Let's Get Married on the First Day of Rebirth - Chapter 6

The moment Xu Mi’s footsteps paused, Qu Ange knew there was a chance. She hurried to the door to put on her shoes, but Xu Mi spoke coldly, “The dishes.”

Qu Ange froze, looking up in confusion. Under Xu Mi’s increasingly impatient expression, she suddenly understood and quickly leaned against the wall, scrambling to put her slippers back on to tidy up the dining table. Determined to leave a good impression, she tackled the task meticulously and with utmost care. By the time she finished washing the dishes, half an hour had passed. Xu Mi remarked, “Not bad. At least you didn’t break any this time.”

Qu Ange recalled that she had indeed broken dishes in the past and thought Xu Mi’s comment might be reminiscing, which could help mend their relationship. Eagerly, she said, “I really was immature back then.”

Xu Mi didn’t respond, instead studying the flowers in the basin as if deciding which ones to take. Qu Ange seized the moment to assert her presence: “We could pair hydrangeas and lilies into small bouquets, wrap them in newspaper, and sell the roses separately. That way, we can cater to different preferences.”

Xu Mi glanced at the clock on the wall. There was still time, and Qu Ange had actually said something sensible for once. She nodded with a quiet “Mm.”

There was a time when Qu Ange had been obsessed with arranging bouquets perhaps as a way to relieve stress, much like paint-by-numbers. She had become quite skilled at it. After getting Xu Mi’s approval, she fetched old newspapers from the desk drawer in the bedroom. Only then did she realize, “Ah, but we’ll need ribbons or something. Cotton thread and tape would work, but ribbons are prettier. Do we have any at home?”

Xu Mi was silent for a moment before walking to the bedside table and pulling out a roll of blue ribbon, a muted blue with a hint of green. Qu Ange took one look and said, “I love this color.”

Xu Mi gave her a deep, searching look, but Qu Ange remained oblivious as she took the ribbon and started arranging the flowers. Xu Mi, meanwhile, recalled the ribbon’s origin. It was left over from last year when she had carefully prepared Qu Ange’s birthday gift, choosing magnolia-patterned wrapping paper and this blue-green ribbon, Qu Ange’s favorite flower and color. At the time, Qu Ange had praised the elegant packaging, but now, it seemed she had completely forgotten.

To say Xu Mi wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. She was just surprised that, even after thinking her disappointment had peaked, small things like this could still deepen it.

Had Qu Ange known Xu Mi’s thoughts, she would have protested in frustration. The Qu Ange of 2012, no matter how forgetful, would have remembered this. But the Qu Ange of 2022 had genuinely forgotten. She only recalled that Xu Mi’s last gift to her in 2011 had been a pair of earrings, lost during one of her many moves. Later, she had a replica made with better gems and metal, but it was never the same as the original though she still kept it, tucked away in a hidden compartment of her suitcase.

Unaware of all this, she confidently began arranging the bouquets, hoping her excellent floral skills would earn Xu Mi’s admiration and praise. Without a word, she swiftly wrapped over a dozen bouquets. By the time she finished, it was already late. Xu Mi called a halt to her work, saying it was time for them to head out.

Qu Ange’s initial disappointment over Xu Mi not praising her flower-wrapping skills quickly faded, replaced by the joy of going out with Xu Mi. Yes, in her heart, any outing together could absolutely be considered a date.

The two of them packed the flowers into two plastic bags and carried them outside. As they left the neighborhood, Xu Mi noticed they were attracting a lot of attention. Something she never experienced when she went out alone. But even though Qu Ange was beautiful, she hadn’t garnered this much attention before. Xu Mi couldn’t help but glance back at Qu Ange, who had simply tied her hair into a messy bun, with loose strands framing her face. She wore a white T-shirt with blue trim around the collar, light blue jeans, and a pair of white flip-flops. Well, they were originally blue but had faded.

Yet, this simple outfit on Qu Ange looked like something straight out of a fashion magazine. Xu Mi stared for a while but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed. Maybe it was the way she held herself now, or the expression on her face or perhaps just some inexplicable aura that turned the entire street into Qu Ange’s runway, effortlessly drawing all eyes to her.

Xu Mi frowned, but Qu Ange remained oblivious. At the intersection, she pulled out her phone, intending to hail a ride, only to remember that she couldn’t use ride-hailing apps yet. She looked around, searching for a taxi instead.

Xu Mi, however, kept walking. When she noticed Qu Ange had stopped, she snapped impatiently, “Why aren’t you moving?”

Qu Ange said, “We need to sell the flowers somewhere with heavy foot traffic. This place won’t do. Let’s go to the downtown shopping district.”

Xu Mi replied coldly, “Obviously.”

Qu Ange said, “Then we should take a cab.”

Xu Mi: “…”

She fell silent, simply staring at Qu Ange. Under that piercing gaze, Qu Ange shivered and took a step back, stammering, “W-what’s wrong?”

Xu Mi said, “Do you remember how much debt you’re in?”

Qu Ange thought for a moment before realizing what Xu Mi meant. “A million?”

Xu Mi smirked. Qu Ange quickly backtracked, “Got it, got it. We’ll take the subway! The subway!”

Xu Mi gave her a puzzled look. “There’s no subway here.”

Qu Ange said, “Oh, right, my mistake. Then the bus.” She suddenly remembered at this point, the city only had one subway line.

She hurried toward the nearby bus stop.

Truth be told, Qu Ange couldn’t even recall the last time she’d taken a bus. It wasn’t about flaunting wealth even when in a hurry without a car, she’d always opted for the subway over buses. So when the bus started moving, Qu Ange, who had no seat and had to stand, lost her balance and nearly fell. Luckily, Xu Mi was right beside her. She tumbled into Xu Mi’s arms, and Xu Mi grabbed her by the arm.

Qu Ange was half a head taller, so when she fell, her face landed against Xu Mi’s shoulder. The stale air of the bus was briefly replaced by the scent of Xu Mi’s shampoo, and Qu Ange was so entranced she wanted to stay there forever. But Xu Mi had already pushed her upright. Clinging to Xu Mi’s arm, Qu Ange whined, “I can’t stand steady.”

Xu Mi’s voice was icy. “Stand properly. I’m letting go.”

Xu Mi didn’t give Qu Ange any time to prepare at all. She immediately let go of her hand as promised. Qu Ange nearly took a nosedive and almost fell again, quickly steadying herself by grabbing the back of a chair. In the process, she accidentally caught an auntie’s hair. The auntie looked up at her with displeasure, and Qu Ange hurriedly apologized, “Sorry, sorry!”

The auntie’s annoyed expression turned to surprise the moment she saw Qu Ange. Tilting her head, she said, “You’re so pretty! Are you a celebrity?”

Qu Ange tried hard to suppress her smug expression. “Not yet, not yet.”

Xu Mi watched Qu Ange, and from those words, she realized that Qu Ange still hadn’t given up on her dream of becoming a star.

Logically, one should support the dreams of someone they love, but Xu Mi had already suffered because of this. Honestly, if they were to stay together, she didn’t want Qu Ange to become a celebrity.

In other words, if Qu Ange insisted on chasing stardom, it would be better to cut ties now rather than endure prolonged pain. She might as well keep her distance for good.