Chapter 3
Edward Quan ·
A pale pink hognose snake slithered to my feet and sniffed gently.
I was about to reach down.
A white blur shot past.
A huge white python knocked the little snake into the air.
The poor thing described a perfect parabola, then landed with a smack more than ten meters away.
I could have sworn I heard an aggrieved whimper.
But I had more pressing concerns.
In front of me was a white python four or five meters long and as thick as a platter.
It raised its head.
Amber eyes with vertical pupils stared at me.
Its red tongue flicked out with a hiss.
Mom, I was going to wet myself.
Swallowing hard, I grabbed my phone and prepared to run.
The owner arrived with my milk tea and pressed me back into my seat.
“Don’t be scared. Little White doesn’t bite.”
He was trying not to laugh.
“It’s love at first sight.”
“I think he wants to eat me,” I said shakily.
The moment I spoke, I saw something extraordinary.
A hurt expression.
On a snake.
The owner chuckled.
“He just wants you to pet him. Don’t worry. I’m here.”
I reached out with a trembling hand.
The python immediately leaned closer, happily rubbing his cool head against my palm like a dog.
The sensation beneath my fingers was strange.
Smooth scales.
Cool and sleek.
Moving like fine silk.
“Well? Not so bad, is it?” the owner asked.
“I-it’s all right.”
I tried to sound composed, but couldn’t resist stroking him a few more times.
He seemed to enjoy it.
He even rolled over to show his belly.
The owner nodded.
“He really likes you. Take your time getting acquainted.”
9
I had never known snakes could be so fond of me.
Or that I wouldn’t mind.
Little White wound himself around me.
His cool body encircled my waist and legs. His head rested affectionately against my chest.
Almost a hug.
That slight chill reminded me of Xu Zizhou.
Their personalities were even more alike.
Both wore those cold, unapproachable faces.
Inside, both were impossibly gentle.
Little White was rubbing his head softly against my palm, cautious and eager to please.
Exactly like Xu Zizhou silently spamming Wife, hug me! in his head.
But I had lost track of him.
I still didn’t know what he meant by entertaining customers.
My mouth drooped.
I rubbed Little White’s head in frustration.
He gently nuzzled my chin.
So sweet.
I lifted his head and kissed his forehead with a smack.
He went rigid.
His tail swayed restlessly.
Perhaps I imagined it, but his body seemed to grow a little warmer.
I thought no more of it.
My phone buzzed.
Lin Feng.
“Where are you? Weren’t we getting milk tea?”
Only then did I remember our agreement that morning.
I sent him my location.
Less than ten minutes later, he hurried in, breathless.
Seeing Little White coiled around me, he stopped short.
“Holy shit. Since when were you this brave? Aren’t you scared?”
I stroked Little White’s head.
He flicked his tongue obediently.
“He’s sweet. Want to pet him?”
Lin Feng looked as though he had seen a ghost.
He pulled out a chair with a grimace.
“No thanks. Just looking at that thing gives me goosebumps.”
I quickly covered Little White’s head.
“Don’t listen. Nothing but bad reviews.”
Lin Feng pouted.
After studying him for a while, he lowered his voice conspiratorially.
“Hey. I heard snakes have two.”
I was happily petting Little White and didn’t follow.
“Two what?”
“You know!”
He waggled his eyebrows.
“Like… king oyster mushrooms. Do you think they let customers have a look?”
Rolling up his sleeves, he reached to turn Little White over.
The python instantly lashed his hand with his tail.
Then he shot into my arms and trembled, looking as wronged as a two-hundred-pound baby.
I stroked his head to soothe him and glared at Lin Feng.
“Could you behave? What kind of thing is that to say in front of a snake?”
He snorted.
“So what happened last night? Weren’t you going to confess to Xu Zizhou?”
Little White stiffened in my arms.
Absently stroking him, I answered with a troubled sigh.
“That’s the strange part. I can’t remember anything.
“Xu Zizhou says I got back to the dorm and went straight to sleep.
“And even stranger…”
I lowered my voice.
“I think I can hear his thoughts.
“He even said he likes me.”
Little White lifted his head at once.
His amber eyes went round.
His mouth hung open. He even forgot to flick his tongue.
He looked utterly shocked.
Lin Feng was no less stunned.
But as my best friend, he quickly accepted what I said.
He slapped the table and sprang up excitedly.
