Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 844: The Sub Beastwomen

Su Qinglan did not expect the little raccoon beastman to actually lead them anywhere. After making sure the cubs stayed behind under Rong Ye’s watchful eye, she set off into the forest accompanied by Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Shi Feng.

The cubs had all desperately wanted to join the expedition.

"Mother, we want to go too!"

"We’ll be good, we promise!"

"Take us with you!"

But Su Qinglan had firmly put her foot down. "No. Stay here with Father Rong Ye. We don’t know where we’re going, and I don’t want you wandering off into unknown woods."

The cubs had pouted in disappointment, but seeing the serious look on their mother’s face, they dutifully obeyed.

So, after repeatedly reminding Rong Ye to keep a close eye on the little ones, Su Qinglan finally followed the little raccoon.

They walked for quite some time, trekking deep into the quiet outskirts of the city’s territory. The further they went, the denser the foliage grew and the quieter their surroundings became.

Eventually, they arrived at a secluded, shadowed area surrounded by ancient, looming trees.

Su Qinglan stopped in her tracks.

In front of them was a tiny, abandoned-looking cave dug into the side of a mossy embankment. It was so small and low to the ground that even she had to bend down slightly just to peek inside.

Su Qinglan blinked, thoroughly bewildered. "This... is your home?"

The raccoon beastman scratched his cheek awkwardly, his ears drooping. "Yes."

Su Qinglan stared at him. She had imagined many things after hearing him boast so proudly about having three wives...a hidden camp, a grand den, or perhaps a secret stash. She had certainly not imagined a cramped hole in the dirt.

Before approaching the entrance, Su Qinglan suddenly remembered something and paused. "What is your name?"

The little raccoon looked up at her. "Rao."

Su Qinglan waited, expecting a clan title or family name, but nothing else came. She blinked. "That’s it?"

He nodded quietly.

"You don’t have a surname?"

"No." He lowered his dark eyes to the grass. "We don’t have one. We’re just lowly beastmen."

Su Qinglan’s eyebrows immediately furrowed. lowly beastmen? She didn’t quite understand what he meant by that phrasing, but before she could ask for clarification, Rao suddenly grew nervous.

He turned toward the cave entrance and called out softly, "Wait here."

Then, he quickly ducked inside the tight opening.

Su Qinglan and the others remained standing outside. None of them made a move to follow. For one thing, it was Rao’s personal home. For another... the cave was simply too tiny. Even if they had wanted to squeeze inside, there was barely enough room for Rao himself to stand upright.

A few moments later, Rao’s muffled voice echoed from within. "Come out, it’s okay."

Su Qinglan waited attentively.

Then, three small figures slowly emerged from the dark cave one by one.

Su Qinglan’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

Three females. And all three of them possessed visibly round, swollen bellies...they were all heavily pregnant!

But that wasn’t even what shocked her the most. Their physical appearances were remarkably unusual.

One female had a mostly human-like upper body but sported thick raccoon ears atop her head and a striped raccoon tail swishing behind her.

Another had patches of soft raccoon fur covering parts of her arms, face, and neck, while the rest of her form remained humanoid.

The third had similarly mixed features, with only certain parts of her body retaining animalistic traits.

None of them had completely transformed into either human or beast form. Their bodies were permanently stuck somewhere between the two.

Su Qinglan was completely stunned. "What... is this?"

Even Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Shi Feng looked surprised by the sight, though they kept their composure and remained silent.

Rao, on the other hand, became extremely flustered by their stares.

"Don’t stare at them!" he shouted defensively, hurriedly stepping in front of the three females like a shield. "These are my mates!"

The three females didn’t seem bothered by his outburst or the strangers’ presence at all. Instead, they looked past Rao at Su Qinglan with bright, curious eyes, their expressions full of quiet excitement.

One of them whispered softly to the others, "She’s really a beastwoman..."

Another nodded enthusiastically, her tail twitching. "She is so beautiful..."

Su Qinglan’s attention shifted fully to them. She immediately noticed how small and delicate they were...barely reaching her shoulder. She couldn’t help asking the first question that popped into her curious mind.

"Are you all really this small?"

Rao’s expression stiffened defensively.

Su Qinglan continued innocently, "Are you not able to transform completely?"

Rao immediately raised his hands, fluffing out his posture as though he wanted to physically fight to defend his wives’ honor. "They’re perfectly fine!"

The three females burst into soft, sweet laughter at his overprotective behavior.

"Rao, don’t be nervous."

"She isn’t insulting us."

"We are used to being small."

Rao’s ears turned beet red, and he lowered his fists in embarrassment.

Seeing how defensive he was, Su Qinglan suddenly felt a bit awkward. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything bad. I’ve simply never seen beastwomen like you before."

The three females immediately relaxed, their smiles warm. One of them said softly, "We’ve never seen a female like you either."

Su Qinglan smiled back. She then remembered the woven fruit basket she had brought along from the city. "Here. I brought these fresh fruits for you."

She handed the heavy basket forward. The three females’ eyes immediately lit up with joy.

"Thank you!"

They gathered around the basket happily, picking out sweet berries and fruit slices. Rao watched them eat, his tense shoulders relaxing and his expression softening into one of deep affection.

For the first time, Su Qinglan fully understood why he had risked his safety to steal from their farm. He might have exaggerated his bravado earlier, but his three pregnant wives were very real, and he was desperately trying to nourish them.

After chatting with the females for a while and ensuring they were comfortable, Su Qinglan finally prepared to leave.

Before turning around, she looked directly at Rao. "If you need food for your family, you don’t have to sneak around and steal from our farm."

Rao lowered his head, guilt washing over his face.

Su Qinglan continued gently, "If you want to earn food honestly, come find me at the Dragon Beast City. I’ll find work for you to do."