Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Carried Away
Hu Yan nearly stumbled at her tone. Her voice was so gentle it felt like honey pouring into his ears. He cleared his throat awkwardly, his ears twitching. "Eggs? I’ll find some," he said quickly, trying to hide the way his heart sped up.
They stopped by a cluster of trees. Hu Yan shifted into his human form, wrapping a beast hide around his waist. "Stay here," he said gently, looking at her with a serious face. "Don’t wander. I’ll be back soon."
Su Qinglan nodded and sat down obediently on a nearby stone, swinging her legs. She watched as Hu Yan climbed the tall trees with ease.
His movements were smooth and strong, and before long, he started placing eggs carefully in her basket. He even left a few in the nests so the birds wouldn’t abandon them.
When he climbed down and handed her the basket, she gasped in delight. "So many eggs! You’re amazing, Hu Yan!" she said, her eyes shining like stars.
Hu Yan froze for a second. The joy on her face was so pure, it hit him straight in the heart. She was so easy to please, so easy to make happy. Just a few eggs and she looked at him as if he had brought her the whole world.
He chuckled softly. "You’re really easy to raise," he said under his breath. He wanted to pinch her soft cheeks and kiss the smile off her face. Every time she looked at him like that, his chest felt warm and full.
As they walked back, he found himself thinking about her nonstop. Ever since she came into his life, everything had changed.
Every morning he wanted to wake up to her face, and every night he wanted to see her before sleeping. Even the smallest things, how she ate, how she smiled, how she frowned had become precious to him.
He didn’t know if all beastmen felt this way about their females, but now he understood why they would do anything to protect them. The happiness she brought was something he could never find anywhere else.
Then Su Qinglan suddenly stopped walking. "Wait!" she said, running a few steps to the side. She crouched down and started sniffing a few stalks of grass like a curious jumping beast. Hu Yan blinked in confusion. "What now?" he asked in an amused tone.
"Look!" she said excitedly, digging with her hands. "I think there’s something here!" Her eyes sparkled as she pulled out a small white bulb from the dirt. "It’s garlic! Oh my god, it’s garlic!"
Hu Yan tilted his head. "Gar... what?"
"It’s for cooking! It makes meat taste amazing!" she said proudly, already digging for more like an overexcited squirrel. Dirt was flying everywhere.
Hu Yan sighed, half laughing, and squatted down beside her. "Don’t touch it," he said gently. "The ground is hard. I’ll do it."
He leaned forward, completely covering her small frame with his large one. His arms brushed against hers as he dug into the soil.
The closeness made her freeze. His warmth pressed against her back, and his breath fanned over her cheek. Her face turned red instantly.
She tried to keep her eyes on the ground but could feel her heart pounding wildly. Why is he so close? Does he even realize what he’s doing? she thought, biting her lip.
Hu Yan, on the other hand, didn’t move away. His gaze softened as he looked at her flushed cheeks and small hands covered in dirt. She was messy, loud, and always full of strange ideas.
After he pulled out all the white bulbs she called garlic, he didn’t wait for her instructions and immediately scooped her up in his arms with a single hand.
With the other hand, he picked up the basket.
Su Qinglan immediately yelped as she was suddenly hugged and lifted off the ground.
"Hu Yan, what are you doing..." she said, clutching his shoulders with both her hands in surprise. Her entire body was dangling in his strong arms, and she clung to him like a child, afraid that if she even moved an inch, she would fall.
"Keep still. Now I’ll only put you down after we reach the tribe... I’m afraid if I let you run wild, you’ll always find something to dig," he said with a serious expression, tightening his hold on her before walking away.
"But I can walk..." she stammered. This position was so embarrassing for her...a girl who was mentally even older than him! And let’s not forget how her entire body was sticking to him.
Her chest was pressed to his broad shoulders while he firmly gripped her buttocks... Oh my, she could die of embarrassment. Never in her entire life had she imagined she would be manhandled like this...
She blushed furiously and refused to look at him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She decided she would only look when they reached the cave, it would save her the embarrassment of facing anyone on the way...
"Master... you forgot me..."
If Stove could talk, that’s exactly what he would’ve screamed...maybe even wailed. But alas, being a spiritual plant, all he could do was flap his tiny vines in despair and run after them like a green noodle in distress.
What kind of unreliable master did he even have?! She didn’t even glance back! One moment he was talking to a strange plant, and the next when he looked back, she was gone!
Vanished off in the arms of that big cat like she had completely abandoned him to die a lonely death on the mountain!
His non-existent tears flew everywhere as he hopped furiously, making tiny squeaky sounds only he understood. By the time he finally caught up, he threw himself at Hu Yan’s legs with all his might and clung tightly like a sticky vine.
How dare they forget me! How dare they! I’m small but I exist!
Hu Yan froze mid-step, feeling something coiling around his leg. For a moment, he almost kicked, until he looked down and saw the pitiful little plant clinging for dear life.
"...Stove," he sighed, suddenly feeling guilty as he realised he completely forgot about it.
The spiritual plant looked up at him with two dewy leaves trembling dramatically, clearly saying, You left me to die, you heartless beastmen.
Stove gave one last offended wiggle of his vine and then sighed, hitching a ride by wrapping himself around Hu Yan’s leg.