Chapter 9

Ah Wan was burning up, drifting in and out of consciousness. She could feel Little Snake supporting her and laboriously moving her toward the bedroom.

She half-opened her eyes and looked down at Little Snake, who seemed to be straining even the roots of her hair. A mischievous urge arose within her, and suddenly, like a deflating balloon, she let her entire weight collapse onto those slender shoulders.

“Human?” Little Snake cried out in surprise, looking up.

Ah Wan kept her eyes tightly shut, wanting to see what she would do.

Little Snake hurriedly pulled back the blanket and laid her on the bed. She busied herself taking off her shoes, then pushed against Ah Wan’s lower back, shoving her so she rolled twice and ended up in the corner of the bed.

Then she kicked off her own shoes, climbed onto the bed, knelt beside Ah Wan, and reached out to take off her clothes.

Ah Wan, lying on her back, frowned slightly. Before she could say anything, her clothes were stripped off.

She clenched her fists discreetly, about to speak, when suddenly a small, cool body was tucked into her arms. It felt very comfortable.

Little Snake had also stripped herself completely naked. She lay down and hugged the human tightly.

Ah Wan’s body temperature suddenly spiked again. The excessive heat burned Little Snake, making her tremble, but she still didn’t loosen her hold.

“Human, you’re so hot.” Little Snake looked up at her sleeping face, her brows furrowed with worry.

Ah Wan sighed and said quietly: “Get up and prepare the medicine.”

“Oh.” Little Snake immediately got up, dressed Ah Wan meticulously, then helped her walk out.

Ah Wan sat weakly in the rattan chair and recited: “Third drawer of the first row in the medicine cabinet… second row, first drawer… third row, second drawer…”

Little Snake grabbed a small pot and hurriedly went to grab the herbs. She turned her head and asked: “Human, how much?”

She was wearing only a top, standing on a stool and stretching her hand to open the drawer. The hem of her shirt was pulled up quite a bit.

Ah Wan took one look, then turned her head away, her face flushing red. With a somewhat unnatural expression, she said: “Whatever.”

After two coughs, she added: “Can’t eat enough to die anyway.”

Hearing this, and seeing that Ah Wan was even redder than before, feeling as if she was being burned even from this far away, Little Snake immediately grabbed two large handfuls of herbs and put them in.

Ah Wan turned her head away and refused to look at her. Little Snake just grabbed the herbs based on her own memory, muttering quietly: “First row, second drawer… second row, third…”

After grabbing them, she slammed the drawer shut with a thud. The copper ring handle gently swayed twice and tapped against the handwritten label, black ink on white paper—

Alluring Honey Fragrance.

Ancient records state: It can cause a woman’s passions to stir.

Little Snake couldn’t read. Holding a pot full of medicinal herbs, she jumped off the stool and ran into the kitchen in a fluster to prepare the medicine.

“Human!” A cry for help came from inside.

Ah Wan kept her eyes tightly closed and replied, her voice somewhat hoarse: “Add water, let it soak for a bit, then pour out the water. Add fresh water, put it on the stove, and boil it.”

“Oh.” A soft, delicate voice replied from inside.

Hearing this, Ah Wan felt an inexplicable irritation in her heart, and her mouth was even a bit dry.

She sighed, got up, walked over to the fridge, and poured herself a glass of cold water.

Little One saw this and hurriedly ran over, trying to stop her by standing in front of her.

“Human, drink medicine.”

Ah Wan didn’t listen. She raised the glass high with one hand and pressed down on Little One’s head with the other, helplessly saying: “Don’t cause trouble. Let me have one sip.”

After saying this, she tilted her head back and gulped down a large glass of ice water. This finally quelled a small part of the fire in her heart.

Seeing her disobedience, Little Snake glared at her angrily. Suddenly, a faint, blurry sound of a loudspeaker came from outside. The closer it got, the clearer the crackling electric sound became.

Little Snake was instantly drawn in and immediately perked up her ears to listen—

“Selling rice candy, selling popcorn, selling spicy potato chips, selling salt, MSG, and soy sauce, selling bananas, apples, and dragon fruit…”

“Selling?” Little Snake stared at Ah Wan with bright eyes, her expression full of expectation.

Ah Wan only just remembered that today was the day the small truck came into the mountains. She needed to buy some daily necessities, so she put down her glass and went back to her room to get money.

Little Snake swung her hands and followed excitedly, but Ah Wan raised a hand to block her at the doorway.

Ah Wan supported herself against the doorframe, looking down at her, and said coldly: “Watch the house.”

Little Snake thought for a moment and didn’t agree. Instead, she stuck her head out into the crook of Ah Wan’s arm and said quietly: “Snakey just want to look, see what’s selling?”

“What’s being sold has nothing to do with you. Go back.” Ah Wan finished speaking and turned to leave, leaving Little Snake behind.

The man driving the small truck was surnamed Fang, forty years old. A few years ago, while selling goods in the countryside, he accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up at Ah Wan’s house in the middle of the night.

Ah Wan gave him directions, and he gave Ah Wan some daily necessities.

He thought they would never cross paths again, but a few months later, the man returned. He looked much more haggard than the last time, saying his daughter was sick. A Miao Doctor down the mountain had pointed him this way, telling him to seek out Ah Wan.

Although Ah Wan was cold to others, she wasn’t someone who would watch a human die without helping, so she gave him medicine.

Over time, they became somewhat familiar. Every two months, Old Fang would drive his truck here to replenish Ah Wan’s supply of things like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

The human cooking at home lately was not skilled and had wasted a lot of seasonings, so she needed to buy some today.

Old Fang expertly packed her a bag of salt, a bag of MSG, two bottles of soy sauce, and a bottle of vinegar. Then he asked: “I also brought oyster sauce today, do you want some?”

