Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 53

Because they had missed the last bus and the location was not close to the city center, combined with Xu Yingran’s thick-skinned acting spoiled, Fu Qiao really had no choice. She could only take her to the shop first to see if her parents could find a way to send her back.

The newly leased barbecue shop was still under renovation. Fu Jun and Hu Mei were busy tidying up while the workers were off duty, doing some manual labor to save on costs, when they saw Fu Qiao lead Xu Yingran in.

“Eh, why is Ranran here?” Hu Mei was the first to notice. Holding a paint bucket, she asked in confusion, “Why did you come all the way here so late at night?”

Fu Qiao had no other choice but to briefly explain the circumstances of Xu Yingran’s arrival and mention that she had missed the last bus. She asked her father if he could drive her home.

“Go home for what? It’s so late, just stay here for the night,” Fu Jun said with a cigarette in his mouth. “I have to get up early tomorrow anyway to go to the building materials market; I can drop her off at school on the way.”

Before Fu Qiao could speak, Xu Yingran immediately jumped up for joy, saying repeatedly, “Thank you, Uncle!”

If the timing hadn’t been so inappropriate, Xu Yingran would have wanted to call him “Dad” right then and there.

Hu Mei thought the same way; after all, it was very late, and a round trip would be a hassle. Besides, they quite liked Xu Yingran, so they had no problem letting her stay over.

Upon learning that Xu Yingran hadn’t told her family she was looking for Fu Qiao, Hu Mei took the initiative to call Zhao Yu. Zhao Yu sighed in relief after receiving the call, grumbled a few words about Xu Yingran, and then told her to rest well at Fu Qiao’s house and return home after school tomorrow.

Seeing that both sets of parents had agreed, Xu Yingran felt like she was floating. She looked at Fu Qiao with a beaming smile, leaned in, and said, “Let’s go to bed early tonight.”

Fu Qiao glared at her and gave a muffled snort without replying.

Because it was a new home, many pieces of furniture hadn’t been purchased yet. Aside from the freshly white-washed walls and the ceilings installed in the balcony and bathroom, there wasn’t much decoration. The two-bedroom, one-living room layout was quite spacious; Fu Qiao occupied the second bedroom, which was even larger than the master bedroom in Xu Yingran’s house.

“This house is pretty nice,” Xu Yingran said as she put down her backpack and took off her school jacket. “Once this area develops, property prices will definitely rise.”

Fu Qiao maintained her cold demeanor and ignored her. Xu Yingran didn’t want to make a fool of herself further and obediently went to wash up. Afterward, Hu Mei said to her, “You can just share a bed with Xiao Qiao.”

Share a bed?

The tips of Xu Yingran’s ears turned slightly red. She hadn’t been intimate with Fu Qiao for over half a year; the sudden prospect of sleeping together made her a little excited.

On the other hand, Fu Qiao, dressed in her pajamas, looked displeased. She shot Xu Yingran a glance and said, “Don’t snore, don’t toss and turn, and don’t hog the quilt, or you sleep on the floor.”

Hu Mei gave a dry laugh, and Xu Yingran hurriedly replied, “I don’t snore or hog the quilt in my sleep.”

Fu Qiao turned her head and ignored her.

Watching Fu Qiao enter the room, Hu Mei said to Xu Yingran, “Xiao Qiao is just teasing you. Go to sleep; it’s already 11 o’clock.”

“Okay,” Xu Yingran said to Hu Mei with a smile. “We’re going to sleep now. Goodnight, Auntie.”

After closing the bedroom door, Xu Yingran saw that Fu Qiao had already climbed onto the bed. She turned to look at her and asked, “Are you sleeping on the inside or the outside?”

Xu Yingran’s gaze landed on her waist and fair calves. Having worn heavy school uniforms year-round, Fu Qiao’s legs were thin and white; even her ankles had a rosy hue under the white skin, and her toes were a delicate pink.

“Sleep… anywhere is fine,” Xu Yingran said, touching her cheek. “You choose first.”

Fu Qiao thought for a moment, lifted the quilt, and climbed to the side against the wall. Then, as she slipped into the covers, she suddenly shivered. The November weather was very cold, and sliding into a freezing bed was a challenge in itself.

Seeing this, Xu Yingran quickly lifted the quilt and climbed in. Leaning against the headboard, she said, “If you’re cold, put your feet on my calves. I’m very warm.”

Fu Qiao wrapped herself tightly in the small quilt, unwilling. “I’m not cold.”

Xu Yingran found her stubbornness amusing. Under the covers, she suddenly hooked Fu Qiao’s feet over with her own.

“Ah!” Fu Qiao gave a startled cry, looking at the person before her in shock.

Xu Yingran, acting completely natural, clamped Fu Qiao’s feet between her own and said, “Why are you putting on a front with me? Your hands and feet turn ice-cold as soon as winter hits. You used to stuff your feet into my trouser legs; why are you acting all coy now?”

Fu Qiao’s face turned red at those words, and she said awkwardly, “I did not. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Whether it was nonsense or not, they both knew the truth.

Xu Yingran was full of energy and didn’t feel cold even wearing only one pair of pants in the dead of winter. She could never understand how Fu Qiao could be shivering while wearing layers upon layers. Especially after they lived together after marriage, Fu Qiao was exceptionally sensitive to the cold. Winter was always her hardest season; if the heating wasn’t on all day, she needed Xu Yingran to warm her up periodically. In days like these without central heating, Xu Yingran was the one who personally warmed the bed.

Therefore, Xu Yingran was very skilled at this task. She clamped Fu Qiao’s icy feet with her legs, leaned her whole body closer, and grabbed Fu Qiao’s hand, turning herself into a giant human hot water bottle.

