Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 40

That woman had clearly targeted Lü Qing because her family life was unhappy, choosing that moment to approach and seduce her. Seeing them shopping together today was the ultimate proof.

Xu Yingran hadn’t expected their chat to lead to such high-stakes gossip. She racked her brain, recalling the scene earlier: Lü Qing had been the one proactively holding the earring up to the woman’s ear. The younger woman hadn’t said much; it was Lü Qing who had lowered her head with a light, lingering smile to whisper something.

Up close, Xu Yingran had seen the assistant’s face clearly. She was a clean, beautiful girl with delicate features—a small, fair, oval face that projected a cool, aloof aura. She didn’t look like the “homewrecker” type at all. Besides, if someone with her looks wanted to take a shortcut in life, she’d have plenty of wealthy men to choose from. Why entangle herself with a woman who already had a child? It seemed like a lot of effort for a very complicated reward.

“Maybe…” Xu Yingran ventured, “there’s some kind of misunderstanding?”

“There’s no misunderstanding,” Yao Jin said unpleasantly. “I’ve seen them like this more than once or twice. They’re even living together. How could they possibly be ‘innocent’?”

It wasn’t Xu Yingran’s place to comment further on someone else’s private family matters. Luckily, the server arrived to take their order. Xu Yingran quickly changed the subject and picked out several dishes.

After ordering, Xu Yingran checked the time. It was almost noon—where was Fu Qiao? The training center was only a block away from the shopping center. Even with a crowded elevator, she should have arrived within half an hour.

Did the girl get lost?

Worried, Xu Yingran called her. It took a long time for Fu Qiao to pick up.

“Hey, we’ve already ordered. Are you here yet?” Xu Yingran asked.

There was a brief silence on the other end before Fu Qiao spoke. “I haven’t left the building yet. Go ahead and start; I’m coming now.”

Xu Yingran frowned. “It’s been half an hour. Why haven’t you come down? Did the teacher go over time?”

“No, I was just finishing up some notes.” Fu Qiao slung her bag over her shoulder and pressed the elevator button. “What floor are you on?”

“5th floor, the hotpot place. If you cross the street, you’ll hit the South Gate. Take the escalator straight to the 5th, turn the corner, and you’ll see us. Table 31, at the very back.”

After hanging up, Xu Yingran flagged down a waiter. “Excuse me, can I have another menu? Thanks!”

Watching Xu Yingran enthusiastically add more dishes, Yao Jin leaned her head on her hand. “You’re so thoughtful. Are all of these Fu Qiao’s favorites?”

“Yep,” Xu Yingran smiled. “It’s just such a hassle ordering with a paper menu. It would be so much better if you could just scan a code with your phone, order, and pay online.”

Yao Jin froze. She stared off into space for a long time, processing the thought. “That… is actually a brilliant idea.”

“What is?”

“Scanning a code to order,” Yao Jin said. “Right now, every restaurant uses paper menus. It’s a hassle for the customers and the staff has to run back and forth. It’s so easy to make mistakes during checkout. If there was a software where you could just scan, order, and pay…”

Xu Yingran blinked. “You mean like a WeChat Mini Program?”

Yao Jin’s eyes lit up. “Great idea! I’m telling my dad right now!”

Xu Yingran: “?”

Did I just say something I shouldn’t have? She felt like she had accidentally leaked a future tech trend, but she didn’t dwell on it. She was just a regular high school senior; she needed to focus on her studies.

By the time Fu Qiao arrived, most of the food was already on the table.

“What took you so long?” Xu Yingran nagged gently. “Good thing it’s hotpot. If it were stir-fry, it’d be cold by now.”

“Sorry, I got held up.” Fu Qiao looked at the bubbling pot and started cooking some of her favorites. After getting her dipping sauce, she noticed Yao Jin was buried in her phone. She whispered to Xu Yingran, “What is she doing?”

Xu Yingran caught a glimpse of Yao Jin’s chat interface and smiled. “Don’t mind her. Let’s eat; we won’t wait for her.”

Fu Qiao nodded and began to eat slowly.

In truth, she had been ready to leave at 11:30, but Zhou Wan had stopped her.

“Senior, are you leaving now?” Zhou Wan had asked while packing her things. “Can you sit for a bit? I want to talk to you.”

Fu Qiao noticed the classroom emptying out. Knowing the elevators would be a nightmare at this hour, she figured she might as well stay and listen. “Sure. What is it?”

