Chapter 818: You Don’t Have to Pretend in Front of Me

Chapter 818: Chapter 818: You Don’t Have to Pretend in Front of Me

Rong Ye turned around as well, the dark line between his brows easing the moment he saw her standing in the sunlight.

An Mo silently observed her for a few seconds; he didn’t say anything, but his razor-sharp eyes carefully scanned her face for any signs of distress.

Su Qinglan noticed his scrutiny and offered him a tranquil smile. "I’m fine."

An Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly...he clearly didn’t completely buy it, but before he could probe further, Mao Mao tugged eagerly on Su Qinglan’s sleeve.

"Mommy, sit here!" He pointed proudly to the empty space beside him.

Su Qinglan smiled gently. "Okay."

The moment she sat down, the eight little ones crowded in as close as physically possible. Lulu leaned her head against Su Qinglan’s arm, Xiao Yi rested his fuzzy cheek against her waist, and tiny Yueyue quietly held onto her dress.

Reaching out, she gently patted Xiao Yi’s golden head and picked up her bowl. "Alright, let’s eat."

"Yay!" The cubs cheered loudly, and the courtyard erupted into happy chatter once more.

Everyone finally ate their fill. The lively courtyard was soon filled with the satisfied sounds of little cubs finishing off the last bites.

"More!"

"Mommy, I want this one!"

"Father, give me some!"

The eight cubs were completely satisfied. Su Qinglan also ate normally. She laughed when the cubs said something funny, picked out prime pieces of meat for them, and gently reminded them to chew slowly.

There was not a single strange expression on her face; she looked completely normal.

Her husbands noticed it immediately, but none of them called her out. As long as she was smiling and eating, they didn’t want to force her to speak before she was ready.

After everyone finished, the cubs leaned back in their seats with round, happy bellies.

"Ah..." Xiao Yi rubbed his stomach with a tiny paw. "I’m so full!"

The other cubs nodded in agreement. "Me too!"

Su Qinglan smiled down at them gently. "Then don’t eat any more, or your bellies will pop."

The cubs immediately giggled and agreed.

Seeing her calm demeanor, her husbands finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t crying alone in the dark anymore. At least she seemed to have returned to her usual self.

Hu Yan was the first to stand up from the bench. "I’ll clean this up."

Han Jue immediately began gathering the empty wooden platters, while Rong Ye picked up the remaining bowls and carried them toward the kitchen area.

"Leave them; I’ll wash them later," Su Qinglan offered.

Han Jue shook his head, offering a warm look. "We can do it now. You just rest."

The three beastmen quickly began clearing the long table, while Shi Feng and An Mo gathered the messy cups and utensils.

The cubs had somehow managed to make a disaster out of half the table despite eating obediently.

A smear of rich sauce was stuck around Xiao Er’s snout, Lulu had somehow gotten broth on her white paws, and Ciao Ciao had spilled his water cup.

Shi Feng sighed helplessly, using a damp cloth to wipe the little paws one by one. "How did all of you manage to make such a big mess in ten minutes?"

The cubs only giggled in response.

Nearby, An Mo silently wiped Xiao Yi’s golden face. "Stop squirming."

"But I’m clean!" Xiao Yi protested, puffing out his furry cheeks.

"No, you’re not."

"I am!"

An Mo wiped a spot of sauce off his cheek again. "Now you are."

Su Qinglan watched them quietly, a small, soft smile lingering on her lips. She wanted to record this exact moment into her memory...all of it.

The sound of their voices, the afternoon light, the comforting warmth, the absolute peace.

Then, suddenly, a broad hand gently caught her wrist.

Su Qinglan turned her head. It was Xuan Long.

Without saying a word, he gently guided her away from the noisy courtyard.

She followed him quietly, not resisting his pull. He led her into a quiet side room nearby and closed the heavy door behind them, instantly cutting off the bustling sounds from outside.

Su Qinglan looked up at his imposing figure. "What happened?"

Xuan Long didn’t answer immediately. He simply stood in front of her, his emerald eyes quietly studying every subtle detail of her face.

Then he reached out, his long fingers gently catching a stray lock of hair and carefully tucking it behind her ear.

Su Qinglan’s heart suddenly lurched violently in her chest.

Xuan Long’s voice dropped to a low, rumbling frequency. "Are you all right?"

Those four simple words hit her harder than anything else could have. Her heart trembled.

For a brief, dangerous moment, all the terrifying emotions she had been desperately suppressing almost broke free.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to grab his tunic and spill everything...tell him how terrified she was, tell him about the old man’s haunting prophecy, about the dark future awaiting their daughters, and about the horrifying possibility of losing everything she had fought to build.

She wanted to bury her face against his broad chest and sob like a child.

But she couldn’t. What if it was just a lie to break her family?

Instead, she forced a smile...a completely normal, serene smile.

"What could possibly happen to me?" Her voice was remarkably soft and steady. "I’m not that fragile."

She leaned in slightly, resting her forehead against his upper arm.

Xuan Long’s eyes darkened. He knew. He knew with absolute certainty that she was hiding a heavy burden behind her smile...he could feel the tension lingering in her frame.

But he didn’t call her out. Instead, he gently cupped her pale cheek with one large, warm palm, his thumb slowly brushing across her smooth skin.

Su Qinglan closed her eyes for a moment, leaning into his touch. It was warm, familiar, and completely safe. And somehow, that absolute safety made her heart ache even more.

Xuan Long lowered his voice further, leaning close to her ear. "You don’t have to pretend in front of me, Lanlan."

Her long eyelashes trembled, but she kept her eyes shut tight. After a long, heavy silence, she let out a faint, airy laugh. "I’m not pretending."

The lie came out so naturally that even she almost believed it for a second.

Xuan Long stared at her closed eyes, not arguing further. He simply wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against his chest.

Su Qinglan rested her cheek against him, taking comfort in his steady heartbeat. For several minutes, neither of them spoke a word, both lost in their own heavy thoughts.