Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 25

By the time Zhou Wan and Fu Qiao entered the cafeteria, most students had already finished eating. The cafeteria staff were sitting together for their own meal. Fu Qiao spotted Xu Yingran and Yao Jin sitting together and said to Zhou Wan, “I’m going over to find my classmates. What about you?”

Zhou Wan smiled. “I’ll just look around and see what’s left. Go ahead, Senior.”

“Okay, I’ll be going then.”

“Sure, come visit the broadcasting station often!”

After saying goodbye to Zhou Wan, Fu Qiao hurried over and sat down next to Xu Yingran.

“You’re here?” Xu Yingran propped her head up lazily, her eyes following Zhou Wan’s retreating back. “Who’s that? Why did you come with her?”

Fu Qiao picked up her chopsticks and looked at the meal set before her. “That’s a junior from the broadcasting station, Zhou Wan. I was broadcasting with her today.”

Xu Yingran gave a small hum through her nose and glanced at Fu Qiao. “The two of you chatted that happily after just meeting for the first time?”

Yao Jin, who was playing on her phone, looked up at the two people in front of her and shook her head helplessly.

Fu Qiao was starving. She spoke while eating: “We just chatted while walking to the cafeteria. She’s in Grade 11, a year younger than us. She’s a broadcasting major. She told me if I’m interested, I should go check out their station more often.”

Upon hearing this, both Xu Yingran and Yao Jin became alert. They looked at her and asked in unison, “You want to join the broadcasting station?”

Fu Qiao looked at them, puzzled. Swallowing her food, she said, “No, she was just asking. I… haven’t decided yet.”

The two of them immediately exchanged a look.

A member of the broadcasting station might say “come by and visit” as a polite formality, but if Fu Qiao had no interest, she would have declined without hesitation. The fact that she said she “hasn’t decided” proved that she was actually considering it.

Broadcasting and Hosting? That wasn’t a standard path for the Gaokao; that fell into the category of “Art Exams.”

Yao Jin frowned slightly and put away her phone. “Your grades are so good. If you keep this up, even if you don’t get into Peking or Tsinghua, you’ll easily reach the cutoff for a Tier 1 university. If you go into broadcasting, you’re completely wasting your academic potential.”

In most people’s eyes, only students who struggle with academics choose the Art Exam route—a “shortcut” to university for those who want to work hard in other areas. But Fu Qiao was different. With her ranking in the top three of the school, she could get into a great university effortlessly. Why take a different path?

Fu Qiao seemed to share this sentiment. She didn’t argue with Yao Jin; she just kept her head down and ate.

However, Xu Yingran stared at Fu Qiao’s profile and remembered a small detail. She recalled that a few years after they started dating in their previous life, when they had just entered society and hadn’t yet taken over Fu Qiao’s family’s barbecue stall, Fu Qiao had huddled in their tiny rented room, watching the news on TV and saying, “I really envy them.”

“Envy what?” Xu Yingran had asked, holding Fu Qiao and lazily munching an apple. “It’s just glamorous on the surface.”

But who doesn’t like a glamorous job? Fu Qiao had only mentioned it once and never spoke of it again. Xu Yingran had almost forgotten that moment, but hearing Fu Qiao now brought the memory rushing back. She remembered how Fu Qiao had stayed by her side through thick and thin, eventually bringing her back to the family stall after Xu Yingran was laid off, starting their business empire together.

“If you like it, there’s no harm in trying,” Xu Yingran said, her expression neutral as she propped her head on her hand. “You won’t know if you’re suited for it until you actually touch it.”

Fu Qiao turned back to look at her in surprise. She thought about it seriously and said, “Thank you. I’ll give it some real thought.”

Yao Jin remained disapproving. She felt Fu Qiao should stay focused on her goal: a top-tier university.

After school, Yao Jin went home for her tutoring session. Fu Qiao packed her things slowly. Once the classroom was almost empty, she looked up at Xu Yingran, who had been waiting for her, and whispered, “I want to…”

“Want me to go with you?” Xu Yingran looked at her with lowered eyes.

