It Seems I’m Not The Only One Who Reincarnated

Jian Sichun turned her head to look at Zhu Lingjie, who was tidying up the playing cards, and pouted, feeling wronged.

“Sigh… it seems like Mengmeng really dislikes us… But I don’t think we’ve done anything to upset her, have we?”

“Um… I don’t think so…”

“Maybe she just doesn’t want to see us picking her up with Shi Hai? She only wants her brother to pick her up… But Mengmeng wouldn’t be petty about something like that, right?”

Jian Sichun remembered that her sister-in-law didn’t seem like the type to care about saving face.

“So strange… I really… just don’t get it anymore…”

Things hadn’t been going smoothly since they returned to the past, and Jian Sichun was feeling somewhat deflated.

Was it true that without Shi Hai’s help, she couldn’t do anything on her own?

However, Zhu Lingjie didn’t quite see it that way.

From what had just happened in the bathroom… maybe Shi Meng didn’t actually dislike them.

Instead, there must be some other reason that made her choose to push them away rather than befriend them.

Shi Meng… this sister-in-law, who had always been an ally in her memories, had suddenly taken an opposing stance.

What could possibly make her change her position so drastically?

The same question lingered in Shi Hai’s mind.

He had certainly noticed Shi Meng’s deliberate targeting of Jian Sichun and Zhu Lingjie.

This was a stark contrast to how she treated him.

Even though they were siblings, they had just met, and it wouldn’t make sense to grow close so quickly.

Accepting a stranger as family was never an easy task.

Otherwise, why would so many remarried families end up in conflict?

Both Shi Hai, as the brother, and Shi Meng, as the sister, needed more time to get to know each other.

Only then could they become siblings who got along without awkwardness.

So Shi Hai tried his best to act friendly, but the response he got from Shi Meng was unexpectedly positive.

Shi Meng seemed to have completely embraced him as her “real brother,” and she even saw herself as his “real sister,” with not a hint of awkwardness.

Even if you’re playing a role, it doesn’t happen that fast.

Plus, recalling what his old homeroom teacher had said, the question mark in Shi Hai’s mind only grew larger.

But he wasn’t in a hurry to confront her now; questioning her directly was the worst approach.

If he demanded answers without understanding her thoughts, Shi Meng would most likely brush him off.

If she didn’t want to talk, how could he force her to speak?

To make her talk, would he have to resort to various methods?

But she was his sister…

Using such methods to interrogate his sister would be beyond perverse.

So if he pressed her too hard, their relationship would only become strained.

Since they were going to live together from now on, he figured it was better to gather information slowly—there was no need to charge in headfirst.

Shi Hai wasn’t the impatient type; he preferred to play the long game.

After hanging up the washed clothes, Shi Hai returned to the bathroom, where his underwear and socks were still waiting to be cleaned.

He filled a basin with water and was about to sit on the small stool and start scrubbing by hand when he noticed that Shi Meng had followed him into the bathroom at some point and had already taken a seat on the stool.

“Uh… Shi Meng?”

Shi Meng pointed to the tiles in front of her, signaling Shi Hai to set down the basin.

Shi Hai squatted and placed the basin down.

Then he watched as Shi Meng took his socks and put them into the water.

Huh? When did she take those? And she’s touching them with her bare hands… doesn’t she mind?

Shi Hai remembered his mom’s exaggerated reaction whenever she handled his socks—pinching her nose with one hand and grabbing the sock’s cuff with her thumb and index finger, her face full of disdain.

Yes, that was the normal reaction of a woman dealing with a man’s stinky socks.

Just as Shi Hai was thinking this, Shi Meng suddenly spoke up.

“Please, leave the washing to me!”

Her tone brooked no refusal.

And she was already sprinkling in washing powder.

The skillful motions made it seem completely natural, and Shi Hai couldn’t help but feel that he should hand this task over to her.

But thinking about it more carefully, something felt off.

Letting his new sister wash his underwear and socks on her first day here—what kind of degenerate brother would that make him?

Shi Hai suddenly felt like he’d turned into a villain from an otome game, the scummy brother of the heroine, always berating and ordering her around.

And yet, the heroine would still find some joy amidst the misery…

Shi Hai couldn’t help but feel a bit like Cinderella’s “wicked brother” seeing Shi Meng act like this, washing his socks.

But he didn’t want to be the “bad brother” in this story.

So, Shi Hai grabbed another small stool and sat next to Shi Meng, watching her wash his socks as he gently tried to dissuade her.

“You really don’t need to go this far.”

“I’m doing this voluntarily.”

“You don’t have to try to please me.”

“I’m not trying to please you, big brother. This is just something I should be doing.”

“Washing your brother’s socks isn’t something a sister should feel obligated to do.”

“…”

Shi Meng fell silent, and her hands stopped moving.

Shi Hai could tell that she was actually listening.

It seemed his new sister wasn’t completely unresponsive to advice after all.

But it only took her a brief moment to think before she resumed rubbing the socks, speaking up again.

“…Maybe you’re right, but… I still want to do it.”

The words “I want to do it” were spoken with a resolute determination.

There was an undeniable strength behind those words.

In other words, Shi Meng wasn’t just putting on a show to leave a good impression on her brother.

She was genuinely doing what she wanted to do.

Although Shi Hai didn’t understand why that meant washing his socks and underwear…

He knew that trying to persuade her further would be futile, so he decided to compromise.

“Alright… But after the socks, let me wash my underwear myself.”

“It’s fine, I can wash the underwear too. I’ll make sure it’s clean and even smells nice.”

“That’s not really the point…”

“What is the point, then? Ah…”

Shi Meng seemed to realize something, showing a hint of shyness before smiling openly.

“Don’t worry, brother. Even if there are a lot of white stains, I won’t mind. It’s normal for guys, right? It’s just a sign of good health.”

“Uh…”

Wow, sis, you really don’t feel embarrassed at all, huh?

With the conversation reaching this point, Shi Hai had no other options.

It seemed that from now on, his socks and underwear would all end up being washed by her.

Guess I’ll just have to make sure I keep them clean from now on… Shi Hai thought to himself with a hint of helplessness.

On the other hand, he became even more curious.

Why did his sister have such unusual thoughts?

Just as Shi Hai was pondering how to delve deeper into this, Shi Meng took the initiative.

“Brother… please don’t go over to their place anymore.”

“Oh?”

Oh wow, just when he was thinking of ways to “fish for information,” she practically threw herself on the hook without any bait.

Seems like she was the one willing to take the bait, huh?

Now he had to seize this chance to communicate further…

And gain a deeper understanding of his new sister.