The two were chatting, and the car had already merged onto the main road.
The car moved smoothly on the city's boulevards, and dappled sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves into the car.
"Sister Vic, you really don't have to treat me to a meal." Ethan looked at the flying street scene outside the window.
He said in a relaxed tone, "You should head home too. The baby is probably ready for a nap! Just drop me off at the 7-Eleven up ahead. My house is nearby."
Victoria didn't turn around but tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
Her eyes were still looking straight ahead, but her voice trembled slightly. "Ethan, if it weren't for you today..." Halfway through speaking, she suddenly choked up. She took a deep breath. "You saved my life and the baby's life."
The car fell silent for a while, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.
Ethan saw from the side that her eyelashes were trembling slightly, and the knuckles holding the steering wheel were a bit white.
"So from now on, you're my real little brother, you know?" Victoria suddenly turned her head. Her eyes were still red, but the corners of her mouth raised in a gentle curve.
Ethan's heart warmed, and he deliberately drew out his voice. "Then if your brother gets into trouble in the future..."
"Just come find your sister!" Victoria freed up her right hand and gently ruffled the top of his hair, messing up the short hair that wasn't very compliant even more.
This intimate gesture made her pause for a moment, then she smiled even brighter, as if to dispel all the darkness.
On this day, Victoria had not only escaped death but had also unexpectedly gained such an outstanding younger brother.
Handsome, mature and stable, sensible and interesting!
Under his handsome and upright appearance, he had a calm and reliable demeanor beyond his years, and his occasional humor made people laugh. This combination made Victoria happier and happier the more she looked at him.
The car drove into the most upscale shopping center in downtown, and Victoria dragged Ethan on a crazy shopping spree.
"This shirt looks great on you!"
"These jeans fit perfectly!"
"You need at least two pairs of sneakers!"
.....
From suits to casual wear, from jackets to socks, Victoria was like a fashion stylist, buying Ethan everything from head to toe.
Until she picked up a box of men's underwear, Ethan finally couldn't hold back.
"Sister Vic! I can handle this myself..." He hurriedly snatched the package, but Victoria caught a glimpse of the size.
"Oh~ turns out it's XXL~" Victoria blinked mischievously. Seeing Ethan's embarrassed expression, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After purchasing clothes, the two came to Whole Foods on the first floor of the mall.
Victoria pushed the shopping cart like she was preparing for Thanksgiving, piling all kinds of fresh ingredients into the cart.
"Sister Vic, can you even eat all this?" Ethan looked at the shopping cart gradually piling up and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Today, your sister is cooking for you herself!" Victoria said, then threw two more boxes of prawns into the cart.
Victoria's home was located in a newly developed luxury residential complex, with a layout of one elevator serving two units, highlighting the privacy of an upscale community. The garden landscape in the complex was exquisitely designed, with scattered greenery and elaborate water features.
The elevator went straight to the 9th floor, and Victoria entered the passcode to open the door. As soon as she entered the entryway, she couldn't wait to kick off her high heels, revealing her delicate white feet.
She walked quickly to the living room with the baby in her arms, carefully placed the child in the crib, then turned back to put on her shoes again.
Ethan stood at the door looking at the shoe rack for a long time without finding any slippers. His eyes scanned the shoe cabinet several times—neatly arranged were all kinds of women's shoes: sexy and alluring stiletto heels, stable and elegant block heels, casual and comfortable flats, and a few pairs of sporty white sneakers.
He just couldn't find a pair of men's slippers.
Victoria reacted and said, "No need to change shoes, just come in!"
Ethan glanced at the tiles on the floor and could see at a glance that they were spotlessly clean.
"Forget it, I'll just go barefoot then!"
He took off his shoes directly and stepped on the floor with his socks.
"The tiles will be cold on your feet." Victoria wrinkled her nose, her tone a bit apologetic.
"It's not that your sister is unwilling to give you slippers, it's that the house really doesn't have men's..." She squatted down and pulled out an unopened pair of pink flip-flops from the depths of the shoe cabinet, which were also decorated with small daisy patterns.
"Or... try these?" She raised her face, her eyes shining with a mischievous light.
Ethan looked at this pair of obviously feminine slippers, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. But under Victoria's expectant gaze, he still bit the bullet and stuffed his foot in—
"Pfft!" Victoria couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Ethan's size 10 feet were barely stuffed into size 7 slippers. His heels were completely suspended in the air, and his forefoot filled the entire slipper.
Those cute little daisies were stretched out and deformed, as if they'd been trampled. Combined with Ethan's expression of resignation, the picture was simply hilarious.
Victoria couldn't straighten her back from laughing, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... but really... it's so cute..." She wiped away her tears while laughing and couldn't stop at all.
She usually didn't laugh unless she couldn't help it...
Stepping into the spacious and bright living room.
Victoria took out a bottle of chilled lemonade from the refrigerator and handed it to Ethan. "You rest for a bit. The bathroom is on the right side of the hallway, and there's hot water ready."
After saying that, she turned around and entered the kitchen, tied on a floral apron, and soon there was a crisp sound of spatulas colliding inside, along with the pleasant sizzle of ingredients hitting the pan.
Bursts of tempting aromas wafted through the cracks of the door, making one's mouth water.
About an hour later, Victoria walked out of the kitchen with the last dish.
The stray hair on her forehead was slightly damp with sweat, and her cheeks were flushed from her efforts.
"Ethan, let's eat!" She called out to the living room, her voice carrying unconcealable anticipation.
Four dishes and one soup had been placed on the table: golden honey-glazed salmon glistening with an oily luster, garlic butter scallops neatly arranged on the plate, steamed mussels with white wine exuding the unique sweetness of seafood, garlic butter shrimp dotted with emerald green parsley, and lobster bisque in the middle steaming hot.
Victoria carefully placed the rice in front of Ethan.
"I'm starving! Taste your sister's cooking." When she handed over the fork, her fingertips still carried the warmth from the kitchen.
Taking advantage of Victoria's time in the kitchen, Ethan had already taken a comfortable hot shower. The water washed away the blood stains and fatigue from his body, along with the faint smell of disinfectant.
At this moment, he was wearing the Ralph Lauren polo shirt that Victoria had newly bought, the light gray fabric soft and comfortable against his skin, the delicate polo player logo on his left chest subtle yet visible.
This polo worth nearly a hundred dollars was definitely a luxury for Ethan right now, but it was indeed extra comfortable and fit well when worn, outlining his tall figure perfectly.
Under the light, this fitted polo perfectly showed Ethan's well-proportioned physique. The inverted triangle silhouette with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, the subtle muscle definition, combined with his clean-cut short hair and striking features, made him look like a walking model.
Victoria was very satisfied with the view.
She decided to buy more clothes for Ethan in the future.
Her handsome younger brother just satisfied her desire to play dress-up.
There are 40 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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