22 Chapter 51 Part 1

Little Snake failed her heavenly tribulation and was nearly struck to death by divine lightning. Gravely injured, she hid deep in the mountains to recover.

Then one day, a woman adorned with jingling silver ornaments parted the grass and picked her up.

Terrified, Little Snake could only try to look fierce. She bared her fangs and hissed threateningly.

The woman responded by flicking her forehead.

"Wuwu~ It hurts."

Not only that, the woman even threatened her.

"Show your teeth at me again, and I'll turn you into medicinal wine."

"Wuwu~ So scary."

Little Snake immediately tucked her head down and didn't dare make a sound.

But what she hadn't expected was that after being brought home, she wasn't thrown into a giant wine jar. Instead, she was given fresh meat to eat and soothing ointment for her wounds.

"Wuwu~ The human feeds me. The human treats my injuries. The human is nice."

Delighted, Little Snake swished her tail and crawled over, rubbing against the woman's finger affectionately.

Only to receive another flick on the forehead.

"Heal quickly. You'll make better wine once you're healthy."

With that, the woman tossed her into a room full of venomous creatures.

"Wuwu~"

Tears welled up in Little Snake's eyes.

Curling herself into a tiny ball in the corner, she lowered her head and wiped her tears on her scales.

Scary.

Need to find the human.

Swinging her tail, she squeezed through a crack beneath the door and followed the direction where the woman had disappeared.

Ah Wan was a herb gatherer from the Miao region. Reclusive by nature, she rarely interacted with others. Over the years, she had taught herself the art of Gu and filled her home with poisonous insects and venomous creatures.

While gathering herbs in the mountains one day, she came across a tiny snake no thicker than her finger. It looked badly injured.

Feeling unusually soft-hearted, she picked it up.

To her surprise, the little thing immediately bared its fangs at her.

One flick to the forehead was enough to set it straight.

Afterward, she tossed it into the room where she kept her venomous pets and returned to her bedroom to sleep.

But...

In the middle of summer, why did it keep getting colder the longer she slept?

Frowning, Ah Wan turned over and slowly opened her eyes.

The moment she did, she found herself staring directly into a pair of bright, innocent eyes.

"Human... scared."

A thin, childish voice spoke awkwardly beside her, deliberately mimicking her way of speaking.

Ah Wan pinched herself hard.

She wasn't dreaming.

Mini Theater

Winter had arrived.

Snow fell heavily outside, while inside, the charcoal brazier glowed warmly.

After sneaking a piece of candy, Little Snake climbed into the cozy bed.

She burrowed into Ah Wan's arms and squirmed happily from side to side, waking Ah Wan just moments after she had fallen asleep.

"Stealing candy again?"

Ah Wan's voice was hoarse with sleep, her eyes still closed.

Little Snake blinked innocently.

"Nope."

The instant the lie left her mouth, Ah Wan opened her eyes.

She lifted Little Snake's chin, her gaze deepening.

"I'll have to check."

"Check how—wuwu~"

Little Snake had barely opened her mouth before Ah Wan leaned in and kissed her.

Startled, she squirmed beneath Ah Wan, her tail curling around Ah Wan's ankle.

Wuwu~

The human's lips are soft.

Little Snake likes them very much.

Ah Wan pressed her lightly against the bed. Her long, pale fingers traced over the beautiful scales along her body as though searching for evidence.

Suddenly, Little Snake's expression changed.

The enthusiasm she'd shown moments earlier vanished, replaced by panic.

Holding onto Ah Wan's arms, she cried out pitifully,

"Human, don't touch Snakey there!"

Ah Wan lowered her head and kissed her once more, but her hand didn't stop.

"Oh?"

"Where exactly is 'there'?"

Little Snake's breathing grew uneven.

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she glared at Ah Wan in accusation.

"Human is bad."

"Human always bullies Snakey."