Chapter 177
His voice was unfriendly as he said, "It's not proper for you to be in the bridal chamber. You should leave."
Cheng Bai let out a self-deprecating laugh, stood up, and walked to Wang Jin. "Are you angry?"
"..." Wang Jin turned his head away without a word.
Cheng Bai pursed his lips. "I just couldn't control myself. I'm sorry. A beastman's devotion runs deep. You should give me some time, time to make me not like you so much. When I don't like you so much anymore, I'll be able to control myself."
"Cheng Bai!" Wang Jin frowned. "Today is my wedding day with Brother Heng. Do you think what you're saying is appropriate?"
"..." Cheng Bai looked deeply at Wang Jin for a moment, then walked past him and left.
When Yuan Heng returned, he happened to see Cheng Bai coming out of the room.
The smile on his lips gradually faded. He quickened his pace and walked inside.
He saw his ger sitting at the table, holding a plant and staring blankly at it.
The plant was entirely green, with only one red flower on it. The petals of the red flower were layered, half-open and half-hidden, like a bud about to bloom...
If I'm not mistaken, this is a Night Scarlet.
It only grew in caves deep within the jungle. There was only one Night Scarlet per jungle, and it only bloomed at night. The people of Ning'an City often used it as a gift from a beastman to his ger on their wedding night.
It was meant to let the ger witness a flower that bloomed for only one night, leaving him with the most memorable evening.
Yuan Heng had once searched for a Night Scarlet but found it had been picked. Later, whenever he passed through various jungles, he would look for one but never found it. He hadn't expected Cheng Bai to be the one who picked it.
And now, Cheng Bai had given the Night Scarlet he picked to his ger, and on this very wedding night. The flower was half-open, and that man had just left. Had they been admiring the flower together in the room just now? A beastman and a ger alone. He could not fathom the meaning of this.
Before, his ger had said that he used to like Cheng Bai very much, so much that he was willing to leave Ning'an City for him... to do things for him he never dared to do before.
Although he knew that was in the past, the thought of his ger once doing this and that for another man still made Yuan Heng's heart sour as if he had drunk vinegar.
Yuan Heng walked over with a cold face. Seeing who it was, Wang Jin's face lit up with joy. He put down the Night Scarlet and walked over.
As soon as he got close to Yuan Heng, Wang Jin smelled a strong aroma of wine.
The man seemed to have drunk quite a lot.
"Ger." As soon as he got close to Wang Jin, the man pulled him into his arms.
Wang Jin struggled slightly but couldn't break free. His face flushed. "Brother Heng, we should drink the wedding wine first."
"..." Yuan Heng ignored him, only tightening his arms around Wang Jin. "Don't see Cheng Bai anymore from now on."
The man's voice held a demanding tone, like a child's, which was very different from his usual self-restraint. He was now openly showing his displeasure and unwillingness, commanding Wang Jin in an overbearing way to do as he was told.
Wang Jin was certain the man was drunk. Such a thing, the man would never do when sober. He would only endure in silence, and eventually go find Cheng Bai for a duel.
This side of the man was rare. Wang Jin didn't react immediately, and the man's embrace tightened even more. "If you don't agree, from now on I'll hide you in the house and not let you go anywhere."
"..." Wang Jin laughed.
Hide? He has such thoughts?!
Being hugged so tightly it was starting to hurt, Wang Jin quickly spoke up to calm him down. "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say."
Seeming to find Wang Jin's reply somewhat perfunctory, the man let go of Wang Jin and looked at him silently, the grievance in his eyes plain to see.
"!" Wang Jin was shocked. The man usually kept his emotions hidden. This wronged look was like that of a large dog, the kind that needed to be petted and coaxed. It made Wang Jin's heart melt.
"I agree, I agree to everything you say. Don't be angry anymore, okay?" Wang Jin led Yuan Heng to sit down at the table.
Today, the drunken Yuan Heng was exceptionally obedient. Wang Jin led him wherever, and he did whatever Wang Jin asked.
And so, they completed the ritual of drinking the wedding wine. But just as they put down their cups, Yuan Heng fixated on the Night Scarlet on the table again.
"Ger, throw this away." Yuan Heng said with a cold face.
Wang Jin looked at the potted plant. "Let's just leave it. It's just a potted plant, and it's quite pretty."
Wang Jin didn't know the significance of the Night Scarlet.
Hearing this, Yuan Heng's face fell completely. "Ger... you really... you still have feelings for Cheng Bai, don't you?"
"?" Wang Jin was confused.
"Of course. You liked him so much before, said you could leave Ning'an City for him, even thought of him when your life was in danger... Such deep feelings couldn't possibly just disappear."
"..." When did I ever say that?
Wang Jin thought carefully and remembered it was during the confrontation with Pan Shulin... The man's expression had been off then, but that was a long time ago. Wang Jin thought he had forgotten, but he had kept it in his heart all along.
Wang Jin rubbed his temples. "Really, Brother Heng, I have no feelings for Cheng Bai."
"Then why won't you throw it away?" Yuan Heng pointed at the Night Scarlet and asked.
Wang Jin was helpless. "What does that have to do with this flower?"
Hearing this, the man's expression grew even more downcast. Wang Jin hurriedly agreed. "Alright, alright, I'll throw it away, throw it away."
With that, he picked up the potted plant and threw it straight out the window.
Yuan Heng's expression improved a little. Usually, it was the man who yielded to him. This time, Wang Jin yielding to the man felt quite novel.
Wang Jin helped the swaying man to sit on the bed. "Alright, Brother Heng, let's rest now."
But Yuan Heng sat motionless. Wang Jin sighed. How could he have forgotten that the man was prone to antics when drunk?
Last time he drank at the Danmu tribe, he nearly drove Wang Jin to exhaustion. This time...
Wang Jin secretly resolved never to let the man drink again.
Thinking this, he sighed and reached out to undo the man's clothes. But the man grabbed his wrist. After a long silence, he spoke. "Ger, in your heart, who is better, me or Cheng Bai?"
"..." How did we circle back to this?
"Didn't I already throw the flower away?" Wang Jin said.
Yuan Heng pursed his lips. "It's not about the flower. In your heart, am I better... or is Cheng Bai better?"
"Of course you are!" Wang Jin said. "Cheng Bai has never been in my heart."
"Little liar." Although Yuan Heng's lips curled up, he still muttered.
Wang Jin said, "I'm not, I really never liked Cheng Bai."
Wang Jin thought for a moment, then took Yuan Heng's hand. "Brother Heng, I'll tell you a secret. You mustn't forget it just because you're drunk."
"?" The man looked at Wang Jin in confusion.
Wang Jin leaned close to him and whispered, "Actually, I'm not Xi Yao. The real Xi Yao is already dead. I'm not from this world. I died in my original world and revived in Xi Yao's body in this world. So, the person who had feelings for Cheng Bai initially wasn't me."
"..." Yuan Heng looked somewhat bewildered.
Wang Jin said, "I knew you might not understand. Just remember, I never had any feelings for Cheng Bai."
As he spoke, he lifted his face and lightly kissed the man's thin lips.
This tentative kiss seemed to flip a switch. The man's light-colored pupils deepened, and then he turned passive into active...
The next day, when Yuan Heng got up, Wang Jin was still asleep. Looking at his peacefully sleeping ger, Yuan Heng recalled what the ger had said yesterday.
Another world?
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