Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 608 The weight of growing up accelerated Zhan Mengyan's transformation.

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yingying continued walking, their footsteps sounding particularly clear in the quiet night. Starlight shone on their shoulders, like a layer of silver, cold gauze.

Zhan Mengyan finally whispered, "Sister, you will find the answer." These words sounded weak and powerless, but she didn't know what else to say. The inescapable understanding and care between the sisters turned into silent companionship at this moment.

Home was not far away. The warm yellow light from the window made a blurry outline in the night. That light once represented warmth and home, but now, in Zhan Mengyan's eyes, it seemed to foreshadow more complicated crossroads and fog on the road ahead. The starlight still shone coldly on their way home, and Zhan Yingying's confused whisper about marriage was as deeply imprinted in Zhan Mengyan's heart as the starlight, making this journey seem particularly long and heavy.

Zhan Mengyan's mood suddenly grew heavier. The heaviness did not come from the fear of marriage itself, but from a profound sense of empathy and helplessness. She suddenly realized clearly that growing up meant that they would each face increasingly complex life challenges. She could not resolve her sister's confusion with a few easy words, just as her sister could not truly take her place to experience the storms of the future. They were each other's closest relatives, but some roads must ultimately be traversed alone.

Zhan Mengyan didn't speak, but silently moved closer to Zhan Yingying, her arm gently touching Zhan Yingying's, trying to offer some warmth. The starlight continued to fall silently, illuminating the path leading home, but unable to illuminate the distant future ahead. Zhan Mengyan's hand clenched tightly in her pocket; the joy from before had vanished, replaced by a heavy feeling mixed with heartache, worry, and a sudden increase in maturity. She felt she was about to undergo another transformation—the weight of growing up accelerated Zhan Mengyan's transformation.

Zhan Mengyan knew that after tonight, her gaze towards her sister would hold a deeper understanding.

"Sister, if you are not satisfied with Zhang Defu, you should bravely tell Dad and Mom and ask them to help you cancel the marriage. Don't wrong yourself."

Zhan Mengyan's words were like a needle, gently piercing the thin membrane of hesitation in Zhan Yingying's heart.

“But this marriage was arranged by my cousin’s wife. My parents both said that we were a good match, and his family was better off than ours…” Zhan Yingying’s voice was low and filled with struggle.

"So what?" Zhan Mengyan interrupted Zhan Yingying, her tone brimming with the fearlessness typical of youth. "Dad, Mom's biggest wish is probably for us to be happy. If they knew you were unhappy and harboring so many grievances, they would be more heartbroken than anyone else. You barely said a few words at Zhang Defu's house—'Uncle, how are Auntie? Auntie's cooking is delicious, is your little brother doing well in school?'" Zhan Mengyan mimicked Zhan Yingying's polite yet distant tone at the Zhang family's dinner table.

Zhan Yingying forced a smile but didn't reply. Under the moonlight, Zhan Yingying's brows were slightly furrowed, as if shrouded in an unyielding sorrow.

“Yingying, I know what you’re thinking,” Zhan Mengyan’s voice softened slightly, but became even more firm. “You feel like everything is fine, but you can’t quite put your finger on what’s wrong. His house is nice, and he seems like a good match.” She deliberately emphasized the word “suitable,” with a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm. “When two people get married, it’s about two hearts being close, turning a lifetime into a poem. That’s what life is about. Otherwise, what’s the point of getting married?”