what I would do if something happened to them… again.”

Again?

Fu Qiao held her, puzzled. She didn’t understand why Xu Yingran used the word “again.” Had something like this happened before?

It didn’t seem likely. They had lived next to each other since childhood, and Fu Qiao had never heard of anything happening to the Xu couple. Then again, perhaps family matters weren’t always shared with neighbors, especially when she was just a student.

“It’s okay now. Aren’t your parents safe?” Fu Qiao patted Xu Yingran’s back comfortingly. “I’m sure Uncle and Auntie will be more careful on the road after this.”

Xu Yingran didn’t speak. She gently released Fu Qiao and looked down. “One never knows which comes first: tomorrow or an accident. I’m just so grateful my parents are okay today.”

If they had truly been lost again, Xu Yingran didn’t know if she would have had the strength to go on.

Fu Qiao comforted her for a long time. They sat shoulder to shoulder on the edge of the bed and talked about many things.

“When I came home from school today, I saw the osmanthus blossoms in our complex covering the ground. It’s such a waste,” Fu Qiao said, squeezing Xu Yingran’s hand. “Let’s go pick some once the rain stops, okay?”

Every autumn when the osmanthus bloomed, Xu Yingran would watch Fu Qiao collect the blossoms, dry them, and make osmanthus honey or sugar. Later, she would steam a batch of fragrant, glutinous osmanthus cakes, filling the entire season with their scent.

Realizing Fu Qiao was trying to distract her, Xu Yingran thought about it and agreed.

“Okay. I’ll go wash a jar tonight,” Fu Qiao said. “The rain should stop by tonight. We can collect some clean blossoms and wash them. Since the next few days are supposed to be sunny, we can dry them out.”

Fu Qiao added, “I saw someone selling green plums at the end of the alley on my way back. I’ll check again tomorrow. If they’re still there, I’ll buy more. We can dry and pickle them to make dried plums.”

Listening to Fu Qiao chatter about these small, lovely, and delicious things, Xu Yingran felt the chaotic feelings in her heart gradually vanish.

She even began to look forward to tomorrow—to collecting osmanthus and drying green plums with Fu Qiao.

Fu Qiao left around 9:00 PM. The neighbors in the outer room didn’t stay late either. After everyone went home, Xu Chunjiang and Zhao Yu finished their nightly routine and went to bed.

Xu Yingran, however, didn’t sleep well all night. She was constantly worried that this was all a dream—that she would wake up to find her parents still beneath cold tombstones, and that she hadn’t returned to age eighteen at all.

In a daze, she didn’t fall asleep until some unknown hour in the early morning. For the first time in many years, she had failed to fall asleep before 11:00 PM.

After a full day of rain, the next day dawned bright and clear.

The sky was a deep, cloudless blue. The sun felt fresh and warm, as if it had just jumped into the sky.

Seeing the rare beautiful weather, Zhao Yu decided to take the bedding out to sun it in the open space of the complex. The commotion was loud enough to wake the sleeping Xu Yingran.

Having gone to bed late, she woke up feeling disoriented. Hearing her parents talking outside, she hurried out of bed and opened the door.

As the sunlight spilled into the hallway, Xu Yingran looked at her living parents and felt her entire body grow warm.

Zhao Yu turned to see Xu Yingran suddenly opening the door and grumbled, “What are you doing? Scaring me first thing in the morning!”

Xu Yingran hurried over to help carry the quilts. “Are we sunning the bedding?”

“Yes.” Zhao Yu stuffed a quilt into her arms. “Sun yours too in a bit. Look at how nice the weather is today—so bright.”

Xu Yingran looked out and couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, today really is a beautiful day.”

When Fu Qiao emerged from her home carrying a small basin, she saw the Xu family’s door wide open. Xu Chunjiang had taken a day off yesterday and had to head to work today. Zhao Yu was busy making breakfast. Seeing Fu Qiao, she greeted her with a smile. “Xiao Qiao is here! Have you eaten?”

