Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 723: Don’t Give Up on My Sister

Lan Yue watched her sister’s retreating figure disappear back down the path. Her face became even redder, turning a shade of explosive crimson.

She honestly wanted to cry right then and there. Her sister had definitely seen everything! The charcoal smudging, the explanation, the clumsy kiss...all of it!

Embarrassed and venting her frustration, she immediately turned around and glared fiercely at the young rabbit beastman.

"You!" she huffed, her chest heaving as she pointed a trembling finger at him. "It’s all your fault! You big, foolish rabbit!"

Without giving him a chance to speak, she reached down and snatched up the perfectly grilled fish lying beside the small fire.

"You... don’t talk to me!" she puffed her cheeks out, turned on her heel, and stormily marched away through the thick snow, her boots crunching loudly.

Tu Yelang blinked his round eyes in complete bewilderment. Seeing her walking away, he quickly stood up and called after her, "Lan Yue! Wait!"

She didn’t stop, her back rigid with proud anger.

Tu Yelang scratched his silver-white hair, thoroughly confused by the ways of females.

Remembering the advice from the older males in his tribe, he decided to just ask in his usual, completely straightforward manner.

"...Lan Yue. You really don’t like me?" He paused, his long ears twitching downward before he asked even more directly, "...Am I simply not fit to become your beast husband?"

Hearing such a blunt, shameless question thrown out in the open, Lan Yue almost stumbled right over a pile of snow.

She barely managed to steady herself, her heart leaping into her throat. She slowly turned around, her mouth twitching in disbelief.

Who on earth asks something like that so directly in the middle of the forest?! This silly, blunt rabbit!

She opened her mouth to snap at him, but when she looked at his disappointed face, her words caught in her throat.

Tu Yelang’s long, fluffy rabbit ears had drooped completely flat against his head, looking incredibly sad and rejected.

For some strange reason, seeing him look like a pitiful, abandoned creature made her anger suddenly lessen. She narrowed her eyes, folding her arms across her chest tightly.

"But..." she started, her voice dropping as she tested him. "If I say yes, that you aren’t fit... will you just go and find another female tomorrow?"

Tu Yelang immediately shook his head, his silver hair flying. "No," his answer came instantly, without a single shred of hesitation. "I won’t."

Lan Yue tilted her head. "Why?"

Tu Yelang lowered his head, staring at his boots. In his winter clothes and with his ears flat, he looked exactly like a pitiful little rabbit abandoned out in the freezing snow.

"My heart..." he muttered softly, a bitter smile appearing on his handsome face.

"It would probably stay broken for years. I don’t think I’d be in the mood to look for another female ever again."

Lan Yue quietly stared at him. Seeing his drooping rabbit ears and hearing his honest confession, she suddenly wanted to burst out laughing. But she bit the inside of her cheek and held it back, maintaining her haughty, proud demeanor.

Instead, she raised her chin proudly, pointing a finger right at him.

"Good!" she declared dramatically.

"Listen to me, Tu Yelang. If I ever see you smiling or acting sweet toward another female in this city... I will personally break both of your long legs! Do you hear me?"

She dramatically brushed her long hair behind her shoulder, giving him one last fierce glare, and then proudly turned around.

"Hmph!"

With a loud snort, she continued walking toward home, her pace brisk and full of satisfaction.

Behind her, Tu Yelang was left standing completely frozen in the snow, a look of utter confusion on his face. He scratched his head, his ears twitching back up slightly.

"...What on earth does that mean?" he muttered to himself. "Is she... is she still angry at me? Or did she just threaten to cripple me?"

He sighed helplessly, looking up toward the gray, snowy sky.

"Females are really strange creatures. I don’t understand them at all. I should go ask my friends later; they must know how to properly court a female. It looks like... there’s really no hope for me with Lan Yue."

Just as he turned around to pack up the remaining fish...

"...Ah!"

Tu Yelang let out a sharp yelp and almost jumped three feet into the air from fright. Standing right behind him, with her arms crossed and a gentle, knowing smile on her face, was Su Qinglan.

"S-Sister Qinglan!" Yelang stammered, his heart racing as his ears stood straight up. "When did you get back here? I thought you left with Lord Xuan Long!"

Su Qinglan couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his startled reaction. "I’ve been standing here for a bit," she confessed, stepping forward and gently patting his solid shoulder.

Then, her expression softened, and she smiled warmly. "Yelang, let me ask you honestly. Do you really, truly like my little sister Lan Yue?"

Without a single second of thought, the young rabbit beastman nodded his head honestly. "I do. I like her very much."

Su Qinglan smiled knowingly, her eyes warm.

"But..." Yelang lowered his head again, his voice becoming quieter and genuinely disappointed. "It seems... she really doesn’t like me at all. She told me not to talk to her."

Su Qinglan looked at the young rabbit beastman standing before her. She couldn’t help but remember the past when they had first met.

Back then, Yelang had admired her greatly and followed her around. But she had always known it wasn’t love; it was pure admiration because she had helped save his entire tribe from starvation. Ever since then, he had treated her like a savior he deeply respected.

Now, looking at the raw, genuine worry in his eyes, she could see that his heart truly and completely belonged to Lan Yue.

Su Qinglan smiled gently, lightly patting his shoulder once more to comfort him. "Don’t be discouraged so easily, Yelang."

Yelang looked up, his big eyes blinking.

"If you sincerely pursue a female, show her respect, and keep treating her well every single day, her heart will slowly soften," Su Qinglan explained kindly.

"Lan Yue is just stubborn and easily embarrassed. If she didn’t care about you, she wouldn’t have threatened to break your legs for looking at other females. So... don’t give up."

Tu Yelang’s eyes slowly brightened, a spark of hope igniting in his chest. "...Really? She’s not just planning to break my legs?"

Su Qinglan nodded with a chuckle. "Really. But..." She suddenly raised one strict finger, warning him. "Don’t suddenly spring another kiss on her like that without warning. Next time, ask for her permission first. Understand?"

Yelang’s cheeks immediately turned a bright, burning red, and his ears flattened against his head in embarrassment. "...I understand, Sister Qinglan."

"Good," Su Qinglan laughed.

Yelang suddenly remembered the food. He quickly reached down and picked up another large, beautifully grilled river fish he had prepared earlier. "Sister Qinglan, you should take this back with you."

Su Qinglan waved her hand with a bright smile. "No need, Yelang. Xuan Long and I have already caught plenty of fish today. You eat it yourself or take it to your sister. Enjoy your evening."

Yelang nodded obediently. "Alright. Thank you, Sister."

After saying his goodbyes, the young rabbit beastman packed up his things and quietly walked back toward his own house in the eastern district.

Although he was still a little depressed about the chaotic afternoon, Su Qinglan’s encouraging words had given him a huge wave of hope.

Maybe... he really still had a chance to become Lan Yue’s beast husband.