A Little Snake with a Naughty Streak — Chapter 3

From the moment we got in the car, Xie Qingye didn’t say a word. His jaw was tight.

I thought he was angry because I’d gone missing.

To keep from losing such a good owner, I figured I should humor him a little, so he’d know it wasn’t right to leave me alone.

I gently brushed his leg with my tail, showing him I forgave him.

The man’s face remained expressionless.

“Now you’re trying to butter me up? Hmph. I’ve never fallen for that.”

Talk about full of himself!

I slithered over to find Ha Qing hiding in the back seat.

He screamed for mercy.

Before I could gloat, the man grabbed me, lifting me into the air.

Xie Qingye’s voice held a trace of anger.

“Xiao Xie, if I say I don’t fall for it, you just give up the act?”

He gave a cold laugh.

“Such a snake.”

To keep me from wandering off, he tucked me right against his chest.

So hard. So firm.

I was instantly bewitched by the man’s scent.

Boldly, I slipped through the gap in his unbuttoned shirt.

He was wrong. I was a shameless admirer of handsome men.

Xie Qingye pressed me down with his hand and warned me, “Keep moving and I’ll tie you into a Chinese knot.”

But I was hot!

He felt so cool.

If only Xie Qingye would stroke me like Jiang Cong did.

As soon as I thought that, the man’s breath caught. His stomach tensed even more.

At bedtime, Xie Qingye still hadn’t let go of his anger. He coldly said he wanted to keep his distance from me.

I didn’t hear the rest. I was trying to remember which room Ha Qing had slept in.

Maybe I should go find him?

The moment I thought it, the door was locked. After closing the last window, Xie Qingye scowled and grabbed me, putting me on the bed.

“You need to remember whose snake you are.”

“Ha Qing sleeps badly. He might hit you, and one punch would kill a snake.”

“Besides—”

The man glanced over indifferently.

“He doesn’t have abs.”

I immediately crawled into his arms.

Never mind, then.

I got cold in the middle of the night. Xie Qingye’s body ran hot, so I snuggled closer.

But before long, the man pushed me away a little.

Half asleep, I kicked him.

“You’re annoying.”

The air went quiet for a few seconds.

Xie Qingye drew a deep breath and wrapped me tightly in the blanket.

“But you still can’t rub against me.”

I don’t remember what happened after that.

The housekeeper said Xie Qingye got up before five the next morning.

It was winter. Snakes slept a lot, more than twelve hours a day. Even if the bed collapsed halfway through, you couldn’t wake us.

Something started feeling wrong with my body.

I was always burning up. Whenever I saw Xie Qingye, I was like a cat spotting a mouse—I wanted to eat him.

More importantly, I was turning into a human more and more often, and I couldn’t control it.

Sometimes it happened when I woke up in bed the next morning.

Sometimes in the middle of a bath.

Once, I almost transformed while gnawing on Xie Qingye’s chest.

It was dangerous every time!

Luckily, he hadn’t noticed.

My mother sensed something was wrong and gave me a hint.

“Your cultivation is too weak, so you can’t control this intense heat.”

“Easy. Build up your cultivation a little.”

But Mother, had she forgotten I was a lazy snake?

I wanted a shortcut. I grabbed Xie Qingye’s phone and searched Baidu.

The results startled me.

“A man’s essence can help me increase my cultivation.”

“It works best with a virgin.”

I understood at once and set my sights on Xie Qingye.

A handsome man like him could give me ten years’ worth of cultivation in one night. What a bargain.

And if he couldn’t manage it, I could always find Jiang Cong.

So I started openly and secretly feeling up Xie Qingye.

When it was cold, I crawled into his blankets.
When I was hungry, I sprawled across his chest.
When I was in a bad mood, I sank my teeth into his hand.

The housekeeper watched in horror.

“This snake has a bad temper. Shouldn’t we get another one?”

Old man, keep running your mouth and I’ll bite your butt tomorrow!

In less than a week, there were more and more red marks, bruises, and bite marks on the man.

