Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

Lin Muyu crossed her arms and pretended to be annoyed, but her eyes were shining with happiness. "Of course they are cute. They take after me!"

Su Qinglan giggled and nuzzled the cubs gently. "They are so small and soft... but look at their brave little eyes. They are not scared of strangers at all."

Xiao Shi blinked at her again and suddenly gave a tiny lion roar...."Rawr!" which was so weak and adorable that both Su Qinglan and Lin Muyu burst into laughter.

Xiao Lu, not wanting to be left out, made a soft "Muu~" sound like a baby elk and tried to lick Su Qinglan’s finger.

Su Qinglan’s heart felt completely warm and fuzzy. She carefully handed the cubs back to Lin Muyu, but not before giving each one a soft kiss on their little heads.

Lin Muyu hugged her cubs close and looked at Su Qinglan with teary but smiling eyes.

"You have no idea how worried I was when you were sleeping for so many days. Don’t disappear like that again, okay?"

Su Qinglan nodded and linked her arm with her best friend’s. "I won’t. We are together again now. And look...your two little ones are already so brave and cute. I can’t wait to see them grow up with my own cubs."

Xiao Yi, Xiao Er, and Xiao San, who had been watching from the side, now came closer curiously. They stared at the new little lion and elk cubs with big interested eyes, as if already planning how to play together.

Lin Muyu laughed when she saw them. "Oh no, Qinglan. Our cubs are going to cause so much trouble together!"

Just as everyone was still laughing, Shi Feng, who had been standing a little distance away, finally walked closer.

His gaze fell on the small lion cub in Lin Muyu’s arms.

For a moment, he did not say anything. But his eyes flickered with something deep... something complicated.

Lin Muyu noticed it almost immediately. She paused slightly, then looked up at him. Their eyes met for a brief second.

Then, as if understanding something, Lin Muyu gave a small, sheepish smile. She cleared her throat lightly and said, a little awkwardly, "Brother-in-law..."

Without waiting for a reply, she carefully lifted Xiao Shi and gently placed the tiny lion cub into Shi Feng’s arms.

Shi Feng froze. The small, warm, slightly damp cub suddenly in his hands made his entire body stiffen.

His fingers stayed in the air for a second, as if he did not even dare to move.

"...This..."

His voice came out low and uncertain. But slowly... very slowly... he adjusted his arms and carefully cradled the little cub closer.

The tiny lion fit perfectly in his hold. Shi Feng stared down at him, his expression changing bit by bit.

"...This is..."

He swallowed slightly.

"My brother’s cub... my own kin..."

For some reason, his heart suddenly felt unbelievably soft. Like it had turned into cotton. But in the very next second, His brows furrowed sharply.

"That damn bastard..."

His voice dropped, full of suppressed anger.

"Shi Kuang!"

"For Beast God’s sake, I’ve been here for a whole week!"

"And only now I get to see my own nephew?!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

"I could strangle that idiot!"

But just then...

"Mew..."

A tiny, soft sound came from his arms. Shi Feng instantly froze again.

The little lion cub blinked up at him with round, innocent eyes... and then slowly stretched out its tiny tongue and gave his finger a small, wet lick.

"...!"

All the anger on Shi Feng’s face disappeared in an instant. His expression softened so quickly it was almost ridiculous.

Lin Muyu and Su Qinglan couldn’t help but laugh from the side.

Lin Muyu leaned closer and gently said to the cub, "Xiao Shi, say hello to your uncle. This is your uncle."

As if he understood, Xiao Shi lifted his tiny head proudly and let out a slightly louder...

"Rawr!"

It was still weak and soft but still completely adorable. Shi Feng’s last bit of composure shattered on the spot.

"...Too cute."

Before anyone could react, he lowered his head and planted a firm kiss right on the cub’s soft cheek.

"Way too cute!"

He even rubbed his face lightly against the cub’s fur, completely ignoring the amused looks around him.

Xiao Shi blinked in confusion but happily nuzzled back.

Shi Feng let out a low breath, still staring at the little cub in his arms.

And then... without realizing it...

A thought quietly appeared in his mind. If he and Su Qinglan had a cub...Would it also be this small? This soft? This unbelievably adorable?

He imagined a tiny cub, clinging to Su Qinglan, looking up at him with bright eyes...

For a moment, his gaze unconsciously shifted toward her. His expression softened again.

"...One day..." He murmured quietly, almost to himself. "...Right?"

Su Qinglan smiled back at him and teased, "Did little Xiao Shi completely charm his uncle?"

Shi Feng blushed at her teasing. "Lan Lan, don’t tease me... it’s just that he’s so adorable."

Su Qinglan looked around at all the familiar faces of the fox tribe, her lips curved in a soft, happy smile.

Everyone was there. But after a moment, she noticed something. One very important person was missing. Her brows lifted slightly.

She turned to Lin Muyu and asked curiously, "Where is Bai Ling?"

The moment she heard that name, Lin Muyu’s expression changed. Her eyes rolled so dramatically it almost looked like they might get stuck.

She crossed her arms, puffed her cheeks, and let out a loud huff.

"Don’t ask about her," she said in an exaggeratedly annoyed tone. "You never know...Bai Ling is actually so annoying."

Su Qinglan blinked.

Annoying?

What did that even mean?

She tilted her head slightly, genuinely confused about what had happened while she was not here?

But Lin Muyu was already entering full complaint mode.

She stomped her foot lightly and continued, her voice rising, "That girl! She fell pregnant again!"

"All she knew was spending time with her husbands, but what about me? I don’t have other friends aside from you and her...you left for such a long time and Bai Ling couldn’t even leave her house, there is no fun."

She even pointed accusingly at the air, as if Bai Ling was hiding somewhere nearby.

"With such a big belly now, she can barely move! Walking two steps is like climbing a mountain for her!"