Chapter 57

“Chi Xiaoshe?”

Ah Wan repeated it with slight bemusement, then instinctively replied, “You know, where I’m from, people with the same surname can’t—”

Mid-sentence, she looked down and saw the little one’s bright, sparkling eyes, her face full of eager anticipation. The words on the tip of her tongue were forcibly swallowed back.

“Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

Hearing this, Little Snake immediately wrapped both hands around her arm, pressing her cheek against it to nuzzle, soft and cajoling. “So does it sound nice?”

“Mm…” Ah Wan feigned hesitation.

Little Snake panicked at once and picked another. “What about Chi Snake?”

Ah Wan stared at her, silent.

“Chi Big Snake!”

Little Snake spread her arms wide to mimic an enormous, thick python.

Ah Wan pressed her lips together in a smile, pulled her hand over, and pressed it against her own chest. The vibrations in her ribcage traveled through Little Snake’s palm. “Might as well stick with Chi Xiaoshe then.”

With that, she wrapped an arm around her waist, lowered her head to peck her lips, and with a light flick of her fingers, undid the pajama button. She kissed it first, then opened her mouth and took it in.

“Mm~”

Little Snake’s voice immediately warped. Stroking Ah Wan’s head, biting her lip, she whimpered softly until she truly couldn’t stand it anymore and pushed her away.

“No more eating.” Little Snake looked down, counting with her fingers. “One, two… five teeth marks.”

Watching her trace the gently gnawed marks with her fingers, Ah Wan’s heart filled with an abnormal satisfaction—like a successful marking. Her eyes darkened further. She couldn’t help leaning close, nuzzling by her ear, and murmuring ambiguously, “Did it not feel good?”

“It felt good,” Little Snake’s face was a little red. “But you made Snakey’s little beans all swollen from eating.”

As she spoke, she reached down to button up her pajamas, patting Ah Wan’s back to placate her. “You can eat again tomorrow.”

Ah Wan’s gaze was deep and heavy. She stared at her for a long while before finally relenting. Lifting the blanket, she climbed in holding her.

“Why pick this name?”

Ah Wan let her rest on the crook of her arm, cradling her while gently combing through her hair, asking with genuine care.

Little Snake burrowed into her embrace, wriggling until she found the coziest spot and lay still. Her muffled voice bossed, “Pat-pat.”

Ah Wan softly patted her back to lull her to sleep, asking again, “Why?”

“Because Chi Li said, only people who are close to you can share your surname.”

At this, Little Snake crawled up and leaned right by Ah Wan’s ear, cupping her hand to whisper, “Human, Snakey wants to be the closest to you in all the world.”

She pulled back, face all serious. “Human, what’s your name anyway?”

Then, tilting her head, she excitedly volunteered, “Want Snakey to pick a name for you? Snakey picks super good-sounding names.”

“Super good-sounding?” Ah Wan repeated slowly.

Little Snake found nothing amiss. Nodding, she tugged her sleeve and pressed, “Human, you do have a name, right? Chi Li told me you have one.”

“But what is it exactly?”

“Me?” Ah Wan’s voice fell away into extended silence. Only after a long pause did she look at the one beside her, arched an eyebrow, and said deliberately, “Not telling you.”

Little Snake quieted for a beat, then suddenly flipped over like a carp thrashing out of water, turning her back and ignoring her Human completely. Fists clenched, she grumbled huffily, “Hmph, not telling me again! I can read now, I can pick names myself! Hmph!”

Ah Wan found her puffed-up, bristly indignation unbearably endearing. She shifted over, bent down, and scooped the ball of fluff gently into her arms, chuckling as she coaxed, “Alright, don’t be mad.”

She draped herself over her, cupping those puffed-up, pouty cheeks and unable to stop kissing them, her voice soft. “I’ll tell you.”

There had been a long, long stretch of time when Ah Wan utterly loathed her own birth. She felt like an extra child, a burden—and by extension, hated her own surname.

That’s why she called herself Ah Wan. Just like her rootless, drifting origins—no surname, and thus no place she came from.

