He reached the fence gate just in time to see Su Qinglan storming toward the house, her face red with fury. Behind her, Han Jue and Rong Ye were trailing like anxious puppies, their faces filled with worry and regret.
"Lan Lan, please, just listen," Rong Ye started, but Su Qinglan didn’t even turn around.
Xuan Long’s emerald eyes glittered. Did something happen? he thought. They had clearly angered her.
Su Qinglan reached the gate, saw Xuan Long standing there, and didn’t even say hello. She reached out, grabbed his muscular arm with a firm grip, and dragged him toward the front door. "You, inside, now," she barked.
Xuan Long was speechless. He allowed himself to be dragged, glancing back at the two fur beasts standing outside the fence.
Su Qinglan reached the door of the fence, pulled Xuan Long inside, and then slammed the door shut with a loud bang. She even tied it with vines, locking them out of the main house.
Xuan Long looked at the closed door and then back at Su Qinglan. A slow, triumphant smile spread across his face. Was she actually kicking them out? Was this the day he had dreamed of, when he finally had his mate all to himself?
His expression brightened significantly. He had long wanted to kick the stinky wolf and the noisy fox out of the house, but Su Qinglan liked them too much. Now, it seemed their goodness had finally run out.
Xuan Long immediately circled around her, his voice turning soft and cooing. "Lan Lan, did they bully you? Why are you so angry? Just tell me, and I will go out there and beat them both into the mud."
Outside the house, Han Jue and Rong Ye flinched at the sound of Xuan Long’s voice. They could practically feel the smug, evil smile on the snake’s face through the five meter distance between them.
"Don’t even mention them," Su Qinglan snapped, her eyes flashing. "I am so angry I don’t want to talk to any of them. I’m hungry. I want to eat, and I want to be left alone."
Xuan Long’s smile widened even more. Not just the two of them, but even Hu Yan was in trouble. This was the best day of his life. He looked outside, knowing the others were watching from the rain, and gave a provocative, chilling smirk.
"Don’t worry, Lan Lan," Xuan Long said, his voice loud enough for the others to hear. "I will take care of everything. I’ll make you food, and I’ll make sure no one bothers you. You don’t need those clumsy, loud beasts anyway."
He was pouring oil on the fire, doing his absolute best to fuel her anger toward the rivals. He leaned down, nudging her shoulder affectionately as he led her toward the house.
Outside, in the pouring rain, Han Jue and Rong Ye stood in the mud, looking at the locked door with dark, miserable expressions.
They had tried to defend her honor, but now they were the ones shivering in the cold while the sneaky snake was inside playing the perfect husband.
Xuan Long was in a very good mood. He noticed that in her anger, Su Qinglan had forgotten to pull the thick animal hide curtain across the large doorway of the tree house.
This was perfect. He could see Han Jue and Rong Ye standing out in the rain, their bodies soaked and their eyes filled with longing.
Outside, the two husbands were left staring at a blank hide. They couldn’t see anymore, which was actually worse. Now, their imaginations were running wild. Because the walls of the tree house weren’t soundproof, they could hear every word from inside.
"Is that better, Lan Lan?" they heard Xuan Long’s raspy, intimate voice.
"Mmm, it’s so warm," Su Qinglan’s voice drifted out. "I’m so tired, Xuan Long."
"Eat this first," Xuan Long said. The sounds of clinking bowls and soft chewing followed. "There. Now, lie down. You need to rest. I’ll hold you."
Rong Ye looked like he wanted to howl at the moon. "That sneaky snake," he whispered, his tail drooping in the mud. "He’s taking advantage of our mistake."
Inside, Xuan Long was indeed taking care of her. He fed her some warm food and dried meat, then wrapped her in the softest, driest furs they had. He climbed into the bed beside her, his cool, smooth skin acting like a soothing balm to her overheated, angry mind.
Su Qinglan was so exhausted from the stress of the lion tribe and the drama with the tigers that she fell asleep almost instantly in his arms.
Xuan Long listened to her steady breathing and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He looked at the closed door, imagining the three furry rivals, because he knew Hu Yan would be joining the outside club any minute now, shivering in the rain. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
He closed his eyes and drifted into a nap with his mate, the smug smile never leaving his face.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off