The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 603: No Take-Backs

Chapter 603: No Take-Backs

The world—this one, the last, and probably any other he had ever inhabited—had its similarities and differences. But without a doubt, people were the hardest to read. Too many variations in character and too many inconsistencies.

Some were comically one-dimensional, while others held grandiose plans far beyond their capabilities, convinced they were far wiser than they truly were.

Xu Feng knew this to be true without question, but he was only human—well, sort of human, maybe human-adjacent. And when peeling back the layers of a person, there was always an element of wonder, of surprise. Until you completely freeze your heart to the world, there is always wonder, a chance at surprise—good and bad.

He hadn’t forgotten all the trouble Sun Ming Hua had caused him since they first met. The ger was clearly spoiled, overbearing, and a young mistress to his core. But did Xu Feng hate him? Not exactly. He had even drawn some inspiration from Sun Ming Hua’s dramatics for his own "young mistress" persona.

Still, that didn’t mean he didn’t have his grudges.

"Haahhh..." Xu Feng sighed audibly, the sound carrying the weight of his mixed feelings. He stood in the estate’s large kitchen, fingers drumming against the wooden table as he glanced at his brother, who was still helping him plate the pudding.

If there was one thing he absolutely held against Sun Ming Hua, it was his clash with Bai Mo over Kang Han.

Bai Mo had lost so much in his life. His ger dad, his father, his position in society (to an extent people treated him like a bad omen)—all gone, and none of it his fault. To make things worse, his so-called peers, once "friends" in Yilin Town, had treated him as though he were to blame for things beyond his control.

It was disgusting. The way Sun Ming Hua had participated in that ostracization, acting as though Bai Mo’s very presence was offensive, had infuriated Xu Feng more than anything else.

It wasn’t like Bai Mo had killed his ger dad or his father. Life had simply dealt him a cruel hand. And yet, people had turned their backs on him. Kang Han included.

Kang Han.

Xu Feng’s lip curled in distaste just thinking about him.

That man could kick rocks—or even eat them, for all Xu Feng cared. He had never understood why anyone would be attracted to the arrogant bastard. Sure, he looked decent enough from what little Xu Feng remembered, but the second Kang Han opened his mouth, Xu Feng had the uncontrollable urge to introduce the man’s teeth to his foot.

It was almost primal. He had never hated someone so immediately before. Okay, that wasn’t true, but he didn’t like Kang Han.

Now that Sun Ming Hua’s true circumstances had come to light, Xu Feng felt... conflicted. He didn’t want to be heartless. The young mistress of the Sun family had clearly lived a life full of shadows, caged by forces beyond his control.

But still, his sympathy only stretched so far. Because even with all that in mind, it didn’t erase what he had done to Bai Mo. If Xu Feng had to choose between Bai Mo and Sun Ming Hua, there was no question about where his loyalties lay.

Bai Mo. Now, and in the future.

Sun Ming Hua was simply someone he pitied from a distance.

Xu Zeng’s voice broke through his thoughts. "Brother... the bowl."

Xu Feng blinked, looking down to see that, yes, he was gripping a ceramic dish a bit too tightly. He loosened his fingers and cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance. "Ah. Oops."

His brother gave him a look but didn’t press the matter, lost in his own thoughts. Instead, they worked together to plate the pudding, making sure there was enough for everyone in the household as well as the workers renovating the estate.

Once that was done, Xu Feng knew there was still more to discuss.

Rather than sitting down for a serious conversation, they let it happen naturally, their hands busy with preparing lunch. The broth Xu Feng had started earlier simmered steadily, filling the kitchen with its savory aroma. The menu was simple—two meat dishes, a soup, and coarse-grain rice. Nothing fancy, but comforting. Humble, in Xu Feng’s experience.

Xu Feng handled the final touches on the broth, adding in fresh herbs and seasoning, while Xu Zeng worked on finishing the meat dishes. They moved in sync, a quiet understanding between them. It was a familiar rhythm, one that made difficult conversations easier to stomach.

"So," Xu Feng finally said, breaking the silence, "what else happened that night?"

Xu Zeng stirred the pot in front of him, his expression calm once more. "Your Torann and I stayed longer than we intended. Sun Ming Hua’s courtyard... it wasn’t what I expected."

Xu Feng, battling the flush creeping up his face, arched a brow but didn’t interrupt.

’Your Torann, Your Jian, Your garden snake, Your Yang.’

Xu Zeng said them so casually, but the possessiveness always sent a shiver of excitement down Xu Feng’s spine. It felt right. They were his. His husbands. His family. His world.

And yet, his modern sensibilities still cringed at the thought of actually saying it out loud.

Good thing he never had to—it was always Xu Zeng who voiced it so effortlessly.

Clearing his throat, Xu Feng forced himself to refocus on his brother. He knew Xu Zeng well enough to recognize that he would say what he needed to say in his own time.

Correction: What he needed to say and what he absolutely didn’t need to say too...

Xu Feng’s lips pressed into a thin line, wariness creeping into his thoughts. "And you’ve been avoiding me since because...?"

Xu Zeng hesitated, then let out a slow breath. "Because I was trying to hide how I felt."

Xu Feng’s eyes wandered back to the baby clothes.

"That’s why I was harsh with Hu Zhe," Xu Zeng admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "He wanted to go with your Jian and me, and I didn’t want him to take that risk..."

Xu Feng shook his head. "You’re not weak, Xu Zeng." He wanted to reassure his brother that Xu Hu Zhe wasn’t weak either, but one target at a time worked best.

His younger brother’s eyes met his, conflicted. "Then why do I feel like I am?"

Xu Feng didn’t have an easy answer to that. So, instead, he placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, grounding him just as Xu Zeng had done for him in the recent chaos.

. . .

Sun Ming Hua was still a ger. As was Bai Mo. And so was Lee Hua. Xu Feng himself was also a ger. In the past, his brother also lived as a ger.

The life of a ger wasn’t as horrible as Xu Feng had thought when he first came to Donghua. There were more liberties granted to them. They could become the head of their own household. They could study. They had a lower fertility rate than women but a higher chance of carrying immortal bloodline children.

It shouldn’t be so hard to live life as a ger. It really shouldn’t.

Yet, it was.

He had five different examples of how hard it could be to live as a ger. Sometimes, it was the men who looked down on them and wanted to take away their rights, and other times, it was the women around them who wanted to tear them down a few pegs.

Even the law, which should have been on their side in these cases, was barely held, with their rights being questioned every day.

Xu Feng felt a bit relieved when he thought of his sons. They wouldn’t have to be weighed down by these kinds of obstacles. Whether their relatives on their father’s side—the Xuan’s—accepted them or not, he would make up for it and be there for them.

But there was still Xiao Momo, Lee Hua’s child, and Da Bao, the big treasure. These two gers would be just as vulnerable in society.

...

In the last few days, it was like he’d taken several steps back after a huge step forward. In his desire to not "blemish" those around him, he’d retreated back into his safe haven where he had his husbands, his children and all the little ones of Nanshan, and the rest of his chosen family.

It would be easy to stay at home and let those around him handle the world, but Xu Feng knew he couldn’t do that. Just one conversation with his brother, that little bit of vulnerability Xu Zeng showed, was enough to tell him he couldn’t hide.

Everyone was scared of something. Not just of people but also of consequences and even reactions.

Even so, when you have people you care about or a goal you want to achieve, you can’t hide in the darkness and let others be your light. It’s more effective if there are several lights so one person doesn’t get burned out.