I Can't Fall for My Own Wife Again After Reincarnation, Right? (GL) - Chapter 35

Regarding the evening self-study sessions for senior year, they ran from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, with only one break in between. The rest of the time was spent in the classroom studying independently.

Since it was just the beginning, the teachers simply assigned homework for everyone to complete. Later on, substitute teachers would occasionally conduct lessons during these sessions.

Of course, those arrangements would come later.

The supervising teachers couldn’t keep watch the entire time, so usually, the homeroom teacher would stroll by to check in, while class representatives were responsible for maintaining discipline.

Li Yuwen appointed Fu Qiao as the discipline monitor, tasked with keeping order when the homeroom teacher wasn’t around.

At first, everyone found the evening self-study sessions novel. After dinner, there wasn’t much else to do, and the school gates closed early, so most students returned to the classroom to chat.

Fu Qiao wrote the assigned homework on the blackboard and then handed out three test papers for different subjects.

This was what they had to complete during the evening session.

“Fu Qiao, this is way too much!” some students complained. “We never had this much homework when we didn’t have evening self-study. Three test papers plus extra exercises, how are we supposed to finish all this in one night?”

Fu Qiao forced a laugh as she distributed the papers. “Don’t ask me. The teachers assigned it.”

“Why don’t we just let the top students finish first, and then we’ll copy?”

“Sure, go ahead and try copying during the college entrance exams too. See if they let you.”

“Tch…”

When Fu Qiao handed the test papers to Xu Yingran, she glanced at her and said quietly, “If you don’t understand anything, just ask me.”

Xu Yingran looked up and smiled at her in acknowledgment.

At 7:30 PM, the evening self-study officially began. Li Yuwen walked in with her teaching materials and said, “Quietly work on your assignments. No talking.”

The students grumbled as they took out their pens and started on the test papers. Xu Yingran also looked over the assignments and began working diligently.

Class Five was full of restless kids. Even with Li Yuwen sitting at an empty desk in the back grading papers, some students couldn’t resist passing notes.

One of them accidentally landed on Xu Yingran’s desk. She looked up and realized it was from Yao Jin.

Unfolding the crumpled scrap of paper, she saw Yao Jin had written: How much have you finished?

Xu Yingran pursed her lips. The session had barely started, how much could she have possibly done?

She rolled the note back up and tossed it into her desk drawer, then held up her blank test paper to show Yao Jin she hadn’t written a single word.

“Ahem, ”

Li Yuwen cleared her throat from the back and said sternly, “No fooling around. Focus on your own work.”

Xu Yingran shrank back and quickly put her test paper away, making Yao Jin burst into silent laughter.

The commotion must have caught Fu Qiao’s attention. When she turned around, she saw Xu Yingran’s frustrated expression and guessed Li Yuwen’s warning had been directed at her.

After an hour of self-study, Li Yuwen capped her pen, picked up her teaching materials, and walked over to Fu Qiao. She leaned down and whispered a few words to her.

“I have something to take care of in the office, so I won’t be coming to the next class. Keep an eye on the class and make sure they don’t get too rowdy.” Li Yuwen was quite fond of Fu Qiao, so she naturally turned to her for help whenever needed.

Fu Qiao nodded in response. “Understood, teacher.”

Only after Li Yuwen left did everyone finally relax.

Someone whispered quietly, “The teacher’s gone.”

That single remark instantly livened up the previously quiet evening self-study session. Everyone began fidgeting quietly, though the noise they made was anything but subtle.

Hearing this, Fu Qiao rapped her knuckles on the desk. “Get back to your homework. Teacher Li will be back soon.”

A mischievous boy sitting near Fu Qiao piped up, “Don’t lie, Fu Qiao. I heard Teacher Li say she wasn’t coming back.”

“Who said she’s not coming back? Stop spreading nonsense,” Fu Qiao quickly retorted. “Quiet down and focus on your work. No more noise.”

“The class monitor shouldn’t tell fibs~”

“Enough.”

Just then, Xu Yingran raised her voice. “You’re all in your final year of high school and still fooling around? Think your grades are good enough?”

Whether it was Xu Yingran’s stern tone or the truth in her words, everyone shrugged helplessly and returned to their test papers.

Fu Qiao glanced back at Xu Yingran, only to find her already bent over her work again.

After the first evening self-study session, there was a ten-minute break. Fu Qiao got up and walked over to Xu Yingran, whispering, “Thanks for earlier.”

Xu Yingran looked up at her, propping her chin on her hand. “So, how are you going to thank me?”

Fu Qiao: “?”

I say thank you, and you get all high and mighty?

But then Fu Qiao reconsidered, after all, Xu Yingran had helped her out. It wouldn’t hurt to ask.

If she said something ridiculous, they could cross that bridge later.

“Fine, what do you want me to do?” Fu Qiao asked, standing beside her.

Xu Yingran flashed a grin, revealing her cute little canine teeth, and rummaged through her desk drawer. Finally, she pulled out a piece of chocolate candy and pressed it into Fu Qiao’s hand.

“You didn’t eat much at dinner. I figured you’d be hungry by eight or nine,” Xu Yingran said, looking up at her. “Take this as repayment.”

