“There’s a guesthouse in Jiagenba too? Exactly how many guesthouses do you own?” Lin Mo asked curiously.
“Several dozen for now,” Danzeng replied calmly. “We’re still expanding.”
“Several dozen?” Lin Mo blinked in disbelief. “I was actually worried about your finances. I kept thinking this place might go out of business one day. Turns out I was worrying for nothing.”
She patted her chest and laughed.
The moment she smiled, both Danzeng and Gyatso lost focus for a second.
“Brother Gyatso,” Cizhen suddenly chimed in, her voice full of pleading, “my birthday is in two days. I want to have a grassland party, you know, a bonfire celebration. Can you stay until after my birthday before you leave?”
It was only two more days.
Gyatso couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.
“Alright.”
The instant he agreed, Cizhen’s face lit up like a blooming flower.
The way she looked at him sparkled with unmistakable admiration and the shy sweetness of a young girl in love.
Even Lin Mo, who was notoriously slow when it came to matters of the heart, noticed it.
…
That evening, back in their room, Cizhen excitedly pulled out a lavender Tibetan robe she had specially brought with her.
She twirled around in front of Lin Mo, lifting the hem and spinning in circles.
“Well? Is it pretty?”
“It’s gorgeous,” Lin Mo said without hesitation. “You look like a fairy.”
Cizhen grinned proudly.
“Come here. Let me show you my treasures.”
She lowered her voice mysteriously and opened a wooden box.
Inside were colorful ornaments and jewelry.
Lin Mo only recognized the silver pieces.
“These are turquoise, agate, red coral…”
Cizhen carefully cradled each item as she introduced them, her expression full of affection.
“Wow…”
Lin Mo’s eyes widened.
“Are all of these real gemstones?”
“Of course they are!”
Cizhen puffed out her chest proudly.
“We Tibetans don’t wear fake jewelry.”
“You’re rich.”
Lin Mo sighed sincerely.
She had never been interested in jewelry.
And even if she had been, she couldn’t have afforded a collection like this.
“Me? Rich?”
Cizhen laughed.
“I’m nothing compared to those three.”
She pointed outside.
“Brother Danzeng’s family runs a huge business selling matsutake mushrooms and caterpillar fungus. They’ve even expanded overseas.”
Lin Mo suddenly understood.
No wonder he was so skilled at finding matsutake mushrooms.
His family had been in the industry all along.
“As for Brother Gyatso, his family is one of the most respected clans around here. His great-grandfather was part of the Red Army. These days, their family mainly works in the yak business.”
“And Medo…”
Cizhen shrugged.
“I don’t know much about her family, but they’re involved in similar businesses. Anyway, they’re all much richer than us.”
She sounded completely unconcerned, without the slightest trace of jealousy.
“What about your family?” Lin Mo asked.
“Our family?”
Cizhen laughed.
“We do a little bit of everything. The problem is we only do a little bit of everything. That’s why we’re the poorest.”
She looked entirely unbothered by the fact.
Lin Mo shook her head.
“You’re not poor. Honestly, Tibetan people seem quite wealthy.”
The reality was far different from what she had imagined.
“Not really.”
Cizhen leaned back against the bed.
“Housing is much cheaper here than in big cities. Have you seen the housing prices where you’re from?”
She shuddered dramatically.
“And not everyone here is rich. Plenty of people still struggle. Things are just much better than they used to be.”
She grew slightly more serious.
“The government has invested a lot over the years, building roads and providing support. That’s why more people finally have a chance to leave the mountains and see the world.”
“That’s true.”
Lin Mo nodded.
Truthfully, she had never cared much about money.
Her material desires were minimal.
Her family wasn’t wealthy, but her parents had raised her well.
She had grown up grounded, content, and emotionally fulfilled.
Back in university, most art students came from affluent families.
Luxury brands, expensive gadgets, designer clothes.
She had never cared.
While others competed and compared, she carried the same canvas bag every day, rarely wore makeup, and focused entirely on her studies.
She never envied anyone.
To her, happiness was simple.
Enough money to live comfortably.
Enough food to eat.
A chance to travel once in a while.
And if she could achieve even a small piece of her dreams along the way, that was more than enough.
…
“Brother Danzeng and Brother Gyatso’s families have known each other forever.”
Cizhen suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer.
“They practically grew up wearing the same pair of pants.”
Lin Mo nearly choked.
Cizhen giggled.
