Repository: flutter
Issue: `'earliestUsefulChild != null': is not true` is thrown if we set the previous laid out children to `null` in `ListView.builder`
Labels: framework,f: scrolling,a: error message,has reproducible steps,P2,found in release: 3.10,team-framework,triaged-framework,found in release: 3.13

### Is there an existing issue for this?

- [X] I have searched the [existing issues](https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues)
- [X] I have read the [guide to filing a bug](https://flutter.dev/docs/resources/bug-reports)

### Steps to reproduce

1. run the code provided below.
2. Scroll down to end of the list.
3. Press the FAB.
4. Scroll back up to the begin of the list.

### Expected results

since returning `null` in `itemBuilder` method will be signaling that we reach the end of the list when we scroll down I suppose it should works normally if we return `null` in the beginning of the list since the `builder` factory lazily load the items.  

I'm not sure if that's intended or not.

The use case is I'm trying to implement a fetch on demand behavior, it works well when scrolling down and showing a 'Loading' until I fetch the new data, and I dispose the data that are no longer showing on the screen as I scroll down.

However when try to scroll back up I still apply the same logic (show loading until I get the data) but it throws `'earliestUsefulChild != null': is not true`.

### Actual results

════════ Exception caught by rendering library ═════════════════════════════════
'package:flutter/src/rendering/sliver_list.dart': Failed assertion: line 186 pos 16: 'earliestUsefulChild != null': is not true.
sliver_list.dart:186
The relevant error-causing widget was
ListView
main.dart:31
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

### Code sample

<details><summary>Code sample</summary>

```dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(
    const MaterialApp(home: MyHomePage()),
  );
}

class MyHomePage extends StatefulWidget {
  const MyHomePage({super.key});

  @override
  State<MyHomePage> createState() => _MyHomePageState();
}

class _MyHomePageState extends State<MyHomePage> {
  List<String> items = List.generate(200, (i) {
    if (i > 180) {
      return 'Loading';
    }
    return 'Item $i';
  });
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(onPressed: () {
        setState(() {
          items.replaceRange(10, 30, ['Loading']);
        });
      }),
      body: ListView.builder(
        itemCount: items.length,
        itemBuilder: (context, index) {
          if (items[index] == 'Loading') return null;
          return Text(items[index]);
        },
      ),
    );
  }
}

```

</details>


### Screenshots or Video

<details><summary>Video</summary>


https://github.com/flutter/flutter/assets/95232508/947a83ed-b18c-4c44-ad24-aa3f626640d3



</details>

### Logs

_No response_

### Flutter Doctor output

<details><summary>Doctor output</summary>

```console
Doctor summary (to see all details, run flutter doctor -v):
[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.10.1, on macOS 13.2 22D49 darwin-arm64, locale
    en-EG)
[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 33.0.2)
[✓] Xcode - develop for iOS and macOS (Xcode 14.2)
[✓] Chrome - develop for the web
[✓] Android Studio
[✓] VS Code (version 1.79.2)
[✓] Connected device (2 available)
[✓] Network resources

• No issues found!
```

</details>