Chapter 45

Little Snake turned her head to look. The human before her wore a long white dress, a short denim jacket over it, and a small straw hat adorned with flowers. She was holding a pair of sunglasses in one hand and a cup of milk tea in the other, staring blankly at them.

Ah Wan didn’t even bother turning around. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

Little Snake’s gaze swept over the cup of milk tea twice before she frowned at the woman in the white dress, her cheeks puffing out with some dissatisfaction, though her tone remained soft and gentle. “Who are you?”

After speaking, her eyes darted back to the milk tea. The anger and dissatisfaction between her brows vanished. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at it for a long time before reluctantly tearing her gaze away. She turned back around, frowning deeply, and continued, “Who were you calling just now?”

The woman immediately recognized the moe-girl voice from the phone call. She was so angry she nearly jumped up and down on the spot, her chest heaving violently. Raising an eyebrow with a haughty attitude, she lifted her chin arrogantly and replied, “Who I call is none of your business. And who are you?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she strode briskly toward the silent Ah Wan, instantly plastering a wide smile on her face. “Sister.”

“Hmm?” Alarm bells rang in Little Snake’s heart. She shielded Ah Wan, frowning and glaring as she shouted unhappily, “Who are you? Why are you calling her Sister?”

She even stepped forward aggressively, stomping her feet to try and scare her away.

She actually wanted to slap the ground with her tail, feeling it would be more intimidating, but her Human forbade her from revealing her snake form in front of others, so she had to make do with this.

At the sight, the woman in the white dress exploded. She immediately turned around to face the moe-girl clinging to her sister and launched into a tirade.

Verbal attacks mixed with physical gestures, the hand holding the milk tea waving up and down, pointing at the sky and the ground, her mouth rattling on. “You little girl are something else. I haven’t even questioned why you stick to my sister every day and answer my calls to her, and you dare question who I am?”

Little Snake wasn’t listening to a word she said. Her eyes were glued to the cup of milk tea flying back and forth before her. Her mouth was slightly agape, drool nearly dripping out.

Seeing herself being ignored, the woman got even angrier. She thrust her arm out, pointing directly with the milk tea, grinding her teeth as she yelled, “I knew my sister long before you were ever around, and now you dare question me!”

“Aoowu!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Little Snake seized the opportunity, darted her head forward, and bit down on the milk tea straw with incredible speed, accuracy, and ferocity, then started sucking furiously.

“You…” The woman stared in shock at her newly purchased, just-poked-open, not-yet-sipped new-recipe milk tea. For a moment, she was speechless.

Seeing this, Ah Wan knew she could no longer remain silent. She exerted a slight force with her hand and pulled the little one, who was guzzling the milk tea with her head down, back. She wrapped an arm around her, holding her close while gently stroking her head, and said flatly, “This is my little sister, Chi Li.”

The woman across from them dazedly shook her now-empty milk tea cup. Empty!

She was so furious she glared at Little Snake, gritted her teeth, and took a deep breath. She viciously crushed the milk tea cup, then turned to Ah Wan and asked in an unfriendly tone, “Sister, who is she? Why is she with you?”

Ah Wan slowly lifted her eyes to look over, her gaze lazy yet full of intimidation.

Without saying a single word, she made Chi Li shrink her neck and press her lips shut, not daring to speak anymore.

Little Snake didn’t like Chi Li. Holding Ah Wan’s arm, she stood on tiptoe, cupped her hand over her mouth, and whispered loudly in Ah Wan’s ear, “Her milk tea wasn’t good. Let’s go.”

“Hey!” Chi Li instantly exploded again, clutching the crushed milk tea cup as she angrily protested, “You can’t even whisper behind someone’s back?”

Then, using the temple tip of her sunglasses to poke at the small label on the cup, she read out word by word: “Houttuynia cordata, mustard, cilantro milk green tea, new recipe!”

Little Snake held Ah Wan’s arm and tilted her head to look at her, struggling to understand the meaning of her words. Suddenly, she let go and ran behind Ah Wan. Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around Ah Wan’s neck from behind, then rested on her shoulder to look at the woman opposite, saying slowly and softly, “But it wasn’t good.”

“I queued up to buy it!” Chi Li was nearly on the verge of a meltdown.

“But it really wasn’t good.”

Little Snake lay on Ah Wan’s shoulder, hugging her, continuing to stab at Chi Li’s heart with her moe-girl voice.

Seeing how intimately Little Snake could be with her own sister, and how her sister showed no resistance at all, Chi Li completely broke down. She shrieked hysterically, “I didn’t even get a single sip myself!”

“And let go of her!”

Hearing this, Little Snake only hugged Ah Wan tighter. She blinked her big eyes and replied seriously, “I tasted it. It wasn’t good. Don’t buy it next time. I don’t like this one.”

“Also, I won’t let go.”

After saying this, she even deliberately rubbed her cheek against Ah Wan’s. Her voice was soft and gentle, agitating Chi Li into the state of a quiet madwoman: …

A moment later, Chi Li finally reacted, frowning with a question. “If it wasn’t good, why did you finish the whole thing in one go?”

As her words fell, the thought in her mind grew more certain.

It must be delicious. If it weren’t, how could this little moe-girl have gulped it all down so fast?

Ah Wan watched them arguing for a long while. Her little, barely literate, stupid snake hadn’t been at a disadvantage at all. She couldn’t help pursing her lips in a proud smile, then looked tenderly at the pair of fair, delicate hands crossed over her chest.

The tenderness in her eyes was about to spill over.

Seeing this scene, Chi Li was too shocked to speak for a moment.

In her memory, her sister had always been withdrawn since childhood, disliking contact with people. She’d often hole up alone in a dim room raising some terrifying bugs, hardly speaking even to her or their parents.

