I Can't Fall for My Own Wife Again After Reincarnation, Right? (GL) - Chapter 9

Xu Yingran had a dream.

In the dream, she was back to when she was 18 years old. At that time, her parents had just passed away. She was like a walking corpse. Even after finishing all the funeral arrangements, she still went to school as usual, but anyone could see that something was wrong with her.

At her loneliest moment, Fu Qiao appeared. She held a love letter wrapped in a pink envelope and asked Xu Yingran to meet her behind the school building. The sky after the rain was as clear as if it had been washed. Big white clouds crowded together, cicadas and birds chirped in the woods, the damp, itchy grass under their feet, and the girl who had stayed by her side for 18 years—everything made Xu Yingran feel a bit of warmth.

“Do you like me?”

Xu Yingran remembered she had calmly asked Fu Qiao that question. The girl’s face turned red at once, and she couldn’t say a single word while holding the letter.

There was no need for words. Xu Yingran could already tell what Fu Qiao was thinking. Since she had feelings for her childhood friend too, she reached out and held Fu Qiao’s hand, and softly said, “I like you too…”

Xu Yingran suddenly opened her eyes. Even though it was just a dream, she was covered in sweat. Her whole body felt sticky and uncomfortable. She sat up in bed. The fan at the foot of the bed was still blowing, making the sweat on her forehead trickle down into her collar.

She held her head and felt a headache.

Last night, while doing homework with Fu Qiao, she started feeling hot and thirsty halfway through. That night, she had a steamy dream just about the two of them. In the dream, she and Fu Qiao fell in love, got married, started a business together—and even the expressions Fu Qiao made in bed were vividly clear.

It was like someone had played an adult film starring them, right in front of her.

It was terrible.

Taking advantage of the fact that her parents were still asleep, Xu Yingran quickly took a shower. After changing into her school uniform, she looked at the half-done homework on her desk and decided to finish what she started. It was only 6 a.m., so she had time to get another hour of work done.

When Xu Chunjiang and Zhao Yu got up, they saw their daughter studying hard at her desk and couldn’t help but sigh, “She’s really grown up now. She knows to study on her own.”

Zhao Yu rolled her eyes and said, “Of course, she’s my daughter.”

“Yes, yes.” Xu Chunjiang smiled and said to his wife, “Ask Ranran what she wants for breakfast. I’ll go downstairs and buy it.”

Both parents worked full-time, so they were rarely home. They usually bought breakfast from a street stall downstairs. All three of them ate at the cafeteria for lunch, and only dinner was at home. Zhao Yu knocked on Xu Yingran’s door and asked what she wanted to eat.

Xu Yingran was thinking about a difficult question when her train of thought was interrupted. She turned to look at her parents. She remembered clearly—it was in the first half of senior year that her parents died. It had rained that day, and the accident happened because she had asked them to come home early.

It was early October, which meant that day was coming soon.

“Mom, Dad,” she said, putting down her pen and standing up, “I’ll go buy breakfast.”

But Zhao Yu said, “Aren’t you still doing homework? You keep working. I’ll have your dad go buy it.” Then she dragged Xu Chunjiang out with a small pot.

By the time they came back with breakfast, Xu Yingran had packed her bag and was sitting at the dining table.

Xu Chunjiang put the pot of hot pepper soup on the table, along with the steamed buns and fried dough sticks still in their plastic bags. Zhao Yu brought over three bowls and started serving soup as she said, “Ranran, do you have that much homework? Is senior year that stressful?”

There was a steamed bun shop in the old street downstairs that had been open for more than 20 years. Their food was delicious and authentic, and the whole family loved it. As Xu Yingran bit into a thin-skinned, juicy soy-sauce meat bun, she felt her groggy head clear up.

“It’s not that stressful,” she said, “I just have really bad procrastination. I didn’t finish it yesterday and got too sleepy.”

These days, she got tired by 10 p.m. and had to sleep by 11. How could she finish all her homework like that?

Zhao Yu said, “Then just come home and do your homework right after school. Don’t keep running around.”

Xu Yingran nodded. “Okay, Mom.”

Just as they finished eating, they heard Xu Chunjiang—who was washing dishes outside—say, “Xiao Qiao is here. Ranran just finished eating, let her in.”

Fu Qiao’s voice came from outside, “Okay, Uncle.”

Xu Yingran turned her head and saw Fu Qiao standing at the door with a box of pure milk, just like the past few days. Her bright eyes looked at her as she softly asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” Xu Yingran turned her head stiffly and said, “Wait a second. I’ll go get my things.”

