Beauty Snake - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: “This Part Is The Most Severely Injured; Even With Recovery, It May Leave Permanent Aftereffects.”

Inside the Snake Den, Xie Chu paced back and forth at the entrance of Xie Yin’s small wooden cabin, accompanied by Yin Qing and Yin Wan. When A-Mo emerged with an unreadable expression, Xie Chu’s voice trembled: “A-Mo, A-Yin’s condition…”

A-Mo didn’t answer directly; she simply stepped aside to clear a path. “Come in first.”

Inside the cabin, Soul-Soothed Incense was burning. Wisps of white smoke curled from the censer, drifting toward the window. A faint green tea fragrance filled the room, masking most of the metallic scent of blood, but Xie Chu still detected it with ease.

On the bamboo bed lay a massive yellow-and-black python—it was Xie Yin. At this moment, she was as still as a sculpture; if not for the slight rise and fall of her underbelly, she truly showed no signs of life.

She was the source of the bloody scent in the room. The wounds covering her body were far too gruesome. Yin Qing was the first to succumb to the sight; her eyes reddened, and she covered her mouth, quickly retreating from the cabin before she could make a sound.

Xie Yin’s scales, once her proudest feature, were no longer lustrous but tattered and broken. Blood seeped from the gaps where scales had been torn away. Xie Chu couldn’t bear to look any longer; she turned her eyes away and let out a long, heavy breath.

Seeing that even Xie Chu couldn’t bear to look, A-Mo hesitated about whether to tell the truth regarding the most severely injured part—the tail. She bit her lip, and after a moment of hesitation, she slowly unwrapped the gauze around the end of Xie Yin’s body.

The once long and powerful snake tail was now a shocking sight of misery.

A-Mo pointed to the base of the tail: “This part is the most severely injured; even with recovery, it may leave permanent aftereffects.”

Xie Chu followed A-Mo’s gaze to the base of the tail. With just one look, the woman who was usually dignified and cold-hearted nearly suffered an emotional breakdown.

Starting from the base of the tail, about a quarter of it had almost entirely lost its original shape. The flesh at the wound was turned outward in irregular chunks, and every piece of mangled flesh was covered in dense, tiny lacerations. It looked as if it had been repeatedly punctured by countless sharp steel needles or torn back and forth by a serrated blade.

Amidst the broken flesh, stark white bone protruded abruptly, emitting a chilling light in the dim room. The bone was not smooth; it bore deep scratches, as if it had been forcibly scraped by a hard instrument.

The skin around the wound was a ghastly bluish-black. Wisps of black energy, like ghosts, wove through the gaps in the scales. Wherever they touched, the scales lost their luster, becoming dull and brittle, as if they would turn to dust at the slightest touch.

“That group really went all out this time. They actually used a Vajra Scepter—truly inhuman.” A-Mo gritted her teeth to keep her rage in check. She exhaled a breath of turbid air and continued: “Luckily, the inner core wasn’t damaged this time. Otherwise, even if the Heavens themselves descended, she wouldn’t have been saved.”

She re-wrapped the gauze around Xie Yin’s tail, her palms glowing with a faint green light as she used her spiritual power to accelerate the healing of the flesh.

After a long while, she stopped, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. She brushed aside the stray hairs sticking to her brow and looked at Xie Chu, who stood nearby. “My power is limited. The strike from the Vajra Scepter affected her soul. I can only handle the external injuries while stabilizing a portion of her soul daily. For her to fully recover, I’m afraid this will be a long battle.”

“When will she wake up?” Xie Chu looked at Xie Yin, who remained in her snake form with eyes tightly shut. Frowning, she gently stroked the python’s head.

“That… there is no set time. I really can’t give a definite answer…” A-Mo couldn’t say. With injuries this severe, surviving at all was already a miracle. She couldn’t imagine how much pain Xie Yin had endured before falling unconscious, or how she had dragged this broken body back to the Snake Den bit by bit.

“A thousand years ago, it was that same group that hurt her. During all this time, they never gave up, testing us openly and secretly. Now, they aren’t even pretending anymore…” Xie Chu bit her lip until it bled, but she didn’t care. “They really are like indestructible cockroaches… foul-smelling and clingy. Once you’re tainted by them, there’s no peace.”

“Aunt Chu, with Xie Yin like this… what about her… partner?” A-Mo thought of Ji Yunfei, the person Xie Yin had searched for so desperately.

“We will handle Little Ji’s side.” Xie Chu touched the “North Star” ring she had just brought back from the police station, her heart filled with uncertainty.

Does that child remember everything now?

Xie Chu remembered that before Xie Yin fell unconscious, she was crying, repeating “North Star,” “I’m sorry,” and “A-Fei” over and over. At first, she didn’t understand and tried to ask Xie Yin, but she slipped into a coma shortly after. It wasn’t until she saw the news report that Xie Chu realized the “North Star” was likely that ring.

Thinking of this, she bit her lip and made a silent decision in her heart.

“Have you heard? That ‘Snake Beauty’ Xie seems to have some serious illness and isn’t working anymore. A new CEO is coming to replace her today…”

“Really? I hope the new CEO is kind-hearted. That Snake Beauty was too cold-blooded; it’s good she’s gone…”

“……”

As soon as she started work, Ji Yunfei’s ears were filled with these rustling bits of gossip. A surge of anger rose in her heart for no reason.

What did they mean by “cold-blooded” and “good she’s gone”?

