Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 90

It was half an hour later by the time the moving company had carried everything upstairs.

The bed, desk, and chairs were all placed in Fu Qiao’s original room. Aside from those, there was nothing else—not even a decent appliance. There was only the furniture left behind from the previous move and the ceiling lamp hanging overhead. The place looked rather empty and desolate.

Looking at how her daughter would be living here all alone from now on, Hu Mei couldn’t help but feel her nose go sour.

“Our Xiao Qiao has grown up by our side since she was a child. When has she ever left us…” Hu Mei’s voice choked up as she spoke; in the end, she simply couldn’t bear to part with her daughter.

Seeing that she was about to cry, Zhao Yu quickly comforted her: “Don’t cry, don’t cry. If you’re crying now, what will you do when Xiao Qiao goes off to university? You can’t exactly follow her to school and live with her, can you? Children have to grow up and leave their parents eventually. If you’re this heartbroken now, won’t you be grieved to death when Xiao Qiao gets married later?”

Hu Mei rubbed the corners of her eyes and nodded. “You’re right. Children have to grow up; she needs to learn to live independently.”

“Actually, if you ask me, you should just let Xiao Qiao stay at my house and share a bed with Ranran. That way, you could rent out your old house and have a bit of extra income.”

“How could we keep troubling you? She’ll already be relying on you and Ranran for care; it really wouldn’t be appropriate for her to live at your house too.”

The apartments in the tenement building were small to begin with. Xu Yingran’s room only had a single bed; squeezing in for a night or two was one thing, but living there long-term would be inconvenient. It was better for Fu Qiao to stay in her own home. Seeing her resolve, Zhao Yu didn’t press further and headed home early to prepare lunch.

She dispatched Xu Yingran to run errands downstairs to buy some roast duck and cold side dishes. Soon, the adults and children gathered around the table for a simple yet satisfying meal.

Once lunch was finished, Hu Mei and Fu Jun had to head back; the restaurant couldn’t be left short-handed for long.

“Xiao Qiao, you’ll be staying here by yourself starting today. For breakfast, you can either buy something or head over to Aunt Zhao’s,” Hu Mei instructed before leaving. “There are no appliances or kitchen utensils here, and I’m worried about a young girl like you using the stove alone. Aside from the lamp in your room, you aren’t allowed to use electricity anywhere else in the house.”

Hearing this, Fu Qiao asked curiously, “Then what do I do about laundry?”

“Save your clothes and I’ll wash them for you when you come back on the weekend,” Hu Mei told her. “Come back on weekends if you want to stay, or if you’re busy with studies, you can stay here. I’ll come by every few days to bring you things. If you’re lacking anything specific, just tell your Aunt Zhao; she’ll look after you.”

Fu Qiao nodded. “I understand. I’m an adult now; I can take care of myself.”

Hu Mei was still loath to go, but no matter how reluctant, she had to let go. She turned to Xu Yingran and said, “Ranran, I gave your mother a spare key to the house. If Xiao Qiao loses hers or forgets to bring it, you can help her.”

Knowing Hu Mei was worried about her daughter, Xu Yingran proactively took Fu Qiao’s hand and said with a beaming smile, “Don’t worry, Uncle and Auntie. I will definitely take good care of Fu Qiao.”

Hu Mei nodded and said to Fu Qiao one last time before stepping out, “Keep your phone with you every day. Turn it off at school and turn it back on after class. If you’re short on money, just say so; your father and I will transfer some to you.”

“I know, I know,” Fu Qiao waved them off. “Hurry back now. I can manage on my own.”

After Hu Mei and her husband left, Xu Yingran still hadn’t let go of Fu Qiao’s hand. Fu Qiao gave her a sharp glare and shook her off. “How much longer are you going to hold it? So clingy.”

With that, Fu Qiao went back into her room.

Xu Yingran followed her in. Looking at the empty living room and kitchen, it felt a bit strange. It felt like a place purely for sleeping; aside from a bed, nothing else seemed essential. It reminded Xu Yingran of when she had first started working. Back then, she had rented an old house just like this one—a tiny space partitioned into several rooms. She had rented the cheapest one and was usually out working, only returning to sleep.

Thinking back on it now, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Fu Qiao was organizing her wardrobe. A new wardrobe had been built for her at the other house, so this old one had been left behind; now it was coming in handy. As she watched Fu Qiao take out her clothes one by one to hang them up, Xu Yingran couldn’t help but watch intently.

Actually, Fu Qiao didn’t have many clothes. She wore her school uniform every day. The school issued an identical set every year, so Fu Qiao had three sets in total, now hanging neatly in the closet. Aside from those, there were just some undergarments, socks, and thick winter wear. Fu Qiao had two down jackets—one black and one dark blue. Both were colors that hid dirt well; she could alternate between them all winter without them looking dirty.

“Have you seen enough?” Fu Qiao looked up at her in confusion while folding her clothes. “Is something the matter?”

“School starts tomorrow,” Xu Yingran said to her with a smile. “The news of your return must have already spread through the class. Everyone will be very happy.”

Fu Qiao seemed lost in thought. She paused for a long time, her hands stopping their movements.

“I’m going back to school, but Qiaoqiao is still lying in the hospital.” Fu Qiao looked down at her clothes and said, “I wonder when she can be discharged. Staying in the hospital all the time can’t be comfortable.”

