Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 8

Hu Mei looked at Xu Yingran, then at Fu Qiao, who was still munching on snacks, and asked helplessly, “Have you two finished your homework yet?”

Xu Yingran definitely hadn’t; she was still agonizing over how to handle the daily mountain of assignments. Fu Qiao hadn’t finished either, as she had come straight to the stall after school. It was already past 8:30 PM, and the business was still in full swing.

Seeing them both shake their heads, Hu Mei sighed. She reached into her grimy apron and pulled out a plastic bag filled with loose bills and coins.

She peeled off a few notes and handed them to Fu Qiao. “Stop working, both of you. Leave the rest to me and Fu Qiao’s father. Go out and get something to eat, then head home and do your homework.”

Fu Qiao checked the time and swallowed her food. “It’s not even 8:30 yet. I’ll help for a bit longer.”

“I don’t need you,” Hu Mei frowned. “You’re a senior now; you can’t come here every day like you used to. Go back with Ranran and finish your assignments properly.”

Fu Qiao held her things in silence, staring stubbornly at her mother. “It’s only busy these first few months of the semester. Once the weather cools down, business will drop off anyway. I won’t come then, even if you ask.”

“Do we even want your help?” Hu Mei scolded. “You just won’t listen. Look at the other seniors—who’s like you? Can’t you just focus on your studies?”

Seeing that the mother and daughter were on the verge of a fight, Xu Yingran stepped in to stop Hu Mei.

Hu Mei was the classic “knife-mouth, tofu-heart” type—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. After living with her for years, Xu Yingran knew she was the kind of parent who spoke harshly and used the “it’s all for your own good” excuse, only to end up damaging the relationship with her child.

In her past life, Xu Yingran had mastered her “mother’s” temperament. She knew exactly how to de-escalate the situation. If she let them continue, the argument would only spiral.

“Auntie, Auntie, don’t be mad at Xiao Qiao,” Xu Yingran interjected. “She just feels bad seeing how busy you are and wanted to lend a hand.”

“Who cares about her help?” Hu Mei snapped. “A student’s job is to study. Why run to a stall every day? Are we short one worker?”

Sensing that Hu Mei was about to say something truly hurtful, Xu Yingran quickly cut in. “You can’t say that. Xiao Qiao cares about you. You’re a family; it’s normal to help each other out. There’s no need to be angry.”

She turned back to Hu Mei and added, “I’ll take her to get dinner. She hasn’t eaten a proper meal yet. She finished the takoyaki I brought her so fast; she must be starving.”

Hu Mei sighed, looking at Xu Yingran. “If only she were as sensible as you.”

“What are you saying? If she weren’t sensible, would she come here to help every single day?” Xu Yingran coaxed Hu Mei until she finally left the kitchen. Before leaving, Hu Mei reminded Xu Yingran to make sure Fu Qiao ate well.

Once she was gone, Xu Yingran looked at Fu Qiao and chuckled softly. “Auntie really has a fiery temper.”

Fu Qiao glanced at her and added, “She has a loud voice, too.”

“True. No one in business has a quiet voice.” Xu Yingran leaned over to tidy the table. The weather was still hot, and the meat would spoil if left out for more than a few hours.

Together, they packed the meat into the refrigerator and washed their hands before leaving the kitchen. Instead of heading out the front, they took the back alley.

Emerging from the alley, they reached the street along the river. Many people were out for walks. Some elderly residents carried palm-leaf fans larger than their heads, waving them lazily. It was a peaceful scene.

Xu Yingran looked at Fu Qiao, who was clutching her uniform. “What do you want to eat? My treat.”

Fu Qiao sighed. “You mean it’s my mom’s money?”

“Haha!” Xu Yingran laughed heartily. “Let me carry your uniform. Think about what you want.”

Fu Qiao was truly hungry. She looked at the small shops along the road and eventually chose a rice noodle place.

They ordered two bowls and two grilled sausages. Xu Yingran wasn’t particularly hungry, but the nostalgic taste of the noodles brought back years of memories, making her exceptionally happy.

After finishing their meal, they prepared to head home.

Outside the shop, Xu Yingran finished paying and found Fu Qiao standing under a streetlight. Her slender, pale neck was tilted back as she watched the sky. Xu Yingran followed her gaze and saw a swarm of tiny white moths fluttering around the bulb.

“What are you looking at?” Xu Yingran narrowed her eyes. Realizing what they were, she pulled Fu Qiao away, scolding her, “Why are you staring at moths? Won’t you be disgusted if one lands on your face?”

Imagining the scene, Fu Qiao wrinkled her nose. “Stop talking! That’s gross.”

