Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 291

Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Happiness and Grief
The treehouse was still ringing with the echo of Han Jue’s furious roar, yet now there was only silence… a crushing, suffocating silence that pressed against their chests like a boulder.

No one spoke because they couldn’t.

The place where Xuan Long had stood felt hollow, like it was just a dream, and when they blinked their eyes, Xuan Long would still be there and the small egg. But they knew it was not possible… It was not a dream but reality… which they refused to accept.

This was supposed to be a day of celebration… A day filled with life.

Yet while they were rejoicing over two newborn cubs… another child had vanished before it could even be held.

Before it could hear its mother’s voice.

Before Su Qinglan could kiss it and call it hers.

Hu Yan’s arms tightened around the cub in his hold… so hard his knuckles turned white. The cub let out a weak, startled wail, its tiny body trembling against his chest.

The sound made everyone snap out of their haze.

Rong Ye flinched.

Lin Muyu gasped and jolted into motion.

Hu Yan’s eyes reddened as he rocked the cub, his voice cracking.

“Shh… don’t cry… father is here… father is here…”

But his hands were shaking. From fear, rage and helplessness.

Rong Ye lowered his head, cradling the second cub protectively against his chest. His fox ears drooped, and his body curled forward as if trying to shield the child from the world… from the grief.

He didn’t speak. Because if he opened his mouth… he might scream.

Lin Muyu swallowed hard and rushed to Su Qinglan’s side.

Her friend’s body lay limp in Hu Yan’s lap, she was pale, exhausted, and fragile as a flower. Sweat still glistened across her brow, lashes fluttering weakly against her cheeks.

“Qinglan…” Lin Muyu whispered hoarsely, guilt stabbing deep inside her chest. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I should’ve… I should’ve taken the cub first…”

But she forced her trembling hands to steady. The cubs were crying.

Su Qinglan was unconscious. There was no time to fall apart.

She wiped Qinglan’s face, checked her pulse, and pressed gently over her abdomen to ensure no more bleeding.

“She’s stable… just exhausted…” Lin Muyu murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She needs rest… warmth… and quiet…”

No one replied. Hu Yan bowed his head over Qinglan. Tears slipped silently down his cheeks.

He had sworn to protect her. Yet tonight… he couldn’t even stop the one who stood at their side.

The one they trusted.

The one she trusted.

Rong Ye bit his lip, his shoulders trembling.

“I should’ve… stopped him…” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I should’ve grabbed him… I should’ve …”

Hu Yan shook his head weakly. They both knew the truth. None of them… could have stopped that serpent.

The cub in Rong Ye’s arms whimpered again, and he hurried to soothe it, forcing himself to steady his breathing because no matter how shattered they were…

The cubs still needed them.

Just as Lin Muyu turned to fetch warm hides for the infants…

A series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Then… voices.

“Move aside… let me through!”

Grandma Lin’s anxious call cut through the storm.

Tu Yelang followed behind her, his usual composed expression shattered into panic. His ears were flat against his head, his shoulders tense, and his gaze glued to the tree house.

He didn’t dare look inside, nor did he have the courage to face them… he was afraid and guilty.

If he hadn’t asked for help…

If he hadn’t begged Grandma Lin to come…

She would have been here. She would have been by Qinglan’s side.

But what could he do… he was just a selfish brother who thought about his sister first; he couldn’t bear to see his sister in agony, so he directly took Grandma Lin to his sister, who had suddenly gone into labor.

And once again he realized… he was not worthy of Su Qinglan. He had only caused her more trouble.

He clenched his fists so tightly that blood welled from his palm… crimson drops sliding between his trembling fingers.

It was his fault… all of it. He had never considered that Su Qinglan would also go into labor at the same time.

He opened his mouth, his voice coming out as barely a whisper.

“I… I’m sorry… I delayed…”

No one answered. No one had the strength to.

Only Lin Muyu moved… rushing to the doorway, grabbing her mother’s arm.

“Mother… hurry! Qinglan fainted!”

Grandma Lin’s heart lurched.

She rushed inside without another word.

Tu Yelang remained frozen outside with fear and guilt choking him.

Through the doorway, he could faintly hear the stifled sobs… the broken breathing… and the unbearable silence.

He pressed a bloodstained hand against his chest.

If only he had not asked…

If only she had been here…

If only…

Inside, Grandma Lin went straight to work. She didn’t ask about anything. She saw the two crying bundles and the pale, fainted mother and immediately understood that the birth had been traumatic.

“Hu Yan, Rong Ye, move back,” Grandma Lin commanded, her voice steady despite her own fear. “Give her air! Muyu, take the cubs to the nest. They need warmth and milk soon.”

Lin Muyu gently took the tiny tiger cubs. She noticed that Hu Yan and Rong Ye wouldn’t let go of Su Qinglan’s hands, clutching them as if they were afraid she would disappear too. They were devastated, their eyes red and hollow.

The secret of the jade egg remained a heavy, unspoken burden in the room.

They couldn’t even bring themselves to tell Grandma Lin yet. How could they explain that one of their own had committed such a sin?

As Grandma Lin pressed a warm cloth to Su Qinglan’s forehead, she whispered, “She’s exhausted, but she’s strong. She will wake up.”

Hu Yan let out a ragged sob, burying his face in Su Qinglan’s neck. But what will we tell her when she wakes up, he thought.

How do we tell her that our third child is gone, and the man who took it is the one she trusted most?