Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 74

For the past few days, Fu Qiao had been consumed by preparations for the arts exam.

She was likely the only student in the entire school planning to take the arts route. When her teachers first heard the news, they frowned, but after learning that she had already made all the arrangements, they could only let out a helpless sigh. Fortunately, no one in her class knew about her decision yet.

“Fu Qiao.”

He Qiao handed a test paper back to her. “The teacher just handed these out. I took a quick look… it seems your grades have dropped quite a bit.”

Fu Qiao had originally ranked in the top fifty of the school during her first exam. However, because she had been dedicating so much time to the arts exam, she hadn’t been able to focus on her studies, causing her rank to slip down to the hundreds.

Looking at her score, Fu Qiao realized she had hit a new low and let out a weary sigh.

He Qiao, assuming she was devastated, tried to comfort her. “Don’t dwell on it too much. You haven’t been here long, and you might still be adjusting to the learning environment. Once you get into the rhythm, your scores will slowly climb back up.”

Fu Qiao knew she was being kind. She smiled faintly and said, “I’m not dwelling on it. The drop in grades is real, but it’s okay. Once I get through this stretch, things should get better.”

Seeing Fu Qiao smile, He Qiao felt her face grow inexplicably warm, and her heart rate accelerated. She felt more and more “off” lately. Previously, she just wanted to spend time with Fu Qiao, but now she thought of her almost every night. Her heart raced when she saw Fu Qiao laugh, and her mind went blank whenever they were close.

Though He Qiao hadn’t experienced much of the world, she was a bright girl. She knew that she had likely fallen for Fu Qiao.

There was no panic, nor did she feel this was something that required deep soul-searching. Her family had always been very strict. Starting from the fifth grade, her mother wouldn’t let her sit with boys; she either sat with girls or occupied a solo desk. Whenever the school organized mixed-gender activities, He Qiao’s mother would protest to the homeroom teacher and pull her out.

By junior high, when many girls were becoming interested in handsome boys, He Qiao knew that if she showed any interest, her mother would descend upon the school like a madwoman and destroy her peace. Consequently, He Qiao felt there was nothing wrong with not liking boys. Girls were wonderful—Fu Qiao was gentle and beautiful, she had a light, pleasant scent, and her voice was lovely to listen to.

If she had to choose, she would choose to love Fu Qiao.

He Qiao didn’t agonize over it; she accepted the fact quickly. She wanted to be close to Fu Qiao, to stay with her forever.

“Does your training center wrap up at the end of the month?” He Qiao looked at Fu Qiao calmly. “Once it’s over, why don’t you come to the one I’m enrolled in? I can ask the teacher for a discount.”

Fu Qiao turned to her. “But isn’t your center very expensive?”

He Qiao nodded, then added, “If you think it’s too much, I can lend you some money. I’ve saved up my New Year’s money and allowance over the years; I have quite a bit.”

“But…” Fu Qiao hesitated. “I’d have to discuss enrolling in a new class with my parents first.”

He Qiao felt a flash of disappointment, but she knew Fu Qiao was right. She looked up and said, “Fu Qiao, I’m not trying to force you into my class. I just… I feel that if your grades keep slipping like this, we won’t be able to get into the same university.”

Fu Qiao looked at her in silence, her mouth opening as if to say something.

He Qiao gathered her courage, reached out, and took Fu Qiao’s hand. “I don’t have many friends. I’m so happy I met you in my senior year. I want us to get into a good university together and be friends for a lifetime. Is that okay?”

Be friends first. Once the friendship is intimate enough, then tell Fu Qiao how she truly feels. Though the road might be long, He Qiao believed she could do it.

“Why are you making it sound so pitiful?” Fu Qiao felt a bit awkward at He Qiao’s speech. She held He Qiao’s hand and laughed. “Of course we can be friends for life. But whether we can get into the same university is hard to say—after all, there’s a pretty big gap between our scores.”

He Qiao lowered her gaze, her expression hidden behind her thick glasses.

“Tell you what,” Fu Qiao said. “I’ll go home and talk to my parents about the training center. My grades might stay like this for a little longer, but once I finish what I’m busy with, I’ll study hard and try to do as well as you.”

He Qiao looked up at Fu Qiao’s radiant smile and nodded dazed. She felt like a little mushroom in a dark corner, while Fu Qiao was the golden sun in a clear sky. Every ounce of warmth she felt was given by the other girl. For He Qiao, falling in love with her seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

On Friday, Professor Chen had Fu Qiao skip evening self-study. He booked a private room at a restaurant to go over the final precautions for the exam. As it was her last session of guidance, Fu Qiao studied with extreme focus, terrified of missing a single word.

