Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

Just as everyone was enjoying the meal and the cheerful atmosphere, the sound of several footsteps approached from the distant open space.

All the males around Su Qinglan suddenly stiffened. Their bodies tensed, ears perked up, and tails stopped moving.

In this primitive world, their wooden hut and the surrounding area were their personal territory.

No other male would dare enter without permission, especially when their female was present. It was an unwritten rule.

Xuan Long’s eyes almost turned red with warning. Rong Ye’s fox ears stood straight. Hu Yan let out a low growl. Shi Feng and Han Jue also looked alert, ready to protect their family.

Su Qinglan looked up curiously. A group of five or six male beastmen from the Dragon Beast City walked over.

They stopped at a respectful distance but their eyes kept glancing at the empty bowls and the remains of the food on the beast hide mat.

One of the males, who seemed to be the leader, spoke politely but with clear expectation.

"We smelled the delicious aroma from afar. Since you are new here, we came to greet you and see if there is any leftover food to share. Teaching new families our ways is also our duty."

Su Qinglan blinked. She understood they wanted to "learn" by eating the food. She looked at the completely cleaned-out bowls and turned to Hu Yan.

"If they want to learn, we are willing to teach them next time. But right now, we don’t have any food left. We have already eaten everything."

Hu Yan nodded firmly. He stood up a little and replied in a steady voice, "Yes. The food is finished. We cannot share what is not there."

The visiting males’ faces changed. Their expressions turned unhappy and angry, as if they had been wronged.

They muttered among themselves, frowning deeply, but they could not force the issue.

After a few more dissatisfied glances at the empty pots, they turned and left with heavy steps.

Su Qinglan watched them go and muttered softly, "What kind of attitude is that? We don’t have any obligation to feed them. Why are they making such faces?"

Hu Yan sat back down and spoke gently to her.

"Lan Lan, don’t worry. There are many types like this. Most importantly, while you were asleep for the entire week, we noticed something. The people of the Dragon Beast City look down on us newcomers who came from nowhere. They are not very welcoming toward us."

Rong Ye added with a smirk, "Especially since we have a beautiful and rare female like you, Lan Lan. Some of them are jealous and want to test us."

Xuan Long’s eyes were still cold as he stared in the direction the males had left. "If they come again with bad intentions, I will teach them properly."

Shi Feng nodded quietly, while Han Jue began collecting the empty bowls, his face calm but serious.

The three little cubs also sensed the tension. Xiao Yi puffed up his small chest and let out a tiny growl toward the direction of the footsteps, as if protecting his mother. Xiao Er and Xiao San looked alert too.

Su Qinglan smiled and rubbed their heads to comfort them. "It’s okay, babies. We are together. No need to be afraid."

Inside, she remembered the system missions she had just received especially the one about saving the Dragon Beast City by helping increase the number of cubs.

With this kind of unwelcoming attitude from some locals, the task might not be easy. But she felt more determined now.

Hu Yan continues with a gentle expression.

"Yes, Lan Lan. While you were asleep for the whole week, we noticed it clearly. Many locals look down on us because we came from nowhere. They think we are outsiders with no roots here."

Su Qinglan stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. Then she suddenly remembered something important. "Wait... everyone from our tribe also came here, right?"

Hu Yan nodded again. "Yes. Your father is here with the entire fox tribe. They have been assigned a flat area on the edge of the city where they are trying to build their houses."

"But not many houses are finished yet, so most of them are still living in the open area. Only a bigger two-entry house was spared and given to the females for safety and comfort."

Su Qinglan nodded slowly, understanding the situation. She looked around at their own big wooden hut with its sturdy pole walls and straw roof.

"This house... it feels bigger and better than the others we saw. Why did we get such a good place right in the middle of the city?"

Hu Yan smiled a little. "This house actually belongs to the city lord of the Dragon Beast City. He gave it to us because you were not in good condition and were unconscious when we arrived. He wanted you to rest comfortably."

Su Qinglan nodded again. She had heard from Lan Yue before that the city lord was actually her mother’s husband.

That made sense. Because of her mother’s position, they had received special treatment... a big house right in the middle area where the huts were larger and better spaced.

No wonder their home was located so centrally while many others were farther out.

Thinking about her mother made Su Qinglan’s chopsticks stop halfway to her mouth. Her expression turned a little soft and complicated.

The last time they had met, her body had reacted so strongly and strangely. She knew she had probably scared or hurt her.

Su Qinglan’s intention had never been to scare her or make her sad. She did not want to see any look of pain in her mother’s eyes.

She sighed quietly inside. She could not control her body completely back then. Now she was not sure how she would face her when they met again.

She only hoped that the next time, her body would stay calm and she would not have such an intense reaction.

After all, she now knew about all the sacrifices this woman had made. The past Su Qinglan might not have known, but she did.

For now, she really did not hope to meet her mother so soon. She did not want to hurt her feelings again.