Chapter 44 Part 1

The call was abruptly disconnected. Even through the phone screen, one could feel the other party’s anger.

The little snake let out a couple of “Hewwo? Hewwo?” sounds into the phone. Getting no response, she took it down to look, only to find it had already left the call interface long ago.

She tapped the screen once. When it lit up, she saw that the wallpaper wasn’t her picture anymore either. Instead, it was a wilted foxtail grass woven into something unrecognizable.

The little snake frowned, a bit unhappy.

Ah Wan watched her silently, the corner of her lips carrying a constant smile. She raised her chin slightly and asked: “Who called?”

“Don’t know.” The little snake obediently handed the phone back, adding: “She didn’t say, but she sounded like a human.”

Ah Wan took the phone and slipped it into her pocket. With a light laugh, she replied: “Wouldn’t be calling if she weren’t a human.”

“But she called you ‘Sis’?” The little snake looked at her with a serious, earnest expression, her displeasure written all over her face.

“Mm, and what about it?” Ah Wan finished speaking and gently patted the little snake’s head. Then she stood up and, by extension, pulled the little snake up too. “Come on, let’s go make food. Don’t keep crouching here.”

With that, she let go and turned to leave, not looking like she had any intention of waiting.

The little snake huffed and puffed as she chased after her for a couple of steps. Suddenly remembering something, she ran back to the nest, carefully picked up her shed skin, and then dashed off again, carrying it with her.

“Human, who is she? Why does she call you ‘Sis’?”

“Not important.”

Ah Wan was busy in the kitchen. The little snake, carrying her shed skin, circled around her relentlessly. She stubbornly emphasized childishly: “Important. Important.”

“Who is she really? Why does she call you ‘Sister’?”

This sounded positively sour.

A handful of shiitake mushrooms were soaking in the sink. Ah Wan ignored her, directly rolling up her sleeves to start preparing the meal.

First, she washed the mushrooms clean and put them in a bowl. Then she took out two fist-sized potatoes and prepared to peel them.

The little snake hurriedly dragged her shed skin over again, crouching in front of the trash can and watching Ah Wan with complete concentration. Her face was full of sullen unhappiness. She mumbled quietly: “Even Snakey has never called you ‘Sister’. She calls you ‘Sister’.”

She persisted with her questioning: “Human, who is she really?”

Ah Wan glanced up at her, about to answer, when she suddenly frowned and warned: “Stupid snake, it’s on the floor.”

Only upon hearing this did the little snake follow her gaze. She discovered that due to her crouching posture, a length of the shed skin had just fallen onto the floor.

Fortunately, Ah Wan kept the house floors very clean. It wasn’t dirty.

But the sight of it dragging on the ground still made Ah Wan frown. She simply put down the potato and peeler, turned on the tap to rinse her hands, and dried them.

The little snake stayed quietly crouched, merely lifting the shed skin a bit higher. Ah Wan sighed and gestured with her eyes.

“Follow me.”

“Oh.”

The little snake responded immediately, not daring to delay at all. She quickly picked up her shed skin and followed.

In the backyard, Ah Wan took a stool and found a suitable spot. She first stepped onto it and hung a ring from the beam, securing it with a snap hook. At the bottom dangled a small clip.

Then she stepped down from the stool and turned to the little snake standing nearby, saying, “Hang it up. Don’t keep dragging it around.”

Or it would be torn to shreds sooner or later.

The little snake tilted her head up to look, then looked down at herself. Who knows what was going through her mind, but she suddenly raised her head and asked, “Hang who?”

Then she pointed at her own chest with her thumb, and then at the shed skin in her hand. “Hang Snakey, or hang it?”

Hearing this, Ah Wan took a deep breath, a smile playing on her lips. She beckoned with her hand and said gently, “Come here.”

Seeing this, the little snake’s eyes lit up as if mesmerized. She immediately ran over, tilting her head back to look at Ah Wan, reaching out her arms for a hug. Instead, Ah Wan pulled back her hand and flicked her right on the forehead with a finger snap.

“Hang you,” Ah Wan said deliberately, her tone mocking and bullying. “Hang you up on the roof beam to ward off evil spirits for my house.”

Caught off guard, the little snake stumbled back a step from the flick. She rubbed her forehead painfully and replied obediently, “But Snakey doesn’t know how to ward off evil spirits yet.”

“Then go learn.”

Ah Wan tossed out the remark casually, then stepped onto the stool. “Get up there and hang it yourself.”

“Okay.”

The little snake rubbed her forehead twice more after answering. Only then did she grab the shed skin and, steadying herself by holding Ah Wan’s arm, carefully stepped up onto the stool.

Ah Wan was over 1.7 meters tall. Even though she’d been careful when reaching up to hang the clip, the little snake was about ten centimeters shorter. That height difference had to be made up by standing on tiptoes.

