Chapter 36

Ah Wan reached out and gently stroked Little Snake’s long hair. Supporting her waist, she lifted her a bit higher to sit on her own lower abdomen, then looked up, her gaze tender.

“Are you hungry? I’ll grill some meat for you in a bit.”

Hearing this, Little Snake didn’t react with her usual joy. Instead, she braced her hands on Ah Wan’s shoulders, looking down with a somewhat dejected expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Ah Wan reached up to stroke her forehead. Her other hand gently patted Little Snake’s back rhythmically, her voice soft as she comforted her. “Why are you unhappy?”

Little Snake pursed her lips. Hooking her arms around Ah Wan’s neck, she said quietly, “Today, Snakey played with your phone…”

“Mhm,” Ah Wan tilted her head slightly, her expression gentle but with a hint of playful amusement hiding at the corner of her lips. She patted her, guiding her. “You played with my phone, and then what?”

Little Snake seemed to realize she had done something wrong. Lowering her eyes, she said pitifully, “Someone sent you messages. Snakey replied. Then she just kept sending messages, kept sending, kept sending.”

As she spoke, she worked herself up into a state of anger. Using her hand, she pressed against the phone in her pajama pocket, mimicking her actions for Ah Wan. “She even called. I hung up on her. She kept calling, kept calling. I put it in my pocket, but covering it didn’t help at all.”

She added, righteously indignant: “It was really annoying.”

Ah Wan laughed at this. She casually swatted Little Snake on the bottom, frowning as she deliberately scolded, “You replied to my messages without permission, and you still dare act so self-righteous?”

Hearing this, Little Snake’s bravado finally weakened. She reached out to grab Ah Wan’s arm, her voice small and timid. “But Snakey was angry.”

“What are you angry about?” Ah Wan asked, amused.

“She sent you a message saying she misses you. Snakey has never sent that.”

Little Snake’s defiant spirit flared up again. Clutching Ah Wan’s arm, she stared wide-eyed, looking fierce, and declared, “This is not allowed. No, you can’t. I won’t allow it!”

She was so angry she repeated it three times.

“Why isn’t it allowed?” Ah Wan looked her straight in the eye, leaning in closer and closer.

That beautiful face suddenly magnified right before her eyes. Little Snake’s breath caught. She stared, dumbstruck, unable to help flicking her tongue out. A little helplessly, she tried to control her ragged breathing, but the more she tried, the more disordered it became.

“Speak,” Ah Wan cupped her face, using the pad of her thumb to gently rub Little Snake’s soft, rosy lips, guiding her. “Why isn’t it allowed?”

Little Snake herself couldn’t articulate why it wasn’t allowed. Flustered by Ah Wan’s questioning, she pondered for ages before blurting out: “It just isn’t allowed.”

It was a bossy statement delivered with a hint of timidity.

Upon hearing this, Ah Wan let out a couple of short laughs. She leaned back against the sofa, patting the outside of Little Snake’s thigh, looking up into her eyes, and said nonchalantly, “You’ve been getting more and more domineering lately. Have I spoiled you too much?”

After saying this, her tone deepened slightly, as if talking to herself. “Now you’re trying to control what others send me. You don’t send me any yourself.”

“I will! I’ll send one right now.” Hastily, Little Snake pulled out her phone from her pocket. But after opening it, she hesitated, looking at the single contact on WeChat.

Ah Wan paused for a second, then leaned her head in, touching their foreheads together. She looked down at Little Snake’s phone, let out a soft laugh, and said slowly, “Go on. Send it.”

Little Snake glanced up at her stealthily. She laughed a couple of times, a bit embarrassed, and said sheepishly, “Snakey still can’t write yet.”

Ah Wan inhaled deeply. Her eyes held a smile as she looked at Little Snake, a mix of helplessness and affection in her voice. “Then it’ll have to be an IOU for now. We’ll talk about it after you’ve learned.”

With that, she supported Little Snake’s bottom with one hand and suddenly stood up.

The sudden feeling of weightlessness startled Little Snake. She quickly wrapped her arms tightly around Ah Wan’s neck. Her long legs hung around Ah Wan’s waist, clamping tightly. She let out a frightened little squeak.

“Human, where are we going?”

Ah Wan held her securely with one hand, letting her lie against her shoulder. She walked into the kitchen, opened a cabinet, and said, “Getting tongs, to grill meat for you.”