“One is cold, the other is warm. One is tough, the other is gentle. They’re surprisingly compatible.”
Then she grinned mischievously.
“To be honest, I used to think they were a couple.”
“What?”
Lin Mo stared at her.
“How did you come to that conclusion?”
“Because neither of them dated anyone, and they were always together.”
Cizhen shrugged.
“Didn’t they have girlfriends before?”
Lin Mo found that hard to believe.
Both men were attractive, successful, and charismatic.
“I think they dated back in university,” Cizhen said. “But that was years ago.”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Seriously though, what normal men stay single for that long?”
Lin Mo couldn’t help recalling how she’d once thought Danzeng was naturally flirtatious.
Now she wasn’t so sure.
After a brief hesitation, she casually asked,
“So… Danzeng and Medo…”
Cizhen immediately sat upright.
“Aha!”
She pointed accusingly.
“You like Brother Danzeng, don’t you?”
Lin Mo nearly jumped.
“What?”
“You’ve asked about him and Medo twice now!”
Cizhen’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
“I have not.”
Lin Mo’s face instantly turned red.
“I was just curious.”
“Oh really?”
Cizhen looked unconvinced.
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll go ask him directly.”
She actually started getting up.
“Hey!”
Lin Mo hurriedly grabbed her.
Her face had turned the color of liver.
“Sit down!”
Cizhen burst out laughing.
“Fine, fine.”
Then she thought for a moment.
“Honestly, I don’t really know what’s going on between them.”
She tilted her head.
“But if you ask me, Brother Danzeng probably doesn’t like Medo.”
“He treats her the same way he treats me.”
“Quiet.”
“Cold.”
“Emotionally unavailable.”
Lin Mo couldn’t help laughing.
“And besides,” Cizhen continued, lowering her voice again, “his relationship with his father isn’t very good. He has his own opinions. He rarely listens to anyone.”
Then she flashed a wicked grin.
“Don’t worry.”
“If you’re willing to become my sister-in-law, I’ll support you completely.”
Lin Mo rolled her eyes.
She couldn’t be bothered arguing anymore.
Turning off the lights, she buried herself under the blanket and went to sleep.
…
The following afternoon, Danzeng knocked softly on her door.
When Lin Mo opened it, she found him holding a large cloth bag decorated with traditional Tibetan patterns.
“Open it.”
He handed it to her.
Curious, she untied the opening.
Inside was a pale green Tibetan robe.
The collar and sleeves were embroidered with delicate silver cloud motifs.
The hem was decorated with soft turquoise-colored tassels.
The fabric was premium woolen cloth, noticeably finer than Cizhen’s robe.
“Is this for me?”
Lin Mo looked up, surprise and delight shining in her eyes.
Danzeng leaned casually against the doorframe.
“Tonight is Cizhen’s birthday.”
“There’ll be a bonfire celebration at the ranch.”
“Everyone will be wearing traditional clothing.”
His tone was relaxed.
Only the faint redness creeping up his ears betrayed him.
“You should blend in with the locals.”
What he didn’t tell her was that the robe had been custom-made.
Even the color had been chosen with care.
This particular shade of pale green reminded him of fresh grass sprouting across the prairie in spring.
Clean.
Elegant.
Quietly beautiful.
Just like her.
He had spent days imagining what she would look like wearing it.
And he knew she would be breathtaking.
Lin Mo hugged the robe to her chest.
Warmth spread through her heart.
“Thank you.”
Her smile was genuine.
“I really like it.”
“And there’s one more thing.”
Danzeng pulled out a jewelry box.
Lin Mo accepted it cautiously and opened the lid.
Inside were exquisite necklaces and elaborate hair ornaments.
After spending time with Cizhen, she had gained a rough understanding of how valuable these pieces were.
Without hesitation, she closed the box and handed it back.
“I can’t accept this.”
Danzeng raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t like it?”
“It’s beautiful.”
Lin Mo shook her head firmly.
“But I can’t take it.”
She had her principles.
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Danzeng immediately understood.
He didn’t press further.
There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
What Lin Mo didn’t know was that the Tibetan robe itself was already worth a small fortune.
…
As evening descended, several large Tibetan tents had been erected in the center of the ranch.
A towering bonfire had already been prepared.
Dry pinewood crackled and popped within the flames.
Golden firelight painted the surrounding grassland in warm shades of red and gold.
The birthday celebration was about to begin.