Chapter 49

The room was dim, with only a beam of light from the bathroom slightly illuminating the messy bed.

Little Snake lay beneath Ah Wan, teased to the point of trembling. Her tail quivered, and the corners of her eyes and tip of her nose were red from crying. Her fingers clung tightly to the clothes on Ah Wan’s shoulder.

“Can I kiss your tail?” Ah Wan asked, kissing her forehead and slowly retreating downwards.

Little Snake panted slowly, seeming not to understand the meaning of the question. She just stared blankly.

Ah Wan leaned down, her eyes fixed intently on her, scratching at her heart like a hook. Then, bit by bit, she lowered her head and licked that horizontal scale with the tip of her tongue.

“Mm…” Little Snake’s tail moved restlessly. Her breathing quickened, and her body temperature rapidly rose.

Ah Wan looked up, comfortably reassuring her with her eyes. Holding her around the waist and hips, she buried her head again.

The hot breath scattered on the icy snake tail. Little Snake bit her finger, unable to hold back a cry. Lifting her neck, she breathed hard. Crystalline beads of sweat slid down her beautiful neck. She instinctively reached out, grabbing Ah Wan’s hair, her fingers disappearing into the dark strands.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A sudden knock on the door.

Ah Wan frowned, not intending to pay attention. She kissed Little Snake’s beautiful tail to comfort her.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knock sounded again, accompanied by Chi Li’s shout: “Sis! What are you two doing in there?”

Forced to stop, Ah Wan lowered her eyes and glanced deeply at Little Snake beneath her. Gritting her teeth, she kissed Little Snake on the lips, comforting her. “Wait for me. I’ll get the door.”

She got up and walked over, opening the door a tiny crack with a gloomy face.

Chi Li stood outside with a flattering smile, holding a spatula and wearing an apron. “Sis, dinner’s ready! Come out and eat.”

Hearing this, Ah Wan didn’t open the door any further. Instead, she stepped forward, blocking the view more tightly. Irritation was written all over her face as she refused, a little anxiously. “Eat by yourself. We’re not eating.”

She moved to close the door, but Chi Li blocked it.

“What do you want?” Ah Wan looked down, seeing Chi Li bending over, craning her neck to peek inside the room. Chi Li asked, curiously, “Where’s my little sister-in-law?”

“Sister-in-law?” A flicker of surprise crossed Ah Wan’s face, but she quickly recovered. Slightly raising her chin, she accepted the term. “She’s asleep.”

She tried to close the door again, but Chi Li stuck her foot in the way once more.

Ah Wan frowned and looked over, about to get angry, when she heard a whispered question: “Sis, you didn’t hit her, did you?”

“Hit her?” Ah Wan’s tone held confusion. She countered, “What did she do that would make me hit her?”

“She was playing on her phone. You looked so fierce just now, I thought you were going to hit her.”

As she spoke, Chi Li remembered Ah Wan’s earlier gaze and involuntarily shivered. But she still mustered the courage to persuade. “Sis, she really did finish her writing before playing on her phone. And she sat at the door waiting for you for ages. She couldn’t help playing when you still hadn’t come back. Don’t be so hard on her.”

Chi Li knew her sister’s temper was a bit strange and stubborn, not too close with family. So, now that someone could be so close to her sister, she, of course, hoped they’d get along well. She began earnestly admonishing:

“Sis, my sister-in-law has been with you since she was nineteen, a whole eight years younger. She’s in the flower of her youth. You have to treat her well.”

Ah Wan listened, but her brow furrowed, her back teeth grinding. The words that came out were sour, as if soaked in a thousand-year-old jar of vinegar.

“You two talked quite a bit. You’ve known her less than a day, and she’s already told you her age.”

“Uh?” Chi Li was stunned for a moment. She looked up and swallowed, a late realization dawning that she might have said something wrong. “Is… is that not okay?”

Ah Wan gave her a deep look, as if suppressing her anger, said nothing, and closed the door directly.

Inside the room, Little Snake lay on the bed, rubbing her tail against the sheets and duvet cover. Her soft, slender fingers clutched Ah Wan’s intimate clothing, pressing hard where she had just been kissed.

A long afterglow of climax lingered in her body. Her tail occasionally gave a light tremble.

Ah Wan felt a pang of regret for missing the scene just now. It must have been so beautiful.

Recklessly, she leaned down and hugged the human. After a kiss, her voice was slightly hoarse. “Let’s continue.”

Little Snake had calmed down, her body no longer yearning as intensely as before. She twisted in Ah Wan’s arms, blushing as she whispered, “Snakey is hungry.”

Ah Wan looked up, giving her a reluctant glance. But she could only suppress her inner desires, picking her up. Patting Little Snake’s back gently, her mouth close to Little Snake’s ear, she coaxed: “Mm, then let’s eat first.”

At the dinner table, Chi Li eagerly poured soup for everyone. Ah Wan sat leaning lightly against the chair back, watching her in silence.

