It Seems I’m Not The Only One Who Reincarnated (Patreon)

Chapter 83: Response

On the other side of things, after lunch, Jian Sichun was itching to head over and find Shi Hai.

However, they had just signed a "peaceful competition" treaty, and the two of them couldn’t agree on who would make the first move.

Despite agreeing not to hold back, they both started politely insisting the other go first.

Jian Sichun felt it wasn't quite her turn yet, while Zhu Lingjie thought that since Jian Sichun had recently helped her, it was now her turn to return the favor.

After some back and forth, they couldn’t come to a conclusion. Jian Sichun finally suggested, "Let’s just skip today and start fresh tomorrow, where it’ll be first-come, first-served."

Zhu Lingjie agreed, so they decided to take the day off.

Yet, half a day had already passed without seeing Shi Hai, and Jian Sichun felt like she hadn’t had her "Shi Hai intake" for the day, making it hard to focus on her work.

To put it simply, she didn’t feel like drawing.

While she wanted to play a game to pass the time, playing alone didn’t seem that fun...

So she asked Zhu Lingjie if she played games.

She was shocked by the answer: Zhu Lingjie turned out to be a seasoned gamer too.

Jian Sichun had assumed that a smart girl like Zhu Lingjie, who studied law, wouldn’t be interested in games.

Zhu Lingjie got into gaming because Shi Hai liked it.

She wanted to have things in common with her husband, so she would try anything that interested him.

This way, she had the chance to play games with him; if she played well, she’d even get compliments and rewards...

Driven by a desire to receive more praise, she fully threw herself into gaming.

What’s more, Zhu Lingjie, like Shi Hai, played with a strategic mind, analyzing her experience and improving constantly.

As a result, whatever game she played, she reached a level she could proudly show off.

Learning this made Jian Sichun thrilled.

She’d never met a girl who liked gaming as much as she did, at least since her past life when her sister-in-law Mengmeng had played with her... Basically, gaming friends were rare.

While there were girls who gamed, they mostly played casual games like "Snake" or "Angry bird."

Most of them had never even touched a controller.

So Jian Sichun had always lacked female friends with whom she could discuss shared interests.

Later, she made many friends in the cosplay community, but some cosplayers hadn’t even watched the series their character was from.

This disappointed Jian Sichun.

Many people cosplayed characters just because they "looked cool," or "attracted attention," or simply to follow trends. They weren’t cosplaying out of genuine love for the character or the work.

While that’s fine... Jian Sichun felt it missed something essential.

It felt like cosplay without a soul.

During those moments, Jian Sichun would feel a sense of disappointment, thinking, "I’m not like them."

But now, talking to Zhu Lingjie, she felt more and more in sync with her.

It felt like talking to Shi Hai, discussing endless topics with someone who shared the same interests...

Jian Sichun grew even fonder of Zhu Lingjie.

So, the two best friends spent a happy, Shi Hai-free afternoon chatting and gaming together.

What they didn’t know was that, while they were enjoying a game together...

Tian Shui, who had been waiting on the sidelines, finally got her chance to make a move.

...

Shi Hai’s house, 3 PM.

After some commotion, his mother had fallen asleep on the couch.

His sister had also dozed off sweetly on his shoulder.

Shi Hai was quietly reading a book.

Bzzz—

His phone vibrated.

Without looking, Shi Hai knew who the message was from.

He rarely received messages before, but lately, there was one person who’d been messaging him daily.

Not that they were really messages—just photos.

Tian Shui had been sending him carefully posed and angled R18+ pics.

He assumed it was just another selfie and figured he could ignore it for now.

But just then, he happened to recall something Jian Sichun had once mentioned.

That Senior Tian Shui might be quite knowledgeable about cars.

Moreover, Senior Tian Shui had hinted that she was also a reincarnator and had told Shi Hai that if he wanted to know more, he should try getting closer to her.

Shi Hai hadn’t planned on approaching Senior Tian Shui anytime soon, but now, things were different. He thought maybe it was time to reply to one of her messages.

Just then, his sister was sound asleep, so he didn’t have to worry about his phone’s lock screen being seen. Shi Hai took out his phone and checked the message.

Sure enough, it was another selfie from Tian Shui.

But this time, it was surprisingly modest.

Unlike her previous selfies, which had been increasingly bold and suggestive, this photo showed her in a casual, homely setting.

In the picture, Tian Shui was sitting on a pink-sheeted double bed, wearing loungewear and hugging her knees. 

Her long black hair, free of her usual hairband, fell naturally around her face. 

With her left bangs tucked behind her ear and her right bangs covering half of her face, she gazed off to the side, resting her chin on her knees with a forlorn expression.

Yes, this time, Tian Shui’s face was fully visible.

If Shi Hai had to give this image a title that captured how different it was from her previous ones, only one word would fit:

“Loneliness.”

The accompanying message confirmed it.

Tian Shui: 【Home alone… feeling so lonely…】

Shi Hai almost laughed out loud.

If not for that final line, he might have thought that Senior Tian Shui really was going through something difficult and was in a low mood.

But that line made it all seem totally fake.

Clearly, she was trying to lure him in.

However… this time, a reply wouldn’t hurt, so Shi Hai began typing.

After sending that last message, Tian Shui had felt a bit regretful.

Lying on her bed and looking at the sent photo and message, she wondered if she should recall it.

After all, even if she messaged him, he wouldn’t look at it right away…

Actually, Tian Shui hadn’t intended to send a message in the first place.

She had only wanted to send a picture of her bedroom, paired with a sad and pitiful expression, hoping to trigger a protective instinct.

She was sure that if any other man saw this picture, he’d instantly turn into a doting puppy, eager to rush over to comfort her.

But this was Shi Hai.

Would he fall for such a simple trick?

Most likely, he’d ignore it.

If Shi Hai were the type to easily get soft-hearted, she would have succeeded in her past life without all the back-and-forth of their endless three-hundred-round battle.

It was just that, over the past few days, Shi Hai hadn’t replied to her messages, which was making Tian Shui anxious.

Even if she wanted to start a conversation, she needed a response first, right?

If he never replied, how was she supposed to start chatting?

And it was already Saturday...

A rare weekend!

She knew that, given Shi Hai’s personality, he was even less likely to respond to her on regular days.

Weekends, when he had no classes, were the only time Shi Hai might be idle enough to flirt with her...

So, unable to hold back, she’d sent her first text message...

Only to regret it right after.

Fine! Let it be! If he doesn’t reply, whatever! I refuse to believe you’ll keep ignoring me forever! Tian Shui thought, sulking.

Bzzz—

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, making her whole body jolt.

Wait?!

Could it be…

She quickly checked her screen.

Shi Hai the Demon King: 【I see… should I come keep you company?】

“Ahh—!”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Tian Shui felt an overwhelming wave of joy.

She clenched her fists, pounding her pillow, and let out an excited squeal.

Finally, he took the bait!