But now, here was Little Snake, beaming as she told her she wanted to share her surname, wanted to be the closest human to her.

Ah Wan’s heart beat like a drum. She knew her own greed perfectly well—this mad desire to be inseparable from Little Snake.

In body, in heart, in name.

“I’m called—”

Ah Wan started softly, then paused. After a moment’s thought, she bent down and kissed her forehead before continuing.

“Chi Wan.”

“Little Snake’s Chi. Wan as in night.”

She buried her face in the crook of her neck and drew a deep breath, sweet as honey on her tongue.

Hearing this, Little Snake beamed with joy. She wrapped her arms around her neck, pressing close to snuggle tightly. With her soft cheek, she rubbed against Ah Wan’s face and neck like a kitten, murmuring sweetly, “So your name is Chi Wan. So pretty! What should Snakey call you then?”

Immediately after, her brow furrowed, and she added, a touch jealously, “Chi Li calls you Elder Sister~”

It sounded almost like tattling, imperious beyond belief.

“Mm,” Ah Wan chuckled lightly, burying her face in Little Snake’s neck to inhale her scent deeply. “She calls me Elder Sister. What about it?”

“Snakey wants to call you Elder Sister too.” Little Snake looped her arms around her neck, blinking her big eyes and wheedling in a soft, drawling voice. “Pretty please?”

Ah Wan held back a smile, slowly patting her back in a steady rhythm, and without a grain of hesitation refused: “No.”

“Wah~” Little Snake’s tears burst out on cue, fat and round like sunny-side-up eggs, her mouth turning down in pitiful grievance.

Ah Wan surrendered instantly, gathering her into her arms and gently wiping away her tears. She coaxed fondly, “Okay. You can call me anything you want.”

“Human. Elder Sister. Ah Wan. Old—”

Ah Wan suddenly froze mid-word, her face flushing red. She turned away, clearing her throat to cover it, and didn’t continue.

“Old what?” Little Snake’s moods came and went like a storm. Her lashes were still wet, but she was already eagerly curious.

“Nothing,” Ah Wan’s blush had crawled all the way down her neck. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, “Just call me like before. I’m used to it.”

Hearing this, Little Snake craned her head to nuzzle her with her chin, hair a mess, blinking as she tirelessly called out, “Human!”

Inexplicably, Ah Wan found her expression laugh-out-loud funny.

She yanked the blanket up over both their heads, the two of them facing each other, cocooned inside.

Little Snake held both fists under her chin, softly calling, “Human~”

Ah Wan took her hands and leaned in to kiss her mouth, the tip of her nose.

Little Snake called her again, and she kissed her again. Once she had her mouth captured, she didn’t want to let go.

The two of them, sealed under the blanket, hearts racing, skin growing damp with a thin sweat—yet they still clung together stickily, whispering and kissing in turns.

The next morning, Ah Wan’s internal clock woke her right on time.

The little snake in her arms still slept soundly, though her sleeping posture was a bit tyrannical—spread-eagled, pajamas all loose and twisted from rustling around.

Ah Wan bent over, straightened her out, and gathered her pajamas to button them up again. But as soon as she looked down, she saw the marks she’d left last night.

The pale, delicate skin was covered in red kiss marks, and that spot still seemed somewhat swollen.

No wonder the pajamas had come undone—probably it had been uncomfortable rubbing during the night, and she’d drowsily unfastened them herself.

Ah Wan didn’t button her clothes back up. She turned, used her phone to order medicine online, and called to order a meal. Only then did she get out of bed, fetch water from the bathroom, and come back to wipe her little body down.

Little Snake slept so deeply, being flipped over and wiped clean without even stirring. It seemed last night had truly exhausted her.

“Little Pig Snake.”

So saying, Ah Wan pulled her top down to cover her belly, swatted her butt once, then tucked her in properly and went downstairs.

About half an hour later, a delivery robot brought the medicine.

Ah Wan unwrapped it downstairs and studied the instructions, then went up, lifted the blanket, and gently applied the ointment to Little Snake.