Everyone said he spoiled me too much. After all, I was only a snake.

Xie Qingye’s parents called him in and could barely speak from anger.

“You might as well spend the rest of your life with a snake!”

The man actually thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“I don’t see why not.”

Of course, even Xie Qingye had his limits.

He wouldn’t let me crawl inside his pants.

Every time I tried to sneak down there, the man got angry and pinched my head, threatening me.

“Lick me there again and I’ll throw you out.”

I flicked my snake tongue to show my displeasure.

Was there any owner in the world who was less cooperative?

Xie Qingye tightened his belt and spoke with a sarcastic edge.

“Hmph. Unlike some people, I know how to behave myself around women.”

I didn’t understand. It probably had nothing to do with me.

To punish me, he stopped warming my blankets for me.

He canceled my daily morning petting.

He even stopped bringing me into the bath.

Was this a sign he was about to stop keeping me?

I trembled with fear and started holding back.

But I didn’t give up.

There was still the path of unorthodox cultivation.

If I spent time around more men, wouldn’t I be able to avoid the hard work of cultivation?

It sounded easy, but it was incredibly difficult to pull off.

Xie Qingye said he was afraid I’d get lost again and refused to take me outside.

I once thought about sneaking out while he was away.

But this man was as if he could read minds. Out of nowhere, he said:

“I hear people are eating snake meat for its health benefits these days.”

“They especially like going after pet snakes. Smooth skin, tender meat, and easy to trick.”

?

I quietly abandoned the idea.

The day Jiang Cong came to the Xie residence, I suddenly got thirsty.

Especially when I saw his red lips. I involuntarily remembered that night.

It was the first time I’d taken human form, and I hadn’t managed to retract my fangs, so I’d bitten him quite hard.

The man had been both annoyed and amused, wiping my mouth.

“Bite me if you want, but don’t spit venom. If I die, I’ll haunt you even as a ghost.”

I was a snake spirit, so I believed he really would become a ghost.

After that, I obediently retracted my fangs.

Jiang Cong had come to discuss business with Xie Qingye.

Halfway through their conversation, he looked over.

“Can I borrow your snake for a few days?”

Xie Qingye’s hand immediately stroked my head harder.

“Why?”

The man went straight to his offer.

“I won’t compete with you for the project this time.”

Xie Qingye transferred me into his palm, his touch gentle.

His voice was cool.

“Mr. Jiang, business and personal matters should be kept separate.”

“I want both the project and the snake.”

Jiang Cong failed to strike a deal.

But he remained unruffled.

Looking straight at me, he said, “If you let her choose for herself, who do you think she’ll pick?”

It was a difficult choice.

After all, I was incapable of giving up a pretty face.

Before leaving, Jiang Cong leaned down in front of me and touched his lips to mine.

He spoke meaningfully.

“Has that wound still not healed?”

What did he mean?

Impatience flickered between Xie Qingye’s brows.

He warned him, “Jiang Cong.”

Jiang Cong’s voice didn’t sound like a joke at all.

“I’ve never believed in whoever came first. If you like someone, you have to compete for them. You have to fight.”

That evening, I was still thinking about how to sleep with Xie Qingye.

I was so troubled I couldn’t even eat.

At first, Xie Qingye thought I was upset.

He used every bit of patience he had to coax me.

I turned my head away.

Then he thought I was sick and immediately drove me to an animal hospital.

The car broke down on the way.

As if that weren’t enough, we ran into a mysterious old man.

I sensed a trace of danger.

The old man played at being mysterious and blocked Xie Qingye’s way.

“I’m a demon hunter.”

The man, holding his phone while calling roadside assistance, glanced at him and promptly called a mental hospital instead.

“Hello, I have one of your patients here.”

The old man broke down.

“Isn’t there a snake you’re keeping?”

That’s it. He’d come for me.

Xie Qingye said nothing more.

The old man tried to reassure him.

“Don’t be scared when I tell you.”

“She’s actually a snake demon.”

The man’s face stayed blank. He gave a soft snort.

“I’m terrified.”