Her fingertips unconsciously tightened.
The girl told herself she had to hold back.
Don't laugh.
What if it affected Mom's decision?
Until they knew the outcome, she had to hold back.
Besides, Mom was only wavering a little.
Her goal was both close and far away.
After all, everything depended on a single thought from Mom.
"Mom."
The boy spoke clearly, at an unhurried pace, his voice so calm and soothing that it put people at ease.
"If my reaction earlier made you hesitate..."
"There's no need."
"I'm not that useless."
"Really."
"I really only reacted so strongly because I was so surprised."
The boy smiled wryly.
"It's rare for my little sister to like something so much..."
"You know how she's always losing interest after three minutes."
The girl opened her mouth.
But she still held back the urge to argue.
She knew her brother was trying to help her.
She couldn't hold him back.
"But this time, she's had this snake for a month already."
The boy laid out the facts.
"And..."
The boy smiled.
"Mom, the more you forbid her from keeping it, the more you might provoke her rebellious streak. She'll only want to keep it even more."
"If you let her keep it, she might get bored of it on her own after a while."
"Xiao Xin has only liked snakes for a short time."
"She's caught up in the excitement right now."
"If you let her have her fill, she'll gradually lose interest in snakes on her own."
"Wouldn't that be better?"
In many cases, giving way was always more effective than trying to block something.
The girl's lips moved again.
She wanted to argue once more.
But she held back again.
She told herself her brother was on her