Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 210

Chapter 210: Chapter 210: The Night Rain and the Sleeping Snake
The night passed slowly.

The rain outside continued its gentle pitter-patter, tapping against the wooden tree of their house like a soft lullaby. The sound blended with the occasional rustling of leaves and the distant rumble of thunder, soothing the quiet darkness.

On the upper floor, Su Qinglan’s breathing slowly calmed, her body relaxing little by little as exhaustion finally caught up to her. Her eyes grew heavy, her lashes fluttering once, twice… before closing completely.

Within moments, she slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Xuan Long watched her.

His emerald eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, filled with so much affection. Even after everything… her anger, her threats, her scolding, he stared at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

His cold hand gently smoothed a few strands of hair away from her forehead.

He didn’t want to look away from her, not even for a second. He wanted to stare at her forever.

But sleep was pulling at him too.

His body was worn out, not just physically but spiritually. He had pushed himself before returning, used too much of his energy, and even now he could feel his strength slipping.

Just the thought of falling asleep without her close made his heart clench painfully.

But then he looked at her again… soft, warm, and curled peacefully in his arms.

He had already held her and breathed her scent.

He had spent as much time with her as he could before sleep forced him to surrender.

So now, he could sleep without regret.

He pressed one last gentle kiss to her forehead for the last time.

***

Meanwhile, on the floor below, three beastmen were suffering like never before.

Rong Ye, Han Jue, and Hu Yan sat in the dark, eyes bloodshot, ears twitching in irritation, and tails stiff with frustration.

They had not slept even for a moment in the entire night. After all, how could they sleep with the sounds they had heard?

Han Jue looked like he had aged ten years.

Rong Ye’s foxtails were so puffed they looked like balloons.

Hu Yan was grinding his teeth so hard he was going to break them.

“Tonight was torture,” Rong Ye whispered dramatically, clutching his chest. “My ears… my poor ears…”

Han Jue muttered darkly. “We didn’t even get to see Lan Lan. Only hear her.”

Hu Yan rubbed his forehead.

“I swear one day I’ll rip that snake apart,” he said. “How dare he enjoy everything while we listen like starving animals behind a door.”

All three nodded in miserable agreement.

They were normal beastmen and had sensitive ears. Those soft sounds from the upper floor were like music played directly into their brains.

They were restless, angry, and jealous. And worst of all…aroused.

Just then…a faint sound above them echoed.

Shift… It was a wood-scraped voice. Something was being pushed.

They froze, but the next second they moved at the same exact time.

“THE HOLE!” Rong Ye shrieked.

“He’s opening it!” Han Jue gasped.

“MOVE!” Hu Yan roared.

They all tried to squeeze into the small passage upward at the same time.

And of course…they got stuck.

All three gigantic beastmen were shouldering, shoving, and yelling like children fighting for the last cookie.

“MY HEAD IS IN THE HOLE FIRST!” Rong Ye cried.

“YOUR TAIL IS IN MY FACE!” Han Jue shouted.

“MOVE OR I’LL BITE BOTH OF YOU!” Hu Yan snarled.

In the chaos, Hu Yan pinched Rong Ye’s waist.

Rong Ye shrieked, and Han Jue lost balance at the same time. And somehow…Hu Yan managed to kick Han Jue’s ankle at the same moment.

Han Jue yelped.

And like that, Hu Yan surged ahead, squeezing painfully through the hole like a very angry tiger forcing himself through a cat-size doorway.

He popped onto the upper floor with a triumphant smirk…which died instantly when he saw the sight before him.

Su Qinglan was sleeping soundly, her body relaxed and breathing steady.

Xuan Long was… not quite human anymore.

His form has already shifted into a long snake, powerful coils spread across almost the entire upper floor. His scales shimmered faintly in the dim light, and the air around him felt heavy with suffocating power.

His eyes opened slowly at the sound of Hu Yan entering.

He raised his head slightly and hissed softly in a normal greeting.

“I will be going into slumber for a few weeks,” Xuan Long said quietly, his voice lower and more resonant in this form. “Take care of Lan Lan.”

Hu Yan’s mood soured immediately.

Why did he have to say it like that?

Of course he would take care of Lan Lan. Did this snake think he was irresponsible? And why did he shift fully? Was he trying to intimidate him? Show off his size? His power?

When Hu Yan came, he wanted to punch him straight in the face for acting cool. But then he realized he couldn’t.

Because Xuan Long has transformed into his beast form, and his tiger instincts were screaming in the back of his brain: this is dangerous; do not provoke this snake.

So he could only swallow his anger.

Just as he was gathering courage to insult him anyway…

Xuan Long gently wrapped his huge tail around Su Qinglan’s waist carefully. He carried her to the hole and lowered her down with perfect precision.

Han Jue immediately caught her in his arms, holding her close to his chest.

Hu Yan blinked as he suddenly realized something was wrong with this snake.

Xuan Long looked exhausted, not physically tired but spiritually. As if something heavy had happened.

He raised his large snake head and looked at Hu Yan again.

“If nothing serious happens… do not wake me,” he said quietly. “Only if Lan Lan wishes to see me… then you may allow her.”

Hu Yan stiffened at his words, then his anger faded. Because he finally sensed it… the seriousness in the snake’s tone. And the exhaustion that was slowly creeping into his voice.

Hu Yan felt a small pang of guilt.

They hadn’t even asked what happened to him and why he suddenly disappeared. Did something serious happen? They were only jealous of him, forgetting everything.

This time, he didn’t say anything unpleasant and simply nodded.

“…Alright,” he said quietly. “I will.” And with that, he jumped back down.

Xuan Long watched them for a few seconds.

Then slowly curled his enormous body into a tight circle, wrapping his tail protectively over himself.

He lowered his massive head onto his coils. Within seconds… His eyes closed.

The ancient snake fell into a deep slumber.