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

Chapter 121: Sweet Dreams

Even though they had already reached the doorstep, Shi Hai couldn’t go back to his own room...

Facing this helpless situation, Shi Hai slumped his shoulders in resignation.

It felt like playing a zombie survival game, where you’re about to reach the safe house, only to have a mutated zombie suddenly show up and smack you away—enough to make someone cough up blood in frustration.

That last step felt like the longest distance in the world.

Seeing Shi Hai’s defeated expression, Jian Sichun, clearly enjoying herself, asked in a mock-serious tone,

“To keep things fair, how about we vote on it?”

Fair, my foot.

With two votes against one, Shi Hai didn’t stand a chance.

“You might as well just order me to ‘stay over tonight.’”

“Well, you could at least try to fight for it,” she teased.

“Fight for what? If I do, will you actually let me sleep in my own room?”

“You could fight to have a peaceful sleep tonight.”

“...”

So, the implication was that she originally planned on not letting me sleep at all...

Shi Hai could feel Jian Sichun’s gaze on him—like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.

If he actually stayed over at their place tonight, Shi Hai had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

Was that why Jian Sichun suddenly gave up on the hotel plan?

Because there was no need to go to a hotel in the first place...

In reality, what she had agreed to was to “go home first,” not to “do nothing.”

Shi Hai had assumed “home” meant his place, where his mom and sister were. Nothing could happen there, after all.

But who would’ve thought Jian Sichun would reinterpret the meaning of “home”?

This completely caught Shi Hai off guard, leaving him with no choice but to reiterate what had already been said.

“Hold on, didn’t we agree earlier that I’d have time to mentally prepare? I’m not ready yet!”

Jian Sichun nodded and replied,

“Yep, that’s why we’re not planning to do anything extreme tonight. There’s no need to be scared.”

The truth was, Shi Hai wasn’t afraid of them—he was afraid of losing control over himself.

From yesterday’s visit to Tian Shui’s house, to today’s date with both of them, and now the prospect of staying at Zhu Lingjie’s place, Shi Hai felt like his rationality was hanging by a thread.

He desperately needed a moment of calm to reset his mind.

Unfortunately, this critical piece of information wasn’t lost on the two of them.

Having collaborated with Shi Hai for years, Jian Sichun knew he was nearing his limit.

All it would take was a little more effort—a spark to ignite the flame—and the dam holding back his desires would collapse.

This was the plan Jian Sichun had come up with before leaving the restaurant.

If Shi Hai couldn’t hold himself back, then there’d be no need to wait any longer. That’s why she proposed the idea of “living together” to get him to stay over at their place.

Once Shi Hai set foot in Zhu Lingjie’s home, it would essentially be game over.

In truth, her plan mirrored Tian Shui’s earlier strategy of luring Shi Hai to her house.

Both were women of action.

They didn’t sit back and wait—they took initiative, set traps, and used various means to entice their prey.

But it wasn’t just the hunters who were clever—the prey was, too.

Shi Hai cautiously asked,

“Let me clarify: is this just for tonight, or are you expecting me to live with you from now on?”

Of course, the goal was for him to live with them permanently.

But before Jian Sichun could respond, Zhu Lingjie spoke up first.

“Just tonight... After that, Shi Hai, you can sleep wherever you like. We’re not going to force you to live with us.”

With his mom and sister still at home, Zhu Lingjie couldn’t bear to ask him to give up time with his family just to be with them.

“Ah...”

Jian Sichun hadn’t expected Zhu Lingjie to answer that way.

She hadn’t had time to go over the details with her, so this difference in opinion came as a surprise.

“Huh?”

Noticing Jian Sichun’s shocked expression, Zhu Lingjie realized she might’ve said the wrong thing.

Meanwhile, Shi Hai chuckled and patted Jian Sichun on the shoulder.

“Well, it seems I can fight for something after all.”

“Ugh—!”

So he actually managed to win this one?

At least if it was just for one night, he could tolerate it for now.

"Fine, I’ll sleep at your place tonight," Shi Hai sighed. "You still have an empty room, right?"

The layout of Jian Sichun’s apartment was a mirror image of his own, so there should theoretically be three rooms.

If he could stay in the spare guest room, it might help disperse the rising tide of anxiety within him.

"Ah... about that room..."

Just as Zhu Lingjie was about to explain, Jian Sichun quickly covered her mouth.

"Yep! It’s available! Let’s go inside first!"

There was no way she could let Zhu Lingjie blurt out something that might derail the plan.

Better to get Shi Hai inside first—if they lingered at the door too long, his mom or little sister might overhear. If they came out, convincing Shi Hai to stay over would become impossible.

Although Shi Hai still felt something was off, he followed them into Zhu Lingjie’s apartment.

The moment he saw the third room, crammed full and resembling a storage unit, he understood why Jian Sichun had stopped Zhu Lingjie from speaking.

The room was packed to the brim—half with furniture and half with boxes.

There wasn’t even much space to stand, let alone walk. The efficient use of every square inch of space was almost artistic.