After speaking, she closed the cabinet door, then turned and opened the refrigerator, taking out two bottles of alcohol held between her fingers. Then, carrying Little Snake, she walked back.

A comedy movie was playing on the television. The room was filled with the aroma of grilling meat.

Ah Wan, her sleeves rolled up, grilled meat for Little Snake without a moment’s pause. Yet, she still couldn’t feed her fast enough.

Little Snake’s mouth was like a hamster’s cheek pouch, bulging and remarkably good at storing food. She could eat two large pieces of meat in one go.

The meat on the grill pan was sizzling with oil. Freshly sliced fresh pork was the most fragrant—even just with a sprinkle of salt, it was incredibly delicious. The aroma could drift for miles around.

Ah Wan picked up a large slice of meat, already perfectly grilled, and placed some pork belly onto it. She added some shredded vegetables as a side, brushed on a layer of secret meat sauce, wrapped it all up tightly, then turned and brought it to Little Snake’s mouth.

A pink forked tongue lightly curled, scooping the meat-wrapped slice into her mouth in one bite. Her cheeks bulged out on both sides. She closed her eyes and chewed blissfully.

“Big meat slice wrapping small meat slice… so delicious,” Little Snake mumbled indistinctly. She pulled a napkin to wipe her mouth, chewed randomly twice, then swallowed it whole. She immediately turned her head and opened her mouth wide towards Ah Wan, waiting obediently.

Ah Wan lifted a hand to close her mouth for her, casually pinching her cheek. “Don’t eat so fast. I can’t wrap them fast enough.”

“Then Snakey can eat by herself.” As soon as Little Snake spoke, it seemed like she was about to drool, looking as if she could devour every piece of meat on the plate in one breath.

But Ah Wan refused without hesitation: “I’ll feed you.”

She didn’t stop her hands while talking, wrapping up another one and bringing it to her mouth. After Little Snake ate it, Ah Wan used her other hand to pick up her wine glass and take a sip.

This time, Little Snake genuinely slowed down, chewing in small, delicate bites.

She didn’t like watching comedy films, so she lowered her head to fiddle with her tablet, playing her house decoration game on it.

Ah Wan watched her quietly. The girl’s fair little face was tinged with a faint pink, partially hidden by the fluffy collar of her pajamas. Eating and playing the game seemed impossible to do simultaneously. When she encountered a difficult part in the game, her round, bulging cheeks would suddenly stop their chewing motion, as if her entire body was concentrating on the problem. Once the game obstacle was solved, she’d relax and start chewing again.

Watching this, Ah Wan’s breath suddenly caught. Desire gradually crept into her dark eyes. Her throat moved slightly. She couldn’t help but reach out to touch that round, soft cheek.

Sure enough, like a startled little hamster, Little Snake instantly froze. She slowly shifted her gaze, looking over curiously. “Hmm?”

Ah Wan didn’t speak. She just immediately withdrew her unbridled gaze. Coughing twice, somewhat awkwardly, she casually picked up a piece of lettuce leaf. Then, as if trying to cover something up, she used her chopsticks to place a piece of pork belly, grilled to a crispy, fragrant finish, onto the lettuce leaf. She sprinkled on some pepper powder and a lethal amount of chili flakes, casually wrapped the lettuce, and took a bite, eating half of it.

“Hmm?” Little Snake noticed. She immediately asked anxiously, “Human, what are you eating?”

As she spoke, she leaned in closer to sniff, unable to stop herself from praising, “It smells so good.”

Her face was full of craving.

Ah Wan watched her sniffing around, rubbing against her body like a little puppy. Her heart softened. She lowered her head and secretly kissed Little Snake’s hair, then explained gently, “It’s very spicy. You can’t handle it.”

“Just a tiny taste.” Little Snake looked up, pinching her thumb and forefinger together to indicate a minuscule amount.

Ah Wan ignored her, saying stubbornly, “No. If you get spicy and cry, I don’t want to have to console you.”

“Human…” Little Snake grabbed her hand and shook it gently. Then, pressing her palms together under her chin like a prayer, she blinked her big eyes and coaxed softly, “Snakey promises not to cry. Just one little bite.”

Ah Wan turned her head to look. Gazing at that face, she froze for a moment, her ears instantly turning red. Her gaze immediately dropped, landing on the hand still holding hers.

