Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

After everyone finished eating, Su Qinglan and her husbands quickly washed all the bowls, pots, and utensils with clean water.

They wiped everything dry and put them away neatly inside the big wooden hut. The beast hide mat was folded and stored properly.

In just a short time, their new house looked perfectly clean and tidy again.

Su Qinglan felt satisfied looking at the neat space. As they were all walking towards the fox tribe’s settlement area, she noticed something interesting.

A few females from the Dragon Beast City were walking past at a distance.

Their eyes kept glancing toward her cubs with clear adoration and curiosity. It looked like they really wanted to come closer, maybe even squeeze her cubs gently or touch them, but because they were still unfamiliar with her, none of them dared to approach.

Su Qinglan thought to herself that the people of the Dragon Beast City were really very cautious.

They seemed almost afraid of outsiders, as if any new person might harm them or bring trouble. It was not exactly fear, but a deep wariness.

She wondered what had happened in the past to leave such a long-lasting impression on them.

There was also a note she remembered, the Dragon Beast City almost never accepted people from outside.

Almost everyone living here now came from many generations of the same families.

Something big must have happened long ago to make them so guarded.

But Su Qinglan did not dwell on it for too long. She had more important things to focus on right now. She simply smiled softly and continued walking with her family.

Soon, they arrived at the open flat area where the fox tribe had been assigned to settle. The moment they stepped into the wide space, Su Qinglan saw many familiar faces.

Temporary shelters were set up everywhere. Some males were busy cutting wood and tying poles to build new houses, while females sat together watching over the cubs.

Suddenly, a loud voice shouted from the crowd, "Sister Qinglan!"

The shout caught everyone’s attention at once. Heads turned, and in the next moment, a large group of her beastsmen... both males and females hurried over and crowded around her excitedly.

"Sister Qinglan! You have become even more beautiful!"

"You finally woke up! We have been so worried about your health!"

"We missed you so much!"

"You are finally back with us!"

All kinds of warm and concerned words poured out at the same time. The fox tribe people looked genuinely happy and relieved to see her standing there healthy and awake.

Some of the younger females had sparkling eyes, while the older ones smiled with motherly affection.

Su Qinglan could only smile gently at them. She answered slowly and softly, "Thank you, everyone. I am fine now. Sorry for making you all worry."

After the warm welcome from the tribe, Su Qinglan was still smiling when a familiar figure suddenly threw herself into her arms with full force.

"Qinglan!"

The woman hugged her tightly and screamed happily, "Qinglan, I finally found you! You girl, you actually left me for so long. I have missed you so much!"

It was Lin Muyu, her best friend from the fox tribe. Her voice was loud and full of emotion.

Before Su Qinglan could reply, Lin Muyu started choking on sobs. Her eyes turned red and teary as she buried her face in Su Qinglan’s shoulder.

Su Qinglan’s eyes curved into gentle crescents. She softly patted her friend’s back and said in a teasing but warm voice, "Lin Muyu, why are you crying? Are you not such a tough female? I have never seen you cry before."

Lin Muyu immediately pulled back a little, her face still wet with tears. She shouted loudly, "Who is crying?! Do you think my eyes are only red because of crying? No dust got in them..."

But even while denying it, she kept hugging Su Qinglan tightly and patting her back. Su Qinglan did not tease her anymore.

She knew her friend very well. Lin Muyu always acted tough on the outside, but deep in her heart, she was just a big softie.

Lin Muyu then stretched out her hand and gently pinched Su Qinglan’s cheek.

"Why have your cheeks become so thin? But wait... why do they feel even smoother than before? Where did you actually go? Why do you look even more beautiful now?"

Su Qinglan laughed brightly. "What are you saying? I have always been beautiful!"

Lin Muyu muttered under her breath, "Narcissistic..."

Just as the two friends were laughing together, two small figures suddenly came running straight toward them.

The two little cubs stumbled right into Lin Muyu’s leg with a soft "thump".

"Awwwww..."

The cubs immediately tumbled down onto the ground in a cute heap.

Lin Muyu looked down and grumbled, "What are you two doing here? Can’t you stay with your father for even a little while?"

Even though she chidded the cubs, her expression was still gentle. She quickly bent down and scooped both cubs into her arms with practiced ease.

Then she turned to Su Qinglan with a proud smile and showed them off.

"Look, Qinglan! These are my two cubs."

She pointed at the first one, a tiny lion cub with soft golden fur and round ears. "This is Xiao Shi. He is the older one."

Then she pointed at the second cub, a small elk cub with delicate antlers just starting to show and big, gentle eyes. "And this is Xiao Lu. He is the younger one."

Su Qinglan’s eyes widened in surprise. The two cubs looked surprisingly small and delicate, but they were so incredibly cute that her heart melted instantly. She reached out and carefully took both little ones into her own arms.

"Lin Muyu, why are they so cute?!" Su Qinglan said, her voice full of adoration. She gently cradled Xiao Shi and Xiao Lu, feeling their soft, warm bodies against her.

The two cubs did not show any fear at all.

They looked up at Su Qinglan with large, blinking eyes, full of innocent curiosity. Xiao Shi even reached out one tiny paw and patted her cheek softly, while Xiao Lu flicked his little ears and made a small happy sound.