Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 75

Fu Qiao stared at the message from He Qiao and came to a halt.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Yingran turned around and asked, “Who messaged you?”

“My desk-mate,” Fu Qiao replied as she began typing on the screen.

Fu Qiao: I already have plans for lunch. Is it something urgent? If not, we can meet up tonight, or you can come find me.

The chat interface showed “Typing…” for a long time, but no reply came. It wasn’t until Fu Qiao got into the car that He Qiao finally sent a sentence: It’s fine. Go enjoy your lunch.

Xu Yingran was sitting right next to Fu Qiao, squinting as she peeked at the chat.

“Why is this He Qiao sending you so many messages?” Xu Yingran said sourly.

Fu Qiao glanced at her, puzzled. “She’s my desk-mate. Isn’t it normal for her to talk to me?”

Xu Yingran snorted. “I send you messages all the time, and I don’t see you replying to every single one of mine.”

“You babble on and on in huge blocks of text; sometimes they don’t even fit on one screen. And you love sending voice notes longer than 60 seconds. I don’t even want to listen to them, so why would I reply?”

“Fu Qiao, it hurts my heart when you say things like that.”

Listening to the bickering in the back seat, Yao Jin said helplessly, “Could you two stop flaunting your affection for a second and consider the feelings of this single dog?”

Fu Qiao’s face flushed instantly, and she hurriedly explained, “I’m not—Jin, don’t jump to conclusions.”

Yao Jin laughed from the front seat, while Xu Yingran started acting aggrieved, grabbing Fu Qiao’s hand and muttering, “Why won’t you admit it? Haven’t we kissed? Do you not remember what happened at your house last time? I worked so hard; how can you just turn around and not recognize it?”

Fu Qiao couldn’t take the nagging anymore and reached out to cover Xu Yingran’s motor-mouth.

The car couldn’t enter the narrow Old Street, so Yao Jin told the driver to head back first. She planned to hang out for a while and would call him when she needed a ride.

In winter, the Old Street was filled with misty steam from all the shops selling hot soup noodles. Large pots were usually placed outside; whenever a lid was lifted, white mist surged up, accompanied by the rich aroma of soup base.

The three arrived at the wonton stall Fu Qiao had been craving. After ordering three bowls, Xu Yingran went next door to buy savory pancakes and roujiamo (meat burgers). When she returned, Fu Qiao was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Fu Qiao?” Xu Yingran asked as she sat down with the three warm meat burgers.

“She seemed to take a phone call and stepped out,” Yao Jin replied, biting into her burger. The aroma of cumin and fat immediately flooded her mouth, and her eyes lit up. “This is delicious!”

“Good, right?” Xu Yingran added some vinegar to her wontons. “Take a bite of the burger and then a sip of the wonton soup—the flavor is even better.”

Yao Jin followed her advice, and indeed, it was exceptionally savory.

“I used to think these ‘hole-in-the-wall’ places were dirty and gross, but now that I’ve gotten used to eating them with you, I think they’re quite good,” Yao Jin said, blowing on a spoonful of wonton before eating it. “I’ve never tried these things before.”

“We get it, you’re a rich missy, stop bringing it up,” Xu Yingran said, sipping her soup while glancing at the door. “Why is she taking so long? Should I call her?”

Yao Jin rolled her eyes. “She’s only been gone a minute and you’re already thinking of calling. What are you going to do when she goes off to university? Are you going to cry every day?”

“If crying would bring her back, I’d be more than willing.”

“Look at you, so spineless.” Yao Jin sighed and asked, “Seriously, Xu Yingran, how long has it been and you still haven’t won her over? Are you capable or not?”

Xu Yingran chewed on the crispy edge of her burger. “What does it matter to you if I’m ‘capable’? Go chase your ‘older sister.’ She’s been dropping you off and picking you up every day, and you two are even living together—I don’t see you moving very fast either.”

Yao Jin snapped, “So we’re doing personal attacks now?”

Xu Yingran talked back, “You started it!”

The ship of friendship capsized just like that.

As they were bickering, Fu Qiao walked back into the shop leading someone with her. She asked the shopkeeper for an extra bowl of wontons.

Yao Jin didn’t recognize the newcomer, but Xu Yingran did. She looked up from her meat burger and locked eyes with He Qiao.

“This is my desk-mate, He Qiao. She happened to be in class nearby, so I invited her over,” Fu Qiao explained, seating He Qiao in the inner spot. “You’ve met Xu Yingran. This is my friend, Yao Jin.”

Yao Jin curiously sized up the short-haired, bespectacled girl who looked a bit plain. She smiled, revealing her white teeth. “Hello! You’re also from the Provincial Key High School, right?”

He Qiao was a bit shy. She gave a weak nod and said nervously, “Yes. Hello, everyone.”

Xu Yingran looked at He Qiao curiously, then at Fu Qiao, and gently nudged Fu Qiao’s foot under the table. Fu Qiao glanced at the person sitting opposite her and cleared her throat. “Qiaoqiao messaged me just now. I figured it wasn’t far, so I let her come. The more the merrier, right?”

Yao Jin propped up her head, looking as if she were watching a play. “Qiaoqiao?”

