"Huh?" Shi Hai gave his mother a look that said, "You're not serious, right?"
Hmmm.. Jian Sichun did mention a 'sister.' earlier…
"I thought you'd spit out your water."
"I almost did."
If he hadn't gotten the heads-up from Jian Sichun, Shi Hai figured he'd be completely bewildered right now.
After his father passed away in the sixth grade, it's been seven or eight years since then, and his mother never entertained the idea of remarrying.
Her friends and relatives often advised her to remarry while she was still young and in good shape, but she always brushed them off.
Shi Hai agreed with them, thinking it was a good idea.
Though he always called her 'Mom,' she didn't look old at all.
She had him when she was twenty-one, so she was only in her early forties now.
Though, perhaps due to how she is, she looked like she was still in her thirties, still youthful, without a single wrinkle.
When they used to go shopping together, they were even mistaken for siblings, which made Liu Zhenshan smug and proud for quite a while.
In any case, she was still suitable for remarriage.
Shi Hai never felt uncomfortable about it, especially since his father's will expressed a hope that a good man would take care of her in his stead.
But now, thinking back, he couldn't recall a time when his mother's belly grew, so the only possibility was that it was a stepdaughter from a remarriage.
Two single-parent families coming together to form a new one wasn't unheard of.
But recently, she never mentioned any 'unfamiliar uncle.'
No matter how he looked at it, this was too sudden.
His mother wasn't the type to keep secrets.
Could she have been deceived?
Worried, he looked at her with pity.
"You think I got scammed, don't you?" Liu Zhenshan asked, displeased.
Shi Hai widened his eyes, blinking with a look of surprise that said, "You guessed it."
Liu Zhenshan grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him.
"You think your mother is an idiot?"
"You're not an idiot, but you're too kind... kind people get taken advantage of, Mom."
"That's why I'm very cautious now. Except for emergencies, don't I always come back and discuss things with you?"
"That's true... So, what's the situation?"
Since Shi Hai started college, his mother had indeed gotten into fewer troubles.
Zhu Lingjie realized that the next topic was likely a major family event for the Shi family, and since she was still an 'outsider,' she didn't feel it was appropriate to continue listening.
Timidly, she raised her hand and asked,
"Um... it sounds like you're about to discuss something important... Can I listen?"
"No problem, Lingling. You're not an outsider," Liu Zhenshan said, which greatly moved Zhu Lingjie, making her feel like she was deeply cared for by this mother and son duo.
"And besides, I'm already an old lady. What's the point of getting married again? Isn't it embarrassing?"
"I don't think you look old at all, Aunt Liu..."
"Really? Lingling, you're so sweet~"
"Enough with the vanity. So, if it's not remarriage, is it adoption?"
That seemed like the only possibility left.
Liu Zhenshan didn't beat around the bush and directly admitted,
"Yes, I'm planning to adopt a girl."
"When did this happen?"
"Do you remember four years ago when I went to help with earthquake relief?"
"Of course I remember. You were gone for three months without a single phone call. I was worried sick."
"I'm sorry... for making you worry."
Liu Zhenshan felt she had been an unqualified mother in many ways, unable to even cook a proper meal for her son, which made her feel guilty, as if she didn't deserve to be a mother.
She had saved countless lives, done many good deeds, but felt she owed something to her husband and son.
She just couldn't ignore people in need; it was in her nature.
"Actually, during that time, I personally rescued an elementary school student. Her parents died in the earthquake, and she was later sent to an orphanage."
"So, you felt compassion?"
"Yes... I wanted to adopt her at that time, but knowing I was a widow raising a child alone, she refused to avoid causing me trouble."
"Oh... Seems like a good kid. It's rare for someone to be so sensible at such a young age, but, I assume you still helped her out, right, Mom?"
"Yes, I covered her school fees so she could continue studying..."
"I see. And now you're bringing this up again because she got into a good school and you don't want her staying in a dorm, so you want her to live with us?"
"You guessed it, huh?"
"Intelligence difference, Mom."
"You little rascal!"
Another cushion was thrown, which Shi Hai caught without changing his expression.
Liu Zhenshan didn't hold back, showing him a double middle finger.
Watching from the side, Zhu Lingjie found their interaction amusing, seeing it as a sign of their close bond.
Liu Zhenshan wasn't actually angry, instead, she praised internally, "No one knows me better than my son."
"Yes, just as you guessed. When I saved her, she was in the sixth grade. Now, she's starting high school and got into your old school."
"Impressive, she's a good student."
"Of course, she's very diligent. So, I asked again if she wanted to be my daughter this time."
"And she agreed?"
"Yes, she said she also wanted to meet her brother—you."
"Okay, so a high school freshman, a sister four years younger than me..."
He was about to have a high school-aged sister.
And since Jian Sichun mentioned it, it seemed like this was 'destined to happen.'
"I was worried it might be awkward for her to live with you, but since we already have a girl staying, another one shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Mom, you're too much..."
It sounded like she was saying, "Since we already have one cat, another won't make a difference."
"But now there's a problem."
"What problem?"
"Our house only has three rooms."
"Seriously, Mom, you're planning to bring a new family member in and you promised Jian Sichun she could use a room?"
Did this woman not have a sense of scale?
Liu Zhenshan gave him a pitiful look and said,
"I can't say no to a cute girl's request..."
"Were you a playboy in your past life?"
"So, Shi Hai, you'll sleep in the living room from now on!"
Shi Hai's mouth twitched.
"You're really my mom, huh..."
Wow, he doesn't even have his own room anymore.
"Girls need their own space, you know. Changing clothes would be troublesome otherwise."
"And it's not troublesome for me?"
"A man being seen won't lose anything!"
Do women lose flesh when seen?
"Not that I mind being seen, but it'd be awkward for them."
"It's not like we can make two girls share a room. Our rooms aren't that big! No, I can't let them suffer."
Liu Zhenshan crossed her arms and lifted her head, leaving no room for argument.
Seeing Shi Hai's helpless look, she playfully threw a coquettish look and spread her arms, asking,
"Or do you want to sleep in the same room with your mom and feel the warmth of a mother's embrace?"
"Heh."
Shi Hai laughed coldly.
"Alright, I'll pack and move back to the dorm."
This seemed like the most reasonable solution.
If Jian Sichun found out Shi Hai was moving back to the dorm, she might vomit blood on the spot.
What's the point of staying at this house if Shi Hai wasn't there!
And someone else didn't want to let Shi Hai go, either.
"Um—!"
Zhu Lingjie, who had been listening quietly, raised her hand to draw their attention and suggested,
"My house... has a spare room!"
Liu Zhenshan quietly smirked.
Oh dear, little fishy Lingling, you took the bait~