After dinner, Shi Hai was left to the side as Jian Sichun chatted endlessly with Liu Zhenshan.
Women seem to always have endless topics to talk about.
Shi Hai thought about the conversations he usually had with his mom, which always revolved around the same theme: "What are we eating tomorrow?"
Seeing the two are able to rapidly get closer in no time, Shi Hai realized that this is one of the perks that a reincarnated person would automatically get.
It seems their relationship really was good in the previous life...
Liu Zhenshan, in high spirits, noticed it was getting dark outside and suggested, "Little Chun, why don't you stay over tonight?"
In just a short time, Jian Sichun's title had upgraded from "Miss Jian" to "Little Chun," showing how quickly Liu Zhenshan's fondness for her had grown.
"Thank you, but not tonight. I still need to go back and pack my things..."
Jian Sichun would love to stay tonight, but she had another pressing issue to address.
That was the draft problem...
She had felt a chilly breeze since earlier.
Although her panties were clean, they hadn't dried yet.
If it were just Shi Hai, she wouldn't mind so much and would simply hang them out, but with his mother here, taking out her panties so suddenly...
It would lead to a big misunderstanding.
Jian Sichun's face wasn't thick enough for that, so she decided to head back to the dorm.
She needed to bring back her clothes and other essentials.
As a girl, she didn't want to wear the same clothes tomorrow.
Even if they didn't smell, she would feel uncomfortable.
"In that case, I won't keep you. It's getting late; if you don't leave now, you might not make it back before curfew, right?"
"Ah—!"
Jian Sichun almost forgot about the curfew.
She remembered the girls' dormitory locked its doors at 8:30 PM, and it was just 7 PM now.
If she left now, she should make it back before they locked the doors.
Although reluctant, Jian Sichun stood up and said, "Yes, I need to head back."
"Shi Hai, you should escort her. It's dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night."
"Got it."
Shi Hai was already prepared for the escort task.
Jian Sichun also stood up, nodded to Liu Zhenshan, and then remembered something, asking, "By the way, I'll be paying rent. Just let me know how much, and I'll transfer it to you."
"There's no need for rent."
"What?! That's not right..."
She wasn't his girlfriend now, so there was no reason for her to stay here for free.
But Liu Zhenshan had a different perspective.
Although they hadn't known each other long, after chatting with Jian Sichun, Liu Zhenshan already liked this cheerful and open girl.
They hit it off so well, it felt like they had known each other for a long time, an incredible familiarity that made Liu Zhenshan feel this was a "kindred spirit" or an "intergenerational friend."
"Since you are a good friend of Shi Hai's, I won't treat you as a 'tenant.'"
"Mom—!"
Jian Sichun was moved and hugged Liu Zhenshan again.
Indeed, this woman, full of motherly love, is the best mom in the world.
"You already call me Mom, so there's no need to be formal."
"Okay! I'll be back soon!"
"Good, be careful on your way."
Shi Hai watched this speed-matched "mother and daughter," and inwardly exclaimed, "Good grief."
My mom has been taken...
But what he didn't know was that this essentially meant he now had two mothers.
After all, Jian's mother's goal was to find a suitable girlfriend for Shi Hai.
When the two of them stepped out and started going down the stairs, Shi Hai couldn't help but mumble.
"I really believe you're a reincarnated person now... Your speed in winning over my mom is so fast that it feels like you are using some kind of cheat code."
Jian Sichun put her hands on her hips proudly.
"Humph! Of course it's fast, it's because I had a great relationship with Mom in my past life!"
"Good enough to call her Mom, huh..."
"So, what's the big deal... I've never called anyone Mom since I was a kid..."
"Are you from a single-parent family?"
"Yes, my mother passed away due to complications when she gave birth to me..."
"My condolences."
"And the same to you..."
It seems she also knew that my dad passed away from heart disease a long time ago, Shi Hai thought.
"Likewise, oh..."
Jian Sichun was thinking the same thing and naturally thought of her own smiling, bespectacled dad, and said.
"I'll introduce my dad to you sometime."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Are you feeling guilty for stealing my mom and planning to compensate by giving me your dad?"
That kind of thing is not really necessary, he doesn't lack fatherly love that much...
"No way! It's just that he really likes you."
"Oh—So, future me and your father get along well?"
"Yes, he likes you more than he likes me!"
This goes back to Jian Sichun's birth.
Before Jian Sichun was born, her father really wanted a boy, hoping to have a son to carry on his legacy and fulfill his dream of playing video games with his child.
Unfortunately, a girl was born, and he lost his wife in the process.
So after Jian Sichun was born, her father quit his job to work from home and take care of her.
Unexpectedly, though he initially thought that girls wouldn't be interested in games, Jian Sichun ended up loving them.
Naturally, this was influenced by her home environment.
Her father had been an avid video game enthusiast since the last century, and their home was filled with game discs.
After trying them, Jian Sichun became hooked.
Moreover, since her father was a programmer, they had a computer at home very early on.
So Jian Sichun started surfing the internet in first grade, learned to install single-player games by second grade, and by third grade, she was proficient in using various download software.
However, this made her father both happy and worried.
He was happy because there was no gap between father and daughter—they could play games together and get along very well.
But he was worried because Jian Sichun became too much of a homebody.
She often didn't wash her hair, wore sports clothes all day, and stayed home playing games without any female friends her age or interest in fashion, essentially becoming a "shut-in."
This led to concerns about whether his daughter could ever find a boyfriend.
So when Jian Sichun started dating Shi Hai, her father was extremely pleased.
He often invited his son-in-law over for meals, sleepovers, and gaming sessions.
Another reason was that her father was a veteran programmer, and Shi Hai was in the computer science department.
They frequently discussed technical topics that Jian Sichun couldn't understand, almost as if they were competing for her boyfriend.
Thinking about this, Jian Sichun suddenly realized.
No, I can't let Dad meet Shi Hai!
If he's mistaken for my boyfriend, it'll be troublesome!
"No, wait, forget it. Now's not the right time to introduce you to my dad…"
"…"
"Hey, are you listening?"
Shi Hai wasn't listening anymore.
Because he saw a woman standing in the stairwell.
Zhu Lingjie.
His childhood friend.