“Oh my god! Then you’re practically dating already! What are you waiting for? Jump him!”
I pressed my lips together and swallowed the question I wanted to ask about Xu Zizhou’s customers.
I didn’t know the whole story.
I couldn’t go spreading assumptions.
Still, the doubt lodged in my heart like a thorn.
Petting Little White, I said, “Later. I’ll let things happen naturally.”
10
Lin Feng had volunteer work, so he soon left.
I kept playing with Little White.
He understood human speech.
As smart as a border collie.
“Come on, shake… No, give me your tail.”
I held out my hand.
He really did place the tip of his tail gently in my palm.
Inspired, I asked, “What’s one plus one?”
He seemed to sigh.
Then he traced a two in my palm.
Amazing.
I hugged his head.
“You have to be the smartest snake in the world!”
Excuse me, but what other snake could do arithmetic?
Pleased with the praise, he rubbed his head against me.
After a while, I prepared to go back to the dorm.
No point waiting for Xu Zizhou anymore.
I sighed.
Little White was very considerate.
He even saw me to the door.
“Be good. I’ll visit again in a few days.”
Unable to resist, I hugged his cool head and kissed him once more.
He seemed embarrassed.
His round eyes stayed fixed on me.
11
The exotic-pet café was near the university, but tucked away in a narrow alley.
I had no sense of direction.
I took a wrong turn.
Finding myself in a dead end, I was about to turn back when a knife pressed into my back.
A powerful smell of alcohol hit me.
A stranger seized my arm and shouted, his words slurred.
“R-robbery… Money and phone. Hand them over!”
I froze.
Xu Zizhou appeared on my right.
“Shu Chi!”
A fist flew past my ear and struck the drunk squarely in the face.
He went down.
The bottle and knife in his hands hit Xu Zizhou’s leg before clattering to the ground.
“Who the fuck are you—shit! A male Bai Suzhen?!”
The curse turned into a terrified shriek.
I shuddered.
Before I could understand what was happening, Xu Zizhou’s legs had become a white snake’s tail two or three meters long.
The robber fainted outright.
Just then, a child on a scooter came past.
“Mom! A monster!”
The child fainted too.
His young mother hurried over at the cry, saw what was happening, rolled her eyes back, and also passed out.
…
Somehow, the café owner had reached the mouth of the alley.
Without a word of explanation, he took off his jacket and threw it to Xu Zizhou.
“Get him back to the shop. Quickly. I’ll deal with this.”
12
Flustered, I wrapped the jacket around Xu Zizhou’s conspicuous tail.
Half supporting him, half holding him, I helped him toward the café, terrified someone else would see.
Fortunately, we met no one.
I got him into the staff dormitory inside.
We looked at each other.
His voice trembled.
His amber eyes were wet, full of hurt.
“I’m sorry… Did I frighten you?”
He gave a self-mocking smile.
“Half human, half snake… Disgusting, isn’t it?”
“No.”
The word came out almost before I could think.
I only felt an ache for him.
The tip of his tail moved, then slowly drooped.
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
“You don’t have to force yourself…”
【It’s over. Completely over.】
【Too sudden. I hadn’t prepared anything before Little Chi saw my tail.】
【Of course he’ll hate me.】
His eyes dimmed.
Like the last light before a storm, about to be swallowed by dark clouds.
My heart clenched.
“I’m not scared! I mean it!”
My voice rose.
I couldn’t bear it anymore.
Before thought could catch up, I flung my arms around him.
Through his thin shirt, I felt his cool body trembling.
No wonder his temperature was so low.
Xu Zizhou was a snake.
A beautiful white snake with gleaming scales.
The sweet Little White I had just met.
Yes, I had been a little afraid of snakes at first.
But he would never hurt me.
And entertaining customers only meant taking snake form to play with visitors.
His thoughts broke like a dam.
【So warm.】
【Is this what a human body feels like?】
【Little Chi’s heartbeat sounds lovely.】
【He isn’t pushing me away…】
【He didn’t scream and run like everyone else…】
【All those people just now fainted when they saw me.】
【Is he an angel? He has to be.】
【I like him so much.】
My chest ached too.
I held him tighter.
He trembled slightly and caught my shirt in both hands, as though afraid I might leave.
He didn’t even dare hug me back.
For someone so bold in his head.
My heart softened.
“Xu Zizhou.”
“Mm.”
He slowly drew back.
