Chapter 43: Snake Species

How Did You Genetically Mutate?

Having hit a wall with Lan Qianqian, Jiang Yue turned her head toward the woman sitting next to her and draped an arm over her shoulder. “What does Sister Xiaoning think?”

Mi Ning flinched, her shoulders shrinking back in fright. It took her several seconds to snap out of it. She forced a dry laugh. “It does seem… a little unfair to the senior…”

She echoed Jiang Yue’s words.

They’d only had their first interaction just yesterday. Anyone with eyes could see how much Mi Ning loathed Jiang Yue. Even when it came to picking seats, she kept as far away as possible. That disgust, radiating from her very bones, was definitely not an act.

Yet, in the span of just one night, Mi Ning’s attitude had done a complete one-eighty. She’d even traded the hit song she had her eye on yesterday with Jiang Yue, sat close enough for their shoulders to touch, and allowed Jiang Yue’s arm to drape over her. Where was the arrogance she’d displayed just the day before?

All day, she kept her head down, her face pale, as if in a constant state of terror.

“Are you hot?” Luo Zhi noticed her poor condition and questioned it. “Why are you sweating so much?”

The air conditioning was on inside. This level of sweating was absurdly excessive.

Mentioned by name, Mi Ning stammered. “N-No, I’m not…”

Luo Zhi frowned but didn’t press further. She waved dismissively and said, “The scripts were all written by the company’s professional team. They’ve undergone market research, hashtag traffic analysis, all based on relevant data to manufacture buzz. Just follow along and act.”

Besides, from the production team to controlling the votes behind the scenes, the final outcome was entirely orchestrated by the company. What room did they even have to object?

Ever since learning about Xing Yue’s true identity, Jiang Yue had given up on trying to get close to her. There was an awkward, uneasy tension that stirred whenever they were near each other now.

They still had to maintain surface-level relations. Aside from being a bit more distant, it wasn’t obvious to outsiders.

That evening, back home, Jiang Yue browsed promotional videos related to the show online. Scrolling through, she came across the promo released by Xing Yue’s studio.

A short clip of her singing while playing the piano. Though the clip was short, the comments already exceeded over fifty thousand. It was Xing Yue’s first public appearance online, used as the show’s official teaser.

The top comments were all fans screaming: 【Ahhhhh her voice matches her looks completely, a gentle and melancholic beautiful older sister】

【Is she really 37? I would’ve guessed 25 or 26 max, so gorgeous. Been a fan for years, this life is complete wuwuwu】

【Sister look at me! I know why you never showed your face—were you afraid your music fans would become visual fans? I’m not that kind of person though, I promise, just accept me!】

Jiang Yue scrolled through these comments, scoffing. She switched to two alt accounts and left comments: 【Isn’t this clearly a face showing her 40s? Brainless fans really know how to exaggerate. No one cares about your middle-aged sister.】

【She’s probably secretly married to some guy, kids are already old enough to run errands. Still giving lesbian vibes, giving lesbian vibes—you lesbians are terrifying (vomit emoji).】

She swapped between accounts, leaving several passive-aggressive comments. But this video probably hit trending; new comments flooded in endlessly. She tried to pick fights with a few fans, but nobody even noticed her.

Jiang Yue wasn’t satisfied. An idea suddenly struck her, and she shifted gears: 【Does the piano sound good? If so, that’s great. The blogger’s ex-girlfriend taught her, taught her for seven years.】

Her method worked. As soon as personal relationship privacy was involved, many fans shifted their focus. This comment quickly rose to the top.

【OMG, she’s actually a lesbian?】

【Who’s the ex-girlfriend?! Is it true? Why’d they break up after being together so long?】

【……】

Seeing all the replies flooding in within a minute, Jiang Yue got even more worked up. She said some ambiguous things: 【Blogger dated ex for 7 years, broke up when she joined the show. I won’t say exactly why, figure it out. Not everyone gets to share a stage with a big shot, you know? And the show never required contestants to be single. Blogger dumps girlfriend the moment she gets on the show—what’s that tell you? (smiley emoji).】

It seemed like she wasn’t explicitly saying anything, but the implication was crystal clear: Xing Yue had found a sugar daddy, and to please this benefactor, she dumped her girlfriend of seven years in exchange for a ticket into the entertainment industry.

This explosive rumor… the reply thread was practically a warzone.

Just as Jiang Yue was about to throw more fuel on the fire, He Zhiwen’s silhouette appeared on the computer screen. She swiftly snapped the laptop shut, utterly composed, as if nothing had happened.

He Zhiwen hadn’t noticed. She was holding a bunch of medicinal herbs. Her expression was gentle and compliant as she came over specifically to tell Jiang Yue: “Yueyue, I noticed last night that Xing Yue seemed to have a slight fever. It’s probably just trouble adjusting to the new environment. Soaking in a bath with these herbs can really help. Can you send them over to her later?”

These were things that would be a bit awkward for her to deliver personally. But if Jiang Yue went as a concerned colleague, it wouldn’t be out of place.

Besides, she wanted Jiang Yue to build good relationships with others. Being away from home, it was always good to get along well with people.

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay too.” He Zhiwen didn’t force her.

She placed the herbs on the table, finding a small basket. She grabbed bunches of leaves and roots, tying them into bundles, slow and methodical, gentle and unhurried.

Jiang Yue didn’t respond. She casually flipped through the script she’d brought back, complaining, “I can already tell, the final champion is definitely Teacher Xing. No suspense at all.”

