Chapter 2: Snake Kiss

The only snake in the world with tear glands.

She slightly composed herself, lowering her gaze—

The semi-arc snake scales flickered, dim and bright, like the heavily petaled red camellia in a rainy night, lush and coolly beautiful, delicate and tempting. Compared to its youthful rawness of that year, this tail was much riper and fuller.

Right now, it was coiled around her foot, against her boot, winding up two more coils. The very tip of the snake tail rubbed against her black stockings…

Very hot, like being near a fire.

“Miss Bu,” Xing Yue remained calm, speaking with gentle elegance, “Long time no see.”

Her understanding of Bu Yao was stuck at ten years ago, a student who had just entered university, always frowning and throwing tantrums. Demanding to be picked up and dropped off from school, not caring whether Xing Yue was busy. Insisting on being served properly. Looking for her to drink milk all day long.

What broke Xing Yue the most was that Bu Yao never put on her own shoes. Behind closed doors, asking Xing Yue to help her put them on, Xing Yue considered it a bit of intimacy. But then, in public, out in the open, Bu Yao still demanded Xing Yue do it.

Her character, her self-respect, her face — all completely trampled upon by Bu Yao. She was worse off than a dog tied up in the Bu Family Courtyard. When Bu Yao was happy, she would at least throw the dog a couple of bones and call the dog by its cute nickname. Towards Xing Yue, she always called her by name, ordering her around.

Only in bed, solely in bed, only there… could Xing Yue salvage a tiny, pitiful scrap of dignity.

Recalling the torments inflicted by the Eldest Miss Bu, Xing Yue shifted her foot, withdrawing.

That tail did not pursue her. It seemed somewhat dejected, obediently coiling in place.

“It’s been a long time, Xing Yue.” The woman had a pair of bright, glittering pupils. In the dim light, her almond eyes brimmed with flowing light.

That head of wildly eye-catching, long hair was pinned up with a simple black wooden hairpin, with only a single strand of red silk falling by her chest.

Clearly a coolly beautiful scene, yet it gave Xing Yue an illusion that her ex-wife was very fragile, very broken. She shivered physically, suppressing the urge to slap herself twice to snap out of it.

Hadn’t she been bullied enough by this woman before? Bu Yao was a genuine little chili pepper. Where was the fragility? Where was the brokenness? How could she have such a misunderstanding about the Eldest Miss Bu?

The two faced each other in silence.

Not wanting to show weakness, Xing Yue neither left nor asked questions. She stood on the steps, her long, straight legs slightly crossed one behind the other, her body half-leaning against the handrail.

In what should have been an awkward scene, that red tail acted completely contrary to its owner’s motionless body. It quietly crept up the steps, once again drawing close to Xing Yue, flipping over excitedly to reveal its soft underside.

“Cough.”

Xing Yue cleared her throat lightly.

This was courtship behavior…

The scent permeating the air was so dense it nearly spilled out the window.

Bu Yao felt somewhat at a loss. This kind of uncontrollable behavior mostly occurred during the adolescent phase. Adult snakes could control themselves. She was twenty-eight.

Even though she was now so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground, her tail was still firmly wrapped around Xing Yue’s calf, the fine scales of its underside curling frantically, restless and agitated, longing for Xing Yue’s soothing.

In the silent corridor, there was only the rustling sound made by snake scales.

Xing Yue was not unfamiliar with this situation. Bu Yao’s tail was always like this, even in the car, even when outside the car, with people coming and going all around…

She used to think it was because Bu Yao had just barely reached adulthood and couldn’t control herself. Seeing it was still the case now truly surprised her a little.

By convention, Bu Yao would first smack her with her tail, then fly into a rage out of humiliation and blame her, blaming her for making this red tail act so strangely.

She glanced sideways for a while. Bu Yao’s temper did not arrive. She only saw those red gemstones gradually filling with mist, her eye rims reddening fully, a look on the verge of tears, full of helplessness.

She was actually crying…

Xing Yue didn’t react for a moment. It was only when those red gemstones were completely submerged by tears, overflowing from her eye sockets, that she was certain — Bu Yao was truly crying.

