Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Chapter 03: Pain in the A*s

One of them tripped over a root and started crying.

Su Qinglan stared at the bawling brat, her lip twitching.

Oh, of course. The moment the little snot-nose hit the ground, every nearby beast turned to look at her like she had pushed him.

Really? she thought, watching the kid sniffle and point at her with fat tears dripping down his cheeks. I didn’t even touch you, you drama cub.

In her apocalypse life, children had two modes: silent shadows who learned to survive or feral street rats who’d stab you for a piece of bread. This one? This one was the third kind. The loud, useless, blame-you-for-breathing kind.

Pain in the Ass.

She gave him her best innocent smile, one she’d used many times when lying through her teeth to armed raiders, and tilted her head. "Careful, little cub," she muttered under her breath so only she could hear, "blame me again and I’ll feed you to the ferocious beast."

In her mind, she was already imagining it: the kid’s wails echoing while she tossed him next to the ferocious beast. Very therapeutic.

The boy’s mother hurried over, scooping him up like he’d been mauled by a bear. She shot Su Qinglan a glare sharp enough to cut stone.

Su Qinglan just stared back, expression flat, thinking, Lady, control your spawn. If you let them run wild, don’t cry when they trip over their own feet.

Whatever, she had no business in this; it is good that she did not come to trouble her. She did not mind these little dramas of children.

The more important business was to locate where the damn river was.

But Su Qinglan’s irritation evaporated the moment she spotted another child lingering nearby, a small boy with soft white hair, round cheeks, and two perfectly perky cat ears twitching atop his head.

Her heart melted just a little.

... Okay. That’s so cute.

Her fingers actually itched to touch them, but one glance at her own hands... filthy, streaked with who-knows-what—made her pause. The last thing those velvet ears needed was a layer of unknown grime.

The little cub froze when her shadow fell over him. His big blue eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, she thought he might start wailing like the last one.

But no, his lips pressed together, his tiny fists clenched at his sides, and he stood rigid like a soldier trying very, very hard not to disgrace his honor.

Oh? Playing the tough little warrior, are we?

Su Qinglan looked down, putting her face level with his. She flashed her most dazzling, most harmless smile.

...Which, given her face and the glint in her eyes, probably looked more like a predator about to play with her food.

She swore she saw those cat ears twitch, once in uncertainty, and then again in what might have been pure fear.

Yep. Terrified. Might faint any second.

Sorry, baby, Still, she needed him.

"Good child..." she cooed softly, her voice dipped in honey. "Tell me—where’s the river around here?"

The boy didn’t blink or move. If he was even breathing, she couldn’t tell.

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like they were sharing a dangerous secret. "It’s important."

The cub swallowed audibly. His tail—she just noticed it—stiffened like a spear.

Su Qinglan waited, still wearing that smile.

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