“No need.” Ah Wan’s tone was indifferent as she handed over ten yuan.

Old Fang always gave her wholesale prices, not making a cent more.

Ah Wan never stood on ceremony with him, always giving ten yuan per visit.

After collecting the money, Old Fang handed the bag to Ah Wan and said with a beaming smile: “This pack of crispy noodles is for you to eat.”

Ah Wan had just taken the bag, but hearing this, she paused. “Crispy noodles?”

Old Fang smiled and looked down at the ground, asking: “Is this one yours?”

Hearing this, Ah Wan also looked down and only then noticed, on the ground near the back of the truck, a little white snake with its head raised, looking at her with eager interest.

Its tail was curled around a small pack of crispy noodles, and it even gave it a little shake, like a rattlesnake.

Ah Wan’s vision went dark. She coldly gritted her back teeth and said, a bit embarrassed: “It’s mine. How much for that pack? I’ll go back and get the money.”

“Ah, no need, no need. It’s just a few dimes. Let it eat it.” Old Fang said cheerfully. He then looked down at the little snake on the ground and praised sincerely, “Really beautiful. I’ve never seen such a pretty snake.”

“Mhm,” Ah Wan responded somewhat distractedly to Old Fang, her eyes on the little snake on the ground. She then said to Little Snake, “Put it back. You’re not allowed to eat it.”

Little Snake flicked her tongue, looking a bit wronged. She curled her tail around the crispy noodles even tighter, a stubborn look on her face, refusing to let go.

Ah Wan sighed softly and took a bottle of soy sauce from her bag, handing it back to Old Fang. “Trade it for crispy noodles.”

“Ah, okay.” Old Fang knew her temperament and didn’t say much. After taking the soy sauce, he immediately placed the box of crispy noodles on the ground and asked, “I have many flavors, which kind do you want?”

Without even glancing, Ah Wan said directly: “Just pick any.”

Old Fang then took one pack of every flavor, rounding up ten packs for Ah Wan. He also took out a pack of a children’s snack called One Scallion and, looking at Little Snake, asked: “It doesn’t bite, does it?”

“No.” Ah Wan replied, watching Little Snake.

“Ah, then this pack is for it.” Old Fang waved the One Scallion, saying to Little Snake, “For you.”

Little Snake looked at Ah Wan. Seeing that she neither agreed nor stopped her, after hesitating a moment, she still swayed her tail over and took the packaging bag in her mouth.

“Aiya, really cute.” Old Fang couldn’t help but praise again.

Little Snake wagged her tail at Ah Wan, the crispy noodles rustling.

A bit of the frost on Ah Wan’s face melted away, but her tone remained relatively cold. She looked down at her and said: “Go home.”

Little Snake immediately turned around and crawled away.

With a One Scallion in her mouth and a pack of crispy noodles curled in her tail, she couldn’t even crawl steadily. Yet even so, she refused to let go, wobbling all the way back home.

Ah Wan walked behind, and seeing her ecstatic appearance, she couldn’t help but raise the corners of her lips.

Arriving home, Little Snake immediately transformed into human form. After putting on her clothes, she held the two snacks, looking them over with novelty.

When Ah Wan walked in, she immediately ran up to her and handed over the snacks. It was obvious she didn’t know how to eat them.

“You want to eat?” Ah Wan put her things in the kitchen and turned to look at her.

Little Snake nodded her head vigorously and flicked her tongue in reply: “Want!”

Then she stretched her hand forward again, shaking the packages. “Human, teach Snakey how to eat.”

Ah Wan glanced down once, pursed her lips, and said quietly: “You’re only allowed one pack. Choose yourself.”

Hearing this, Little Snake was extremely troubled. She looked at the two snacks again and again, unable to decide for ages.

Ah Wan lost her patience and turned to walk away.

Little Snake panicked, immediately grabbed hold of her, and handed out the crispy noodles. She said happily and hopefully: “Want this, Human.”

Ah Wan took the crispy noodles but didn’t open it for her immediately. Instead, she tilted her head and gestured with her eyes towards the Chinese medicine on the counter, instructing: “Go prepare the medicine. When it’s done, I’ll let you eat it.”

Hearing this, Little Snake wanted to argue, but when she saw Ah Wan’s expression, she immediately fell silent. She walked around her reluctantly to stand before the counter. After looking at it, she turned her head back and asked quietly, still unwilling to give up: “Just one bite first?”

Ah Wan didn’t agree. She raised the crispy noodles in her hand and shook them, raising an eyebrow with a taunting smile. She replied viciously: “If it’s not prepared well, I’ll crush them all up in front of you.”

Little Snake’s two big eyes nearly cried into bowls of egg drop soup. She picked up the small pot, huffing with anger, and went to get water to brew the medicine.

The smell of Chinese medicine was too overpowering. Little Snake stood guard in the kitchen, brewing it while retching. Scales on her neck and arms flickered in and out of visibility.

Ah Wan leaned against the doorframe, quietly watching. She found it inexplicably cute, and the corner of her mouth involuntarily rose.

A whole pot of medicine was brewed down into one thick bowl. Little Snake, with a bitter face, carried it over and handed it to Ah Wan, tilting her head away, unwilling to even speak.

“Mhm!”

Ah Wan laughed. She smacked the crispy noodles on her head, then tore it open and gave it to her before taking the bowl.

Little Snake took the crispy noodles and ran off in delight, sitting at the table and eating happily.

Crunchy, so fragrant.

Ah Wan looked at her with slightly curved brows, her gaze never moving away. She raised her hand and drank the entire bowl of medicine in one go.

But as soon as the bitter, astringent medicine went down her throat, she instantly sensed something was wrong. Her pupils dilated immediately. She looked down at the empty bowl in disbelief.