Pampered Little Snake, Give Me a Kiss - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Little Snake

“Alright, everyone, start collecting specimens according to your groups. Remember one thing: do not wander too far or enter dangerous areas. We will gather here in one hour to head back to camp.”

The students responded with a messy chorus of “Okay.”

Song Keling didn’t hear a word the teacher said.

She was trailing far behind the class line, barely keeping up. It took a few classmates passing the message down like a relay race, calling her name two or three times, before she finally looked up from her camera and acknowledged them.

This field internship was located in Xuetai City, a six or seven-hour high-speed train ride away. Xuetai possessed a unique geographical environment and a humid climate; the flora and fauna on the mountain were incredibly diverse and rare.

This kept Song Keling very busy.

However, her “busy” wasn’t focused on the butterflies or moths that the other students were excitedly crowding around, nor was it on the planarians the teacher had flipped over creek stones to find. Most of what she observed and photographed were rare insects and plants not commonly seen (and certainly not on any exam).

Several WeChat notifications popped up—her group members were asking for her location. Song Keling typed a short reply. A moment later, several group members made their way from the front of the line to find her at the very back.

“Keling! Keling!”

Song Keling was using two fingers to zoom in on a photo, observing a tiny white seven-spotted ladybug she had just captured. Hearing the voices, she turned around.

Because they were hiking, Song Keling wore comfortable branded sneakers and a light-colored tracksuit. She had tied her shoulder-length hair into a neat, high ponytail, revealing a slender neck and elegant collarbones. Her skin was very pale, her eyes shaped like peach blossom petals, her nose bridge delicate, and her lips slightly thin. Though she wore no makeup, she had an air of refined, high-class beauty.

While others reached this point gasping for air or flushed red, she was different. She looked as though she were merely taking a stroll—calm and steady. Standing by a giant boulder on the mountain path with her backpack, she didn’t need any dramatic expression to look like a model waiting for a shutter click under a spotlight.

The group leader, Zhu Caixia, couldn’t help but sigh at the sight. She wondered if Song Keling had filled out the wrong university application—it was a waste for her not to be at a film academy.

Pushing the stray thought aside, she led the group to Song Keling, caught her breath, and asked, “Where are they?”

Song Keling pointed in a direction. “Over there.”

She had seen many swallowtails and ring butterflies earlier; it was enough for the group to catch.

“Really? Let’s go then!” Zhu Caixia excitedly directed the member holding the net. “Go, go, go! Don’t let anyone else grab them first!”

Compared to the rugged ascent, the terrain here was relatively flat. Low weeds grew thick and the towering trees were lush—a scene of a deep mountain rarely touched by humans. The previously dragon-like line of students had dispersed into groups, scattered about in colorful clusters.

One student muttered, “I hope we don’t run into any snakes.”

“Snakes are nothing to be afraid of. As long as you don’t provoke them, they’ll hide before you even notice them.”

“True, true.”

Song Keling followed Zhu Caixia’s group, still walking at an unhurried pace. Zhu Caixia, holding triangular paper bags and glass tubes, was busy rushing one person after another, occasionally looking back at Song Keling.

Well, at least she isn’t lost!

She didn’t rush Song Keling. To her, Song Keling was nothing short of a genius. Only a sophomore, she was already working on research projects with a doctoral supervisor’s team. While they were out catching butterflies, Song Keling was doing “real” scientific research. It was a total level gap!

Having such a “big god” in the group meant Zhu Caixia didn’t expect her to do the grunt work. In fact, just having her there as a lucky charm to ensure they didn’t fail their finals was enough of a contribution!

Song Keling had brought a camera, but it hadn’t been very useful. Although the species she saw were rare, she had seen most of them in illustrated handbooks. In truth, she was hoping to find a species related to her research: the Deinagkistrodon (Sharp-nosed pit viper).

But her luck wasn’t great. Forget a pit viper—she hadn’t even seen a worm.

Chatter echoed from all directions as everyone worked on their assignments. Song Keling listened to the noise but stayed within the group’s range, taking photos to avoid getting lost or encountering an accident.

Under a piece of decaying wood, she spotted a cluster of earthy-grey mushrooms. There were many types of mushrooms, but these caught her eye—the thumb-sized fruiting bodies were round and full, with patterns like a snakehead fish.

As Song Keling crouched down to find an angle for a photo, her nose suddenly twitched. She sensitively caught a faint, fishy scent amidst the smell of decay. She turned her gaze to follow the scent.

Time passed quickly. Zhu Caixia’s group had exceeded their quota, and the teacher tagged everyone in the WeChat group to gather.

“Keling, let’s go! The teacher wants us to gather!” Zhu Caixia shouted, walking toward her. Beads of sweat were on her nose, and she said excitedly, “Thanks to you, there were tons of butterflies over there, and even some huge moths!”

Song Keling didn’t hear her. The wind and voices of the forest seemed to fade away. Her focus was entirely on the exquisite and impossibly unique little white snake pinned under a fallen rock.

The snake was very small, likely a juvenile, only about the thickness of an index finger. It had probably been injured recently, as it was still struggling. Detecting someone nearby, it immediately went on alert, rearing up its head. Its small, rounded head featured a pair of translucent, crimson vertical pupils that stared back at her.

Zhu Caixia reached Song Keling’s back and asked curiously, “What are you filming? We have to gather.”

