Chapter 29

Couple?

A question mark slowly formed above Little Snake’s head. She shook her head, looking utterly bewildered. “I don’t know.”

“Ha,” Ah Wan sneered, staring at her intently. “You don’t know?”

After speaking, she gritted her teeth helplessly. “Stupid snake.”

Then, with an overbearing force, she squeezed her own hand into Little Snake’s fingers, gripping tightly, and pulled her forward.

The Couple’s Booth was located further inside, very quiet, and offered strong privacy.

Upon entering, there was a dining table. On the other side of a screen partition was a large, soft-looking beanbag chair, and facing it was an 85-inch large television.

The waiter turned on the warm orange lights and guided Ah Wan and Little Snake toward the lounge area.

The moment Little Snake saw the beanbag chair, her eyes lit up. “What a huge snake nest!”

She ran over and plopped down, her whole body sinking into it, like a large, soft, fluffy bread loaf cradling her gently.

The waiter didn’t understand what she meant, nor did they become suspicious, chalking it up to some new internet slang he didn’t know.

After all, in broad daylight, under the clear sky, could there really be demons?

Ah Wan watched her with eyes full of doting affection. Then she turned, opened a cabinet, and put all the things she had bought inside.

Little Snake saw this and immediately started whimpering, stretching her hand out toward Ah Wan. “My big phone.”

Hearing this, Ah Wan turned to glance at her. After a moment’s hesitation, she took the tablet out of its box for her, locked the cabinet door, and walked over to sit down next to her.

In one hand, Little Snake was already holding her phone, and with the other, she impatiently reached for the tablet.

Ah Wan lifted it away, not giving it to her immediately. Looking down, she set a condition beforehand. “No playing when we’re eating. Can you agree to that?”

“Okay, okay.” Little Snake nodded hurriedly, stretching her hand to grab it. Only then did Ah Wan give it to her, secretly rubbing her head in the process.

The waiter brought the menu from the table and handed it to Ah Wan, speaking softly and politely. “Hello, please order your dishes.”

Ah Wan reached out to take it, her other hand moving naturally to wrap around Little Snake’s shoulders, pulling her into her arms. She leaned over, gently touched their heads together, and then showed her the menu.

“Stop playing for a moment. See what you’d like to eat.”

Only then did Little Snake shift her attention from her little phone and big phone to the menu. Even so, she was unwilling to let go of them, letting Ah Wan hold the menu while she pointed at it like she was using a phone.

“This, this, this, all of them!”

The waiter noted it down at the side. A sound came from the door as two more people arrived to help set the table. One of them walked over and said apologetically and gently, “I’m sorry, ma’am, our kitchen is a bit busy today. The dishes might take about half an hour longer. These are complimentary snacks; you can have something to nibble on while you wait.”

“Also, would you like me to put on a movie for you? You can enjoy the snacks while waiting.”

“Mm.”

Ah Wan’s attention was entirely on Little Snake. She was looking down at her fluffy hair top, her little hand pointing wildly, filling the entire menu, paying no attention to what the waiter was saying.

Receiving an affirmative, the waiter immediately turned on the TV and thoughtfully selected a movie with a same-sex romance theme.

The instant the sound started, Ah Wan suddenly came to her senses. “Wait a moment…”

“Wah!” Little Snake beside her exclaimed, tilting her head up with eyes full of stars. “Big, big phone!”

“Is there something wrong?”

The waiter asked curiously.

Ah Wan glanced at the little one, whose eyes were already glued to the TV, entranced. She sighed helplessly. “It’s nothing.”

“Alright, we’ll leave you for now. Please press the bell if you need anything.”

The waiter prepared to leave. Just before closing the door, she whispered to Ah Wan, “We’ll contact you before bringing the main dishes. If you temporarily don’t wish to be disturbed, please also let us know.”

“Mm.” Ah Wan responded flatly.

The waiter left. Only the two of them remained in the room.

Little Snake stared at the TV without blinking. Ah Wan looked down, took a shallow breath, then very skillfully took out her phone and opened a shopping app, starting to browse for large televisions.

There was certainly no time to go shopping today. They needed to get home early after eating to collect packages, so she could only buy online and have someone come install it.

Little Snake looked at the big TV, then at her little phone in her hand. After a moment’s thought, she tossed it haphazardly into Ah Wan’s arms, sat up properly, and pointed a finger at the big screen.

