Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 260

Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Caught in the Arms of the Lion King
Lin Muyu finally broke away from the clutches of that stupid, golden lion and ran all the way to the treehouse where Su Qinglan was working. She had heard that Su Qinglan was already there helping the new females with their health.

Lin Muyu was still huffing from her encounter with the “hooligan,” but she pushed her anger aside.

Su Qinglan is pregnant, she thought. How can she do all this work alone? She needs someone to help her carry things and boil the water.

Lin Muyu had always helped Su Qinglan gather herbs in the past, so she knew she could be useful here.

When she finally reached the front of the treehouse and stepped inside, the lionesses got tense once again.

Their eyes darted to the door, ready to be defensive. But they immediately relaxed when they saw it was just another female…even if she was a very muddy one.

Su Qinglan looked up from where she was tending to the young girl and smiled brightly. “Lin Muyu! You came at just the right time,” she said, sounding relieved.

Lin Muyu wiped some mud off her forehead. “I heard you were here. You shouldn’t be working this hard in your condition, Qinglan!”

Su Qinglan chuckled and pointed to the stone pots. “I’m fine, but I could really use your help. Can you help me make ginger water for everyone? We need to warm their stomachs and get the chill out of their bones.”

“On it!” Lin Muyu said, removing her muddy raincoat.

The two of them got busy immediately. While Su Qinglan used her plant energy to check the pulses of the older lionesses, Lin Muyu took over the heavy lifting. She stirred the pots, handed out warm drinks, and helped the females dry their hair.

As they worked, they talked and shared news. Su Qinglan noticed that, surprisingly, the lionesses were in much better condition than the rabbits or foxes would have been.

These females were built differently; they were sturdy and powerful, even if they were currently exhausted. It seemed the Lion Tribe’s bloodline really did make them more resilient to the cold.

“These women are strong,” Lin Muyu whispered as she handed a bowl to a shivering lioness. “If it were a female fox soaking in that rain for a week, she would have been bedridden for a month.”

Su Qinglan nodded. “They are, but everyone has a limit. The ginger and the herbs will make sure the fever doesn’t take hold.”

The atmosphere in the room changed from tense and fearful to warm and cozy. The smell of ginger and herbs filled the air, and the lionesses began to talk softly among themselves, their eyes filled with gratitude.

Lin Muyu felt a sense of pride as she worked alongside Su Qinglan. They were like a team, making sure their new guests were well taken care of.

After making sure all the lionesses had their warm ginger water, Su Qinglan looked toward the door and realized Hu Yan still hadn’t come back. She started to feel a bit worried.

Knowing his personality, he usually wouldn’t leave her alone for more than ten minutes, especially with a hundred strange lions wandering around.

Did he get into a fight? she wondered. Or maybe the treehouse construction is harder than they thought?

She looked back at Lin Muyu, who was currently sitting by the fire. Lin Muyu’s clothes were still damp from the mud and rain, so she was busy drying them and wasn’t going to leave the warm house anytime soon.

Su Qinglan decided she couldn’t just sit there. She wanted to go find her husband.

“I’m going to look for Hu Yan,” she told the room. She put on her leafy hat and stepped out of the treehouse.

The ground was muddy and slick. As she took her first step down from the vine ladder, her foot landed on something that felt strangely slippery and soft. Before she could process what it was, a sharp hiss filled the air.

“Ahh!”

Su Qinglan looked down, and her heart nearly stopped. A long, dark, venomous snake was coiled right under her foot. It looked extremely dissatisfied that she had stepped on its tail and was already lunging upward to sink its fangs into her leg.

In her haste to pull back, Su Qinglan stumbled on the muddy slope. She was about to fall backward into the muck, but suddenly, she didn’t hit the ground.

A pair of incredibly strong, warm arms surrounded her waist. In one swift, powerful movement, she was lifted completely off the ground.

She heard a sickening crunch as the beastman who caught her used his free hand to snatch the snake out of mid-air and crush its head with his bare fingers.

Su Qinglan was stunned. She stayed frozen in the stranger’s arms, her breath hitching as she looked up to see who had saved her.

She found herself staring into a pair of cold, golden eyes. This was Shi Feng, the Lion King.

Up close, he was a “cold beauty.” He had a face that looked like it had been carved from eternal stone…perfect, sharp, and regal. His long golden hair was slightly damp from the rain, clinging to his broad, muscular shoulders.

He was toweringly tall, with a physique that was pure power; his chest was wide and rock-hard under her palms, and his arms were thick with veins and solid muscle.

There was a chilling aura about him, but as he looked down at her, the coldness didn’t seem directed at her. It was just his natural, kingly state.

He held her easily, as if she weighed nothing at all. The silence between them grew heavy and ambiguous as the rain pattered against her leafy hat.

“You should watch where you step, female,” Shi Feng said. His voice was a deep, smooth rumble that vibrated right through Su Qinglan’s chest. “This mountain is full of things that bite.”

Su Qinglan’s face began to burn. She was still being held against his warm, bronzed skin, and she could smell his scent…it was like sun-warmed grass and wild musk. It was a very “kingly” smell.

“I… thank you,” she stammered, her heart racing for a completely different reason now. “You can put me down now.”

Shi Feng didn’t let go immediately. He looked at her face, his golden eyes narrowing as he took in her sunset-colored hair and her glowing skin.

He had seen many females, but none that looked like this. She didn’t look like a cunning fox at all, but she definitely has the charm of foxes.

“You are the one they call the witch doctor?” he asked, his gaze lingering on her lips.

Su Qinglan nodded, trying to regain her composure. She was supposed to be a professional doctor and a married woman, but this lion king’s presence was so overwhelming it made her brain feel a bit foggy.