Momo's Gradual Change

C149. Clarity of Heart.

Chapter 149: Clarity of Heart

It was already late when they returned home. After a quiet farewell, the brother and sister each retreated to their rooms.

Zhai Muyang lay on his bed, an unusual hint of uncertainty softening his face.

He was no naive youth, ignorant of life and love. Precisely because he understood, he had never allowed his thoughts to wander in that direction.

He’d always believed Yimo was his little sister. He’d only ever treated her as such.

But now, he wasn’t so sure.

He took out his phone and dialed a familiar number. A teasing voice answered on the other end, “Not with little Yimo? What are you calling me for?”

Sitting up and leaning back against the headboard, Zhai Muyang felt the urge for a cigarette. “Why did you say that Yimo and I seemed like a married couple?”

A pause, then a slow, deliberate reply: “Lao Zhai, are you really just thinking of her as a sister?”

“I always thought I was.”

“A sister is meant to marry, to kiss someone else, to share a bed with someone else…”

“Shut up!” Zhai Muyang’s voice grew rough, cutting off the speaker. Just the thought of anyone else holding Yimo’s hand made him feel murderous.

Zheng Senlin chuckled. “From the first time I saw you with little Yimo at the airport, I never thought you only saw her as a sister.”

Zhai Muyang’s face darkened. “She was sixteen back then. I’m not some beast.”

“Fine, let’s put it another way. You see her as something more than a sister—more significant, unique, one-of-a-kind.”

One-of-a-kind?

Zhai Muyang looked up at the ceiling, letting his thoughts settle into place.

From the moment he’d decided to take Yimo as his sister, she’d held an undeniably important place in his heart. That much was certain. As they spent more time together, he only discovered more things to love about her, driving him to treat her better and better.

He wanted her dressed in the clothes he bought, wearing the shoes he chose. Yimo’s underwear, socks—he’d bought them all for her.

He’d always thought it normal, but on reflection, he realized he’d likely overstepped. It was fortunate that Yimo hadn’t thought too much of it; another person might have considered him a bit of a creep.

He couldn’t stand Yu Xi. Whenever Yu Xi called, he’d put the call on speaker to listen in. Every holiday, Yu Xi would visit, and he’d never offered a welcoming face. And when Yu Xi and Yimo were together, he’d stand guard like a sentry, never allowing them a moment alone.

He’d always thought this was just his way of protecting his “little sister.” But could it really have been his own selfish heart in disguise?

Rubbing his forehead, Zhai Muyang cursed his own obliviousness for thinking he’d only ever seen her as a sister.

“Have you figured it out yet?”

“I really am a beast.”

“Admit it, beast,” Zheng Senlin laughed heartily, then sighed. “Lao Zhai, honestly, I envy you. Not everyone has the luck to meet someone like little Yimo. You’ve treated her like a princess for years, yet she’s never changed. Her eyes are as pure as they were two years ago—truly rare.”

“Would you be even more surprised to learn Yimo owns four properties, three storefronts, and a significant amount of cash?”

“Pfft, why would I be surprised? If I had a sister like that, I’d give her as many properties and storefronts as she wanted. Lao Zhai, you’re being stingy. Given your wealth, that’s a mere drop in the bucket.”

“It’s not from me. Yimo earned it herself.”

On the other end, Zheng Senlin gasped, seemingly in disbelief. “Impossible. Little Yimo only just came of age. How could she have made that money?”

“She doesn’t like to show off, so I won’t say more, but Wu Mu, you know I’m always a man of my word.”

Zhai Muyang’s tone was laced with barely contained pride—pride he didn’t care to hide. “For someone her age, not just in this small county, but even in a big city, earning that kind of money is remarkable. But if I didn’t tell you, would you have guessed?”

“Not in the slightest. I remember the first time I made any money, I spent it all and then some, puffed up with pride. But little Yimo? She’s as steady as a rock—far stronger than I ever was. She’s got a bright future ahead of her, maybe even brighter than yours or mine.”

“Whatever she wants, I’ll help her fly. However high she wants to soar, I’ll see to it that she does.”

"It’s as if she truly needs your help," Zheng Senlin laughed, though he couldn’t disagree.

Talent was abundant in their country, but opportunities to soar were rare. Without connections, without a powerful backer, even a dragon could struggle to rise.

This was simply the way things worked back home. Take him, for instance. Thanks to his father’s high-ranking position, he had reached, in just two years, a spot in the government that most people couldn’t dream of in a lifetime.

"Lao Zhai, don’t waste any time. With Yimo’s looks and charm, she’ll be the campus beauty the moment she sets foot in college. Don’t think the guys there are blind. If Yimo falls for someone else, you’ll be left with nothing but regrets."

Zhai Muyang’s lips curved. “I’m not dead yet.”

He tossed the phone onto the bed, feeling so light he barely seemed grounded.

No wonder he’d been living like a monk these past few years. At social gatherings, he never let women come close, and whenever he saw Yimo, he had to be at his best.

Seeing Yimo brought him joy. He always wanted to give her the very best. If she sneezed, he’d check her forehead for a fever.

Whenever he saw her looking tired, his heart ached. She’d press on, sitting by her computer, writing away. Many times, he wanted to tell her to stop.

He sometimes couldn’t keep from snapping at his grandfather, especially when he thought of Yimo’s burden in her senior year, and how he’d added to it by teaching her foreign languages—even though he knew she insisted on learning.

It all came down to this: he was in love.

At some point, without even realizing it, his feelings had shifted from sibling affection to something deeper, something between a man and a woman.

Who knew Yimo better than he did?

He doubted anyone could see her worth as clearly. Now that he understood his own heart, and given how close he was to her, closer than anyone else, if he couldn’t win her love, he would deserve to stay single forever.

Now that his feelings were clear, his thoughts were a restless mixture of joy, thrill, and anticipation, leaving him sleepless through the night.

Yet, by morning, he was full of energy. With the first light of dawn, he slipped out of his room, quietly washed some rice, set it to cook, then rode his bike to buy Yimo’s favorite cold noodles. Even her grandmother, who always woke early, had only just gotten up.

"What has you up so early today? You made porridge?"

“Grandma, you’re up earlier than usual too.”

Grandma Song glanced at the noodles he’d bought and smiled. “I was about to go get this for Yimo myself, but now I don’t need to. The porridge is almost ready—I’ll just boil some eggs. Go see if Yimo’s up.”

“Grandma, I’m up.” Song Yimo’s voice came from her room as she leaned drowsily against the doorway, hair tousled, a hint of light softening her half-awake face.

At least, in the eyes of the newly-enlightened Zhai Muyang, she had never looked more beautiful.