Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 443: The Proud Mate

Shi Feng’s golden eyes were still narrowed in a fierce, protective glare as he looked at the weed that was floating towards his female now.

To him, these "demon plants" were a threat that had dared to interfere with his hunt for his mate.

He shifted his weight in the water, his muscles tensing as he prepared to tear the vines away from her.

"These demon plants now dare to go towards my female!" he growled.

As the vines sensed his aggression, they didn’t snap back; instead, they shrunk away, tucking themselves behind Su Qinglan’s shoulders like frightened children.

"Don’t touch them!" Su Qinglan cried out, her hands flying up to catch his massive wrists.

She held him gently, her fingers gripping his damp skin. "They are very sensitive. If you strike them, they would be sad, okay?"

She spoke with such a soft, pleading urgency that Shi Feng’s anger died in his throat. He looked down at her, and his breath hitched.

In his arms, she looked like a creature of the water...a mermaid with her orange hair slicked back by the sea, the wet strands curling into delicate, wavy ringlets that floated around her neck.

Her face was flushed, her eyes shimmering with anxiety.

"Lanlan..." he whispered, his voice dropping into a low rumble. He completely forgot about the "demons."

In that moment, the entire forest could have been on fire, and he wouldn’t have noticed as long as he was holding her.

Su Qinglan felt the shift in the air. The tension wasn’t about the plants anymore; it was about the way he was looking at her, as if she were the only prize in the world. She decided to lean into it, a small, playful smile tugging at her lips.

"Shi Feng, I think you forgot something," she murmured, her voice vibrating against his chest. "You’ve already caught me. Didn’t I promise you something if you did?"

Shi Feng blinked, his brain momentarily short-circuiting. The "silly lion" truly had forgotten the stakes of their game.

He had been so focused on fighting the vines that the reward had slipped his mind. He became even more flustered, his grip on her waist tightening as he pulled her flush against him.

"Lanlan, I... I’m sorry," he said, his tone turning suddenly pitiful. "I forgot because of these... these little demons. They wouldn’t allow me to swim toward you. They kept tripping me!"

Su Qinglan couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. It was a light, musical sound that seemed to dance over the water. She reached out and brushed a stray wet hair from her forehead.

"Silly Shi Feng," she whispered. "Did you really not know?"

"Know what?" He looked at her with wide, confused eyes.

In response, Su Qinglan opened her palm right before his face. With a tiny shimmer of green light, a small, emerald vine sprouted from her skin. It swayed back and forth, leaning into her touch with incredible familiarity. It didn’t look like a monster; it looked like a part of her.

Shi Feng’s jaw dropped. He stared at her hand as if it were a miracle. "Are they... listening to you?"

Su Qinglan trembled slightly, her heart racing. She moved her hand through the air, and suddenly, four massive vines erupted from the depths of the sea, arching over them like a canopy. They didn’t attack; they cradled the couple, shielding them from the rest of the world.

"Not only are they willing to listen to me," she whispered, leaning in until her lips brushed against his earlobe. "But they are actually made by me. I was the one who created them, you silly lion."

She gave his ear a tiny, affectionate nip, causing a visible shudder to run through his entire frame.

Shi Feng went completely still, his heart thumping like a drum against his ribs. He looked at the vines, then at his beautiful, smiling female, and finally realized that the "monsters" he had been fighting were actually hers.

He was so shocked he couldn’t even find his voice, his eyes wide and questioning as he tried to process that his "delicate" mate could control plants.

Su Qinglan simply nodded, her eyes sparkling with humor, waiting for his brain to catch up with the truth.

Shi Feng’s heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.

He had heard the legends...whispers of mysterious beastmen who could command the fury of the wind, the heat of fire, or the growth of the forest.

These individuals were rare, powerful, and often lived far from the eyes of common tribes.

He had always suspected that someone like Xuan Long possessed such a hidden power, even if the man was too secretive to ever show it.

But never in his wildest dreams did he think a female could possess such an ability.

In all the stories he had heard, females were to be protected, cherished for their warmth and their ability to bring life to the tribe.

Yet, as he looked at Su Qinglan, he didn’t doubt her for a single second. The way the vines swayed at her command and the glowing confidence in her eyes, it all fit her perfectly.

A surge of overwhelming pride swelled in his chest, making him feel as though he might burst. His female was incredible.

She was a miracle. He wanted to pick her up and spin her through the water, shouting to the entire forest that this powerful, beautiful woman belonged to him.

Su Qinglan watched him, her lips curved into a smug, loving little pout.

Shi feng looked at her proud smile and felt like a tiny feather was tickling his heart. He couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer.

"Lanlan," he groaned, his voice full of adoration and pride.

Before she could respond, his large hand clamped firmly around her waist, while his other hand moved to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her wet, orange curls.

He didn’t give her a chance to breathe before he dipped his head down, capturing her pouting lips with a fierce, hungry kiss.