“Yes.” Fu Qiao grabbed her bag and stood up. “Let’s go.”

The two walked in a silent, mutual understanding. As they approached the administrative building, the campus was filled with a low, melodic sound—it was “English Corner.” A voice on the broadcast was reading an English poem with clear, rolling tones that made one feel as if they were standing on a foreign riverbank.

The warm setting sun streamed through the corridor, lighting up the empty classrooms and quiet halls. It looked like an autumn oil painting—tranquil and romantic. Fu Qiao looked at Xu Yingran; she was actually shocked that Yingran had supported such a “ridiculous” idea.

Since childhood, Fu Qiao’s parents were too busy with business to monitor her studies. She had always been a self-driven top student. Now, she was tentatively pushing open a door to a world she had never considered, and having Xu Yingran—who she grew up with—by her side made her feel exceptionally safe.

The administrative building was quiet. They reached the room at the very end labeled [Broadcasting Station]. A sign hung on the door: [Broadcasting in Progress, Do Not Disturb]. Just as they were wondering whether to knock, the door opened from the inside.

Zhou Wan was startled to see them. “Senior?” She looked at Fu Qiao in surprise, then shifted her gaze to Xu Yingran, scanning her up and down. “Is this your friend?”

Fu Qiao felt a bit awkward for showing up uninvited. “Yes, this is my classmate, Xu Yingran. She’s here with me to take a look.”

A student inside noticed them and walked over. “Zhou Wan, what’s going on? Who are these two?”

“They are seniors from Grade 12. This is Fu Qiao, the one who ranked third in the monthly exam; I broadcasted with her today,” Zhou Wan introduced them enthusiastically. “And this is her classmate. They want to visit our station.”

The station after school was much livelier than Fu Qiao expected. Students in uniforms were huddled around a table in the outer room checking scripts, while two others were working in the inner booth. There were about five or six people in total.

Hearing that they were there to visit, the students stood up warmly. “Oh, seniors! Come in, come in!” They invited them in and even poured them water. The two students in the booth waved as a greeting.

Xu Yingran was surprised by the hospitality. She and Fu Qiao were ushered into chairs while the “kids” gathered around.

“What do you want to see, Senior?” a tall junior boy asked. “We all heard your speech today. You were great!”

Fu Qiao’s face turned red. She wasn’t used to such direct praise. As everyone started talking at once, she felt a bit overwhelmed.

“Alright, alright, get back to work,” Zhou Wan said, putting her hands on her hips. “You all have no discipline when the teacher isn’t here. Are the scripts ready?” The younger students scattered back to their desks.

Once they were busy, Zhou Wan dropped her “senior” persona and smiled at the two visitors. “Senior, let me give you a tour.”

Fu Qiao looked at Xu Yingran for her opinion. Zhou Wan also looked over.

“Sure,” Xu Yingran said. “Give us the full introduction.”

Zhou Wan was a veteran at the station. Because Grade 12 is academically heavy, teachers usually didn’t recommend students stay in the club, but since Zhou Wan was an Art Exam candidate, she was the exception. She showed them the digital consoles, the automated bell systems, and explained how they handled music and special segments for English or Literature.

Fu Qiao watched the two students in the booth through the glass. They were wearing headphones and speaking into microphones, their voices reading English poetry faintly audible. Seeing the light in Fu Qiao’s eyes, Zhou Wan knew she was hooked.

“So?” Zhou Wan smiled, her hands behind her back. “I have two broadcasting classes this Saturday. Do you want to come with me and take a look?”

Fu Qiao looked back at her, her eyes full of excitement. “Really? Won’t I be interrupting your class?”

“It’s fine, you can just sit in and listen. Our teacher is very nice…”

Just as Zhou Wan was about to finalize the invitation for the Saturday class, Xu Yingran, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up sharply:

“No.”

Trying to “poach” her wife right in front of her face? This junior named Zhou Wan was quite bold!