Sweet slice-of-life love story: Wife, Let's love again
Chapter 278 - 274: Call Brother

Chapter 278: Chapter 274: Call Brother

As the winter vacation approached, He Fang became increasingly restless, always lost in thought.

Qin Guanglin saw her staring blankly at the calendar again but didn’t disturb her. Instead, he quietly took out the homework she had brought back and started correcting it.

Primary school homework, especially language homework, was just a mechanical task—copying ancient poems and textbook passages. It was all copying, with the occasional diary entry that was both laughable and tear-jerking.

"This one was written with two pens."

Qin Guanglin had a sharp eye and promptly set aside the lazily done work for He Fang to see when she came over.

Someone was definitely going to be unlucky tomorrow.

"You’re quite skilled at spotting these, you must have done this a lot, huh?" He Fang picked it up and inspected it closely before realizing the trick.

"Our Chinese teacher back then was a real piece of work..." Qin Guanglin clicked his tongue and glanced at He Fang, then suddenly fell silent.

She probably transformed into an old witch when facing her students, scolding them with a stern face.

Very likely.

"Go on, why did you stop talking?" He Fang glanced at him.

"All teachers belong to the same family, better not to say..."

Qin Guanglin touched his nose sheepishly, and seeing He Fang place that notebook at the very bottom of the pile, he couldn’t help but feel a malicious delight, "How will you deal with him tomorrow?"

"Just like that... Decades from now, he might even tell his wife, ’Back in my day, my Chinese teacher, blah blah blah.’"

"..."

After finishing the homework, and finding nothing else to do, He Fang walked behind Qin Guanglin and started gently massaging his shoulders. "You must be really proud to have married a teacher, right?"

"There’s nothing good about—okay, maybe it is a bit satisfying." Qin Guanglin half-closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, feeling truly relaxed.

Spending each day at the lectern scolding unruly students, then coming home and turning into a docile little wife, sounded pretty great.

"So will you listen to your teacher then?"

Qin Guanglin opened his eyes warily and looked up at her, "What are you planning?"

"Just answer if you’ll listen or not."

"Won’t listen."

"Then I won’t massage anymore." He Fang let go of his shoulders, turned away, then came back and pinched him hard on the shoulder, "Wasted my effort on you!"

"..."

Qin Guanglin opened his mouth, initially wanting to say he’d listen to his wife, then thought better of it and closed it again.

Important matters surely wouldn’t be so hesitant, and he wouldn’t need to curry favor. Seeing her like this, it was almost certainly some inexplicable task—like making him sit at home and draw.

Better not to broach the subject.

Looking at the calendar and then at He Fang, Qin Guanglin suddenly had a thought, "You’re not... feeling homesick, are you?"

"Huh?" He Fang was puzzled.

"I see you looking at the calendar often—are you planning to go home this winter vacation?"

"No, I just want to figure out when the winter vacation starts so I can stay home and cook you some nourishing soup, instead of you constantly worrying about shortening your life."

As He Fang spoke, she took off her shoes, climbed into bed, and pulled the blanket over herself, saying, "You wouldn’t lose any years if you just didn’t touch me, right?"

"Not touching, who would want to touch—"

"You said it."

"I said it."

"Say it again."

He Fang opened the recorder on her phone, leaned over the bed, and stretched out her arm, prompting him to repeat, "Whoever touches again is a little dog."

"Whoever touches again is a little dog," Qin Guanglin declared confidently into the phone.

Really, who loves touching who, huh.

He rubbed his sides, deciding to keep still for a week to really take care of himself.

As for after a week... She would probably have forgotten about this recording.

"Whoever touches again is a little dog... Whoever touches again is a little dog."

He Fang played the recording twice, lying back in bed with a smile, "Come on to bed, let’s get ready to sleep."

"Don’t start anything with me."

Qin Guanglin advised as he shuffled in cotton slippers to the bathroom to run some water, then came back, turned off the bedroom light, and climbed into bed.

