My brother’s crush yelled herself hoarse at me. "My brother has a gorgeous girlfriend, does yours?" "My brother’s parents are whole and healthy, are yours?" I sneered, "My brother would eat dirt. Would yours?" That night, my brother came home disheartened after being rejected for the seventh time. He found me crouching by the door, smiling with a face full of flattery. He paused, then asked with weary affection, "What mischief have you been up to now?" The words were barely out when his phone rang. The man on the other end spoke with hesitant frustration: "You win. Okay?" "I genuinely couldn't bring myself to eat that stuff." 1 He hung up and called out to me as I tried to sneak back into the house. "Lola Clark. Get back here." I flinched. Full name meant he was seriously mad. I shuffled back, head bowed, and looked up at him. My whole body screamed one thing: guilty. "Bro." I called out sweetly, but his gaze was steady and unwavering. "I didn't mean it." Since I was little, I knew my brother was the "Villain" of this story. And his opposite was the "Hero," Mark Hamilton, who had success in both career and love. Mark had a loudmouthed sister, Tina, who was in my class. Every day, she'd boast in class, "My brother finally got his girl! He has the most beautiful girlfriend now. She bought me so many dresses, I love her!" In contrast, one day my brother, Luke, was half an hour late picking me up from school. His eyes were red, and he looked completely lost. I tugged on his sleeve and asked what was wrong. He forced a smile, leaned down, and ruffled my hair. "Nothing, sweetie. Just... the person your brother loves already loves someone else." "So what if she does? If you like her, keep going for it," I tilted my head, looking at him. "Are you scared?" After a parent-teacher meeting, Tina, the Loudmouth Sister, started handing out snacks her parents had prepared. "My parents seriously love me and my brother so much. They give me this much food every day. I'm honestly sick of it." Her sharp eyes landed on me. "Lola, why is it always your brother who comes to parent-teacher meetings? Don't your parents care about you?" I put down my textbook and told her honestly, "My brother and I grew up in an orphanage. We don't have parents." "Someone doesn't have parents?" Tina gasped. "Doesn't that mean there are two fewer people in the world who love you and your brother? That's so sad." I knew she didn't mean to be malicious, just a little tactless. So I replied, "I have my brother. That's enough." Maybe because we both had older brothers, Loudmouth Tina often clung to me. She started and ended every sentence with "my brother." The argument happened that afternoon. Tina said, "It's annoying. The pretty girl is already with my brother, but some clueless person is still asking her out, trying to steal my pretty sister!" Since she was insulting my brother, I wasn't going to let it go. We started fighting, and inevitably, the topic returned to our brothers. Tina was smug. "My brother has twenty properties and seven sports cars. Does yours?" "My brother has a gorgeous girlfriend, does yours?" "My brother's parents are whole and healthy, are yours?" ... I was stumped. My brother didn't have any of those things. But I couldn't surrender now! So, I sneered, "My brother would eat dirt. Would yours?" That one sentence killed the conversation. Tina was speechless. When school ended, I saw Mark, the Hero, picking up Tina. Tina was clinging to Mark's leg, tearfully trying to force him to eat dirt. I didn't dare watch anymore. I stared straight ahead and walked home, stiff-legged. 2 Uncharacteristically, my brother didn't come to pick me up. Usually, if he couldn't make it, he'd text Mrs. Peterson next door and ask her to grab me when she picked up her grandson. I waited by the school gates for a long time but saw no sign of Luke Clark. Seeing the sky getting dark, I decided to walk home alone. When I arrived, I saw a thick stack of papers on the desk. They included my personal ID information, daily habits, and even detailed notes like 'she only eats the leaves of vegetables.' A sense of dread crept in. I put down my backpack and secretly slipped into my brother's study. Luke was never cautious with me. I easily opened his computer. The last song playing was "I once wished I were dead." His recent search history included: "How to leave entire inheritance to minor child?" "Top ten best foster homes in the country." "Will a brother's death leave lasting trauma on a sister?" ... I took a deep breath, shut down the computer, and restored the study to its original state. Then, I called Loudmouth Tina. Half an hour later, my brother came home. He held the un-delivered flowers, his eyes red-rimmed, his smile