Pampered Little Snake, Give Me a Kiss - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Little Female Snake

When Song Keling went out, she noticed Xu Xinlei’s room was empty, with only the computer screensaver glowing; she had likely gone to eat.

She opened the dorm door.

“Surprised? Unexpected, right?” Su Yili asked outside, handing a box of fried chicken nuggets to Song Keling with a beaming smile. “I thought you’d be asleep for a long time, so I bought some snacks on the way to help you line your stomach.”

Facing Senior Su Yili’s enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, Song Keling—who had just resolved to cut things off—was a bit at a loss as to how to handle it. She could only take the bag and say thank you.

“Thanking me again.” Su Yili knew Song Keling loved saying it and didn’t bother correcting her anymore. Seeing that Song Keling took the food but remained blocking the doorway, she cleared her throat. “What, is it inconvenient for me to come in?”

Song Keling was indeed worried. The last time the Senior came over, Qianqian’s scales had nearly bristled into a hedgehog… However, looking at her now, Qianqian’s mood seemed relatively stable; she had likely passed that special “sensitive period.”

Moreover, she was currently holding food the other had brought.

Logically and emotionally, Song Keling couldn’t actually keep her outside. After a few seconds of mental calculation, she stepped aside and confessed directly: “Senior, actually…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Upon entering the dorm, Song Keling’s room was immediately to the left. The distance was very short. Walking ahead, Su Yili heard Song Keling’s voice but as she stepped into the room, her eyes landed instantly on the conspicuous breeding box on the desk—and a white snake whose white belly scales were pressed against the glass wall.

Unprepared, Su Yili let out a low gasp of surprise and immediately turned to look at Song Keling.

Song Keling gave a light shrug. The meaning was obvious: It’s exactly what you see.

Su Yili frowned slightly as she looked back at the breeding box, a hint of difficulty and frustration surfacing in her eyes. “Keling, why did you get another one?”

Another one?

Song Keling looked at Qianqian’s distinct features—the snow-white body, blood-red vertical pupils, a pair of horn scales, slightly raised body scales, the abruptly tapering tail, and the fine longitudinal lines of blue-gold dorsal scales… Everything screamed: Don’t doubt it, I am the one and only, most beautiful mutant baby.

It was likely that Senior Su didn’t have a deep understanding of snake species. Part of the reason was also Song Keling’s fault; after all, during their video call at noon, she had quite firmly stated that she had released the snake.

Song Keling said, “It’s still the same one from before.”

Su Yili looked at Song Keling in shock. Knowing what she was puzzled about, Song Keling explained, “I released it, but without me knowing, it secretly followed me back.”

Su Yili: “??” That sounded like something out of a fairy tale!

Song Keling knew it sounded ridiculous. Not to mention the Senior, even she found it hard to believe when she thought about it.

Su Yili asked, “What exactly happened?”

Song Keling gave her a brief overview of the events. In truth, she wasn’t certain either. Everything was just a relatively logical process reconstructed backward from the result.

Song Keling dropped the subject and pulled over the only chair in the room. “Senior, take a seat.”

Su Yili didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down, looking up at her slightly. “Hurry and eat; it won’t taste good once it gets cold.”

Song Keling nodded. Su Yili only looked away once she saw Song Keling open the bag, but as soon as she turned her head, she saw the breeding box right next to her.

Once bitten, twice shy. Having learned that this was the same little white snake that had made that terrifying gas-leak sound last time, Su Yili remained shaken. She leaned back as far as possible, sitting upright and stiff in the ergonomic chair. Yet, she couldn’t help but frown and peek at the snake out of the corner of her eye.

She saw that the snake wasn’t arching its body into an S-shape or hissing like last time. Instead, it was rapidly and continuously shaking its thin tail toward her.

Su Yili felt a surge of joy and asked Song Keling, “Keling, it’s wagging its tail at me! Does it like me?”

Song Keling had been keeping an eye on Qianqian’s state. Hearing the question, she was speechless for half a second. She lowered her eyes, skewered a chicken nugget with a bamboo stick, and stuffed it into her mouth. Her voice was low, as if she didn’t want the words to be heard too clearly: “No.”

