I Can't Fall for My Own Wife Again After Reincarnation, Right? (GL) - Chapter 18

For Xu Yingran, who had returned to being 18 years old, only two things mattered most to her.

One was to draw a clear line with Fu Qiao, they would only be friends, nothing romantic. As for what kind of girlfriend she would find in the future, Xu Yingran hadn’t figured it out yet. She just knew she couldn’t go back to living the way she had before.

She needed to change.

The other thing was her parents, who had died in an accident the year she turned 18.

Back then, it was because Xu Yingran had realized she liked girls and wanted to come clean to her family that her parents, who shouldn’t have been off work so early, had rushed home, only to meet with a car accident on the way.

This was something Xu Yingran could never forgive herself for. Every year when she visited her parents’ graves, she would return home consumed by guilt, a feeling that hadn’t faded even after a decade.

But now, having returned to the age of 18 and knowing everything that would happen, she had the power to stop it.

Her parents’ death anniversary was always in October. Xu Yingran remembered clearly, it was a Friday, with a light drizzle falling. Xu Chunjiang and his wife, Zhao Yu, were about to cross the street when a reckless black sedan suddenly came barreling toward them.

The rain that day wasn’t heavy, just a steady patter. Amid the screams, Xu Chunjiang shielded his wife, but the two were sent flying like broken kites, landing hard on the unforgiving concrete.

That accident didn’t just claim her parents, seven people died in total, including a child in a stroller and a pregnant woman.

Xu Yingran remembered it vividly. The light rain had continued all day, and her parents, who had promised to be home by 5 p.m., never arrived. She waited and waited, only to receive a visit from the neighbors and the police at 7 p.m.

Their once-happy family of three was shattered in an instant. The driver, as it turned out, had been drunk and harbored severe antisocial tendencies. He had deliberately chosen that rainy day, when everyone’s umbrellas obstructed their vision, to plow his car into the crowd.

The incident caused a huge uproar, and the driver was eventually executed. But what did it matter? The lost could never return.

When Xu Yingran opened her eyes, the sky was still dim.

Outside the window, the light rain pattered against the glass. She glanced at the clock, five minutes to six.

Going to bed by 11 p.m. had given her excellent sleep habits, so she always woke up at 6 a.m. sharp. A cup of coffee during work hours kept her energized all day.

She sat up in bed, listening carefully to the sounds outside.

Xu Chunjiang and Zhao Yu were already awake, murmuring to each other in the other room, likely complaining about the weather.

According to her memories, today was the day she would ask her parents to come home early, leading to that tragedy.

But now, Xu Yingran had a new plan.

She reached into her closet and pulled out a bottle of beer she had secretly bought the night before, just a standard can, round and unassuming. Carefully, she opened it and downed the whole thing in one go.

Last time at the barbecue stall, she had passed out after just one and a half bottles of beer. Now, after drinking 300 milliliters, she shouldn’t be drunk enough to collapse, but she was definitely feeling the effects.

Sure enough, within five minutes of Xu Yingran finishing her drink, she could already see an unnatural flush spreading across her cheeks in the mirror. It didn’t look like drunkenness, more like she was coming down with something.

Staring at her reflection, Xu Yingran muttered in confusion, “Was my alcohol tolerance always this bad?”

But before she could examine herself any longer, the alarm she had set for 6 o’clock started ringing with a sharp ding-ding-ding.

Zhao Yu, hearing the noise from the other room, called out to Xu Yingran inside, “Ranran, it’s raining outside today. Don’t forget to take an umbrella. I’ve got your rain boots out, wear them to school.”

Xu Yingran quickly replied, “Okay.”

When she came out after getting dressed, she deliberately mussed up her hair, looking utterly listless. Paired with her flushed cheeks, she appeared as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

Zhao Yu was startled at the sight and immediately put down what she was doing to ask, “What’s wrong? Why do you look like this?”

Xu Yingran feigned ignorance. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Xu Chunjiang, hearing the commotion, also came over. Seeing his daughter’s bright red face, he exclaimed in surprise, “Ranran, are you feeling unwell?”

“Yeah,” Xu Yingran said, clutching her head. “My head hurts a little, and my whole body feels off…”

Zhao Yu quickly pulled Xu Yingran to the sofa and felt her forehead. “Does your throat hurt? Do you feel like coughing?”

At that, Xu Yingran covered her mouth and let out a few weak coughs before murmuring with a frown, “Mom… do you think I’m sick?”

“Most likely,” Zhao Yu said, still holding her daughter’s forehead. She turned to Xu Chunjiang. “Go get the thermometer. Let’s see if she has a fever.”

Once the thermometer was brought over, Xu Yingran tucked it under her arm and leaned back on the sofa, putting on a convincingly frail act.

“What should we do?” Zhao Yu fretted, stroking Xu Yingran’s forehead. “How did you get sick out of nowhere?”

Xu Chunjiang sat nearby and said, “Probably because of the erratic temperatures lately. It’s easy to catch a cold or fever with this weather.”

Zhao Yu thought that made sense and told her husband, “Go downstairs and see if the pharmacy is open. I’ll skip work today and stay home with her.”

