Chapter 12

Little Snake slowly climbed onto her shoulder and rubbed her head against her cheek, saying ingratiatingly, “Human, Snakey keep you company.”

Ah Wan: ……

“Did I say I needed you to keep me company?”

Little Snake guiltily drooped her head, flicking her tongue and pretending not to hear, but her tail was tightly coiled around the edge of the back basket.

It was clear she had no intention of going back.

Ah Wan turned her head to look. They were almost at the foot of the mountain. Telling her to go back now was almost impossible. She could only stiffen her face and warn, “Stay close to me. No talking. Understand?”

“Mhm!” Little Snake nodded vigorously, replying sensibly, “Snakey understands.”

Ah Wan immediately frowned at her.

Little Snake realized her mistake, flicked her tongue twice, then simply stuffed the tip of her tail into her mouth and held it there. She then lay on Ah Wan’s shoulder and said nothing.

Ah Wan looked at her and sighed, then turned and continued down the mountain.

As soon as they descended, she saw a tourist nearby drinking the Door-blocking Wine. Girls dressed in traditional ethnic clothing held bowls of wine, surrounded by a crowd. It looked very lively.

Unfortunately, Ah Wan had a cold personality and didn’t like to join in the excitement.

Little Snake lay on Ah Wan’s head, stretching her body out to look in that direction, exclaiming with wonder, “Wow.”

Then she turned her head to Ah Wan. “Should we go over there?”

“No.” Ah Wan refused without hesitation and turned to leave.

Little Snake was still gazing that way. She turned back, asking with some regret, “Really not going… Wow!”

“Then should we go this way?”

On this side, girls were dancing.

Ah Wan didn’t respond. Instead, she reached up, pulled her down, and wrapped her around her hand. Then she pinched her mouth in warning: “Speak again, and I’ll cut out your tongue.”

“Mm!”

Hearing this, the pinkish-white jelly-like flicking tongue that had been waving proudly outside instantly retracted.

Little Snake’s dark, bean-like eyes were filled with terror. Just as she raised her head, wanting to accuse Human of bullying her, her pink tongue barely peeked out before Ah Wan’s hand, mimicking scissors, scared her into shrinking back. She curled up in the crook of Ah Wan’s hand and stayed completely still.

“Don’t play dead. Lie there properly yourself. I’m not responsible if you fall off.”

Ah Wan finished speaking and suddenly released the hand holding her body.

Little Snake’s large head swung downwards heavily. Fortunately, her tail was wrapped around Ah Wan’s wrist. She quickly tightened her coil and slowly raised her head, climbing back up.

“You…”

Ah Wan frowned slightly. The cool, smooth sensation tightening on her wrist made her heart tremble.

The silly snake’s scales were pressing hard against her pulse.

“Hm?”

Little Snake slowly crawled toward her fingers, her head circling around the middle finger before looping back to rest on the back of the hand. Her tail was coiled around her wrist. She looked exquisite, like an icy jadeite bangle, gleaming with a multicolored, translucent white light under the sun. Hearing Ah Wan’s voice, she raised her head and looked at her curiously.

Not allowed to speak, she could only stick out her tongue and touch Ah Wan’s hand.

Ah Wan’s eyes flickered. She pursed her lips and then replied, “It’s nothing.”

She started walking forward.

Little Snake could only lie on the back of her hand, flicking her tongue out of boredom, her bean-like eyes darting everywhere.

The human and snake walked deeper into the village. After about an hour, the crowds thinned. Soon, they saw a two-story, self-built small villa with a flat courtyard not far away.

The courtyard had no extra decorations, filled only with large and small drying mats and herb racks. A young woman was turning over medicinal herbs drying in the sun.

The woman stood at the edge of the yard sorting herbs and recognized Ah Wan from a distance. She hurriedly greeted her warmly, “You’re here?”

“You haven’t been here for half a year. I calculated you’d come within these two months. Come in and sit for a bit.”

“No,” Ah Wan entered the yard without any pleasantries, as cold as a block of wood. She took off her back basket and set it on the ground. “Take a look.”

The woman didn’t mind her attitude. She examined the herbs and said, “Excellent. Same rule as always, I’ll transfer the money directly to your card?”

Ah Wan’s herbs were good, but expensive. This small back basket alone was worth fifty thousand yuan.

The woman had cooperated with her for many years and knew her temperament; she never bargained.

“Mhm,” Ah Wan replied, her tone flat.

Her original intention in growing these herbs wasn’t to sell them for a high price. Before Grandma passed, she had instructed her never to forget to accumulate virtue and do good deeds.

It was just that back then, the old lady treated the sick and saved lives without taking a penny, which eventually led to some trouble.

Ah Wan had no patience and found it annoying, so she simply charged a high price.

The woman collected the herbs and didn’t press Ah Wan to sit and rest. Ah Wan turned to leave but was called back.

“Hey, someone was asking about you a few days ago. It looked like they wanted to ask for your Regeneration Gu.”

Ah Wan’s expression remained indifferent. She replied coldly, “Next time someone asks, tell them to go kneel at the mountain gate and beg. You don’t need to be bothered by them constantly.”

Hearing this, the woman broke out in a cold sweat even in broad daylight.

Ah Wan’s rule: Ask her for a favor, and you either pay with money or with your life.

Years ago, a man, trying to cure his daughter’s illness, listened to a Miao doctor’s advice and risked his life to go up the mountain to beg Ah Wan for medicine. He hadn’t even passed the mountain gate when the Gu insects gnawed the flesh off both his legs. No one knew if he had survived.

