Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 57

Fu Qiao didn’t understand what Xu Yingran meant at first. After mulling it over for a moment, she realized and pulled Xu Yingran aside to explain in a low voice: “I don’t know either.”

In truth, Fu Qiao had been in Class 7, Grade 12 for over a week, but she found that these students were all very silent; the vast majority kept to themselves.

Take the people waiting for the bus at this stop, for instance—almost everyone was either holding a book and reading or wearing headphones and listening to something. Although she didn’t know what was playing in those headphones, Fu Qiao was certain it absolutely wasn’t pop music.

The third-year students at the provincial key school had to do morning exercises at 6:30 AM, eat immediately after, and officially start morning self-study at 7:00. From the start of morning self-study until the end of evening self-study, Fu Qiao never saw anyone playing or fooling around; there weren’t even many people who said more than two sentences to each other.

They didn’t go out during class breaks, and they even held books while eating lunch. In such a learning environment, efficiency had indeed increased, but Fu Qiao simply found it hard to adapt. She had been at the school for a week and currently only knew her desk-mate’s name; as for the rest, she knew nothing at all.

“Your high school is that insane?” Xu Yingran was terrified just hearing about it. “Reciting texts while running is one thing, but holding books in the cafeteria too? Have they gone mad?”

What could Fu Qiao say? She could only shrug. The people here seemed to have come solely to study—solitary, avoiding useless social interactions, and immersing themselves entirely in their studies. It was a bit scary, but also understandable.

Xu Yingran shook her head repeatedly and said seriously to Fu Qiao, “Don’t push yourself as hard as they do. Even if you’re not good at anything, at least you still have me.”

Fu Qiao turned her head away, the tips of her ears turning bright red. “Stop talking nonsense.”

Xu Yingran loved seeing Fu Qiao look shy. Watching a bus pass by and take away the high-achieving students waiting there, Xu Yingran finally told Fu Qiao about Yao Jin’s situation. She harbored doubts about the matter involving Xie Qing and Yao Jin’s mother, and Fu Qiao listened intently.

At 10:30, the last bus arrived as scheduled. Xu Yingran felt that time had passed so quickly; the next time they would see each other would be Thursday. She jumped onto the bus, looked back at Fu Qiao, and shouted to her, “Hurry home! I’ll come find you again on Thursday!”

Fu Qiao was just about to say ‘Don’t come back,’ but she saw the bus doors close with a “hiss” before her eyes. Standing inside, Xu Yingran was smiling exceptionally happily.

Xu Yingran came again on Thursday, bringing Fu Qiao her favorite lychee-flavored lollipops.

A week passed in the blink of an eye. On Saturday, while Fu Qiao was attending her training class, she heard some news—the people in her class had already started discussing the “intensive training camp.”

Fu Qiao was a novice and didn’t understand what the intensive training was for, so Zhou Wan provided her with an explanation.

“Actually, the intensive training starts during the summer vacation of the second year. After all, the art exams are in December or January. Those with a weak foundation use that half-year to build their basics, so they participate in the camp.” Zhou Wan sat next to Fu Qiao and said, “Senior, you started learning much too late. Our batch of third-years was pulled into intensive training right as school started. For you, you’ll have to find another way.”

Fu Qiao blinked at her. “I think the classes I signed up for are pretty good. Is it necessary to attend an intensive camp?”

“It’s not strictly necessary, but it’s better than nothing,” Zhou Wan said, leaning on the desk. “Actually, Senior, your talent is quite good, and you’re smart. You don’t repeat mistakes you’ve made before. The teacher praises you so much every day.”

Hearing this, Fu Qiao thought for a moment. She had already spent over ten thousand yuan just on these classes; if she attended an intensive camp, would she have to pay even more?

“The intensive camp fee…” Fu Qiao asked cautiously, “How much is it?”

Zhou Wan calculated and said, “It should be around forty or fifty thousand yuan.”

Fu Qiao: “…” In that case, I’ll stick to relying on my talent!

After class, Fu Qiao and Zhou Wan went downstairs together. Zhou Wan was a girl who talked a lot, and she spent the whole way down rambling about how expensive the art exams were. Fu Qiao nodded repeatedly.

Thus, when Xu Yingran looked up, she saw the two of them huddled together whispering about who-knows-what; they didn’t even notice her as she walked up beside them.

“…Senior, you should find a better teacher instead. One-on-one teaching isn’t any worse than an intensive camp.”

“A one-on-one teacher is very expensive, right?”

“It is very expensive. I heard it’s 2,000 yuan per lesson.”

Fu Qiao frowned at that. Two thousand yuan for one lesson? That’s way too expensive.

“What’s two thousand yuan a lesson?” Xu Yingran heard the tail end and didn’t understand. She stood behind them curiously and asked, “What are you two talking about?”

Zhou Wan’s eyes lit up when she saw Xu Yingran and said to her, “One-on-one classes. A good teacher costs two thousand yuan a lesson.”

Xu Yingran didn’t quite grasp the context. Just as she was about to ask Zhou Wan what she meant, she was pulled away by Fu Qiao, who said, “Don’t ask, this is my own business.”

“Isn’t your business my business?” Xu Yingran told her. “If something’s going on, you absolutely mustn’t keep it from me.”

Fu Qiao couldn’t say. She turned to Zhou Wan and said, “You go home first. Xu Yingran and I will grab a bite by the road and then leave.”

Zhou Wan looked at their linked hands, gave an “oh,” and left.

