Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

Lan Shun quietly pushed the heavy hide away and stepped inside the room. The warm smell of food followed him in.

Su Mingxuan looked up, while Wang Mulan remained sitting quietly.

Lan Shun walked closer and placed the food beside her. His voice was calm but gentle. "Mulan... let’s eat something. I have heated it for you."

Wang Mulan did not respond at first. She only stared at the bowl in silence.

Lan Shun did not rush her. He sat down on her other side and spoke again, this time a little softer. "You haven’t eaten properly for days. Your body won’t be able to take it."

She still did not move.

Lan Shun sighed lightly, then added in a more casual tone, "Qinglan has three cubs now."

Wang Mulan’s fingers twitched. He continued, "And our Yue Yue... she also has a child now. A small one."

Wang Mulan slowly raised her head. Her eyes, which had been dull for days, finally showed a hint of emotion.

"You... haven’t seen your grandchildren properly, have you?" Lan Shun said, watching her carefully. "Don’t you want to see them?"

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

"I know you’ve seen them from afar," Lan Shun continued gently. "But you never dared to go close. You were afraid... what if something happens again."

Wang Mulan’s eyes trembled.

"I understand," he said. "But they are fine. Qinglan is fine. The cubs are healthy. Nothing bad will happen."

Su Mingxuan gently squeezed her hand. "Mulan... tomorrow, we will go together. You can see them closely. You can even hold them."

Wang Mulan lowered her gaze. Her voice was very soft. "I... want to hold them..."

"Then eat first," Lan Shun said with a faint smile. "You need strength."

After a long pause, Wang Mulan slowly reached out her hand. She took the bowl. Both men quietly watched her. She took a small bite at first. Then another.

Little by little, she began to eat. Tears quietly slipped down her face, but this time, they were not from despair.

"They... are really fine...?" she asked again.

"They are," Su Mingxuan replied warmly.

A small, genuine smile finally appeared on her face. After eating, Wang Mulan lay down slowly. Her body was still weak, but her heart felt lighter.

"I will see them tomorrow..." she murmured.

"Yes," Su Mingxuan said softly. "Tomorrow."

Not long after, her breathing became steady as she finally fell asleep. Su Mingxuan and Lan Shun exchanged a quiet glance.

Then, without saying anything, both of them lay down on either side of her.

Su Mingxuan carefully held the corner of her clothes in his hand, as if afraid she might disappear again.

A soft, relieved smile appeared on his face. Finally... they were together like this... like real mates.

A tear quietly slipped from the corner of his eye. He quickly wiped it away, not wanting anyone to see.

Just then, Wang Mulan shifted slightly in her sleep. Her body unknowingly moved closer to him.

Su Mingxuan froze. His whole body stiffened. He did not dare to move; even his breathing became shallow.

After a few moments, seeing that she did not wake up, he slowly closed his eyes.

On the other side, Lan Shun opened his eyes slightly.

He glanced at Su Mingxuan and snickered silently in his mind. "Coward."

Without hesitation, he gently nudged Wang Mulan a little closer toward Su Mingxuan.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he leaned in and buried his face lightly near her neck, closing his eyes comfortably.

The room became quiet once again. This time, it was peaceful.

Outside, the night remained still. Inside, the three of them rested together, closer than ever before.

***

The next morning, when Su Qinglan finally woke up, the bed felt unusually empty. No warm bodies were pressed against her, and even the three cubs who always pounced on her the moment she opened her eyes were nowhere to be seen.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and let out a big yawn. Slowly, she sat up and looked outside. The sun was already high in the sky... it was late morning.

Just as she was about to get out of bed, Han Jue stepped inside the room. Without saying a word, he walked over and pulled her gently into his arms, holding her close.

"Did Lan Lan sleep well?" he asked softly, his voice warm and low.

Su Qinglan nudged her face into his chest and gave a muffled, "Mmm..."

Han Jue smiled and stroked her messy hair with one big hand. Su Qinglan stayed in his embrace for a moment, enjoying the quiet comfort, then asked, "Where are the others?"

Han Jue kept stroking her hair. "They all went to the tribe area to check on the new stone house. The cement should be fully hard by now. The cubs were taken by the tribe leader early in the morning to play with him."

Su Qinglan nodded against his chest. "So... you were left behind because of me?"

Han Jue chuckled, the sound rumbling pleasantly in his chest. "Left behind? This is the happiest task anyone could get. If the others knew, they would have fought me for it."

Su Qinglan pulled back a little and looked up at him curiously. "How?"

Han Jue’s eyes sparkled with mischief. He smiled down at her without answering right away.

Suddenly, the world tilted. Su Qinglan let out a small surprised sound as Han Jue gently pushed her back onto the bed. Before she could react, he leaned down and kissed her hard.

"Mmmph!"

She was truly stunned. Her eyes widened for a second before fluttering closed. The kiss was deep, warm, and full of playful hunger.

When Han Jue finally pulled back, he looked at her flushed face with a satisfied grin. "Now do you understand?"

Su Qinglan’s cheeks turned bright red. She tried to hide her face with her hands, but he caught them easily.

"If you still don’t understand," he said, his voice turning teasing, "I have more ways to explain it."

As he spoke, his hand suddenly crept under the edge of her skirt, fingers lightly tracing her thigh.

"Han Jue!" Su Qinglan laughed, half embarrassed and half amused. She squirmed and tried to push his hand away, but there was no real strength in it.

Han Jue grinned wider, clearly enjoying her reaction. He leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear. "What? You asked ’how’, so I’m showing you. Should I continue the lesson?"

Su Qinglan giggled and lightly smacked his shoulder. "You big bully! The sun is already so high, and you’re still teasing me like this."

"But I like teasing you," he said innocently, though his hand stayed right where it was, drawing slow circles on her skin. "Especially when you turn this cute shade of red. Look at you... so pretty when you laugh and blush at the same time."

Su Qinglan covered her face again, peeking at him through her fingers. "If the others come back and see us like this..."

Han Jue laughed softly. "Then they’ll be jealous and try to steal you away. That’s why I’m enjoying my winning time while I can." He gave her another quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "Besides, they left me here to take care of you. I’m just doing my job... very happily."

Su Qinglan shook her head, still laughing. "You’re impossible."