"Didn’t you say no touching?" He Fang asked.

"Can’t even give a hug now?" Qin Guanglin tightened his embrace, "It’s not like it’s that kind of touch."

"Hmph, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

On winter nights, the warmth of the bed always made one want to rest early. It was just after ten o’clock, and the two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The night passed peacefully.

...

Winter break arrived as scheduled four days later. Qin Guanglin was worried that He Fang would be bored staying at home, so he specifically bought a cookbook to give to her.

He tied a beautiful ribbon into a bow around the cookbook and placed it on the passenger seat, then drove to the school gate to pick up He Fang after her last day of work.

"A gift?"

He Fang opened the car door and immediately noticed the cookbook. She glanced at him briefly, then picked it up and placed it in the back seat.

"It was carefully selected for you to celebrate the winter break."

Qin Guanglin chuckled. This gift was just for fun, something to flip through when bored, or set aside to pick up again when there was spare time.

Just like the household chores dice she had given him.

"Go that way," He Fang pointed in the direction opposite to the way home, her eyes scouting the sidewalk.

"Where to?"

"Going to make a home visit to a student’s house, it’ll be quick."

"Yikes—wonder which unlucky student... The one who used two pens for their homework last time?" Qin Guanglin seemed a bit gleeful.

Teacher home visits... It’s uncomfortable when it’s yourself, but quite entertaining when it’s someone else.

"Not that... Stop ahead."

He Fang directed Qin Guanglin to pull over, opened the car door, and waved, "Yuan!"

A little girl with a backpack halted, turned her head around until He Fang called out again, and realizing where the voice came from, she turned to He Fang with a smile, "Teacher He!"

"Come here, I’ll give you a lift home."

"Ah?"

Yuan ran over with small steps, looking a bit reserved in front of the car, "Teacher, I..."

"Get in the car, we’ll stop by your place for a quick home visit."

He Fang beckoned the little girl into the back seat and joined her there instead of returning to the passenger seat, instructing Qin Guanglin, "He Garden Lane, just make a right turn at the next two traffic lights."

"Okay."

Qin Guanglin responded and drove on slowly, glancing at the still hesitant little girl through the rearview mirror and asking, "What grade are you in, little friend?"

"Third grade."

"Hmm... Is your teacher very strict with you?"

Yuan fidgeted with the corner of her clothes, looked up at He Fang, then shook her head, "Teacher He is very nice."

He Fang gave Qin Guanglin a stern look, "Focus on driving!"

Qin Guanglin shook his head and stopped at the traffic light, "So... Yuan, right? What’s your last name?"

"Xiang."

"Xiang Xiaoyuan... that’s a lovely name." Qin Guanglin complimented and found her even cuter.

I wish I could have a daughter...

Yuan lowered her head, sneaking a glance at He Fang, timidly asking, "Uncle, are you Teacher He’s boyfriend?"

"Er... yes," Qin Guanglin turned around and smiled at her, "You can call me ’brother’ instead."

"..."

Soon, the car crossed through two traffic lights and made the right turn as He Fang had instructed, then slowly drove along looking for He Garden Lane.

This area was still half an urban village, undeveloped, and the road became narrower as they drove on. When they reached a large pile of garbage, He Fang finally spoke.

"Stop here."

Qin Guanglin stopped as told, rolled down the window to look but quickly rolled it back up due to the stench from the garbage. He Fang exited the car with Yuan, instructing him to wait a moment, and followed Yuan toward a house.

He considered following them to take a look but saw that He Fang and Yuan turned into a household after just a few steps and decided against it, idly looking around.

He Garden Lane, number 116.

The aging blue sign on the wall was partly obscured by grime, and it took Qin Guanglin a while to make out whether the last digit was an 8 or a 6.

Such a well-behaved little girl – she couldn’t possibly be in trouble, could she?