“If it’s gross, why were you staring?” Xu Yingran teased. “Are you silly?”

Fu Qiao didn’t answer. She let Xu Yingran hold her hand as they walked along the riverbank. She watched the black water rippling in the night breeze and looked at Xu Yingran’s back, following her aimlessly, step by step.

“Xu Yingran.”

After a long silence, Fu Qiao asked in a low voice, “What did you and Yao Jin talk about after school today?”

Actually, Fu Qiao didn’t want to ask that. What she really wanted to know was if Xu Yingran was truly like what Chen Yu said—forgetting her existence the moment a pretty, rich girl appeared.

She wanted to ask if, in their eighteen years together, Xu Yingran had ever truly held her in her heart.

But Xu Yingran didn’t realize what she was thinking. Assuming it was just a casual question, she replied, “I just wanted to be friends with her. We were just chatting.”

Fu Qiao lowered her gaze. “I see…”

She didn’t press further, and Xu Yingran didn’t elaborate. They walked slowly back to the apartment complex.

“I haven’t done my homework yet today,” Xu Yingran started, but Fu Qiao interrupted her.

“No more copying,” Fu Qiao said seriously. “I can teach you what you don’t understand, but you can’t copy me every day. Understand?”

Xu Yingran blinked. “Is it really that bad to copy from you?”

Fu Qiao looked at her with a “tough love” expression. “Bring your books to my house. We’ll do them together.”

Xu Yingran thought about it and grinned. “Okay! Wait for me, I’ll go grab my stuff.”

After a quick trip home, she rushed back to Fu Qiao’s place. They lived on the same floor of the dormitory building. When she pushed the door open, she saw Fu Qiao had just changed into home clothes. Fu Qiao looked up and gestured for her to follow her into her room.

Fu Qiao wasn’t tall, but she was slender and well-proportioned. Her summer clothes were thin and light; the short sleeves and shorts left little to the imagination.

Xu Yingran watched as Fu Qiao walked around with her pale, slender legs. When she sat down next to her, she brought with her a very faint, familiar scent—one Xu Yingran had known for years.

The room was so quiet they could hear each other breathe. Xu Yingran’s face involuntarily began to heat up, especially as Fu Qiao leaned closer.

“I’ve seen you get this problem wrong several times. Let me explain it to you.”

Noticing her friend was struggling with the same formula, Fu Qiao whispered, “For a triangular pyramid, you should solve it like this…”

Xu Yingran didn’t hear a word of the explanation. She only felt the soft strands of Fu Qiao’s hair brushing against her shoulder. They were sitting so close she could smell that familiar scent and feel the warmth radiating from the girl’s body.

The old electric fan whirred and groaned. As the breeze blew a stray lock of hair across Fu Qiao’s face, Xu Yingran watched her tuck it behind her ear. Fu Qiao turned to look at the dazed Xu Yingran. “Did you understand?”

Xu Yingran’s throat felt dry. Sitting next to Fu Qiao, she could only lower her head to hide her thoughts and nod.

Fu Qiao didn’t suspect a thing and sat up straight to continue her work, but Xu Yingran couldn’t calm down.

She and Fu Qiao were an old married couple. In the early years of their relationship, they had been very intimate. Being young, their desire had often been sparked easily. After they got their marriage license, it became even more frequent.

But over time, they became too familiar. Intimacy became less frequent. Furthermore, in the last two years, Xu Yingran had felt Fu Qiao was too controlling, so she hadn’t been proactive. And Fu Qiao, being shy, wouldn’t initiate if Xu Yingran didn’t.

Counting it up, Xu Yingran hadn’t been intimate with Fu Qiao for three months.

The numbers on the test paper began to blur. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t focus. Out of the corner of her eye, she kept seeing Fu Qiao’s long lashes, her soft, pink lips…

Lower down, the loose collar of the short-sleeved shirt revealed a pale collarbone. Her skin, which rarely saw the sun, was as white as milk. Her chest curved slightly, and Xu Yingran could catch a glimpse of a white bra through the neckline.

Xu Yingran nearly snapped her pen. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes.

A full stomach leads to carnal thoughts. How could she be having these thoughts about a teenage Fu Qiao?

But Xu Yingran still remembered the feel of her skin, the taste of her lips, and the sound of her breath as she lay in bed, covering her eyes…

With a sudden thump, Xu Yingran stood up. Her face was flushed as she scrambled to gather her papers and pens. She stammered, “I—I have something to do. I’m going home now.”

Watching Xu Yingran practically flee the room, Fu Qiao looked at the door in confusion, a small question mark popping up over her head.