The dim light of the rainy morning filtered through the treehouse windows as Su Qinglan slowly blinked her eyes open.
Her first instinct was to reach out for the familiar warmth of her husbands, but as her hand swept across the furs, she felt nothing but cold and empty space.
She bolted upright, her heart hammering against her ribs. On the other side of the bed, only Xuan Long was there, his long, dark lashes fluttering as he woke from her sudden movement.
"Where are the others?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Xuan Long blinked, momentarily stunned by her frantic tone. "They... they are still outside, Lan Lan. You locked the door and told them not to come in."
Su Qinglan’s face went deathly pale. She remembered her anger from the day before, her frustration with the "stupid cats," and her angry exit.
But she had fallen asleep for hours! She thought they would have coaxed her or at least picked the lock once she calmed down.
"Don’t tell me... they’ve been out there all night?" She whispered, her eyes filling with horror. "In this rain? While I was sleeping comfortably?"
Without thinking, without even grabbing a thicker hide or her sandals, Su Qinglan scrambled out of the bed. Her feet hit the wooden floor with a soft thud as she dashed toward the door.
Xuan Long, still groggy, couldn’t keep up with her sudden burst of speed. "Lan Lan! Wait! You aren’t dressed!"
But she was already gone. She flung the door open and rushed out onto the porch, her bare feet splashing into the cold puddles.
Her heart broke the moment her eyes landed on the fence gate.
There they were...Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye. They weren’t fighting or growling anymore.
They were huddled together in the mud, looking exactly like three large, abandoned puppies. Their fur was matted and soaked, and their heads were bowed low against the relentless drizzle.
"Oh, no... No, no, no!" Su Qinglan cried, her voice breaking.
She ran down the steps, ignoring the sharp stones and the freezing mud between her toes. She threw herself at them, her arms wrapping around Hu Yan’s thick, wet neck first, then reaching for the other two.
"Why are you out here?! Why didn’t you come back in?" She sobbed, her tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. "I wasn’t that angry! I was just annoyed! I didn’t mean for you to stay in the rain all night!"
The three beastmen immediately leaned into her touch, their expressions becoming incredibly pitiful.
Hu Yan let out a low, mournful whine, and Rong Ye rested his wet head on her shoulder, looking like he was on the verge of death from heartbreak.
In reality, they weren’t in any danger. These were powerful predators who had spent years surviving winters and monsoons in the wild.
A little rain was nothing more than a bath to them. They had actually spent all night hunting in their beast forms to provide food for her, returning only an hour ago to look "sad" in front of the door.
But seeing Su Qinglan so worried, so guilty, and so full of love for them felt too good. They weren’t about to tell her they were perfectly fine.
"Lan Lan... we didn’t want to make you more angry," Rong Ye whispered, his voice sounding intentionally raspy.
Su Qinglan’s heart shattered into a million pieces. She kissed Hu Yan’s cheek, then Han Jue’s nose, and finally Rong Ye’s forehead, her eyes red and puffy. "I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Please, come inside right now!"
As she pulled them toward the house, the men’s eyes finally drifted down, and their breath caught in their throats.
In her rush, Su Qinglan had forgotten everything. She was barefoot, and she was only wearing her thin, inner sleeping robe.
Because it was her habit to remove her undergarments to sleep comfortably, the thin fabric had become completely translucent in the rain.
Every curve of her soft, pregnant body was highlighted by the wet material, clinging to her skin like a second layer.
Hu Yan’s pupils instantly dilated. His protective instincts roared to life...not just from the cold, but from the thought of anyone else seeing her like this.
"Lan Lan! You’re freezing!" Hu Yan growled, his voice deep and thick. He didn’t wait for her to walk. He scooped her up in his massive arms, shielding her body with his chest.
He marched toward the house, Han Jue and Rong Ye trailing closely behind.
As they reached the door, Xuan Long was standing there, blocking the entrance with a dark, brooding expression, unhappy that his "solo time" was over.
Rong Ye, feeling incredibly proud of his "pitiful" victory, didn’t even slow down. He used his shoulder to give Xuan Long a sharp shove. "Move it, snake. Don’t block the door while our mate is shivering!"
Xuan Long’s expression darkened dangerously, his eyes flashing with fire, but he stepped aside. He knew he couldn’t win this round.
Rong Ye smirked, following Hu Yan inside with a triumphant swagger. They had been kicked out, yes, but they were coming back in with more of Su Qinglan’s pity and love than ever before.
And he wouldn’t be Rong Ye, if he didn’t get his revenge on this snake. Just wait!
Inside the house, the air was still warm from the burning fire, but the sight of her three wet, muddy husbands made Su Qinglan’s heart ache with guilt.
She immediately turned to Xuan Long, who was standing by the door with a sour expression, clearly unhappy that the "intruders" had returned.
"Xuan Long, please, quickly!" Su Qinglan pleaded, her voice still trembling from her crying fit. "Fill the large wooden tub with warm water. They’ve been in the rain all night; they’ll get sick if they don’t warm up their bones right now!"
Xuan Long opened his mouth to grumble a protest...after all, these "furry beasts" were perfectly capable of shaking themselves dry like wet dogs...but the moment he met Su Qinglan’s watery, red-rimmed eyes, he shut his mouth.
He feared that if he refused, he would be the next one she kicked out into the mud. Staying in the rain wasn’t the issue; the thought of leaving her alone with these three was a nightmare he wasn’t willing to risk.
He moved with a huff, using his power to fill the massive tub with warm water.