Chapter 3: Allergy

“Studying, seeing a doctor, getting certified.”

–

“Let’s just end this.” The eyes beneath the glasses were full of weariness and indifference, as if even saying another word to her wife was tiring.

Xing Yue placed the divorce papers on the table. Without even giving Bu Yao a chance to properly communicate, she turned and left.

When the girl came back to her senses, she was furious and shouted at Xing Yue’s retreating figure: “You dare?! I’ll kill you, Xing Yue!”

“From now on, this Miss only has widowhood, no ex-wife! I want you dead!”

Xing Yue’s leaving footsteps grew faster and faster. The girl suddenly became like a deflated ball, her expression completely crumbling as she muttered obsessively, “If you didn’t love me, why did you marry me…”

–

Moonlight filtered through the curtain gap into the room, adding a faint glow to the dark night.

When Xing Yue woke up, it was already the next evening. Her chest, waist, abdomen, both legs… were all wrapped up by a snake tail. Looking closely at this tail, its underside was still curling up, trembling.

Snake scales pressed tightly against her skin, a continuous stream of heat transmitted over, even reddening the snow-white skin on her body.

Xing Yue opened her eyes, looked at the unfamiliar ceiling, and let her mind go blank for a moment. She still held the tip of Bu Yao’s tail in her palm. It was so soft and limp.

She lifted it with her index finger and wiggled it. In the next second, the tail tip slipped off her index finger, drooping down powerlessly… After twenty-three long hours of entanglement, it was long since fragile and exhausted.

Xing Yue hadn’t been this fully satisfied in a long time, so it was inevitable that she got a little wild. She held this gorgeous tail tip, playing with it in her fingers, still not finished.

“Xing Yue…”

The woman beside her pillow murmured lowly, her voice hazy.

The hairpin had been taken off the previous night. The waterfall of red hair spread out over her jade back of congealed fat, as if a cloud had been set ablaze atop high snowy mountains. The scene rivaled any fine art oil painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

No matter how many years passed, Xing Yue would always be amazed by this red hair, again and again.

She smiled gently: “I’m here.”

Bu Yao lay on the bed, her whole body limp as if boneless, lost in some unknown thoughts. She rested her cheek on her arm and murmured continuously: “Xing Yue…”

Over and over, it was always Xing Yue’s name she murmured. It was steeped in too many emotions, like longing and complaints, but more than anything, grievance.

For a fleeting moment, Xing Yue almost had the illusion that Bu Yao loved her deeply. But recalling the interactions in their brief marriage, let alone love, they could be described as bitter enemies. It stuck in her throat like a bone.

She peeled the snake tail off her body, reached out to pick up the black lace bra in the corner, put it on, and hooked it behind her back.

She casually chatted: “What have you been up to these past few years? Miss Bu.”

Bu Yao used her tail to coil the sheath dress discarded on the floor, putting it back on the bed, right next to Xing Yue’s hand. She answered: “Studying, seeing a doctor, getting certified.”

Xing Yue caught the two words. Her motion of getting dressed paused: “You’ve been sick?”

The snake tail coiled up the black stockings, even sneakily wrapping two loops around them. Pity they couldn’t be worn anymore, torn with several rips. She secretly coiled them away and hid them under the blanket.

Seeing Bu Yao didn’t make a sound, Xing Yue pressed further: “What illness?”

What illness needed ten years of treatment? Bu Yao also didn’t look seriously ill.

After all, they had been married. Xing Yue wouldn’t be stingy with the care that was due.

A hoarse voice murmured quietly: “Love Obsession Sickness.”

Xing Yue: “…”

She thought Bu Yao was joking, so she didn’t take it seriously, just smiled and said nothing.

After getting dressed, Xing Yue carelessly gathered and tied her hair with her hands, packed her bag, and bid Bu Yao farewell: “Last night was very pleasant. You were super amazing, baby. Bye-bye.”

After the divorce, Xing Yue changed her phone number and even deleted her WeChat. This parting, unless someone deliberately searched, they wouldn’t chat again. Neither had the other’s contact information.

