Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 228

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Dumplings and Three Worried Men
Su Qinglan finally stepped out of the small tree house, her hands still trembling faintly from everything she had just learned.

A different mother… a hidden sister… a buried truth that refused to stop ringing in her head.

She had thought the shock would follow her all the way home, but the moment she walked down the wooden steps with Han Jue beside her, something else took over her entire brain.

Yes… food, especially her white flour. And most importantly, aside from the earlier shock, she really didn’t want to burden herself at all with this matter.

Neither did she have any wish to find her real mother. Yes, she felt a little bit of connection to this female, but not to the point she would become careless with her life and revolve only around her.

Because for her, now her babies and her dear husbands were more important. Wherever they were… was her real home.

She turned once to glance at the unconscious female resting inside. Rong Ye was already standing beside the bed like a dedicated watchdog. “I’ll keep an eye on her,” he said quickly, because she had already bribed him with good food earlier, and that was more than enough reason for him to agree.

After all, anything made by his Lan Lan tasted better than anything. It was filled with love… sweetness… and the magical flavor of her hands.

So Rong Ye puffed his chest, nodded loyally, and stayed behind… because he also knew when it came to cooking he was practically useless. So he thought he would just guard this female and do some side work.

After she left the small tree house, she immediately wanted to fill her starving soul with dumplings or noodles… or both. Noodles were soft and warm. Dumplings were juicy and heavenly. Both were her favorites, and the moment she imagined the taste, she almost drooled onto her own boots.

She pressed a hand to her stomach dramatically.

She was already hungry and her babies must be starving too. No wonder just moments ago she had sensed so much movement from them.

They were probably protesting for being hungry.

She looked at Han Jue and Hu Yan with shining, determined eyes.

“Light the fire,” she ordered like a tiny empress on the verge of fainting from cravings. “Today… I will cook something delicious.”

Han Jue: “…”

Hu Yan: “…”

None of them expected her to suddenly say this after such a long silence. They thought there was something serious… wait no, it was really serious. How could they let their female cook?

Both of them looked like they wanted to protest, but Su Qinglan already leaned forward, pouting. “I will only do the minimum. You two will help me. Okay? Please? I need dumplings or noodles. I need them. If not, I will cry.”

The two men instantly panicked, especially since her pregnancy mood swings could turn a small tear into a flood.

“Fine.”

“We’ll help.”

“Don’t cry…”

And just like that, they surrendered.

Once the fire was lit, Su Qinglan happily sat down with her bag of flour. She touched it lovingly, inhaled the faint scent of wheat like it was perfume, and then poured some into a bowl.

She added water carefully and began kneading the dough. The white flour clung to her fingers, soft and cool, and she hummed under her breath as she worked. With every push and fold, her mood brightened, the earlier tension dissolving into the warm rhythm of cooking.

Hu Yan crouched beside her and started chopping vegetables and meat. His expression was serious, like he was cutting enemies instead of meat. The wooden board echoed with steady thumps, and Su Qinglan peeked over in satisfaction.

“Yes. Chop it smaller. Smaller. Perfect! You’re amazing.”

Hu Yan, who received praise, immediately worked harder.

Han Jue helped too. He fetched water, mixed the filling, and even rolled out the dough circles stiffly. His circles looked more like weird, lopsided shapes, but Su Qinglan did not complain. She simply smiled and taught him how to fix the edges. Slowly, the three of them sat around the low table, wrapping dumplings together.

One dumpling folded.

Two dumplings sealed.

Five dumplings shaped.

Twenty dumplings lined up neatly like soldiers.

It almost felt like a small family gathering. Just like Chinese New Year when all members gathered and made dumplings, she really felt nostalgic.

After filling the steamer tray full of plump, perfectly wrapped dumplings, Su Qinglan placed them over the fire. The soft hiss of water turning to steam made her heart flutter with happiness. Soon, the gentle fragrance began drifting out, wrapping around them like a warm blanket. Her stomach growled loudly.

Their steamer was nothing but a big stone bowl filled with water, wrapped with a large leaf with small holes in it, and she put all the dumplings on it and covered it.

When the lid finally lifted, a cloud of fragrant steam burst outward. The dumplings looked smooth, glossy, and beautiful. Su Qinglan’s eyes sparkled like she was staring at treasure.

She picked up the first dumpling with trembling fingers and blew on it gently. The moment she took a bite, her eyes widened, and instantly, they filled with water.

So soft and delicious.

She let out a tiny choked sound. “Wah… it’s so good…” Her voice trembled, and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I missed dumplings so much… I want to cry…”

Han Jue immediately froze. Hu Yan almost dropped the chopsticks.

“Qinglan?! Are you okay?”

“Does it hurt?”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

They fussed around her like frightened chickens.

Su Qinglan only held the half-eaten dumpling in her chopsticks and cried harder.

“No… it’s just too delicious… my pregnancy hormones are just messing with me…”

She suddenly remembered the time when she was still little and her father would cook for her, and she would help him make dumplings before the apocalypse.

And the two big men had absolutely no idea how to comfort her, they could only console her gently.

“Lan Lan… drink some water if it is too hot…” Han Jue placed a water bowl in front of her.

“Does it hurt anywhere… are you uncomfortable, Lan Lan?” Hu Yan asked, patting her back slowly.

“Huh… don’t worry, I am fine… nothing happened, I am just too happy… I have eaten this after so long,” she said while wiping her tears… even she didn’t know why she was crying at all… and what was there to cry about.

She immediately diverted the topic and asked them to call Rong Ye so all of them could eat together.

And Rong Ye immediately strutted inside the tree house like he was just waiting for them to call him… and he immediately declared, “Lan Lan, what did you cook? It is so fragrant…”

Su Qinglan sniffed, wiped the last stubborn tear from the corner of her eye, and pointed proudly at the steaming pile of dumplings.

“I made these,” she said, puffing her chest like an accomplished little chef. “With their help… but mostly me.”

Rong Ye’s eyes lit up instantly, the way a starving fox might look at a freshly roasted rabbit. He didn’t even hide his excitement as he rushed to sit beside her, chopsticks already in hand, his tail practically wagging in joy.