Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

A small figure came trotting in unsteadily. It was Xiao Yi. He was in his human form, his tiny legs still a little wobbly as he walked, but his face was bright and full of energy.

The moment he entered, his eyes landed on the lion cub curled up comfortably in Su Qinglan’s lap.

His eyes instantly lit up.

"Moma! Moma!"

He hurried over as fast as his little legs could carry him, almost stumbling on the way. Then he pointed at the cub.

"Brother!"

Su Qinglan could not help but laugh softly.

"You came to take your brother, right?"

Xiao Yi nodded quickly.

"Yes! Yes!"

Without hesitation, he reached out with his small hands, grabbing the lion cub’s tiny paws.

And then started dragging him.

"Come!"

The lion cub froze for a second. Then he panicked. He immediately clung tightly to Su Qinglan’s leg, his little paws holding on with all his strength.

"Roarrr...!"

He let out a pitiful wail, his body stretched as Xiao Yi pulled from the other side.

One refused to let go.

The other refused to give up.

But clearly, Xiao Yi was older and stronger. There was no way the little lion cub would be able to win in front of him.

The lion cub was mercilessly dragged away.

Even as he clung desperately, his tiny body sliding across the ground, his cries growing louder and more tragic.

"Roaaar!"

In the end, he was still pulled out.

For a second, there was silence. But looking at his miserable face, Su Qinglan burst into laughter. If one did not know, they would think his brother was taking him to slaughter.

Lin Muyu covered her mouth, laughing.

Even Bai Ling could not hold back, her shoulders shaking as she laughed at the scene.

"That little one...!"

Su Qinglan wiped the corner of her eyes, still smiling.

"But why was he so reluctant to go outside?" Her brows furrowed slightly.

"They are not bullying him, right?" She began to stand up.

"I will go take a look..."

But before she could move, Lin Muyu quickly grabbed her arm.

"Just let them be." She smiled lightly. "Your husband and mine are both outside. They will not let anything happen to them."

She could not say that her rascal was so young but just did not want to leave her lap, that he was swooning over a beautiful aunty. Even back at home he always pestered her to come here.

Lin Muyu laughed awkwardly before assuring her.

"Let them play."

Su Qinglan paused. Then slowly nodded; nothing bad would happen after all, and all the husbands were outside.

"...Alright."

Su Qinglan continued chatting with her best friends softly. For a brief moment, it almost felt as if everything had returned to normal, as if the unease surrounding Dragon Beast City had never existed.

But that fragile calm did not last long.

All of a sudden, Su Qinglan paused mid-sentence. Her expression stiffened slightly as her hand slowly rose to her chest.

A strange discomfort spread within her, subtle at first, but impossible to ignore. Her brows knitted together as she pressed her palm against the totem on her chest, the mark that belonged to Rong Ye.

In that instant, her heart trembled.

A deep, overwhelming emotion surged through the bond, so sudden and intense that it stole her breath.

It was not her own feeling. It was heavy, suffocating... filled with a sorrow so profound that it made her chest tighten painfully. Her fingers curled slightly against the fabric as she tried to steady herself.

What... was this?

Her lips parted faintly, her thoughts turning instinctively toward Rong Ye.

Has something happened to him?

But An Mo was with him. With An Mo there, nothing should go wrong... right?

Yet the strange sensation refused to fade.

Instead, it deepened, pressing down on her emotions until even her own mood began to shift.

A quiet heaviness settled in her heart, and her eyes grew faintly red without her realizing it. At that moment, she became certain...this was not her sadness. It belonged to Rong Ye.

What had happened to him to cause such overwhelming despair?

There was no burning pain from the totem, no sign of injury or danger, only this lingering, suffocating sorrow. But somehow, that made it even more unsettling.

Unable to bear it any longer, Su Qinglan suddenly stood up. The abrupt movement startled Lin Muyu and Bai Ling, both of whom immediately turned their attention to her.

"Qinglan?" Lin Muyu asked, concern evident in her voice. "Are you alright? Did your stomach hurt? What happened?"

Su Qinglan forced a smile, lowering her gaze to hide the turmoil in her eyes. "I’m fine," she said softly.

"I just felt a little dizzy. You know... with the pregnancy, it happens sometimes." The lie came out smoothly, though her voice was slightly strained. "Maybe I should rest for a while."

Bai Ling nodded quickly, her expression gentle with concern. "Yes, you should rest."

Lin Muyu, however, studied her for a moment longer. There was something off, but she chose not to press further.

Instead, she simply nodded. "Alright... we’ll leave first. Take care of yourself."

The two of them gathered their cubs and quietly took their leave, offering a few soft words before stepping out.

The moment the door curtain fell back into place, the calm expression on Su Qinglan’s face completely disappeared.

She clutched her chest tightly, her body trembling slightly as she whispered, "Xuan Long..."

Her voice was low but filled with unmistakable pain.

Outside, Hu Yan, Han Jue, Shi Feng, and Xuan Long had been watching over the cubs. The instant they heard her call, all four of them froze.

Something was wrong. Without hesitation, they rushed inside.

"What happened?" Hu Yan asked urgently.

"Lan Lan?" Shi Feng’s voice softened with worry.

"Are you alright?" Han Jue stepped closer, his brows furrowed.

But Su Qinglan did not answer them directly. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Xuan Long’s arm tightly, her fingers trembling as they clutched at him.

"Do you know where An Mo took Rong Ye?" she asked, her voice urgent and unsteady. "I suddenly feel... something is very wrong. Can you take me there?"

Xuan Long stiffened, his expression turning serious almost instantly.

"What happened? Why are you saying this?" he asked, reaching up to wipe the sweat forming on her forehead with a soft hide.

"Why is there so much sweat? Tell me clearly."

Su Qinglan closed her eyes briefly, her breathing uneven. "I don’t know... but something feels terrible," she murmured.

"There’s no pain in my body, but... my heart feels so heavy. This feeling... it’s not mine."