Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 746: Auntie Has Been Found!

Looking at the lively, heartwarming scene, a warm, nostalgic smile slowly appeared on Elder Cang’s aged face.

"It has been a very, very long time since this place was this lively," he said softly, his voice carrying a hint of emotion.

Su Qinglan walked gracefully beside him without interrupting, enjoying the serene atmosphere.

After a long, quiet silence, Elder Cang suddenly began speaking again. "When Lord An Mo’s father and mother were still alive..."

His voice became distant, as though his mind were wandering back through thousands of years.

"The entire estate was always full of life and laughter. His Lordship was still a tiny child back then. He would often run through these very forests, playing tag with the spiritual plant spirits all day until sunset."

A gentle smile appeared on the old man’s face, but... it slowly faded away into a somber shade.

"Everything changed after that unfortunate incident," Elder Cang murmured, his shoulders slumping slightly. "My Lord lost both his father and mother."

Su Qinglan quietly listened, keeping her pace steady. She didn’t interrupt, but she could clearly hear the profound sadness and old grief hidden deep within Elder Cang’s trembling voice.

"From that day onward... Lord An Mo changed," Elder Cang continued quietly.

"He still smiled. He still treated everyone in the estate with kindness. But..." The old man let out a long, heavy sigh. "Most of those smiles were forced. They no longer reached his eyes."

Su Qinglan lowered her gaze, her heart twisting slightly. She suddenly remembered the bright, charming, and teasing smile. An Mo always wore on his handsome face.

She had never imagined that behind his playful demeanor lay such a quiet, deep-seated pain.

Elder Cang’s voice softened even further. "It was only after Lord Xuan Long became his brother and friend that things slowly began to get better. Lord Xuan Long often dragged him outside, fought with him, and made him laugh. If not for him..."

The old man shook his head, a trace of gratitude in his eyes. "I truly don’t know what would have become of Lord An Mo."

Su Qinglan remained silent, her chest feeling a little heavy with sympathy. She had never known there was such a heartbreaking past hidden behind An Mo’s warm, flirtatious smile.

Just then, the soft sound of tiny, rapid footsteps broke the quiet atmosphere.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

A chubby, adorable little girl came running down the mossy path toward them with a bright, beaming smile!

The moment Su Qinglan saw her, her eyes lit up in immediate recognition. "You’re..."

It was the sweet little girl she had met back on that mermaid island! She vividly remembered how An Mo had said that he was her uncle and taking care of her.

The chubby little girl stopped happily right in front of Elder Cang, her cheeks puffed out like sweet buns. "Grandpa Cang!"

Elder Cang smiled kindly, bending down slightly. "My little princess."

Only then did Su Qinglan notice another figure walking calmly behind the child.

It was a tall, handsome man wearing elegant, dark robes. His handsome facial features looked somewhat similar to An Mo’s, but his aura was noticeably calmer, more reserved, and remarkably mature.

The man walked over with steady, dignified strides before respectfully bowing toward Su Qinglan.

Elder Cang immediately stepped forward to introduce him with pride.

"My Lady, this is Young Master Shen Mochen. He is Lord An Mo’s eldest brother...the son of Lord An Mo’s second beast father."

Su Qinglan was slightly surprised. So this is An Mo’s elder brother!

She politely nodded with a warm smile. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Shen Mochen."

The handsome man smiled gently, bowing once again with refined grace.

"The pleasure is all mine, my lady. I have finally had the chance to meet the beautiful female who has completely captured my little brother’s heart."

A faint, rosy blush immediately bloomed on Su Qinglan’s cheeks! She found herself at a loss for words, completely unprepared for such a direct, complimentary greeting from An Mo’s family.

On the other hand, the chubby little girl tilted her round head, locking her big, watery eyes on Su Qinglan without so much as a blink.

Silence stretched between them.

Her brow furrowed in deep, soul-searching concentration, as if she were trying to crack a top-secret imperial code. Su Qinglan blinked, thoroughly baffled by the kid’s deadly serious inspection.

"What are you looking at?" Su Qinglan asked, offering a gentle smile.

"Hmm..."

The little girl stroked her chin with a heavy, adult-like sigh. "I’ve definitely seen you before..."

She began a slow, deliberate circle around Su Qinglan, inspecting her from head to toe.

"...Pretty." She gave a firm, single nod. "Very pretty."

She started a second lap around her target.

Nearby, Elder Cang’s white beard twitched violently. Even Shen Mochen stopped what he was doing, silently watching to see what absurd conclusion the child was piecing together.

Suddenly...

The little girl’s eyes blew wide open.

"Aha!" She leaped into the air, her twin pigtails flying. "I remembered!"

She whipped around and pointed a chubby, accusatory finger right at Su Qinglan, as if exposing a mastermind criminal.

"You’re Uncle’s wife-who-isn’t-his-wife-yet!"

Dead silence slammed over the forest.

Su Qinglan froze mid-breath. "...Say what?"

The little girl puffed out her chest, radiating supreme confidence. "Uncle told me!"

She leaned in, dropping to a loud, ’secret’ voice. "He said, ’Duo Duo, if you ever see a super, super pretty sister out there, do NOT let anyone steal her before I do!’"

She paused, tilting her head innocently. "I didn’t know what stealing meant, so I asked if Uncle was turning into a mountain bandit."

Elder Cang immediately turned his back to the group, his shoulders shuddering with suppressed wheezes. Shen Mochen pressed a tight fist to his mouth, coughing furiously to smother a laugh.

Completely oblivious to the casualties, Duo Duo pressed on.

"Then Uncle panicked! He started waving his arms around like this..." She flailed her tiny arms like a bird caught in a net. "...and yelled, ’Not bad stealing! The good kind! The kind where she likes me back!’"

Duo Duo blinked, her little brows knitting together. "I was still confused. So I asked him, ’Then why don’t you just drag Pretty Sister home?’"

The kid suddenly slammed both hands over her cheeks, gasping in utter scandal.

"Oh! I remember what he said next!"

She cleared her throat, puffing out her chest to imitate An Mo’s most dramatic, long-suffering voice. "’Your future auntie is very shy! I have to chase her slowly, and there is a big snake guarding her!!"

Duo Duo stopped and looked at Su Qinglan with genuine, heart-wrenching concern. "I don’t get why Uncle has to chase you. Are you really fast at running?"

Su Qinglan’s face instantly caught fire, turning a brilliant shade of crimson. "N-No!"

"Really?" Duo Duo looked deeply skeptical. She gave Su Qinglan’s slender frame a critical once-over.

"Because Uncle said catching you was the hardest thing he’s ever done in his whole life. But... you don’t look like a fast runner."

"Pfft!"

Elder Cang completely blew his cover, cackling so hard his breath hitched. Even Shen Mochen pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a helpless laugh.

"Yep. That is undeniably my idiot brother," Shen Mochen chuckled.

Duo Duo looked around, thoroughly bewildered. "Why is everyone laughing?"

Deciding to ignore the weird adults, she stepped up and gently patted Su Qinglan’s leg.

"Auntie," she stage-whispered, loud enough to echo off the trees. "If Uncle ever bullies you... I’ll beat him up for you!"