Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 791: Stove’s Little Jealousy Crisis

Little Hua’s eyes sparkled with pure, ecstatic delight. She puffed out her small chest, completely basking in Su Qinglan’s praise.

"Really, Mommy Su?" Little Hua asked in her sweet, bell-like voice, twirling around in a circle to show off her shimmering petal skirt.

"Do I really look pretty? I have arms and legs now! Real ones!"

"Of course you do!" Su Qinglan cooed, smoothing down the little girl’s long green hair. "You’re the prettiest little flower girl in the entire Upper Domain. Isn’t she, Xiao Yi?"

Xiao Yi bounced over on his chubby tiger paws, tilting his fluffy head up. "Mm! Little Hua looks super pretty! But can you still grow yummy fruits for us to eat?"

Little Hua giggled, patting Xiao Yi’s head like a proud big sister. "Of course I can, silly tiger! I can grow even bigger and sweeter fruits for you all now!"

The rest of the cubs immediately cheered, tumbling around her feet in utter delight. Little Hua giggled happily, feeling so proud of her brand-new body.

Suddenly, her round eyes scanned the garden and landed on Stove, who was still standing all by himself in the distance near a tall rose bush, looking tiny and quiet.

Little Hua’s eyes lit up with excitement! She immediately raised her chubby, lotus-root arms, waving at him enthusiastically as she called out loudly in her clear, milk-toned voice, "Stove! Look at me! Look, look! I turned into a human! I have real hands and real feet now!"

Stove froze in place. He looked at her dazzling, perfect human form and then looked down at his own small, plant body.

A wave of complicated emotion washed over his mind...he was genuinely happy for her, but he felt a little embarrassed and self-conscious about his own lack of a human body.

Instead of walking over, Stove’s tiny leaves twitched.

"Stove? Why are you standing all the way over there?" Little Hua called out again, tilting her head. "Come over here and see! I can walk!"

Stove panicked slightly, his voice squeaking in Su Qinglan’s mind, ’I-I’m not coming over! You’re just going to show off!’

Before Little Hua could take another step toward him, Stove suddenly turned his small body around, kicked his tiny root feet, and sprinted away into the dense flower bushes as fast as his little body could carry him!

Little Hua froze mid-stride, her chubby arms still raised awkwardly in the air. Her big round eyes blinked in total shock as she watched his tiny green figure completely disappear into the leaves.

"Stove...?" she whispered, her tiny brows scrunching up into a deeply confused frown.

She turned to look up at Su Qinglan, her little mouth pouting. "Mommy Su... why did Stove run away from me? Did I scare him?"

Su Qinglan watched Stove’s tiny green figure vanish into the bushes, her heart aching slightly.

Around her, all the cubs and Little Hua were completely stunned by Stove’s sudden getaway.

No one had expected him to react like this after all, Stove was the one closest to Little Hua! They bickered constantly, but they were practically inseparable.

Little Hua’s lower lip trembled, her big gemstone eyes filling with confusion. "Mommy Su... is Stove mad at me because I became a human?"

"Of course not, darling," Su Qinglan said gently, kneeling down to pat Little Hua’s head. "He’s just feeling a little overwhelmed. You stay here and play with the cubs, okay? I will go check on Stove."

Because Stove was her power spirit, their souls were directly connected. Su Qinglan could easily sense the deep wave of gloom and inadequacy crashing through his mind.

She walked over toward the large, ancient tree at the edge of the garden.

Sure enough, sitting right beneath the shaded roots was Stove. His small plant body was swaying listlessly, his tiny leaf arms drooping all the way to the soil in sheer despair.

Su Qinglan sat down softly beside him on the grass, extending her fingers to gently hold one of his small, trembling vines.

"Stove," she called out softly.

Stove twitched, pulling his vine back slightly as he muttered in a tiny, muffled voice, "Master... leave me alone. Go celebrate with Little Hua. She looks so pretty now..."

Su Qinglan let out a gentle sigh, leaning her shoulder against the tree trunk.

"Stove, why are you hiding here all by yourself? Little Hua was so excited to show you her new form. You running away like that really hurt her feelings."

"I know..." Stove sniffled, his small stem drooping even lower.

"But look at her, Master! She’s so bright and so beautiful, and she can finally walk on two feet! And what am I? I’m just a tiny, spiritual plant. I can’t even cultivate my own body. If your strength doesn’t advance, I can’t advance either. I’m just a useless blob next to her!"

"You are not useless, Stove," Su Qinglan corrected him sternly yet warmly, stroking his tiny leaves.

"Having a human form isn’t everything. You are a unique divine entity. Little Hua transformed because of the spiritual plants here, but that doesn’t mean she thinks any less of you. She considers you her best friend."

"It’s not just that, Master!" Stove suddenly squeaked out, his voice cracking with pure sorrow.

He turned his body toward her, big translucent droplets of spiritual sap welling up like actual tears.

"What if... what if some handsome, powerful bad spiritual plant comes along and tries to steal Little Hua away from me?!" Stove wailed pitifully.

"How am I supposed to compete for her heart?! I don’t even have a human body to hold her hand or walk beside her! I’ll just be a stupid floating weed watching someone else take her away!"

POOF!

With a heartbroken cry, Stove threw his entire tiny plant body straight into Su Qinglan’s lap, weeping hysterically!

Su Qinglan froze on the spot, her hand hovering in midair.

She blinked once. Then twice.

Wait... what?!

She didn’t know whether to burst out laughing or cry!

Here she thought he was suffering a deep existential crisis about his spiritual identity, and it turns out the little guy was just terrified of losing his childhood sweetheart to some imaginary rival!

A fond, amused smile broke across Su Qinglan’s face. She gently scooped the sobbing plant spirit into her palm, holding him close to her cheek.

"You silly little thing..." Su Qinglan giggled softly, stroking his trembling vines. "So you’re worried about someone stealing your Little Hua?"

"Master, it’s not funny!" Stove snorted, wiping his teary leaves on her sleeve. "It’s a serious crisis!"

"Alright, alright, it’s serious," Su Qinglan soothed him, her eyes shining with warmth.

"Listen to me, Stove. Little Hua cares about you, not what form you take. But if having a human body is truly what your heart desires... then your Master promises you right now: I will find a way."

Stove stopped crying, looking up at her with big, hopeful eyes. "R-Really? But I’m just your power’s consciousness..."

"So what?" Su Qinglan smiled confidently, her thumb rubbing his soft head.

"We are in the Upper Domain now. There are divine treasures, sacred ponds, and ancient secret realms everywhere. If there is a way to forge a real physical vessel for a system spirit, I will find it for you. Until then, are you really going to let Little Hua stand out there all alone?"

Stove sniffled loudly, his tiny leaves perking up. He looked back toward the sunny garden, where Little Hua was still anxiously looking toward the trees.

"...Okay," Stove whispered softly, his voice full of newfound determination. "I’ll go back out. But Master... you have to keep your promise!"

"I always do," Su Qinglan laughed gently, carrying her dramatic little spiritual plant back into the warm sunlight.