Am I Old Enough to Take a Whole One?

Hot water was flowing freely in the bathroom. Mother Meng rubbed off a layer of greasy dirt from her body, and as soon as she was clean, she looked down and froze.

The skin on my arms, which was originally a bit loose, became firm and smooth, and felt silky to the touch.

She subconsciously touched her lower abdomen, where the previously loose flesh had tightened, her waistline was much more defined, and even the skin on her legs was a shade lighter and very elastic, just like when she was in her early thirties.

Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't even finish showering; she just rinsed off quickly and hurried to the mirror.

The woman in the mirror had completely black hair at her temples, and the fine lines around her eyes and age spots on her cheeks were so faint they were almost invisible; her skin had a healthy glow.

Even her sagging breasts perked up, making her look at least ten years younger, clearly resembling someone in their thirties.

"What... what kind of medicine is this..." Mother Meng murmured to herself, recalling that Shen Jingchuan said he had found it with great difficulty, so it seemed to be a truly rare and precious item.

She composed herself, rinsed herself thoroughly, wrapped herself in a bathrobe, took a deep breath, and then opened the bathroom door.

Meng Ke, who was in the living room, was pressing Shen Jingchuan for answers when she heard the noise and looked up. Her words caught in her throat, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

The woman in front of her clearly resembled her mother from her childhood memories. She looked incredibly young, with firm skin, jet-black hair, and a radiant beauty.

If you stood next to her, you'd think they were sisters a few years apart; she doesn't look like someone nearing fifty.

"Mom...? Are you still my mom?" Meng Ke stammered, "This... this is too much!"

The mother and daughter exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned to look at Shen Jingchuan, their eyes filled with barely suppressed shock and questions.

Shen Jingchuan touched his nose, gestured with his chin towards Meng Ke, and then took out an identical small jade bottle from the side pocket of his backpack and handed it to her.

"Xiao Ke, actually I also prepared one for you."

He thought to himself, since Mother Meng has already eaten it, he might as well let Meng Ke take it in front of him as well, so that she wouldn't have any problems if she ate it randomly later. It would be safer with him there to protect her.

"You should eat it too, otherwise the medicine will lose its effectiveness if left for too long."

Meng Ke pointed to her own nose, her face filled with disbelief:

"For me?"

She gripped the cold bottle, hesitated for a long time, and muttered to herself, "This is too precious... Maybe I should just sell it; who knows how much money I could get for it."

"Nonsense."

Shen Jingchuan chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Money is nothing compared to health. No amount of money can buy youth and good health. This is something I found especially for you; it wasn't easy to get it, so just eat it without worry."

Meng Ke ran her fingertips over the bottle, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

She knew that it wasn't easy for Shen Jingchuan to go out and find these rare items; he often couldn't be contacted for days at a time, and who knew how many risks he had taken.

"Did you go out and take risks again...?" Her voice was a little muffled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"That's not true."

Shen Jingchuan quickly reassured him:

"It's just because I got help from someone I know, it's not that difficult. Hurry up and eat it, don't let my good intentions go to waste, it would be a pity if you left it any longer and the medicine would lose its effectiveness. Look how young I am now, don't you want to look like sisters with me when we stand together?"

Hearing this, Mother Meng blushed and covered her face with her hand, laughing.

"You silly child, you're teasing me."

Meng Ke glanced at her mother, then looked down at the pills in her hand, clenched her little fists, and gritted her teeth:

"Eat! I can't let my mom outdo me!"

She was about to pour it into her mouth when she suddenly stopped, looked up pitifully, and asked:

"I'm twenty-five years old this year, is that enough for one? Won't I turn into a child again?"

Shen Jingchuan was almost furious. "Don't worry, I'll raise you like a daughter."

"Jingchuan, will it hurt a lot to eat this? I saw Mom sweating from the pain just now..."

Mother Meng kept covering her eyes; she was really being slow and indecisive.

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Shen Jingchuan reached out and lightly placed his hand on her wrist. "Auntie wasn't prepared just now, and the medicine had a bit of a side effect. I helped you manage the pain while you were taking it, so it's very mild; just bear with it for a bit."

"Jingchuan..."

Mother Meng snatched the pills and stuffed them into Meng Ke's mouth, then picked up a half-cup of warm water from the table and poured it down her throat.

Shen Jingchuan's eyes widened in disbelief; he never expected his future mother-in-law to have this side to her. Meng Ke, however, seemed unsurprised; it appeared to be a standard practice in their household.

As soon as the pill slid into her stomach, Meng Ke felt a warm current of energy enter from her wrist and travel down her arm throughout her body.

The expected cramping only caused a slight bloating in my abdomen, which was quickly relieved by the warm flow.

A warm feeling spread through her limbs and bones, like soaking in warm water, so comfortable that she almost squinted her eyes.

I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly a faint fishy smell entered my nose.

She looked down and saw a thin layer of black mud seeping out of her arm. She immediately jumped up with a cry of "Ah!"

"Alright, that's enough." Shen Jingchuan let go of her hand, smiling as he gave her a gentle push. "Go take a shower."

Meng Ke responded and rushed into the bathroom in her slippers, closing the door behind her.

The living room fell silent. Mother Meng sat down on the sofa, composed herself, and looked at Shen Jingchuan, her voice still tinged with undisguised shock:

"Little Shen... tell me the truth, what kind of miracle drug is this?"

Shen Jingchuan's mind was racing—he couldn't just say it was something from another world. Just as he was thinking about how to make it up, he heard a scream suddenly come from the bathroom.

"Ah--!"

He was startled, and swallowed back the words he was about to say.

My heart skipped a beat:

No way? Could it be that he's really turned back into a child? He instinctively tried to get up, a hint of panic on his face.

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Mother Meng, on the other hand, remained remarkably composed. She took a sip of her tea, smiled, and waved her hand dismissively.

"This girl has always been like this since she was little, easily startled by the smallest things. Just ignore her."

Shen Jingchuan was stunned, a little taken aback. Meng Ke was usually calm and reliable when working outside, but was she like this at home?

Seeing his worried expression, Mother Meng smiled and shook her head.

"Alright, I'll go check on her, so she doesn't start making a fuss again."

She stood up and walked towards the bathroom in her slippers.

Then Shen Jingchuan heard another "Ah!"

Shen Jingchuan immediately jumped up and ran over...