strained. If I remember correctly, this was Luke's seventh failed attempt at confessing. The girl he loved was the Female Lead, Sarah. Sarah was destined to be with Mark, the Hero. But my brother was the Villain. He didn't know that. He just believed he wasn't good enough. I stepped forward and hugged Luke around the waist. I looked up at him. "Bro, you're finally home!" "I'm cooking tonight! I made you dinner." I brought out a pot of soup that was a bizarre color and smelled strange. "And my mid-term grades are out!" I presented him with three test papers. All three scores were single digits. Added together, they were still less than my brother's age. Luke's hand, holding the papers, started to tremble. I hit him with the next bomb. "Bro, my teacher wants you to take me to a doctor. She says I might have ADHD. What is ADHD?" My brother closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, the light was gone. He hesitated. "I remember you got straight A's last semester?" "Yep," I stirred the soup. "But learning is boring. When I grow up, I'm going to get tattoos. Uncle Mike next door has a full sleeve. So cool." Luke frowned. "Lola Clark, where did you learn all this nonsense?" He lectured me seriously for half an hour. I hung my head and replied vaguely. After lecturing me, my brother put on a small apron, ready to go to the kitchen. Just then, his phone rang. I looked at him, feeling deeply guilty. Luke paused and asked with weary affection, "What mischief have you been up to now?" He answered the phone. The man on the other end spoke with hesitant frustration: "You win. Okay?" "I genuinely couldn't bring myself to eat that stuff." The meaning was vague, and before my brother could ask me for an explanation, my watch-phone rang. Loudmouth Tina was crying so loudly her voice echoed through the whole house. "Waaah, Lola! My brother absolutely refuses to eat dirt!" "He said he can do anything I want and give me anything I want. I just want him to eat dirt, and he won't!" "Can I trade him for a brother who will eat dirt?" 3 A dead silence fell over the living room. I secretly glanced up to check Luke's expression. He pushed the pot of soup away, set my test papers aside, and lifted his chin. "Sit down." When my brother's face is expressionless, it's quite intimidating. I sat obediently across from him and confessed. "Bro, I messed up." "That phone call just now, was that Mark Hamilton's sister?" When I nodded, my brother asked, "Since when?" "Since when what?" I looked up, confused. Luke closed his eyes. "Trading brothers. When did you start wanting to trade me?" Before I could answer, my brother began to self-reflect. "I'm sorry, Lola. I haven't been a good brother. With the company problems lately, I haven't been able to pay attention to your feelings." "I know I'm not a good brother. It's completely normal that you like someone like Mark and want him to be your brother." Luke looked downcast. He forced a smile. "I didn't take good care of you." Seeing my brother getting sadder, I jumped off the chair and grabbed his hand. "But I don't want to trade brothers with Tina!" "You are the best brother in the whole world!" Luke stared blankly at my hand gripping his. "But I don't have twenty properties and seven sports cars." I shook my head firmly. "Doesn't matter!" "I don't have a gorgeous girlfriend." "I don't care!" "I don't have parents either." "I have my brother, and that's enough." "Hmm." Luke spoke softly. "But your brother won't eat that... stuff..." I instantly shut my mouth. At that moment, the front door was hammered violently. Loudmouth Tina's penetrating voice carried inside. "Lola Clark! I'm here to trade brothers!" Two more people squeezed into the small living room. Tina swaggered in, dragging Mark by the wrist. She wasn't shy at all. She looked around the living room, and her eyes lit up when they landed on Luke. They were like lightbulbs turning on. Tina was satisfied. She dramatically pushed Mark in front of me and patted my shoulder generously. "I'm giving you my useless brother first. You're going to stay in my mansion tonight. I'm going to stay here with Big Brother Luke." Mark, as the author's beloved Hero, was flawless. His only minor flaw was that he was an absolute sim-p for his sister, who was thirteen years younger than him. He spoiled her rotten and listened to her every word. Knowing his sister was just being impulsive, he spoke apologetically. "Mr. Clark, can my sister stay here tonight? We can negotiate the payment." "What do you mean, tonight?" Tina looked at her brother with disgust. "You're so useless. I don't want you anymore. From now on, I'm Big Brother Luke's sister. I'm going to live here forever." She pushed me forward. "Lola, all