I Can't Fall for My Own Wife Again After Reincarnation, Right? (GL) - Chapter 20

It was only later that Xu Yingran learned that there had indeed been an accident at that intersection.

It was the same incident, a driver, seeking revenge on society, had deliberately driven onto the pedestrian crossing. But whether it was due to slippery roads or something else, the car ended up missing the pedestrians entirely, crashing through the guardrail and plunging into the river. By the time the police arrived to retrieve the vehicle, the driver had already drowned.

No pedestrians were injured, which was the best possible outcome.

When Xu Yingran heard the news, she was still in a daze. Xu Chunjiang and his wife had taken a different route to buy groceries, and when they returned, they saw Xu Yingran desperately pushing through the crowd. They immediately pulled her out.

Now, several people were gathered in the living room talking with Xu Yingran’s parents, while Fu Qiao stayed with her in the bedroom.

“Are you feeling better?”

Fu Qiao looked at Xu Yingran with concern. The sight of her desperately trying to force her way into the crowd had been terrifying. After they got back, Fu Qiao helped Xu Yingran change out of her damp clothes. Now, the two of them sat on the edge of the bed, and Fu Qiao gently warmed Xu Yingran’s hands in hers.

Xu Yingran’s hands were icy, and the color had drained from her face, leaving her looking even more fragile than she had that morning.

The warmth from Fu Qiao’s hands gradually soothed Xu Yingran’s heart. She turned to look at the girl beside her and suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

Fu Qiao’s face flushed red at the sudden hug, but she didn’t dare push Xu Yingran away, afraid of upsetting her further. She could only let herself be held, murmuring softly, “What’s wrong? Are you okay now?”

“…Yeah.” Xu Yingran closed her eyes, breathing in Fu Qiao’s comforting scent. “I was really scared just now.”

Fu Qiao thought for a moment, then wrapped her arms around Xu Yingran in return. “Were you afraid something might happen to your parents?”

Xu Yingran nodded against her shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do if they got hurt again.”

Again?

Fu Qiao frowned, puzzled by the word “again.” Had something like this happened before?

But that didn’t make sense. The two of them had grown up together, and Fu Qiao had never heard of Xu Chunjiang and his wife being involved in any accidents. Then again, maybe they just hadn’t told her, after all, she was just a student, and family matters weren’t necessarily her business.

“It’s okay now. Your parents are safe, aren’t they?” Fu Qiao patted Xu Yingran’s back reassuringly. “I’m sure Uncle and Auntie will be more careful on the road after this.”

Xu Yingran didn’t respond. She loosened her grip slightly and lowered her head. “You never know whether tomorrow or disaster will come first. I’m just glad my parents are safe today.”

If something really did happen to them again, Xu Yingran wasn’t sure she could go on living normally.

Fu Qiao comforted her for a long time, and the two of them sat shoulder to shoulder on the bed, talking about many things.

“When I came home from school today, I saw all the osmanthus flowers in our neighborhood scattered on the ground. What a waste.” Fu Qiao squeezed Xu Yingran’s hand. “When the rain stops, let’s go gather some, okay?”

Every autumn when the osmanthus bloomed, Xu Yingran would watch Fu Qiao collect the delicate flowers. She would dry them to make osmanthus honey or sugar, then steam soft, fragrant osmanthus cakes that filled the entire season with their sweet aroma.

It seemed Fu Qiao wanted to use this matter to distract herself, so Xu Yingran thought it over and agreed.

“Alright, then I’ll wash a jar tonight,” Fu Qiao said to Xu Yingran. “The rain will probably stop by then, and we can go collect some clean osmanthus flowers. After washing them, we can take advantage of the sunny days ahead to dry them.”

Fu Qiao added, “On my way back, I saw someone selling green plums at the alley entrance. I’ll check again tomorrow, if they’re still selling, I’ll buy a few more. Once they’re dried and pickled, we can make preserved plums.”

Listening to Fu Qiao chatter about these cute and delicious little things, the tangled mess in Xu Yingran’s heart gradually faded away.

She even began looking forward to collecting osmanthus flowers with Fu Qiao tomorrow and drying the green plums together.

Fu Qiao left a little after nine in the evening. The neighbors in the outer room didn’t stay too late either, heading home one after another. Xu Chunjiang and Zhao Yu didn’t say much, washing up before going to bed.

But Xu Yingran barely slept all night. She kept worrying that this might all be a dream, that when she woke up, her parents would still be lying beneath cold tombstones, and she wouldn’t have returned to her eighteen-year-old self, with everything still stuck in that lifeless state.

Dazed and confused, she didn’t know what time she finally fell asleep in the early hours. It was the first time in years she had slept past eleven.

After raining all day yesterday, the next morning was clear.

The sky was a brilliant blue without a single cloud, and the sun, as if freshly risen, shone warmly on everyone.

Seeing the rare good weather, Zhao Yu decided to take out all the bedding to air in the open space of the neighborhood. The commotion was loud enough to wake Xu Yingran, who was still deep in sleep.

Having slept late the night before, she woke up groggy. Hearing her parents talking outside, she quickly got out of bed and opened the door.

