It Seems I’m Not The Only One Who Reincarnated

Shi Hai didn’t quite understand why she was suddenly apologizing and asked, rubbing his chin.

“Uh… what are you apologizing for?”

“I mean… it’s not that I hate you… it’s because… I have androphobia…”

“So, you hate all men, which means I’m included, right?”

“No, that’s not it—!”

Zhu Lingjie hurriedly took off her mask and said with all her might.

“I don’t hate you!”

That sentence flowed smoothly from Zhu Lingjie.

Actually, her androphobia was never completely cured in her previous life either.

The only man she could physically touch was Shi Hai, no one else.

To Zhu Lingjie, Shi Hai was the last straw she clung to.

Shi Hai’s response was unusually calm.

“I see, I get it.”

“Re-really? You understand?”

He understood?

But why was his reaction so small…

In her previous life, when she had revealed this to him, Shi Hai at least widened his eyes and replied with a bitter smile, “I see, that’s great. I thought you always hated me.”

In this life, Shi Hai’s reaction was different, leaving Zhu Lingjie a bit puzzled.

She thought maybe Shi Hai was brushing her off and continued speaking.

“Um, I’m just not used to being close to men… it’s really not about you…”

“I said I understand. Now put your mask back on.”

At his command, Zhu Lingjie felt her body react as if it had been shocked.

The next second, she obediently put her mask back on.

It was a reflexive action by now.

After putting on her mask, she naturally lowered her head.

She was waiting for a reward.

But as soon as she lowered her head, she realized that the current Shi Hai would not praise her for being good and pat her head after giving a command.

This feeling of unfulfilled expectation left Zhu Lingjie dazed.

She suddenly realized something was off.

Perhaps because Shi Hai was the only man she could touch and also the one she liked the most, she had become unable to refuse any of Shi Hai’s requests at some point.

No, it wasn’t that she ‘couldn’t refuse,’ but that she ‘didn’t want to refuse.’

Not only did she not feel annoyed by his commanding tone, but she also felt a sense of happiness when being commanded, eagerly anticipating both praise and punishment.

Yes, she was just eagerly anticipating ‘Shi Hai’s reaction.’

But now, Shi Hai was barely reacting at all… Zhu Lingjie felt especially scared.

Was it because he had a girlfriend, so he didn’t care about other women at all…

Was ‘not caring’ such a terrifying thing?

Zhu Lingjie recalled a saying she had heard somewhere before.

The opposite of love isn’t hate, but indifference.

Remembering her past actions, every time Shi Hai greeted her, she would respond with silence.

Because there was ‘no dialogue,’ even after being childhood friends for more than ten years, their relationship never grew closer.

Though it was due to her mental illness, what had she done…

Overwhelmed by immense guilt, her heart sank to the bottom.

Shi Hai didn’t notice her abnormal behavior and treated it as ordinary conversation.

He continued cleaning while asking.

“But androphobia… when did it start?”

“…”

“Hmm?”

Shi Hai looked over at Zhu Lingjie, seeing her standing dumbly at the door, head lowered, her expression unseen.

Worried that something might be wrong, Shi Hai put down the mop and walked over, waving his hand in front of her and asking.

“Hey? Are you alright?”

“Ah—! I-I’m fine…”

“You still don’t look well. Go back to my house.”

Another command.

This time, Zhu Lingjie refused to comply, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She forced herself to suppress the sweeping wave of anxiety and fear and answered Shi Hai’s earlier question.

“It started a long time ago… when I was in first grade…”

“Considering that, it must have been tough sitting next to me for six years.”

“No—! Not at all—!”

“That’s good.”

Shi Hai continued cleaning, noticing that Zhu Lingjie didn’t seem like she wanted to leave.

But since this was her home, she could stay wherever she liked; it wasn’t his concern.

Zhu Lingjie’s mind was in chaos.

She wanted to follow Shi Hai’s command and go back, but she felt that if she did, nothing would progress…

Why did it turn out this way?

It was because she had been reincarnated into the past.