Stranded on a Deserted Island and Entangled by a Green Snake 3

003 Spending the Night

The giant python, picking coconuts from the tree, found that its tail wasn’t enough, so it started using its hands.

That’s right, hands. Or perhaps “claws” would be a more accurate description.

Two small, short, green claws, which one wouldn’t even notice without looking closely.

If she hadn’t seen it holding a coconut in each claw, Yu Chujin wouldn’t have realized this creature actually had claws.

Do giant pythons have claws?

This was a blind spot in Yu Chujin’s knowledge. While she wasn’t terrified of snakes, she certainly didn’t like them, and thus rarely sought out information about them.

Perhaps there really was a five-meter-long, entirely green, two-clawed, highly intelligent, coconut-opening, dog-like snake in the world?

Yu Chujin nodded. The world was full of wonders; perhaps this species of snake truly existed. Just because she’d never seen or heard of it didn’t mean it didn’t exist. It could also just be her own ignorance.

After this line of reasoning, Yu Chujin successfully convinced herself. Mainly because if she didn’t, she’d start to suspect she was losing her mind.

The giant python held a coconut in each claw and coiled its tail around three more, then scurried down from the tree.

It seemed to know that Yu Chujin didn’t like it getting close, so it chose to stay at a distance that was neither too near nor too far, and continued opening coconuts.

Naturally, Yu Chujin didn’t stop it. Although she wasn’t thirsty anymore, having a few more opened was a good thing. She could drink them later when she got thirsty again.

Here was a ready-made laborer, and a very enthusiastic one at that. It would be a waste not to use it.

The laborer, the giant python, worked very hard. Crunch, it bit open a coconut. Crunch, it bit open another.

One after another, it eventually lined up the opened coconuts in a row.

After doing all this, it began to pat its two small claws on the sand and sweep its tail back and forth…

Honestly, the sight was quite bizarre.

But inexplicably, Yu Chujin understood what it meant.

The giant python was probably trying to say: Look, look! I opened so many coconuts for you! Aren’t I amazing? Praise me, praise me!

Yu Chujin cleared her throat, gave it a thumbs-up, and tentatively offered a word of praise, “Great job. Very impressive.”

The giant python grinned, revealing a mouthful of large, white teeth. Its little claws pattered on the ground even more joyfully, leaving one claw print after another in the sand.

Watching its excited claw-patting and that mouthful of white teeth, Yu Chujin fell silent for a moment. So it really was seeking praise.

Wait a minute, are a snake’s teeth supposed to be in a neat row??

Yu Chujin’s mind was in chaos.

After a moment of turmoil, she managed to calm herself again. It’s probably some rare, precious species of snake. Yes, yes, that must be it.

Looking at the simple-minded snake patting its claws, it was perhaps so simple that Yu Chujin was no longer as afraid of it. Although it was a bit ugly, a bit big, and a bit terrifying-looking, it opened coconuts for her. How could it not be considered an ugly, but kind, snake?

Yu Chujin forcibly defined this snake as a good snake.

For now, the water problem was solved, and the danger of being eaten by the giant python also seemed to be temporarily lifted. Perhaps it was time to think about other things.

Given the situation, she would likely have to live on this island for some time. With luck, she might be discovered and rescued within a few days. If she was unlucky… well, that was hard to say.

Yu Chujin reined in her thoughts, unwilling to dwell on the worst-case scenario.

She looked into the distance. The sun was setting in the west, and the crimson sky was reflected on the sparkling sea, a scene as beautiful as a dream.

The scenery was beautiful, but Yu Chujin was in no mood to appreciate it. Before it got completely dark, she needed to find a place to rest for the night.

In reality, there wasn’t much of a choice. She could either sleep on the beach or enter the forest behind it.

She immediately ruled out the latter. The forest was dense with trees and vegetation, with no clear path in. It looked dark and gloomy, and she had no idea if there were wild animals inside. There was already a giant python on the outskirts; it seemed reasonable to assume there might be some large beasts deeper in. It was best not to enter if she could avoid it.

Since the forest was out, the only option left was to camp on the beach.

Yu Chujin first pulled down the tattered remains of her paraglider from the tree. Although the canopy was torn to shreds, it could still serve as a groundsheet to sleep on. The canopy was ripped into several pieces, some of which had fallen to the ground while others were still caught in the tree.

Yu Chujin turned and glanced at the large snake, which was furtively peeking at her from behind a tree.

Should I ask it to help get the rest of the canopy down? On second thought, she decided against it. The pieces she had collected were enough for now, so she would leave the ones in the tree for the time being.

She found a large tree with dense foliage, swept away the dead leaves on the ground, and laid down the canopy fabric to insulate herself from the sand. After tidying up a bit, this would be her sleeping spot for the night.

She glanced at the forest behind her. I hope no wild animal comes out and swallows me in one bite tonight. If only I could build a fire, it would probably scare away other beasts.

