Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Chapter 247: The Crystal Core
When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

“Lan Lan,” he said quietly. “I can’t wait to meet our cubs.”

His hand moved down instinctively, resting against her stomach. His palm was warm, his touch careful and reverent. He rubbed slow circles, as if speaking to them through his skin.

The world seemed to pause.

Then…a sudden movement.

A sharp, unmistakable kick pressed against his palm.

Hu Yan froze.

Su Qinglan gasped softly.

Another kick followed. Stronger this time.

Both of them fell completely silent.

Hu Yan’s eyes widened in shock. His breath hitched as his hand trembled slightly against her stomach. He stared at her, then down at her belly, disbelief written clearly across his face.

“They… moved,” he whispered.

His voice sounded almost afraid to speak too loudly, as if the moment might disappear.

Su Qinglan nodded slowly as confirming him. “They did.”

Hu Yan swallowed hard. His chest rose and fell unevenly as another small movement brushed against his hand.

A breathless laugh escaped him.

His eyes shone with pure happiness.

“They’ve never done this before,” he said softly, awe filling every word. “They are brats even before they are born.”

He looked at Su Qinglan again, his expression wide and vulnerable, completely unguarded.

“But finally they grew consciences,” he whispered.

A bright, uncontrollable grin spread across his face, his eyes lighting up with pure joy. Before Su Qinglan could react, Hu Yan suddenly bent down, slipped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, and lifted her straight into his arms.

“Hu Yan!” Su Qinglan gasped in surprise, instinctively grabbing his shoulder.

He laughed out loud, a deep, carefree sound that echoed through the quiet space.

“They’re such good babies,” he said happily, holding her close as if she weighed nothing at all. “So good. I must do something for them.”

He turned and started walking toward their home without slowing down.

Su Qinglan stared at him, stunned. “Do something…?” she asked cautiously. “What do you mean?”

Hu Yan only laughed again, his steps light and fast despite carrying her.

“Something good,” he said confidently. “Something that will benefit them. Make them stronger.”

Su Qinglan’s eyes slowly widened.

Stronger?

Her heart skipped uneasily.

“…Hu Yan,” she said carefully, looking up at him. “You’re not thinking of asking me to drink some strange herbs, right?”

Her expression turned serious.

“I don’t need them,” she added quickly. “I’m already strong, and so are the cubs.”

She knew that for a fact.

The system had been monitoring her body from the beginning. Her health, her energy levels, the development of the cubs…everything was stable. More than stable. The cubs were healthy and active. There was absolutely no need for risky supplements.

But Hu Yan didn’t answer her concern at all.

He just smiled and carried her straight inside.

Once they reached the room, he gently put her down on her feet, making sure she was steady before letting go. Then, without explaining anything further, he turned around and walked toward the place where he kept his belongings.

Su Qinglan frowned slightly.

“Hu Yan?” she called after him.

He didn’t reply.

She watched as he crouched down and began searching through his things. He moved things aside, his back facing her, clearly focused. The sound of items shifting filled the room.

Su Qinglan stood there quietly, confusion growing with every second.

What exactly was he planning?

Then Hu Yan suddenly stopped.

“There,” he muttered, satisfaction in his voice. He straightened up and turned around.

The moment Su Qinglan saw what was in his hand, her breath caught.

Her eyes widened instantly.

In Hu Yan’s palm lay a crystal core. Not just any crystal core. It was a red-level crystal core.

It glowed faintly, a deep, rich crimson color, powerful energy pulsing within it. Even without activating any senses, Su Qinglan could feel the strength contained inside.

Her heart raced.

She took two quick steps forward and grabbed his wrist without thinking.

“Where did you get this?” she asked hurriedly, her excitement impossible to hide.

Hu Yan looked at her reaction and smiled proudly.

“I got it with Han Jue,” he said. “We hunted the beast together.”

Su Qinglan stared at the crystal core, her mind racing.

Hu Yan continued, clearly pleased. “It’s a very special thing. If someone eats this, they can break through their rank.”

Her pupils shrank slightly.

“And,” he added, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, “it also nourishes pregnant females.”

Su Qinglan sucked in a sharp breath.

Her gaze snapped back to his face.

“A red-level crystal core…” she murmured.

She knew exactly what that meant.

In the apocalyptic world, crystal cores were everywhere. But in the beast world they are extremely rare. And red-level ones? Those were treasures people could fight wars over. As Hu Yan spoke further, it only confirmed her thoughts.

“Almost one in a thousand of evil ferocious beasts has a crystal core,” Hu Yan said. “Finding one depends entirely on luck.”

Luck?

Su Qinglan felt her head spinning.

This wasn’t just luck. This was absurd luck.

She was still processing the value of what she was seeing when…

Crunch!

The sound was loud. Su Qinglan froze. Her eyes snapped back to Hu Yan.

He was chewing. Chewing on the crystal core.

For a second, her mind went completely blank.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

He… ate it?

Just like that?

“That…!” Su Qinglan finally found her voice, shock flooding her face. “How could you eat that?!”

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

“That’s a crystal core!” she exclaimed. “Not candy!”

She rushed toward him, panic rising. “Spit it out! Hu Yan, spit it out right now!”

But it was too late.

He had already swallowed it.

Hu Yan looked at her in confusion, then laughed lightly, misunderstanding her reaction completely.

“Lan Lan, don’t worry,” he said calmly. “It doesn’t feel strange at all.”

He even patted his chest reassuringly.

“There’s no discomfort,” he added. “See?”

Su Qinglan stared at him in disbelief.

He continued, completely serious, “You can’t directly eat it, though. Females are weaker. They can’t handle the power of it directly.”

Su Qinglan felt like screaming.

Weaker?

Her fingers curled tightly at her sides. Yes, she could not eat it. But she can absorb it.

All she could do was stare at him, her expression stiff and hollow, as she watched a priceless red-level crystal core disappear into his stomach.

Her first crystal core in the beast world was gone, wasted like that. She felt no tears come.

Just a deep, silent pain in her chest.

Hu Yan mistook her silence for fear. He reached out and gently touched her arm.

“Don’t be scared,” he said softly. “I’ll protect you and the cubs.”

Su Qinglan forced herself to breathe. Inside, she could only think of one thing.

…Idiot.

Before Su Qinglan could even process her frustration over the “wasted” crystal core, Hu Yan’s expression shifted. The playful pride in his eyes turned into a burning, focused intensity.

He didn’t give her a chance to step away.

With a swift movement, he reached down and lifted her skirt. Before she could gasp, his large hand hooked into the waistband of her undergarment and pushed it down, exposing her completely to his hungry, golden gaze.

Su Qinglan snapped out of her daze, her face flushing crimson. “Hu Yan! What are you doing?”