It's just The Sims, how did it become my ideal love story?

Chapter 172 The Cat Who Stole Fish! (First Update!)

Are you taking the bus?

At the bus stop, Lin Jiang looked around curiously, her expression one of anticipation and excitement, just like someone going to an amusement park for the first time.

Gu Huai couldn't help but smile and look at her, "Never ridden a bus before?"

"How could that be? I take the bus all the time. It's just that I was told I'm rich, so I thought you were going to take a taxi."

"Even if you have money, you don't need to spend it recklessly. Besides, there are hardly any people on the bus at this time of day, so it's quite comfortable to sit on."

It's long past the days when buses didn't have air conditioning. In fact, if there aren't many people, buses aren't necessarily much harder to ride than taxis.

"I see. Brother Gu Huai is very frugal."

She laughed, noting that her slightly petite figure next to Gu Huai made her look like the girl next door. This image was quite different from the poised and confident Lin Jiang who could effortlessly control situations later on. As for differences in physique, those were minor matters.

"It's alright, isn't thrift just something we're forced to do? If I could, I'd love to splurge, I'd love to wash my hands with champagne and take a bath in milk."

"Hmm? Won't it be sticky?"

"Is that the point?"

"hey-hey."

She kept chuckling to herself, though it was unclear what she was laughing at. But there was no doubt that this natural, playful youthful energy was infectious.

The bus arrived quickly, and the two boarded together. Without prior communication, they surprisingly chose the second-to-last row by the window. Gu Huai had always been the type of boy who would always sit by the window if there was one available, not because he got carsick or anything, but simply because he felt that it fit the image of a melancholic young man.

However, seeing Lin Jiang's actions, Gu Huai still gave up the position to her.

For some reason, perhaps due to that 'elegant' piano competition, Gu Huai, who had just woken up, felt a little sleepy on this languid afternoon.

Even before getting on the bus, I felt that subtle sense of unease, but I kept chatting with the girl next to me.

"Brother Gu Huai, what do you think of my playing today?"

"As good as ever. Although I don't know much about piano, I can tell that no one else is as good as you."

"Pfft. Brother Gu Huai is talking nonsense again. How can it be as good as you say?"

"Is it because you just sound particularly good to me?"

It's starting to sound like nonsense; there's absolutely no sense of shame, as if they're answering on instinct.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window and fell on the girl's hair beside him. Her long hair, still without any curls, was perfectly straight and black. Her already delicate and pretty face was adorned with a touch of light makeup from the competition.

The tiny, sparkling dots seemed to shimmer, like seashells on a golden beach reflecting light.

She has a really pleasing appearance.

Gu Huai had already leaned back lazily in his chair.

Seemingly noticing the boy's state, "Brother Gu Huai, are you a little sleepy?"

Gu Huai yawned. "It's alright. Maybe sitting in the concert hall for too long wore down my passion."

Where does the passion come from? Usually, I'm just listless, like a salted fish washed ashore by the sea. I'm only a few steps away from returning to the ocean, but I'm too lazy to move, just like a stranded salted fish.

"Ah, maybe it's because listening to music is inherently a boring and tedious thing. Just like practicing the piano, I don't always practice with enthusiasm. Once something becomes something that needs to be practiced repeatedly, it seems to become quite boring."

The girl, her face illuminated by the sunlight, gave a somewhat helpless reply.

Gu Huai smirked, his body sinking slightly, so much so that the back of his head was resting against the chair back.

"Most art forms are probably boring, and the most exciting ones are probably just those that give you the creeps, like an electric current running through your body for a moment. But watching you play the piano is alright."

"why?"

"Because just seeing you sitting in front of the piano is enjoyable."

The girl was wearing a white dress underneath, which was already covered by a thick cotton coat. Faced with Gu Huai's overly direct praise, her cheeks naturally felt hot.

"You're talking nonsense again. I'm just an ordinary person."

"If you can be considered ordinary, then gold should be priced the same as coal, and so-called gemstones should just be glass with a layer of color added."

"That's so... so glib!"

"Hahaha. It's okay. You'll face even more praise in the future, even more excessive than mine. Consider this a way of desensitizing you in advance."

Gu Huai leaned back lazily, enjoying the lingering warmth of the afternoon.

The bus driver was in a good mood today, not sticking his head out to yell at the electric bikes weaving around on the street. There were no sudden brakes or sharp turns, only the leisurely vibration of the engine. At this frequency, it seemed to be making Gu Huai sink into an even deeper level of drowsiness.

He couldn't help but yawn.

"Um, call me when we get there, I'm going to take a nap."

"Oh well."

Lin Jiang felt a little regretful; she still had so much to say and so many feelings she wanted to share at this moment. But she couldn't let Gu Huai force himself to listen to her finish, after all, she was already quite a nuisance, needing his help to solve many problems, and even having to call on him for her competitions.

