Ger, So Proud

Chapter 22: Bastard!

“He Ze! You bastard!”

Lin Yu squinted through a small gap between his fingers, saw He Ze still standing there with his chest bare, and immediately turned his head away, running a few steps before abruptly stopping.

He Ze was still in a daze, slowly moving his hand away from his pants, “I didn’t mean to—”

“Bang!”

Before He Ze could finish his sentence, Lin Yu was already in front of him, delivering a swift punch to his face. He Ze, unable to keep his balance, fell backward into the pool, causing a large splash.

“Shameless! Pervert!”

He Ze wiped his face, his vision blurred by the water, and saw Lin Yu’s furious face before he grabbed his basket and disappeared.

He Ze wiped the water off his face and looked in the direction Lin Yu had disappeared, sheepishly touching his nose. He winced in pain and saw his hand smeared with diluted red.

A rush of heat surged through him as he wiped his lip, his hand covered in blood.

He had a nosebleed.

What the hell was this? He Ze frowned deeply.

Although Lin Yu had a delicate appearance, he wasn’t effeminate. While gers were typically described as beautiful and graceful, Lin Yu had a blend of elegance and aloofness. This unique combination gave him a distinct charm that wouldn’t cause any confusion about his gender.

So, he really had forgotten…

He Ze washed the blood from his hands and face, glanced at his reflection in the pool, and saw his nose, swollen and red.

What a mess…

He Ze picked up a green leaf from the ground, pinched it between his fingers, and then tossed it back onto the bank. He didn’t know if Lin Yu had really left, and if Lin Yu saw his injury heal so quickly, it would arouse suspicion.

Looking around, He Ze casually splashed the pool water and swam to the edge, leaning against the green rocks to dry himself.

In the village, bathing was a hassle, carrying water was laborious, heating it consumed firewood, and most people weren’t very particular about cleanliness. He was the same; during the apocalypse, going months without a bath was common.

But now he was already wet, so he might as well take a bath… He’d deal with it later.

As for Lin Yu, he had his bow and arrows and was familiar with the mountain. There shouldn’t be any problems, right?

He Ze hesitated for a moment, then picked up the leaf he had discarded earlier. With a flick of his fingers, the leaf spun rapidly in the air, rising slowly before landing on a branch, reconnecting as if it had never fallen.

This way, if Lin Yu encountered any trouble, it would signal him.

Relieved, He Ze lowered his head but then looked up again, staring at the leaf in surprise. His abilities… seemed to have upgraded?

But why didn’t he feel anything?

Frowning, He Ze opened his palm. Besides the life energy coursing under his skin and the abundant strength he felt, there was nothing unusual.

Could it be that upgrading without a crystal core was different? The former felt like a life-and-death ordeal, while the latter was silent and unnoticeable… He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

He instinctively clenched his fist, pondering for a moment before snapping back to reality. Since there was no harm, why worry? Whatever came, he’d face it. Could it be worse than the apocalypse?

Suddenly, a rustling sound reached his ears. He Ze turned his head and saw the bushes in the direction where Lin Yu had disappeared shaking. Lin Yu’s voice, suppressed with anger, rang out, “He Ze, if you don’t come out now, I’m going down the mountain by myself!”

Lin Yu wore a stern expression, gripping his bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, the tip of which was stained with blood. If he hadn’t been worried that He Ze might be seriously injured by his punch or encounter another bear like last time, he wouldn’t have come back!

“You pushed me, my pants are soaked. How am I supposed to get out quickly?” He Ze looked at his swollen nose reflected in the pool water, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“You, you, you can’t just take them off to dry?!”

Lin Yu’s grip on the arrow tightened, his fingertips turning red from the pressure. The arrowhead scraped against a nearby stone, creating a rough, scratching sound and leaving deep marks.

He was speaking through gritted teeth, but He Ze couldn’t see it and responded with a teasing tone, “So you mean… I should take them off now?”

“Bastard! Whoosh—”

Before He Ze could finish his sentence, Lin Yu, in a fit of anger, notched an arrow and shot it in one swift motion. The arrow soared through the air, perfectly bypassing several rocks and embedding itself in the crevice of the warm pool’s stone edge.

“I’ll wait for you at the mountain top for half an hour. Otherwise, you can stay and feed the wolves!”

His voice grew fainter as he walked away. He Ze twitched his lips and swam forward a few strokes, pulling out the arrow.

Lin Yu’s arrows had bamboo shafts with iron tips. Now the shaft was cracked in several places, and the tip was broken. It was clear how much force Lin Yu had used. He Ze suddenly felt a bit of a toothache.

Such a fiery temper!

