Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Morning Chaos
Su Qinglan woke up slowly, her eyelids fluttering as warm sunlight filtered faintly through the leaves of the treehouse.

The rain was still falling outside, but it had softened into a gentle drizzle instead of the violent storm from before.

For a moment, her mind was blank, drifting peacefully somewhere between sleep and waking. But then her stomach growled loudly.

That was what finally woke her up completely.

She blinked her eyes open…only to find Hu Yan looking at her and he looked like he hadn’t slept in a thousand years.

She stared at him and he stared back.

For three full seconds, nobody said anything.

Then Su Qinglan softly cleared her throat. “Um… good morning?”

Hu Yan stepped forward. He kneeled down beside her, his expression surprisingly gentle for someone who looked like he could fight a wild buffalo with his bare hands. He reached for a cloth and a bowl of water he had already prepared.

“You’re awake,” he said quietly, as if afraid she would fall asleep again. “Come, rinse your face. You must be hungry.”

She let him help her sit up, still feeling a little dazed from sleep. But when Hu Yan dipped the cloth into the water and reached toward her face, she stopped him quickly.

“W-wait! I…I can wash myself!” she said, her voice flustered.

Hu Yan paused, confused. “Why? I always help.”

“Because…” Su Qinglan pointed toward her neck instinctively, then immediately regretted it.

Why did I do that?!

She snatched the cloth from him and quickly leaned over the bowl instead, splashing water onto her face.

But the moment she saw her reflection in the water…Her eyes went wide.

Her whole face turned red like a ripe tomato.

There, on her neck, glowing faintly against her pale skin, were very obvious bite marks and a few pink-red patches that were definitely not mosquito bites.

Oh no…

She swallowed hard and slowly peeked at Hu Yan from the corner of her eye.

He was standing there with a very straight posture. His face was calm. His tail didn’t move at all. He was pretending extremely hard that he had seen absolutely nothing.

She let out a very soft sigh of relief and washed her face twice more just to hide her embarrassment.

Hu Yan stepped forward as soon as she was done, handing her a warm wooden bowl filled with steaming food. “Eat slowly,” he said, his voice gentle. “It’s already noon. You slept a long time.”

It had to be noon. The light was bright, and the rain outside looked soft and sparkling. Su Qinglan took small bites of the food…fruits, roots, a rich soup and felt warmth slowly filling her stomach.

Once she finished, she went to look outside. The view from the doorway was breathtaking. The towering trees stood tall and proud, their leaves dripping with rain. Mist curled between the branches. The storm that had terrified her last night was now a soft silver curtain falling from the sky.

Hu Yan came to stand beside her, his eyes following her gaze.

“When we woke up,” he said, “the rain was already like this. Gentle and calm. It’s the first time we’ve ever seen something like this.”

Su Qinglan looked up with curiosity. “Why? Doesn’t the rain normally lighten like this?”

“Usually, once the torrential rains start, it takes at least a week to calm down. But today… it changed overnight. It surprised all of us.”

“We don’t know why it happened, but I won’t complain. It’s easier to hunt in this rain.”

Su Qinglan nodded, her eyes admiring the scenery. The trees swayed with soft elegance, droplets sparkling like crystals on every leaf. It looked magical.

“Where are the others?” she asked suddenly, turning back to Hu Yan.

“Rong Ye and Han Jue went hunting,” Hu Yan said. “The rain is light now, and they wanted to bring back more food.”

“And Xuan Long?” she asked after a brief pause.

Hu Yan’s expression grew serious.

“He’s upstairs. He already shifted into his full form. He said he’s exhausted and will be going into slumber for a few weeks.”

Su Qinglan froze.

“What…? Few weeks…?”

Hu Yan shrugged lightly, though his tail flicked in concern. “Snakes usually sleep deeply when they are tired. Maybe it was simply his time to go into slumber.”

Her heart tightened slightly. Had he pushed himself that hard?

“Can I go see him?” she asked softly.

Hu Yan nodded, but his tone was firm. “You can. But don’t disturb him too much. Snakes are very sensitive when they’re in slumber. If they sense movement or danger, their instinct reacts before their mind does. It could hurt them.”

Su Qinglan nodded slowly. She suddenly felt guilty for thinking he was just being dramatic last night. Maybe he really needed rest.

She looked outside again, watching the rain dance gently on the leaves. For a moment, she felt a longing grow inside her chest. She wanted to walk outside too. She wanted to feel the cool air, smell the damp earth, touch the rain…but she didn’t want to get drenched like last time.

So a small idea popped into her mind.

“Hu Yan,” she said.

He turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

“Can you bring me some big leaves? The large ones from the forest edge… the waterproof kind.”

Hu Yan blinked. “What for?”

“I want to make a raincoat!” she said proudly.

He stared.

She continued confidently, “If I can make one that covers my whole body, then I can go outside without getting drenched. I want to see the forest in the rain.”

Hu Yan looked at her for a long moment.

Then he nodded slowly.

“…Alright. I’ll get them.”

Su Qinglan beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Hu Yan felt his heart stop for one second before clearing his throat and looking away quickly.

“Just wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

And with that, he jumped down from the entrance and dashed into the softened rain.

Su Qinglan watched him leave, excitement bubbling in her chest. She was already imagining different shapes of raincoat she could make with leaves and vines.