Although Fu Qiao wanted to struggle, Xu Yingran was simply too warm; her resistance faded in a few moments. Not only did she stop resisting, but the feet clamped by Xu Yingran began to warm up, and her hands were held tightly. Drowsiness gradually washed over her, and her eyelids grew heavy.

“…Fu Qiao.”

Seeing that Fu Qiao was about to close her eyes, Xu Yingran asked in a low voice, “Should I turn off the bedside lamp?”

Fu Qiao gave a slight nod. She felt the person beside her move, and with a soft “click,” the entire room fell into darkness.

The air was chilly, but it was exceptionally warm under the covers. Fu Qiao had found it difficult to sleep these past few days; she would often lie in bed for a long time and the covers would still be cold. The cold bed made her sleep quality poor, and she would wake up from the cold in the middle of the night. Now, with a heat-radiating “hot water bottle” lying next to her, Fu Qiao felt the entire bed was cozy.

No wonder people in ancient times wanted bed-warming maids; she almost wanted one herself. This was much more effective than a hot water bottle or a foot warmer.

In the darkness, Xu Yingran could still see a little. Currently, both were lying on their sides. Xu Yingran gripped Fu Qiao’s palm, which had started to regain its warmth, and asked softly, “Fu Qiao, what did you think about what I told you last time?”

Fu Qiao kept her eyes closed and didn’t speak.

“I know you can’t have fallen asleep that quickly.” Xu Yingran leaned in a few inches closer and said, “I really do like you. Can you give me a chance to woo you?”

Hearing this, Fu Qiao finally opened her eyes slowly. She looked at Xu Yingran’s eyes, which remained clear even in the dark, and felt a blockage in her heart.

What was with this person? Previously, she told her she liked big beauties with fiery figures, but now she was constantly rambling about liking her. She had known Xu Yingran for so many years; how could she not know what she was like? It was likely just because Xu Yingran felt “abandoned” by her transfer. But even if Xu Yingran hadn’t said that bit about liking big beauties, she would have transferred anyway. Why did this person think feelings could make her change her mind?

“Xu Yingran.” Fu Qiao looked at her helplessly and said, “I’ll treat the matter from last Saturday as an accident. Your feelings for me are at most the affection between best friends. Isn’t it fine if we just stay like this?”

Xu Yingran shook her head immediately. “It’s not. I really like you.”

Fu Qiao asked, “But have you ever asked me if I like you?”

Xu Yingran froze at those words. She stumbled for a long while before asking, “Then… do you like me?”

“I do,” Fu Qiao said. “But that’s only the affection between friends. You should be able to tell; we aren’t suited to be together.”

Xu Yingran grew anxious. “How are we not suited to be together? We’re a perfect match!”

Perhaps because Xu Yingran’s voice was too loud, Fu Qiao, afraid of waking her parents through the wall, nervously pressed down on Xu Yingran’s hand and said, “Can’t you lower your voice?”

Xu Yingran felt wronged. Her wife didn’t want her. Her wife even thought she was too loud.

Fu Qiao couldn’t stand Xu Yingran’s “pitiful, life-is-over” look. She let go of her hand, turned over, and wrapped herself tightly in her small quilt. “Hurry up and sleep. It’s late.”

Xu Yingran leaned in and hugged Fu Qiao’s waist tightly. She only felt the other’s body stiffen for a moment. After that, no matter how much Xu Yingran rambled in her ear, Fu Qiao didn’t answer. It seemed her wife was truly determined to ignore her.

Xu Yingran felt dejected. She hugged Fu Qiao and rested her head on her nape, trying to cry, but after squeezing for a long time, not a single tear fell. I didn’t drink enough water today, Xu Yingran thought. I must drink more tomorrow before coming back to cry.

The next morning, Fu Qiao got up at 6:00 to brush her teeth and wash her face. Xu Yingran didn’t react for a moment; looking outside, it wasn’t even light yet. Why was she out of bed?

Still half-asleep, Xu Yingran sat on the edge of the bed and watched Fu Qiao tie up her hair, preparing to go eat. She finally realized and asked, “Why are you up so early?”

“Because the school has running at 6:30, and then morning self-study,” Fu Qiao said calmly.

Xu Yingran was stunned. “What time???”

6:30? Who goes running before they’re even awake? And is there really a school that starts morning self-study before 7:00? That’s insane.

Fu Qiao looked at her helplessly. “It’s the provincial key school. Try to understand.”

“No, even if it’s the provincial key school, you shouldn’t be risking your life like this,” Xu Yingran leaned in and said. “You shouldn’t stay at this school. Studying here for two months will work you to death. You’re here for the Gaokao, not to give up your life.”

Fu Qiao didn’t mind. She said to Xu Yingran, “It’s actually okay. If I fall asleep before 11:00, six hours of sleep is sufficient.”

Xu Yingran disagreed. “While it’s true some people can be energetic all day with three or four hours of sleep, I still think normal people should get a full eight hours.”

Fu Qiao turned and shot her a glare. “If you hadn’t forced me to eat and then stayed at my house last night, I would have been able to sleep for over seven hours.”

Xu Yingran didn’t dare get angry after being scolded like that; after all, she really had been shameless about staying there last night.

After washing up, Fu Qiao prepared to head out. The school provided breakfast after the run, so she didn’t need to eat at home. Perhaps that’s how key high schools were—squeezing out every possible second for learning. Even during the run, students would recite texts while they ran.

Fu Jun also got up early and dropped Xu Yingran off at her school gates before rattling away in his small van. Xu Yingran looked at the empty campus, sighed helplessly, bought some breakfast at the gate, and went inside.