Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 78

The grand opening of the barbecue and hotpot restaurant was set for the 15th of this month. Opening before New Year’s Day meant they could capitalize on the holiday rush, followed closely by the high-earning period of the Spring Festival.

In addition to Hu Mei and Fu Jun, the shop had hired a few more staff members. A head chef was brought into the kitchen, where Fu Jun also helped out with prep and simmering the hotpot bases—the two of them kept things running smoothly. Out front, Hu Mei handled the register and hired two servers, though she occasionally helped with greeting, taking orders, and serving dishes.

Since they owned the storefront, the couple didn’t worry too much about a slow start. They sent invitations to all their familiar neighbors from the old street, inviting them to come eat and drink. On the first day, they held a massive promotion: neighbors and friends could get 50% off just by “showing their faces.”

Fu Qiao had shared the news with He Qiao, hoping she would come to show support on opening day. He Qiao hadn’t said anything in response, nor had she flatly refused, which left Fu Qiao’s mind in a bit of a muddle.

Opening day fell on a Saturday. Besides her own family, Xu Yingran also brought Yao Jin along. Yao Jin was now quite comfortable with Xu Yingran’s family; her “Uncle” and “Auntie” greetings were sweet enough to melt sugar. Despite being a second-generation rich kid, she followed Xu Yingran’s family around to “mooch” meals and drinks. The funny thing was that Zhao Yu really liked her, often praising Yao Jin for being much sharper and more clever than Xu Yingran.

Xu Yingran really couldn’t see where this girl was “sharper,” but her flattery skills were definitely a cut above.

One couldn’t show up empty-handed for an opening. Xu Chunjian ordered two flower baskets filled to the brim with golden ears of wheat, symbolizing a “bumper harvest” for the new business.

Upon arriving at the entrance, Xu Yingran finally saw the official name of the shop: Xiao Qiao’s Barbecue and Hotpot.

Well, now everyone knew exactly how much Fu Qiao was doted on in this family. Fu Qiao herself had apparently only learned of the name just before the opening; her face was flushed bright red as she was teased by the neighbors for a long time while receiving guests.

“Alright, alright, it’s just using your name for the shop, no big deal,” Xu Yingran said, pulling Fu Qiao aside with a beaming smile. “It sounds lovely, doesn’t it?”

Fu Qiao was annoyed. “How is that lovely? It’s terrible…”

Yao Jin laughed along, telling Fu Qiao, “Don’t say that in front of your parents, or you’ll break their hearts.”

Fu Qiao gave a muffled huff but didn’t argue.

The first day was bustling with support from neighbors and friends. Though the shop wasn’t massive, it wasn’t small either, with 20 custom-made tables. Each featured an induction cooker in the center with a side control button. Once winter passed, they could simply wipe the tables down and set up grills for summer barbecue—very practical.

Hu Mei and the two servers were flying around, and the kitchen sent out a constant stream of dishes. The air was thick with the rich, savory aroma of hotpot. While the adults sat together, the three “kids”—Xu Yingran, Fu Qiao, and Yao Jin—occupied a table of their own.

“Hey,” Xu Yingran said as she squeezed shrimp paste into the spicy red broth. She asked Fu Qiao, “Is your little desk-mate coming today?”

“I don’t know.” Fu Qiao watched her put all the shrimp paste into the red broth and scolded, “Why not put some in the clear broth? Shrimp paste belongs in the clear soup.”

“But all three of us like spicy food!”

“That doesn’t matter! It should be in the clear soup!”

Yao Jin watched the two of them start bickering again and shook her head helplessly. She used her chopsticks to fish around in the red broth, but as she went to grab a meatball, Xu Yingran’s chopsticks swatted hers away.

“Not cooked yet,” the two said in unison.

Yao Jin rolled her eyes, feeling like she was being force-fed “dog food” (public displays of affection) even while eating hotpot.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He Qiao’s mother stood with her arms crossed, watching her daughter prepare to head out. She frowned and said, “You finally have a day off from the training center, and instead of staying home to review your lessons, you’re planning to go out? For what?”

He Qiao, sitting at the entrance putting on her shoes, looked up and said, “A classmate’s family shop is opening today. I want to go see it.”

“What does a shop opening have to do with you?” Mrs. He frowned. “Which classmate? Boy or girl? What’s their name? How are their grades?”

“It’s Fu Qiao, my desk-mate.”

Mrs. He gave an “oh” and said, “I know that desk-mate. Her grades were okay when she first arrived—top fifty—but I heard she’s slipped down to the hundreds in the last two exams. What could you possibly have to do with someone like that?”

He Qiao said softly, “She studies very seriously.”

“What’s the use of ‘serious’? Do you even know if she’s actually studying or just pretending?” Mrs. He became agitated. She walked over and yanked the backpack off her daughter’s shoulders. “You aren’t going. Your grades were so poor this time because you’ve been led astray by this desk-mate. You’re staying home today to do practice papers. You aren’t going anywhere!”

He Qiao panicked at the sight of her bag being taken—her gift for Fu Qiao was inside!

“Mom, I’ll just go see her and come right back. No more than an hour!” He Qiao pleaded. “She wanted me to be there. I… I promised her.”

