I Can't Fall for My Own Wife Again After Reincarnation, Right? (GL) - Chapter 26

Xu Yingran’s sudden stern tone seemed to startle both girls. Fu Qiao and Zhou Wan turned to look at her in unison, unable to comprehend why she’d suddenly become angry.

“What’s wrong?”

Fu Qiao cautiously reached out to tug at Xu Yingran’s sleeve, leaning closer as she asked, “Why are you upset all of a sudden?”

Xu Yingran stared at the fingers grasping her sleeve, then recalled Zhou Wan’s expression when speaking to Fu Qiao earlier. With displeasure, she reversed their positions and clasped Fu Qiao’s pinkish-white fingers instead, looking up at Zhou Wan to declare, “Fu Qiao and I have matters to attend to. We’ll be leaving first.”

Without waiting for Fu Qiao’s consent, she led the girl away from the broadcasting station.

Zhou Wan blinked in bewilderment as she watched their retreating figures.

Dragged along toward the school gates, Fu Qiao stumbled to keep pace with Xu Yingran’s determined strides despite her naturally slower gait.

“Y-Yingran…”

Struggling behind her, Fu Qiao asked with anxious confusion, “Slow down, I can’t keep up.”

Xu Yingran marginally decreased her speed but refused to turn around, maintaining her iron grip on Fu Qiao’s wrist as they crossed the street.

At the crosswalk, Fu Qiao noticed the traffic light was about to turn red. If they didn’t hurry, the perpendicular traffic would start moving. She quickened her steps while staring at the back of Xu Yingran’s head.

They barely made it, the light changed two seconds after they reached the opposite sidewalk.

The brisk walk from the broadcasting station left Fu Qiao panting heavily. Catching her breath, she studied Xu Yingran’s profile and asked, “Yingran, what’s gotten into you? Why are you so angry out of nowhere?”

Xu Yingran bit her lip before meeting Fu Qiao’s gaze.

“Why were you being so friendly with a stranger?” Xu Yingran countered. “Are you really planning to attend that broadcasting class with her on Saturday?”

“Well… nothing’s decided yet. She just mentioned it,” Fu Qiao explained. “I’m curious and wanted to check it out. Didn’t you say you’d support me?”

Xu Yingran had indeed said those words, but she never anticipated how enthusiastically this ‘Zhou Wan’ would pursue Fu Qiao.

So enthusiastically that it made Xu Yingran’s bl00d boil.

While Fu Qiao remained naive due to her youth, Xu Yingran saw everything crystal clear, that junior Zhou Wan was unmistakably interested in Fu Qiao. Having encountered countless people, Xu Yingran could decipher others’ intentions at a glance.

“You can audit the broadcasting class, but not with Zhou Wan,” Xu Yingran stated inflexibly.

“Why not?” Fu Qiao remained perplexed. “Is there something wrong with her?”

How could Xu Yingran possibly explain?

Admit she was jealous?

Frowning slightly, Xu Yingran finally said, “Regardless, I dislike Zhou Wan. Stop associating with her from now on.”

Fu Qiao’s clear eyes studied her for a long moment before asking, “What’s really going on? You’ve never acted like this before… Did you know Zhou Wan previously?”

Xu Yingran remained silent.

After a pause, Fu Qiao continued, “If you dislike her, I’ll minimize contact. But I am genuinely interested in that broadcasting class and would like to visit this Saturday.”

She looked at Xu Yingran cautiously and asked softly, “Can I go?”

Perhaps Fu Qiao’s ingratiating attitude made Xu Yingran uncomfortable. What she remembered most was Fu Qiao deducting her allowance and urging her to sleep. Seeing her act so fawningly was rare.

Xu Yingran didn’t actually want to make things difficult for Fu Qiao; she just didn’t like the way Zhou Wan looked at her.

But Fu Qiao was genuinely interested in broadcasting. Xu Yingran remained silent for a long time, unsure whether she should let her get involved with those people and activities.

“…I’m not stopping you from going,” Xu Yingran turned her head away and said, “I just don’t like you getting too close to Zhou Wan.”

Fu Qiao stared at her curiously, tilting her head as she asked, “Xu Yingran, are you jealous?”

Hearing this, Xu Yingran turned back to look at her, visibly shocked.

Fu Qiao, however, laughed and squeezed Xu Yingran’s hand, saying, “Don’t worry. Even if I go watch Zhou Wan’s class, she’s just my junior. We’ve known each other for so many years, you should trust me.”

Young people always believe friendships last a lifetime, that the people and things they love now will remain beloved in the long years to come.

Just like Fu Qiao at this moment, she never imagined her relationship with Xu Yingran would change. She believed they would always be together.

But then again…

“Even if we’re this close now, we’ll still have to get married someday,” Fu Qiao looked at Xu Yingran and said, “Will we still be as close then?”

