Chapter 26
I nodded. The memories in this body stopped at 18, the year my brother, Charles, took over our father’s company.
Charles, who once played with me and kept me company, suddenly became more and more
distant.
I tugged at Tristan’s sleeves. “When will Charles be back?”
Tristan looked at me with a complex expression. “You’re eager to see him, aren’t you?”
I nodded eagerly.
Tristan glanced at me briefly before looking away. “Charles said he won’t be back for about a month. He’s busy setting up a new company abroad and has a major acquisition to handle.”
He continued, “Negotiating acquisitions abroad can be complicated and time–consuming, so you should be prepared for that.”
Impatience bubbled up inside me. “But where is he? Can I go see him once I’m better?”
Tristan smiled gently, as if reassuring a child. “Of course, we’ll visit Charles as soon as you’re well. Don’t worry. I’ll make the arrangements.”
I was overjoyed. I couldn’t resist tugging at his sleeve, swinging it back and forth. “Okay, you have to take me to see Charles when the time comes!”
As I swayed, I caught a strange look in Tristan’s eyes. I paused, suddenly aware that my actions might have felt a bit too intimate. Blushing, I released his sleeve. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean to.”
Tristan smiled and changed the subject. “It’s okay. I know you see me as a brother too.
“You used to be so clingy with Charles when you were little. He couldn’t say no to you, so he’d do anything you asked. I remember one time you cried, insisting the moon had fallen into the
lake and that your brother had to save it.
“Unable to bear your tears, Charles jumped into the lake, pretending to rescue the moon. He couldn’t swim very well back then and ended up swallowing a lot of lake water. He even threw up a few times after he got out.”
I felt a deep blush spread across my cheeks as I fidgeted with my toes.
I recalled a vague memory of that incident.
When I was little, I used to watch a children’s show on TV where the host, who dressed as the
moon, called herself Ms. Luna.
I watched it so often that I grew quite fond of her. Whenever I saw the moon in the sky, I
Chapter 26
would say that Ms. Luna was up there.
One time, when I saw the moon reflected in a lake, I began crying and throwing a tantrum.
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Tristan flashed a teasing smile at me, and I felt my cheeks flush. “You were absolutely adorable as a child. You were so chubby and round. Not only did Charles spoil you, but so did all our relatives and friends.”
His words sent my heart racing.
Suddenly, a long–forgotten memory began to resurface. I then asked, “How old was I back then?”
Tristan thought for a moment. “Probably around seven or eight. Charles is seven years older than you.”
I asked, “So, Tristan, are you the same age as Charles?”
Tristan gave me a meaningful look. “I’m not that old.”
Huh? I was taken aback.
Charles was seven years older than me, which meant Tristan should be about the same age as my brother. So, shouldn’t he be 32 by now?
But Tristan didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he told me to come downstairs for dinner, mentioning that the maid had made some nourishing chicken soup for me.
I made my way downstairs in a daze.
As expected, Tristan wasn’t occupied. While I ate, he casually watched the news on TV.
I observed him from behind as I enjoyed my meal. It was strange. How could this man feel both young and old at the same time?
He could appear like he was old, but when he cleaned himself up, he looked handsome and youthful. But he didn’t seem to be that young, since he didn’t have much of a nightlife at all!
From what I observed over the past few days, he was either meeting clients at work or at home, watching TV, reading magazines, or browsing newspapers.
What era was I living in? Who still watched TV? Shouldn’t young people be scrolling through short videos and binge–watching dramas?
Even if Tristan had been highly educated, shouldn’t he be sitting in front of a computer, monitoring global stock markets and, with a simple click of his mouse, influencing the fluctuations of stocks on the other side of the ocean?
I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
