CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: SIX-TAILED FOX

Hu Yan returned with a few rough stones in his arms, ready to carve them into bowls. But the moment he stepped into the cave, his feet froze.

Su Qinglan was sitting on the ground by the fire. Her eyes were moist, her cheeks were pink, and she was chewing something white and crispy in her mouth.

Hu Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

She looked so pitiful. Crying while eating... Not really crying, but her eyes were definitely wet.

The second she saw him, Su Qinglan squeezed out the last bit of her crocodile tears and threw herself into his arms.

"Hu Yan!" she wailed, clinging to him like a poor abandoned wife. "What will I eat? What will you eat? Our food got stolen the moment you weren’t here!"

Her voice trembled so pitifully that even the fire seemed to dim.

Hu Yan was stunned. His arms stiffened around her. "...Stolen?"

His golden eyes snapped toward the fire area. And indeed...there was nothing. The stone pan was gone. Only a flat stone slab remained on the ground.

His jaw tightened.

"Who stole our food?" His deep voice rumbled low, colder than before. He didn’t even realize his tone had changed, heavy with anger. He had been waiting all morning to eat that meat. And now, someone dared to take it?

Su Qinglan only sobbed louder, burying her face into his chest. "Wuu... someone bullied your female! When you weren’t here! I just went inside to bring a stone slab for the veggies, and when I came out—the food was gone! Gone!"

Her voice broke with grief.

Hu Yan’s chest rose and fell. Rage simmered in his golden eyes. Who dared enter a female’s cave when the male was gone? Didn’t they know the rules? A female’s cave could not be touched without her permission.

He lowered his head, sniffing the air.

A faint, stinky smell lingered there. It was familiar. He immediately recognized it; his face darkened instantly.

"Don’t worry," Hu Yan said firmly, his voice like thunder. "I know who stole it. I will take it back."

He set Su Qinglan aside gently and turned, already ready to march out of the cave.

Su Qinglan blinked in surprise. She had searched the whole area earlier and hadn’t found a single clue. Yet Hu Yan was so sure. How?

But before he could take another step, she suddenly grabbed his arm.

Hu Yan looked down at her, puzzled.

Su Qinglan smiled sweetly. "You must be hungry. How could you fight a thief with an empty stomach? Eat this first."

She placed something in his big hand...a soft, white piece with a suspicious yellow center.

Hu Yan stared at it, confused. "...What is this?"

"It’s an omelet," Su Qinglan said proudly. "I cooked it because I was hungry and sad after our food was stolen."

Her eyes shone like she was showing him a treasure.

Hu Yan didn’t hesitate. He put it in his mouth in one bite.

The taste burst across his tongue...fluffy, soft, rich, and warm. The fragrance of eggs mixed with a hint of herbs and salt. He chewed slowly, almost reverently, his golden eyes flickering with surprise.

Delicious. So delicious.

Where did this female learn to make things like this? He had never even heard of such a dish. But before he could ask her anything...

Su Qinglan grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the cave entrance.

"Come on!" she said fiercely, her eyes blazing. "Let’s go find that thief! How dare they steal my food... I’ll beat the life out of them!"

Hu Yan let himself be dragged, his heart oddly warm.

The omelet still lingered on his tongue.

But more than the taste of food... it was the sight of her determined face that left him speechless.

This female was strange. Strange and fierce.

***

The two of them left the cave.

Hu Yan walked in front, his long strides steady and quiet, while Su Qinglan followed behind, her eyes darting around. She half expected the thief to be nearby.

But Hu Yan didn’t stop until they had walked far—so far it was almost at the very edge of the tribe’s territory, completely opposite from her cave.

And then, Su Qinglan saw him.

A lazy figure sprawled on a big rock, basking in the warm sun. His six tails spread out behind him, swaying lightly on the ground like fluffy fans. In one hand, he even held a peacock feather fan, slowly fanning himself with the air of someone who had nothing better to do in life.

Su Qinglan almost choked.

"...Seriously?" She muttered under her breath.

This thief... looked like he came straight out of some beautiful painting.

Her eyes roamed up and down without permission. A fox. He was clearly a fox. Just like her father. But this one...

She started counting his tails. "One... two... three... six..."

Her jaw dropped. Six tails?!

Her heart skipped. Wasn’t that the legendary nine-tailed fox species? Did such creatures actually exist in this beast world?

Not only that, but even his clothes looked different. He wasn’t wearing rough animal hide like the rest of the beastmen. Instead, it was something elegant, something she couldn’t even recognize. Loose and flowing, with faint patterns stitched into the fabric. It made him stand out even more.

And that hair.

From behind, she could already see the long strands of purple shimmering under the sun. On top of his head, two fox ears twitched lazily, their tips glowing violet.

Su Qinglan pressed her lips together. How... how cute could a person be?

Just from the back, with his arrogant posture, she was already dazed.

She hadn’t even seen his face yet.

Hu Yan noticed at once.

His golden eyes narrowed, and his mood sank. Without a word, he shifted his tall body to block her line of sight.

Su Qinglan blinked and leaned a little to the side to peek around him.

Blocked again.

She tried from the other side.

Blocked.

This happened several times, back and forth, like a ridiculous little dance. Finally, her gaze met Hu Yan’s sharp golden eyes staring straight at her.

Fuck!!

Her throat went dry.

Oh.

Right.

She was drooling over another man right in front of her own husband.

"Cough." She quickly looked away, shamelessly scolding herself in her heart. Su Qinglan, control yourself! If you lose face here, where will your reputation go?

She forced her eyes away from the fox and stared stubbornly at Hu Yan instead.

To her surprise, the dark cloud over his face seemed to fade. His shoulders loosened, and his mood lifted almost instantly.

Hu Yan turned slowly back toward the lazy fox sprawled on the rock.

And his golden eyes went cold.

Hu Yan’s voice cracked like thunder.

"Rong Ye! How dare you steal our food?"