Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 42: Morning Mischief

"What do you think you are you doing?"

Xiao Long froze, his tiny fingers still tangled in Xin Yi’s hair. The small boy had been attempting to braid it, or at least, what he thought was braiding. It looked more like he was trying to tie knots for a fishing net. In simpler terms, it looked ugly.

Qing Lin stood in the doorway of the guest chamber, his arms crossed, one eyebrow raised in what could only be described as a sort of parental exasperation.

Trust Xiao Long to never keep his hands to himself.

"I was making her pretty!" Xiao Long squeaked, his black eyes going wide with panic. "Uncle Qing, I was helping! I swear it!"

"By strangling her hair?"

"It’s called styling, Uncle Qing! And I know what I’m doing!"

Qing Lin’s other eyebrow joined the first. "Styling? Where did you learn that word, Xiao Long?"

"Pink Skin taught me yesterday! She said in her world, people pay lots of food to have their hair styled!" Xiao Long puffed out his chest proudly. "So I thought I could practice some on her hair, and that way get—"

"Out."

"But—"

"Out, Xiao Long. Don’t make me say it again."

The boy let out a dramatic wail and scurried toward the door, shifting mid-run into his python form. He slithered past Qing Lin’s legs with an indignant hiss, leaving a trail of tiny scales behind.

"You’re mean, Uncle Qing! VERY MEAN! I will NEVER forgive you!"

The door slammed shut. Qing Lin groaned.

Then, from the nest of furs and leaves: "Mmmmrgh......five more minutes... the bathroom can wait...oh is that tortilla....gimme it."

Qing Lin’s lips twitched. He moved silently across the room, stopping beside her sleeping platform.

Xin Yi was a disaster. Her hair stuck up in seventeen different directions, courtesy of Xiao Long’s "styling." There was a small drool spot on the leaf-pillow. One arm dangled off the edge, and her mouth was slightly open.

She looked ridiculous.

Adorable, his traitorous brain supplied.

He reached out, his cool fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face—

Her hand shot out like a striking snake, grabbing his wrist.

"Gotcha, Hei Yan," she mumbled, eyes still closed. "No more licking before breakfast... ’s a rule..."

Qing Lin froze. Hmm, even in her sleep she still thinks of the cat.

He tried to pull his hand back, but her grip was surprisingly strong for someone unconscious.

"Xin Yi," he said softly. "Wake up. The sun has come up."

"Nnngh... five more minutes..."

"It’s morning."

"Morning is a lie.....invented by roosters..."

"Roosters? We don’t have roosters in the swamp."

"Then who’s been screaming at dawn?!"

"That’s Xiao Long. He gets excited about breakfast."

Xin Yi’s eyes finally cracked open. She blinked once. Twice. Then her gaze focused on the very-much-not-Hei-Yan face hovering above her.

"...Qing Lin?"

"Hmm."

She blinked again, processing. Then her eyes went WIDE.

"QING LIN?!" She scrambled backward so fast she nearly fell off the sleeping platform. "What are you doing in my room?! Were you watching me sleep?! AGAIN?!"

"I wasn’t standing here for so long," he said calmly. Well, no. He wasn’t going to mention that he had watched her sleep almost all through the night. "You grabbed me. And refused to let go."

She looked down at her hand, still wrapped around his wrist, and released him like he was on fire.

"I—that doesn’t count! I was ASLEEP! You can’t use sleep-grabbing as evidence of—of—anything!"

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[Good morning, Host! Ready for another day of romantic chaos?]

[System Note: You grabbed him first. Technically, you initiated physical contact. Just saying! ☆]

Shut UP, System!

Qing Lin straightened, and for a brief moment, Mo Yan’s voice echoed in his head:

"Be strong! Show no fear! Be dominant, make her see you as the Alpha, not just another male!"

Qing Lin internally groaned. Mo Yan’s advice was about as useful as a fish with legs.

I’m doing this my way, he decided firmly. Mo Yan doesn’t have sense.

He looked down at Xin Yi, who was currently trying to flatten her disaster hair with both hands and failing spectacularly.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice filled with a gentleness that was strange to even him.

She paused, blinking up at him suspiciously. "I am.....fine? Why are you asking like a normal person? What happened to the creepy midnight snake king who watches people sleep?"

"I don’t watch you sleep—"

"You literally just admitted you were standing there!"

"For just some time!"

"STILL COUNTS!"

[DING! (≧▽≦)]

[Lovers’ quarrel already? It’s not even breakfast time! This is amazing content!]

Qing Lin took a breath. Patience. She’s adorable when she’s flustered.

"You look..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. His eyes traced the curve of her neck, lingering on the fading mark Hei Yan had left. A possessive feeling stirred in his chest. "...like you need to clean up."

Xin Yi’s eye twitched. "Excuse me?"

"You’re very..." He gestured vaguely at her entire being. "...unclean."

SMACK!

Her hand connected with his shoulder, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to express her absolute offense!

"UGH!" She scrambled off the sleeping platform, shoving past him. "I am going to BATHE! And you are going to stay FAR AWAY from me, you—you—rude noodle!"

She stomped toward the door, then paused, spinning back around with her finger pointed accusingly at his face.

"And for your information, I know I’m a mess! I just woke up! People aren’t supposed to look PERFECT when they wake up!"

Qing Lin’s lips curved into a slow smile. "I never said you looked bad."

She froze. "...What?"

"I said you looked unclean. There’s a difference." He moved closer, and she took an instinctive step back. "Even covered in your....saliva.... and with your hair defying the laws of nature......you’re still the most beautiful thing in this swamp."

Oh.

Xin Yi’s face went bright tomato. "I—you—that’s not—STOP SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT!"

"Why?"

"BECAUSE!" She gestured wildly. "Because you can’t just—just SAY stuff like that! With your stupid face! And your stupid voice! And your—your—"

"My what?" He was right in front of her now, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to look at him.

"Your stupid... emerald eyes," she finished weakly, her voice dropping to a whisper.

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[OH MY GOD, HOST! DID YOU JUST COMPLIMENT HIS EYES?!]

[Relationship Progress with Qing Lin: +15%!]

[Current Status: "It’s Complicated" → "She Notices His Stupid Pretty Eyes"]

"You think my eyes are beautiful?" Qing Lin murmured, leaning down slightly. He tilted his head, briefly darting his gaze to her lips before reconnecting with her eyes.

Xin Yi stuttered.

"I.....I...."

He narrowed his eyes.

"I’m listening, Xin Yi." His voice was lower, trailing her ear.

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Kiss him!]