The young girl strained on her tiptoes, reaching for the dangling clip. Ah Wan watched and frowned. Unconsciously, she stepped closer, taking her hands out of her pockets and holding them protectively behind the little snake, staying completely alert.

The clip was lightweight, swaying back and forth with the slightest breeze—hard to catch.

Growing impatient, the little snake let out a couple of frustrated hums. Suddenly, she jumped upwards. The stool wobbled slightly, but luckily Ah Wan was stepping on it firmly and managed to steady it.

Grabbing the clip, the little snake wasted no time clamping her shed skin onto it and hanging it up. Then she looked down.

Ah Wan habitually raised her hands, ready to lift her down. But she saw the little snake lean down and wave her hand, muttering, “You move out of the way.”

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Ah Wan’s face. She gave the little snake a deep look and didn’t speak. She just let out a soft “Mm.” Yet, right in front of her, she deliberately made the stool wobble twice.

Unable to keep her balance, the little snake screamed in fear, her arms flinging open as she pitched straight forward.

Ah Wan immediately lifted her arms and caught her securely, sweeping her into an embrace. Holding her waist and back, she let out two very satisfied low laughs right next to the little snake’s ear.

Realizing she’d been played, the little snake glared angrily, wrapping her arms around Ah Wan’s neck and demanding, “Human, you’re so bad! How could you scare Snakey like that?”

Still feeling she hadn’t let off enough steam, she clenched her fist and thumped Ah Wan on the shoulder twice, hard. She furrowed her brow in anger, let out a “Hmph!”, and crossed her arms, refusing to be held anymore.

Ah Wan didn’t feel any pain or itch from it. Instead, she looked down at the little snake’s hand and muttered to herself, frowning, “Eaten so much of my meat, why haven’t you grown at all?”

Her fist was only the size of a tiny red bean bun; hitting someone was practically a massage.

“Giving me the silent treatment?” Ah Wan lightly patted the little snake’s waist. Instantly, the little snake straightened her back ramrod straight, lifted her chin proudly, and let out a couple of snorts, saying, “Human, I’m angry.”

“Fine, then just stay angry.”

Ah Wan had no intention of coaxing her. She simply carried her back into the house like that, like she was carrying a little ancestor inside.

But honestly, her clearly growing little temper was really no different from a little ancestor’s now.

Entering the kitchen, Ah Wan skillfully placed her in her usual spot on the countertop, then turned away to start cooking.

The potatoes were peeled and cut into chunks. She took out a pack of chopped chicken pieces from the fridge, planning to make a pot of Braised Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms and Potatoes for the little snake.

Ah Wan rinsed the chicken pieces once first, then blanched them. She scooped them out and set them aside to drain. Next, she set up the wok, preparing to stir-fry the blanched chicken.

The oil bottle was placed near where the little snake was sitting. After drying her hands, Ah Wan turned and walked over to get it.

Recently, the little snake had become somewhat spoiled due to all the doting. Her temper was getting bigger and bigger. Not only did she dare to openly sulk with Ah Wan, but now she was even giving her the cold shoulder directly.

Ah Wan walked over, standing right in front of her and reaching past her to grab the oil bottle. The little snake simply turned her face away with a heavy, proud “Hmph!”

Seeing this, Ah Wan laughed despite herself. She reached out, pinched the little snake’s cheek, and turned her head back around, only to find her still holding her back rigidly straight, just like before.

“Still mad at me?” Ah Wan spoke first.

The little snake listened, opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly remembered the tough words she’d just thrown out. She clamped her mouth shut again immediately.

Ah Wan’s fingertip gently brushed across her rosy lips. Then she leaned in, slowly closing the distance.

The two drew closer and closer, their warm breaths gradually intertwining.

The little snake stared fixedly at the Human’s mouth. She couldn’t help but swallow, then habitually closed her eyes.

Seeing this, Ah Wan suddenly stopped advancing. She leaned in close to the little snake’s ear and whispered smugly, “Then you’d better never open your mouth to talk to me again. Or else I’ll laugh at you.”

With that, she grabbed the oil bottle nearby and moved away, leaving behind only a faint, elusive fragrance.

The oil heated up, and the chicken pieces went in. Sizzle! As soon as the sound rang out, Ah Wan started stir-frying. The little snake’s attention was involuntarily drawn over.

After the chicken was stir-fried for a bit, the aroma gradually emerged. The little snake’s saliva immediately started flowing freely. She opened her starry eyes wide and asked curiously, “Human, what are you making?”

Ah Wan glanced at her and smiled, “Thought you weren’t talking to me?”

Hearing this, the little snake shrank her neck back tremblingly, giving her a wronged, pitiful look.