203: Chapter 203: His gaze was so resolute, it was as if he were about to join the Party.

Tang Ruan: "Hmm? What does that mean?"

She thought for a moment and asked: "Is he too lazy to interact with Beastmen he doesn't know?"

Lang Chi doesn't seem like the shy type of Beastman, though...

Tudou: "Lang Chi once said that when he was six or seven years old, he lost his mother."

At the time, his mother had taken him and his sister out to play when they encountered a landslide, and he wasn't able to pull his mother out from under the giant rocks.

By the time his father arrived, his mother had already passed away.

He blamed himself deeply for that.

Later, when the Wolf tribe encountered the Heavenly Fire, he was equally unable to protect his father or lead the Wolf tribe.

It was Lang Lie who led the Wolf tribe to escape the Heavenly Fire, saving many tribespeople.

He felt he was useless.

Then later, with the incident involving Lang Yue, he was just as helpless.

He could neither persuade his sister nor bring himself to betray his tribe for her sake.

Therefore, he has always been in a state of feeling that he cannot protect those around him well.

I think there might be a hurdle in his heart!"

He probably thinks that if he can't even protect the people around him, he can't bring them happiness either.

Let alone strangers.

So when looking for a mate, he only wants to find one who is already close to him."

Tang Ruan nodded, half-understanding.

This could also be considered a kind of PTSD...

I didn't expect Lang Chi, who looks so carefree, to be so sensitive on the inside.

"From a psychological perspective, he is actually trying to heal his inner trauma by protecting the people around him," Tang Ruan analyzed.

Tudou: "What is psychology?"

Tang Ruan: "That's not important. In short, he doesn't really like you or me; he just thinks we might need him, and that he can protect us. It lets him free himself from his psychological distress."

"What is psychological distress?"

Tang Ruan: "That's not important."

Tudou: ...

Tang Ruan patted Tudou on the head. "Tudou, you did the right thing!"

"I couldn't tell you were so clear-headed about relationships; you have the potential to be a Great Heroine."

"What is a Great Heroine?"

Tang Ruan: "Not important..."

Tudou: ...

Once Tudou said it out loud, she didn't feel as upset anymore.

She started to worry about Tang Ruan now; she was starting to say things she couldn't understand again.

Could it be that when she fell from above Dongdong Valley N years ago, she damaged her brain, and it hasn't healed even now?

Tang Ruan: "Anyway, just stay at Wolf City with peace of mind. Stay until you're tired of it; don't rush to leave just because of Lang Chi."

In a while, Lang Lie and I will take you both back."

"I haven't seen Tudou's mother in a long time either."

Moreover, Tang Ruan had an inexplicable feeling.

She wanted to see just how much that Cub looked like her.

"Alright..."

Leaving Tudou's room.

Lang Lie was already waiting at the door.

"Let's go! We were just waiting for you!" He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Waiting for me?"

Tang Ruan thought that when Lang Lie said he would take her out to play, it meant walking around Wolf City or something similar.

She didn't expect that they would be holding a competition out on the grasslands.

Many years ago, the Wolf tribe designated the day they first arrived on the grasslands as their memorial day.

Because from that day on, they regained their home.

On this day, they would bring out the gifts they considered most precious and present them to the Beast King to express their gratitude.

At the same time, they would hold some meaningful activities to celebrate.

On the grasslands.

Lang Feng transformed into his Beast Form, carrying his Mistress on his back.

On Lang Mo's back was the young Female Beastman that Tang Ruan had seen yesterday.

On Lang Chi's back was the little white wolf who had been sitting next to him yesterday, though he looked like he wasn't very happy.

Only Lang Yu was carrying Lang Feng's Cub.

Besides them, there were a few other wolves, as well as many Beastmen from other tribes.

They were all in a state of one carrying another, standing in a line, looking like athletes waiting for a command.

"What is this... are they all mated?" Tang Ruan wrapped her arms around Lang Lie's neck and asked in a whisper by his ear.

"No, I arranged it."

Tang Ruan: ...

"It's just a game; you can participate even if you aren't mates."

As he said this, he transformed into a giant wolf.

Does this mean they are participating too?

Lang Lie carried Tang Ruan to the last position in the line.

A loud-voiced Beastman stood on high ground and announced the rules of the game.

"Whoever can cross the valley, ford the stream, jump over the thorns, and obtain the most fruit from the trees without using their Supernatural Ability at the fastest speed...

will win a precious rhinoceros!"

Tang Ruan: The Beast World version of 'Boys and Girls Charge Forward'?

The Beastman standing on high ground gave the order.

The Beastmen rushed out like arrows released from a bowstring.

Only Lang Lie remained standing where he was.

Tang Ruan inexplicably felt a surge of competitiveness. "Why aren't you running?"

"Hold on tight?"

"Yes! Holding on tight!" Tang Ruan's eyes were as determined as if she were about to join the Party.

Lang Lie couldn't lose; he was the City Lord, and this was about his face, aaaaaah!

Hearing that she was ready, Lang Lie rushed out as steadily as the wind.

Not long after, he caught up to Lang Feng, who was running in the lead.

Lang Feng's Mistress greeted Tang Ruan with a smile from Lang Feng's back.

And incidentally teased Lang Lie.

"Tribal Leader! This is a great opportunity for you to prove yourself in front of your Mistress!"

Lang Lie: "Then if I win, what will you do if your Lang Feng cries?"

Lang Feng: "Are you sure it's me who will be crying, and not you?"

Lang Feng's Mistress: "It's fine, if he cries, I'll hold him and coax him."

Lang Feng: ...

Lang Feng's Mistress looked at Tang Ruan: "Goddess, you must coax our Tribal Leader well!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Lang Feng suddenly accelerated, leaping over a patch of thorns as sharp as blades.

Tang Ruan: "Lang Lie, go!"

Lang Lie suddenly stopped in front of the thorns, ensuring Tang Ruan was holding on tight before jumping over.

Compared to taking first place, he cared more about her safety.

Tang Ruan was anxious. "Hurry, hurry!"

"Do you want to eat rhinoceros meat?" Lang Lie asked.

It's not about the rhinoceros meat or anything; this is the national belief of a lifelong competitive woman from the Flower Country, always striving for first place!

"First place, we have to be first!" Tang Ruan seemed pumped up.

"Alright! Then it's up to you!"

Tang Ruan didn't understand why striving for first place depended on her.

Wasn't her main role to cheer them on and reduce the weight?

She had even eaten two less mouthfuls at breakfast.

Finally, they reached the last hurdle.

A very tall tree was covered with bright red fruit.

The Beastmen leaped up one by one, quickly pulling down all the fruit from the lower branches.

For the ones a little higher up, they had to be picked by the teammate on their back while jumping.

For even higher ones, the teammate needed to stand up slightly to pick them, which carried a certain degree of risk.

But there were also clever Beastmen who tied their feet to the teammates beneath them.

Before long, all the fruit that could be reached was picked.

The remaining ones were deliberately placed at a height where it was impossible to reach them without using Supernatural Ability.

Lang Feng stepped back two paces, jumped fiercely, stepped onto a nearby tree, used the momentum to leap, and pulled down another one.

The Beastmen under the tree couldn't help but exclaim.

This is allowed?

Many Beastmen followed suit, but there were still many fruits that couldn't be picked no matter what.

Tang Ruan felt that Lang Lie was a bit "slacking off"; their fruit count was barely enough to rank in the top five.

Suddenly, Lang Lie said: "Tang Ruan, is your slingshot still with you?"