Almost the moment he pushed the door open, the person inside stirred—as if he had never been asleep—and the lamp in the room flickered to life.
Sure enough, the man was there, his expression alert, showing no trace of sleepiness. The sight of him made Wang Jin’s grievances surge up, prickling all the way to his scalp.
"Brother Heng…" Wang Jin didn’t realize his voice carried a sob.
"Do you… not like me anymore?"
"!" The little ger’s voice was thick with grievance and the pitiful tone of someone abandoned—it made the man’s heart ache as if it had been sliced open.
"You refuse to share a room or a bed with me… because you don’t like me anymore, right? You—"
Yuan Heng’s fingers twitched, and he sharply cut him off. "Little ger!"
Wang Jin froze, cut off mid-sentence, but his expression only grew more aggrieved.
The man sighed helplessly at the little ger before him, then stepped forward and gently pulled him into his arms. "Little ger, you must remember—no matter what happens, my feelings for you will never change."
His voice was so soft it seemed to float by Wang Jin’s ear, yet the weight of his words felt like a solemn vow, heavy enough to anchor Wang Jin’s restless heart back in place, soothing him.
Sniffling, his nose red, Wang Jin asked in a tearful voice, "Then why do you insist on refusing to share a room or bed with me?"
The little ger’s voice was sticky and sweet, the hint of a sob making it even more endearing—enough to melt the man’s heart.
Yuan Heng held Wang Jin tightly, as if he wanted to fuse him into his very flesh.
After a long moment, he finally spoke. "Our marriage isn’t recognized. Continuing to sleep together would be improper. Right now, I’m just a suitor pursuing you. We should sleep separately."
"Who cares about propriety?! It doesn’t affect us! We were together before! We even slept together last night! I don’t want to sleep apart!" Wang Jin protested.
Yuan Heng patted Wang Jin’s back soothingly, as if comforting a petulant child, the warmth and affection in his expression gradually easing Wang Jin’s anger.
Once Wang Jin had calmed down, Yuan Heng spoke again. "I didn’t think it through before. If we continue like this, others will think you’re a frivolous ger. They’ll…"
He didn’t finish, but Wang Jin understood.
In this world of beastmen, others would look down on him, consider him loose, and he would face bullying, gossip, and endless rumors.
But Wang Jin had never cared about the rumors that swirled around him.
Anyone who dared bully him would face retaliation—both from himself and Brother Heng. There was nothing to fear!
What Wang Jin couldn’t understand was why the man would rather torment them both than bend these rigid rules.
Yuan Heng reached up and ruffled Wang Jin’s hair. "Don’t worry, little ger. This won’t last long."
Wang Jin looked up at him and finally voiced his confusion. "I don’t care about any of this, Brother Heng. There’s no need for us to suffer like this…"
"I care," Yuan Heng interrupted firmly. "I refuse to let my little ger be ostracized because of me."
Wang Jin stilled.
Yuan Heng continued softly, "I can silence the gossip in the Danmu Tribe. Our people wouldn’t dare treat you this way. But you’re a ger of Ning’an City. One day, you’ll return to see your homeland, your family, and your old friends. If they judge you because of this…"
He sighed, the sound laden with helplessness. "What will you do then, little ger?"
"……" Wang Jin’s heart clenched. So this was all for his sake.
A sweetness spread through his chest, as if someone had drizzled honey over his heart.
"Brother Heng…" he murmured, his voice soft and sticky with affection.
Yuan Heng’s heart trembled. He pressed a gentle kiss to Wang Jin’s forehead. "Little ger, won’t you give me a chance to properly court you?"
"!" The warm press of lips lingered on his forehead, rubbing lightly.
The man spoke of pursuing him, and only then did Wang Jin remember—when they first met, he had already been in the man’s bed.
They had started living together without going through the usual courtship rituals of the tribe, where a beastman would woo a ger tirelessly until the ger agreed to marry him.
They had skipped those steps entirely, jumping straight into being together, only growing closer afterward…
Wang Jin had never thought much of it, but hearing the man say this made him realize—Yuan Heng had always remembered that he had never properly courted him.
He himself had forgotten, but the man never did.
Wang Jin’s heart felt like it had been cradled in warmth, spreading through his entire body, leaving him as comfortable as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
Then it struck him—in the world of beastmen, courtship was a grand affair. A beastman would go to great lengths to do romantic things for the ger he loved, all to earn a smile and the chance to marry him.
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