Xu Yingran didn’t like hearing Fu Qiao talk about He Qiao. She moved over to sit on the edge of the bed and said, “There’s no other way. She was so severely injured; she definitely needs proper rest and recovery. Don’t worry too much. Just keep a calm mind, and we can visit her more often during our weekend breaks.”

Fu Qiao nodded; that was the only thing she could do.

Xu Yingran stayed in Fu Qiao’s room until quite late. They went back to Xu’s house for dinner midway. Xu Chunjiang had already heard the news and was very warm toward Fu Qiao. It wasn’t until nearly 11:00 PM that Fu Qiao, unable to stand Xu Yingran hovering around her all day, pretended to be angry and told her to leave so she could finally get some peace.

The next morning, while Fu Qiao was still in a dream, she vaguely heard the front door being opened. Then, a figure crept in stealthily and felt their way to the side of Fu Qiao’s bed.

“Fu Qiao, it’s time to get up. My mom sent me to ask if you want cilantro in your soup.”

Fu Qiao was still half-asleep. Suddenly hearing someone whispering right next to her pillow gave her a fright. She woke up instantly, clutching her quilt and squinting through the dim light to see the person crouching by her bed.

“XU! YING! RAN!” Fu Qiao roared at her. “What are you doing acting like a ghost first thing in the morning?!”

After her roar, Fu Qiao asked, “And how did you get into my house?!”

Xu Yingran looked at her “wife” with a wronged expression and said piteously, “Auntie gave me the key before she left, remember?”

Fu Qiao was furious. Hu Mei had given Xu Yingran the key as a backup in case Fu Qiao lost hers. Besides, it wasn’t really given to Xu Yingran; it was meant for Aunt Zhao. This person had actually started using it herself in secret! Wouldn’t that mean Xu Yingran could enter her home whenever she wanted from now on?

“Give me the key to my house,” Fu Qiao reached out her hand toward her.

Xu Yingran only looked silly; she wasn’t actually stupid. If she handed the key to Fu Qiao, it wouldn’t be convenient for her to drop by anymore. She stood up quickly and said to her wife with a beaming smile, “Auntie giving me the key is a sign of her trust. What if you’re forgetful and lose yours? It’s safer with me.”

“Nonsense! It’s most unsafe precisely because it’s in your hands!”

“Why would you say that? I’m going to be very sad.”

Xu Yingran’s face showed no sign of sadness whatsoever. Noticing Fu Qiao’s expression growing darker, she quickly changed the subject. Smiling and revealing her small canine teeth, she said, “Since you’re awake, I’ll let my mom know. I know you don’t like cilantro. Hurry up and wash up; I’m heading out first!”

With that, she made her escape before Fu Qiao could scold her.

Fu Qiao sat on the bed, still stunned. It wasn’t until the alarm clock by her pillow rang that she let out a helpless sigh.

The breakfast Zhao Yu had prepared consisted of the buns she had steamed earlier and a freshly made bowl of Hulutang (Spicy Soup). It had no cilantro and tasted excellent—just like the flavor from the earliest-opening breakfast shop on the street. It had been a long time since Fu Qiao had tasted it, and her eyes lit up at the first sip.

“Xiao Qiao hasn’t had the breakfast from our street in a long time, has she?” Zhao Yu placed a fried bun in her bowl. Watching Fu Qiao bite into the golden, crispy skin, she smiled and said, “In the future, just tell Auntie what you want to eat. You must eat your fill at breakfast to have the energy for a morning of studying.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Fu Qiao replied politely. Eating the fragrant and crispy fried bun, she felt wonderfully content.

Xu Yingran sat beside her and served her some black, shredded pickled vegetables. These pickles weren’t spicy but had a sweet taste—a local specialty that both families ate often.

By the time they finished breakfast, the sun had risen. Xu Yingran slung on her backpack and headed out with Fu Qiao.

The mornings in deep winter always made people shiver. Even with a scarf and a mask, Xu Yingran still felt the chill. She looked back at Fu Qiao and found her bundled up so tightly that only a pair of bright, dark eyes were visible, which looked quite amusing.

“What are you looking at?” Fu Qiao said in a muffled voice. “Look again and I’ll hit you.”

Xu Yingran’s eyes crinkled with laughter. Walking backward, she said, “Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since we walked to school together like this, hasn’t it?”

Indeed, back then it was just the start of autumn and the weather wasn’t nearly this cold. In the blink of an eye, half a semester had passed. The second half of the senior year would be even busier; the “good days” for Fu Qiao and Xu Yingran were coming to an end.

Xu Yingran knew this road like the back of her hand. The street was lined with breakfast shops opening for business. Since it was just past 7:00 AM, there weren’t many commuters yet; it was mostly students coming to eat. They could even see several students in identical uniforms hurriedly finishing their breakfast.

“Usually at this time, I’d already be in the classroom for morning self-study,” Fu Qiao hooked a finger under her mask and exhaled a puff of white mist into the air. She said to Xu Yingran, “Your school isn’t tense at all.”

“What do you mean ‘your’?” Xu Yingran corrected her. “It’s our school.”

Fu Qiao glanced at her and burst out laughing, responding repeatedly, “Yes, yes, yes, it’s the school for both of us. Happy now?”

“Why do you sound so reluctant?” Xu Yingran walked over and took Fu Qiao’s hand. Feeling it wasn’t as icy as she had imagined, she nodded in satisfaction. She tucked Fu Qiao’s hand into her own pocket, her natural movements making Fu Qiao’s eyes widen slightly.

This woman is truly shameless.