Fighting For My Wife With Myself After Being Reborn - Chapter 1

The cup had moved again.

The mug that was supposed to be on the living room coffee table had somehow found its way to the dining table.

Shen Huaixu looked down at the mug in her hand. The half-cup of water that had remained before she went to sleep last night had vanished, leaving only a layer of nearly dry water stains at the bottom.

How strange, she thought.

She knew for certain she hadn’t come out to drink water last night, nor had she noticed her girlfriend waking up in the middle of the night. Yet, the half-cup of water in the mug had simply disappeared.

Sleepwalking? Shen Huaixu held up the mug, staring blankly at the stains at the bottom.

No, that wasn’t right. It felt more like—

“Good morning.” A warm body embraced Shen Huaixu’s waist from behind, interrupting her thoughts.

Her girlfriend’s body heat radiated through the thin fabric of her clothes. A pair of slender arms wrapped around her waist like a cat’s tail, rubbing against her playfully.

“Mm… what time is it?” Gu Yinghuai’s voice was thick and groggy with sleep. Her warm breath fanned across the exposed skin of Shen Huaixu’s shoulder, sending a tingling sensation through her.

So cute. Without looking back, Shen Huaixu knew her girlfriend must have her charming almond eyes squinted half-shut, her fair, delicate cheeks marked with red creases from the pillow. Like a drowsy little calico cat, she clung to her, acting spoiled.

“It’s almost eight,” Shen Huaixu said, glancing at the clock on the living room wall. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Mm, a sandwich. I think there’s still tomato and toast in the fridge.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

Shen Huaixu took the hand resting on her waist and gave it a kiss.

Gu Yinghuai gave a sweet smile—one capable of making Shen Huaixu lose her mind. “I’m going to go change first.”

Shen Huaixu kissed her cheek again. “Okay.”

Once Gu Yinghuai left, Shen Huaixu opened the refrigerator and used the available ingredients to make two mango and crab-stick sandwiches. She carefully sliced them and arranged them on a plate.

A short while later, Gu Yinghuai emerged in a change of clothes. Her white V-neck shirt perfectly showcased her slender neck and elegant collarbones. Just above the hollow of her throat hung a Tahitian black pearl.

It was a gift Shen Huaixu had bought for her after earning her first paycheck from a part-time job. Ever since she received it, Gu Yinghuai had never taken it off.

“Wow, my Axu is the best.” Gu Yinghuai pulled out a chair and sat down. The collar of her shirt shifted upward slightly as she moved her arms, faintly revealing a hickey left over from the previous night’s pleasures on her shoulder.

Shen Huaixu mischievously decided not to tell her. She liked seeing her own marks on Gu Yinghuai’s body; it felt as though she had placed her exclusive label on her.

“Thank you for the compliment, Princess.” Shen Huaixu sat opposite her and poured her a glass of warm milk.

Hearing the title “Princess” again, Gu Yinghuai burst into laughter. Her almond eyes curved into crescents, and her thin shoulders shook with mirth.

Shen Huaixu raised an eyebrow, feigning sternness. “Eat your food. What are you laughing at?”

“Not telling you.” Gu Yinghuai wasn’t the least bit afraid of her. She continued to smile brightly, her voice crisp and pleasant.

“Stop laughing.” Shen Huaixu fed her a strawberry, attempting to “murder” her laughter with fruit. “Hurry up and eat. You’ve already been late twice this month. Watch out for your perfect attendance bonus.”

Gu Yinghuai bit off the tip of the strawberry and stuck her tongue out at Shen Huaixu. “I know, Mommy Axu.”

Shen Huaixu shook her head dotingly. Her Huai had “gone bad” lately, actually starting to tease her back.

The sandwiches were quite filling. Gu Yinghuai finished the last bite and squinted her eyes contentedly. “As I thought, I need Axu’s sandwiches in the morning to have the energy for work.”

Shen Huaixu cleared the plates and cups from the table, teasing her. “Last time you said your favorite was my wraps. Now it’s sandwiches?”

“One has to change up their tastes occasionally.” Gu Yinghuai smiled, propping her chin in her hands as she watched Shen Huaixu’s back while she washed the dishes.

“Axu, did you lose weight again?” When Gu Yinghuai had held her waist in her sleep, she hadn’t felt much, but sitting here now, Shen Huaixu’s waist looked frighteningly thin. Especially with the two thin straps of the apron cinched around it, her waist looked like two tightly drawn, opposing parentheses.

“Did I?” Shen Huaixu wiped the water from her hands and placed them on her hips to measure herself. “I feel like there’s no change…?”

“No, definitely.” Gu Yinghuai stood up, walked around the table, and personally measured Shen Huaixu’s waist with her hands. She closed her eyes to feel the waist beneath her palms, then opened them and said seriously, “You’ve lost about half a centimeter.”

“Is it a lingering effect from your injury last time?” Gu Yinghuai looked up and asked.

“When did my Huai become a human tape measure? You can tell I’ve lost half a centimeter just by feel?” Shen Huaixu laughed and pinched Gu Yinghuai’s slightly chubby cheeks. “It’s been over a week; there are no lingering effects. I probably just got tired from rushing through assignments last week.”

Shen Huaixu was a model. Half a month ago, she had been at a fashion magazine’s studio shooting for a cover. In a stroke of bad luck, a piece of equipment had suddenly toppled over. Wearing a mermaid-style gown, she couldn’t dodge in time and could only watch as the equipment struck her in the head.

