Chapter 357- Fierce and Ominous Top VS Pretend Weak but Actually a Big Boss (23)
Wu He felt a little strange but, being naturally carefree, didn’t overthink it. However, hearing Mu Xuan’s accusations now, he couldn’t believe it had escalated to claims of him seducing a close friend!
The next moment, Wu Peng’s expression turned even colder as he faced Mu Xuan and stated firmly, “I’m the one who fell for him. Wu He doesn’t even know about my feelings yet.”
Hearing this, Wu He widened his eyes in shock. Recalling how Wu Peng had just been feeding him moments ago, his face flushed with embarrassment.
On the other hand, Mu Xuan, upon hearing Wu Peng’s declaration, trembled as she pointed a finger at him. Her face showed a tearful, pitiful expression, as if Wu Peng had committed some heinous crime and deeply wronged her.
Seeing Mu Xuan’s dramatic display, Wu Peng didn’t want Wu He to misunderstand the situation. He directly addressed her, saying, “Don’t put on that act. Yes, I did pursue you before, but didn’t you always avoid giving me an answer?”
“You’ve been stringing so many people along, hesitating and unwilling to make a choice. Do you really think I couldn’t tell?”
“I realized a long time ago that pursuing you was a mistake, which is why I stopped. Now, I’ve found someone I truly like. So why are you making such a scene?”
If Mu Xuan had taken a moment to reflect, she would’ve realized that everything Wu Peng said was true. However, as someone who never held herself accountable for anything, she only saw Wu Peng as being heartless and ran off crying.
But Wu Peng no longer cared about Mu Xuan’s feelings. Instead, he turned to Wu He, his gaze intense yet nervous, and asked tentatively, “So, what about you? Wu He, would you consider giving us a chance?”
“What?” Wu He was momentarily stunned, but he quickly processed what Wu Peng was asking. Thinking back to Wu Peng’s earlier statements, he realized there had never been anything between Wu Peng and Mu Xuan, so there was no betrayal involved.
Recently, Wu Peng had always been by Wu He’s side and had stopped seeking out Mu Xuan. Even when they crossed paths, Wu Peng treated her with a purely business-like attitude. Still, Wu He had never considered that Wu Peng might have feelings for him.
He hadn’t thought about it before, but looking closer now, Wu Peng was indeed a great person. Considering his own limited abilities, finding a woman seemed unlikely. Wu Peng, on the other hand, was an excellent candidate for a partner, and he was undeniably handsome.
Thinking about this, Wu He—who had never been entangled in romantic relationships before—couldn’t help but blush. However, he wasn’t the type to overthink or act overly coy. After seeing how happy Wu Po and Mu Jin were together, Wu He had longed for a companion of his own. So, he nodded in agreement to Wu Peng.
After all, Wu Peng was truly wonderful, and Wu He had no real reason to refuse, right?
Seeing Wu He’s nod, Wu Peng’s face immediately lit up with a wide smile. He continued to feed Wu He the roasted meat in his hands, but the atmosphere between them was noticeably much sweeter than before.
…
Meanwhile, after storming off angrily, Mu Xuan unknowingly wandered near the Gao Mountain Tribe’s territory. After some thought, she decided to seek out Lang Wei.
At this point, in Mu Xuan’s mind, Lang Wei was her only remaining option. Lang Wei was strong, held a high status, and was a likely candidate to become the next leader of the Gaoshan Tribe.
Mu Xuan believed that as long as she could firmly secure her connection with Lang Wei, her future would undoubtedly be far better than that of the people in the Pingshan Tribe. So, as soon as she saw Lang Wei, she threw herself into his arms, crying.
Of course, she couldn’t possibly admit it was because her former top admirer had fallen for someone else, leaving her feeling bitter. Instead, she claimed that the people of the Pingshan Tribe had been bullying her.
Mu Xuan couldn’t help but dwell on how everything had been going wrong for her in the Pingshan Tribe lately. In her mind, it was all due to the sudden appearance of Mu Jin. Both he and Wu Po seemed to exist solely to thwart her at every turn.
The ideas of farming, hunting, and crafting tools had been hers originally, yet these two had swooped in and stolen her thunder. If not for them, how could Wu Peng have fallen for someone else?
With this in mind, Mu Xuan deliberately began badmouthing Mu Jin and Wu Po to Lang Wei.
Lang Wei had initially only been interested in Mu Xuan because of her appearance. Over time, however, he found her increasingly troublesome and annoying. It was only when she boasted to him about her knowledge of farming and weapon-making that he decided to humor her a bit longer.
But now, hearing Mu Xuan constantly bring up Mu Jin and Wu Po, Lang Wei couldn’t care less about her attempts to slander them. What truly caught his attention was the information that Mu Jin had improved Mu Xuan’s farming methods and helped Wu Po refine a particular type of trap. Additionally, he’d heard rumors that the impressive items the Pingshan Tribe had brought to the gathering were largely thanks to Mu Jin.
This piqued Lang Wei’s interest. Compared to the half-baked talents of Mu Xuan, it was clear that Mu Jin was far more valuable. If he could bring Mu Jin back to the Gaoshan Tribe, their entire tribe would undoubtedly become stronger. That, in turn, would secure Lang Wei’s position as the future tribal leader.
