Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 65

Xu Yingran’s words left Fu Qiao frozen in place, and a second later, her face flushed a deep crimson.

“Wh-wh-what are you saying?” Fu Qiao stammered, her face burning. “Why ask that all of a sudden? You scared me.”

Xu Yingran countered, “What’s wrong with wanting to kiss the person I like?”

She reached out, grasping Fu Qiao’s wrist to pull her closer, and whispered in her ear, “Besides, we had a deal. I promised to ask you when I wanted to kiss you. Now I’m asking—can I kiss you?”

Fu Qiao’s head felt like it was emitting steam. She didn’t know how to refuse, and while she was still hesitating, Xu Yingran lowered her head and captured Fu Qiao’s lips.

Warm lips brought a familiar scent flooding in as Xu Yingran’s tongue sought out Fu Qiao’s, tangling together.

“Mmph…”

Fu Qiao closed her eyes and obediently tilted her head up, her mind going completely blank.

Just as they had been kissing for barely three seconds, Hu Mei’s voice drifted in from outside: “What’s taking so long with those beers?”

Terrified, Fu Qiao shoved Xu Yingran away with a start, her face turning pale from the fright.

The moment Hu Mei walked in, she sensed the atmosphere was slightly off. She looked curiously at the two in the kitchen, blinked, and asked, “What is it? Did you two have a fight?”

“N-no.” Fu Qiao thought to herself that since she had pushed Xu Yingran away before Hu Mei entered, her mother shouldn’t have seen them kissing. Her face fluctuating between red and white, she grabbed the beers and hurried out of the kitchen.

Xu Yingran was also dazed. She had thought the four adults would be too busy eating to bother them; she hadn’t expected they’d nearly be caught.

“A-A-Auntie, what did you need?” Xu Yingran asked, her face also flushed as she clutched the two bottles of soda.

Hu Mei replied, “Your dad asked if there were any peanuts. I’m grabbing some for him.”

Hu Mei then looked at Xu Yingran and noted, “Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, not at all,” Xu Yingran said, her face still burning. “It might just be the spicy food. Auntie, I’ll head out first.”

“Ah? Oh, go ahead then.”

Watching Xu Yingran run off, Hu Mei mused to herself, “Doesn’t this child usually handle spicy food quite well?…”

Back at the table, Xu Yingran’s heart hammered as she looked at Fu Qiao’s back. After sitting down, she realized Fu Qiao wouldn’t even look at her, keeping her head down to eat. She knew Fu Qiao was angry again.

Xu Yingran sighed inwardly. This time, it really was entirely her fault.

Fu Qiao was so thin-skinned that she was bound to be upset. Xu Yingran cautiously tried to brush against Fu Qiao’s hand under the table, only to receive a harsh glare from the girl beside her.

The look clearly meant: ‘Don’t touch me.’

Xu Yingran felt incredibly aggrieved, but fearing her “wife” was truly mad, she could only shrink her neck and remain silent.

This meal was eaten with everyone harboring their own thoughts. The parents enjoyed themselves over the steaming hotpot, while Xu Yingran acted like a browbeaten little daughter-in-law—pouring tea, serving water, and blanching meat for Fu Qiao. Zhao Yu even went out of her way to praise her for being so considerate today.

Xu Yingran only felt bitterness in her heart. For the first time, she felt Zhao Yu’s praise was a jab to the soul.

Originally, both Xu Yingran and Fu Qiao were supposed to have evening self-study on Friday, but since they hadn’t seen their old neighbors in so long, they had both requested leave. The meal lasted until 10:30 PM.

Xu Chunjian and Fu Jun had both drunk quite a bit; their faces were ruddy as they chatted away loquaciously. Zhao Yu and Hu Mei, having a great relationship, were also busy catching up.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhao Yu said, “It’s so late, we should head home.”

“What do you mean, head home?” Hu Mei said, pulling on her old friend. “Look at Chunjian—it’ll be such a hassle for him to go back in this state. My house is just a few steps away. You can just stay the night in the guest room.”

“How can the three of us stay? Is there enough room?”

“Of course there is.” Hu Mei explained, “You and Chunjian take the guest room, and Ranran can sleep in the same room as Xiao Qiao. That fits everyone, doesn’t it?”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yingran’s head snapped up, her eyes sparkling. “I’m sleeping with Fu Qiao?”

Fu Qiao also looked over in surprise.

“What’s the matter?” Hu Mei asked, puzzled. “Didn’t you two sleep in the same bed every day when you were little? You even had to sleep together during kindergarten naps. How did you become so distant now that you’re grown up?”

Zhao Yu laughed and said, “The kids are older now, they get shy. We should probably just call a taxi.”

“Why bother? It’s over a half-hour drive. Just listen to me and stay. You can see our new house and get to know the way so you can visit more often.”

“This…”

Fu Jun waved them off and said, “I say just stay. It’s not like we don’t have the space.”

Xu Chunjian nodded in agreement. “Let’s stay, let’s stay. We aren’t strangers; we’ve been neighbors for twenty years, no need to be formal.”

Zhao Yu decided there was no need to be so polite and nodded in agreement.

When Xu Yingran heard the final decision to stay, her eyes were practically beaming. She turned to Fu Qiao and said, “Tonight, the two of us…”

Fu Qiao shot her a glance and then looked away again.