Zhou Wan waited until most people were gone before looking at Fu Qiao shyly. “Senior… what’s the name of that girl who’s always with you?”

Fu Qiao blinked. “Which one?” She was usually with both Xu Yingran and Yao Jin.

“The one who got hit by the volleyball in PE and went to the infirmary,” Zhou Wan said with a crinkle in her eyes. “What’s her name? I still don’t know it.”

Fu Qiao went quiet for a long time. Finally, she asked, “Why the sudden interest?”

“I’m just curious about her,” Zhou Wan said. “I think she’s really interesting. I’d like to get to know her.”

Fu Qiao didn’t know how to describe the feeling in her chest. Zhou Wan was a junior, only a year younger than Xu Yingran. Though she called them “Senior” now, that distinction would vanish once they left school. Zhou Wan asking for Xu Yingran’s name gave her a very sinking feeling.

“Her name is Xu Yingran,” Fu Qiao said softly.

Zhou Wan repeated the name to herself and smiled. “What a pretty name. Xu Yingran… it sounds so quiet and refined. It almost doesn’t match her personality.”

Fu Qiao gave a dry laugh. “Yeah. Her parents apparently flipped through a lot of books to pick that name.”

“Is that so?” Zhou Wan blinked curiously. “Senior, are you very close with her?”

“Very close,” Fu Qiao said calmly, avoiding the younger girl’s eyes. “We’re neighbors. We’ve been together since kindergarten. We’ve known each other for over ten years.”

Zhou Wan’s face filled with envy. “So you’re childhood sweethearts? That’s so wonderful…”

Fu Qiao didn’t find it “wonderful” at the moment. Her heart felt heavy and sour. It was obvious the junior liked Xu Yingran; why else would she pull her aside to ask these questions?

“Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?” Fu Qiao forced another dry laugh. “Do you need something from her?”

Zhou Wan shook her head. “No, I just think she’s really pretty. I just wanted to ask.” She paused, then took a deep breath. “Senior… could you help me ask her something? Does she… like girls?”

Fu Qiao stiffened. She looked up in shock. “What?”

Zhou Wan scratched her cheek, her ears turning pink. “Just help me ask! But don’t tell her it was me. I haven’t figured out how to tell her yet. You have to keep it a secret, okay?!”

Fu Qiao’s mind was a mess. She was 100% certain now: Zhou Wan liked Xu Yingran.

She and Xu Yingran had been together for so many years; she had never imagined Xu Yingran would find a partner before her. Xu Yingran was indeed pretty, but she was also quite a handful. Back in junior high when others were starting to date, Xu Yingran had just followed Fu Qiao around like a happy fool. Neither of them had thought about romance; they were just happy being together.

Now, someone was suddenly interested in Xu Yingran, and Fu Qiao was reeling. Zhou Wan wanted to use her to get information. She might even ask her to pass love letters later.

But what should Fu Qiao do? Should she help? More importantly… if Xu Yingran found out, would she say yes?

Fu Qiao couldn’t focus on anything else Zhou Wan said. When Xu Yingran finally called, she hurried over.

Now, sitting at the hotpot table, the food was delicious, but Fu Qiao felt like she was on a roller coaster. She looked at Xu Yingran sitting across from her, her brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Fu Qiao staring, Xu Yingran reflexively placed a piece of lamb in her bowl. “Eat up! A-Jin is paying today, so don’t be shy. I know lamb is your favorite. If it’s not enough, we’ll order more.”

Fu Qiao looked at the pile of meat in her bowl. Xu Yingran was still swishing her chopsticks in the pot, hunting for more to give her.

In the future, will Xu Yingran take care of the person she likes this way, too?

Fu Qiao’s heart felt like it was being squeezed. She didn’t know what expression to make, she only knew she felt miserable.

“What is it?” Xu Yingran asked with concern. “Is the broadcasting class too hard? It’s only your first day. If you fall behind, we can just add extra sessions. A-Jin will pay.”

Yao Jin looked up from her phone and glared at Xu Yingran. “Oh, so I’m paying while you’re the one being generous? Hey, where did the meat go? You didn’t leave a single piece for me!”

Xu Yingran chuckled. “I saw you were busy! I’ll cook some specifically for you now.”

Yao Jin huffed, satisfied.

Fu Qiao watched Xu Yingran start putting vegetables into the pot. She gripped her chopsticks, her heart pounding. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“Xu Yingran… do you… like girls?