The villagers loved a celebration.
Whenever there was a happy occasion, people of all ages would dress in their brightest Tibetan robes and gather together. The air was filled with the rich aroma of butter tea and roasted lamb, mixed with the crisp laughter of children running across the grasslands.
After changing into her Tibetan robe, Lin Mo stood before the mirror and froze.
Even she was surprised.
The robe fit her perfectly, as if it had been tailored specifically for her.
The elegant cut accentuated her tall, slender figure, while the soft green fabric wrapped around her like spring itself, making her appear fresh, graceful, and effortlessly beautiful.
She was adjusting the sash around her waist when Cizhen burst into the room, bouncing with excitement. In her hand were several colorful ribbons.
“Lin Mo! Let me do your hair!”
Before Lin Mo could respond, Cizhen had already grabbed a comb.
“If you’re wearing a Tibetan robe, you need braids. Otherwise, it won’t look right!”
With practiced hands, she divided Lin Mo’s long hair into two sections and braided them neatly. She tied the ends with green ribbons that perfectly matched the tassels on the robe.
“There!”
Cizhen stepped back and clapped her hands.
“Perfect!”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
“You’re gorgeous! You look like a princess from the grasslands!”
Lin Mo stared at her reflection.
The girl in the mirror looked strangely unfamiliar.
It was her first time wearing traditional ethnic clothing, yet somehow it suited her far better than she had expected.
She wore no makeup.
No jewelry.
Although Cizhen had enthusiastically offered her countless accessories, Lin Mo declined them all.
Today was Cizhen’s birthday.
She didn’t want to steal the spotlight.
Yet despite her simplicity, when she followed Cizhen toward the gathering, the noisy ranch suddenly fell silent.
For several seconds.
Every eye turned toward her.
The outsider.
The city girl.
The woman dressed in soft green beneath the glow of the setting sun.
A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd.
Even Gyatso lost his focus.
The lamb skewer in his hand burned black before he noticed.
And across the blazing bonfire, Danzeng stood motionless.
His gaze locked onto Lin Mo.
The firelight danced in his eyes.
For the first time, his patience began to crack.
Suddenly…
He no longer wanted to take things slowly.
…
This was also the first time Lin Mo had seen Danzeng dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing.
He was already tall and striking.
The robe only made him look even more impressive.
Broad shoulders.
Narrow waist.
Straight posture.
Like a pine tree standing proudly against the mountain wind.
For a moment, Lin Mo found herself staring.
She had met many handsome men before.
University campuses were full of them.
But Danzeng was different.
Completely different.
There was something wild about him.
Something primal.
A masculine dominance that made people instinctively want to follow his lead.
Like the untamed wind sweeping across the grasslands.
Powerful.
Free.
Impossible to ignore.
…
Not far away, Medo stood among the crowd.
She wore a deep crimson Tibetan robe and should have been one of the most eye-catching women present.
Yet tonight, her brilliance seemed dimmed.
She followed Danzeng’s gaze.
And her heart sank.
The intensity in his eyes…
She had never seen him look at anyone like that before.
A powerful sense of crisis rose within her.
She had grown up with Danzeng.
She had loved him through nearly all of her youth.
Even knowing he had never returned her feelings, she had always held onto hope.
She believed that one day, through years of friendship and understanding, he would finally notice her.
After all, Danzeng had never shown interest in any woman.
Not once.
But Lin Mo’s arrival had shattered that certainty.
For the first time, Medo realized there were things beyond her control.
The man she had loved for over a decade seemed to be drifting farther and farther away.
The unwillingness to accept it surged through her like a tide.
She clenched her robe so tightly that her fingertips turned white.
Watching the two of them gaze at each other across the fire, a stubborn determination flashed through her eyes.
She wasn’t ready to give up.
Not yet.
…
The bonfire gradually grew larger.
Someone picked up a horse-head fiddle.
Its soulful melody floated across the grasslands beneath the star-filled sky.
An elderly villager waved enthusiastically.
“Come on! Everyone join the Guozhuang dance!”
People gathered around the fire.
Hand in hand.
Moving with the rhythm.
Cizhen immediately grabbed Lin Mo and pushed her toward Danzeng.
“Brother Danzeng! Dance with Lin Mo!”
Danzeng smiled.
Without hesitation, he reached for Lin Mo’s hand.
His large palm enclosed hers naturally.
Warm.
Strong.
Slightly rough from years of hard work.
Heat instantly rushed to Lin Mo’s cheeks.
The circle of dancers began moving slowly around the fire.
Their shadows flickered against the grass.
The music flowed.
The flames crackled.
But throughout it all, Danzeng’s eyes never left her.