The chocolate in her palm was still warm. Fu Qiao stared at it in surprise before her cheeks flushed slightly. “That’s it?”

“Mm.” Xu Yingran nodded. “It’s all I have. If you’re still hungry later, we can grab something else on our way home.”

“I am a little hungry,” Fu Qiao admitted, unwrapping the dark foil and popping the small piece of chocolate into her mouth. The sweetness was almost overwhelming, melting her heart.

“So sweet,” Fu Qiao said, wrinkling her nose. “And the outer layer’s gone soft.”

“It’s been sitting around for a while. Next time, I’ll give it to you right after I buy it.”

“Okay.”

Chewing the chocolate, Fu Qiao gazed at Xu Yingran’s all-too-familiar face, feeling a warm, sugary sensation in her chest.

She studied Xu Yingran, rolling the chocolate on her tongue before asking leisurely, “What do you want to eat tonight?”

On their way back to the neighborhood, they would pass through the old streets and other districts. Both of them knew the area like the back of their hands, where the good food was, which shops stayed open late, they had it all memorized.

Xu Yingran thought carefully for a moment and said, “Should we go for rice noodles or fried noodles? I wonder if that noodle place we usually go to closes at nine-thirty.”

“Probably not,” Fu Qiao pondered and replied. “They close at ten, so going in the evening would be perfect.”

“Alright, then we’ll take a detour there after school.”

“Mhm.”

After exchanging just a few words, the two fell silent. Fu Qiao glanced at Xu Yingran and, for some reason, felt increasingly uneasy. She couldn’t help but recall the moment in the infirmary when their lips had accidentally brushed against each other.

Even now, the memory made her lips tingle.

Her ears flushed slightly, and to avoid letting her thoughts wander further, she quickly averted her gaze. “I should head back to my seat now,” she said to Xu Yingran. “I’ll find you after school.”

Before Xu Yingran could respond, Fu Qiao had already dashed off.

Xu Yingran was puzzled. Why the sudden hurry?

Plop,

Just as Xu Yingran was lost in thought, a small paper ball lightly bounced off her forehead.

Turning around, she saw Yao Jin sitting at her desk, staring at her and gesturing for Xu Yingran to read the note.

What’s wrong with her? Xu Yingran thought irritably. Why throw a note when she could just talk during break?

Despite her annoyance, she rubbed her forehead and unfolded the note. It read: I overheard your conversation. I don’t want rice noodles, I want fried noodles.

Xu Yingran couldn’t stay seated after reading that. She marched over to Yao Jin, grabbed her collar, and shook her. “What does it matter to you what we eat?!!!”

What does it matter to you?!!!

The two bickered like this until the second evening self-study session began, forcing them apart.

By nine-thirty, Li Yuwen made another round, pleased to see everyone diligently working on their assignments or reviewing their lessons.

When the dismissal bell rang, she addressed the class, “Everyone, be careful on your way back. Boarding students, stay until ten before returning to the dorms. Day students, leave promptly and don’t disrupt others’ study time.”

Most students hurriedly grabbed their bags and rushed out. Xu Yingran packed up quickly and stood by Fu Qiao’s side, watching her stuff her belongings into her bag. “No rush,” she said. “Take your time. We’ll grab something to eat afterward.”

“Mhm,” Fu Qiao nodded but avoided eye contact. Once she finished packing, they left together.

Yao Jin was already waiting by the door. Seeing them, she drawled, “Where are you two going? I want to come too.”

Xu Yingran realized Yao Jin was like a child, wherever others went, she wanted to tag along.

“Isn’t your driver picking you up?” Xu Yingran asked casually as the three walked together. “If he’s not coming, the three of us can go.”

Yao Jin pouted, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Never mind. My dad specifically told the driver to wait for me at the school gate. Guess I can’t join you.”

“How about tomorrow at lunch then?” Xu Yingran suggested. “It’s not far. We can walk there, eat, and still make it back in time.”

Yao Jin’s eyes lit up at the idea. Though her family’s chef prepared delicious meals, eating alone at a grand table was dull. She much preferred tagging along with Xu Yingran and Fu Qiao, even if it was just a bowl of cheap rice noodles, it was still fun.

“Alright, it’s settled then. We’ll eat together tomorrow.” Yao Jin was as excited as a little kid, even turning to Xu Yingran and Fu Qiao to say, “I’ve never tried the roadside rice noodle stalls before. I wonder if they’re any good.”

The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked toward the school gate. There were quite a few senior high school students, and since it was the first evening self-study session, the school entrance was crowded with parents.

Just as Xu Yingran was about to say something to Fu Qiao, she spotted a few familiar figures waving at them.

Xu Chunjiang, Zhao Yu, Fu Jun, and Hu Mei, all four of them had come. They were sitting around a flower bed not far away and hurried over as soon as they saw Fu Qiao and Xu Yingran step out of the school gate.

“Mom? Dad?” Fu Qiao naturally noticed them too and quickly went forward, asking curiously, “Why did you come to the school today? Didn’t you set up the stall?”

“Business is slow right now, so we closed early to pick you up after school,” Hu Mei said with a smile, patting Fu Qiao’s head before turning to Xu Yingran and Yao Jin. “Ranran, is this the classmate who got drunk with you last time?”