Xu Chunjiang nodded, grabbing his jacket. “Alright, I’ll go check.”

As soon as her father left, Xu Yingran blinked and said to Zhao Yu, “Mom, I think I’m fine. It doesn’t feel like a fever.”

“Yeah, you don’t feel hot,” Zhao Yu said worriedly. “But you look so pale, I can’t let you go to school like this. Take the day off.”

Xu Yingran nodded eagerly. She was more than happy to oblige.

Now that Zhao Yu wasn’t leaving, the next target was her father.

Xu Chunjiang returned from the pharmacy across the street, umbrella in hand, just as Fu Qiao happened to be walking toward their house. He quickly closed his umbrella and called out, “Xiao Qiao!”

Fu Qiao turned and saw Xu Chunjiang, greeting him promptly. “Good morning, Uncle.”

“Morning,” Xu Chunjiang said. “Here to pick up Ranran for school?”

“Yeah,” Fu Qiao asked. “Has Xu Yingran finished breakfast yet?”

“She probably can’t go to school today. You’ll have to ask for leave on her behalf.”

“Hmm?”

Fu Qiao immediately asked, “What’s wrong with Xu Yingran?”

Xu Chunjiang sighed helplessly. “It might be because of the sudden temperature changes these past couple of days. She woke up feeling off today, so I just went to the pharmacy to get her some medicine.”

“Is it serious?” Only then did Fu Qiao notice the bag of medicine in Xu Chunjiang’s hand, she had originally thought it was breakfast.

“Hard to say. Her mom took the day off to stay home with her. We’ll see how it goes.” Xu Chunjiang looked at Fu Qiao and then added, “Do you want to come over and check on her?”

Without hesitation, Fu Qiao nodded and followed Xu Chunjiang.

Xu Yingran was still sitting on the sofa, putting on a show of being “weak.” Zhao Yu frowned at the thermometer in her hand, puzzled.

She wasn’t running a fever.

Of course, Xu Yingran knew she wasn’t sick, but she still asked in a frail voice, “Mom, do I have a high fever?”

Zhao Yu frowned. “No, you don’t. What’s going on?”

Just as the two of them were staring at each other in confusion, Xu Chunjiang returned with Fu Qiao in tow.

The moment she stepped inside, Fu Qiao was startled by Xu Yingran’s appearance, her cheeks were alarmingly red, and she looked utterly “sickly,” as if she were seriously ill.

“What happened?” Fu Qiao walked over and examined her, concern in her voice. “Are you really sick? You were fine when we left school yesterday.”

Under Fu Qiao’s scrutinizing gaze, Xu Yingran felt a twinge of guilt. She turned her head away and coughed twice before saying to the three of them, “Maybe it was the strong wind last night. I think I caught a chill.”

“Really?” Fu Qiao eyed her skeptically.

Xu Yingran stayed silent. Xu Chunjiang pulled Zhao Yu aside, and the two went to prepare some food for the “sick” child, leaving Fu Qiao to keep her company.

Once the adults had left, Fu Qiao stood in front of Xu Yingran and gave her a once-over before lightly nudging her with her foot. “You’re faking it, aren’t you?” she whispered.

Xu Yingran was usually as strong as an ox, there was no way a little night breeze could have made her sick. Besides, her flushed cheeks didn’t look like illness at all. In fact, it looked familiar.

The nudge sent a tingling sensation through Xu Yingran’s body. She glanced back at Fu Qiao and said, “I really am sick. If you don’t believe me, touch my face, it’s burning.”

Skeptical, Fu Qiao sat on the sofa and reached out to feel Xu Yingran’s cheek. It was indeed warm.

“Really?” Fu Qiao narrowed her eyes. “That doesn’t make sense. Are you up to something?”

Xu Yingran thought to herself, You really are my wife, you see right through me.

But outwardly, she maintained a serious expression. “I really am sick. Why won’t you believe me?”

Fu Qiao studied her for a long moment before finally sighing. “Fine. Do you want me to ask for leave on your behalf? You can’t go to school like this, right?”

“Yeah, I’d appreciate it if you could ask for leave. Tomorrow’s the weekend, so you’ll probably have to bring my homework back for me too.” Xu Yingran put on her best pitiful, well-behaved act. “Thanks for your trouble.”

Though something still felt off to Fu Qiao, she agreed. “If you’re sick, then stay in bed and rest. I’ll go to school and ask for leave for you.”

Zhao Yu had just entered carrying a bowl of porridge when she heard Fu Qiao say those words. Her eyes curved into smiles as she said, “Then thank you, Xiao Qiao, for helping our Ranran ask for leave.”

“You’re welcome, Auntie.” Fu Qiao stood up from the sofa and said to Zhao Yu, “I’ll head to school first then.”

“Go ahead, go ahead. Be careful on the way, and don’t be late for school.”

“Okay, Auntie.”

Watching Fu Qiao’s retreating figure, Zhao Yu couldn’t help but smile with crescent eyes. She sat down beside Xu Yingran with a sigh and remarked, “Xiao Qiao is such a good girl. I wonder who’ll be lucky enough to marry her in the future.”

The very person who would marry her, Xu Yingran, sat bolt upright on the sofa, remaining silent.