The brother and sister went to the bathroom to wash up together.
Shi Hai had already prepared his sister's toothbrush and cup the night before.
Shi Meng was naturally happy to use them, but what made her even happier was being able to help her brother by pouring water and squeezing toothpaste.
This was something her brother personally asked her to do!
Compared to taking care of her brother on her own, fulfilling something her brother requested gave her three times the satisfaction.
Afterward, the siblings stood in front of the mirror brushing their teeth together.
Through the mirror, Shi Hai looked at his sister's smiling face. It was as if the lost and confused expression she had earlier was all just an illusion.
The emotional shift was so drastic...
Shi Hai had encountered a similar situation not too long ago, when Zhu Lingjie suddenly broke down in front of him.
It was also a very sudden 'emotional collapse.'
That happened because Zhu Lingjie suffered from severe germaphobia. She couldn't bear physical contact with others, yet longed for relationships, which made her afraid of being ignored.
In this regard, his sister was similar to Zhu Lingjie.
His reborn sister had lost her family twice, and this experience likely left her in a fragile mental state.
Shi Hai wondered if perhaps the two of them could meet and exchange thoughts about their conditions.
But if Zhu Lingjie's breakdowns were caused by germaphobia and a fear of men…
Shi Hai had no idea where his sister's 'need to take care of her brother' and 'desire to be depended on' came from.
Even if his future self were to become a vegetable, Shi Hai didn't think that would be the reason his sister wanted to take care of him.
Taking care of a sick person is inherently troublesome and time-consuming, often draining the caregiver's energy and spirit.
In many cases, those who care for the sick are worn out, both mentally and physically.
No one would willingly care for someone completely immobilized unless they had no choice.
That's why many families end up having conflicts over the responsibility of caring for the elderly.
So why did his sister enjoy taking care of him so much?
It was as if it was something she found great joy in—she was particularly eager about it.
When her ability to care for him was hindered, it even put her in a bad mood.
To the point where she equated 'not needing to care for her brother' with 'not being needed herself.'
That wasn't normal...
Shi Hai felt the issue likely stemmed from how he and his sister interacted in the future.
Judging from how attentive and caring his sister was, their relationship must have been extremely close.
Maybe even closer than most biological siblings.
That's why Shi Meng placed such importance on her brother, even viewing taking care of him as her life's purpose.
So, the real issue wasn't with his sister, but with himself as her brother.
Shi Hai believed the real question was: 'What did his future self do to his sister?'
Thinking about this made him sigh. If only he also had memories from the future, then many of these mysteries would have answers.
Unfortunately, it seemed he was the only one who hadn't been reborn.
After they finished washing up, the siblings returned to the living room, just in time to see Liu Zhenzhen emerging from her bedroom.
"Good morning, Mom."
Shi Meng greeted her mother with a smile, and Liu Zhenzhen, yawning, gave a lazy reply.
"Ah... good morning, kids~"
Shi Hai looked at his mom in surprise and said, "Mom, you're up early today."
On weekends, Liu Zhenzhen would usually sleep in, sometimes until noon, only getting up when her son called her to eat.
But now it was only a little past 8 a.m., which was early for a weekend in Liu Zhenzhen's world.
"I went to bed early last night... Ah, it's been a while since I've had such a good sleep~ Mmm~" Liu Zhenzhen stretched lazily, her ample chest rising.
Shi Meng looked at her mother's chest, then down at her own… not even close to the same size, she thought sadly.
Liu Zhenzhen, noticing her daughter's thoughts, walked over and gave her a comforting hug. "Drink more milk! Big things start from the ground up!"
"Mhm! I'll work hard to become just like you, Mom!"
Shi Meng's face was buried in the soft comfort of her mother's embrace, dreaming of one day having a maternal figure that could instantly remind people of motherhood, just like her mom's.
Now that she had a second chance, she couldn't let her growth go wrong again!
Shi Hai quietly made his sister a glass of warm milk once more.
After handing the milk to his sister, Shi Hai asked Liu Zhenzhen, "Mom, have you felt unwell lately?"
Shi Hai was concerned that perhaps an illness was what had caused his mother's sudden accident.
"Hm? No, not at all..." Liu Zhenzhen thought for a moment before answering, "I had a full health check in the spring, and everything was perfect. I'm very healthy!"
"That's good."
In reality, Shi Hai didn't think his mom's accident was health-related, but he wanted to make sure.
Since her husband's death, Liu Zhenzhen had become much more conscious of her health.
She was just as careful with her health as she was with Shi Hai's.
Like Shi Hai, she often worked out, which was why she had kept her figure and appearance in such great shape, always brimming with energy.
The main reason was that Liu Zhenzhen felt that since she hadn't been able to leave her son any inheritance, at the very least, she couldn't get sick and burden him.
Not wanting to be a drag on her children was probably the shared mindset of most parents.
"It's rare for you to show concern for me~" Liu Zhenzhen stretched out her arms, trying to pull her son into her embrace as well.
But since Shi Hai was much taller than her now, she could only barely reach his other shoulder.
It wasn't like before when she could easily hug his neck.
This made Liu Zhenzhen feel a bit disoriented.
She realized she hadn't held her son like this in a long time...
Although they still had plenty of playful physical contact, it was mostly joking around.
Like kicking her son's butt or patting his shoulders, sometimes even checking his abs.
But these gestures only brought her feelings of 'relief' and 'regret.'
Relief that her son had grown strong and sturdy, but regret because…
The small, soft boy he once was had turned hard and muscular, no longer adorable!
Indeed, he wasn't cute anymore...
Because he was no longer a 'little boy'...
Before she knew it, he had grown so tall...
Maybe because they had lived together for so long, she hadn't really noticed his growth as much.
It seemed like not too long ago, he was about the same height as her. He only shot up during high school, maybe three or four years ago?
It didn't feel real at all.
Children grow in the blink of an eye… Liu Zhenzhen suddenly deeply resonated with that phrase.
She also realized that, standing before her son, she now had to look up to see his face.
And hugging him like this, it didn't feel like a mother hugging her son anymore. Instead, it felt like a woman hugging the hand of her man...
Normally boisterous, Liu Zhenzhen suddenly felt shy.
To hide her embarrassment, she quickly pulled her arms back and elbowed Shi Hai in the stomach, pretending to cough.
"Ahem—! What are you doing getting so tall for!"
"..."
Shi Hai was speechless.
Wasn't it you, Mom, who made me drink milk every day?
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