Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 45

Xu Yingran didn’t pack a single thing. Before heading downstairs, she even went to the restroom to check her reflection in the mirror and straighten her school uniform.

The uniform was loose and baggy—no matter how she adjusted it, she couldn’t exactly make it fashionable—but Xu Yingran still went to great lengths to make it look just a little bit tidier.

Passing students in the restroom cast sidelong glances. A few familiar faces even teased her: “Why are you getting all dolled up? It’s not like you’re going on a blind date, right?”

Xu Yingran gave a muffled huff and tilted her nose up. “You guys wouldn’t understand.”

She was going to a “blind date” of sorts.

The thought of Fu Qiao standing under the shade of the trees in the clearing, with the golden sunset spilling at their feet like dancing elves cheering for her, made Xu Yingran exceptionally excited. She was about to face a monumental moment of fate—how could these little brats understand what was on her mind?

But as she thought about it, she felt a twinge of conflict.

Looking at her familiar self in the mirror, she suddenly felt a wave of emotion. After going in circles and returning to age eighteen, it seemed nothing had changed. Her wife was still the same wife, and her friend was still Yao Jin.

The only real difference was that her parents were still alive. She believed that with their health, living to eighty or ninety wouldn’t be a problem—maybe they could even help her and Fu Qiao look after their kids in the future.

However, there was still a tiny bit of lingering dissatisfaction. Xu Yingran felt it was a bit of a pity that she hadn’t had the chance to date a “hot” beauty.

If only Fu Qiao’s confession could have come a little later.

Xu Yingran studied her reflection, thinking that if Fu Qiao had waited until the end of the semester to confess, she could have raced against time to get to know a “hot” older sister.

At the thought of this, Xu Yingran couldn’t help but sigh.

Yao Jin leaned against the corridor wall outside the restroom, watching Xu Yingran cycle through expressions of joy and misery in front of the mirror. She had no idea what kind of mental journey the other girl was on. Seeing that the final bell had rung a long time ago, she said, “Are you done yet? Fu Qiao has seen you since you were in diapers—is it really necessary to fuss over yourself this much?”

“What do you know?” Xu Yingran walked out of the restroom and said to Yao Jin with righteous conviction, “Am I the same person now as I was back then?”

“Yeah, yeah, right. You’re about to receive a confession. May I ask how you’re feeling right now?”

Xu Yingran quickly looked around. Seeing that no one had overheard Yao Jin, she hurriedly pulled her aside and whispered, “Don’t go shouting it like a loudspeaker! Nothing is set in stone yet.”

Yao Jin laughed. “Didn’t you used to call Fu Qiao ‘wife’ every chance you got? Why are you acting shy now?”

Xu Yingran fidgeted with uncharacteristic awkwardness. “Isn’t it normal to be shy? Technically, this is my first love.”

Yao Jin gave her a look of utter disdain. “Let’s just go. If Fu Qiao waits too long, she might decide she doesn’t want to be your wife anymore.”

Seeing Yao Jin starting to walk away, Xu Yingran quickly grabbed her.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Xu Yingran clutched the other girl’s sleeve. “Fu Qiao asked to meet me. Why are you following?”

“To watch the show, obviously,” Yao Jin said candidly. “I need to let you two feel the warmth of my presence as a third wheel.”

“If you know you’re a third wheel, then don’t come! This is between me and Fu Qiao; we’ll handle it ourselves.”

“…You ‘bros before hoes’—or in this case, ‘girls before friends’—woman.”

“Hehe.”

Xu Yingran gave her a cheeky grin and asked hurriedly, “Look at me—is everything okay? How’s the hair? Pants aren’t twisted?”

Yao Jin couldn’t be bothered with her. She rolled her eyes and headed back toward the classroom.

Xu Yingran wasn’t angry that Yao Jin had left; instead, she headed downstairs with a light step, ready to meet her future wife. Meanwhile, Yao Jin found a seat by the window in the classroom and propped up her head, watching Fu Qiao standing in the clearing behind the building.

The floor was high, but Yao Jin’s vision was excellent; she could see everything clearly.

Yao Jin sighed softly. “I hope everything goes smoothly…”

In the clearing, Fu Qiao didn’t know how to describe her current mood.

The pink envelope in her hand had been given to her ten minutes ago by Zhou Wan. Because Zhou Wan was too shy to come in person, she was currently hiding in the school’s broadcasting station, waiting for news.

In truth, a confession was something one should do for oneself. Whether the answer was acceptance or rejection, it only took a moment—which was much better than the agony of waiting.

Fu Qiao squeezed the thin envelope, her heart filled with complex emotions.

The clearing behind the teaching building was nearly deserted after school. The freshmen and sophomores had rushed home, and the seniors were either in the cafeteria or the classrooms. Only Fu Qiao stood under the dense shade of the trees, waiting for Xu Yingran.

Soon, she saw Xu Yingran walking over from the ground-floor pilotis.

Her usually messy hair seemed to have been smoothed over; her dark locks lay neatly now, appearing to be rimmed with white gold under the glow of the setting sun. That face, which Fu Qiao had looked at for over a decade, seemed different today, making her heart rate quicken.

