Yuan Heng didn’t understand what “blue-faced calamity” meant, but the little ger’s eyes were filled with teasing as he spoke. The sidelong glance he gave was even more alluring than usual, making Yuan Heng’s heart itch with the desire to pull the little ger into his arms and hold him tightly.
But before he could act, the little ger had already stepped onto the stage, leaving Yuan Heng unable to reach him.
A sense of emptiness washed over Yuan Heng as he watched the little ger find a stool, place it in the center of the stage, and sit down. He then pulled out the bamboo flute he carried with him.
The bamboo flute seemed to come alive in the little ger’s hands. With a gentle blow, a melodious sound filled the air, spreading throughout the venue.
The unfamiliar tune transported everyone into a unique realm, a place like a utopia, with scenery so beautiful it seemed like a fairyland.
And there, in the midst of this fairyland, sat the little ger. The breeze gently lifted his long hair and sleeves, blending him seamlessly into the scenery. He looked like an immortal from the heavens, radiating an ethereal aura. Someone to be admired but not dared to approach.
The crowd was entranced. When the song ended, the little ger put away his flute.
The surroundings fell into complete silence, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.
Yuan Heng, noticing the expressions on everyone’s faces, somehow he felt displeased.
He had already made it clear that the little ger’s flute playing was for him alone…
Yuan Heng stepped forward, wrapped his arms around the little ger, and pulled him off the stage, shielding him in his embrace.
The crowd snapped out of their trance. The unmarried beastmen quickly averted their gazes and silently cast their votes for Wang Jin.
In the end, Wang Jin won.
Yue ger was furious. “He didn’t do anything! He just sat there! Are you all blind?! Why did you choose him?!”
One of the beastmen scratched his head and explained, “I don’t know how Jin ger did it, but that sound was really beautiful, and… he looked… really good…”
As he spoke, his face turned red, and his usually stoic expression softened with embarrassment.
Yue ger retorted, “That sound just came out of nowhere. How do you know it was him?”
“It came from the bamboo flute,” Wang Jin stepped forward to explain. “It’s a melody… a famous one, of course it sounds good.”
With that, Wang Jin handed the bamboo flute to Yue ger and said, “Here, take a look.”
Yue ger instinctively reached out and took it, trying to blow into it as Wang Jin had done. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t produce a sound.
Wang Jin smiled and said, “Practice slowly. Once you can make a sound, you’ll be able to play melodies. When you can play a full song, come find me, and I’ll give you the sheet music for today’s tune.”
He spoke like a teacher instructing his student.
But to Yue ger, it felt like mockery, as if Wang Jin was laughing at him for not being able to play the flute.
Filled with resentment, Yue ger glared at Wang Jin, his eyes burning with hatred.
Yuan Heng was more sensitive to hostility than Wang Jin, noticed Yue ger’s animosity. Silently, he tightened his protective hold on Wang Jin.
Not only that, he also shot a possessive glare at the beastmen around them.
The little ger’s good looks had already attracted many beastmen, and after his performance, their eyes were practically glued to him.
Yuan Heng was displeased. He leaned down and said to the little ger, “Let’s go home.”
Without waiting for Wang Jin’s agreement, he started leading him away.
He had originally wanted to keep the little ger hidden, but now the little ger was shining brighter than ever… His strengths and talents were becoming impossible to conceal…
As Yuan Heng led him away, Wang Jin called out to Yue ger, “Remember what you said today! Since you lost, you can’t bother Brother Heng anymore!”
“…” Yue ger clenched the bamboo flute in his hand and hurled it to the ground in frustration.
Xi ger, who had brought Yue ger’s parents, arrived just as Wang Jin was playing the flute. Like everyone else, they had been mesmerized by the performance. Only now did they step forward to take Yue ger home.
As soon as Yue ger returned home, he locked himself in his room. The sound of muffled sobs could be heard from inside, and his parents sighed in worry.
Xi ger comforted them for a while, then turned and knocked on Yue ger’s door.
The sobbing inside paused briefly, and soon the door opened. Xi ger stepped inside.
Yue ger’s eyes were red and swollen, his face streaked with tears, making him look utterly disheveled. Xi ger’s heart ached at the sight, and he reached out to hug Yue ger, gently patting his back in comfort.
The comforting gesture only made Yue ger feel more aggrieved.
“That should have been my beastman… A-Xi… That lunatic stole my beastman!”
“…” Xi ger sighed softly and said gently, “A-Yue, you can’t think like that. If you keep dwelling on it, you’ll never move past this… What Brother Heng said earlier was the truth. It’s harsh, but you need to accept it and move on.”
As he spoke, Xi ger released Yue ger and cupped his face, wiping away his tears. “Our A-Yue is so beautiful. Are you really worried about not finding a beastman?”
“No, no! If Brother Heng had married me, he would have loved me too! He would have treated me just as well! I’ve heard about it, he knelt until his knees were bruised to get stones for that lunatic, he wore down his nails making hairpins for him, and he even cooks for him! What does that lunatic do? Nothing! He just clings to Brother Heng! What right does he have?!”
“…” Xi ger sighed. From what he knew, Wang Jin was skilled in many areas, even pharmacology. He hadn’t fully believed it before, but today’s performance had truly astonished him.
The melody wasn’t from their tribe… It seemed to belong to some unknown civilization, one far more advanced than theirs…
If that was the case, then it made perfect sense that after recovering from his “madness,” Wang Jin suddenly knew so much, even delving into pharmacology.
This knowledge must have come from his previous tribe.
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