Song Keling: “I’m not filming.”

Two other group members walked over. One was a tall boy who saw something and froze. “Holy crap, is that a snake? What kind is it?!”

Zhu Caixia jumped in fright. “A snake? Where? Where is it?!”

Song Keling told the boy she wasn’t sure, then continued to watch the little white snake.

She had discovered it while photographing the mushrooms. Attracted by the scent and a tiny rustling sound, she had followed it here to find the snake crushed by the rock.

Song Keling actually knew quite a bit about snakes. The project she was helping her seniors with involved the medicinal value of pit viper venom. Yet, for a moment, even she couldn’t identify this snake.

It was pure white—clearly an albino of some species. Its scales were crystalline, almost transparent enough to see the pink flesh beneath. It had a prominent spine, and above its red eyes were two small, upright horn-like scales. Such features usually belonged to a horned viper, but it was impossible for a horned viper to be here.

Song Keling walked over and crouched down to lift the rock, which was roughly the size of an adult human skull.

Zhu Caixia finally saw the creature and her voice broke in terror: “Don’t, Keling! Get back! Don’t let it bite you! It’s dangerous!!”

Song Keling knew it was dangerous, so she was extremely careful. Once the rock was removed, she saw that the snake’s body near the tail had been crushed flat. Red flesh peeked through the scales, and there were undoubtedly several broken ribs and vertebrae.

With such a severe injury, it couldn’t possibly survive in the wild.

Strangely, while it was pinned, the snake had struggled constantly. But the moment Song Keling removed the rock, it went still. It remained in its alert posture, neck slightly raised, staring at her with its crimson pupils, frozen in place.

Terrified yet curious, Zhu Caixia rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and summoned the courage to look closer. She gasped, “Wow… a snake can actually be this beautiful?”

The boy leaned in, puzzled. “Is this really a snake? Why does it look so weird? Is that skin peeling on its head, or does it have two horns?”

The remaining girl in the group whispered, “Horns? Is it a dragon?! Maybe it’s a deity who failed their celestial tribulation?!”

Zhu Caixia was speechless. “Enough… stop watching so many Xianxia dramas.”

Their discussion drew other students who were heading to the gathering point. A crowd formed:

“A white snake? Could it be a King Cobra? I heard some cobras mutate into white forms with red eyes.” “It’s probably not venomous. Look, its head is round. Round heads mean no venom.” “Idiot! What year is this? Many deadly snakes like the Many-banded Krait and Black Mamba have round heads. Go ahead and let them bite you then.” “…” “It’s not a King Cobra. They have very distinct occipital scales on the head.” “Hey, is there a pattern on the bottom? Gold and green? I’ve seen that on bamboo vipers before.”

The students went back and forth. Meanwhile, the teacher blew the whistle multiple times to no avail. His portable speaker had run out of battery, so he used his gravelly, overused voice to shout for them to come back.

When that failed, he sent a student over. The student ran back and reported, “Teacher, they’re looking at a small snake. They say they don’t know if it’s venomous. You should go take a look!”

Hearing “venomous snake,” the teacher’s heart skipped a beat. If a student got bitten, it would be a disaster! He rushed over. The remaining students followed to join the fun.

The teacher only had a basic understanding of snakes. He took a quick look and guessed it was a juvenile albino krait. Seeing it was tiny and crushed flat, he assumed it was a goner and since no one was bitten, he didn’t want to waste time.

He shouted angrily, “I said gather! If we’re late, the cable cars will stop and you’ll have to walk down the mountain on your own feet!”

The students groaned and begged for mercy, quickly dispersing to gather.

Zhu Caixia saw that Song Keling hadn’t moved and called out to her. Song Keling acknowledged her and stood up. She waited until most of her classmates had left before silently trailing at the very back.

The sun was setting, but it was still early and the sky was bright. After walking a few steps, Song Keling looked back. She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but the little snake seemed to have lifted its neck a bit higher, looking toward her. Its beautiful red eyes were shimmering with light.

If she left now, it would surely die.

“Keling?” Zhu Caixia noticed Song Keling suddenly turning back. “Hey, where are you going?”

“You go ahead. I’ll be quick.”

Song Keling reached into her backpack and pulled out a snake hook and a ventilated transparent jar. Her movements were practiced and skillful. She had worried the snake would struggle and worsen its injuries, but as she carefully lifted the crushed body, the snake didn’t budge.

The situation was clearly grim.

“Hang in there,” Song Keling whispered. “I can’t save you just yet.”

After returning to the camp at the foot of the mountain, Song Keling asked for leave. She had already earned enough credits for this course. Knowing she had other research goals for this trip, the teacher agreed without a fuss.

Song Keling bought a night train ticket. she squeezed in a nap on the train, arriving back at the university around four or five in the morning.

The sky was a hazy grey.

Song Keling didn’t return to her dorm. She checked the little snake’s condition in the jar and went straight to the lab, still wearing her slightly wrinkled tracksuit.

At this hour, the lab was empty. On the two rows of snake racks, dozens of breeding boxes were neatly arranged.

Song Keling placed the jar on the lab bench, set down her backpack, put on her white lab coat, donned a mask and a face shield, and began to wash and disinfect her hands.

Support Pampered Little Snake, Give Me a Kiss