“Can’t even tell the difference between a sheep and a deer. You’re obviously not from around here. You don’t even recognize a bharal.”
Lin Mo froze with her camera raised.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks as embarrassment crept in.
“They were so far away. How could anyone see clearly? I thought they were deer too!”
Cizhen immediately wrapped an arm around Lin Mo and protested indignantly.
“Tashi Medo.”
Danzeng’s voice suddenly cut through the air.
His tone turned icy, carrying a restrained fury.
“Show some respect to our guests. Don’t forget the manners and upbringing of the children of the grasslands.”
Although Danzeng was usually serious and reserved, he rarely lost his temper.
Now, however, his brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze sharp and intimidating. The pressure radiating from him was enough to make breathing difficult.
“Was I wrong?”
Tashi Medo finally snapped.
“She doesn’t belong here in the first place. She can’t even overcome altitude sickness. Everything about her clashes with this place. What right does she have to talk about living here?”
Lin Mo fell silent.
Tashi Medo wasn’t entirely wrong.
She didn’t belong here.
One day, she would leave.
If that was the case, perhaps some things should never begin at all, while there was still time before anything truly happened.
Not wanting conflict because of herself, Lin Mo quickly tried to ease the tension.
“It’s okay, really. My eyesight isn’t very good. Tashi Medo wasn’t wrong.”
“Hmph! Stop pretending to be so magnanimous. What a green tea girl.”
Because Danzeng had defended Lin Mo, Tashi Medo was already filled with resentment.
Then, being publicly criticized for having “no manners” wounded her pride.
In her anger, the words slipped out before she could stop them.
The moment they left her mouth, even she froze.
Yet her innate pride refused to let her back down.
Danzeng’s hands clenched into fists.
The veins on his arms bulged visibly.
His jaw tightened.
He was genuinely furious.
Taking a deep breath, his chest rose and fell violently.
His eyes turned frighteningly cold.
“Say that again.”
The look in his eyes was so terrifying that Tashi Medo instinctively stepped back.
Her eyes reddened instantly.
Since childhood, she had always been the cherished princess of her family.
Even Danzeng had never spoken to her this harshly before.
Humiliation.
Resentment.
Anger.
All of it tangled together inside her.
Biting her lip, she shot Danzeng a hateful glance.
In the end, she didn’t dare say another word.
Turning around, she ran down the mountain as fast as she could.
Danzeng remained where he stood, his chest still heaving.
The girl he treasured so carefully had just been insulted for no reason at all.
Yet Lin Mo didn’t take Tashi Medo’s words to heart.
She appeared largely unaffected.
She had been beautiful since childhood.
Rumors, slander, jealousy, and criticism had followed her throughout her school years.
Both kindness and malice had surrounded her in countless forms.
Over time, she had learned how to shut them out.
She had also spent her entire life pushing herself.
Dancing.
Playing chess.
Practicing calligraphy.
Painting.
Whether it was wind or rain, she never complained about hardship.
She demanded excellence from herself, constructing her own little world piece by piece.
Those years had forged a strong inner core, one that was both delicate and resilient.
Watching the direction Tashi Medo had disappeared, Lin Mo couldn’t help feeling worried.
She gently tugged at Danzeng’s sleeve.
“Danzeng, you should go after her. It’s dangerous for her to be alone.”
Danzeng closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, most of the anger had faded, leaving only exhaustion and helplessness behind.
He shook his head.
“There’s no need. She’s stubborn. Let her calm down on her own.”
His voice was low.
“I’ll get you all back to the guesthouse first.”
No one said much after that.
They simply quickened their pace down the mountain.
Along the way, Cizhen continued grumbling indignantly.
“Medo was way out of line today! She was obviously the one in the wrong, and then she started insulting people!”
Lin Mo remained silent.
She worried about Tashi Medo’s safety.
At the same time, she felt strangely saddened.
Unexpectedly, not long after they returned to the guesthouse, Tashi Medo came back as well.