Xu Yingran froze for a moment, her face instantly paling.

Only now did Xu Yingran finally realize: if she chose to remain just friends with Fu Qiao this time, sooner or later, someone else would appear by Fu Qiao’s side.

Someone whose name, gender, and face were all unknown.

That person would love Fu Qiao, call her “wife,” live in her new home, and sleep with her wife!

The thought made Xu Yingran’s expression darken further.

After that, Xu Yingran couldn’t remember how she made it home. The entire way, neither she nor Fu Qiao spoke a word, walking in silence.

Fu Qiao didn’t know what she had said wrong to upset Xu Yingran. Even after they got home, Xu Yingran didn’t say another word to her.

During dinner, Zhao Yu nudged Xu Chunjiang with her elbow, signaling her to look at Xu Yingran sitting across from them, poking at her rice absentmindedly.

Xu Yingran stared blankly at the white rice in front of her, lost in thought.

“Ranran.”

Xu Chunjiang cleared her throat and placed a piece of fish in Xu Yingran’s bowl. “What’s so interesting about rice? Eat while it’s hot. Your mom and I are going for a walk later, do you want to join us?”

The couple usually had nothing to do after work, so after finishing chores, they would stroll along the riverbank.

A hundred steps after a meal, live to ninety-nine.

Xu Yingran finally snapped out of it, stuffing rice into her mouth as she said, “No, I still have homework to do after dinner.”

Xu Chunjiang had nothing else to say and glanced at Zhao Yu as if to say she’d tried.

Zhao Yu shot her a look before turning to Xu Yingran. “Ranran, I saw you came back with Xiao Qiao today. Do you want to do homework with her tonight? Aren’t you two really close?”

At the mention of this, Xu Yingran felt uneasy. She hastily took a few bites of rice before putting down her chopsticks. “I’m full. I’m going back to my room.”

The two of them watched as Xu Yingran retreated to her room, exchanging puzzled glances.

What was wrong with the girl?

After finishing dinner and tidying up, Zhao Yu still felt uneasy about her daughter. Sensing something was off with her mood today, she decided to talk to her before taking her usual evening walk.

Knock knock knock,

When Zhao Yu knocked on Xu Yingran’s door, she found her sitting at her desk, staring blankly out the window, lost in thought.

“What’s on your mind?” Zhao Yu placed a plate of cut fruit on Xu Yingran’s desk and sat on the edge of the bed. “Did something happen today? You seem down.”

Xu Yingran glanced at Zhao Yu but remained silent.

Truthfully, she wasn’t entirely used to opening up to her parents. After all, in her future life, Zhao Yu and her father had been gone for ten years. She was still slowly readjusting to living with them again.

“Nothing,” Xu Yingran finally murmured after a long pause. “Just thinking about something.”

Zhao Yu asked curiously, “What is it?”

Xu Yingran thought for a long time. The sound of the wind outside and the lively noises from the old street reminded her of Fu Qiao, how the two of them had never been apart for over twenty years. Now, back in her senior year of high school, she had to reconsider everything.

“Mom,” Xu Yingran said quietly, “what kind of people can stay together forever?”

Zhao Yu studied her, guessing her daughter must be dealing with some kind of separation.

It made sense. After all, it was senior year. Close friends and classmates would inevitably drift apart this year. No wonder Xu Yingran seemed so down today.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Yu said gently, “Well, all gatherings must come to an end. Parents, relatives, friends, even your own children will leave you one day. Only a life partner stays with you forever.”

“But you can have many friends and only one partner,” Zhao Yu continued. “So don’t be too upset. People come and go in life. This might be your first time experiencing goodbyes, but there will be many more in the future.”

Xu Yingran had already experienced the loss of her parents and the parting of friends.

People enter this world alone and leave the same way. She understood this truth, she wasn’t truly an 18-year-old, yet it still weighed heavily on her.

Today’s incident with Fu Qiao made her realize: if she truly intended to remain just childhood friends, someone else would eventually take her place in Fu Qiao’s life.

Could she accept that?

Just the thought of Zhou Wan glancing at Fu Qiao had made her jealous and irritable, leaving her restless, unable to eat or focus on homework. If Fu Qiao really fell for someone else, could she handle it?

Could she stand by and watch Fu Qiao hold hands and kiss someone else, introducing Xu Yingran as her “childhood friend”?

Childhood friend?

Her head throbbed even harder at the thought.

Xu Yingran couldn’t make sense of it. Wasn’t this exactly what she had decided when she first woke up, to just be friends and live their separate lives?

On one hand, reason told her she couldn’t continue living the same way as before, she needed a new life. But on the other hand, emotion whispered that if Xu Yingran didn’t want Fu Qiao, she would eventually become someone else’s wife.