“Sis, look…” Chi Li put the soup in front of her, smiling proudly. “Three dishes and a soup, appealing to all senses in no time at all. Aren’t I great?”

“Great?” Ah Wan scoffed, not really wanting to engage.

Chi Li knew she was overstating it. She chuckled, sat down, and replied, “I know it was a bit slow. I’ll be quicker next time, I promise.”

Remembering something, she quickly pledged: “Sis, don’t worry. I won’t freeload. I’ll do all the housework from now on. Cooking, dishes, cleaning the yard – all mine.”

“Oh right, you haven’t even tried my cooking yet. Now you can eat it every day. My cooking’s even better than Mom’s.”

Hearing that last sentence, Ah Wan spaced out for a moment. Some unpleasant memories surfaced. When she looked back at Chi Li, her eyes were unusually cold.

But she quickly hid the emotions, returning to her usual indifferent, expressionless mask. Her tone was flat as she asked, “When are you going back?”

“End of the year… maybe?” Chi Li said quietly, completely lacking confidence.

As expected, Ah Wan lifted her eyelids, looking impatient. “End of the year?”

“Sis,” Chi Li immediately pleaded, putting her hands together and lowering her stance. “Just let me hide out here for a while. It’s only here that Mom and Dad wouldn’t dare come to drag me back.”

“Let her stay.” Little Snake suddenly spoke, chewing on meat as she whispered, “She’s fun here. I like playing with her.”

As soon as the words fell, Ah Wan turned her head in surprise. She didn’t say anything, just gazed quietly at Little Snake. Her pupils trembled, a deep, unyielding sense of loss quickly spreading in her eyes. She gave a bitter smile.

“Mm.”

She had barely agreed when she looked over and saw the two exchanging a knowing glance and smile across the table.

Ah Wan quickly averted her gaze, feeling a sour ache in her heart. But she still said nothing, just lowered her head and poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, having little appetite.

After dinner, Chi Li fulfilled her promise and took the initiative to wash the dishes.

Normally, Little Snake would be watching TV at this time. Once her butt hit the sofa, no one could move her.

But today, exceptionally, she didn’t turn on the TV. Instead, she tailed Chi Li.

Seeing this, Ah Wan’s face turned grim. She followed closely step by step. At the kitchen door, she saw Little Snake holding her phone, circling around Chi Li. Little Snake was saying, eagerly, “Chi Li, are there any more good comics? Your sister put money in my account. I can read whatever I want now. Recommend a few more.”

“You’ve asked the right human. I’m a connoisseur myself.” Chi Li took Little Snake’s phone, her fingers flying across the screen. She picked several classic comics, bookmarked them all, and couldn’t help but spoil a few parts.

Ah Wan leaned against the doorframe, watching the two chatting happily. Her heart felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She lowered her eyes, no longer looking.

The Orchid Mantis flew out from her finger bone. It circled Ah Wan once, then landed on her shoulder, facing Little Snake and Chi Li. It waved its forelegs incessantly.

Several times, it looked ready to fly over impulsively, but it never could. It was as if an invisible thread always pulled it back, just like its master —

Clearly wanting to get closer constantly, yet staying rooted in place.

Ah Wan didn’t voice any command to stop it, nor any encouragement. Only silent tolerance.

Because she knew there was a restraint, she dared to indulge her restless heart so recklessly within the confines of her own small territory.

Little Snake held her phone, smiling at Chi Li the whole time. Ah Wan was insanely jealous, biting the inside of her cheek and humming lowly several times. That finally caught the other human’s attention, who looked over curiously.

The moment their eyes met, Ah Wan didn’t hesitate. She immediately turned and walked away, straight back to the bedroom.

“Human!” Little Snake cried out, rushing after her.

Ah Wan was already lying in bed, reading a book. She only looked up lazily at the sound of footsteps, saying nothing.

Little Snake closed the door, crossed the room in a few quick steps, and leaped onto Ah Wan, throwing herself into her arms. She reached out and pushed down the book Ah Wan was holding, frowning and snorting with quite a temper.

“What are you doing?”

Ah Wan’s tone was cold, full of the detachment and strangeness of their first meeting.

Little Snake froze. She carefully studied Ah Wan’s face, slowly swinging her feet up.

Seeing that Ah Wan didn’t seem actually angry, she placed her phone on the book, her face full of anticipation. “Human, read comics. I asked Chi Li for a few really good ones. Let’s read together.”

Remembering the scene earlier, Ah Wan’s heart still felt stuffy. She instinctively blurted out: “I don’t like…”

Hearing this, Little Snake froze instantly, frowning unhappily at her.

After a moment’s reflection, Ah Wan forcibly changed the words already on her lips. “I don’t like the ones she recommends.”

She put the book aside and reached out to pull Little Snake into her arms, back against her chest, chin resting on Little Snake’s shoulder. She coaxed gently: “We can choose one we both like.”

“But Snakey’s already seen the ones Chi Li picked. Snakey likes them all.” Little Snake tilted her head to look at Ah Wan, asking curiously, “Human hasn’t seen them. Why don’t you like them?”