He Zhiwen smiled and consoled her, “After all, Xing Yue is with Miss Bu. This show was born to promote her. You just happen to be sharing this boat. Do your best—it’s only the beginning.”

Jiang Yue was still so young. She could build some popularity now to prepare for the next opportunity. Winning or losing shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

He Zhiwen’s consolation, however, only pricked Jiang Yue. She raised an eyebrow, her smile not reaching her eyes. “Wife, so you’re saying I should be grateful just to have screen time thanks to her, be grateful for the chance to gain fans, and that I shouldn’t complain about her?”

Although she said it with a smile, an affectionate tone, as if joking, her words couldn’t quite hide the sarcasm.

He Zhiwen caught the strange note, her expression faltering slightly. “That’s not what I meant.”

Seeing Jiang Yue didn’t look too happy, she changed the subject. “Do you want to see the babies? Mom just took a few more photos today…”

Jiang Yue had zero interest in the babies she mentioned, nor did she want to look at the unformed snake eggs.

She walked over, picked up the bundles of herbs He Zhiwen had packed on the table, and tossed them directly into the trash can. “Why are you being so nice to Teacher Xing? Getting so close, what if she discovers you’re a Spirit Snake? You’d be skinned and stripped in an instant.”

He Zhiwen didn’t have time to retrieve the herbs. She stood up, refuting, “She wouldn’t. Xing Yue isn’t that kind of person. She told me Spirit Snakes are our kin. She wouldn’t do something like drinking blood or eating scales.”

Jiang Yue pulled her into her arms, placing light kisses on her face. “Baby, you’re so naive. That’s just because Teacher Xing hasn’t encountered one yet. Talk is cheap. If she actually came across a Spirit Snake, her eyes would light up. One swift stroke and she’d dismember you. You silly woman, you just believe whatever she says.”

She hugged the woman’s soft waist tightly, feigning worry. “So, you absolutely must not reveal your secret, understand? You trust people so easily. I can’t even feel at ease letting you out of my sight.”

What a joke. If one more person knew about this, that meant one more person competing with her for the Spirit Snake.

He Zhiwen, this simple brain of hers, all day it was just lovey-dovey stuff or babies, babies. Those snake eggs looked the same every day. What was there to see?

“A’Yue, she…” The woman’s voice trailed off, not continuing further.

She just took it as Jiang Yue worrying about her safety. Her heart even felt a little sweet. She pulled out her phone and showed Jiang Yue the photos she’d saved just today. Her eyes were bright, practically melting into water. “Look, isn’t this part a little pointier? When the babies come out, we’ll cut the shell from this direction…”

The snake eggs were soft. When it was almost time for the little snakes to emerge, they needed help cutting the shell open. Otherwise, if they couldn’t break out of the shell after soaking too long, they risked brain damage.

These four little snake eggs were all laid by He Zhiwen. If they weren’t placed in an incubator, she had to brood them herself.

Jiang Yue was forced into family bonding time. She was only in her early twenties, practically a child herself. She didn’t have that motherly sentiment at all.

“Wife, I’ll go deliver the herbs to Teacher Xing,” she excused herself, carrying the basket outside. “A fever isn’t like a minor cold. It’s really uncomfortable. And since you already bundled the herbs, let’s not waste your effort.”

She’d found the perfect excuse and finally escaped the bedroom.

Thinking about those four snake eggs, a very high chance they’d inherit He Zhiwen’s homosexual genes, Jiang Yue got goosebumps all over. They’d better produce what she wanted. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be the soft-hearted one.

Xing Yue was in the middle of her surgery. Afraid the scent of blood would be too strong and attract others, she’d specifically placed multiple pots of roses around the room.

This was the second time. Tan Xiang’e was clearly much more practiced. She observed through the instrument for a moment. “How did you genetically mutate? What snake species are your parents?”

The pheromonal pattern and coloration shown on the screen for the snake tail were exceptionally rare. She couldn’t find a match in the gene registry. There was only one possibility: Xing Yue’s snake species had undergone a genetic mutation. It wasn’t a hereditary snake.

There was an eighty percent chance that baby snakes would follow one parent’s gene, and a remaining twenty percent chance of a mix from both parents, or a recessive grandparent gene.

Xing Yue’s situation wasn’t a straightforward inheritance from either parent nor a mix of the two. It was rare among rarities.

Thinking about her unfamiliar father, Xing Yue’s eyes dimmed for a moment. “The male was a Green Tree Python. My mother was a Bamboo Snake.”

“Oh ho, a Green Tree Python. An old noble, then.” Tan Xiang’e teased, somewhat surprised.

As a rare snake species, in the century before last, Green Tree Pythons were snake nobility—the kind with actual titles. To protect the bloodline, they only married within their own kind, only pairing with other Green Tree Pythons.

Though times had changed and there were no more bloodline class systems now, Green Tree Pythons, due to their breathtaking beauty, were still highly sought-after partners for many.

Xing Yue’s tail pheromones weren’t in the gene registry, so the Green Tree Python had mutated. It was still that species, just the coloring wasn’t hereditary. It could be albino, pink, or blue variations.

She couldn’t see much yet. Tan Xiang’e couldn’t make out the color. Just knowing it was a Green Tree Python was thrilling enough. “Tsk tsk tsk, Eldest Miss Bu is truly blessed with fortune. She must get so excited when you two mate.”