Chapter 13

A few days ago, it had rained. On the damp soil, many mushrooms had sprouted. Li Meng excitedly took a bamboo basket, as if discovering a new world, and began picking them like crazy. I was worried he might pick poisonous mushrooms, so I carefully checked them. Most of them were edible, and several had a good taste. Xiao Xiao followed closely behind us, unwilling to fall behind, and instructed Chen Qing to pick some. I glanced at them, and the more I looked, the more something seemed off. "This is Amanita, it's toxic, don’t eat it." I pointed at a white mushroom with a ring around its stem. It resembled the tasty chicken mushroom but was highly poisonous. Xiao Xiao hesitated. Although she didn’t fully believe me, for the sake of safety, she threw it away. Her attention shifted to a yellow mushroom, shaped like a small umbrella: "I want this one." I looked at the toxic mushroom that could cause abdominal pain and said again: "It’s poisonous." Chen Qing said, "Then let’s pick this one…" I looked at the famous "blue mushroom," silently. The barrage of comments exploded with laughter. "This is the difference between a non-lucky person and an emperor’s luck." Some confused viewers commented: "This girl knows a lot, is she a rising star? I might become a fan." My brother glanced at the comments, his lips curling up slightly, as though it were only natural. He even seemed proud, thinking that everyone in the world should love his sister. On the way back, Li Meng was thrilled that his team had won the ingredient competition, happily waving his arms. In the entertainment industry, it’s common to raise some while bringing others down. Li Meng, a small unknown, often had to do the dirty and exhausting work for Xiao Xiao and Chen Qing. Last episode, they had to go to the villagers' homes to gather manure for ingredients. They pretended for the cameras and left. Only the naive Li Meng worked until night, realizing the show’s van had already left to take Xiao Xiao and her team back to the hotel. He was left behind in the village overnight, and if not for a kind villager taking him in, he might have spent the night being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Li Meng, casually, said: "Sis, since you came, my luck has improved a lot." He kept babbling, calling me "sis" over and over. Seeing my brother's fiery gaze, Li Meng shrank back, "Why do I feel so cold?" I coughed twice, "Li Meng, please stop calling me sis. Even though I look young, I’m actually older than you." I showed him a number. Li Meng’s mouth fell open, and his dog-like eyes widened in shock: "I thought I had a baby face, but you have one!" He looked a little disappointed and lowered his head: "I’m the youngest in my family, always wanting to try the feeling of being an older brother." His curly hair made him look more and more like the chihuahua my family used to have when I was a child. I couldn’t help but pet him a few times. He was so fluffy. "Good boy, don’t cry." My brother, expressionless, watched this scene unfold as if it were a child’s play, snorted coldly: "Immature." He walked a few steps ahead but slowed down when he noticed I wasn’t following. I thought, "Who’s immature now?" I caught up, closed the mic, and said, "Brother?" "Mm." One word was enough to calm me. He patted my head, a rare smile on his face, and said softly: "Good girl."