But now…

Why was she so close to this moe-girl?

Ah Wan patted Little Snake’s hand and coaxed gently, “Come down, we’re going home.”

“Oh.”

Little Snake obediently listened, letting go and circling halfway around Ah Wan before immediately clinging tightly to her arm again, afraid she’d be taken away. She stared vigilantly at Chi Li.

The two walked ahead, with Chi Li unconsciously following behind, seemingly intent on going back with them.

Ah Wan never looked back, knowing Chi Li was following, but she wasn’t too concerned.

Little Snake, however, was very attentive. After just a few steps, she would turn her head to look at Chi Li, her brows furrowing into a knot.

At the foothills of the mountain, Ah Wan was about to step onto the mountain path when Little Snake suddenly pulled her back.

The little one cupped her hand over her mouth, stood on tiptoe, and whispered mysteriously in Ah Wan’s ear, “She’s still following.”

Hearing this, Ah Wan reluctantly turned her head to glance back.

Chi Li stood just a meter away. Seeing Ah Wan turn back, she immediately walked over with a beaming smile, calling out cautiously, “Sister.”

“Why did you come here?”

Ah Wan got straight to the point.

Chi Li’s expression changed. Her eyes darted around, and she forced out two stiff laughs before replying, “Well, you didn’t come to my graduation. I missed you, so I came to see you.”

“Leave if you won’t say.” Ah Wan issued her eviction notice coldly, then turned to hold Little Snake, asking with gentle concern, “Are you tired?”

Little Snake lifted her head and shook it, replying sweetly, “Not tired.”

Then she stood slightly on tiptoe, wanting to whisper something.

Seeing this, Ah Wan proactively bent down to her level, tilting her head to listen. “Just being with Human, Snakey is happy. No matter how long we walk, I’m not tired.”

As her words fell, a slight smile lifted the corners of Ah Wan’s lips. She lowered her eyes to conceal the surging joy within them.

From Chi Li’s perspective, she could only see her sister’s back and a small part of her face. She had no idea what the little moe-girl had said, but her sister’s mouth nearly curved up to her ears.

Witnessing this, Chi Li couldn’t help but contemplate with a serious expression. Could it be that her sister actually liked moe-girls?

Thinking this, Chi Li pursed her lips, tilting her head left and right, trying to adjust the flexibility of her facial features. Then she deliberately coughed twice to attract the attention of the two people ahead.

Hearing the noise, Ah Wan and Little Snake finally turned their heads, only to see Chi Li reaching up to tuck the stray hairs by her ear behind it. With a coquettish look, she called out in a pinched voice, “Sister, I just missed you, came to see you, no other reason.”

As soon as she finished, Ah Wan frowned deeply. Her icy words held a note of disgust. “Who cast a Gu on you?”

“Sister!” Chi Li broke down again.

“Go find whoever cast it. I don’t undo Gu.”

After speaking, Ah Wan took Little Snake’s hand and turned to leave without any hesitation.

After walking a few steps, Little Snake still turned back to look, somewhat worried. Sure enough, Chi Li was following again. She couldn’t help but tattle again in a small voice.

Hearing this, Ah Wan gently squeezed her soft palm, murmured “Mm,” and replied, “Ignore her. The more you pay attention, the more riled up she gets. If no one minds her, she’ll leave on her own in a couple of days.”

“Oh.”

Little Snake responded, finally turning her head away and not looking at her again.

Chi Li followed them up the entire mountain path. Seeing that the two ahead didn’t even turn their heads once, showing no concern for her whatsoever, she was so angry she nearly ground her back molars to dust.

Thank goodness she had good teeth.

At home, Ah Wan went into the kitchen to cook. Little Snake happily went to sit on the sofa and watch TV.

Chi Li first cautiously surveyed the yard, checking for any terrifying bugs that might suddenly rush out. Only after confirming nothing was amiss did she step into the house.

Little Snake was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, relaxed. Seeing Chi Li enter, she glanced at her lazily, then paid her no more attention.

“Hmph!”

Chi Li didn’t care to talk to her either. She snorted arrogantly and ran off to the kitchen to find Ah Wan.

Ah Wan was busy making Little Snake’s lunch and had no time for her. Even if she had time, she wouldn’t want to deal with her.

She had always been this way, used to it. The most words she’d spoken in her entire life were all reserved for Little Snake alone.

“Sister, let me help.” Chi Li spoke while rolling up her sleeves, but was met with Ah Wan’s immediate refusal. “Don’t touch anything.”

Hearing this, a belated feeling of sisterly affection surged in Chi Li’s heart. With great emotion, she said, “Sister, you really do care about me the most…”

A slight choke even entered her voice.

“This is made for her. You’d best not even touch the spatula.”

Ah Wan spoke very bluntly; she never spared anyone’s feelings.

Chi Li: ?

In the living room, Little Snake, who was giggling foolishly at a variety show, heard footsteps. She looked back warily. It was Chi Li, deflated and humiliated, emerging from the kitchen with her clown nose knocked off.

The two exchanged a glance from a not-too-distant distance, each snorted “Hmph,” and promptly turned their heads away.

Little Snake went back to hugging a cushion and watching TV. Chi Li circled the room boredly twice, but ultimately couldn’t resist. She shuffled her feet and walked over.

“Hey,” Chi Li stood beside the sofa, looking down at this little sister with red lips and white teeth. She asked curiously, “Who are you? Where are you from? How did you meet my sister?”

Little Snake ignored her.

Seeing this, Chi Li gritted her teeth, composed herself, and asked again, “Where are you from? How are you here?”

She was determined to see what was so special about the human before her, that could make her sister willingly hole up in the kitchen washing vegetables and cooking.

Little Snake didn’t even turn her head, but out of politeness, she still replied, “I’m from the Snake Clan.”