Chapter 34: A Promise and a Proposal

Lin Mo sat up in bed, lowering her head as she rubbed her temples. The sheer volume of information that had suddenly flooded her brain left her with a dull, throbbing headache.

It was not just her head that ached; even the small bamboo shoot atop her head felt heavier, weighing down her drowsy mind.

Lin Mo reached up to touch it. The little bamboo shoot on her head was trembling precariously, hanging on by a thread.

She gave it a gentle tug, and to her surprise, it actually popped right off.

In the palm of her fair, delicate hand, the tiny shoot expanded until it was over a meter long. Its bamboo nodes were smooth and lustrous like fine jade, and its emerald-green leaves bore crisp, distinct veins. A refreshing, soul-soothing fragrance wafted from it; taking just a single breath made her mind feel significantly clearer.

Normally, a bamboo shoot would take two months to mature. With this one on her head ripening so quickly, could there be something wrong?

She originally wanted to ask Mo Jin about it, but Mo Jin was nowhere to be found in the room.

Where did the little bear go so early in the morning?

Lin Mo put on her shoes and stepped out of bed. The moment she looked up, she spotted a large turtle with its head raised, using the top of its head to nudge a wooden basin resting on the table, attempting to knock it over.

She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. But looking closely, the huge turtle was still there.

Lin Mo walked straight over and pushed the wooden basin—which was on the verge of falling off the table—back into place.

Hearing the commotion, the large turtle froze. It turned its head, and the moment its eyes met Lin Mo’s, it instantly retracted into its shell.

A faint smile crossed Lin Mo’s face. She tapped on the turtle’s shell, her tone laced with a hint of threat, “Stealing in broad daylight, are we?”

All four of the turtle’s paws retracted into its shell simultaneously, leaving only two tiny, bead-like green eyes to lock glances with Lin Mo. Suddenly, it tilted backward, flipped its shell over, and scrambled frantically forward with all four paws.

Lin Mo was stunned. Who said the turtle lost the race against the hare? This escape speed isn’t any slower than a rabbit’s at all!

Lin Mo sprinted a few quick steps, cut ahead of the turtle, and slammed the door shut with a sharp clack.

Lin Mo crossed her arms, her back pressed against the door. Raising an eyebrow, a trace of playful pride overflowed from her expression. “Running pretty fast, aren’t you? I almost couldn’t catch you.”

“Now confess honestly. Leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist. I can still give you a chance to reform and turn over a new leaf.”

The large turtle kept its four paws tucked inside its shell, completely turning a deaf ear to her words.

Lin Mo cracked her knuckles, the joints popping loudly. “If you won’t talk, then I’ll just have to lay my hands on this little turtle.”

A turtle this big was definitely an enlightened spirit. Since so many animals in this place could speak, she refused to believe this large turtle couldn’t talk.

The turtle’s tiny green eyes flickered slightly, and it tentatively poked its head out.

Suddenly, a knock sounded from outside the door.

The large turtle instantly pulled its head right back into its shell.

Tsk, such a coward.

It was undoubtedly Mo Jin returning—just in time to help her deal with this daytime thief of a turtle.

Lin Mo opened the door, but fearing the turtle might slip out when she wasn’t looking, she only left a small crack. She looked up at Mo Jin. “You’re back! A huge turtle suddenly appeared in our house. Also, when I woke up this morning, I realized the bamboo shoot on my head seemed to fall off.”

Mo Jin’s gaze shifted downward, landing on the bamboo stalk in Lin Mo’s hands.

With a nervous expression, Lin Mo handed the bamboo stalk from behind her over to Mo Jin. “Can you help me check if it’s matured?”

The very moment Lin Mo had plucked the shoot earlier, Mo Jin had already caught the fragrant scent of a mature bamboo stalk.

However, ripening in less than a month was rather strange. Lin Mo had been well-protected by her; aside from falling ill after getting caught in the rain last time, she hadn’t encountered any other trouble. After days of applying medicine, the red marks on her back and neck had gradually faded away.

Ruling out external factors for the bamboo shoot’s rapid growth and maturation, the only remaining possibility was an internal one.

