Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 162

162: Chapter 162: Xuan Long, Are You Okay?

162: Chapter 162: Xuan Long, Are You Okay?

The forest opened up suddenly, and the soft murmur of water grew louder.

The moon hung high above, spilling its pale light over the quiet river.

Su Qinglan slowed her steps.

Her heart was beating fast, both from the walk and from the worry still twisting in her chest.

Just then, Xuyu’s voice chimed one last time in her head.

“Host, Xuan Long is here…

bye-bye!” “Wait-what?

Where exactly?” she started, but the voice was gone.

Why is this xuyu behaving so strangely?

And what’s the rush to go so soon?

She looked around, frowning.

The river stretched calmly under the moonlight, the water smooth and still.

But there was no one in sight.

And she has no idea where Xuan Long is.

But suddenly ripples spread across the surface of the calm river.

Her breath caught as something moved beneath the water, breaking the stillness.

A moment later, a tall figure rose from the river, droplets flying in all directions.

He surfaced slowly, the moonlight gliding over his drenched body.

His long dark hair clung to his neck and shoulders, water running down the sharp lines of his chest and arms.

Each movement was quiet and powerful, like a creature made for both beauty and danger.

Su Qinglan froze where she stood.

Her eyes widened as she stared, unable to speak.

The man in front of her wasn’t the calm, cold-eyed Xuan Long she usually saw.

This one looked untamed, his breathing deep, his muscles moving under the glimmer of water as he lifted a hand to wipe his face.

The motion was simple, yet something about it made her throat go dry.

Then she saw it…the emerald shimmer beneath the water.

His long snake tail coiled in the current, scales glowing faintly under the moonlight.

The water around him rippled and reflected green and silver, beautiful and breathtaking.

He looked otherworldly…half man, half serpent, completely wild.

Su Qinglan’s eyes followed the movement of his tail as it curled lazily through the water.

She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until he suddenly turned his head toward her.

His deep, hazy emerald eyes caught the moonlight and caught her.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

The forest was silent except for the sound of the river and the soft beat of her heart echoing in her ears.

“Qinglan,” Xuan Long said at last, his voice low, rough, and heavy with surprise.

Water still dripped from his hair as he blinked, as if making sure she was real.

Su Qinglan stood frozen on the riverbank, words tangled in her throat.

She had come here worried, but seeing him now like this and breathtaking under the moon, she suddenly forgot what she wanted to say.

In the next second, his emerald eyes flew open, the surprise in them deepening as they locked onto hers.

Su Qinglan’s eyes widened, and she saw the same sudden shock reflected in his.

Then, his powerful tail began to move.

His gaze never left her face as he swam swiftly toward the bank, the water barely making a sound.

He stopped just short of the edge, rising higher out of the water.

His eyes were intensely focused on her…a look that made her skin tingle.

Before she could process the depth of his gaze, his arms shot out.

They wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his drenched, muscular chest.

“Lan’lan,” he whispered, his voice dangerously low and husky, right next to her ear.

“You are so beautiful… even in my dreams.” He spoke with a soft sigh, then lifted his head slightly to look gently into her eyes before pulling her fully into his embrace.

“Yelp!” Su Qinglan cried out as she was suddenly crushed against his wet, scalding-hot chest.

The small bag she was holding slipped from her numb fingers and fell silently onto the grassy bank, but neither of them paid it any mind.

The next thing she knew, he was pulling her into the cool river water.

Xuan Long refused to let her go, holding her tightly.

Su Qinglan shivered fiercely as the cold water hit her.

Immediately, she instinctively clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Her clothes were instantly soaked, sticking to her skin like a second layer.

She looked up at him with wide, worried eyes.

“Xuan Long, are you okay?” Xuan Long nudged his chin against her head while keeping her secured in his arms and sighed deeply.

“Lan’lan, I am not okay.

How can I be when you punish me like this?” He whispered, then pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

Su Qinglan realized how intensely hot he was, despite being submerged in the water.

His skin was burning.

“Xuan Long, you are not okay,” she insisted, her voice trembling slightly.

“Yes,” he admitted, his breath ragged.

“Help me, Lan’lan.

It hurts.” She immediately touched his face with a trembling hand, finding it scorching hot beneath her fingers.

He closed his eyes beneath her touch and sighed, a low moan escaping his throat.

He took her hands in his, bringing them down from his face, and tenderly kissed her palms one after the other.

Su Qinglan shivered deeply as his lips brushed her skin, tenderly and desperately.

The contrast between the cold water and his burning touch made her entire body react, a sudden ripple of tremors running through her.

At her shiver, Xuan Long’s eyes snapped open again, fixing on her.

A shift came over his expression, a mixture of feverish need and possessiveness.

With a powerful surge of his lower body, he lifted her higher in the water, pulling her above his chest.

Su Qinglan gasped, afraid she would lose her balance and fall completely into the river.

Instinctively, she wrapped both of her legs around his waist, seeking an anchor.

The sudden contact of her legs tight around the hard, taut muscles of his torso made his body go rigid.

His breathing became sharper and shallower.

He gripped her waist instantly, harder than before, his fingers digging into the wet fabric of her clothes, securing her against him.

He looked deeply into her eyes, the emerald irises intense and slightly clouded with haze.

“Lan Lan,” he breathed out, his voice a ragged whisper that sounded like a plea.

“You are so beautiful.” Before she could form a reply, before she could even breathe, he lowered his head.

His mouth descended suddenly, taking her slightly parted lips in his own hot, demanding kiss.