Chapter 43

The new snake nest was finished. It was especially large.

Ah Wan, with medical tape wrapped around her fingers, was carefully wiping down the new snake nest with a soft cloth. She then held it up towards a light source and gave it another meticulous visual inspection, checking for any splinters.

Once everything was handled, she finally carried the snake nest back into the house.

The little snake was sprawled on the bed, eating snacks and watching TV, her eyes unblinking. It was as if she was trying to catch up on all the TV she’d missed during the Blindfold Period.

A few colorful little jelly cups were placed beside her hand. The little snake felt around for one, picked it up, and while keeping her eyes glued to the TV, gently tore open a small slit. She then quickly lowered her head and slurped up all the juice inside through that slit.

When something funny played on the variety show, her actions would pause. She’d giggle along with it stupidly for a moment. Once that segment passed, she would then tear the rest of the jelly cup open completely.

She swallowed a wobbly, bouncy jelly in one gulp. After chewing it a couple of times, it slid right down her throat.

Still holding the empty jelly shell, the little snake lowered her head and blew a puff of air into the transparent shell. With a pop, she stuck it onto her own cheek.

She squeezed the shell lightly, and when she let go, it was firmly suctioned on.

Ah Wan walked in. She plopped the snake nest right over the little snake’s head. While unwinding the medical tape from her fingers, revealing a multitude of tiny, fine cuts, she said: “Starting tomorrow, when you shed your skin, you’ll sleep inside this. Don’t go running around.”

The little snake, with the snake nest nearly large enough to cover her entire head perched on her head, turned around. Then she reached up and lifted one side, revealing her face—

She had a full four jelly shells suctioned onto her face.

Ah Wan glanced casually, then froze.

The little snake didn’t speak. She just pressed her lips together and nodded firmly. Then she went right back to watching her variety show.

Recalling the sight she’d just seen, Ah Wan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She leaned down, stuck close to the little snake’s ear, and whispered: “Don’t we have big jelly cups at home? Eat a big jelly, then use the big jelly shell to suck on your mouth. It’s even more fun.”

“Really?” the little snake asked excitedly, looking very interested.

Ah Wan nodded. Without another word, she rolled up her sleeves and went into the bathroom.

Soaking in a basin were river pebbles she’d picked up from the water’s edge. Each one had been carefully selected—ones that would help the little snake shed her skin better without hurting her delicate skin. After washing them clean, she would put them all into the snake nest.

Once Ah Wan finished washing, she placed the pebbles in a box. Carrying it out, she was about to arrange them inside the snake nest when she looked up and saw the little snake sitting on the bed with her back to her, the woven snake nest still covering her head. She was looking down, doing who-knows-what.

Curious, Ah Wan walked over softly and tilted her head to peek at her. She found the little snake using both hands to forcefully pull off the large jelly shell suctioned onto her mouth.

Heaven knows how much suction force she’d used when putting it on; now, even with both hands, she couldn’t pull it off.

The little snake slowly shifted her eyes sideways, stealing a glance at Ah Wan. Then she immediately turned her back to hide, pressing down hard on the snake nest atop her head.

Ah Wan leaned over from behind, tilting her head to look. She let out a chuckle and murmured softly into the little snake’s ear: “If you don’t pull that off soon, your mouth will get broken, you know.”

After saying this, she straightened up and waited quietly.

A moment later, the little snake indeed turned around. She stretched out her arms, hugging Ah Wan and burying herself in her embrace. Then she lifted her head, resting her chin on Ah Wan’s chest, furrowing her brow and whimpering a few times, begging for her help.

Ah Wan wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a couple of gentle pats. Looking down, she smiled a very smug smile before finally reaching up to remove the jelly shell stuck to her mouth.

With a wet pop, a clear purple-red ring, the imprint of the jelly shell, was left around her mouth.

Ah Wan stared silently for three seconds. Suddenly, she squeezed the jelly shell in her hand and burst out into laughter, laughing so hard her entire chest vibrated. She was incredibly amused.

The little snake had originally been feeling a bit glum and embarrassed. But when she looked up and saw how beautifully Ah Wan was laughing, she was momentarily stunned. Her eyes filled with infatuation. Unable to resist, she propped herself up, leaning closer, and reached out to hug Ah Wan’s neck, acting soft and spoiled.

“Human, how can you laugh at Snakey?”