How could I possibly ask for more? A girl who's constantly nagging and complaining is probably not someone anyone likes.

It's okay. There's still plenty of time, a very long time to waste.

Thinking this way, the slight frustration disappeared. After all, she was a girl who liked to bear the pressure herself and was good at self-comfort and adjustment.

Just patiently stay there, just stay there.
"..."

Ok?
A slight weight came from my shoulder, then became more and more noticeable until it could no longer be ignored.

Could it be
Lin Jiang turned her head slightly and saw that the boy, who was slightly asleep with his eyes closed, had somehow slumped over.

His head was already resting on his shoulder.

Although Lin Jiang's shoulders are very slender, the oversized cotton coat makes up for it, and the material inside even makes it a good pillow at this moment.

Gu Huai even instinctively rubbed his cheek against her shoulder, as if adjusting to a good posture, while gently sniffing her nose, as if absorbing all her scent.

This instinctive action made Lin Jiang's heart race, and her cheeks instantly felt like they were on fire.

She knew that this might not have been Gu Huai's intention, nor was he doing it on purpose. Although he sometimes liked to make jokes, he would never use such a despicable method on purpose, so it was just a simple instinct.

But I could almost feel their dependence in those small gestures. It was like how even the strongest and most resilient person needs rest and something to hold onto in order to fall asleep peacefully.

She even felt a thrill in secretly enjoying his instinctive dependence without his knowledge. It was like secretly acquiring some treasure, or even greedily possessing it.

The sunlight was silent and still, and the slight vibrations from the engine made his brows and eyes relax even more peacefully, as if there was no sign of him waking up midway.

As if everything was under conditions that allowed for greater indulgence, she secretly and boldly gazed at the boy's face.

His eyes were closed, and although they weren't completely shut and he looked peaceful, the occasional furrowing of his brow seemed to indicate something. He wasn't truly relaxed and at ease.

Excluding the possibility of dreaming during light sleep, it's probably because he lacks a sense of security, so he can't relax and feel at ease no matter where he falls asleep.

Hmm. I've always relied on him and needed his help. But I seem to have overlooked the fact that Gu Huai is just a high school sophomore, not some superman. He can't solve every problem, and he has his own growing pains too.

Suddenly, I felt a pang of inexplicable heartache.

She recalled that when she was very young and still lived in that neighborhood, her parents always seemed kind and gentle to her. She had always considered them wonderful adults. But thinking back on their attitude towards Gu Huai, she realized they never seemed to express any satisfaction, praise, or understanding; only endless blame and curses. These curses often echoed throughout the entire building, even through the apartment door.

Does he still live that kind of life?

Have his parents changed over this long period of time?
It seems that because of the boy's help and the optimistic and positive attitude he spread to her, she found it hard to think about whether he was doing well or not.

But it's not actually as good as you thought, is it?

Listening to the boy's breathing so close to her neck, she felt no shyness at all. Instead, she couldn't help but reach out and gently touch his face with her delicate fingertips.

I remember that day I went to that uncle's birthday party. My mother brought me along, but his parents showed up without him.

When his mother politely inquired, his parents replied: "He is currently in his second year of high school, a time when he should be studying hard. Why did we bring him out?"
When asked about his studies, his parents only ever said, "Sigh, it's just so-so. He's never given us a moment's peace." They told him that once he turned eighteen, they wouldn't interfere anymore; whether he lived a decent life or not was entirely up to him.

It seems like a very common answer, but thinking about it now, it feels strangely cold-hearted.

How did he manage to become the person who gives people strength and makes them feel incredibly at ease under such circumstances?

The touch of his fingertips grew bolder, and the sunlight on her face was already quite hot, but she seemed completely unaware of it.

And he didn't notice.

It seems to be sleeping very well and won't wake up easily, so...
It's unclear what complex emotions she was experiencing, but her throat visibly twitched as she swallowed something. She pursed her pink lips.

She glanced around and, as Gu Huai had said, there were hardly any people on the bus at this time of day. Even if there were a few, they were either looking at their phones or listlessly dozing off, and no one was paying attention to anything else.

She might have felt that the relationships between people in this era were too cold in the past, but now she thinks this is a good opportunity.

So doing something secretly probably won't cause any problems.

So she turned her head slightly, bracing herself against the sunlight, trying not to make any movement on the shoulder being leaned on, lest she wake the other person.

Looking at his furrowed brows, his slightly closed eyes, and his tightly pressed lips...
Filled with the thrill of secretly doing something naughty, and also with an indescribable excitement, my heart was beating at an unprecedented rate.

She seemed bewitched, as if her mind was being controlled, and she lowered her head uncontrollably.

It seemed as if a heavy rain was falling on the parched desert.

Moisten the dry gravel little by little.

They stick together and will roll like sand balls.

It brings a moist rain that seems to save lives amidst the warmth.

Gu Huai felt as if he had just had such an absurd and bizarre dream.

……

(End of this chapter)