The neighborhood where Shi Hai lives is just a ten-minute walk from the subway station, but this neighborhood has existed since before the subway was built.
Fourteen years have passed since Shi Hai started first grade, making it an old neighborhood.
However, because the rent in old neighborhoods is cheap and it's not far from the university campus, it has become a popular rental location for college students.
It's common to see couples living together here.
Shi Hai's home is in the last entrance of the first building on the left after entering the neighborhood gate.
After reaching the entrance, Shi Hai took out his key to unlock the door, then made a gesture for Jian Sichun to go ahead.
Jian Sichun, without thinking much, stepped inside first.
Shi Hai didn't let her in first out of gentlemanly manners; he did it to observe her reaction.
So, as they went upstairs, Shi Hai didn't mention which floor his home was on and didn't prompt her to stop.
However, Jian Sichun stopped at the third floor and correctly faced 302 instead of 301. Shi Hai narrowed his eyes, thinking, as expected.
When he saw Jian Sichun waiting for him at the subway entrance earlier, he already felt something was off.
If Jian Sichun had been following him, she couldn't have arrived at the subway entrance before him, considering he didn't dawdle much along the way.
This meant Jian Sichun likely knew he was heading to the subway beforehand, so she could get there earlier and even knew the route better than him.
Now, it was clear she knew the exact location of his home. Coupled with Tian Shui's hint...
Could Jian Sichun really be a stalker?
Or is there something else she's hiding?
Shi Hai began sorting his doubts and reasoning them out.
Jian Sichun, on the other hand, didn't think much about it. She was just eager to get back "home," staring intently at Shi Hai as he took out the key and opened the door.
"Please come in."
"I, uh, sure, sorry for the intrusion…"
She almost blurted out, "I'm home."
When the door opened, the familiar yet strange interior made her dazed again. Her traces had been completely erased, reverting to the initial state.
At this moment, she began to feel the reality...
Shi Hai noticed her dazed expression but didn't point it out.
Shi Hai stepped in first, took off his shoes, and intended to find a pair of guest slippers for Jian Sichun but couldn't find any in the shoe cabinet.
It had been too long since there were guests; there wasn't even an extra pair of slippers.
So, he had no choice but to give Jian Sichun his slippers.
"Here, you can use my slippers. Don't worry, I don't have smelly feet."
"It's okay, I don't need slippers. The floor is wooden, right?"
"No, you are a guest after all."
"…Alright."
Jian Sichun was reminded by this: yes, now she is just a guest...
She must not act too familiar, or he would find out!
So, she obediently put on Shi Hai's large slippers and entered the house.
Shi Hai glanced around the living room and, seeing no one, sat down on the carpet in the living room, set up the low dining table, and said,
"Looks like my mom hasn't come back yet. She might be on-site this afternoon."
Shi Hai's mother is a civil servant with the Emergency Management Department, often going to various places for disaster prevention surveys and being first on the scene to organize, direct, and rescue when a disaster happens.
Jian Sichun naturally knew all this and greatly admired strong women like Shi Hai's mother who worked in rescue operations.
Jian Sichun naturally sat on one side of the low table and, without thinking, said,
"Yeah, and your sister should be in class now, right?"
So now they were alone! However, her excitement only lasted a second before she heard Shi Hai's puzzled voice.
"Huh? Sister?"
He turned around, frowned, and said,
"I don't have a sister. I'm an only child."
"Uh!"
Jian Sichun's heart skipped a beat. Oh no! Is the little sister not here yet?
Jian Sichun knew the little sister was an adopted child of Shi Hai's family, but she didn't know the exact time of adoption.
When she moved into this house, the little sister was already there, and their relationship was so good that she thought the sister must have been there for a long time.
But to think that by the second year of university, the sister still wasn't here... Was she adopted not long after Jian Sichun?
That little shy, easily embarrassed, and introverted sister accepted her new family so quickly? And without any barriers?
No! This isn't the time to think about this! She must find a way to cover it up!
Should she directly say, "Actually, you will have a sister in the future"?
She might be taken as a lunatic! "No, no, it's just that, seeing how well you take care of people, I thought you had a sister…"
"Is that so…"
Very unconvincing.
Shi Hai wasn't stupid and could tell it was a hastily made-up excuse. Coupled with her previous suspicious behaviors, he felt he was close to the truth.
But Shi Hai didn't plan to reveal it now, so he let it pass.
Seeing Jian Sichun lower her head guiltily, not daring to meet his eyes, Shi Hai asked,
"Would you like something to drink? I only have barley tea and milk at home."
"Barley tea is fine!"
Gulp, gulp...
After drinking more than half a glass of iced barley tea in one go, Jian Sichun finally calmed down.
No matter what, she couldn't say anything that might give her away…
But then, what could they talk about?
The silent atmosphere made Shi Hai feel awkward again.
He wasn't good at talking to girls, let alone bringing them home.
It was like being transported to the demon king's castle without even exploring the novice village, with no skills to use!
He could only awkwardly say,
"So, there's not much fun at my place..."
Shi Hai's home was very simple and unadorned at this time. The living room still had the same TV, no gaming consoles, and few things to entertain.
And because there were only two people living there, the three-bedroom apartment felt spacious, with one room even unused.
However, Jian Sichun didn't feel awkward at all.
Being at home, she was mentally completely relaxed, and drinking familiar barley tea made her feel, "Ah~ I'm finally home~."
But soon, Jian Sichun felt a bit restless.
Being back in a familiar environment, with the person she liked the most beside her, her mind began to wander uncontrollably.
Frankly, she really wanted to snuggle up to him and act spoiled, and her honest body was getting restless.
In the past, she probably would have done so and, without noticing, might have started to initiate some R+18 Scene with him.
But now, she wasn't his girlfriend!
However, even as not a girlfriend, being alone with a guy would still lead to wild thoughts, right?
Jian Sichun found that even though she tried not to think about it, her brain, as if working offline, couldn't stop.
Through this opportunity, she took a good look at herself...
And sadly realized that she was a terrible woman with a head full of inappropriate thoughts...
Gulp, gulp...
Jian Sichun finished the remaining barley tea in one go and silently chanted in her heart.
No dirty thoughts! No dirty thoughts! No dirty thoughts! "It's okay! We–we can just chat!"
Yes! Chatting!
Use your mouth, not your hands! Be elegant, not dirty! Be a lady, not wild! Be patient…
Don't be lustful!
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