Ah Wan placed her order, put away her phone, and pulled Little Snake’s hand into her embrace, letting her lean against her shoulder to watch quietly. After secretly kissing her hair, she finally replied in a doting tone, “It’s bought.”

“Woo, Human, you’re the best.”

Little Snake turned to look at Ah Wan, wanting to lean in and kiss her and nuzzle, but Ah Wan pressed her head back down.

Ah Wan exhaled a shallow breath, reached out to poke the phone and tablet resting on her legs, and asked, “Not playing anymore?”

“Mm-mm.”

Little Snake’s heart and mind were full of the big TV. She answered without hesitation.

So Ah Wan put her phone and tablet aside on the table for her, casually unwrapped a small cookie from a plate, and brought it to her mouth. Her fingers teased Little Snake’s cheek, brushing lightly.

“Hungry?”

Little Snake’s eyes were locked on the big TV. She tilted her head and opened her mouth to eat the cookie, her smooth snake tongue lightly sweeping across Ah Wan’s fingertips. Then she shook her head. “Not hungry.”

After saying that, she pointed at the movie on the screen and asked, “What is this?”

“A movie. It tells a story. Just watch carefully.”

Ah Wan gently patted her head, then secretly withdrew her hand, slowly rubbing the fingertip that had just been licked.

“Oh.”

Little Snake answered quietly, snuggling in her arms and watching intently.

This movie was about two girls from a small village, where information was scarce and no one knew what homosexuality was. They fell in love and then escaped their painful families of origin together to seek a new life in the big city.

After watching for a long time, Little Snake still didn’t understand why there were always people trying to separate them. It made her heart ache. She couldn’t help thinking: what if, one day, she and Human were also separated?

Thinking of this, Little Snake tilted her head up to look at Ah Wan, gazing at her with a pitiful, sorrowful expression.

Ah Wan smiled slightly and turned Little Snake’s head back. “Watch your TV. What are you looking at me for?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the scene on the screen suddenly changed. The two girls began kissing passionately in a cramped, narrow rented room.

Little Snake’s eyes immediately widened, watching curiously.

Seeing this, Ah Wan didn’t hesitate. She raised her hand to cover Little Snake’s eyes, pulling her closer into her arms, and simultaneously covered her ears.

“Human, what are you doing?”

Little Snake grabbed Ah Wan’s fingers and pried open a crack, secretly peeking through. But the scene had already shifted to the bed, the two girls tangled in a desperate, intimate embrace.

Watching this, a ‘ding’ sound chimed in Little Snake’s mind. Hazily, as if understanding something, she grasped Ah Wan’s hand, suddenly unsure of what to do.

“Cough.”

Ah Wan coughed lightly, released her hands, and prepared to turn off the TV. But just as she let go, Little Snake in her arms looked up at her.

The girl’s skin was fair, her cheeks now slightly flushed. Her gaze was frank and intense as she looked at her.

Ah Wan lowered her eyes to meet hers. After a moment, she averted her gaze first, picked up the remote, and turned off the TV. Her voice sounded slightly unnatural. “Time to eat now.”

“Oh.” For once, Little Snake didn’t cry or fuss. Instead, she obediently agreed, which caught Ah Wan off guard.

She sensed something was off, but didn’t dwell on it. She took hold of Little Snake’s fingertips and led her toward the dining table.

Little Snake followed for two steps, then suddenly exclaimed “Ah!”, turned around to hug all the phones on the table to her chest, and only then came back to obediently place her hand in Ah Wan’s.

Twenty minutes later, the waiter came in to serve the dishes. Ah Wan sat quietly at the table, lost in thought. Little Snake, beside her, held the tablet playing a casual elimination game.

The waiter cleared the previous items and began placing the dishes. The restaurant’s presentation was beautiful; the food on the table looked almost like paintings.

Finally, the waiter brought over a dessert plate and asked, spoon in hand, “Would you like to record a video?”

“Hm?” Little Snake, who was playing her game, looked up curiously, not understanding.

Ah Wan glanced over, pointed at her phone, and said, “Tap this to record a video.”

“Oh.”

Little Snake did as she was told. As soon as she opened the camera app, she saw the dishes on the table appear inside the phone. So startled that she stood up, she exclaimed, “Wow!”

The waiter asked, “Started recording?”

Hearing this, and looking at the dessert, Little Snake cleverly moved her phone to aim it properly and then nodded. “Mm-mm, I’m recording.”

