Chapter 26
Trodded.
The memories in this body seemed frozen at eighteen. Back then, my brother had prst begun taking over my father’s company
The brother who used to spend all his time playing and laughing with me suddenly became someone I could hardly see.
1 tugged on Miles‘ sleeve and asked, “Did my brother say when he’s coming back to the country?
Miles‘ expression turned complicated. “You’re really eager to see him, aren’t you?”
I nodded immediately.
He looked at me for a moment before glancing away. “Your brother said it’ll be about a month before he can return. The new company he’s setting up overseas just started operations, and he’s also negotiating a major acquisition”
He added, “Mergers and acquisitions abroad are complicated and take a lot of time. You should be prepared for
that.”
I grew anxious. “Then where is he? Once I’m better, I can go see him!”
Miles smiled gently, the kind of smile anyone would use to placate a child.
“Alright. Once you’re fully recovered, I’ll arrange for you to visit him.”
I couldn’t hide my excitement and grabbed his sleeve, shaking it back and forth. “Promise me, then! You have to
take me to see my brother!”
As I shook his sleeve, I noticed his expression shift slightly, something I couldn’t quite decipher.
I froze, suddenly realizing how intimate the gesture felt.
Feeling embarrassed, I let go of his sleeve. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…”
Miles chuckled softly, his warm tone cutting through my awkwardness. “It’s fine. I know you only see me as another brother.”
He added with a playful glint in his eye, “When you were younger, you used to act like this with your brother all the time. He could never say no to you. I remember once you cried your eyes out, insisting that the moon had fallen into the lake and begged him to rescue her.”
“And what did he do? He couldn’t bear to see you cry, so he jumped into the lake to ‘save‘ the moon. Back then, het wasn’t a strong swimmer and ended up swallowing a lot of water. When he came back ashore, he coughed and threw up for ages.”
I felt my face flush with heat, my toes curling with embarrassment.
I vaguely remembered that incident.
When I was little, I used to watch a children’s TV show where the host called “Moon Princess,” I adored her and started referring to the moon in the sky as “Moon Princess.
One time, when I saw the moon’s reflection in a lake, I became convinced she had fallen in and started crying hysterically.
Miles looked at me, his amused expression making my already flushed face even redder. “You were adorable as a
+25 BONUS
Chapter 26.
kid. Chubby and soft, like a little marshmallow. It wasn’t just your brother–your family and friends spolled your endlessly.”
The last part struck a chord in me.
Memories from my childhood, hazy and almost forgotten, deemed to stir awake.
I suddenly asked, “How old was 1 back then?”
Miles gestured slightly. “About seven or eight, I think. Your brother is seven years older than you.”
“Are you the same age as my brother?” I asked curiously.
Miles gave me a long, meaningful look. “I’m not that old.”
Huh?
I blinked in confusion.
If my brother was seven years older than me, then he would be thirty–two now. Miles, being close in age to him, should also be thirty–two, right?
But Miles didn’t continue the conversation.
Instead, he told me to head downstairs for dinner, mentioning that the cook had made some nourishing chicken soup for me.
Still a bit dazed, I followed him downstairs.
Miles wasn’t busy at all.
While I ate, he lounged comfortably on the couch, watching the evening news.
I found myself sneaking glances at him as I ate.
There was something fascinating about him a strange combination of youthfulness and maturity that made him hard to figure out.
At first glance, he might seem older, but with just a little effort, his handsome features and youthful charm quickly dispelled that notion.
But if he wasn’t old, what kind of man lived without any nightlife?
Over the past couple of days, I’d been watching him. He was either meeting high–profile clients during the day or spending his evenings at home watching TV or flipping through magazines and newspapers.
“Who even watches TV anymore? Aren’t people these days glued to short videos or binge–watching mini- series?” I wondered.
And even if he’s this super–smart, highly–educated elite who looked down on wasting time on such things, shouldn’t he at least be glued to a computer, monitoring global stock markets?
Shouldn’t he be the kind of man who, with a single click of a mouse, could send the stock prices on the other side of the world skyrocketing or plummeting?
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I really couldn’t figure him out.