As this thought crossed his mind, a glimmer of calculation flickered in Lang Wei’s eyes. Outwardly, however, he maintained a façade of tenderness and affection toward Mu Xuan. After all, with Mu Xuan now clinging to him and playing the helpless damsel, it was difficult for any man not to feel a pang of sympathy.
Following the logic that one shouldn’t waste an opportunity handed to them, Lang Wei continued to sweet-talk Mu Xuan. And since Mu Xuan had now decided to pin all her hopes on Lang Wei, she offered only half-hearted resistance before giving in. It wasn’t long before the two ended up entangled together.
That night, both Mu Xuan and Lang Wei were quite satisfied with the outcome. Mu Xuan was full of confidence, believing that Lang Wei would surely help her deal with Mu Jin and Wu Po. Lang Wei, on the other hand, was in high spirits after discovering the secrets of the Pingshan Tribe.
Lang Wei comforted Mu Xuan, urging her to return to the Pingshan Tribe and avoid arousing suspicion. He assured her that he would come up with a plan to help her.
What Mu Xuan didn’t know was that the very next day, Lang Wei went to the Pingshan Tribe’s stall, leisurely wandering around and casually inquiring about Mu Jin.
As fate would have it, that day, Mu Jin was returning from browsing the stalls of other tribes when he happened to run into Lang Wei. Seeing the youth before him, with his delicate features and fair skin, Lang Wei couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Although he had heard Mu Xuan repeatedly mention Mu Jin, he hadn’t expected Mu Jin to be this strikingly attractive. Compared to him, even the women Lang Wei had encountered before paled in comparison, not to mention Mu Xuan, whom Lang Wei had just won over a few days ago.
Lang Wei, someone who wasn’t picky about his conquests, had originally planned to seduce Mu Jin purely to use him and bring him back to the Gao Mountain Tribe. However, upon seeing Mu Jin’s appearance, his interest grew significantly. What had started as a passing idea now turned into an overwhelming desire.
A youth as beautiful as Mu Jin—regardless of whether he was capable or not—was someone Lang Wei was determined to have.
From that point on, Lang Wei, who had plenty of experience in matters of the heart, pulled out all the stops to pursue Mu Jin, showering him with gifts and flowers at every opportunity.
Mu Jin, suddenly faced with such an ardent suitor, found himself puzzled. After all, the people in this primitive world usually acted quite straightforwardly. To encounter someone like Lang Wei, with his scheming ways and endless tricks for courting, was a novelty to Mu Jin.
Having read the original plot, Mu Jin was well aware that Lang Wei, who had been loitering around him recently, was one of Mu Xuan’s many lovers in the original story. Furthermore, having overheard gossip in the tribe, he knew that Lang Wei had been romantically involved with Mu Xuan not too long ago.
For Lang Wei to suddenly shift his attention to him seemed far from a sign of genuine affection.
When Mu Xuan learned that Lang Wei had openly begun pursuing Mu Jin, she was furious and stormed off to confront him. However, Lang Wei, with his glib tongue, reassured Mu Xuan that everything he was doing was for her benefit.
He told her that once Mu Jin was successfully tricked into joining the Gaoshan Tribe, whatever happened to him afterward would be entirely up to Mu Xuan.
Hearing Lang Wei’s reasoning, Mu Xuan begrudgingly accepted it and decided not to intervene. In fact, she began to relish the thought of exacting her revenge on Mu Jin in the future and the satisfaction it would bring her.
Meanwhile, Mu Jin didn’t take Lang Wei seriously at all. Wu Po, however, was seething with rage, wishing he could tear apart the man who had suddenly appeared and was now trying to steal his partner.
Fortunately, Mu Jin showed no interest in Lang Wei and repeatedly stopped Wu Po from challenging him. This restraint was the only thing keeping Wu Po from acting on his fury.
Lang Wei, however, interpreted Wu Po’s inaction as cowardice. After yet another rejection from Mu Jin, Lang Wei glanced at Wu Po, who stood beside Mu Jin, and smugly assumed he had identified the “problem.”
With what he thought was a thoughtful smile, Lang Wei said to Mu Jin, “You don’t need to feel guilty about those around you. I’ll handle everything!”
Mu Jin, completely baffled by Lang Wei’s wild assumptions, could only watch in disbelief as Lang Wei, full of self-righteousness, marched up to Wu Po. With a serious tone, Lang Wei declared, “In two days, the tribes will hold their warrior tournament, where nearly all the tribes offer prizes.”
“Individuals can also place personal bets. Wu Po, I’ve heard you’re very strong, and I challenge you. If I win, Mu Jin must come with me.”
Wu Po’s anger was barely contained as he listened to Lang Wei’s outrageous demand. But he refused to accept the challenge because he would never treat Mu Jin as an object to be wagered.
Just as Wu Po was about to refuse, Mu Jin tugged at his arm, sensing an opportunity. He leaned closer to whisper something in Wu Po’s ear.
Even so, Wu Po hesitated, unwilling to agree. Seeing this, Mu Jin resorted to coaxing him, even playfully acting coy. He gently said, “Wu Po, I don’t trust Lang Wei’s intentions. Please accept his challenge and teach him a lesson during the fight. I know you can win.”
“Wu Po, please! To me, you’re the strongest. I want to see you defeat him and let everyone know that I belong to you!”