Chapter 640 - 637: Not Afraid of Ending Up Empty-Handed

Chapter 640: Chapter 637: Not Afraid of Ending Up Empty-Handed

In the real world, the Clan Leader watched Jinying’s silent, shifting expressions. A mix of rage and disappointment churned inside him, and he suddenly raised his voice, practically roaring, "Jinying, answer me! You don’t want to bond with Yun Duo anymore? Then why did you agree in the first place? What do you take me for? And what do you take Yun Duo for?"

The tremendous shout startled the Beastmen on guard outside. It also caused Yun Duo, who had been joyfully awaiting Jinying, to freeze on the spot.

Jinying endured the Clan Leader’s fury and his own inner torment. He lifted his head, his gaze candid yet cruelly sharp. "At the time, I didn’t have a female I liked. And your health... it looked like you weren’t going to make it. To put your mind at ease, to fulfill your wish, I decided to bond with Yun Duo."

He paused, looking at the Clan Leader’s instantly pale face and incredulous gaze. Steeling himself, he continued, "But now, you’re recovering. You have plenty of time to slowly choose a truly dependable male partner for Yun Duo—one who will genuinely love her, with eyes only for her. That would be what’s best for Yun Duo..."

"You... you... are you trying to kill me with anger?" The Clan Leader of the Elephant Clan was so furious he trembled all over. He pointed at Jinying, his finger shaking violently, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe.

He never imagined that Jinying, whom he regarded as his own son, would say something so despicable!

’So bonding with her was his way of repaying me?’

’And now that I’m better, he wants to take back his promise?’

Just then, Yun Duo burst into the room.

Her face was drained of all color, and tears streamed down like a broken dam. Her once clear, bright eyes were now filled with pain and heartbreak.

"Brother Jinying... you... how could you do this... I don’t want to cancel the bonding ceremony..." She was sobbing so hard she could barely stand, overwhelmed by the immense humiliation and grief.

Jinying looked at the weeping Yun Duo and the Clan Leader who was on the verge of fainting from anger. His brow furrowed tightly, his heart filled with guilt.

’If the Clan Leader hadn’t been able to recover, I would have sacrificed my own life to take good care of Yun Duo.’

’But now, influenced by Fu Jinsen, I want to live for myself for once.’

He stood by his decision, bowing deeply to the Clan Leader. His voice was low but firm. "Uncle, you’ve just started recovering. Please take care of your health. If... if seeing me makes you angry and hinders your recovery, I’ll leave for now."

Without waiting for the Clan Leader to erupt again, he turned and strode out of the room.

Behind him, the Clan Leader’s furious roars and Yun Duo’s unrestrained sobs followed.

Jinying’s heavy footsteps echoed through the stone corridor.

Just as he descended the stone steps leading to the lower level, he heard hurried, stumbling footsteps behind him, accompanied by a tearful cry:

"Brother Jinying! Wait!"

His steps faltered, but he didn’t turn around immediately.

Yun Duo had chased after him, her face streaked with tears. Her normally lively and beautiful almond-shaped eyes were now red and swollen.

She ran in front of him, blocking his path. Tilting her head up, she looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "Brother Jinying, tell me why. Didn’t we already agree... Father Beast was so happy too... Why are you suddenly not bonding with me?"

He pressed his lips together, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

He had practically watched Yun Duo grow up, treating and caring for her like a little sister.

He didn’t want to hurt her either.

But after clearly perceiving the stirring in his soul—a feeling sparked by Fu Jinsen but now deeply etched within him—he could no longer go back. He couldn’t pretend to calmly accept a partnership based on duty without love.

Finally, he hardened his heart, forcing his voice to sound calm, even a little distant.

"Yun Duo, you’re wonderful. You haven’t done anything wrong." He paused, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance, avoiding her tear-filled eyes. "It’s just... we’re not right for each other. You’ll find a male who truly loves you, who has eyes only for you, and who will be good to you for a lifetime. But that person isn’t me."

He saw Yun Duo’s body sway, her face growing even paler.

He steeled his heart. "In the future... I will be like a brother to you, taking care of you, protecting you. I’ll never let anyone bully you..."

"I don’t want to hear it!"

Yun Duo abruptly covered her ears with her hands as if to block out his cruel words, her tears flowing even more furiously.

She shook her head forcefully, her voice sharp and broken, filled with the raw emotion of humiliation. "Who wants you as a brother? A brother was never what I wanted, not since I was little!"

With that, she could no longer face him. She spun around and took off running.

Her slender figure stumbled through the twilight, full of helplessness and panic.

Jinying stood where he was, not chasing after her.

Listening to her fading, suppressed sobs and frantic footsteps, he clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

He knew that some wounds, once inflicted, could never be easily healed.

And he had been the one to personally sever the last possibility of warmth between him and the female he had grown up with.

Deep within Jinying’s consciousness, Fu Jinsen’s voice, as icy as the water of a frigid pool, held a hint of imperceptible mockery:

’Wanwan already has Chou Rong, Yin Ze, and Jin Yi. She might not even accept you. You’re just acting recklessly, leaving yourself no retreat and no room for error. Aren’t you afraid you’ll come up empty-handed in the end, gaining nothing at all?’

Jinying’s consciousness fell silent for a moment before responding with resolve:

’I’m not.’ His thoughts were clear and resolute. ’If I can’t become her Beast Husband, if I can’t stand by her side with a legitimate claim, then I’ll live on my own. Guarding these feelings is fine by me. But what about you, Fu Jinsen? Can you stand it? Can you stand to just watch from afar as other males surround and dote on her? To watch her smile at them, living a happy, blissful life that has nothing to do with you? Can you?’

The question was a precisely aimed dagger, striking Fu Jinsen’s deepest point of pain.

A long, oppressive silence descended within his consciousness.

Fu Jinsen couldn’t answer.

Merely imagining such a scene was enough to unleash a destructive storm in the depths of his mind.

「A few days passed.」

During that time, Bai Wanwan and her Beast Husbands had been living quite a pleasant life.

They enjoyed the hospitality provided by the Elephant Clan, strolled through scenic spots near the clan’s territory, and savored local delicacies as if they were on vacation.

In any case, they were planning to stay until after the bonding ceremony, so it wouldn’t be too late to give the restorative medicine to the Elephant Clan’s Clan Leader when they were about to leave.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the bonding ceremony originally planned for Jinying and Yun Duo arrived.

What surprised Bai Wanwan was the news that the male bonding with the Yun Duo Female had been suddenly switched to another powerful young male from the clan.