She first squeezed some into her palm, warming it before spreading it on and softly massaging.

Little Snake hummed, rolling over onto her back. Arms and legs splayed wide, sleeping so heatedly she was steaming. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, but her eyes stayed shut.

“Awake?” Ah Wan leaned close to her ear. Turning her head, she saw those eyes firmly shut—but the lashes were trembling madly. She curved her lips into a grin. “Little Pig Snake. Time to get up.”

Having spoken, Ah Wan made not another sound.

After waiting a stretch, Little Snake cracked one eye open to sneak a peek—and met Ah Wan’s smiling gaze full on.

Flustered, she squeezed her eyes shut and kept playing possum.

Seeing she wouldn’t get up, Ah Wan went straight for a scare tactic. “If you don’t get up now, I’ll leave after breakfast, okay?”

“Huh?” Little Snake’s eyes flew open. She glared accusingly at Ah Wan, demanding fiercely, “Where are you going?”

“Not telling you.” Ah Wan buttoned her pajamas for her, then stood and swatted her bottom again. “Go back to sleep.”

Little Snake scrambled up instantly, grabbed Ah Wan’s arm, and plopped her feet to the floor, hurriedly shoving on her shoes. She whined, “Human, don’t go. Snakey won’t laze around anymore.”

All the while, like a clingy kitten, she scrabbled at Ah Wan’s arm, trying to jump onto her back.

Ah Wan deliberately straightened her back, refusing to let her jump on—but truly couldn’t withstand how clingy she was.

Seriously, who could harden their heart when such an obedient, soft, adorable, silly little snake was clinging to you, humming and standing on tiptoe with her lips puckered, trying to bribe you with kisses?

Half-resisting, half-yielding, Ah Wan bent down and let her clamber onto her back to lord over her, then steadied her and headed steadily downstairs.

Her timing was perfect—the ordered food arrived right then.

Ah Wan opened the door for the waiter to set the table. She herself carried Little Snake off to the bathroom to wash up.

The two of them dawdled in there for nearly twenty more minutes before slowly emerging.

“Human, when are we going home?”

Ah Wan pulled out a chair. Little Snake plopped her bottom onto it and started asking.

Ah Wan sat beside her, picking up her chopsticks to pick out the vegetables she knew Little Snake disliked. She answered in between, “Let’s wait a bit longer. I booked the room for a month. No rush.”

She pushed over a dish that was almost entirely meat, with only the faintest smidgens of green visible. “Eat.”

Little Snake glanced down, pursed her lips, but said nothing—just assumed the veggies were unavoidable. She picked up her own chopsticks and obediently began eating.

Ah Wan had been carefully watching. Seeing her take big, hearty bites reassured her somewhat. This was how she tricked her into eating a bit more vegetables.

While Little Snake ate, Ah Wan held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Little Snake fished her phone from her pocket and handed it over, then continued eating with great appetite.

The phone hadn’t been charged last night. Ah Wan flipped through it as she walked to the living room.

Sure enough, Chi Li hadn’t called again last night—but she had sent a ton of messages.

Ah Wan looked down at that tiny little dot on the screen, once again congratulating herself for setting her to Do Not Disturb last night.

She didn’t read what Chi Li had actually sent. She just topped up five hundred yuan in credit for Little Snake, then set the phone aside to charge.

“Human~”

Little Snake’s voice drifted over, syrupy and coquettish, like she was asking to be spoiled.

Ah Wan glanced back, forcefully repressing the impulse to blacklist Chi Li. “Mm.”

She strode quickly back.

Little Snake’s appetite and teeth were superb. The plate of meat was polished off swiftly. Bits of food still clung to her cheeks as she eagerly lifted the empty dish and looked up: “Another plate.”

Ah Wan’s heart melted. She walked over, patted her head, and smiled. “No more.”

“I’ll take you out to eat.”

“Why?”

Ah Wan tidied the table as she replied, her expression carefully casual though her ears were burning red and her voice slightly lowered:

“Want to go on a date?”