Chapter 72
"I'm sorry..." The leader said guiltily, pushing himself up from the bed with his hands and making a solemn promise to Yue ger: "Don’t worry, A-Yue, I won’t let anything happen to you! I’ll go find Rui grass right now."
As the leader spoke, he was about to leave, but Yue ger quickly reached out and grabbed him: "Don’t go yet."
His eyes were red, and his expression was as innocent and fragile as a pitiable little white rabbit. The leader stopped in his tracks and sat back down on the bed.
Yue ger said, "I hid my illness this time because I didn’t want you and a-die to worry... I never expected it would lead to such a misunderstanding... Is it because I’ve been too spoiled, always making you pick those fruits and hunt those hard-to-catch prey, that you and a-die misunderstood me? From now on, I won’t eat those fruits or ask for those prey anymore..."
As he spoke, his face was full of grievance. Though he wasn’t directly blaming anyone, his words seemed to imply that he wasn’t even allowed to eat a few fruits or some tender meat.
The leader’s heart twisted, drowning in overwhelming guilt: "No, it’s not like that... It’s me..."
The leader paused, sitting by the bed and lowering his head as if struggling to speak. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth and forced out the words: "I’m too weak. I couldn’t get those fruits for you myself and had to rely on others, which led to a-die’s misunderstanding... It’s my fault, not A-Yue’s."
Hearing this, Yue ger’s eyes flickered briefly before he looked even more aggrieved: "No, it’s my fault. I knew how hard it was for you to get those things, yet I still gave them away to the other gers in the tribe. I..."
Speaking sorrowfully, Yue ger continued: "I just wanted them to be closer to me. Ever since we got married, they’ve always kept their distance because of your status, rejecting my invitations with excuses about being at A-Jin’s place. And you’re rarely with me, so I felt so lonely... I used the stupidest method, giving them things just so they’d spend time with me... I... I was wrong."
Hearing this, the leader’s heart ached, and he hugged Yue ger tightly: "...Neither of us is at fault. It’s Wang Jin, that lunatic. When I went to ask Yuan Heng for help, he stirred up trouble, spouting nonsense because he couldn’t stand how well we got along, making me misunderstand you, A-Yue."
Yue ger’s fingers stiffened slightly, his eyes flashing before he softened his voice into a tearful whimper: "So it really was... A-Jin who said something..."
"Really?" The leader looked at Yue ger in confusion. Yue ger wiped his tears and said, "Leader, you don’t know this, but I invited A-Jin over a few times before, and we had some misunderstandings. He must’ve grown to hate me because of that, which is why he spread lies this time."
The leader was furious: "That lunatic! How vicious! I’ll go confront him!"
Yue ger quickly grabbed the leader’s arm to stop him: "No! We need their help right now. If you go and make a scene, what if Brother Heng refuses to help us?"
"He wouldn’t dare! I’m the leader!" The leader gritted his teeth.
A trace of disdain flickered in Yue ger’s eyes, but he clung to the leader, shaking his head weakly: "Don’t go... A-Jin has contributed a lot to the tribe. If you confront him over something like this, people might criticize you, saying I’ve bewitched you."
"Something like this?" The leader held Yue ger, looking at his pale face, heartbroken: "He turned our home upside down, how is that a small matter? He knew you were sick and still kicked you while you were down. His heart is so malicious, he deserves to be taught a lesson!"
Yue ger shook his head: "It’s my fault. I must’ve been a poor host before. Don’t act rashly, it’s just a misunderstanding. If it’s a misunderstanding, we can clear it up."
He spoke as if he were the one making concessions.
The leader’s heart softened, and he squeezed Yue ger’s fingers: "A-Yue, you’re too kind. He’s so cruel to you, you can’t keep letting him off, or he’ll think you’re easy to bully."
Yue ger smiled faintly, but the smile carried a bitter edge, making him seem even more pitiable: "I’m doing this for you. His family has always held high prestige in the tribe. If we clash with them, who knows how many people will talk behind your back? That would undermine your authority, and I could never do anything to harm you."
Every word he spoke seemed to be for the leader’s sake. The leader was deeply moved, silently cursing himself for ever thinking this man didn’t care for him.
Before, too, Yue ger had hidden the truth of his coercion for the leader’s sake. Where else could he find such a good ger?
The leader leaned in and kissed Yue ger’s forehead. Yue ger stiffened slightly, quietly lowering his eyes to hide his disgust.
The leader said, "I’ll treat you well from now on."
Yue ger bit his lip, hesitating before finally closing his mouth as if swallowing his words, looking at the leader with pitiful eyes.
The leader coaxed gently: "You can tell me anything."
Only then did Yue ger press his lips together and whisper: "You said the same thing before we got married..."
The leader froze, unable to speak for a long moment.
That was before their marriage, when he had made a mistake and knelt before Yue ger, begging for forgiveness and promising to treat him well.
Yet not long after their marriage, he had made Yue ger suffer like this. The leader’s guilt deepened even further.
Yue ger noticed his reaction and deliberately played the victim: "Don’t take it to heart. I was just saying it. I know you treat me well...this time, you just heard the wrong things."
These words directly shifted the blame onto Wang Jin. The leader’s guilt and frustration found an outlet, and he pushed all responsibility onto Wang Jin: "Yes, yes! It’s him! He’s the one who spouted nonsense in front of me!"
A flash of hatred crossed the leader’s eyes. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to beat Wang Jin or even banish him from the tribe!
Yue ger saw the hatred in his eyes and was secretly pleased, but his face remained sorrowful: "A-Jin must have misunderstood me deeply."
"Don’t mind him. If it really upsets you, just say the word, and I’ll go teach him a lesson," the leader said.
Yue ger sat up straighter, his pale complexion seeming to recover slightly: "It’s not good for A-Jin and me to stay at odds like this. I have an idea..." Yue ger lowered his eyes, a hint of calculation flashing in them. He paused before saying: "How about we hold a banquet and invite him to clear up the misunderstanding? Would that work?"
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