Her eyes were swollen and red.
Tear stains still lingered on her face.
When she saw Lin Mo, hesitation flashed through her gaze.
After a moment, she bit her lip and walked over.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a hoarse but sincere voice.
“Lin Mo, I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking earlier. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Tashi Medo wasn’t a bad person by nature.
Her pride and jealousy had simply clouded her judgment.
During the journey back, she had gradually calmed down.
The more she thought about it, the more regretful she became.
She regretted her impulsiveness.
She felt guilty for hurting an innocent person.
Most of all, she was saddened by how she had lost herself.
Like a bitter and jealous woman she no longer recognized.
She had disappointed Danzeng.
And she had disappointed herself.
Lin Mo immediately stepped forward and gently took her hand.
“It’s okay.”
Her voice was soft and warm.
“I know you didn’t mean it. I’m not angry.”
She thought to herself that perhaps unrequited love really could make people lose control.
Tashi Medo looked up at Lin Mo’s sincere eyes.
Thinking of her own narrow-minded behavior, she gave a faint, bitter smile.
Perhaps someday in the future, they might even become friends.
The next day, both Cizhen and Tashi Medo left.
Someone from the village happened to be driving to Kangding on business and offered them a ride.
Not long after they departed, Lin Mo also stopped going out so often.
The grasslands entered their most vibrant rainy season.
Aside from teaching classes and occasionally going out for inspiration, she spent most of her time shut away in her room creating content.
Her follower count had already grown into the hundreds of thousands.
The account demanded more and more of her attention.
Although she still hadn’t accepted any sponsorships or commercial deals, the views alone were already generating a modest income.
To Lin Mo, the account wasn’t merely her work.
It was more like her child.
She nurtured it with great care.
Whenever she had free time, she volunteered to help Danzeng manage the guesthouse’s public account.
Even though he had repeatedly told her she didn’t need to.
Lin Mo simply couldn’t accept living there for free.
Every time she tried to transfer him money, he refused to take it.
She couldn’t bring herself to eat and stay there with a clear conscience.
As they spent more time together, Lin Mo discovered something surprising.
Their artistic tastes were remarkably similar.
Their design philosophies aligned naturally.
Both admired simplicity at its purest form.
Both favored natural, minimalist aesthetics.
They often found themselves resonating with the same ideas.
To Danzeng, Lin Mo was like a flawless piece of white jade he had accidentally discovered on the grasslands.
A hidden treasure.
A precious gem overlooked by the world.
The more he got to know her, the more he cherished her.
The ideas and inspiration she contributed preserved the guesthouse’s original style while adding warmth and subtle elegance.
There was a distinctly feminine sensitivity in her suggestions that continually impressed him.
Before either of them realized it, July had arrived.
During that time, Lin Mo’s parents called several times.
Their voices were full of concern as they asked when she planned to come home.
Holding her phone, Lin Mo gazed out the window at the cattle and sheep scattered across the hills.
Vaguely, she answered that she was still figuring out the direction of her life.
She probably wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.
Her parents were helpless but supportive.
They simply reminded her again and again to take care of herself.
As always, they transferred money to her account.
Lin Mo couldn’t help laughing.
Living here under Danzeng’s attentive care, she barely had any opportunities to spend money at all.
What surprised her even more was that every few days, Danzeng would somehow prepare seafood for her.
Plump crabs.
Fresh shrimp.
Even sea snails she hadn’t eaten in a very long time.
One day, she was happily picking apart a steamed crab when curiosity finally got the better of her.
“Where do you even get all this seafood?”
She looked up at him.
“We’re so far from the ocean.”
Sitting across from her, Danzeng watched her smiling eyes curve with satisfaction.
Warmth rippled through his gaze.
Yet he simply shook his head lightly.
“A friend of mine works in that business.”
His voice was casual.
“It’s convenient and not expensive.”
Then, after a pause, he added softly:
“As long as you like it.”