The fluffy pajama sleeves were rolled back twice, revealing slender, pale wrists. After being fed lavishly with big fish and meat for so long, Little Snake had only just managed to put on a little weight. Yet that wrist was still a full size smaller than Ah Wan’s own. It could be easily enclosed in her hand, with room to spare.

Ah Wan grabbed her hand and pushed her away. But halfway through the push, they both froze.

Little Snake slowly processed the situation. Without hesitation, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth wide, as if building up energy, preparing to cry a massive, epic cry.

Without time to think of anything else, Ah Wan almost instinctively shoved the remaining half of her uneaten spicy meat wrap into Little Snake’s mouth. After doing so, she could only helplessly warn: “If it’s too spicy, you’re not allowed to cry.”

She added: “I won’t comfort you.”

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm,” Little Snake nodded vigorously. “Snakey promises not to cry.”

After speaking, she couldn’t wait any longer and gobbled the bite down.

Ah Wan craved spicy food; no spice, no joy. This level of spiciness was unbearable for Little Snake.

So, the moment it entered her mouth, Ah Wan clearly saw Little Snake’s little face instantly flush bright red. The redness slowly spread to her ears and neck.

Ah Wan chuckled. She leaned in and whispered slowly into her ear, “Spicy or not?”

Little Snake drew a shallow breath, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly replied, “Not spicy.”

“Oh?” Ah Wan watched her face getting redder and redder, then deliberately said, “Should I wrap up another piece for you then?”

Little Snake was gasping in tiny, shallow breaths from the spiciness, her eyes swimming with moisture. Hearing this, she hastily shook her head. “No more. You eat it yourself. Snakey doesn’t like it.”

After speaking, she put down the tablet, grabbed the water pitcher from the coffee table, and started chugging it down, gulping loudly.

Seeing this, Ah Wan started to feel heartache. She got up and went to the refrigerator to get some milk. Returning to the sofa, she gently pulled Little Snake into her arms, bringing the glass to her lips, coaxing her in a soft, careful voice: “Take a sip and hold it in your mouth.”

Little Snake didn’t like drinking milk, but she couldn’t care less at this moment. Without a word, she clutched the glass and took a huge gulp.

Then she looked up at Ah Wan, a picture of pitiful grievance.

Ah Wan rubbed and kneaded her neck, leaning over to gently bump their heads together, her tone incredibly doting. “You fuss if I don’t give you any, but then you can’t handle it when you do. Forget it, from now on, no more chili peppers in the dishes at home.”

Little Snake blinked at her. She could only understand the literal meaning of Ah Wan’s words but had no idea what this concession truly meant for Ah Wan.

After all that fuss, Ah Wan indeed put away the chili flakes, leaving only the meat sauce that Little Snake loved. She continued grilling meat for her.

Late into the night, the all-meat banquet finally ended. Ah Wan went to wash up. Little Snake, left alone on the sofa, secretly changed the movie—it was still Spring Field.

Ah Wan came out after washing, rubbing her hair with a towel. She stopped abruptly at the doorway, frowning slightly at the familiar storyline and characters on the television screen.

She felt some displeasure, even jealousy.

Little Snake loved this movie. She was just watching it, completely absorbed, when the TV screen suddenly went black, reflecting Ah Wan’s silhouette in the dark glass.

She looked up and saw Ah Wan standing right beside her, the remote control in her hand.

“Go wash up and get ready for bed.”

After speaking, Ah Wan put the remote aside, sat down on the sofa, and looked down at Little Snake, her face dark, wearing an expression that brooked no defiance.

The words the little one wanted to say got stuck in her throat and she swallowed them back down. Glaring at her with a dissatisfied “hmph,” she got up, clenched her fists, and walked away.

After Little Snake left, Ah Wan turned the TV back on. On screen, the two figures were locked in a desperate, life-and-death embrace, as if they wanted to devour each other whole, to permanently fuse into each other’s very bones and blood.

Ah Wan watched the second half with a blank expression. She didn’t find anything particularly special about it. She turned off the TV, got up, and went back to her room to sleep.

After washing up, Little Snake didn’t go out to cling to her. Instead, she went straight to bed in a sulk. Using her own barely-used pillow, she faced the inside of the room, sleeping and huffing angrily.

Ah Wan glanced at her and didn’t disturb her. She turned off the light and gently lifted a corner of the quilt to lie down.