He finally understood why the villagers were so cautious about Lin Yu’s marriage prospects. Maybe the “husband-killer” rumor was only part of the reason? After all, no family wanted an overly domineering son-in-law, and while men might be easily tempted by beauty, it was hard to tolerate a spouse who constantly overshadowed them.

He Ze held the arrow shaft in one hand and felt around the stone crevice with the other, finally retrieving a sharp piece of iron. He compared the broken arrow shaft and the iron tip, shaking his head. The arrow was ruined, and Lin Yu would probably hold him responsible for it.

What fate, what destiny!

Half an hour… He Ze refocused, placing the arrow shaft and iron tip on the bank, then submerged himself completely in the pool.

Meanwhile, at the mountain top.

Lin Yu sat under the large tree where they had rested earlier, lazily tossing stones. His basket was set aside, and he occasionally muttered curses.

Listening closely, every third word was He Ze’s name, showing just how furious he was.

Images of He Ze stripping earlier replayed in his mind. He had no muscle, looking like a boiled chicken, no wonder he was so weak!

Lin Yu curled his lip in disdain.

However… He was quite tall, towering over him by half a head. Although he wasn’t muscular, he wasn’t too thin either. In fact, he looked decent.

“Pffft, what’s he thinking about?”

Lin Yu felt a bit annoyed as he touched his flushed face, forcefully hurling the stone in his hand. He thought to himself with resentment, that guy is nothing but a scoundrel! No, He Ze was two years younger than him, he was just a little scoundrel! Why bother arguing with a little scoundrel like him!

“Bastard, shameless, despicable…”

Repeatedly reminding himself not to get angry, Lin Yu’s gaze casually glanced over, but he suddenly pulled out another arrow from his basket, his mind wandering. Suddenly, he stood up, turned to face the tree in front of him, and gestured with the arrow a few times.

When He Ze finally managed to dry his pants and came up, he saw Lin Yu’s somewhat sneaky figure. “Lin Yu, what are you doing?”

With a loud sound behind him, Lin Yu’s movements abruptly stopped. Then, with a stern face, he turned around perfectly, blocking the tree behind him, and said coldly, “None of your business!”

“…Still not leaving?” Lin Yu tossed the arrow in his hand into the basket and, without even glancing at He Ze, looked up at the setting sun, then slung the basket onto his back. “Do you really want to stay here and feed the wolves?”

“…Your arrow.”

He Ze handed the broken arrow to Lin Yu. The latter paused for a moment, took the arrow shaft and iron tip, then lowered his gaze and threw them into his own basket.

There was an inexplicable sense of melancholy in the air.

He Ze glanced at Lin Yu, and when their eyes met, Lin Yu’s gaze was full of resentment.

Alright, this debt was indeed on his head.

He Ze felt a toothache again and quickly turned around, heading in the direction they had come from earlier. Lin Yu followed behind him, took a few steps, then glanced back at the tree trunk behind him, subconsciously curling his lips, but quickly suppressed it.

Turning back, his face still bore an angry expression.

Going downhill was much easier than going uphill. They walked in silence until dusk approached, and they reached the foot of the mountain. Lin Yu followed behind He Ze at a distance of about three feet, and He Ze led the way without making any wrong turns.

“Wait—”

When they could faintly see the houses of the He family village, Lin Yu stopped in his tracks and called out to He Ze, who turned his head.

“Don’t tell anyone about today’s incident! Otherwise, otherwise—”

If this matter tarnished his reputation, if it really got out… Lin Yu’s eyes welled up with tears, unconsciously fiddling with the straps of his basket.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

He Ze reassured him, his voice carrying a hint of consolation, then turned and continued walking. Lin Yu remained standing there blankly, watching his back.

He had been thinking all along, what if He Ze refused? But now, He Ze’s casual response made it seem as if he had some ulterior motive.

With a heavy burden lifted from his chest, Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He kicked the stones on the ground, slowly catching up. When he reached the village entrance, he didn’t say anything and headed towards his own home.

He Ze paused for a moment, glanced at Lin Yu hurrying away, then turned his head.

As he stepped forward towards home, He An entered the courtyard right behind him. He had just put down the woven basket on his back and scratched his head, asking him, “Brother, I met Brother Lin just now when I came back. He asked me to cook some eggs for you. What’s going on?”

Author’s note:

He An (pitiful): Brother, did Brother Lin hit you again?

He Ze (deeply): When did he hit me? He didn’t hit me, alright? Can you call it hitting between husband and wife? That’s a mark of love, you know? You’re still young, you don’t understand.

[Facepalm, MD, even I believe it now, hahaha~]

Author: Just a daily routine hahaha~