“I said no, and that means no!” Mrs. He was furious. She scolded with a dark face, “Don’t you know I’m doing this for your own good? What progress can you make befriending a failing student? Why don’t you look at the top students in your grade? You should be making friends with people like that, not these random, messy students!”

“Fu Qiao is not ‘random’ or ‘messy’!” He Qiao snapped back. Her mother’s constant disdain for Fu Qiao was the breaking point. Only she knew how wonderful Fu Qiao was.

Mrs. He was startled by her daughter’s sudden outburst. Taking advantage of her mother’s stunned silence, He Qiao snatched her backpack and ran out without looking back. As she ran downstairs, her heart hammered against her ribs, and she could still hear her mother’s muffled shouting from above.

He Qiao ignored it all. Her desire to see Fu Qiao felt as though it had grown wings.

As if by divine favor, the bus arrived the moment she reached the stop. She found a window seat, and every light along the way was green. It felt as if everything was hinting to He Qiao that she should go see Fu Qiao—that her decision was right.

The weather outside the window was clear. He Qiao clutched her bag, filled with anticipation for her destination.

When she finally found the address Fu Qiao had sent, she saw the name of the shop and couldn’t help but smile.

Xiao Qiao? Did Fu Qiao’s family call her that at home?

Once she and Fu Qiao repaired their relationship, could she call her that too?

He Qiao’s face felt a bit hot. She entered the shop nervously, looking around the crowded room, but she couldn’t see Fu Qiao anywhere.

Did I come to the wrong place? No, this was the only new barbecue and hotpot place nearby.

“Hello there.” Hu Mei saw He Qiao standing at the door looking lost and walked over to greet her. “Are you here for a meal or looking for someone?”

He Qiao asked, “Is Fu Qiao here?”

“You’re here for Xiao Qiao?” Hu Mei asked curiously. “Are you a classmate?”

“Yes, I’m her desk-mate.”

“Her desk-mate! Oh, Xiao Qiao has mentioned you. She said you’re an excellent student, right?”

He Qiao’s eyes lit up slightly. She smiled and asked, “Does she mention me often?”

“Fairly often, yes.” Hu Mei led He Qiao further into the shop, pointing at an empty seat. “Xiao Qiao and Ranran were sitting right at that table. Where did they go? Why don’t you sit down first? I’ll get you a set of chopsticks.”

“No, don’t go to any trouble. I already ate; I just came by to see her.” He Qiao stopped Hu Mei and fished a small, handmade embroidered frame from her bag. On it, “Great Success on Opening” was stitched in red silk.

“This is a small frame I made. It’s not big; I spent three nights on it.” He Qiao blushed as she handed it to Hu Mei. “I wish you great success on your opening.”

Hu Mei had rarely seen such a thoughtful child. She accepted it immediately with a smile. “Thank you so much! You must stay and eat something, even if it’s just a taste. Sit, sit! I’ll go find out where those two ran off to. Honestly, that child wanders off at the most inconvenient times.”

He Qiao was led to the table. she looked at the steaming hotpot and the three sets of chopsticks.

Three people? He Qiao thought it must be Fu Qiao, Xu Yingran, and that girl named Yao Jin. They really were close.

Hu Mei asked around and learned that Yao Jin had apparently taken a phone call and left in a hurry, while Fu Qiao and Xu Yingran had gone toward the back door.

“The back door?” He Qiao asked. “Where is that?”

Hu Mei pointed to the area next to the kitchen. She was about to go look herself when someone called her name. She hurriedly responded and said to He Qiao, “You go find Xiao Qiao yourself. I have to get back to work.”

He Qiao nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll find her myself.”

Once Hu Mei was busy, He Qiao turned toward the back door. Near the kitchen, she could smell the spicy, pungent aromas of the broth—so sharp it made her cough twice. She pushed open the back door.

The door led to a small alley behind the shop, usually used for storage or deliveries. Since it was opening day, it was relatively clear of clutter. He Qiao looked around and spotted two figures in the corner. As she rounded a parked van, her footsteps came to a dead stop.

She saw Xu Yingran pinning Fu Qiao against the wall. The two were locked in a passionate kiss.

Fu Qiao’s eyes were closed, her cheeks a deep crimson. She leaned against the concrete wall with her hands resting on Xu Yingran’s shoulders. Their lips and tongues were entwined in a kiss that seemed to forget the world.

Xu Yingran had one hand around Fu Qiao’s waist and the other cradling the back of her head. He Qiao’s mind went completely blank.

Clang—!

He Qiao stumbled back a step, accidentally knocking into a pile of miscellaneous items. A discarded steel pipe fell out and struck the ground with a loud ring.

He Qiao looked up and saw Fu Qiao had already pushed Xu Yingran away. Both of them were looking at her with expressions of utter shock.

Caught!

“I…”

He Qiao felt she should say something, but a dull, heavy ache throbbed in her chest. Ultimately, she lowered her head, said nothing, and turned to run away.

Fu Qiao was also startled. Seeing He Qiao run, she panicked, fearing a misunderstanding—though, technically, it wasn’t a misunderstanding. She was terrified He Qiao would tell people, and the thought of the resulting scandal was paralyzing.

“This is all your fault!” Fu Qiao glared at Xu Yingran and prepared to give chase, but Xu Yingran caught her arm.

“I’ll go,” Xu Yingran said to Fu Qiao. “I can definitely catch up to her.”