“It has already matured,” Mo Jin said, her eyes narrowing slightly as her voice deepened. “Have you encountered anything strange recently?”

The breath Lin Mo had just let out caught in her throat once more.

She furrowed her brow. The only strange thing recently was probably the continuous stream of dreams she had been having.

After deliberating for a moment, Lin Mo spoke slowly, “I’ve been dreaming constantly lately. Some are about me, and some are about you—from the bamboo forest in the valley to the zoo, and even those things I experienced when I was little.”

Mo Jin’s pupils contracted. Could Lin Mo’s dreams be the exact same as hers?

“Every time I wake up, it feels like a lifetime has passed. It feels both real and fake, hard to distinguish, yet it also feels like it definitively existed. I was starting to suspect if I had developed amnesia.” Lin Mo’s expression was somewhat bewildered.

Suppressing the shock in her eyes, Mo Jin laid out the truth plainly: “Back in the valley, you were injured and accidentally ran off to the human world. That is why you occasionally suffered from memory loss. The fact that a mature bamboo stalk grew so quickly on your head means your body has fully recovered. Your memory will recover along with it, and you won’t experience amnesia ever again.”

Lin Mo understood only half of it. “So that’s how it is. It’s a relief I don’t have amnesia… but how do you know all this?”

Mo Jin paused, her gaze resting quietly on Lin Mo. “Because I am the one who has been watching over you all this time.”

Lin Mo: …

Her mind went completely blank. Was she really that foolish back then?

To break the sudden silence, Lin Mo held up the bamboo stalk and offered, “Holding onto this bamboo stalk isn’t of much use to me anyway. If you need it, you can just eat it. Consider it my thanks for all this time…”

Mo Jin looked at her, her voice cool and neutral. “Are you offering me this bamboo stalk so you don’t have to be my partner?”

Lin Mo froze. “Don’t you really like eating bamboo?”

She hoped that if Mo Jin ate the bamboo stalk, she wouldn’t eat her. After all, her true form was also a big bamboo shoot. Last time, Mo Jin had held her face and asked how her texture felt. Asking such an obvious question this time was definitely intentional!

Mo Jin pushed the door open, saying calmly, “Do you think giving me this bamboo shoot means you don’t have to become my partner?”

Lin Mo’s small face instantly flushed warm. How did we jump from one thing to another? Weren’t we just talking about bamboo shoots? How did it suddenly swing to becoming partners?

Mo Jin’s expression was solemn, her eyes serious, and her tone held a cautious, careful edge. “When you said you liked me before… was it real or fake?”

Even if she were given a hundred times more courage, Lin Mo wouldn’t have dared to say such a thing to Mo Jin back then!

A wave of guilt washed over Lin Mo, and she immediately denied it, “I never said that.”

A look of deep hurt crossed Mo Jin’s face. She felt her chest grow hollow, as if a sudden blast of freezing wind had poured in, chilling her to the very bone.

She recalled last night’s dream—how she had crossed a vast sea of people through endless hardship, only for the little Lin Mo she had barely dared to touch to refuse to return to the valley with her. The scar on her heart, which had finally healed, tore open once more.

No one would ever like a giant panda as dull and foolish as me. When Lin Mo said she liked me before, it really was a lie.

Mo Jin’s hand dropped limply to her side, looking exactly like the crestfallen little Mo Jin from the dream.

Lin Mo didn’t want Mo Jin to be sad. Mo Jin had suffered far too much all her life, and Lin Mo wanted her to be happy forever.

Panicking instantly, Lin Mo hurriedly grabbed Mo Jin’s hand, blurted out desperately, “What I meant was that I haven’t spoken those exact words, but… I do like you!”

Mo Jin remained silent, a trace of cold distance lingering in her eyes. That detached look made it seem as though the two of them were nothing more than strangers.

Mo Jin pulled her hand free from Lin Mo’s grip, turning away unfeelingly to leave.

Terrified of this feeling, Lin Mo rushed forward and threw her arms tightly around Mo Jin’s waist from behind. Tears spilled from her eyes, her voice choked with sobs. “I really, truly like you! If possible, I’m willing to become your partner… Please don’t go, okay?”

