Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 130
130: Chapter 130: Going Home 130: Chapter 130: Going Home Su Qinglan sat there for a moment longer, staring at her rice bowl.
The sounds outside were almost none, like they had disappeared from the world, but she knew better.
She frowned.
“They’ve been gone too long…” Her fingers tightened around the bowl.
Sitting here doing nothing was driving her crazy.
Finally, she sighed and stood up.
“Forget it.
I’ll just go see what those beastmen are doing.” But before she could take even two steps toward the cave entrance, someone appeared in front of her.
“Lan Lan!” Rong Ye bounded in with his usual foxlike grin, his tail swaying happily behind him.
His violet eyes sparkled as he looked straight at the bowl in her hands.
“I also want to eat that!
What is it?” he asked eagerly, already leaning close.
Su Qinglan blinked, caught off guard.
“Ah?
This?
It’s just…plain rice.” Before she could finish, Rong Ye snatched the chopsticks from her hand, scooped up a bite, and popped it straight into his mouth.
“Mmm!” He chewed with a pleased hum, eyes shining.
“So good!
It’s even sweeter when Lan Lan feeds me.” Su Qinglan’s brain short-circuited.
“W…Who said I was feeding you?!” But Rong Ye just grinned wider, his sharp little fangs glinting as he leaned closer.
“Feed me more?” he said, voice soft and teasing.
She wanted to throw the bowl at his head… But somehow, she didn’t.
Because an idea struck her, maybe she could get insider information from him.
Because she was hell sure, otters are not going to tell her what their little talk was.
“You want to eat…here,” she said and scooped up a big bite before giving him the gentlest smile she could muster.
Rong Ye opened his mouth obediently, his eyes never leaving hers as he leaned in and ate the bite directly from her chopsticks.
Su Qinglan blinked again.
Why did feeding him suddenly feel like such a dangerous thing to do?
Trying to ignore her racing heart, she cleared her throat.
“So… what were you all talking about earlier?
You left me alone for so long.” Rong Ye’s ears twitched, and his lips curved into a mischievous smile.
“Does Lan Lan really want to know?” She nodded quickly, like a curious chicken pecking grain.
“Of course I want to know!” He chuckled lowly and leaned closer, his voice dropping.
“Then come closer.” Su Qinglan hesitated, but curiosity got the better of her.
She leaned in too, their faces so close now that she could see the faint glimmer of his furred ears twitching.
Just as she opened her mouth to ask again, Rong Ye suddenly blew softly against her ear.
The warm breath made her shudder instantly.
“H-Hey!” she yelped, jerking back with wide eyes.
“What are you doing!?” But Rong Ye’s grin only grew wider, his tail swishing lazily behind him.
He leaned in again, whispering right next to her ear, “We were talking about how Lan Lan wants to mate with me and give birth to little foxes.” “Wha…?!” Su Qinglan’s entire face turned crimson.
He blew again, teasingly.
“So?
When should we start?” Her hand twitched.
For a moment, she actually considered smacking him with the rice bowl.
She didn’t even want to think, Why did she bother to trust him, knowing him…has he ever answered her anything straight?
This fox was just obsessed with good food and little foxes.
“You…you lousy fox!” she hissed, glaring at him with burning cheeks.
“Dream on!” Rong Ye only laughed, looking far too pleased with himself.
“Then I’ll keep dreaming every night.” Before Su Qinglan could throw a proper punch, more footsteps echoed outside the cave.
In the next second, the rest of them appeared…Hu Yan, Xuan Long, and Han Jue…each of them looking a little too calm for her liking.
They walked straight in and sat down around her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hu Yan looked at her still half full bowl of rice.
“You didn’t eat enough.” Xuan Long’s cold eyes softened just slightly.
“You shouldn’t skip meals.” Han Jue quietly sat on her other side.
“They were being too loud.
Did they bother you?” After everyone sat down, the cave suddenly grew quiet again.
The sound of the wind outside had softened, and only the faint crackle of the dying fire filled the silence.
Hu Yan was the first to speak.
His golden eyes swept over the group before settling on Su Qinglan.
“We should go back to the tribe,” he said firmly.
“We can’t stay out here much longer.
It’s dangerous.” Su Qinglan blinked, surprised.
“Go back… already?” Hu Yan nodded.
“Yes.
We’ve been out here too long.
The rainy season is coming…only twenty solar days left before the heavy storms begin.” The moment she heard that, Su Qinglan’s eyes flicked toward Xuan Long.
This place… this cave, this forest… it was his home.
He had lived here for centuries, long before she ever arrived.
Would he really want to leave it all behind?
But when Xuan Long met her gaze, his expression softened.
His deep, calm voice broke the silence.
“I will go with my female.” Su Qinglan froze for a moment.
Then a small, warm smile appeared on her lips.
“Alright,” she said quietly.
“Then we’ll all go back together.” Hu Yan nodded approvingly.
“Good.
We’ll rest for a bit, then start packing.
We have to move before the next sunset.” Su Qinglan agreed.
They had already wasted enough time…first because of that ridiculous evil ferocious beast attack, and then because of that stupid owl beastman.
Her eyes narrowed at the thought.
That bastard still owed her an explanation… and maybe a good beating too.
She muttered under her breath, “Just wait till I find you again.
You’re not flying away so easily next time.” Meanwhile, Xuan Long had already stood up and started gathering his things.
He moved quietly, carefully gathering the hides and wrapping a few important things of his.
He doesn’t know when he would be able to come back here; he has almost forgotten the outside world.
Rong Ye and Han Jue immediately joined in, helping without a word.
Hu Yan began sorting their food supplies, packing up the meat and the newly stored rice they had brought back from the Fat Bull tribe.
The smell of cooked grains still lingered faintly in the air.
Su Qinglan couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the rice.
“At least we won’t starve,” she said softly, because she has planned to introduce this to the tribe.
If everyone had rice to eat, they could probably pass the heavy rain without any problem, and they would not have to starve.
By the time they finished eating a hearty meal together, the sky outside was already turning orange with the fading sun.
The bags were packed.
Everything was ready.
Hu Yan slung the largest sack over his shoulder and turned to the others.
“Let’s move.
We can reach the riverbank before nightfall.” Xuan Long nodded, his long hair swaying in the wind as he glanced back at the cave one last time.
His expression was calm, but Su Qinglan could sense something deep in his eyes…nostalgia, perhaps, or a quiet farewell.
Without thinking, she reached out and held his hand.
“Let’s go,” she said gently.
Xuan Long looked down at her, his lips curving faintly.
“En.” And with that, the small group stepped out of the cave together.
They are finally going home, their home.