The boxes were filled with belongings from both girls. Most were Jian Sichun’s, while Zhu Lingjie contributed a smaller share.

When Jian Sichun used to live in a dorm, she didn’t have room for so much stuff. So when she moved, she hadn’t brought much.

But now that she had a permanent place to stay, she naturally arranged for all the items from her family home to be sent over—especially her gaming consoles. Jian Sichun had even persuaded her dad to send over his prized collection of retro consoles and discs, so she could game to her heart’s content whenever she wanted.

Zhu Lingjie’s situation was similar, though her things weren’t purchased by her. Her concerned parents had sent them. They said her old furniture was worn out, so when she moved back to her old home, they updated her furniture and wardrobe as well.

But Zhu Lingjie couldn’t bear to throw out the old furniture, so she’d stuffed it all into this room.

Shi Hai stood at the doorway of the overstuffed room, staring at the chaos and falling into deep thought.

It dawned on him that this might have been part of Jian Sichun’s plan all along.

In other words, when she agreed to "go home," she had already thought of using the idea of "cohabiting" to get him to Zhu Lingjie’s place. And since the third room was filled to capacity, there was no way for him to fully avoid them.

Shi Hai could even predict what would happen next.

"Alright, then I’ll sleep on the couch."

"Wait a minute! How could we let you sleep on the couch? That would be so cruel! We might as well let you go back home to sleep if that’s the case."

"Then let me go back home..."

Jian Sichun wiped an imaginary tear from her eye and spoke with a tone of heartbreak.

"Do you really not want to be with us that much..."

Of course, it was just an act.

Seeing Jian Sichun’s pitiful, teary expression, Shi Hai, as her boyfriend, couldn’t help but straighten his posture and respond.

"Absolutely not! It’s just that... if I’m not sleeping on the couch, whose room am I supposed to sleep in?"

He tossed the question back at them, his intentions unmistakable. He was clearly trying to create a rift between the "Jian-Zhu Alliance."

But on this point, they had already come to an agreement beforehand.

Zhu Lingjie replied,

"You can sleep in either of our rooms. The beds are big enough for three people, so there’s plenty of space..."

Shi Hai raised an eyebrow and countered,

"How about this: you two share a room, and I’ll sleep in the other one?"

The girls hesitated for a moment. After exchanging a quick glance, they made their decision.

"No way! We can’t let you sleep in a girl’s room all by yourself!"

The truth was, both of them actually wanted Shi Hai to sleep in their rooms.

If he did, their beds would carry his scent, and when they returned to their rooms the next day, they’d probably sleep even better.

But they couldn’t afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for such a small gain.

Even though Shi Hai had agreed to stay the night, he felt a mix of resignation and wariness.

"How about this? I promise not to rummage around or touch anything, okay?"

"That’s not the issue... It’s just... I’ll get embarrassed..."

Ha.

Shi Hai sneered inwardly.

Embarrassed?

So she still knows the meaning of that word. He thought she'd thrown her sense of shame in the trash ages ago.

After all this back-and-forth, Shi Hai knew where this was headed. It was obvious there was only one option left.

As the owner of the house, Zhu Lingjie made the final call.

"Shi Hai, honestly, we just want to sleep close enough to feel your presence, like holding hands. Since Sisi doesn’t want you sleeping alone, why don’t we all just sleep in the living room together?"

Jian Sichun quickly chimed in.

"Great idea! We just need to put some cushions on the carpet. Plus, we’re not sharing the same bed, so you don’t need to worry so much, right?"

So this is how it ends.

Shi Hai figured this conclusion was part of Jian Sichun’s grand plan all along.

By getting him to Zhu Lingjie’s house, locking out the three rooms as options, he would inevitably sleep in the living room. And since the living room was spacious, they could easily suggest sleeping beside him.

Shi Hai had underestimated her. He used to think she was just a straightforward fool, but it seemed she was capable of a level of cunning rivaling Tian Shui when it came to love.

In the end, the decision was made: the three of them would lay out bedding in the living room and sleep side by side in a "river" formation.

Shi Hai didn’t have pajamas, so he had no choice but to sleep in his boxers.

He had considered going home to grab some, but explaining why he needed pajamas to sleep at Zhu Lingjie’s place would’ve been tricky.

Spending the night with two girls would already raise eyebrows, but he could still explain it away as staying up all night gaming. Going home for pajamas and then heading to the neighbor’s house, though? That’d be suspicious.

What really left him flustered was the way the girls dressed for bed—far too provocative.

They had no intention of letting him off the hook. Their choice of sleepwear made that very clear.

Jian Sichun opted for a mature camisole nightgown, while Zhu Lingjie wore a thin dudou—and only a dudou.

Both outfits shared a common feature: completely bare, snow-white backs.

They knew all too well what Shi Hai liked.

In response, Shi Hai suggested they turn off the lights and go straight to sleep. If the room was dark and they were under the covers, he wouldn’t have to see anything.

But once he got into bed, he began to regret everything.

The torment was just beginning.

Not only did he have to restrain his desires, but he also had to fight off sleep.

He couldn’t afford to fall asleep first.