Not once.
The bonfire snapped and hissed.
The horse-head fiddle sang beneath the stars.
A warm breeze drifted across the prairie.
And without either of them realizing it, Cizhen’s birthday celebration became one of the most unforgettable nights of their lives.
…
Gyatso left early the next morning.
So early, in fact, that nobody saw him leave.
He didn’t even say goodbye.
When everyone woke up, they found only a handwritten note in the lobby.
The gesture surprised them all.
Gyatso was always considerate and polite.
Leaving without a word didn’t seem like him at all.
But only Gyatso understood.
Only he knew how turbulent his heart had been the night before.
How disappointed.
How helpless.
He couldn’t stay any longer.
Not if he wanted to leave with his dignity intact.
…
Cizhen was crushed.
For an entire day, she moped around the guesthouse.
She couldn’t believe Gyatso had left without saying goodbye.
But true to her nature, her sadness lasted only one day.
The following morning, she bounced back completely.
“I can’t stay in this guesthouse any longer!”
She stretched dramatically.
“I’m going moldy!”
“We’re young! We should be out doing something!”
Then she announced her latest plan.
“We’re going hiking at Lenggu Monastery!”
A few years earlier, hiking had become incredibly popular.
Outdoor adventures had suddenly transformed into a fashionable lifestyle.
Online, people constantly posted photos of themselves dressed in expensive hiking jackets and sunglasses, posing dramatically with trekking poles against breathtaking landscapes.
It had become a trend.
Although Genie was still relatively unknown, hikers occasionally passed through.
There had even been a few foreign travelers.
The villagers had been fascinated.
To them, modern young people seemed to enjoy turning hardship into entertainment.
Something they would never understand.
Cizhen, however, was young enough to embrace every trend.
She even reminded Lin Mo to bring her camera.
“I need beautiful photos!”
Lin Mo couldn’t help laughing.
Still, she indulged her.
Danzeng, on the other hand, wasn’t thrilled.
He worried about Lin Mo’s stamina.
And even more, he worried about her altitude sickness returning.
Not wanting to dampen everyone’s enthusiasm, Lin Mo smiled and reassured him.
“I want to try this light outdoor adventure too.”
She shrugged.
“But I won’t push myself.”
“I’ll stop if I need to.”
Only then did Danzeng reluctantly agree.
…
After preparing their bags and packed lunches, Danzeng drove over.
Before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop, Medo casually opened the passenger-side door and climbed in.
Danzeng frowned.
His gaze instinctively shifted toward Lin Mo.
In the end, however, he said nothing.
Lin Mo didn’t think much of it.
She simply climbed into the vehicle with Cizhen, chatting and laughing as though nothing was unusual.
The drive to New Lenggu Monastery wasn’t far.
The road, however, was terrible.
The vehicle bounced and rattled the entire way.
Nobody spoke much.
When they finally arrived, Danzeng parked the car and walked to the rear storage compartment.
He returned carrying an oxygen canister and several chocolate bars.
Handing them directly to Lin Mo, he reminded her,
“Use the oxygen whenever you need it.”
Behind them, Medo glanced at Lin Mo and muttered quietly,
“So delicate.”
The words were soft.
Barely above a whisper.
Only Lin Mo heard them.
Nobody else noticed.
But she knew Medo had said them deliberately.
The hostility Medo had shown over the past few days had become increasingly obvious.
Lin Mo suddenly felt embarrassed.
Her face grew hot.
Yet she didn’t respond.
She didn’t even look at Medo.
She had done absolutely nothing wrong.
And yet somehow, she was the one receiving the cold treatment.
…
At the trailhead, several villagers sat astride motorcycles, calling out to arriving visitors and offering rides.
They were all young, strong Khampa men.
Handsome in their own way.
Yet Lin Mo couldn’t help comparing them to Danzeng.
None of them looked as dashing as he did riding a motorcycle.
Danzeng walked over to a few of them.
They greeted each other with friendly fist bumps and began chatting in Tibetan.
Judging by their relaxed expressions, they were clearly old friends.
Lin Mo couldn’t understand a single word.
But whatever Danzeng said seemed to amuse them greatly.
The men burst into laughter.
Some slapped him on the back.
Others glanced toward Lin Mo and started making exaggerated faces and teasing gestures.
Medo’s expression immediately darkened.
Without a word, she turned and walked ahead.
Lin Mo felt increasingly awkward.
“What are they saying?”
Before Danzeng could answer, Cizhen burst out laughing.
“Oh, them?”
She grinned mischievously.
“They were asking whether you’re their future sister-in-law.”
And then she laughed even harder.