“Yes,” Fu Qiao said. “We have buns at home; I just steamed a couple.”

Zhao Yu laughed. “Did you make them yourself, or did your parents?”

“I made them.”

“How impressive! You can already make your own buns. Not like our Ranran; she can’t even sun a quilt properly.”

As Zhao Yu chattered away, she noticed the small stainless steel basin in Fu Qiao’s hands. “Are you here for Ranran?”

“Yes.” Fu Qiao nodded. “It’s the weekend, so I’m not in a rush for homework. We agreed yesterday to pick osmanthus in the yard.”

Zhao Yu liked Fu Qiao very much. Where else could one find a girl with such a good personality, good grades, and such a likable nature?

She said with a smile, “Go look for her downstairs. I just sent her down to sun the quilts.”

Fu Qiao nodded and turned to go downstairs.

At that moment, Xu Yingran had just finished hanging the quilts. She was panting for breath with her hands on her hips when she saw Fu Qiao emerge from the stairwell, waving at her.

“Are you finished?” Fu Qiao asked, holding her basin.

Xu Yingran glanced at the stainless steel basin and joked, “What, are you going out panhandling with me?”

Fu Qiao froze for a second before realizing the joke. She raised her hand to smack her, but Xu Yingran nimbly dodged.

“I’m just teasing! Why take it seriously?” Xu Yingran laughed, her eyes curving like crescents. She took the basin from Fu Qiao. “I remember. You said you wanted to pick osmanthus, right? Perfect timing. Once we’re done, I can head back for a hot meal.”

Fu Qiao gave her a glare, and together they made their way toward the two osmanthus trees in the back.

Because of the rain the day before, the grass was covered with blossoms soaked in water. Fu Qiao crouched down to pick up a few clean ones, saying regretfully, “I should have come a couple of days ago. Now so many of them are soaked and rotten.”

Xu Yingran looked up and said, “There are still plenty on the tree. Your little basin won’t be enough. We need a net.”

“A net?” Fu Qiao looked around. Where was she supposed to find a net?

Xu Yingran also looked around and remembered the thin blanket she had just hung in the yard. It was clean and would be perfect for catching the falling flowers.

When Xu Yingran brought the blanket over, Fu Qiao was puzzled. “But even with the two of us, it’s not enough.”

With two people holding the blanket, they would need a third person to shake the tree so the blossoms would fall onto the blanket.

Xu Yingran thought for a moment and called her mother down from upstairs.

When she heard the two children wanted to shake the tree, Zhao Yu saw they were planning to use her newly bought thin blanket and chased them away with a scolding, taking the blanket back.

“It just rained yesterday; that tree is full of water! If you use this blanket to catch flowers, how are you going to sleep tonight?” Zhao Yu scolded Xu Yingran while folding the blanket.

The two girls looked at her piteously. Seeing no other way, Zhao Yu borrowed a clean fishing net and a very long bamboo pole from a neighbor. Xu Yingran and Fu Qiao stretched out the fine mesh net, while Zhao Yu used the bamboo pole to tap and shake the branches.

Golden blossoms drifted down like rain, covering the girls’ heads in a blanket of petals.

The air was filled with the cold, sweet fragrance of osmanthus. Xu Yingran looked up at the tiny golden petals falling from the sky, feeling as though the shimmering little things were almost blinding.

Fu Qiao’s hair was also covered in blossoms. She squealed and stomped her feet, but since she had to hold the net, she couldn’t dodge. The golden flowers showered over her head.

Xu Yingran glanced at her and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Fu Qiao was about to complain, but seeing that Xu Yingran’s head was also covered in blossoms, she burst into laughter as well.

The two laughed as they caught the flowers. They shook every branch they could reach. They had worried the net might let some flowers through, but they ended up with a massive, solid handful of gold.

“With this many flowers, how much honey can we make?” Fu Qiao looked at the shimmering pile in the net with joy. She looked up at Xu Yingran. “Let’s make it together in a bit.”

Xu Yingran shook the flowers from the crown of her hair and nodded. “Okay.”