But unfortunately, she had no fire. It had taken her ages just to open a coconut, and she had only succeeded with the help of the large snake. The much more complicated task of making fire by drilling wood was out of the question.

The darker it got, the more her sense of panic grew.

“Hiss…”

The large snake was still hiding behind a tree not far away.

Before, hearing its hiss would have given her goosebumps. Now, hearing it gave her a strange sense of security.

This creature helped me open coconuts. It’s been hanging around all this time without leaving, but it hasn’t hurt me. If another wild animal came out of the forest to attack me, it would probably help drive it away, right?

It’s a good snake. It should help. Yu Chujin comforted herself, just as her stomach let out a loud growl.

She was hungry.

She hadn’t eaten all day, only drinking some coconut water. It was hard not to be hungry.

She looked at the coconut shells she had tossed aside, walked over to pick one up, and examined the flesh inside. Coconut meat was high in calories, making it an excellent choice for emergency food. Looked at this way, the coconut really was a treasure trove: coconut water for hydration, coconut meat for food.

She found a branch to use as a spoon, sat down cross-legged, and began to diligently scoop out the coconut meat. It was soft, slightly sweet, and not bad at all.

She ate one mouthful after another. As she was eating, she heard a chewing sound from a distance.

She looked up. Under a tree in the distance, a certain giant python had a coconut wrapped in its tail and was clumsily holding a branch with its claw, scooping out coconut meat to eat.

Yu Chujin had a reasonable suspicion that the snake was imitating her, just like when it had mimicked her heavy breathing earlier in the day. She needed a branch as a spoon because she couldn’t reach the meat inside. But its claws were small and nimble, much more useful than a branch. It could have just reached in and scooped out the meat directly. But no, it insisted on clumsily using a branch.

A copycat snake.

When Yu Chujin scooped with her branch, the giant python scooped with its branch. When she took a bite of coconut meat, it took a bite of coconut meat.

Most importantly, when she struggled to scoop out the meat, her facial expression inevitably became a little contorted. The giant python actually mimicked her, baring its teeth.

Really…

“Is there something wrong with you, you snake?” Yu Chujin said, half-laughing, half-scolding.

Hearing Yu Chujin speak, the giant python immediately tilted its head and blinked, as if trying to decipher the meaning of her words.

Yu Chujin put down the coconut, sat up straight, and looked at it.

It copied her, putting down its coconut and rearing up its snake body to look at her.

The reared-up giant python was too tall and a little intimidating.

Yu Chujin looked up at it, suppressed her fear, and tried to reason with it in a calm voice. “Hey, you could say we’ve become acquainted through our little scuffle. Tonight, if any wild animals come out of the forest to attack me, will you protect me?”

The giant python tilted its head to the left, then to the right.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.” Taking advantage of the fact that it couldn’t speak, Yu Chujin answered for it.

The giant python continued to tilt its head left and right.

Yu Chujin waved her hand. “Alright, go on and play. If there’s danger, you protect me. If there’s no danger… just stay away from me. You’re pretty scary too.”

The giant python hissed twice and grinned, looking quite pleased.

Yu Chujin fell into deep thought. Do snakes have such a rich range of facial expressions?

Whatever, it’s not important. Yu Chujin picked up the coconut and continued to scoop out the meat. At first, it tasted alright, but after eating a bit more, it became bland.

She craved fried chicken, she craved coke, she craved…

She sighed. She had no idea when she would be able to leave this godforsaken place. I can’t be trapped here for years, can I? I can’t be trapped on this island for the rest of my life, can I?

Impossible, impossible. It can’t be that bad.

When she was more or less full, she tossed the coconut aside. The copycat snake next to her immediately tossed its coconut aside as well.

Yu Chujin: “…”

Yu Chujin leaned against the tree trunk, gazing at the sea in the distance. The sky grew darker and darker, until the sun had completely set. The sea breeze blew in her face, carrying the salty, fishy smell of the ocean. It wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

The temperature difference between day and night was significant, but Yu Chujin was wearing a windbreaker. Although there was a large tear in the back, it was still effective at keeping her warm. A black windbreaker, loose-fitting light-colored casual pants, a pair of canvas shoes, and the tattered paraglider underneath her—this was basically all she owned right now.

Crack!

The sound of a breaking branch came from the forest behind her. Yu Chujin mustered her courage to look toward the sound. The forest was pitch black; she couldn’t see a thing. She didn’t know what kind of animal had made that noise. There can’t be ferocious beasts like lions or tigers, can there?

Could that giant python in the distance fight a lion or a tiger?

“Snake,” Yu Chujin called out, feeling a little uneasy. “Are you still there?”

Soon, a sound came from the distance, as if in response, “Hiss…”

Yu Chujin nodded. Good, as long as it’s there. If it’s there, I’m not so scared.

