The 3:00 PM bus had very few passengers, and those who were there mostly sat towards the front, ready to get off at any moment.
Despite the many available seats, Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie just stood there, looking back at Shi Hai as if waiting for him to decide something.
The front rows had single seats, the middle rows had double seats, and only the back row had multiple seats.
Their intentions were clear.
Shi Hai took the lead, sitting in the back row, leaving space on either side of him.
The two girls exchanged a smile and sat beside him.
Once seated, Jian Sichun couldn't help but tease him, nudging his shoulder with her elbow and chuckling.
"Oh? Heading straight to the back row, huh? Are you assuming all three of us will sit together?"
Shi Hai felt a bit helpless—weren't they the ones who subtly hinted for him to go to the back row?
"After all, Lingjie and I are high-quality beauties, and those guys at the bus stop were all eyeing us like wolves..."
Jian Sichun praised herself while teasing Shi Hai.
"So, have you started to pay attention to us too?"
Seeing Jian Sichun turning the tables like this made Zhu Lingjie feel embarrassed; she could never say something like that herself.
But she was curious if Shi Hai had really started to look at them differently.
However, they didn't expect much since it had only been five days. The fact that Shi Hai wasn't avoiding them was already a significant improvement.
To their surprise, Shi Hai admitted it, straightforwardly saying, "That's right. I think it's safest for you two to sit next to me."
The impact of his words was so strong that it left them speechless.
Shi Hai folded his arms and glanced at both of them.
They sat properly, legs together, backs straight, quietly fanning their flushed faces, feeling like the air around them had gotten even warmer.
Seriously... they barely have any defenses, yet they dare to flirt with a guy like they are Tian Shui? I could easily knock down their defenses with just a counterattack.
When it comes to being thick-skinned, even the two of them combined can't match Shi Hai.
When they had to transfer buses, the next bus was much more crowded, and there weren't enough empty seats in the back for all three of them.
Only one double seat was available.
"You two sit down. I'll stand," Shi Hai said.
The two girls obediently sat down, and Shi Hai held onto a nearby strap, standing by their seats to prevent others from bumping into them.
Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie felt both sentimental and reassured.
This feeling of being protected was something they hadn't experienced in a long time.
It was part of the fond memories.
But soon, Jian Sichun's expression changed.
It was because he had protected her so well that he saved her in that incident…
He protected her, but forgot to protect himself…
This unsettling thought made Jian Sichun unconsciously grab onto the hem of Shi Hai's clothes, afraid he might disappear again.
Shi Hai looked down at her, sensing her unease, but instead of asking why, he brought up a different topic to distract her.
"By the way, why aren't you wearing it anymore?"
"Huh? Wearing what?"
Lost in her anxiety, Jian Sichun didn't immediately catch on, her first thought being: I'm pretty sure I'm wearing my panties today...
And she was wearing pants, so even if she forgot to wire one, there was no risk of exposure.
She remembered that on the day when Shi Hai sent her back to the dormitory, she was very careful because she had nothing to wear, fearing that someone would find out...
She had felt both anxious and scared, but also strangely thrilled.
Unlike Jian Sichun's wandering thoughts, Shi Hai, a decent man, wasn't talking about anything improper.
"What else could it be? Your eyepatch. I noticed you haven't worn it the past few days."
Oh, he meant the eyepatch... and here I thought… ahem…
Jian Sichun cleared her throat, pretending she hadn't misunderstood, and answered seriously.
"Well... I realized that wearing the eyepatch actually makes me stand out more, so I decided to stop wearing it."
In truth, Jian Sichun's eyepatch was more about emotional trauma; she was afraid people would make a big deal out of her eye color.
Especially in her childhood, when she was teased by classmates, saying things like, "If you're such a freak, your mom must be a freak too!"
Those hurtful words stayed with her.
Even though she had never met her mother, she knew her mother had died because of her, and she always felt guilty about it, so she hated anyone who insulted her mother.
So she decided to wear the eyepatch all the time, letting people think she was a bit eccentric, or had some eye disease—anything was better than having her mother insulted.
Later, Shi Hai slowly filled the void in her heart, healing her emotional wounds, so she became able to take off the eyepatch.
Now, not only was she not afraid to show her eyes, she could even proudly show them off.
She had even bragged to Zhu Lingjie about it a few days ago.
Zhu Lingjie, with her kind and generous nature, had showered her with compliments, making Jian Sichun feel very proud.
"Little Chun's bangs are long, and if you don't shake your head too much, people won't even notice," Zhu Lingjie chimed in.
"And even if someone does notice, it won't seem strange at all; in fact, it might even look stunning."
Shi Hai agreed with her, but his thoughts went deeper.
As someone who had been reborn, Jian Sichun had overcome her past traumas and developed a positive attitude.
In other words, the future she experienced wasn't bleak.
Could it be that the thing she can't talk about is the 'ending'?
Shi Hai pondered.
"Of course, if you want to see the eyepatch, I can still wear it," Jian Sichun said playfully.
Lately, she had only worn the eyepatch for cosplay.
Covering her eye added a sense of mystery, and she remembered how much Shi Hai liked that.
This perverted man with a beastly nature… well, if there's a chance, I might as well give you a little treat.
Little did she know that Tian Shui had already been using that trick in her selfies.
"No need, just do whatever makes you comfortable," Shi Hai replied.
"Well then, I'll grow my hair out! Even if it can't be as long as Lingjie's, at least to here!"
Jian Sichun gestured, indicating her chest.
"Whoa, long hair, huh…"
Shi Hai actually thought short hair suited Jian Sichun well, as it matched her lively personality.
"Yeah! Just wait and see!"
You're going to love it!
In truth, Jian Sichun wanted to grow her hair out and style it the way she used to, tying her long black hair into two braids that hung over her shoulders.
Similar to the daily hairstyle of Kurumi Tokisaki from Date A Live.
The anime hadn't been released yet, so Shi Hai didn't know the character, but Jian Sichun knew that Shi Hai would really like her.
Mainly because she resembled that character too much, especially in eye color and diagonal bangs.
When they had watched that anime together, Shi Hai had commented that if Jian Sichun grew her hair out and tied it up, she wouldn't even need a wig to cosplay—just change her outfit.
So she really did grow it out.
There were many perks to having long hair, like getting Shi Hai to help her comb it... which was the ultimate pleasure.
And with twin tails, there were other interesting possibilities… like using them as 'reins' when they are making out.
With such thoughts in mind, Jian Sichun's anxiety was replaced by more colorful ideas.
Seeing her relaxed expression, Shi Hai knew she was okay.
He had brought up the topic to help her shift her focus.
Zhu Lingjie noticed everything.
She was a bit envious of Jian Sichun, but she felt more proud that her husband was still so caring!
Shi Hai was a man who could make a woman feel at ease.
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