Ah Wan raised an eyebrow with an “Mm?”, reached out, and stroked the little snake’s thick bangs. Her voice was gentle: “What’s the matter? Not allowed to laugh?”

The little snake’s big eyes rolled around mischievously. She said seriously: “Allowed. Only let you laugh.”

As she spoke, she hooked her arms around Ah Wan’s neck and tried to climb up her. At the same time, she puckered her lips with two little smacking sounds, coquettishly calling: “Human, want kiss kiss.”

Ah Wan also wanted to kiss her. But seeing that red ring around her mouth just made her want to laugh. She couldn’t help it and really did laugh. In the end, she simply gave up, pressed the snake nest on top of the little snake’s head down to cover her face, and laughed freely.

Gu feelings moved with the heart. Outside the house, the flower vines on the courtyard wall danced wildly in the wind, looking utterly joyous.

The little snake just burrowed blindly in Ah Wan’s arms, grabbing at her, wanting a kiss. When Ah Wan wouldn’t let her, the two of them tussled, eventually tumbling onto the bed together.

The snake nest was knocked aside. Ah Wan watched the little snake lying before her, blinking her large, limpid eyes. For a moment, she was lost in gazing at her. She only snapped out of it when the little snake leaned over and asked curiously what she was looking at.

“Nothing.”

Ah Wan replied casually. She then reached out, cupped the little snake’s face, and lowered her head, slowly pressing a kiss to her lips.

It was just a simple touch, a couple of times, very light, very light. It felt more like reassurance.

The next morning, Ah Wan woke up groggily. She found her arms empty. Opening her eyes, she immediately searched for the human beside her.

The little snake was sleeping alone on a corner of the bed, her bottom sticking up in the air, practically pressed against the wall.

Ah Wan sighed. She leaned over, pressing close and hugging her from behind. She rested her chin on the little snake’s shoulder for a soft nuzzle. Then she scooped the human into her arms and rolled back to her original position.

They slept for another half an hour. The little snake, still in her dreams, started whimpering groggily, as if she was somewhat uncomfortable.

Hearing this, Ah Wan was instantly alert. She opened her eyes, carefully gathered the little snake into her arms, and then immediately threw back the covers so she wouldn’t get tangled. Right after that, she watched helplessly as the little snake’s slender, pretty legs transformed into a white snake tail, slowly shifting on the bed.

An hour later, the little white snake was obediently curled up inside the snake nest, slowly edging along.

Ah Wan crouched beside her, watching her closely and observing her condition. Not quite at ease, she asked: “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you while you shed your skin?”

As soon as the little white snake heard this, she immediately stopped moving. She raised her head towards Ah Wan and flicked her tongue out a few times, then nudged her with her head, as if trying to shoo her away.

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” Ah Wan immediately took a step back, afraid the little snake might bump and hurt herself. “Don’t move around recklessly.”

After saying this, she got up and took another big step back.

The little snake raised her head high above the snake nest, warily watching the Human. She completely had the look of someone who refused to go back into her nest and shed her skin peacefully until she was sure the Human was gone.

Ah Wan didn’t dare disturb her. She grabbed the tablet nearby and played the snake shedding tutorial video she’d prepared long ago, carefully placing it in front of the snake nest. Then she said: “If you can’t shed it properly, just watch the tutorial.”

The video showed a snake very similar in size and pattern to the little snake, slowly shedding its skin.

The little snake, wearing her beady-eyed expression, crawled over to look. She flicked her tongue out a few times, then flicked her tail towards Ah Wan. A hint of displeasure appeared in her beady eyes.

“How can you watch another snake shed its skin?”

Hearing this, Ah Wan let out a couple of exasperated laughs but didn’t say anything.

The little one during the Shedding Period was sensitive and irritable. Getting jealous was normal.

The video was only halfway through when Ah Wan reached out and turned it off. Holding the tablet in her arms, she crouched down and told the little snake in the nest: “I’ll be right outside the door. Call me if you need anything.”

“Mm, mm, Snakey knows.” The little snake finished speaking, and the tip of her tail twirled twice before pointing straight at the bedroom door. She urged impatiently: “You go out, quick.”

“Mm.”

Ah Wan responded but didn’t leave right away. Instead, she reached her hand behind the little snake’s head, her fingers gently stroking the air just above it, before finally getting up and leaving.