Fearing Mo Jin wouldn’t believe her, and feeling deeply distressed herself, she explained in a low, muffled voice, “I grew up in an orphanage since I was little. I’ve never thought about relying on anyone like this, nor has anyone ever treated me this well. All this time, I didn’t know if this feeling was love or gratitude… That’s why I kept hesitating, afraid to face myself.”

“I don’t want you to leave me. I’m certain now that I really like you. Can we be together?”

“…Alright.”

Mo Jin’s heart had already softened completely. She turned around and gathered Lin Mo into her arms.

Lin Mo’s small face was bright red, her eyes and nose flushed. “As long as you don’t eat me, I’ll never leave you.”

Mo Jin softened her voice: “When did I ever say I was going to eat you?”

Lin Mo murmured aggrievedly, “Giant pandas all like to eat bamboo.”

Mo Jin carefully cupped Lin Mo’s face, using her thumbs to gently wipe away the tear tracks, and said solemnly, “I reached adulthood a long time ago. I don’t need to eat bamboo anymore.”

Lin Mo instantly had a stroke of inspiration, her spine straightening as she took full advantage of the situation. “Then does that mean I get to pet a panda every day from now on?”

Mo Jin hesitated briefly before slowly nodding. Since the little bamboo shoot could pet her, she suppose she could pet the little bamboo shoot too.

Feeling like she had scored a massive bargain, Lin Mo was overjoyed internally. She shoved the bamboo stalk into Mo Jin’s arms, the corners of her lips curling up. “Then I’m giving this bamboo stalk to you as my dowry—err, betrothal gift! Even though it’s a bit meager, once the internship ends, I can use gold to buy a house and give it to you when we go back.”

The little bamboo shoot shook her head back and forth, looking exceedingly adorable as she did her mental math.

Mo Jin’s heart fluttered. Leaning down slightly, she gently placed a tender kiss on Lin Mo’s forehead.

She tilted her head, her soft breath brushing against Lin Mo’s fair, delicate ear, turning it bright red as she whispered a sentence.

Lin Mo’s expression went dazed. Once she processed it, her face burned beet-red, and she hastily pushed Mo Jin away in embarrassment.

This bear is really something—she actually understood what I meant!

Instead of getting a free bargain, she ended up being taken advantage of instead!

The tips of Mo Jin’s ears flushed slightly. She shot a glance at Lin Mo and asked in all seriousness, “Did you remember it?”

No! I didn’t remember a single word!

Lin Mo turned and bolted out of the small wooden cabin like a streak of lightning.

Mo Jin curled her lips into a faint smile, not chasing after her immediately.

Taking a long stride, she turned back into the wooden cabin and shut the door.

“Little panda, long time no see,” a kindly, amiable old man said. Bearing a round turtle shell on his back, he stroked his beard and squinted with a smile.

Mo Jin raised her eyes, her tone calm and indifferent. “You’re not taking your little grandsons away?”

Holding the wooden basin, the old man stood rooted to the spot, making no move. “Your little wife won’t let me leave. What choice do I have?”

The tips of Mo Jin’s ears turned faintly red. This old turtle sure knows how to talk.

Wrinkles creased the old man’s face as he chuckled. “I came over here on vacation, and as I was walking, I somehow lost three little turtles without realizing it. I searched all over, and if I hadn’t run into you, I really wouldn’t have found them. I truly have to thank you for this.”

Mo Jin glanced at the old man. “Didn’t I tell you to take the little turtles and leave?”

The old man huffed, sitting down on a nearby stool with a face full of bitter grievance. “I wanted to leave too! Originally, I didn’t want to scare her, so I used my true form to nudge the basin. I was almost able to reach it, but who could’ve guessed your little wife would push the basin right back in one go? She even mistook me for a thief!”

Mo Jin’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. Pouring two cups of hot water, she said indifferently, “If you hadn’t been acting so sneaky, would Lin Mo have mistaken you for a little thief?”

The old man was instantly rendered speechless. Picking up the cup, he began gulping down the water.

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