He Qiao felt uncomfortable under their gazes. This was her first time meeting Yao Jin; she could tell from her clothes and the latest-model phone on the table that she came from a wealthy family. She had seen Xu Yingran before, but even though they were “familiar” by comparison, she had barely spoken two words to her.

Even with that familiarity, He Qiao’s attitude toward Xu Yingran was awkward. After all, from where she sat, she was essentially a fellow suitor for Fu Qiao’s affections.

The wontons arrived, and Fu Qiao hurriedly moved a bowl in front of He Qiao, receiving a soft “thank you” in return.

“Do you want to add some vinegar?” Fu Qiao asked. “The vinegar here isn’t too sour, it’s very fragrant. Also, I know you don’t like cilantro, so I told them to leave it out.”

He Qiao nodded slightly. Fu Qiao added a drop of vinegar to her bowl, then noticed the other two were eating meat burgers and gave her own untouched one to He Qiao.

Xu Yingran: “?”

I bought that burger, why is she giving it to someone else?

Xu Yingran opened her mouth: “I bought th— Ow!”

Fu Qiao kicked Xu Yingran under the table, signaling her to shut up.

“Wontons are enough for me, plus we bought that savory pancake,” Fu Qiao said to He Qiao with a smile. “Try it. The meat burger from next door is the perfect match for these wontons.”

He Qiao opened the bag, took a bite, and looked at Fu Qiao with a happy smile. “It is good. Much better than our cafeteria food.”

Fu Qiao smiled back. “Right?”

Xu Yingran just watched Fu Qiao smiling so happily, clutching her own burger and not daring to make a sound.

The meal was exceptionally strange. Fu Qiao spent the entire time talking to He Qiao, introducing her to all the good “hole-in-the-wall” shops in Old Street. It was the most Xu Yingran had ever seen her talk.

Xu Yingran spent the time glaring at the two of them, chewing her food and wanting to speak up but not daring to—especially after receiving two more kicks from Fu Qiao. She remained silent throughout.

Yao Jin was far more relaxed. She was used to being the brightest “third wheel” wherever she went. Watching this three-way “battlefield” was more entertaining than a TV drama, so she naturally ate a few extra bites.

After finishing, Xu Yingran went to pay. He Qiao saw her leave and quickly said, “Let me pay.”

“No need,” Yao Jin said, propping her head up and smiling at He Qiao. “Xu Yingran said it was her treat before we came. Don’t be polite.”

“But…”

“Aren’t we buying roasted sweet potatoes later?” Fu Qiao said to He Qiao. “If you really feel bad about it, you can treat us to those.”

He Qiao agreed and nodded. “Okay, then I’ll treat you all to sweet potatoes in a bit.”

Xu Yingran’s face was very long when she paid the bill. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to buy He Qiao a bowl of wontons—a bowl only cost a few bucks, and she wasn’t that petty. She was just incredibly annoyed by Fu Qiao’s attitude today.

Why was Fu Qiao so attentive to that little desk-mate? Why did she give her burger away? She had specifically asked the boss to add five extra dollars’ worth of meat! And most importantly, Fu Qiao wouldn’t let her talk, kicked her, and spent the whole meal chatting away with He Qiao. When did Fu Qiao ever talk that much to her?

Consequently, Xu Yingran was very unhappy.

There were many snacks in Old Street. Fu Qiao walked ahead, linking arms with He Qiao, while Yao Jin and Xu Yingran followed behind. The two in the back watched the linked arms, each with their own thoughts.

As Fu Qiao took He Qiao to buy the sweet potatoes, Yao Jin, snacking on some sunflower seeds she’d just bought, remarked, “Hey, you’ve never even held Fu Qiao’s hand while shopping, have you?”

Xu Yingran grit her teeth. “If you don’t speak, you won’t turn into a mute.”

Yao Jin’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “Tell me, do you think that desk-mate is interested in her? Their relationship looks far from ordinary. You’ve got a love rival, haven’t you?”

Xu Yingran stayed silent. She saw Fu Qiao pick out a large sweet potato and show it to He Qiao; the two looked at each other and laughed, causing Xu Yingran’s “jealousy jar” to completely tip over. She wanted to rush forward, but thinking it would upset Fu Qiao, she held herself back.

Later, He Qiao bought four sweet potatoes. To Xu Yingran, the one she ate tasted like sawdust. She felt this was the worst roasted sweet potato she had ever eaten in her life.

“It’s about time. I have class this afternoon, so I can’t stay with you guys,” He Qiao said, looking at the three of them before turning to Fu Qiao. “See you at school on Monday.”

“Sure!” Fu Qiao stood with her hands behind her back and smiled. “Be careful on the way back. Message me if you need anything; I’m free all day today.”

He Qiao nodded, said goodbye to the other two, and walked away.

Once she was out of earshot, Xu Yingran grabbed Fu Qiao’s arm and demanded, “What was that about today? You didn’t say He Qiao was coming!”

Fu Qiao glanced at her. “What’s wrong with bringing a friend for lunch? Besides, Qiaoqiao bought you a sweet potato too. Don’t be so mean.”

Mean??

Xu Yingran was shocked. Her temper was already very good; how could Fu Qiao call her mean?!

Yao Jin picked at her ear and said to the two, “The seeds I just bought are quite good. I’m going to buy some more. You two chat here, okay?”

Jin: When things get messy, I’m out of here~