Xing Yue didn’t plan to rekindle old flames, nor did she want to hook up again. Afraid of inviting trouble, she left very decisively.

In the room, only Bu Yao, half-human and half-snake-tailed, remained lying on the bed. From waking up until Xing Yue left, she maintained the same posture the entire time.

Bu Yao wasn’t joking. She had truly been treating this illness for nearly ten years.

She had very severe Erotomania. She had only met Xing Yue once, yet she believed Xing Yue liked her. On the route she knew Xing Yue took to come home, she threw out her shed skin.

It happened that Xing Yue needed a wife, so they quickly married. Every time they quarreled, Bu Yao thought Xing Yue was testing their relationship and firmly believed Xing Yue loved her to death.

It wasn’t until the divorce papers were placed before her that the world where Bu Yao thought she was constantly doted on and loved by her wife completely collapsed.

So it turned out their marriage was that terrible…

–

Xing Yue walked out of the hotel and suddenly remembered something important: her ex-wife couldn’t put on her own shoes. If she just left like this, Bu Yao would have to go home barefoot.

Should she go back and help Bu Yao put on her shoes?

The moment this thought surfaced, Xing Yue fiercely scorned herself internally. Truly enslaved for too long, sick beyond belief.

The Eldest Miss Bu was simply spoiled with princess syndrome. Couldn’t wear shoes at eighteen? It was impossible she still couldn’t at twenty-eight, right?

Xing Yue warned herself countless times not to invite trouble, yet her feet disobediently carried her back into the hotel.

Forget it, one or two more times won’t make a difference… she thought disdainfully.

The hotel door wasn’t closed. Xing Yue didn’t walk in. From far down the hallway, she saw a girl with a short bob cut in the room, half-kneeling on the floor putting shoes on Bu Yao.

Judging by her attire, the girl didn’t look like a servant from the Bu household. She was likely an intern at the law firm, or some little assistant from Bu Yao’s work.

Xing Yue watched for a moment, then left. She should have thought of it earlier. In these ten years since the divorce, someone must have taken over what she used to do. With the Eldest Miss Bu’s status, why would she need to worry about the problem of putting on shoes?

She gave a bitter smile. By the time she got home, it was already very late.

Her phone, plugged in to charge, was full of WeChat messages from Bo Wuxue bombing her frantically—

“Where the hell did you go? You didn’t really leave with Bu Yao, did you?”

“You’re something else. So secretly naughty. Didn’t you say you’d never see each other again, even in old age and death?”

“Hello? Why isn’t the big celebrity replying? Already in bed? How does it feel? Big sis hasn’t had any action in so long, she didn’t tire out the Little Fire Snake, did she? Be gentle~”

Xing Yue was soaking in the bath, the scent of the Fire Snake all over her. Under the warm bathwater, the scent didn’t dissipate, instead growing even stronger.

She flicked her snake tongue a few times, her ears slightly burning.

Bo Wuxue suddenly pushed a contact profile over.

Xing Yue: [???]

Bo Wuxue: [Bu Yao’s. She asked me for your WeChat ID. I didn’t give it, pushed hers to you instead. Up to you whether you add her.]

The more she feared something, the more it came. Xing Yue kind of regretted being too unrestrained last night, so bewildered by the courting scent Bu Yao emitted.

An ex-wife she hadn’t contacted in ten years, suddenly they hooked up for no good reason? And Bu Yao’s attitude towards her had completely changed. She was actually treating her like a human being?

Xing Yue pondered, sensing something off, faintly uneasy. Could it be she wanted revenge, eyeing her assets?

She heard Bu Yao had already participated in revising same-sex laws for five consecutive years. This gave Xing Yue a strong sense of crisis.

Just as she was lost in thought, a friend request popped up.

[I have an allergic reaction.]

Seeing this out-of-context request message, Xing Yue didn’t accept the friend request. She just replied with a question mark in the message box.

Bu Yao: [The finger cots used at the hotel yesterday. Latex allergy.]

“…”