The only Fire Snake in the world with tear glands, crying right before her eyes. Ashamed to the point of tears over her own uncontrollable courting behavior.

Xing Yue: “…”

She wasn’t quite used to such a fragile Bu Yao. Something abnormal surely had a demon behind it. This had to be a scheme by the Eldest Miss Bu.

On guard, Xing Yue was just about to ask Bu Yao what she wanted by cornering her here, when a gust of wind hit her face, and a warm, soft body was suddenly in her arms.

So hot, so warm… Xing Yue sighed comfortably. The sensation was so pleasant her eyes even glazed over.

It was her nature; her clan craved heat. She couldn’t fight her nature either. Her arms wrapped around the waist of the qipao, thinking, the Eldest Miss Bu was truly too weak and delicate. Even a gentle breeze could blow her right into her arms.

Perhaps it was because of Xing Yue’s reciprocation that the stiff atmosphere eased. Bu Yao leaned against Xing Yue’s chest, aggrieved, and said, “Sister, I missed you so much.”

Xing Yue felt as if she’d heard something unbelievable. Her eyes even vibrated. What did she call her? Sister?

She was stunned for two seconds. Her snake tongue flicked rapidly in the air, then quickly reverted to its usual form. She turned her face and kissed Bu Yao’s hair, a little mesmerized.

Too delicate. She couldn’t pull away to leave at this moment. The Eldest Miss Bu needed her tonight.

Affected by the scent the red tail was emitting, Xing Yue felt a bit hazy. The two of them slipped out the back door of the palace and headed straight for a hotel.

The outside air dispersed the richly fragrant, sweet scent. Xing Yue suddenly sobered up considerably. She glanced at the unfamiliar Bu Yao beside her and blurted out, “I didn’t bring my ID…”

The hotel counter staff smiled warmly: “You can scan the code to get an electronic ID.”

Xing Yue casually made an excuse, “Too much trouble.”

She turned to leave. If it were any other woman, she wouldn’t mind meeting up a few times after divorce, but this woman was Bu Yao. She couldn’t afford to provoke her.

Her arm was suddenly grabbed. She turned back. Bu Yao had taken her phone and was looking up at her, seeking her opinion: “It’s quick. I’ll help you do it.”

Xing Yue looked at this face, unable to pinpoint the feeling. Bu Yao had never treated her with such a good attitude before.

Spellbound, she unlocked her passcode. She let Bu Yao take her phone to scan the code, entering the page to fill in her ID information. Bu Yao was even more patient than she was, filling in every step correctly, from Xing Yue’s date of birth to her registered residential address on the ID card.

The room was booked on the eleventh floor. As the elevator ascended, Xing Yue let out a meaningful light laugh: “Miss Bu, you wouldn’t be luring me somewhere deserted to secretly assassinate me, would you?”

Back then, when Bu Yao received her divorce papers, that furious, raging, hopping mad expression was still clear in her memory. She practically wanted to flay her skin off. Opening her mouth was just demanding her death.

Actually, besides those two threatening sentences, Bu Yao had said something else afterward. But Xing Yue had walked away too quickly, too far, and didn’t hear it.

Bu Yao didn’t answer back; her temperament was considerably more restrained now.

They swiped the room card. As soon as the door closed, Xing Yue hadn’t even had time to put the card in the power slot before Bu Yao hooked her around the neck and pressed her against the door panel. Her snake tongue flicked urgently across Xing Yue’s cheek, urging something.

Xing Yue parted her red lips. When they touched, both clearly felt their hearts stir and spirits drift, their panting sounds turning coy.

The snake tongue is the most sensitive body part, with the most nerve endings. A snake kiss can effectively numb many painful sensations, causing one to lose themselves, immersed in the pleasure only primal nature brings.

Mating with a Fire Snake required at least fourteen hours to start. After kissing for a while, Xing Yue somewhat pulled back her reason, wanting to clarify some things first.

She gently pushed Bu Yao’s shoulder away, slightly panting: “What exactly is wrong with you?”

In the next second, Xing Yue couldn’t speak. The warm snake tail burrowed into her embrace, its scales pressing comfortingly against her skin. All reason vanished.