my dresses, my dolls, my snacks—they're all yours. All you have to do is agree to trade brothers with me." I was completely unprepared for Tina's obsession with "trading brothers." I was about to refuse when Luke, who had been silent the entire time, spoke. His face was calm. "Fine. She'll trade with you." 4 I rushed into my room. I grabbed clothes from the closet and haphazardly stuffed them into my little backpack. The living room was full of Tina's cheers. I could faintly hear Mark cautiously trying to persuade her. "Can I stay here with you, sis? I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone." Tina didn't care. "Just leave the housekeeper here. You leave. Mr. Hamilton, we're not related anymore. Don't call me 'sis'." Mark was still trying to reason with her. I sniffled, suddenly wanting to cry. Luke didn't want me. He saw me as a burden and had been planning to send me away all along. Even my failing grades and talk of tattoos didn't make him care anymore. My brother didn't want me. The door gently closed. Luke had come in without my noticing. He emptied the clothes I'd shoved into the backpack and folded them again, one by one. He even remembered to pack my favorite elephant thermos. After packing, Luke gently pinched my cheek. "Let's go." "Bro." I spoke sullenly, staring at his retreating back. "Are you giving me up?" Luke seemed to freeze. After a moment, he turned around and forced another smile. "How could I?" Liars' noses grow long. I sat in the Hamiltons' car, clutching my backpack, and looked through the window at Luke, trying to memorize his appearance. He was leaning down, listening to Tina talk, occasionally smiling. Liar. Next time I saw Luke, his nose would definitely be long. I turned my head away, refusing to look at him anymore. The Hamilton mansion was bigger than I imagined. The car pulled up to the gate, and Sarah, the Female Lead, was already waiting there. I'd only heard about Sarah from Luke and Tina. The moment I saw her in person, I was momentarily stunned. Sarah was holding a small bear. She leaned closer to me, her eyes bright. The evening breeze moved her hair, carrying a faint scent of jasmine. "Welcome, little Lola." My face felt hot. I buried my face in my backpack. "Uh-huh." The adults must have coordinated. Dinner was all my favorite dishes. Maybe because I'd sampled my own horrifying soup earlier, I had no appetite. I quickly ate a few bites and left the table. I wandered through the Hamilton mansion and nearly got lost. Finally, Sarah led me to my room door. "Go inside and see! Do you like the room I decorated for you?" The room was covered in soft carpets, the closet held rows of pretty clothes, and various dolls were tucked into the corners. Luke spoiled me, but his small company had just started and was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. I had never stayed in a room this grand. "I love it." I nodded and added, "Thank you, Sarah." Sarah poked the small topknot on my head, satisfied, and left. In the middle of the night, I woke up with a stomachache. I must have gotten sick from that awful soup I made. I was covered in cold sweat. I fumbled for the bedside lamp switch, but I was unfamiliar with the room and couldn't find it. My slippers were also nowhere to be found. Standing barefoot on the carpet, I looked around the dark, unfamiliar room, and an overwhelming wave of misery crashed over me. I crouched down, hugging my knees, curled up in a ball. The pain came in waves, but I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sound. After what felt like ages, I heard faint voices outside the door. "Do you think Lola's asleep?" "She didn't eat much dinner. Text Luke again and ask if there's anything else she likes to eat." "The air conditioning seems too cold. Is she going to freeze?" ... The door hadn't been fully closed and was pushed open slightly. The warm, yellow light from the hallway spilled in. Through my cold-sweat-dampened hair, I struggled to look up. "Lola!" The moment Sarah hugged me, I clung desperately to her clothes. I was rushed to the hospital that night. Fortunately, it wasn't serious. When I woke up, Sarah and Mark were still watching over me. Only a dim small lamp was on in the room. I shifted slightly, and they immediately noticed. "Are you still uncomfortable?" When I shook my head, Mark asked, "Can't sleep? Want me to tell you a story?" "Forget it. You only know those few stories. Let me tell one." "A long, long time ago..." I fell asleep listening to Sarah's gentle voice. As I closed my eyes, I thought spitefully, I wish Mark and Sarah were really my brother and sister. Luke didn't want me, so I wouldn't want him either.
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