Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 198

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Xuan Long abandoned them?
By late afternoon, the cave felt colder than before. The rain outside was no longer just loud…it was starting to seep in.

At first, it was only a thin line of water across the stone entrance.

But soon, the entire entrance floor turned slick and shiny. Cold water spread across the stone, soaking the ground and making it uncomfortable to walk. Su Qinglan shivered when her toes touched the wet surface.

Hu Yan noticed immediately.

His brows pulled together with worry, and he stepped in front of her, shielding her from the cold air blowing in.

“The water is creeping in,” he rumbled.

Han Jue, standing near the doorway with Rong Ye, nodded grimly. “It is time. We must leave for the new house now.”

And with that, both of them left again to make arrangements.

Su Qinglan looked at the growing puddle nervously. The cave wasn’t flooding, but it was still unsettling. The air smelled wet and heavy, and the stone felt too cold beneath her feet.

Hu Yan took her hand and gently pulled her deeper into the cave, away from the water.

“We prepare you first,” he said simply.

Before she could ask what he meant, Hu Yan was already untying the ties of her clothes. She made a small sound of surprise, but the tiger was completely focused, moving with calm seriousness.

“Your clothes will soak immediately outside,” he explained. “You will be cold.”

He opened a wooden tub and took out something she recognized immediately…Xuan Long’s shed skin clothes.

It shimmered faintly, thin like fabric but tougher and slightly glossy. Xuan Long had made many clothes for her, and they were incredibly water-resistant.

Hu Yan slid the soft layer over her body, adjusting it carefully around her shoulders, waist, and arms. It clung comfortably to her and gave a feeling of warmth immediately.

Then he grabbed a thick hide coat and pulled it over her.

And another hide.

And another hide.

Soon, she was so bundled up that only her face was visible, peeking out of a mountain of warm fur. Her arms stuck out like short little paws, and her legs felt heavy with the layers.

Su Qinglan blinked up at him, unable to move much.

“…Hu Yan,” she said weakly. “I can’t even raise my arms.”

“That is good,” Hu Yan said seriously. “You will stay warm.”

She sighed but didn’t resist. The warmth was comfortable, even if she looked like an overstuffed fur ball. To distract herself, she reached up…well, as far as she could and tried to braid her hair before they left.

Her hands moved awkwardly because of the layers, but she managed to make a simple, neat braid.

It was her first time doing it in this world.

Hu Yan stared at her with a strange, stunned expression.

“You look…” he paused, searching for the word, “…beautiful.”

Her entire face turned red instantly.

She ducked her head, suddenly shy. “It’s just a braid…”

But the way Hu Yan looked at her made her heart flutter.

Before she could say anything else, footsteps echoed.

Han Jue and Rong Ye returned, each soaked from the rain again.

But this time, they were carrying something enormous between them…something shaped like a tilted hat…or a giant bowl… or maybe a very large leaf.

It was made of huge leaves twisted together and tied tightly with vines into a single broad, dome-like structure.

To Su Qinglan, it looked exactly like a giant umbrella.

Her eyes lit up. “Is that… an umbrella?”

Rong Ye puffed his chest proudly. “Yes! A roof you can hold!”

Before she could admire it further, Rong Ye suddenly crouched down in front of her.

He grabbed her ankle.

Su Qinglan jerked immediately, startled. “W–wait! What are you doing?!”

But Rong Ye only grinned up at her mischievously, his violet eyes glowing with excitement.

He reached into his hide bag and pulled out something small, woven, and oddly shaped.

Then he slipped it onto her foot.

Su Qinglan froze.

Her eyes widened.

It looked… like a sandal.

A woven sandal.

Her breath caught. She stared down at her foot, then watched as Rong Ye gently lifted her other foot, ignoring her weak attempts to pull back. He placed the second sandal and tied the vine straps around her ankles securely.

When she stood, she took a few tentative steps.

The sandals didn’t slip.

They didn’t hurt.

They actually felt… good.

For the first time since coming to this world, her feet weren’t touching bare stone.

She looked at Rong Ye, nearly speechless again. But this time, it was from joy.

“Rong Ye… where did you get these?” she asked softly. “These are… amazing. I tried making them so many times but failed… How did you?”

Rong Ye paused for a second.

Then he straightened proudly, hands on his hips.

“I made them,” he announced.

“You made them?” she repeated, amazed.

“Yes. With these hands.” He wiggled his fingers dramatically. “Where did I learn it, you ask? Well…”

He paused.

Han Jue and Hu Yan both watched him closely.

Rong Ye raised his chin smugly.

“I was born with this talent.”

Both Han Jue and Hu Yan rolled their eyes at the exact same time.

Su Qinglan burst into giggles.

Without thinking, she leaned forward, wrapped her arms around Rong Ye’s neck as best as her bundled-up body allowed, and kissed him lightly on the nose.

“Thank you,” she whispered warmly.

Rong Ye froze. Then turned red. He looked ready to explode into fireworks.

And outside, the rain continued to fall.

On the other side, the group that has gone to trade for rice has returned and will reach the tribe in a matter of time.

But all of them were restless. As one of them whispered.

“What are we going to do? Brother Xuan Long has left…how are we going to explain it to the tribe?” He said with a anxious expression.

“Amm! What can we do? We can only watch him go… it’s not our fault.”

“He didn’t abandon our tribe right? after all, he is the mate of the tribe leader’s daughter,” a young male whispered.

Another smacked his head. “What nonsense are you talking about… How could a mated beastman leave his female… He will surely return back.”