It felt as though she wasn’t here to confess on behalf of Zhou Wan, but for herself.

The moment Xu Yingran’s wandering eyes landed on Fu Qiao, they lit up. Her pace quickened, and she even looked a bit nervous, picking at the edge of her jacket with her fingers.

Honestly, Zhou Wan had good taste. Xu Yingran might not be the smartest, but her looks were second to none. Perhaps when God closed the door on Xu Yingran’s IQ, He opened several windows—giving her a delicate face, a tall figure, and a heart that was perpetually cheerful.

How can she be this happy every day? Fu Qiao wondered. Does she really have no worries at all?

As for Xu Yingran, her face broke into a massive grin the moment she saw Fu Qiao. She walked over quickly; if it weren’t unseemly to run, she would have leaped right in front of her.

Fu Qiao is so pretty today!

Xu Yingran hadn’t paid much attention to the details on the day of the original confession, but living it again, she realized that Fu Qiao was actually a very beautiful girl. Round, cute, and pretty—wasn’t this much better than some “hot beauty”?

“Fu Qiao!”

Xu Yingran waved at her. Seeing the pink love letter Fu Qiao was hiding behind her back, her smile widened. She stepped in front of Fu Qiao and asked with forced composure, “So, what did you want to see me about today?”

Confess already! Confess already!

Xu Yingran’s mind was exploding with excitement. She couldn’t stop smiling.

Fu Qiao watched her quietly, not understanding what had made her so happy. She looked like a fool.

Fu Qiao felt a bitter ache in her heart. She turned her head away, and Xu Yingran naturally missed the disappointment in her eyes. Silence fell between them.

“I…”

Fu Qiao squeezed the letter. After hesitating for a long time, she decided to be direct to avoid any misunderstanding. She brought the pink, bubble-covered envelope from behind her back and held it out.

“This love letter is for you.”

Here it comes! It’s happening!

The moment Xu Yingran saw the pink envelope, a second “roundtable meeting” began in her head. One half argued that once she accepted this letter, Fu Qiao would be her wife. The other half screamed: You haven’t dated a hot girl yet! Are you really willing to just settle down with Fu Qiao again?

An unknown “hot” beauty versus her childhood friend, the gentle and cute little scholar.

Xu Yingran hesitated. In her previous life, she had accepted without a second thought because, at that time, Fu Qiao was the only person she had. She had been afraid that if she said no, she would lose the only person by her side.

She couldn’t say exactly how much “love” there was back then.

But after so many years, here they were again. Now, her parents were alive, she had friends, and her wife… well, as long as she said yes, she could openly kiss Fu Qiao tomorrow.

Xu Yingran hadn’t been intimate with Fu Qiao for nearly six months. Being young and full of vigor, just hearing the sound of Fu Qiao showering was enough to make her blood boil. Heaven knew how long she’d been holding back.

But…

“Fu Qiao, actually, there’s something I’ve never told you.” Xu Yingran looked at the girl in front of her. After a long pause, she decided to be honest.

She spoke slowly: “I’ve always liked girls with ‘hot’ figures. I want to find someone like that—to go shopping, travel, and take photos with. To marry her and spend the rest of my life together.”

Fu Qiao froze where she stood.

“Actually, I still don’t quite understand what you like about me. I’m not as excellent as you, nor as likable. At most, I’m a bit taller and I’ve known you longer than others,” Xu Yingran said. “And I think we’ve both just turned eighteen. If we start dating before finishing senior year, our parents wouldn’t approve.”

“So…” Xu Yingran stepped forward and took the letter, looking a bit sheepish. “I think we should focus on our studies. After we graduate, then we can consider being together. What do you think?”

What Xu Yingran meant was: “We’re still too young; let’s wait until after the college entrance exams to date.”

But what Fu Qiao heard was: “I like sexy girls. You aren’t my type. Since we’ve known each other so long, I don’t want to make things ugly, so let’s just focus on studying.”

Xu Yingran had completely misunderstood the situation.

Fu Qiao felt an overwhelming sadness. Even though she hadn’t been the one confessing, she had been heartlessly rejected. It turned out Xu Yingran liked sexy, fiery girls—not a “good student” like her, who knew nothing but studying and had no feminine charm.

It made sense. If Xu Yingran liked her type, would they have stayed silent for over ten years?

Ultimately, she simply wasn’t good enough for Xu Yingran.

“I understand.” Fu Qiao sniffled. She looked up with red-rimmed eyes. “I didn’t mean to cling to you. Now that it’s clear, we can still be friends.”

Xu Yingran: “?”

What friends? Aren’t you supposed to be my wife?

Fu Qiao’s eyes were watering; it looked like she might cry at any moment. Xu Yingran felt like her words had been misinterpreted. Just as she was about to explain, she heard Fu Qiao say:

“Actually, you misunderstood. This letter isn’t from me.”

Xu Yingran froze for the second time. “?”

Fu Qiao glanced toward the broadcasting station and said to Xu Yingran, “Zhou Wan asked me to give this to you. She has liked you for a long time.”

Xu Yingran: Where’s my wife? I had a huge, beautiful wife right here a second ago!