Chapter 448 A Wild Man?

Chapter 448: Some Random Man?

Wuliji looked down at Zhou Hao, his face blank, and asked Cheng Ge: "What's he... saying?"

Cheng Ge: "He's cursing us."

Wuliji nodded: "Mm."

Then he looked away and went back to holding Cheng Ge.

Zhou Hao lay on the ground, eyes wide, waiting... and waiting.

Neither man looked at him—Cheng Ge even got more comfortable.

Zhou Hao: "............"

He felt his dignity had been utterly trampled.

He was a prince! The emperor's very own son! The future emperor of Great Zhou!

These two—these two—had the nerve to ignore him?!

A flash of fury surged straight to his head, and in an instant, he completely lost it.

"You two—" He started to say more things Wuliji couldn't understand.

But—"Whoosh—!" A sudden rush of air swept in.

Before Zhou Hao could react, he was sent flying with a single kick.

"Roll, roll, roll—"

He tumbled across the ground, knocked senseless, seeing stars, his guts nearly coming up through his throat.

When he finally managed to stop, he lay face-down, feeling like he was one breath from dropping dead right there.

He opened his mouth to cuss—"Cough, cough—you—!"

Before he could finish, a shadow fell over him, and Zhou Hao jerked his head up.

Cheng Ge was crouching in front of him, holding a shoehorn.

The shoehorn was just inches from his face.

Cheng Ge's expression was ninety percent murderous, ten percent impulsive.

Zhou Hao: "............"

He slowly closed his mouth.

Cheng Ge didn't move, the shoehorn still hovering above his face.

Zhou Hao's eyes darted back and forth.

He slowly squirmed, inch by inch, flipping himself over.

Turning the back of his head to Cheng Ge.

Then he closed his eyes, his mouth clamped shut, even his breathing softened.

Cheng Ge crouched behind him, holding the shoehorn, staring at that head, silent for a moment.

"........."

He lowered the shoehorn.

Zhou Hao's head didn't move at all, steady as a rock.

Cheng Ge crouched behind him, staring at that head for a moment, confirming this man was indeed prepared to play dead until the cows came home.

Then he stood up, dusted off his hands, and headed back.

"Bang—!" A figure suddenly came rushing over!

Before Cheng Ge could react, the person had already pounced on Zhou Hao, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him up off the ground!

Zhou Hao: "???"

Before he could even snap out of his playing-dead state, he was hoisted into the air.

He snapped his eyes open and came face-to-face with a familiar person—Zhou Zhan.

The Crown Prince's expression looked like he wanted to eat someone alive.

"Zhou, Hao—!"

Zhou Zhan's voice hissed through gritted teeth, one hand gripping Zhou Hao's collar, the other already clenched into a fist, veins popping.

"You—" Zhou Hao's pupils shrank, but before he could finish, a punch slammed into his face!

Zhou Hao's head was knocked to the side, blood immediately trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Zhou Zhan—!!!" Zhou Hao glared at Zhou Zhan, seething with rage.

The moment he finished yelling, another punch landed on his face!

"Animal! You're worse than scum! How dare you poison Father!"

Zhou Hao was beaten senseless, but he still struggled to lift his head, his mouth full of blood.

He bared his teeth in a grin.

The smile was stained with blood, looking somewhat creepy in the dim light.

"Elder Brother..." He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse but clear, "You must be out of your mind?"

Zhou Zhan's fist froze.

Zhou Hao stared into his eyes, his grin widening.

"Father... was poisoned by the stuff Elder Brother personally sent." He spat out a mouthful of blood, gasping for breath, but smiling even more brightly. "What's that got to do with me?"

Zhou Zhan's face darkened.

"You—!"

His grip on Zhou Hao's collar tightened hard, and his other fist came crashing down again!

"Everyone knows who really poisoned him! Setting me up and framing me—you're despicable!"

Blow after punch rained down on Zhou Hao like a storm.

Zhou Hao let out muffled groans with each hit, yet that grin on his face stayed stretched wide. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, and he didn't even bother to wipe it—just kept grinning.

Zhou Zhan, exhausted from throwing punches, panted heavily and glared at his blood-soaked little brother before him.

Zhou Hao slowly raised his head.

He leaned in closer to Zhou Zhan. Those eyes were bloodshot, yet they gleamed with a terrifying brightness.