His gaze lingered on my face, then dropped.
“I’m sorry. Alcohol on my skin makes me lose control and change back. I don’t know when I’ll recover… You should go first.”
After a pause, he added, “I’ll have a friend take you back. Don’t worry, you won’t run into—”
“I don’t want to hear that.”
I cut him off.
My eyes burned.
Silence settled between us.
I drew a deep breath, gathered every scrap of courage, and said it all at once.
“Xu Zizhou, you were Little White in the café, weren’t you?
“So you heard everything I said to Lin Feng?
“I meant to confess to you last night. But I lost my memory. Then, out of nowhere, I started hearing your thoughts this morning. I heard you say you liked me, but I wasn’t sure whether I was imagining it.
“You know all that, don’t you?
“I don’t care what you are. I only know you’re Xu Zizhou.
“I like you.
“All I want to know is whether you like me too.”
His thoughts answered before he could speak.
【Little Chi’s eyes are red. He looks so serious. So cute.】
【I want to kiss him. What do I do?】
【I like him so much. How can he be this gentle?】
【Wife…】
【Oh shit. Did he hear that…?】
I had rarely seen him panic.
It was as though the sky had fallen.
His usual composure shattered completely.
Even his long lashes shook.
I laughed.
Then my nose stung and tears began to fall.
“Xu Zizhou, you’re so noisy. Do you know that?”
He laughed softly, his eyes red.
“Sorry. Loving you has been making a racket in my head for a long time.”
At last, my secret love was returned.
All the bitterness turned sweet.
Feeling rather wronged, I let myself whine.
“Weren’t you going to kiss me?
“Go on, then.
“Why… have you lost your nerve?”
13
Before I finished, his trembling fingertips touched my cheek.
A moment later, his cool lips came down on mine.
Urgent.
Fierce.
Our lips pressed together, our breaths tangled.
From that close, I saw his amber pupils narrow into the vertical slits of a snake.
Between kisses, he whispered, “I like you.
“Little Chi, I like you.”
When two people in love began kissing, restraint did not last long.
We were so caught up in each other that everything else vanished.
Reason burned to ashes.
He still had his snake tail.
No trousers to hide anything.
Which meant…
“You… really have two?!”
He licked his lips, still unsatisfied, and bent to kiss me again.
“That’s why we’re made for each other.”
His voice was rough.
Dazed by my first kiss, my brain lagged behind.
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“Last night, you told me… you’re intersex. Front and back…”
His mouth curved.
“I can take care of both.”
“Last night?!”
Remembering that inexplicable gap in my memory, I shoved him away.
He wiped the wet corner of his mouth and looked at me in confusion.
I lost my temper.
“What else did I say last night? Why don’t I remember any of it? You did something, didn’t you!”
14
It took Xu Zizhou a while to explain.
“So… snake people really can erase other people’s memories?”
I repeated it in disbelief.
He coughed.
“Yes. It’s an inborn ability. So we don’t cause a panic.
“The owner will erase those memories for the people who fainted just now too.”
“The owner’s a snake?”
“…Everyone in the café is.”
His eyes drifted toward my lips.
He forced them away and patiently continued.
“He was the first of us to take human form. He took in snakes like us who had nowhere to go.
“We volunteer to work in snake form, keeping customers company as pets.
“To repay him.”
He watched my expression cautiously.
I felt no disgust.
Only amazement.
“You’re impressive for a snake. A master’s degree and everything. But I’m jealous! How can a snake publish all those papers when I can’t? It’s not fair!”
He chuckled.
“The papers are easy. I could put your name on—”
“No! I have some integrity!”
I puffed out my cheeks and stood firm.
“But you have to tutor me. I keep getting rejected. I don’t want the professor yelling at me again!”
I would not live on handouts.
Damn it.
I had lost to a snake.
Xu Zizhou leaned closer.
His breath brushed my ear, his voice full of amusement.
“All right. But I’ll need a little payment.”
He was too close.
His breath tickled my neck.
I wanted to move away.
And couldn’t bear to.
“What payment?”
My heart pounded. I was wary and curious at once.
He didn’t answer.
He only bent to kiss me, his lips skimming my ear as he coaxed, “Try both.”
My face burned.
My heart raced.
I cupped his face and kissed him again.
His tail quietly wound around me.
Gradually tightened.
…
Oh, god.
Two really was too much.
The End