Yu Chujin lay down, trying to get some sleep. The day had been too exhausting; she was already worn out. Her body was tired, but she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. On top of that, every time she heard a sound from the forest, her nerves tensed up.

After a while, she called out again, “Snake, are you still there?”

“Hiss…”

A little later, “Are you there?”

“Hiss…”

As her fear subsided, Yu Chujin found it a little amusing. This snake was quite considerate. Every time she called out, it would respond.

Can it understand what I’m saying? Has it always lived on this island? Does it have friends? Where are its mother and its family?

Unable to sleep, Yu Chujin’s thoughts began to wander.

Slowly, even in this environment, she drifted off to sleep.

She didn’t know how long she had slept. When she groggily opened her eyes, she was back in her spacious, bright, and comfortably warm room. A large yellow dog was lying by her bed.

Yu Chujin patted the dog’s head. “Da Huang, you scared me. I just had a nightmare. I’m not going to paraglide anymore. After all, I only have one life. I need to cherish it…”

She chattered on while stroking the dog’s head.

As she was stroking, her hand paused. “Wait, Da Huang, why do you feel a bit strange today?”

The usually fluffy and warm Da Huang felt cool and smooth.

Unsure, she patted it a couple more times.

Still unsure, she patted it again, this time with more force.

Her eyes flew open. She shot up with a swoosh. This wasn’t her room; it was clearly the beach on the deserted island. And what she was touching wasn’t Da Huang, but the large snake’s head.

“Hiss…”

“Ah!”

Yu Chujin let out a groundhog scream.

Her scream startled the giant python, which shook its head.

Yu Chujin shot back, putting distance between them, and pointed at it. “You, you, you, what are you doing? Aren’t you a good snake? Why are you trying to eat me again?”

The giant python tilted its head left, then right, and flicked its tongue, hissing twice.

Yu Chujin grabbed the rock from the ground. Seeing this, the giant python’s eyes widened, and it quickly slithered away, hiding behind a distant tree. It poked its large head out, secretly observing Yu Chujin. To be precise, it was observing the rock in Yu Chujin’s hand.

After her heart palpitations subsided, Yu Chujin looked at the large snake in the distance. Has this thing been lying next to my head all night? What was it doing there? It doesn’t seem like it wanted to eat me, or it would have done so already.

It can’t be that, like Da Huang, it likes to sleep next to people, can it?

At this moment, the giant python was observing Yu Chujin while scratching at the tree with its small claws, making a creak, creak sound.

What is it doing? Sharpening its claws? Do snakes need to sharpen their claws?

Yu Chujin took a moment to compose herself, no longer bothering to study this strange, large snake. She walked to the water’s edge, cupped some water in her hands, and splashed it on her face. The cool seawater on her face instantly woke her up.

The giant python also came to the water’s edge. It mimicked Yu Chujin, cupping water with its small claws and splashing it on its face. After a few splashes, it seemed to find this method inefficient and plunged its head directly into the water. The movement was so large that it sent water splashing everywhere.

Its head was too big, and the water was too shallow. When it plunged its head in, it went straight into the sand.

The large snake was dazed and shook its head vigorously.

Yu Chujin watched this scene with amusement. This snake was truly a clumsy fool.

After a simple wash, Yu Chujin first checked the “SOS” she had written on the ground. After confirming that the letters were still clear, she began to wander along the beach, collecting trash.

Although it was a deserted island, a small amount of trash had washed ashore. Normally, these things were garbage, but to Yu Chujin now, they were useful tools.

Seeing a plastic water bottle, Yu Chujin excitedly ran over to pick it up. This was a good find; she could use it to collect water.

She walked along the beach for a while. Besides the water bottle, she only found some food wrappers. They weren’t very useful, but on the principle that they might come in handy, Yu Chujin picked up everything she could.

As for the snake, it was following behind her, sweeping the water with its tail for fun and occasionally splashing water on Yu Chujin on purpose.

She endured it a few times, but then she couldn’t take it anymore. She turned around and raised the rock.

The giant python’s eyes widened, and it ducked its head.

Yu Chujin lowered the rock. “Stop splashing water on me.”

Giant Python: “Hiss…”

“Hiss, hiss, hiss. Do you even understand?”

“Hiss…”

Yu Chujin shook her head and ignored it. She turned to look at the sea in the distance. The morning light was like a thin veil, and seagulls skimmed over the surface of the water.

The scenery was pleasant, the years were quiet. Yu Chujin sighed with heartfelt emotion.

If only I weren’t trapped here, but just on vacation.

The giant python followed Yu Chujin’s gaze and looked into the distance.

One person and one snake, together they gazed into the distance, bathed in the morning sunlight, becoming one with the heavens and the earth.

Yu Chujin let out a soft sigh and pulled her gaze back from the distance, her mood sinking. She had no idea when she would be rescued and able to go home.

Just as her spirits were low, a strange sound suddenly came from beside her…