Although she was still acting cold, at least she hadn’t said “no.” Xu Yingran felt she might still have a chance tonight.

The group of six finished their meal and walked toward the nearby residential complex. This area hadn’t fully commercialized yet, but Xu Yingran knew that within two years, it would become a bustling hub with various shops lining the streets and the city’s largest night market just a few blocks away. Everything was heading toward a better future.

Hu Mei and Zhao Yu prepared the guest room and helped the drunken Xu Chunjian inside. Fu Jun had also had a lot to drink, but as a “man of the people,” he had a higher tolerance; he was at most a bit unsteady on his feet. He didn’t need Hu Mei’s help to wash up and head to bed.

Once everything was settled, Hu Mei said to Fu Qiao and Xu Yingran, “Tomorrow is Saturday. Don’t stay up too late chatting. Xiao Qiao, don’t forget you have class tomorrow.”

Fu Qiao nodded. As Hu Mei entered her room, the living room fell into silence.

Xu Yingran looked timidly at her “wife,” wanting to say a few words, but Fu Qiao said coldly, “Go brush your teeth and wash your face. Wash your feet too, or don’t even think about getting into my bed.”

Though Fu Qiao’s words were sharp and harsh, Xu Yingran heard the underlying meaning. She gave a happy response and hurried to the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she was done, it was nearly 11:00 PM. Normally, Xu Yingran would be sleepy by now, but tonight she was exceptionally excited. If it weren’t so difficult to take a full shower in the dead of winter, she would have wanted to scrub herself clean and fragrant before getting into Fu Qiao’s bed.

After washing up, Xu Yingran returned to Fu Qiao’s room. Seeing that she had already crawled into bed, Xu Yingran approached, lifted a corner of the quilt, and slid her hand in.

“Is the electric blanket on?” Xu Yingran asked.

“Yeah,” Fu Qiao said flatly. “The weather is getting colder, so my mom put the electric blanket on for me.”

“That works,” Xu Yingran said, pulling her hand back. “I thought I’d be able to warm the bed for you tonight.”

Fu Qiao rolled her eyes at her, turned over, and said nothing.

Once Xu Yingran was in bed, Fu Qiao said, “Turn off the electric blanket.”

“Okay.”

“Turn off the light, too.”

“Mm.”

As the room plunged into darkness, Fu Qiao felt the person behind her lie down. A second later, a warm body pressed up against her.

“I’m sorry…”

Xu Yingran wrapped her arms around Fu Qiao’s waist and apologized in her ear. “Tonight was my fault. I didn’t lock the kitchen door, otherwise your mom wouldn’t have walked in.”

Fu Qiao paused before saying, “It’s not entirely your fault.”

“Well, most of the responsibility is mine.” Xu Yingran’s attitude toward admitting her mistake was excellent. She held Fu Qiao’s hand and even actively used her legs to pin Fu Qiao’s feet to warm them. While warming the person in her arms, she said, “Next time before I kiss you, I’ll be sure to close the door.”

Fu Qiao’s face flushed slightly. She struggled for a moment before saying, “Let go of me, I want to sleep.”

“Wait until your hands and feet are warm,” Xu Yingran whispered. “Otherwise, you won’t sleep soundly.”

That was true. If Fu Qiao’s hands and feet weren’t warm, she wouldn’t be comfortable all night. Xu Yingran’s body heat was exceptionally high, and before long, she had warmed Fu Qiao’s extremities, making her feel so comfortable she wanted to stretch under the covers.

“Alright.” Fu Qiao was now a bit sleepy. She half-closed her eyes and turned toward Xu Yingran. “I’m tired, I’m going to sleep.”

“Sleepy already?” Xu Yingran, however, was still very much awake. She pricked up her ears to listen for any noise outside.

When she had come in after washing up, she had proactively locked the bedroom door. Coupled with the fact that it was late at night, surely doing a few things wouldn’t be discovered?

“Xiao Qiao…”

Using the dim light, Xu Yingran looked at the person lying on her side. Remembering the kiss in the shop kitchen that had ended all too quickly, her heart felt restless.

“Hmm?”

Fu Qiao gave a soft hum through her nose, sounding so mellow she seemed seconds away from drifting off.

Unable to restrain herself, Xu Yingran leaned in and kissed the corner of Fu Qiao’s mouth. Fu Qiao slowly opened her eyes, looking at the person right in front of her.

Without a word spoken, the kiss deepened.

Fu Qiao closed her eyes, kissing Xu Yingran in bed. Their fingers interlaced. In the quiet room, the only sounds were their breathing and the soft, wet sounds of their kiss.

Her heart raced as if it were about to burst from her body. Fu Qiao’s tongue and teeth were gently teased by Xu Yingran’s.

Xu Yingran released Fu Qiao’s hand and wrapped her arm around her waist. Taking advantage of a break for air, she rolled over, pinning Fu Qiao beneath her.

The spinning sensation left them both lightheaded. Fu Qiao, at some point, had hooked her arms around Xu Yingran’s shoulders. Their kiss was inseparable.

With the corners of her eyes red and watery, Fu Qiao whispered, “Xu Yingran, I’m not comfortable…”

“Don’t be nervous,” Xu Yingran whispered, lowering her head to kiss Fu Qiao’s neck. “Let me help you.”