Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 288

Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Su Qinglan Goes Into Labor
Ten days had passed, and Su Qinglan’s body felt heavier than ever. Squatting or even walking across the room had become a monumental task.

Her belly was so large and round that she felt like she was carrying the weight of the entire mountain.

Grandma Lin had visited her multiple times, nodding with a wise smile as she felt the position of the cubs.

“They are strong, Female Qinglan,” the old woman had whispered. “If nothing goes wrong, they will slide out as smoothly as a fish in water.”

Su Qinglan was more than ready. She spent her days nesting in the treehouse, which Hu Yan had transformed into a cozy and beautiful house.

In the corner of the main room, right next to the large bed, he had constructed a magnificent nest.

It was a thick, circular base of fragrant dry grass and soft moss, topped with multiple layers of the finest, most supple beast hides they owned. It was perfect for her little ones.

She had recently visited Bai Ling, whose cubs were already a week old. Seeing those tiny foxes with their eyes open, clumsily pushing each other around, made Su Qinglan’s heart melt.

The little female was especially fierce, already shoving her brothers aside to get the best spot. Su Qinglan couldn’t wait to see what her own cubs would be like.

She hadn’t left the house in two days. Neither had her husbands. Even the stoic Han Jue and the restless Xuan Long had stopped hunting, refusing to leave her side for more than a few minutes. They were all on edge, waiting for the first sign of labor.

Hu Yan walked into the room, holding a cluster of large, deep purple fruits. Su Qinglan’s eyes widened. “Grapes? Hu Yan, where did you find these?”

“A hidden valley a few miles east,” he grunted, looking proud. “I thought you might want something fresh.”

Su Qinglan plucked one and popped it into her mouth. An intense, sharp sourness exploded on her tongue, making her toes curl. Her eyes lit up with delight. “Oh, it’s so sour! It’s perfect!”

Stove, who had been lounging nearby, saw her happy expression and figured it must be a sweet delicacy.

He snatched a grape with a vine and tossed it into his leafy “mouth.”

A second later, he violently spat it out, his vines shivering in disgust. What kind of poison is this?! How can she eat this sour-acidic fruit?!

Hu Yan didn’t appreciate Stove’s dramatic reaction. He kicked at the plant’s root. “If you’ve got the energy to complain, go break the firewood into small pieces for the fire! Stop sitting around like a pampered female!”

Stove grudgingly scurried out of the house to take his frustration out on the logs. Su Qinglan giggled, reaching for another grape, but suddenly, the smile froze on her face.

A sharp, heavy pressure rolled through her lower abdomen. It wasn’t like the kicks she was used to. This was more intense.

[DING! Host! Must take precautions!] Xuyu’s voice shrieked in her mind.

[Vital signs shifting! Uterine contractions detected! Host is about to give birth in 30 minutes!]

Su Qinglan dropped the grapes, her hands flying to her belly. “Hu Yan!” she gasped.

“Go… call Grandma Lin. Now!”

Hu Yan, the mighty tiger who could face a bear without blinking, suddenly turned pale. He dropped the stone bowl he was holding, and it rolled on the floor. “Now? Like… now now?” he stuttered, his knees actually shaking.

Su Qinglan grabbed his hand and gave him a quick, firm kiss. “Yes, now! Don’t worry, the babies are okay. I’m fine. Just go!”

Hu Yan wiped buckets of sweat from his forehead, nodded frantically, and bolted out the door like a streak of lightning.

Within seconds, Han Jue, Xuan Long, and a very worried Rong Ye rushed into the room, surrounding her bed with frantic energy.

“Lan Lan! Does it hurt?” Han Jue asked, his voice tensed with worry.

Rong Ye lifted her dress slightly to check the bedding. “Wait, the furs are still dry. Lan Lan, how do you know it’s time? Maybe it’s just the cubs creating a fuss?”

As if on cue, a sudden splash sounded, and the bedding beneath her became soaked. Su Qinglan let out a sharp hiss of pain as the first real contraction gripped her.

Xuan Long and Han Jue immediately turned and glared at Rong Ye. “You and your big mouth!” Xuan Long hissed.

Su Qinglan looked at the System interface floating in her vision. [Estimated Time to Delivery: 28:45 minutes]

So soon?! she thought, stunned. Usually, humans took hours, but in this world, things moved fast!

She gripped the edges of the furs, sweat already beading on her forehead. She looked at her three husbands and forced a shaky smile.

“Don’t just stand there looking at me! Go… prepare the warm water and the clean towels. I feel like they’re going to slip out of me any second!”

Just then, the first massive contraction hit her full force. A scream tore from her lips, and she bit down on her lip to keep from crying out again.

“Fuck, why does it hurt so much?” Suddenly she felt this labor thing was not that good; in the past she was able to calm Bai Ling, but now it’s her time, and she felt like cursing everyone.

Su Qinglan gripped the furs, her face pale with sweat. Xuyu! she screamed in her head. Give me something for the pain! A potion, a pill, anything!

​[DING! Host… I don’t have any medicine for labor pain in my database!] Xuyu squeaked, sounding terrified.

​You useless piece of junk! Su Qinglan cursed. What kind of system are you? I’m dying here, and you’re just a flying calculator! You’re absolutely worthless!

​Xuyu’s digital brain nearly short-circuited from her insults. He gulped and quickly searched for another way.

[Host! Please! You can use your plant-type ability! Circulate it through your body…it will soothe your nerves and dull the ache!]

​Su Qinglan didn’t wait. She closed her eyes and forced her green energy to flow toward her belly. A cool, refreshing sensation washed over the heat. The sharp, stabbing pain faded into a dull, heavy pressure.

​”Hah… much better,” she panted, her body finally relaxing just a little.

​Rong Ye rushed over with warm water, his hands shaking. “Lan Lan? Are you okay?”

​”I’m fine,” she gritted out, looking at the timer in her mind. Only 20 minutes left. “Just get ready. The cubs are coming.”