"Brother..." His voice dropped, so soft it was like he was telling a secret.

"Now that Father is no longer here to protect you... can you still sit steady on that throne, Crown Prince?"

Zhou Zhan's pupils shrank to pinpricks. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Zhou Hao just looked at him, that bloody, eerie smile still hanging on his lips.

"Shut up!"

Zhou Zhan's eyes went red, and his fists came down like rain.

Zhou Hao couldn't fight back, beaten into a limp heap on the ground, but that mouth of his kept moving.

"Go on, hit me... kill me..." He gasped out in broken fragments. "Kill me... and you, you useless piece of trash, still won't... hold onto this kingdom..."

Zhou Zhan's fist froze for a second.

Zhou Hao lay on the ground, covered in blood, yet those eyes still gleamed with malice.

Zhou Zhan's chest heaved, and he raised his fist again.

This punch was more vicious than all the others, aimed right at Zhou Hao's throat—

"Crown Prince!" A voice suddenly rang out.

Zhou Zhan's fist froze mid-air, and he snapped his head around.

The brutality hadn't fully left his face, the bloodshot in his eyes not yet faded.

But when he saw the person standing not far away, he froze completely.

Cheng Ge stood a few steps away, blood still on his hands, not yet wiped off.

Zhou Zhan's heart lurched violently.

He let go of Zhou Hao's collar, and Zhou Hao slumped to the ground like a wet rag.

Without a second thought, he stood and strode toward Cheng Ge.

"Muyu—!"

But before he could get close, a figure stepped in front of Cheng Ge, blocking him completely.

Zhou Zhan stopped. He looked up and got a clear look at the man.

Broad shoulders, a thick back, built like a mountain. A black cloth covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

His eyes were deep-set, with light pupils—clearly not a Great Zhou man's features.

No fear in those eyes, no respect—just a blunt, hostile stare.

And the way he planted himself in front of Cheng Ge was pure possessiveness, no hiding it.

Zhou Zhan's face turned ugly in an instant. His brows furrowed, and he snapped, "Move!"

Wuliji didn't move an inch. Stood there like a mountain, didn't even blink.

Zhou Zhan took a deep breath, looked away, and tried to see Cheng Ge behind Wuliji.

"Muyu." His voice softened, with a hint of urgency. "Are you hurt? Let me see."

Before Cheng Ge could say anything, Wuliji spoke up.

"You've... got the wrong person." His voice was low and raspy, with a foreign accent, each word slow and deliberate. "He's not... Muyu."

Zhou Zhan: "???"

He froze, then his face got even darker. Not wasting words, he reached out to shove Wuliji aside.

But the second his hand touched Wuliji's shoulder, it got knocked away hard.

He stumbled back a few steps, almost losing his footing.

"You—!" Zhou Zhan caught himself, chest heaving, face purple with rage.

"You dare!" He gritted his teeth, forcing each word out. "How dare you obstruct me!"

Wuliji didn't move an inch.

"You've... got the wrong person." He said it again, his voice still low, each word deliberate.

Zhou Zhan took a deep breath, not wanting to deal with this weirdo.

He stepped to the side, trying to get around Wuliji to reach Cheng Ge.

"Muyu, you—" He cut himself off.

Cheng Ge stood behind Wuliji, holding his sleeve up to hide most of his face.

Only his eyes were visible, darting left and right, up and down—anywhere but at Zhou Zhan.

That pose basically screamed five words: I don't know you.

Zhou Zhan stood frozen, a weird feeling surging in his chest.

He remembered last time, when Cheng Ge had walked up and slapped him without a word.

Back then, seeing his beloved, he hadn't felt much pain—more joy than anything.

But now, watching Cheng Ge hide behind another man, hiding his face with his sleeve and pretending not to know him, he felt a tightness in his chest.

That hurt worse than a slap.

"Muyu..." His voice dropped, with a hint of hurt he didn't even notice himself.

Cheng Ge's sleeve went up another inch. Zhou Zhan gritted his teeth. He'd had enough.

"Move!" He snapped at Wuliji, reaching out to grab Cheng Ge's sleeve.

"Bang!" The moment his hand shot out, a tremendous force slammed into his chest, sending Zhou Zhan flying backward to crash hard on the ground.

Cheng Ge: "!!!"

He yanked his sleeve down, eyes bugging out. "Holy crap!"

Zhou Zhan lay on the ground, chest heaving violently, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.

