Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Chapter 07: Su Qinglan’s Top-Notch Acting.

Su Qinglan froze.

Second... beast husband?

When did she gain a second beast husband? She still hadn’t even formally met the first one!

Her brows twitched. Then the answer came to her—ah, right. This was the second beast husband chosen for her by her father, the tribe leader. But they had never mated.

Her gaze returned to the bleeding arctic wolf sprawled on the ground. Han Jue.

... No wonder the name had tugged at her memory.

Like a brick falling on her skull, it hit her, the original Su Qinglan had never seen his beast form. That was why she hadn’t recognized him.

Su Qinglan stared at him, blood still pouring from his wound, hostility still burning in those ice-blue eyes.

Her lips twitched.

Wonderful. My fake husband’s first reaction to me is to bare his fangs.

Before she could move, the system’s clear chime rang in her ears again.

[New Mission: Save second beast husband, Han Jue.]

Su Qinglan’s expression stiffened. "...System, are you joking with me? I never acknowledged any second beast husband. So why are you calling him this?"

For a second, there was silence. Then XuYu’s voice rang brightly, as if pretending nothing was wrong.

[Host... ah... well, you see, there seems to be... a slight glitch in the system.]

Su Qinglan’s brow rose higher.

[Yes, a glitch! I’ll just... go repair it. In the meantime, please continue completing your first mission, yes? Xuyu loves Host, Xuyu trusts Host... Xuyu—]

The voice stuttered, warped strangely, then fizzled out into static.

"..."

Su Qinglan’s mouth twitched violently.

Why did her system feel less like one of those mighty, domineering, all-powerful systems and more like a half-broken toy someone had picked up off a scrap heap?

Unreliable thing.

She dragged a hand down her face and sighed heavily.

Well, whether the system glitched or not didn’t matter. Mission or no mission, she wasn’t about to let the arctic wolf bleed out here. Not just because he was supposedly her "second husband," but because she wasn’t stupid.

If she saved him, it would improve her image in the tribe. Right now, everyone saw her as a useless, dirty female who only knew how to cause trouble. Saving a four-striped beast warrior in front of so many witnesses... that was the kind of thing that could shift her reputation overnight.

Her fox eyes narrowed slyly.

Time to act.

She rose slightly, looking down at the wolf and the protective beastmen around him. Her tone dropped low, carrying just the right mix of sadness and rebuke.

"What a pity... such a strong warrior, and no one willing to let me try."

The crowd shifted uneasily.

The tense silence stretched. The younger warriors shifted uneasily, some still bristling with suspicion, others clearly wavering. If they let her touch Han Jue and he died, they would be blamed. But if they stopped her and he bled out here, the witch and the tribe leader would skin them alive.

Before anyone could decide, a calm yet firm voice rose from the crowd.

"Let her treat him."

The warriors turned. An older female, her long orange-streaked hair tied loosely, stepped forward. Her presence carried authority that silenced even the most stubborn youths.

It was Su Lian, Su Qinglan’s aunt, her father’s half-sister.

"If something happens to Beast Warrior Han Jue," Su Lian said steadily, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, "I will take responsibility."

Her words hit the warriors like a hammer. Murmurs spread instantly...if the elder was willing to shoulder the blame, then none of them would be punished.

"Yes... better let her try."

"Even if she fails, at least we didn’t just stand here watching him die."

"And if the witch truly entrusted her with medicine, then that means she trusted her!"

"Better to let her try, than stand by and watch Beast Warrior Han Jue die and return to the Beast God."

"Step aside," Su Lian ordered, and the circle of beast warriors slowly parted, leaving a narrow path that led straight to the bleeding wolf.