Ji Yunfei admitted that Xie Yin’s attitude toward work had always been strict, her standards were high, and she acted like a block of ice. But in their heart of hearts, was she really as… terrible as those employees said?

Did they not remember a single good thing she did for them? Ji Yunfei suddenly felt a sense of sorrow—sorrow that Xie Yin treated these subordinates with sincerity, only for them to be the ones most eager for her to vanish.

Unable to stop the rumors, Ji Yunfei simply covered her ears, physically isolating herself from them.

It had been a week, and there was still no news of Xie Yin. During this time, the police released the identities of the six deceased from the accident. Xie Yin was not among them. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart never settled; it hung high, as if it could be shattered by the wind at any moment.

The unknown was a truly terrifying thing.

Ji Yunfei had driven to the old manor, only for the security guard to tell her that Xie Chu and Yin Qing had gone abroad to clear their heads and likely wouldn’t be back for a while.

Naturally, Ji Yunfei didn’t believe that excuse. She was more inclined to believe that Xie Chu and Yin Qing had gone back to take care of Xie Yin…

Until the facts were before her, she would not make any more negative assumptions. If she stayed pessimistic and returned to her “salted fish” life, Xie Yin would surely laugh at her when she returned. She couldn’t give that rascal the chance.

But Ji Yunfei also didn’t understand why she missed Xie Yin’s warm embrace so much. Xie Yin had been away for long periods before, but this was different.

It seemed she had never been this… addicted to a person before?

“Alright, Design Department, eyes on me.” The “Baldie’s” slightly fawning, loud voice pulled Ji Yunfei back to reality. She looked at the beaming boss and curled her lip, rolling her eyes secretly.

When the Baldie smiles, trouble follows. It probably wasn’t anything good.

However, when she saw the person following behind him, her heart throbbed violently. She stood up abruptly, her chair rolling a long way behind her.

Ji Yunfei’s reaction was so large that everyone’s eyes snapped to her. The Baldie, putting on his official air, barked coldly: “Ji Yunfei, why are you so excited? Sit back down.”

“Hehe… okay…” The shock had completely taken over Ji Yunfei’s mind. She didn’t care about being embarrassed; she absentmindedly dragged her chair back and sat down, her gaze locked onto the person behind the Baldie—a face that looked sixty percent like Xie Yin’s when she smiled with squinted eyes, though it was slightly more youthful.

“This is the new CEO taking over CEO Xie’s work, Yin Wan, CEO Yin.” The Baldie stood beside Yin Wan so everyone could see her clearly.

“Hello everyone, I’m Yin Wan. Please take care of me!” Yin Wan gave a shy smile to the Design Department. Someone among the staff whispered in surprise: “Wow, so gentle… she looks so good when she smiles…”

Hearing that, Yin Wan’s smile deepened. She clapped her hands, and several tall bodyguards walked up behind her, carrying large bags of desserts and drinks.

“These are meeting gifts. I hope we can work together happily.” With that, she waved her hand, and the bodyguards immediately began distributing the items.

“If anyone has work-related questions, you can find me. My office is the same one your CEO Xie used.” When she said this, Ji Yunfei felt it was directed specifically at her.

And what happened next confirmed her suspicions.

“Hey, find some time to come to the office and see me.” A somewhat arrogant voice sounded in her ear—it sounded very familiar. Ji Yunfei looked around, but no one was talking. She was confused.

Was I hallucinating?

“Are you stupid? Can’t you recognize my voice? Looking around like that.”

Now Ji Yunfei was certain she wasn’t hallucinating. She looked up at Yin Wan, who was standing in the distance. The other girl was staring right back at her. Seeing Ji Yunfei look over, Yin Wan raised an eyebrow disdainfully: “So slow. You only reacted after I said it.”

“I really don’t know what my sister sees in you…”

Xie Yin…

Ji Yunfei couldn’t sit still anymore. The look of anxious desperation on her face made Yin Wan pause. Fearing Ji Yunfei might do something shocking, she quickly sent another transmission: “Your reaction is so big the moment my sister is mentioned. Can you stay calm? Come to the office this afternoon.”

“Afternoon… office…” Ji Yunfei murmured. her mind was already miles away. For the first time, she felt that time moved so slowly… so slowly that a single minute felt like a year…

She finally made it to the afternoon. Ji Yunfei ignored everything else, made up an excuse, and ran to Yin Wan’s office.

The girl seemed to know she was coming; the security at the door had already been cleared away.

Knock, knock, knock— Controlling her heart which was about to leap out of her chest, Ji Yunfei knocked on the office door.

“Come in—”

“Oh, you’re here?” Seeing it was Ji Yunfei, Yin Wan leaned her head on one hand, crossed her legs, and spoke nonchalantly.

“Tell me, Xie Yin…” As soon as she spoke, Ji Yunfei found she suddenly couldn’t say another word.

It was clearly the work of the girl smiling mischievously across from her.

Ji Yunfei glared at her indignantly and sat in the chair opposite her.

Seeing her like this, Yin Wan laughed childishly: “You look quite interesting like this. No wonder my sister likes being with you; you are quite cute.”

“Fine. I called you here today because there is something important.” Yin Wan flicked her fingers in the air, and Ji Yunfei felt the restriction on her mouth loosen.

She had prepared a whole speech of rebuttals, but all words were forgotten once Yin Wan pulled out that item.

“This, I think, needs to be returned to its original owner for the time being.”

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