The older sister let out an “oh,” stood up limply, grabbed some bacon and stuffed it into her mouth at lightning speed, then clattered into the bathroom in her slippers, poking her head out to make a funny face at him.

James Carter pretended he was going to hit her, and she immediately pulled her head back in. His sister never acted like an older sister, but he was used to it—after all, he didn’t really act like a younger brother either.

Probably because of their upbringing, their parents had always been strict and demanding with James Carter, afraid that their little sapling would grow up crooked. But with his sister, they were endlessly indulgent and doting. The siblings were treated completely differently: if the sister was their biological child, the brother was like a freebie that came with a phone top-up. The old man’s explanation was: raise boys tough, raise girls rich.

But no matter how strict their parents were, no matter how much they hoped he’d make something of himself, James Carter was like a hopeless case, growing up mediocre for twenty-two years. On the other hand, his sister, who was raised with a loose hand, was a top student from childhood, and as an adult remained as smart as ever, breezing into Fudan University like it was nothing.

“If you were even half as smart as Baobao, I’d wake up laughing in my dreams.”

That’s what their father always said to James Carter.

That’s right, Baobao is his sister’s name—full name Baby Carter, age twenty-five.

Baby Carter came out of the bathroom, looking neat and tidy, like a completely different person. Her face was fair and delicate; rumor had it that back in college, girls would secretly call her a “vixen face” behind her back.

“You spent ten minutes washing your face and brushing your teeth. It’s now 8:25 a.m. Even if you finish breakfast in five minutes, go back to your room to change and put on makeup, then take the subway—forget it, don’t take the subway, drive instead. Let’s do the math: you’re going to be late today. If you’re late even once, you lose your perfect attendance bonus, that’s 300 yuan gone—basically a week’s worth of food.” James Carter calculated the financial loss caused by his sister’s laziness.

“I never wear makeup,” Baby Carter wrinkled her nose, acting a bit like a spoiled little girl.

“Shouldn’t the point be that you’re going to be late for work?” James Carter was exasperated.

“I’m not going to work. I quit.” Baby Carter swallowed her fried egg and took a sip of milk.

James Carter was shocked. “When did that happen?”

“I quit yesterday. Didn’t I tell you?”

“I have no memory of that.”

“Oh, there was just too much going on, I forgot to tell you.”

“Why’d you quit for no reason? Did your boss harass you?”

Baby Carter’s phoenix eyes suddenly sparkled with delight. “Great idea! I’ll tell Dad that if he asks.”

“Ridiculous. Like I’d cover for you? That job was great—you were making five thousand a month during your internship, over ten thousand after going full-time, and a nice year-end bonus. You just up and quit? What are you going to live on, fresh air?”

Baby Carter blinked her eyes, acting cute. “From now on, I’ll just rely on you to support me.”

“Get lost, get lost, I haven’t even graduated yet.” James Carter grumbled, “Dad was bragging to the relatives last year, too. He had this super proud look on his face but pretended not to care: ‘Oh, it’s nothing special, just a Fortune 500 company…’”

Baby Carter lowered her head, carefully spreading peanut butter on her toast, mumbling, “Yesterday was my birthday. Time really is a butcher’s knife—before I knew it, I’m almost thirty. I thought, I can’t go on like this. I don’t want to waste my youth at some Fortune 500 company. I want to break free, shake off the old ways, and become a brave girl chasing her dreams.”

“More like a dream-chasing woman,” James Carter snarked.

“Wanna die?” Baby Carter glared at him.

“What do you want to do?” James Carter felt a sense of foreboding.

“My goal is to get on screen, become a big star, a national goddess—ho ho ho!” Baby Carter struck a “the serf has turned master” pose.

Just as he thought!

James Carter silently covered his face.

There was a major stain, a big regret, in Baby Carter’s life.

The so-called stain was her name. Back in middle school, unable to stand her classmates’ teasing, she secretly took the household registration book and tried to change her name. But since she couldn’t give a good reason (“the name is too ugly” doesn’t count) and didn’t have her parents with her to sign the paperwork, the police called home to ask about it. Dad rushed to the police station without a word, dragged her home by the ear, and gave her a good beating. In James Carter’s memory, that was the first time their parents had joined forces to punish her.

The second time was in high school. Because of her good looks and outstanding temperament, Baby Carter was spotted by a talent scout. Who knows what kind of big dreams he sold her, but she made becoming a superstar her lifelong goal. But their father was old-fashioned and didn’t want his daughter in showbiz. Their mother was worried the so-called scout was a scammer who’d sell her into a brothel, so she got another beating—Baby Carter considered it her life’s greatest regret.

Actually, their parents didn’t know that after the college entrance exam, Baby Carter had wanted to put Shanghai Theatre Academy as her first choice. Luckily, James Carter stopped her with all his might, or she’d have been in for a third beating.

After all these years, she still hadn’t given up.

“That’s enough. What’s so great about being a star? It looks glamorous on the outside, but it’s all hardship behind the scenes. This society is dark. If you just jump into this world without a clue, in less than two years you’ll be chewed up and spit out, and you might not even make a name for yourself.” James Carter said righteously.

“I don’t care, I don’t care!” Baby Carter twisted around, acting like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.