Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

The night had already deepened. One by one, they lay down beside her.

This time, Rong Ye did not overthink and immediately lay on the left side of her as Su Qinglan snuggled him against herself.

Perhaps it was the lingering warmth of the earlier moments, or perhaps something within him had quietly loosened, but he did not hesitate.

A strange thought surfaced in his mind... If revealing his past could bring him closer to her like this, then had he been wrong all along? Should he have spoken sooner? Should he have trusted her earlier instead of holding back?

The question lingered, but sleep came before he could find an answer.

Beside her, he instinctively drew closer, his arm settling around her as if it had always belonged there. His breathing gradually slowed, evening out as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Not far from him, Shi Feng was far less restrained.

His reasoning was simple... perhaps a little too simple.

He was the last one to become her husband. Compared to the others, he had far fewer chances like this.

They had all spent countless nights by her side... so why should he not take a little "compensation" now?

With that perfectly justified logic, he moved without hesitation, slipping to her other side and pulling her gently into his arms, as if claiming his rightful place.

Hu Yan, Xuan Long, and Han Jue watched this unfold with increasingly dark expressions.

Yet, despite the silent storm brewing in their eyes, none of them spoke.

Instead, with quiet resignation, they each took their positions as well, flanking her on both sides.

Between them, the three cubs had already curled up, nestled comfortably against her, each one claiming a piece of warmth as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Only they knew the truth of the night ahead.

Because no matter where they fell asleep... by morning, their positions would be entirely different.

Far away from this warmth, someone else was not nearly as fortunate.

Poor An Mo.

Instead of the crowded comfort inside, he had been relegated outside to a small hut that could barely be called a room. It stood a short distance from the main house, lonely and quiet, as if deliberately forgotten.

And inside that hut, An Mo slept alone.

***

Morning came quietly. Su Qinglan stirred from her beautiful sleep.

For a moment, she did not move. Her mind was still wrapped in sleep, drifting somewhere between dreams and reality.

But something felt... different. Her brows furrowed slightly as she shifted, her consciousness slowly returning.

When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself alone.

At least... not entirely.

The men were gone.

In their place, the three cubs remained.

One was curled against her side, tiny hands gripping onto her clothes as if afraid she might disappear. Another was nestled close to her arm, nuzzling softly even in sleep.

And Xiao San had somehow climbed right on top of her, sprawled comfortably across her like she was nothing more than a warm mattress.

Su Qinglan blinked. Then, slowly, a soft smile appeared.

Her hand instinctively lifted, gently stroking the cub that was nuzzling against her fingers. Its small body shifted, responding to her touch with quiet contentment.

Carefully, she lifted the one sprawled over her and placed it down beside the others, gathering all three into her arms.

She felt content and closed her eyes to sleep more with her babies.

But suddenly she heard many chaotic noises just outside.

Slowly, she opened her eyes once more, blinking against the morning light as she adjusted.

It was still early. If compared to the human world, it was barely an hour after sunrise.

She frowned slightly. She was not used to waking up this early. In fact, she never did.

Sleeping late had always been her habit, and no one had ever disturbed her for it. Even the cubs usually slept for a few hours after sunrise.

So why today?

Her gaze drifted to the cubs again. They were still fast asleep.

She reached for the hide that had been kicked halfway across the bed during the night and carefully pulled it back over them, tucking them in gently.

"Sleep well..." she murmured softly.

Then, moving as quietly as possible, she slipped out of bed.

Barefoot, she stepped lightly across the floor, careful not to make a sound. Each step was cautious as if she feared disturbing the cubs behind her.

Reaching the door, she paused briefly... then pushed it open.

The cool morning air greeted her immediately.

And with it...

The source of the noise.

Curious and still slightly drowsy, Su Qinglan stepped outside, her movements slow, her expression soft yet puzzled as she went to see what exactly had caused such an early disturbance.

Her gaze immediately swept across the open space and quickly landed on a small group not far away.

Hu Yan, Rong Ye, and Han Jue were standing close together, their heads slightly lowered as they whispered among themselves. Their expressions were serious, far from their usual relaxed demeanor.

But what stood out more was who was missing. Shi Feng, An Mo, and Xuan Long.

None of them were there.

A faint unease rose in her chest. Before she could think further, the three of them had already noticed her.

Their conversation stopped instantly.

Rong Ye reacted first. He strode toward her without hesitation, his usual carefree expression nowhere to be seen.

"Lan Lan," he said, his voice lower than usual, "something bad happened."

Su Qinglan froze slightly.

Something bad?

Her brows furrowed. "What happened?"

Rong Ye did not answer immediately. Instead, he gently pulled her along and led her to sit down on a large beast hide spread outside the house. The others followed, forming a small circle around her.

Rong Ye finally exhaled and began.

"Your sister... Lan Yue."

Su Qinglan’s heart skipped. Rong Ye continued, his tone steady but serious.

"You know she was betrothed, right? To my eldest brother... the leader of the Fox Beast Tribe."

Su Qinglan nodded faintly. She remembered.

"The City Lord," Rong Ye added quietly. "He is here."

"He came... to take her back."

"But..." Rong Ye continued, glancing briefly at the others, "it seems your parents did not approve of this marriage."

Su Qinglan stilled.

"They did not want to send her to that man," Han Jue added from the side, his voice low.

Rong Ye nodded. "So last night... they tried to leave."

"Leave?" Su Qinglan repeated, her voice almost a whisper.

"They planned to take Lan Yue and leave the city quietly," Rong Ye said. "Without informing anyone. Without attracting attention."

For a moment, Su Qinglan could not process it.

Run away...?

Just like that?

Her fingers clenched slightly.

"They did not even tell me..." she murmured, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes.

Why so sudden...?

Why so hurried...?

Rong Ye reached out and lightly patted her head.

"They must have thought it was the safest way," he said.

Su Qinglan fell silent. Yes... she could understand.

They did not want attention. They did not want conflict. They only wanted to protect their daughter.

But still...

Was running really an option?

Her thoughts tangled for a moment before one question surfaced sharply. She looked up at Rong Ye.

"...Did they get caught?"