Two people sleeping in the same bed. One lay flat on her back, the other curled on her side, facing away. A deep rift formed between them, the cold air rushing straight in. Within moments, it chilled them both to the bone.

Ah Wan turned her head, using the hazy moonlight to look at the human with her back to her. After thinking for a moment, she reached out and touched Little Snake’s back.

Since she wore thin clothes to sleep and wasn’t covered by the blanket, her back was now icy cold.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ah Wan immediately shifted over, wrapping herself tightly around her, warming Little Snake’s back with her own chest. Pressing close to her cheek, she whispered into Little Snake’s ear: “Are you sulking at me?”

Little Snake didn’t speak. In the darkness, she kept her large eyes wide open, picking aggrievedly at the embroidery on her pajamas.

“Why are you angry?” Ah Wan gently nuzzled Little Snake’s ear and neck with the tip of her nose. Her warm breath as she spoke cascaded over the thin skin, so hot it made Little Snake flinch, letting out a suppressed little whimper. Yet she still stubbornly remained silent.

Ah Wan ran out of patience. She grasped one of Little Snake’s wrists, firmly turning her over. Pressing her forehead against Little Snake’s, her tone a bit heavy, she pressed: “Do you like watching other people that much? Or do you just really like watching that human? Hmm?”

Little Snake finally let out a sound, but she clearly hadn’t understood the meaning behind the question at all.

Ah Wan had drunk a little alcohol before bed. Though not drunk, the alcohol had still invaded her brain, steering her towards doing some bad, “improper” things. She felt a bit despicable, loathing her own current actions, yet unable to resist using this as an excuse to gradually draw closer to the human in her arms.

“What’s interesting about watching others kiss,” Ah Wan murmured softly.

Then, tightly grasping Little Snake’s slender wrist, she leaned down and pressed over her.

In the darkness, Little Snake’s eyes flew wide open, her whole body tensed, fixed intently on Ah Wan.

Ah Wan gently rubbed their cheeks together. She cupped Little Snake’s face and kissed the tip of her nose, taking that tiny pink mole between her lips and sucking on it softly. Then she spoke:

“Close your eyes, stupid snake.”

Hearing this, Little Snake immediately shut her eyes obediently. A mixture of nervousness and anticipation filled her as she waited.

Ah Wan tenderly covered both of Little Snake’s ears, then slowly lowered her head.

First, their heated breaths mingled. Then, soft lips tentatively brushed together.

Little Snake didn’t resist. Her previously tense body gradually relaxed, though her tightly closed eyes couldn’t hide her emotions—her thick lashes trembled continuously.

Ah Wan cast aside all the messy, alcohol-induced wild thoughts. Her eyes were clear and bright now. She extended the tip of her tongue and patiently licked along Little Snake’s lip seam.

It seemed as if a lifetime’s worth of patience was poured into this act. Tenderly, meticulously, she cared for the girl in her arms, taking Little Snake’s moist, soft, forked tongue into her mouth for a rapturous, deep kiss.

The slippery, soft snake tongue was tangled and worked until it could offer no resistance. The narrow, flat stomach was kneaded wantonly by those hands, bearing the slight roughness of thin calluses.

The caress made Little Snake’s body turn limp. Frowning, she trembled minutely in Ah Wan’s arms, letting out soft sobs and shivering intensely for a spell.

“So fast…” Ah Wan was astonished. She paused for a second, then held her, stroking her back. Her voice lifted, carrying a satisfaction she didn’t bother to hide. She bit Little Snake’s ear affectionately. “How can you be this sensitive? I haven’t even touched you yet.”

“Don’t… Human, don’t bully Snakey like this.”

Bullied to the point where the corners of her eyes were tinged red, Little Snake looked utterly pitiful and lovable. Sobbing, she tried to push against Ah Wan’s chest, but instead was pressed down on even tighter. In desperation, she weakly tried to kick her with a soft leg, only to have it easily caught in Ah Wan’s hand.

“Learned to kick people now, have you?”

Ah Wan toyed with her delicate, pale foot. Her cool fingertips traced inch by inch over her skin, then suddenly paused. Her lips held a smile, the corners of her eyes and brows filled with unconcealed smugness.

Rare were the moments when her emotions were so openly displayed. Now, her chest even vibrated with her laughter. She leaned down and murmured lazily into Little Snake’s ear:

“Baby, how did your little underwear get wet?”