She grabbed her schoolbag and jacket, said goodbye, and left the house with Fu Qiao.

They walked side by side, each deep in thought. Xu Yingran glanced at Fu Qiao, who was drinking milk again, and suddenly thought of the older Fu Qiao from her dream last night. The images of both versions of Fu Qiao kept flickering in her mind—one moment a wife, the next a classmate—and it was making her feel mentally drained.

When she realized she still had desires toward Fu Qiao, Xu Yingran started to feel scared. She had already lived a second life—she couldn’t fall in love with her wife all over again, right?

Was it because the 9 p.m. curfew was too strict? Or because she had too much allowance? Why couldn’t she just let go of Fu Qiao?

But on second thought, although the older Fu Qiao was a bit strict, besides those rigid rules, she hadn’t really forced her to do anything. Making her go to bed early, wake up early, and come home on time—wasn’t that all for her own good?

Still, Xu Yingran really didn’t want to live a prison-like life again. So after thinking it through, she decided to try a new lifestyle. She would just treat the younger Fu Qiao in front of her as an ordinary friend.

Maybe sensing something was off, Fu Qiao looked up and asked, “Why do you keep staring at me?”

Xu Yingran blinked and pointed to the milk in her hand. “Why do you drink that every day? Aren’t you sick of it?”

Fu Qiao froze, then replied awkwardly, “…Not really.”

“Even if you’re not sick of it, you can’t drink it every day.” Xu Yingran tilted her head. “Are you trying to grow taller?”

Fu Qiao suddenly stopped walking, giving her a cautious look, shocked that her little secret had been discovered.

Xu Yingran stopped too, eyes wide. “So it’s true?”

She had just been joking earlier. After all, Fu Qiao always wore high heels in the future, even when they hurt her feet, so Xu Yingran had wondered if it was because she thought she was too short—and now it seemed like she really did?

Xu Yingran couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Seeing her laugh, Fu Qiao’s face turned red. She glared at her and ran off without a word.

“Hey, hey!”

Xu Yingran wanted to stop her, but Fu Qiao was already dashing into the school gates, faster than a rabbit.

Seriously, they were already so familiar. Even if someone found out, it wasn’t like she’d tell everyone. Why be so shy?

Too young. If it were the Fu Qiao from ten years later, she would’ve probably confiscated all her allowance money!

Just then, more and more students were arriving at school. A black Maybach stopped steadily at the gate. A chauffeur wearing white gloves got out and opened the back door. All the students nearby turned to look, as if they were watching some rich CEO from a drama.

Xu Yingran also looked. She saw Yao Jin stepping out of the car in her school uniform. The driver handed her the schoolbag.

“Miss, be careful on your way to class. I’ll pick you up here after school,” he said.

Yao Jin didn’t really respond—just gave a small nod.

Not just Xu Yingran—many students at the school gate saw this and started talking.

“This feels like a TV drama!”

“Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.”

“I heard she’s a rich girl who transferred to Class 5 yesterday.”

“Why would a rich kid transfer to our school?”

“Who knows?”

Xu Yingran heard all the gossip around her. She looked at Yao Jin walking into the school and quickly ran after her.

“Ah Jin!”

Just as Yao Jin turned around, Xu Yingran hooked her arm around Yao Jin’s shoulder. The impact made them both take a few steps forward.

There was only one person who would dare call her “Ah Jin” at school—it had to be that weirdo from yesterday.

Yao Jin turned to look at Xu Yingran, her eyes a little dazed. Then she grabbed her hand and said, “Come with me.”

Xu Yingran was confused. “We’re about to have morning class. Where are you taking me?”

But Yao Jin didn’t answer. She pulled her away from the classroom building. When they stopped, she turned around and looked at Xu Yingran seriously.

“I thought carefully about what you said yesterday,” she said. “But I still don’t believe it.”

What Xu Yingran had said yesterday was so unbelievable that even after thinking all night, Yao Jin still found it strange. She was curious how Xu Yingran knew so much about her, but deep down, she was still a skeptic. She didn’t believe in stuff like time travel from ten years in the future.

“You’re lying to me.”

Yao Jin grabbed Xu Yingran’s hand and leaned in closer. “Did you investigate me? Why did you investigate me? Was it my mom who told you to do this?”

Seeing that Yao Jin was getting more and more worked up, Xu Yingran quickly stopped her rapid-fire questions, pushed her gently, and said, “Calm down. Let’s talk properly.”