Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 385: Xuyu’s Favorite Drama

The little girl was in the worst state of all. Her face was smeared with meat juices and herb bits. She let out a loud, unladylike hiccup and patted her rounded stomach with a dazed expression.

"You’re stuffed, aren’t you?" Su Qinglan laughed, wiping the girl’s face with a damp cloth.

The girl just blinked sleepily, her eyelids drooping.

"Now, listen to me, baby," Su Qinglan said gently, leaning in. "You’ve eaten your fill and played a lot. It’s getting late. Tell me, where is your home? Your mother must be worried sick looking for you."

The girl looked at Su Qinglan. She tilted her head, processed the question for exactly one second, and then completely ignored her. She didn’t say a word. Instead, she let out a long yawn that showed off her tiny white teeth.

"Baby? Can you hear me?" Su Qinglan tried again. "Who is your father? Is it the tribe leader or one of the tribe members?"

The toddler simply turned away, crawled on all fours toward the blanket pile, and made a beeline for the most comfortable-looking spot: Xiao Yi’s favorite corner.

Xiao Yi, who was already half-asleep, felt a weight settle next to him. He opened one eye, saw the "toy-loving monster," and let out a tired, resigned sigh. He was too full to run away anymore.

The girl didn’t care for permission. She flopped down right on top of Xiao Yi’s flank, used his soft fur as a pillow, and within thirty seconds, she was snoring softly.

"She really treats this place like her own home," Lan Yue whispered, coming up beside her. "And look at your sons... they’ve already accepted her."

It was true. Xiao Yi had instinctively curled his tail around the girl’s legs to keep her warm, his protective instincts overriding his annoyance.

"She’s someone’s precious daughter," Su Qinglan sighed, her gaze softening. "We can’t just keep her here, but I don’t even know her name. She only calls me ’Sister.’"

"Don’t worry, Sister Qinglan," Lan Yue reassured her. "In a tribe like this, if a cub goes missing, the parents will find them soon. For now, let her sleep. She looks so peaceful."

The warmth of the fire and the sight of the four sleeping "buns" brought a sudden, sharp ache to Su Qinglan’s chest. She leaned her chin on her hand, her eyes misting over.

When will they come? she wondered.

She knew her husbands would be scouring the world for her. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

But as a mother, she couldn’t just run out into the wilderness blindly. She had three tiny cubs to protect, and then there was Lan Yue.

She couldn’t abandon her pregnant sister, especially not in this strange tribe. She would have to wait until Lan Yue gave birth before making a move.

Then, her eyes drifted back to the chubby toddler sleeping on Xiao Yi. A traitorous thought entered her mind. Maybe... if I see my husbands again... we could try for a daughter?

A blush crept up her neck. It had been quite some time since she’d given birth. She felt a sudden wave of envy toward her friend Bai Ling, who actually had a little girl.

She looked at the sleeping toddler again. I wonder where your family is, little bun?

[Ding! Host, the little girl’s ’relative’ has just arrived outside the cave.]

The mischievous, mechanical voice of the system, Xuyu, startled her.

Really? Su Qinglan blinked. So fast? Is it her father?

Xuyu snickered, "I highly doubt he’s her father, Host. But he is certainly a... ’relative.’

Inside the system space, Xuyu was practically vibrating with excitement.

He knew very well that this "relative" had essentially borrowed...okay, kidnapped...someone else’s child just to have an excuse to show up here. Xuyu pulled out a virtual bucket of popcorn. Oh, this is going to be good.

Su Qinglan glanced back. Lan Yue had finally succumbed to exhaustion and was snoring lightly beside the cubs. Quietly, Su Qinglan stood up and hurried toward the cave entrance to meet the visitor.

She was so focused on looking for a frantic father that she didn’t see the shadow blocking the moonlight.

Oof!

She collided headfirst with a chest that felt like a warm marble wall. Strong, steady hands instantly shot out to catch her by the waist, steadying her.

"Careful," a voice like velvet over gravel murmured.

Su Qinglan gasped and looked up. Her breath didn’t just hitch; it completely evaporated.

Standing before her was a man who looked less like a beastman and more like an ancient deity carved from light.

His hair seemed to catch the faint glow of the stars, and his features were so perfectly chiseled they looked unreal.

But it was his eyes...deep, glowing with an inner spark that seemed to see right through her...that made her brain go numb.

"Wow, Host. Are your hormones suddenly peaking? Your heart rate just spiked by 40%. Do you want to make him a husband? I can feel it... this man is terrifyingly powerful."

Su Qinglan’s face turned a shade of crimson that rivaled the sunset. Shut up, Xuyu!

Xuyu chimed in playfully, "Host, I’m serious! If you sleep with this guy, I guarantee your power...which has been stuck at Level 4 forever will soar straight to Level 6. Instant level jump!"

Su Qinglan’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Level 6?! How is that possible? Not even Xuan Long’s aura gives me that much of a boost!

"That’s because this man’s power perfectly complements yours. Sleeping with him would give you a double boost compared to your Big Snake. It’s like finding the missing piece of a puzzle!"

"Ahem."

The man cleared his throat, a faint, amused smirk playing on his beautiful lips.

Su Qinglan realized with a jolt of horror that she was still gripping his muscular forearms with enough strength to bruise a normal human.

She snapped out of her daze and jumped back as if he were made of hot coals.

Xuyu, you shameless system! She screamed in her head. What nonsense are you spewing? I have five husbands at home! Five! Do you think I’m some kind of debauched woman who collects men like trading cards?

And ’compatibility’? Stop your scheming tricks! I know you just want to watch the drama!

She huffed, trying to regain her dignity, while Xuyu let out one last sarcastic snort before going quiet.

Su Qinglan straightened her clothes and looked at the handsome man in front of her, trying to ignore the way her heart was still thumping.

"I... I assume you’re looking for the little girl inside?" she asked, her voice slightly higher than usual.

The man’s eyes flickered toward the interior of the cave, then back to her, his gaze lingering on her flushed face with an intensity that made her toes curl.

"Is she causing trouble? She can be quite the little demon."

Su Qinglan puffed out her chest defensively. "She’s an angel! She just finished eating and fell asleep."

The man stepped a little closer, his "glowing" presence overwhelming her senses.

"Is that so? Then it seems I owe you a debt for looking after her... and for the meal that smells so divine."