When sunlight spilled into the hallway, Xu Yingran looked at her still-living parents and felt warmth spread through her entire body.

Zhao Yu turned and saw Xu Yingran suddenly appearing at the door, complaining, “What are you doing? Scaring people first thing in the morning?”

Xu Yingran hurried over to help carry the quilts, asking, “Are we airing the bedding?”

“Yes,” Zhao Yu said, handing her a quilt. “We’ll air yours later too. Look how nice the weather is today, bright and sunny.”

Xu Yingran glanced back and couldn’t help but smile softly. “Yeah, the weather’s really good today.”

—

When Fu Qiao came out of her house carrying a small basin, she saw the Xu family’s door wide open. Xu Chunjiang had taken leave yesterday but had to go to work today. Zhao Yu, however, was preparing breakfast and greeted Fu Qiao with a smile when she saw her. “Xiao Qiao, you’re here! Have you eaten yet?”

“I have,” Fu Qiao said. “There were steamed buns at home, just heat up two and it’s a meal.”

Zhao Yu chuckled. “Did you make them yourself, or were they from your parents?”

“I made them.”

“How impressive! You can even make buns on your own. Unlike our Ranran, who can’t even air quilts properly.”

As Zhao Yu rambled on, she noticed the small stainless steel basin in Fu Qiao’s hands and asked, “Are you here to see Ranran?”

“Mm.” Fu Qiao nodded with a smile. “It’s the weekend today, no rush to do homework. We agreed yesterday to pick osmanthus flowers together in the yard.”

Zhao Yu liked Fu Qiao very much. Where else could you find such a sweet-natured, academically excellent, and utterly likable young girl?

She beamed and said, “Then go downstairs to look for her. I just sent her to hang out the quilts.”

Fu Qiao nodded and turned to head downstairs.

At that moment, Xu Yingran had just finished hanging the quilts and was panting heavily, hands on her hips. As she turned around, she saw Fu Qiao emerge from the stairwell, waving at her.

“Are you done with your chores?” Fu Qiao asked, holding a small basin.

Xu Yingran glanced at the stainless steel basin in her hands and teased, “What, are we going out to beg for food together?”

Fu Qiao froze for a second before realizing the joke, raising her hand to swat at Xu Yingran, who nimbly dodged.

“Just teasing you, why so serious?” Xu Yingran grinned, her eyes crinkling as she took the basin from Fu Qiao. “I remember, you wanted to pick osmanthus flowers, right? Perfect timing. After this, I can go back and have a hot meal.”

Fu Qiao shot her a glare before the two of them made their way to the two osmanthus trees at the back.

It had rained all day yesterday, and the grass was littered with rain-soaked osmanthus flowers. Fu Qiao crouched down to pick up a few dry ones, sighing regretfully. “If only we’d come a couple of days earlier. So many of them are ruined now.”

Xu Yingran looked up and said, “There are still plenty on the trees. That little basin of yours won’t be enough, we’ll need a net.”

A net?

Fu Qiao glanced around. Where was she supposed to find a net?

Xu Yingran also scanned the area and suddenly remembered the thin blanket she had just hung out in the yard. It was clean and would work perfectly to catch the flowers.

When Xu Yingran brought the blanket over, Fu Qiao frowned at it. “But there’s just two of us, how’s that enough?”

They’d need to hold it open while someone else shook the tree to make the flowers fall onto the blanket.

Xu Yingran thought for a moment, then called her mother downstairs.

When Zhao Yu heard the two kids wanted to shake the osmanthus tree, and planned to use her brand-new blanket to catch them, she scolded them and promptly took it back.

“It rained all day yesterday, and the trees are still dripping wet. Do you really want to sleep on a damp blanket tonight?” Zhao Yu chided as she folded the blanket.

The two kids huddled together, looking pitifully at her. With no other choice, Zhao Yu borrowed a clean fishing net from a neighbor and a long bamboo pole. Xu Yingran and Fu Qiao stretched the fine-meshed net open while Zhao Yu tapped the osmanthus tree with the pole.

Golden osmanthus flowers fluttered down like snow, showering the two girls in a golden haze.

The crisp fragrance of osmanthus filled the air. Xu Yingran looked up at the golden petals raining from above, feeling like the tiny blossoms might just blind her with their brilliance.

Fu Qiao, too, was covered in flowers, shrieking and stomping her feet but unable to dodge since she was holding the net. The golden petals settled all over her head.

Xu Yingran glanced at her and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Fu Qiao was about to complain when she noticed Xu Yingran was also covered in osmanthus flowers, and immediately started laughing too.

The two of them laughed as they continued to gather osmanthus flowers, tapping every spot they could reach. They had initially worried that the fishing net might let the flowers slip through, but in the end, they managed to collect a solid handful.

“With so many osmanthus flowers, how much osmanthus honey can we make?” Fu Qiao looked at the golden blossoms on the net with delight and couldn’t help but look up at Xu Yingran. “Let’s make it together later,” she said.

Xu Yingran shook the osmanthus flowers out of her hair and nodded. “Alright.”