Su Yili looked at her in confusion. “Eh? Then what is it?”

Song Keling: “Snakes aren’t like dogs. A snake rapidly shaking its tail is a warning to an enemy. It means it’s prepared to strike at any moment.”

Terrified by those words, Su Yili immediately recoiled. The wheels of the ergonomic chair rolled quite a distance away.

Inside the breeding box, Qianqian—who was shaking its tail rapidly—was extremely proud of itself for successfully asserting dominance. It even felt its vantage point was too low, so it climbed on top of its hide to continue the shaking. It wished it could transform into a rattlesnake, shaking and rattling simultaneously to be even more imposing.

Song Keling knew Qianqian’s behavior was just animal instinct. She couldn’t control instinct, so she could only send the snake-fearing Senior Su away first.

When they reached the dorm entrance, Song Keling struggled internally but eventually spoke: “Senior, I’m going to be very busy for a long time. And as you saw, I have to take care of the snake, so I won’t have time to accompany you…”

Su Yili’s heart sank slightly, but she didn’t show it. She waited for Song Keling to finish before looking over. “How could you have no time?”

Song Keling moved her lips, about to explain what she’d be busy with.

But Su Yili didn’t give her the chance. She said with a beaming smile, “Why don’t you give the snake to someone else? Then you can spend the time you would’ve used for the snake on me instead.”

Song Keling was stunned.

Su Yili looked at Song Keling, hiding her hands behind her back, her eyes bright and full of expectation. “I’m very easy to take care of. I’m perfectly fine eating, traveling, and wandering around on my own.”

Song Keling frowned. “But Qianqian…”

“Qianqian?” Su Yili was puzzled at first but quickly caught on. She was baffled: “Keling, you even gave a name to a little snake you picked up?”

Snakes are the quintessential cold-blooded animals; no matter how long you keep them, they never develop human feelings. Calling its name would never elicit a response. Giving a snake a name had no meaning other than creating a unilateral emotional bond for the human.

For Chinese people, “naming” has always been a serious matter; the “right to name” is a privilege held by those of special status. By giving it a name, it was as if it became your property, intertwined with you through countless memories and connections.

Song Keling, however, didn’t find naming a snake surprising or strange. “All the snakes in our lab have names.”

Though, they weren’t necessarily called by them. It was limited to the ten or so most special sharp-nosed pit vipers; for the others, Song Keling and her seniors just used numbers.

Su Yili originally wanted to warn Song Keling, but seeing how the other took it as a matter of course and didn’t think it was special, she felt she was overthinking it. It was just a little snake. It couldn’t possibly pose any threat to her.

Even though Song Keling had just tried to reject a date with her for the sake of the snake… Su Yili got angry just thinking about it.

She had learned from her friend Qiao Ying that the research was entering its final stages and the entire group would be very busy. Thus, she had seized the opportunity to see Song Keling tonight, hoping for some alone time to grow their relationship. Who would have thought that while there were two people, there was an extra snake.

A snake was more annoying than a person. At least a person would have the social awareness to know when they should “have things to do” and leave. A snake wouldn’t; it didn’t care about anyone’s feelings or perceive any emotions. It only followed biological instinct—warning and driving away anyone who entered its territory.

Its territory? Ha. Since when did the little Junior’s dorm become its territory?

Su Yili made up her mind to find someone to take the snake away. She said with a playful smile, “Qianqian? Like the ‘Qian’ in ‘owing a debt’? It’s clinging to you and coming back even after being released at Xuetai. Keling, you don’t really owe it from a past life, do you?”

Song Keling caught a hint of unhappiness in Su Yili’s tone. As she walked her downstairs, she explained, “It’s the ‘Qian’ with the ‘person’ radical—the one from the phrase ‘charming and beautiful smile’ (qiao xiao qian xi).”

Su Yili: “Oh, so it’s a girl.”

Song Keling laughed, her gaze unknowingly softening. “Mhm. She’s a little female snake.”

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