“No reason.” Ah Wan didn’t want to explain. She bowed her head, looking at her. After a long while, she asked, a little jealously, “You seem to like her a lot?”

Little Snake propped her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and nodded lightly. “Mm, I like her.”

At these words, Ah Wan’s heart felt numb, unable to feel the pain. Only her arm around Little Snake’s waist slowly loosened. She smiled self-mockingly. “Mm, that’s normal.”

Just like when Mom and Dad left and chose to take Little Sister with them, it was normal for Little Snake to choose Chi Li.

No one could dislike Chi Li.

Just like no one liked the strange-tempered Chi Wan, except Grandma.

Ah Wan released her hand and gently patted Little Snake’s shoulder, her voice heavy. “I’m tired. Not watching anymore. Go watch with her.”

But Little Snake didn’t budge. She turned her head, looking at Ah Wan with teary eyes. Instantly, her eye rims reddened. She asked, softly and plaintively, “Human, did… did you just push me?”

“I didn’t…” Ah Wan began but suddenly choked up. Looking at the little one in front of her, it felt like a small stone had lodged in her throat, making it too painful to speak.

A memory from almost a year ago surged up. Fear slowly rose in Ah Wan’s heart. Immediately, she explained gently: “I didn’t push you. How could I dare push you?”

As she spoke, she secretly reached out her finger to hook Little Snake’s sleeve, tugging bit by bit. Then she hooked Little Snake’s pinky finger, hiding her hand in her own palm, holding it tightly with all her might.

“I just…”

Ah Wan held her close with one hand, their fingers tightly intertwined, her other arm wrapped around her. They nuzzled cheek to cheek.

“Is just what?” Little Snake asked, curious.

Is just a little jealous.

Of course, Ah Wan wouldn’t say that aloud. She just squeezed Little Snake’s palm, coaxing: “It’s nothing. Let’s read comics. Weren’t you really wanting to?”

Little Snake looked at Ah Wan with some suspicion. She felt something was off but couldn’t figure it out right away. She could only start reading the comics first.

The next day, Chi Li went down the mountain to get her luggage and brought back two cups of bubble tea.

But compared to Chi Li’s milk tea, Little Snake was clearly more interested in the four-wheeled suitcase.

Chi Li let her sit on it and pushed her around for fun. Ah Wan sat quietly to the side, silently watching them frolic and play in the yard.

She couldn’t join in, yet she couldn’t bring herself to leave.

The vinegar jar in Ah Wan’s heart had tipped over. She truly felt that sour, astringent taste.

The flower vines on the courtyard wall moved according to her will, madly crawling into the yard. They precisely tangled Chi Li’s legs, making her unable to move.

The suitcase tripped. Little Snake, sitting on it, screamed as she lurched forward. The flower vines arched upwards mid-way, tossing Little Snake towards Ah Wan’s embrace.

“Wuwu~ so scared.”

Regaining her senses, Little Snake scrambled up Ah Wan, arms and legs flailing. She hugged Ah Wan’s neck, rubbing cheeks, trembling with fear.

Ah Wan wrapped her arms tightly around her, the corner of her mouth curving slightly into a satisfied smile.

Chi Li was still in the yard, her legs bound. She struggled twice, finding it useless. She could only shout for help: “Sis! Help me out! What’s wrong with your Gu?!”

“Why’s it only tying me and not her? Quick, undo it! My legs are going numb from being wrapped.”

Feeling fantastic holding the human in her arms, Ah Wan spoke slowly: “You talk too much. You disturbed them.”

She snapped her fingers, and the flower vines retracted.

But halfway back, as if still holding a grudge, they turned around, coiled into a lump, and forcefully smacked Chi Li on the foot. She squealed in pain instantly.

Ah Wan naturally raised her hand to cover Little Snake’s ears, so she wouldn’t be bothered. Looking down, she saw the little one leaning on her shoulder, blinking, secretly watching her.

Incredibly cute.

“What’s wrong?” Ah Wan lifted her hand, gently stroking her little face.

Little Snake thought for a moment, then blinked nervously. “Was Snakey too loud just now? Did I disturb their rest?”

“You’re not loud,” Ah Wan lowered her head coaxing her. “Chi Li talks too much.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Chi Li ran over. She didn’t mind their intimacy at all, her eyes full of curiosity, no fear of the binding, only excitement and inquisitiveness. She lowered her voice, asking secretly: “Sis, was that your Lifebound Gu just now?”

Chi Li didn’t breed Gu, but she’d heard strange tales. She knew Gu Breeders had one exceptionally powerful and important Gu – the Lifebound Gu.

It was said the Gu lived as long as the human, and perished when the human died. Therefore, for thousands of years, Gu Breeders never easily revealed their Lifebound Gu to others.

Hearing this, Ah Wan immediately looked up, alert, staring intently at Chi Li.

A moment later, the guardedness in her eyes faded, replaced by a hint of disdain. She spoke helplessly: “Who takes their Lifebound Gu out to play like that?”