But these were matters she dared not inquire about closely. She could only answer quietly, “Alright.”

Ah Wan said no more to her and walked straight out of the yard, intending to return the way she came. But at that moment, the little thing in her hand suddenly stirred, pushing her head insistently in one direction.

Very restless.

Ah Wan looked back. Some family was holding a wedding celebration.

“Want to go see?” she asked, looking down.

Little Snake raised her head and nodded, looking very excited.

“No.” Ah Wan refused immediately and moved to walk away, but an intense squeezing sensation came from her wrist. Little Snake was coiling her tail tightly around it, looking up at her pitifully.

Ah Wan hesitated, then changed her mind. “To make me do things comes with a price. What will you exchange with me?”

Huh? Exchange?

Little Snake clearly didn’t understand. She looked at Ah Wan curiously, her face full of bewilderment.

“Owe me for now.”

Ah Wan threw out a baffling sentence, then changed her route and walked that way with her.

It was a farmhouse wedding. They’d hired a band from town and set up a decent backdrop stage in the courtyard. Many onlookers had gathered.

Ah Wan had no intention of pushing forward. She could see from outside the crowd thanks to her height advantage.

But Little Snake, coiled around her wrist, wasn’t so lucky. All she saw before her were densely packed people. The hot weather also sickened her.

Two children giggled and squeezed in front of her. Seeing her, they first shrieked, then discussed whether it was a real snake or a fake one.

Little Snake didn’t move, lying quietly on Ah Wan’s hand. But when one child stretched out a finger to poke her head, she suddenly reared up, flicked her tongue, and let out a terrifying hiss, scaring the two children into wailing and crying.

Ah Wan glanced down, patted her head gently, and whispered, “Don’t cause trouble.”

Little Snake was defiant. Childishly, she stretched her head out, flicked her tongue, and scared the two kids again. Only then did she obediently crawl up Ah Wan’s arm, disappearing into her sleeve.

The adults ahead were drawn by the children’s crying. They pointed at Ah Wan, saying she had a snake on her.

The adults came over and looked at Ah Wan. She seemed somewhat unapproachable, so each scolded their children a bit and hurriedly pulled them away.

After they left, a little head suddenly poked out and rested on Ah Wan’s shoulder, staring intently at the bridal couple across the way.

“Miss Chen Xianling, are you willing to marry Mr. Zhao Zhe…”

The emcee said loudly into the microphone.

“Marry?”

Little Snake asked curiously from beside Ah Wan’s ear.

Ah Wan replied nonchalantly, “It’s getting married. Two people staying together forever.”

“Forever?” Little Snake repeated thoughtfully.

The emcee ahead spoke again, “Mr. Zhao Zhe, please loudly proclaim your love to your wife!”

Then, thinking himself humorous, he added, “Remember, don’t call out the wrong name, or you might not be able to enter the bridal chamber tonight.”

These words made both bride and groom quite embarrassed.

Ah Wan had no patience to watch further. She turned and walked away with the basket on her back.

Little Snake lay by her ear, asking studiously, “Human, what is a name?”

Hearing this, Ah Wan was silent for a moment. Her expression soured slightly, and she replied dismissively, “You talk too much. Don’t want your tongue anymore?”

Seeing this, Little Snake somewhat angrily slapped her tail against her shoulder, huffing and puffing.

As night fell, the two finally returned home.

Ah Wan hurriedly washed up and lay on the bed. The sound of water came from the bathroom.

She turned a page of her book. The slight sound scraped at her heart; she couldn’t settle down.

A moment later, the water stopped. The bathroom door opened from inside. Little Snake walked out completely naked, her fair skin flushed red from the hot water. Covered in water droplets, she threw herself fiercely into Ah Wan’s arms.

“Human!”

Ah Wan averted her gaze from her. Unbidden, the events of that night came to mind. The tips of her ears reddened.

She put her fist to her lips and coughed lightly twice, her voice slightly hoarse. “Sleep. It’s late.”

Little Snake heard this but wiggled her fair, tender feet. The soles were also an eye-catching pink. She said cheerfully, “Snakey not sleepy.”

Ah Wan didn’t reply. She glanced at her, pulled up the blanket, and gave it a hard shake. Little Snake, lying on the blanket, was instantly shaken off to the foot of the bed.

Little Snake lay at the foot of the bed and stared at her blankly for a moment. Then she suddenly lifted the blanket, burrowed under it, and crawled toward Ah Wan bit by bit, just like when she was in snake form.

The blanket bulged high. Ah Wan couldn’t focus on her book anymore and simply put it down, waiting quietly.

Little Snake pushed up the blanket with her head and burst out with a “wah,” throwing herself into Ah Wan’s arms. The water on her body dampened Ah Wan’s clothes. The body warmth of the two seemed to be merging into a single temperature.

The softness against her chest was impossible to ignore. Ah Wan looked down at her quietly.

“Human!” Little Snake lay on her chest, stretching out her fair, tender arms to circle Ah Wan’s neck, asking excitedly, “Does Snakey have a name?”

“No,” Ah Wan replied flatly.

“Does Human have a name?”

Ah Wan paused. Her fingers slowly traced the edge of the book page.

Then she closed the book and set it aside.

“Forgot.”

Hearing this, Little Snake looked regretful. She nestled in her arms, mumbling to herself, “No name, can still get married?”

She wanted to be with Human forever.