Fortunately, the edge of the equipment was a smooth curve. The impact area only swelled and didn’t result in any scarring or bleeding—a stroke of luck within the misfortune.

After that, she rested at home for over a week, accumulating a mountain of overdue assignments. Having just recovered, she was now busy running between various studios to pay off her “debts.”

“Do you still have assignments to rush today?” Gu Yinghuai hugged her waist. Where there used to be a bit of soft flesh, there was now only a thin layer of muscle.

Shen Huaixu nipped the tip of Gu Yinghuai’s nose and looked at her dotingly. “Mhm, I have work this morning. If all goes well, I can rest in the afternoon. I’ll come pick you up then and take you out for something delicious, okay?”

“Okay!” At the mention of good food, Gu Yinghuai beamed instantly.

The two hugged and lingered for a while longer until the clock on the living room wall chimed at 8:30 AM, a sharp reminder for the cuddling pair to pack up and head to work.

“Ah, it’s time. I really don’t want to go to work—” The thought of working sapped Shen Huaixu’s strength; she just wanted to stay glued to Gu Yinghuai.

“Look on the bright side. At least you only have to work for the morning,” Gu Yinghuai comforted her.

Shen Huaixu pouted. “But we won’t be able to see each other for the whole day.”

Gu Yinghuai pinched her protruding lips and smiled. “We’ll stay in touch on WeChat, okay?”

“Mhm!” Shen Huaixu nodded.

…

“I’m off. Be good and listen to Jiang Rui, okay?” The black SUV pulled up in front of an office building. Before getting out, Gu Yinghuai gave Shen Huaixu a goodbye kiss, along with a warning to behave.

Shen Huaixu kissed her back, then grumbled dissatisfaction. “I am good. It must be that wicked woman Jiang Rui secretly spreading rumors about me again.”

“Our Axu is such a good girl.” Gu Yinghuai ruffled Shen Huaixu’s hair. “Alright, I really have to go. See you on WeChat~”

Shen Huaixu craved the warmth of Gu Yinghuai’s palm, but she knew that if she lingered any longer, her Huai would be late. She bid her a reluctant farewell. “See you on WeChat.”

The black SUV disappeared down the road once Gu Yinghuai was out of sight.

“Is Shen Huaixu not here yet?” Jiang Rui sat on the sofa and checked her watch. They had a shoot at ten o’clock, yet it was already nine, and the model herself was nowhere to be found.

Zero professional ethics. Jiang Rui tossed the schedule aside and leaned back against the sofa with a sigh.

If it weren’t for the fact that Shen Huaixu actually brought in significant profit and fame, Jiang Rui wouldn’t bother being her manager.

She was too difficult to handle.

She acted entirely on her own whims, frequently skipping high-profile galas that others couldn’t even dream of attending just to go on dates. Not to mention, she was late time and time again under the pretext of driving her girlfriend to work.

Jiang Rui didn’t even have to think to know that Shen Huaixu was late today because she was dropping off her girlfriend.

That cursed romantic fool! Jiang Rui had never seen a model with less career ambition than Shen Huaixu. It was a total waste of her superior face and figure.

While Jiang Rui cursed Shen Huaixu’s unreliability in her head, the young assistant stood to the side with an awkward smile, trying to soothe her anger. “Not yet, but she should be here soon…”

“Should be?” Jiang Rui uncrossed her legs, her eyebrows shooting up. “I don’t need such an ambiguous answer.”

“S-sorry! It won’t happen again!” The assistant realized her attempt to help had backfired by annoying Jiang Rui further, so she immediately shut up and apologized, shrinking into the corner of the office like a potted plant.

Just breathe, don’t say anything else!

The office fell silent once more.

Time ticked by, and Jiang Rui’s patience dwindled until it was nearly extinguished.

Jiang Rui frowned. “Call Shen Huaixu. Ask her where she is.”

The assistant nodded frantically. “Right! I’ll call her now.”

“Why are you calling me?” Just as the assistant was fumbling for the phone in her pocket, the office door pushed open.

The person at the center of the discussion entered with zero awareness of being late, holding an iced coffee in one hand and wearing a look of mild curiosity.

“You have the nerve to ask?” Jiang Rui shot her a cold glance. “What time do you think it is? Did you forget we have an assignment at ten this morning?”

Shen Huaixu bypassed the assistant-turned-greenery and sat on the sofa opposite Jiang Rui. “If you keep nagging me, we really will be late.”

Jiang Rui: “…”

Honestly, she really disliked Shen Huaixu.

But dislike aside, the work had to go on.

Jiang Rui said, “Xiao Xu, call Xiao Lin and tell him to get the car from the garage. We’re heading down now.”

Assistant: “Okay, Sister Jiang, I’ll call right away.”

The assistant went outside to call Xiao Lin. Shen Huaixu remained seated on the sofa with no intention of moving, checking her phone and sending messages as if the person running late wasn’t her.

Don’t get angry; if you ruin your health, no one will replace it.

Jiang Rui took a deep breath, trying to keep her temper in check. She looked for a topic to distract herself.

“When did you start drinking coffee?” Jiang Rui glanced at the coffee on the table that Shen Huaixu hadn’t touched. “I remember you saying you’d rather drink hot milk tea than take a single sip of coffee.”

Shen Huaixu followed her gaze to the coffee on the table—the coffee she hadn’t taken a single sip of—and fell into a deep silence.

That’s right… when did she buy this coffee?