Propping himself up on his elbows, he struggled to lift his head and looked at Cheng Ge.

"Cough, cough, cough—!" He burst into a fit of coughing, one after another, his entire body trembling with each spasm, a thin trickle of crimson blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Cheng Ge: "!!!"

Scared out of his mind, he shoved Wuliji aside and sprinted toward Zhou Zhan.

"Your Highness!" He dropped to his knees beside Zhou Zhan, pulling him into his arms, frantically wiping the blood off his lips.

"Your Highness! What's wrong? Where are you hurt? Let me see!"

Zhou Zhan froze for a second in his arms, then started struggling, trying to push Cheng Ge's hands away.

"Get away from me!" Cheng Ge didn't let go. "Don't move! Let me see where you're injured!"

"Cheng Muyu!" Zhou Zhan roared, his voice cracking.

The shout caught Cheng Ge off guard, and he froze, and Zhou Zhan grabbed his collar, yanking him down.

"You heartless jerk! Bringing some outsider here to bully me!"

Cheng Ge: "..."

Cheng Ge's head was spinning.

In his whole life, he'd never soothed anyone but himself, let alone a guy.

"Your Highness, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" He frantically patted Zhou Zhan down. "Let me see what happened! Where are you hurt? Are your bones alright?"

Zhou Zhan was caught off guard by the patting, initially wanting to resist, but seeing Cheng Ge's face etched with anxiety, watching those hands roam over him, so careful not to press too hard... the anger in his chest started to settle a little.

"Cough..." He turned his face away, his voice muffled. "So you do know how to care."

Cheng Ge missed the undertone in his words, too busy checking his injuries. "Does your rib hurt? Here? What about here?"

Zhou Zhan let out a soft grunt at the pressure, a faint blush creeping onto his face. "It's... alright."

Cheng Ge let out a sigh of relief, about to say something—

"Heh~" A snide voice drifted over from the side.

Zhou Hao lay on the ground, face turned sideways, blood still smeared at the corner of his mouth, yet his grin was as bright as if he'd just been crowned emperor.

"Brother, you must've missed it earlier." He spoke slowly, drawing out each word, making sure Zhou Zhan caught every syllable.

"Lord Cheng here, just now, was all over that man, hugging and cuddling, gazing at each other all gooey-eyed, like nobody else was around..."

Zhou Zhan's brow furrowed, and Zhou Hao continued, "It was all sweet and mushy. Even this prince blushed watching them."

Zhou Zhan's face darkened, and he snapped his head toward Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge: "..."

He opened his mouth to explain, but his throat seized up.

Seeing him like that, Zhou Zhan's face got even darker. "What he said... is it true?"

"Your Highness, let me explain..."

"Explain what?" Zhou Hao poured gasoline on the fire. "Brother, you didn't see it—that scumbag was holding Lord Cheng, and Lord Cheng was leaning into his arms, as meek as a lamb. Not like how he treats you—"

He paused, his tone growing even more mocking, "with punches and kicks."

Zhou Zhan's face went completely dark. He remembered the punch he'd just taken.

He remembered how pathetically he'd hit the ground, remembered Cheng Ge hiding behind someone, hiding his face with his sleeve...

And then he remembered their last meeting, when Cheng Ge had slapped him out of nowhere. A huge wave of hurt washed over him.

"Cough, cough, cough—!" He started coughing again, worse than before, his whole body shaking, his eyes turning red.

Cheng Ge was scared out of his mind. "Your Highness! Your Highness, don't get worked up! Listen to me!"

Zhou Zhan shoved his hand away, glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes. "Listen to what? Listen to you being all sweet with someone else, while I get nothing but punches and kicks?!"

"No... that's not..."

"Not what?!" Zhou Zhan's voice got all nasally. "He hugs you and you let him, but when I touch you, you act like you're dying!"

Cheng Ge: "..."

He realized he couldn't argue with that. Seeing him rendered speechless, Zhou Zhan felt even more wronged.

"Cheng Muyu, you've let the dogs eat your heart!"

Cheng Ge opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, a figure loomed over them.

Wuliji stood before them, looking down at the two embracing on the ground, his face expressionless.

He reached out to grab Cheng Ge's arm, but Zhou Zhan was quicker, slapping his hand away.

"Don't touch him!" The smack rang out sharp and loud in the quiet corner.