He needed to ensure that both girls—especially Jian Sichun—were asleep before he let his guard down.

Otherwise, something strange would definitely happen.

Looking back, Shi Hai realized his earlier request to "mentally prepare himself" had too many loopholes.

Even if Jian Sichun made a move tonight, she could easily claim, "You were asleep, so you didn’t need to prepare mentally."

What could he say to that? Dump her out of frustration? Not likely.

The worst part was that once the line was crossed, things would undoubtedly spiral out of control.

Shi Hai could already imagine himself resigning to fate, thinking, If you can’t resist, might as well enjoy it, and indulging in their advances.

If that happened, even he might drown in pleasure and lose himself entirely.

The night stretched on, with the moon hanging high in the sky.

The two she-wolves beside him remained alert, biding their time.

Their breathing gave no indication of whether they were truly asleep or merely pretending.

It was clear he wouldn’t get much sleep tonight.

Then again, Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie hadn’t slept much the night before either, so they should be exhausted by now.

This was going to be a battle of willpower.

But Shi Hai was utterly drained. His eyelids grew heavier, and his thoughts started to flicker like a bad internet connection.

He couldn’t help but sigh.

“Sigh… I still think I shouldn’t have softened my heart. Why do I have to torment myself like this? To train my willpower?”

"If you can't bear it anymore, you don't need to bear it anymore~"

Compared to Jian Sichun's teasing, Zhu Lingjie felt genuinely sorry for her husband.

"Shi Hai, you don’t need to be so hard on yourself… I’m willing…"

"…"

Please, stop talking…

In truth, compared to Jian Sichun’s provocation, it was Zhu Lingjie’s heartfelt concern that Shi Hai found hardest to bear.

The way she acted, as if saying, "Whatever you want to do to me, it’s fine," made Shi Hai feel like he’d be less of a man if he didn’t do something.

At this point, he wished he could find two ropes to tie them both up—only then could he sleep peacefully.

Knock, knock, knock—

After some time, a knocking sound interrupted this battle against drowsiness.

"Hm? Who’s that? Knocking at the door this late at night."

"Probably Mengmeng. Or maybe Mom…"

"So, Shi Hai! You secretly messaged them to come rescue you, didn’t you?"

Shi Hai didn’t answer, and Zhu Lingjie explained instead.

"No… Shi Hai has been with us this whole time. He wouldn’t have had the chance to send a message… Besides, I saw him send a message at the restaurant earlier, saying he’d be late again today. I peeked at Mom’s reply—it was, ‘It’s fine if you don’t come back tonight either.’"

Mom, as expected, thought of everything.

That meant it was likely his sister-in-law at the door. Jian Sichun kept speculating.

"Then it’s probably Mengmeng… What should we do? Pretend we didn’t hear it?"

"She’s already knocking… It doesn’t seem right to ignore her."

"But how are we supposed to explain the relationship between the three of us…"

"It’s definitely hard to explain. If we tell Mengmeng everything… will she think we’re shameless?"

"I don’t think so? If anything, she’d think her brother is the one benefitting."

"Uh… Shi Hai, it’s up to you to decide. Should we open the door?"

Shi Hai was already half-conscious by now, teetering on the edge of sleep.

“Oh… huh? Ah?”

Seeing Shi Hai looking completely clueless, Zhu Lingjie reminded him again.

“Did you hear that? Mengmeng is knocking at the door.”

“Oh…”

Shi Hai’s rationality had already checked out.

He stood up and walked toward the door.

“Ah—!”

“Huh?!”

Watching Shi Hai move without hesitation, both women were stunned.

But by the time they tried to stop him, it was already too late.

Shi Hai had opened the door.

“I thought I heard voices outside earlier, and sure enough, you’re all back—Eh?”

Mengmeng froze when she saw her brother standing there in nothing but his underwear. First, she was surprised, then a little shy, and finally, a hint of appreciation crossed her face.

But then her gaze shifted to the living room, where she saw Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie lying casually in disheveled states.

Mengmeng immediately blew up.

“Brother! Why are you wearing so little?! Don’t tell me they’ve already—!”

Before her outrage could fully ignite, Shi Hai extinguished it by pulling her inside.

“Hey?!”

As Mengmeng stood in stunned confusion, Shi Hai led her to his bedding.

“Brother! You—!”

Under the shocked stares of Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie, Shi Hai gently pressed Mengmeng down onto the bedding.

However, all he did was let her rest her head on his pillow and cover her with a blanket.

Shi Hai himself sat down, crossed his arms, and leaned slightly against the edge of the sofa.

Still holding onto the thought of “I have to wait until they all fall asleep,” Shi Hai instinctively recreated the scene from last time when he stayed up to keep his sister company.

Finally, he patted Mengmeng’s head and murmured:

“Just sleep for now… Whatever it is… we’ll talk tomorrow…”

With his sister safe by his side, Shi Hai could finally rest at ease.

Exhausted beyond his limits, Shi Hai’s consciousness completely shut down.

For the first time in a while, he had a dream filled with vibrant beauty.