A snake’s shedding process depended entirely on its physical health. A healthy young snake would shed faster, while one in less-than-ideal condition would be slower, sometimes even leaving patches of skin unshed.

Although the little snake was still young, she clearly didn’t belong to that ‘healthy’ category. It was very worrying.

Ah Wan leaned against the wall, anxiously waiting. The Flower Gu outside the house also drooped listlessly, lacking any energy.

What did ‘burning with anxiety yet utterly helpless’ feel like? She was now truly experiencing it.

The room inside was dead silent, with no sound at all. Ah Wan raised her hand and looked at her index finger joint. Moments later, a beautiful pink orchid bloomed right there.

A moment after that, an Orchid Mantis appeared, standing on her finger, gently swaying.

“I really can’t stop worrying.” Ah Wan admitted frankly. Soon, she lowered her eyes, veiling her gaze. The corner of her mouth curled up, and she muttered to herself with a hint of helplessness: “But she won’t let me watch.”

Her words seemed to carry a touch of regret.

Hearing this, the Orchid Mantis raised its two front legs and gestured something. Then, without waiting for Ah Wan’s command, it flew straight towards the crack under the door.

Ah Wan watched it enter the room. A moment later, she turned and leaned back against the wall. Tilting her head up slightly, she closed her eyes. Quietly, she felt the sensations transmitted, the corner of her mouth unconsciously lifting upwards.

Inside the bedroom, the little snake had already successfully shed her skin. Completely bare, she’d walked over to stand in front of the wardrobe, ready to get dressed.

But before she could even pick out what to wear today, the phone placed beside the bed suddenly rang.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the little snake just grabbed any shirt from the wardrobe and ran over to pick up the phone. Seeing that familiar number, she was especially happy and quickly pressed the answer button—

“Hewwo?”

“Hello.”

Outside, Ah Wan was keeping watch without moving an inch. The moment the call connected, her tone held an uncontrollable pride and joy.

“Is your shedding finished?”

Holding the phone, the little snake turned her head to look at the tightly shut door. She nodded vigorously. “Mm, mm, Snakey’s all done shedding.”

“Once you’re done shedding, don’t just wear any random clothes. The quality isn’t good and could easily hurt your skin. Change into the outfit I folded and left on the bed,” Ah Wan said slowly.

Hearing this, the little snake looked down at the shirt she was holding. She tugged at it and muttered curiously: “How do you know what clothes Snakey is wearing?”

Ah Wan cleared her throat somewhat unnaturally and said in a low voice: “I guessed.”

The little snake heard this. Gripping the phone, she immediately exclaimed excitedly: “Wow! Human, you’re so amazing!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she ran over and pulled the door open. Sticking her head out to look at the Human standing beside the door, she held the phone to her ear and said loudly: “Human, do you want to see Snakey’s shed skin? It’s super big, super pretty, super complete!”

Ah Wan hadn’t expected her to suddenly run out like this. She paused for a moment before putting away her phone and replying gently: “Sure.”

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to see it.” The little snake reached out and pulled her along, happily leading the way towards her snake nest.

Inside the nest lay a complete, beautiful white snake shed, without a single tear. The shedding had been perfect.

Ah Wan crouched down to examine it closely. The little snake crouched down too, but not to look at the shed. Instead, she propped her cheeks up with both hands. On the surface, she pretended to be looking too, but in reality, she was stealing glances at the human next to her every now and then.

After looking for quite a while, the little snake’s cheeks suddenly flushed red. She lowered her head slightly and bit her lower lip. Then, pointing at the snake shed in the nest, she said to Ah Wan: “Human, Snakey wants to give this to…”

A sudden, sharp ringtone from the phone’s default settings interrupted what the little snake wanted to say.

Ah Wan took out her phone to check. It was an unfamiliar number, but the area code showed it was local.

She held the phone, silent for a moment, and was about to hang up.

But the little snake was angry that this call had interrupted her words. She directly reached out and took the phone from the Human’s hand.

Expertly pressing the answer button, she put it to her ear.

The human on the other end seemed not to expect the call to be picked up. There was a pause before they started speaking happily: “Sis, I’m at the place where you’re staying…”

“Hewwo?”

The little snake’s tone wasn’t very nice; it was rather fierce and demanding: “Who are you? Why are you calling her?”

“…here.”

The human on the other end squeezed out the last word before falling completely silent, grinding their teeth in fury on the other end of the line.

Why was it this Sweet Girl Voice again?!