As she spoke, the waiter began tapping with the spoon. Tiny ice cracks appeared on the round dessert egg, looking like a piece of porcelain. Two more taps, and the dessert egg shattered. White smoke hidden inside instantly gushed out.

“Wow, wow, wow! Do it again!”

Little Snake held her phone up, ecstatic.

Hearing this, the waiter subconsciously looked toward Ah Wan.

Ah Wan rested her chin on one hand, watching Little Snake quietly, lost in play. Then she turned to the waiter and said, “Mm. Bring her another one.”

Only after they cracked two desserts, spending one hundred and sixty yuan, did Little Snake contentedly put away her phone. She turned, sat close next to Ah Wan, and savored the moment. “So fun.”

A bit of sugar was stuck to the corner of her mouth.

Ah Wan gently wiped it away for her. Seeing this unsophisticated look, her heart softened. She spoke tenderly, “Like it? Let’s crack another one.”

“Don’t want to.” Little Snake shook her head, refusing. She inched closer to Ah Wan, nuzzling against her arm. Pointing at the meat on the plate, she then opened her mouth wide and pointed inside. “Ah~”

Seeing how practiced she was, Ah Wan couldn’t help pinching her fleshy cheek and teasing deliberately, “You’re really getting more and more pushy, you know?”

Despite her words, she still picked up a slice of raw meat and fed it to her. Only after feeding her did she coax, “How about some cooked food, okay?”

“Mm-mm.” Little Snake stuck out her snake tongue slightly and responded obediently. Ah Wan then put the meat slices into the pot.

In the end, the two of them finished sixteen plates of meat. To be precise, Ah Wan ate less than half a plate, while Little Snake ate fifteen and a half.

This wasn’t strange. At home, her portion of meat was measured by the lump, a lump bigger than her head. Sold in slices at the restaurant, it would probably last a whole day.

There were also a plate of tender vegetable hearts and a plate of mushrooms on the table, ordered by Ah Wan. But Little Snake refused to even look at them.

“If you don’t like vegetables, how come you nibbled away half a leaf back then?” Ah Wan asked, pinching Little Snake’s cheek.

Lately, she seemed addicted to pinching Little Snake’s face. Soft and yielding, it felt wonderful; Ah Wan simply didn’t want to let go.

Chewing meat in her mouth, Little Snake didn’t fuss when her cheek was pinched. She obediently allowed it, squinting one eye and answering honestly, “Back then, Snakey’s tummy was hungry. Couldn’t find meat, so could only eat veg.”

She even added seriously, “Veg not tasty. Snakey doesn’t love it.”

Hearing this, Ah Wan’s conscience, exceptionally, experienced a pang of dull pain. She withdrew her hand. Using the back of her hand, which was softer than her fingertips, she rubbed Little Snake’s cheek and promised quietly, “I’ll never let you go hungry again.”

“Mm!” Little Snake believed her completely. She tilted her head to actively nuzzle against Ah Wan’s hand, her big eyes blinking softly. “Human is the best.”

Utterly adorable.

Ah Wan’s heart stirred at the sight. She swallowed involuntarily, then let go of her hand and turned away.

Little Snake chased after her, clinging to her as if boneless. She wanted Ah Wan to cook the meat for her, wanted her to feed her. Spoiled, she grew bolder and bolder.

After finishing the meal, it was already past two in the afternoon. Ah Wan checked the time; they needed to prepare to go home soon.

The waiter came in to clean up, so she went to get the things from the cabinet.

Little Snake stood nearby with nothing to do. With a guilty conscience, she glanced left and right, then slowly edged over holding her phone and tablet. She asked the waiter in a hushed voice, “That thing we just watched… what is it?”

As she spoke, she pointed toward the big TV.

The waiter paused, catching on, and assumed she was asking for the movie’s title. “It’s called ‘Spring Field,’ I think. You can search for it on your phone.”

Hearing this, Little Snake looked curiously at the phone in her arms, amazed. “Little phone can watch it too?”

“Mm, if you have a membership, you probably can.”

The waiter replied again. Although their conversation was on completely different tracks, somehow it still connected.

Ah Wan walked over carrying shopping bags. Before she could even open her mouth, she saw Little Snake standing by the table chatting with someone else, laughing foolishly.

The instant she saw this, an uncomfortable feeling rose in her heart. Her face darkened.

Ah Wan frowned slightly, took a deep breath, and then, seeming outwardly calm but inwardly gritting her teeth, called out, “Let’s go. Going home.”