Seeing her so tense, Professor Chen’s own mood lightened. He laughed and said, “You don’t need to be nervous. As long as you perform normally, the exam won’t be difficult for you. You’re very good at testing.”

“But this exam is different from the ones I’m used to,” Fu Qiao said worriedly. “I haven’t been studying this nearly as long as the others. I’m afraid of making a mistake.”

“Relax,” Professor Chen comforted her. “Go home and get some rest tonight. Don’t be late tomorrow; arrive at the testing center thirty minutes early. I’ll be waiting for you outside.”

Fu Qiao nodded and set an alarm for an hour earlier than usual. That night, Xu Yingran called to tell her not to be nervous, though Xu Yingran sounded far more anxious than Fu Qiao herself.

The next day, there were no traffic jams. Fu Qiao arrived at the testing center more than half an hour early. A crowd of parents had already gathered outside. Fu Qiao immediately spotted Xu Yingran in a dark gray down jacket, holding a bag of breakfast.

Yao Jin was there too. The two were chatting when Yao Jin spotted Fu Qiao first and waved.

“What are you both doing here?” Fu Qiao jogged over, looking at Yao Jin in surprise. “Jin, don’t you have a tutoring session today?”

“I asked the teacher for leave. Ever since Xu Yingran found out you were testing, she’s been nervous for days. I was afraid she’d get into an accident on the way here, so I came along.” Yao Jin stood with her hands in her pockets, smiling. “You’re about to go in. Nervous?”

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t, but Fu Qiao felt she was okay. She frequently represented her school in various exams and speeches. While an arts exam was different, she felt she could handle it.

“Professor Chen taught me a lot of techniques. I think I’ll be fine.” Fu Qiao smiled at them, though among the three of them, Xu Yingran’s face was the one turning pale with nerves.

She clutched the breakfast and handed it to Fu Qiao. “Drink some soy milk first. I bought you shaomai and fried buns. I wanted to get the chive and egg ones, but Jin said it would be bad if you had a leaf stuck in your teeth while talking, so I got the beef ones.”

Fu Qiao took them and was about to take a sip of the warm soy milk when Xu Yingran added, “Don’t drink too much soy milk. What if you need to use the restroom during the exam? Just have a little to moisten your throat. I also bought peppermint drops to clear your throat and prepared warm water in my backpack; take them in with you.”

“Am I going on a field trip?” Fu Qiao looked at Xu Yingran helplessly. “I know how to protect my voice. Don’t worry so much. It’s just an exam; you weren’t this nervous during the Zhongkao (High School Entrance Exam).”

“How is the Zhongkao the same as this?” Xu Yingran countered. “I knew you’d definitely get into a good high school then. This is your first arts exam.”

Yao Jin nudged Xu Yingran with her elbow. “Alright, alright. Fu Qiao is smart; exams are a breeze for her. Stop fussing.”

Fu Qiao couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, you’re making me nervous now.”

Xu Yingran quickly backtracked, telling Fu Qiao not to be nervous at all. Professor Chen arrived shortly after, greeted the girls, and gave Fu Qiao a few final words of advice. After double-checking that she hadn’t forgotten anything, Fu Qiao joined the flow of students entering the center.

There were more people than she expected. Everyone was a young senior; though they were dressed differently, they all seemed to be in a good state of mind. The exam consisted of a preliminary and a final, with the finals scheduled for a later date. When Fu Qiao finally walked out of the center, she let out a massive sigh of relief.

Naturally, a celebration was in order. Professor Chen didn’t want to intrude on the teenagers’ gathering, so he said his goodbyes and drove away.

“Where are we going to celebrate?” Yao Jin asked curiously. “What do you want to eat?”

“That’s up to Fu Qiao, of course,” Xu Yingran said, turning to her. “What are you craving?”

Fu Qiao thought seriously and said, “I want the roasted sweet potatoes and wontons from our old alley.”

“Are you sure?” Xu Yingran looked at her. “You finally finished the exam, and you want to eat that?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Fu Qiao looked at her defiantly. “I haven’t been back to wander around there in so long. I just want the snacks from there. Is that a problem?”

“Um… as long as Jin doesn’t mind.”

Seeing the question tossed to her, Yao Jin laughed. “I’m fine with it! Fu Qiao is the boss today. We both listen to her.”

“Great! Then we’ll go back for wontons. The savory pancakes and meat burgers next door are also delicious; I’ll let you try them, Jin.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

As the three walked toward the roadside, Fu Qiao felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She had given her belongings to Xu Yingran before the exam and had only just gotten them back ten minutes ago. She wondered who was looking for her.

Fu Qiao opened her phone and saw a message from He Qiao.

He Qiao: Are you free today? I want to meet up with you.