“What is it?” Xu Yingran asked curiously after the girl was gone. “What is it that you won’t even let me ask about?”

“Nothing,” Fu Qiao said. “Just stuff from our class. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

Fine—she was already starting to draw lines. Xu Yingran pulled on Fu Qiao’s hand and pursed her lips, saying, “Student Fu Qiao, don’t you think you’re becoming more and more overboard with me lately?”

“Am I?” Fu Qiao said. “I think we’re the same as before.”

Xu Yingran was unhappy, but her grip on Fu Qiao’s hand tightened slightly. She asked softly, “What do you want to eat today?”

Fu Qiao thought for a moment and said, “Which was that seafood rice bowl place you mentioned last week? Let’s go try it.”

“Didn’t you say last week you wouldn’t eat it?”

“…Last week was last week. This week I want to eat it again, is that not okay?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Xu Yingran smiled at Fu Qiao and said, “Then before we eat, let’s go buy milk tea. Still having lemonade?”

“No.” Fu Qiao wrinkled her small nose and said distastefully, “Lemonade doesn’t count as milk tea. I want a warm Taro Boba!”

Xu Yingran was helpless against her wife’s demands. She could only shake her head and order her a giant cup of Taro Boba so she could drink her fill.

On Monday, as soon as Xu Yingran arrived at school, she was pulled away by Yao Jin before she could even enter the classroom.

“Eh, eh, eh?” Xu Yingran said while being dragged. “Can’t you just say whatever it is? Why the pulling and tugging? Where are your manners?”

Yao Jin ignored her, pinned her against the hallway railing, and said, “You’re in trouble.”

Xu Yingran shuddered. “I’ve been very good these last two weeks,” she said in a panic. “No wall-climbing, no skipping class. What does Li Yuwen want with me now?!”

“It’s not Teacher Li,” Yao Jin told her. “It’s my dad.”

Xu Yingran: “?” What does your dad have to do with me?

Could it be that the slap Yao Jin received two weeks ago was now going to result in her father coming to find trouble with Xu Yingran? That shouldn’t be possible. Settling scores wouldn’t happen after such a long time, would it? Furthermore, that slap was delivered by Yao Jin’s father himself—what did it have to do with Xu Yingran? Besides, hadn’t Xu Yingran treated Yao Jin to lunch for over a week? Her treasury was almost empty. Logically, the Yao family was so wealthy and powerful; they couldn’t possibly be petty with an 18-year-old girl, right?

“What on earth are you brooding about?” Yao Jin saw the strange expression on Xu Yingran’s face and knew she was overthinking again. She said helplessly, “Didn’t I tell you last week? My dad was very curious about those ideas of mine and asked who guided me. I ‘confessed’ your name.”

Xu Yingran thought for a long while before remembering that Yao Jin had indeed said that. “And then?” she asked, puzzled. “Why does your dad want to see me?”

“He wants to have a chat with you,” Yao Jin said. “Come to my house this weekend.”

Xu Yingran thought about it. She wasn’t someone who hadn’t seen the world, so she nodded and agreed. It was just a meeting; no big deal.

“By the way.” Xu Yingran looked at Yao Jin, hooked an arm around her shoulder, and said, “Do me a favor in a bit. Go to the second-year grade and call Zhou Wan out.”

Yao Jin looked at her with suspicion. “Zhou Wan? That second-year junior who confessed to you? Why are you calling her out? Isn’t the one you like Fu Qiao?”

“Of course the one I like is Fu Qiao,” Xu Yingran said. “I just want to ask her a few things. Help me out, Boss Yao~”

Yao Jin was disgusted beyond belief.

Meanwhile, Fu Qiao had just returned to the classroom. She saw everyone silently looking at their textbooks and notes; not a single person was idle.

On the blackboard at the back, the countdown to the Gaokao was written. Fu Qiao’s desk-mate, the girl with short black hair and glasses, was updating the date.

“Let me help you,” Fu Qiao walked over to her and said with a smile.

She remembered this desk-mate was named He Qiao. The name consisted of two surnames; Fu Qiao suspected that “Qiao” was her mother’s surname. After all, many parents who were in love would combine their surnames to give their children a unique name.

He Qiao looked at her through her thick glasses, shook her head, and said in a low voice, “No need.”

Fu Qiao felt a bit down. She had been here for nearly half a month, yet she didn’t have a single friend she could talk to. It was truly a bit lonely. She even began to miss the days of being with Xu Yingran and the others, talking and laughing every day, so free and happy. This provincial key school was indeed very good, but it was much too oppressive; Fu Qiao still found it hard to accept.

He Qiao finished wiping the blackboard and used white chalk to write. Fu Qiao didn’t leave; there was still a while before class started, and she wanted to stand and watch a bit more.

“Your chalk handwriting is really beautiful,” Fu Qiao said with her hands behind her back, standing behind He Qiao and smiling at her. “I feel it looks even better than our teachers’ writing.”

Hearing this, He Qiao stopped her movements. Fu Qiao thought she had said something wrong and hurriedly apologized: “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything else. I just think your handwriting is really beautiful. I noticed it on my first day after transferring.”

He Qiao turned around, her cheeks flushed as she looked at her. She whispered, “Thank you.”

Fu Qiao blinked and smiled at He Qiao. “You’re welcome.”

He Qiao blushed and didn’t say anything, turning back to continue writing the countdown number, though it was clear she was writing even more carefully now.

Fu Qiao looked at the back of her head with a beaming smile and thought: It turns out my desk-mate just has social anxiety.