Yuan Heng had never performed in his life, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
“Brother Heng, if you’re going to protect that lunatic, then can you perform?” Yue ger looked at Yuan Heng, his gaze carrying a hint of smugness and mockery.
The crowd’s expressions varied upon hearing this.
Some gers spoke up in defense of Wang Jin and Yuan Heng: “Yue ger, this isn’t fair. You’ve been preparing for this performance for a long time, while Jin ger and Yuan Heng never planned to perform. They haven’t prepared anything.”
“That’s right! You win first place every year. This is clearly bullying!”
“How can Brother Heng, a beastman, compete with you in this? This is too much!”
Xi ger, hearing this, stepped forward and tugged at Yue ger’s sleeve, whispering, “Stop causing trouble, A-Yue.”
Yue ger pushed Xi ger away again and declared loudly, “I’m not asking Brother Heng to compete! It’s someone hiding behind Brother Heng who’s too scared to show himself. If you think I’m being unfair, fine, I’ll give him a ten-vote head start…”
Performances at the festival were traditionally judged by unmarried beastmen, with the most votes determining the most popular performance. This was a long-standing custom of the Matching Couple Festival.
Yue ger’s arrogance was palpable. The gers below frowned and said, “Even if it’s not Brother Heng, but Jin ger who steps up to compete, it’s still unreasonable. The Matching Couple Festival is for unmarried gers to perform and seek a match. Jin ger is already married!”
“The marriage that should have been mine!” Yue ger reiterated. “In my eyes, he’s not married! He has to compete with me. Only if he beats me will I acknowledge his marriage!”
Hearing this, Wang Jin’s eyes lit up, and he asked, “Do you really mean that?”
Yue ger was taken aback. Wang Jin had been hiding behind Yuan Heng, silent all this time. He had assumed the “lunatic” was afraid, but now Wang Jin suddenly spoke up, his voice tinged with excitement and arrogance. It was as if Wang Jin already saw the outcome of the competition before it even began.
Yuan Heng was also surprised. He looked at the little ger, who patted the back of his hand, signaling him to let go, and gave him a reassuring look.
Yuan Heng and the little ger locked eyes for a moment. His fingers twitched, and he released Wang Jin, stepping aside to let him take the lead.
Although he let Wang Jin step forward, Yuan Heng remained close behind him like a guard, as if worried someone might harm Wang Jin.
Seeing this, Yue ger was furious. He gritted his teeth and replied, “Of course I mean it. But if you lose, your marriage to Brother Heng will be null and void!”
“…” Wang Jin’s mouth twitched.
How could a marriage just be nullified…?
The crowd began to murmur among themselves. Xi ger, unable to stand it any longer, stepped forward again to mediate, but Yue ger wouldn’t listen.
After a moment of thought, Xi ger stamped his foot and turned to leave, intending to seek help from Yue ger’s family.
Yue ger’s family loved to wander around, and at the moment, none of them were present. How could they not be here when their ger was causing such a scene?!
Before Wang Jin could speak, Yuan Heng intervened.
“The marriage cannot be nullified. Jin ger and I are already married, and that won’t change.”
Hearing this, Wang Jin felt a warmth in his heart and said, “The marriage won’t change, but…”
Wang Jin turned his head and gave Yuan Heng a sly look, he added, “If I lose, I’ll ignore your attempts to pursue Brother Heng.”
After all, even if he ignored it, Yuan Heng would never respond to Yue ger’s advances anyway.
The little ger’s sly gaze and cunning smile made him resemble a fox, clever and amusing.
Although Wang Jin didn’t say it out loud, his thoughts seemed to reach Yuan Heng’s ears. For a moment, Yuan Heng didn’t know whether to feel happy that the little ger trusted him or sad that he didn’t seem the least bit jealous.
Yue ger’s eyes lit up at Wang Jin’s words. Wang Jin continued, “If you lose, you’re not allowed to disturb me and Brother Heng anymore. If you do, I think neither of us would mind sending another ger out of the tribe.”
His words carried a hidden meaning, and the crowd couldn’t help but recall the gers who had been exiled from the tribe before…
Those gers had been attacked by giant beasts less than a day after leaving the tribe, their remains could never be found.
Yue ger's face turned pale at the reminder, but then he remembered that he had won first place for several years in a row. His dance was the most beautiful in the tribe, and defeating a lunatic would be no challenge.
With this in mind, his confidence swelled, and he nodded arrogantly.
“It’s a deal.”
Wang Jin touched the bamboo flute tucked at his waist and smiled. Fortunately, he had asked Yuan Heng to carve this flute for him a few days ago.
Now it would come in handy.
“You said you will give me a ten-vote head start… I don’t think that’s necessary. Let’s compete fairly.”
In his previous life, Wang Jin had been part of a wealthy family. Although he hadn’t studied seriously, he had spent his days mingling with scholars and artists, becoming quite skilled in painting and music.
Yue ger performed first.
He was dressed in a long animal hide that reached his ankles, his fair arms exposed to the air. His hair was braided with bone and stone ornaments, and his face was painted with red mud, giving him a vibrant, healthy glow.
His dance had an exotic flair, the bone ornaments clinking with his movements, adding a unique charm to the performance.
Watching this, Wang Jin couldn’t help but silently admire it. Compared to the previous gers’ performances, Yue ger’s was indeed on another level. No wonder he had consistently won first place and remained the most popular ger in the tribe.
After the dance, Yue ger lifted his chin slightly, his face glowing with pride. He looked like a proud peacock, flaunting his vibrant feathers, exuding confidence and boldness.
Wang Jin glanced at the audience below. Many beastmen were already captivated.
Yue ger stepped off the stage and raised an eyebrow at Wang Jin in challenge. Wang Jin clicked his tongue and leaned closer to Yuan Heng behind him, saying, “Brother Heng, you really are a ‘blue-faced calamity.’”
[蓝颜祸水 (lán yán huò shuǐ): lit. Blue-faced calamity; fig. A term used to describe an exceptionally attractive man who causes trouble or chaos, often unintentionally]
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