Pampered Little Snake, Give Me a Kiss - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Jailbreak Failed

Song Keling had perceived emotions from this little snake more than once, but clearly, this was incorrect. Snakes cannot perceive human emotions, nor can they establish emotional bonds with humans. Any perceived emotion was merely a product of her own sensibility, projected and imposed onto Qianqian.

It was much like when humans take photos of their pets from certain angles and discover “expressions” of grievance or joy. While this might be possible for cats and dogs, it was an absolute impossibility for snakes.

So, why was she so listless? Could she truly be injured?

Anxiety and urgency surged in Song Keling’s heart. As Qianqian poked her head a bit further out from the hide, Song Keling reached in and pinched the area just below her head. Usually, at such a moment, a snake would twist its body uncomfortably or struggle to free itself.

But not Qianqian. She was unexpectedly docile, merely curling her tail slightly as she was lifted into the air, a stiff little strip of white.

The sensation against Song Keling’s skin was smooth and ice-cold. Only then did she realize she had used her left hand to grab the snake—the hand without a glove. However, Qianqian was cooperating, so it didn’t matter. She then used her gloved hand to carefully inspect the snake’s long, cool body.

No wounds, no parasites. No signs of shedding either.

Song Keling proceeded to re-check and adjust the humidity and temperature levels in the enclosure. Though she had been careful when setting things up earlier that afternoon, she couldn’t rule out the possibility that Qianqian was struggling to adapt to even the slightest environmental change in this unfamiliar room.

After recalibrating the values, Song Keling placed the little white snake back into the tank. Her technique for handling venomous snakes was textbook: using a snake hook to support the middle of the long body, she applied an outward force with the two fingers holding the head, cleanly “dropping” the snake away. With the hook in place, the snake had no leverage to strike.

Even though Qianqian showed zero inclination to attack, Song Keling couldn’t take risks; she had to ensure her own safety.

Leaving the warmth of the human fingers, Qianqian returned to the enclosure. She still appeared dejected, her beautiful golden horn scales drooping. After a moment, she lifted her neck and head slightly to look at Song Keling, paused for two or three seconds, and then turned her crimson pupils away.

She slithered back into her hide at a very slow pace. Although she hid again, this time she didn’t leave her tail outside. Instead, she backed in tail-first, leaving her small head at the entrance of the stone hide. It looked as though the space inside was limited, and she couldn’t fit any further.

Song Keling watched the entire process in silence. Because of Qianqian’s abnormality, she felt uneasy and didn’t want to go to the lab tonight. Maybe I should skip tonight and go early tomorrow?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone on the desk vibrated, the screen lighting up. Song Keling looked toward it, no longer noticing the movement in the tank.

Inside the enclosure, the little white snake was also drawn to the vibration. The head that had been listless and drooping suddenly snapped up with sharp agility to look at the source of the noise!

Song Keling tapped into her phone. It was Senior Lu Yunli, asking when she would be over because of a tricky situation. Letting out a soft sigh, Song Keling replied “On my way,” then set the phone down and looked back at the snake.

The moment she put the phone down, Qianqian lowered her head again. Thus, all Song Keling saw was the image of a listless snake with a drooping head, occasionally flicking its thin black tongue.

“I have to go to the lab,” Song Keling said softly, tapping the glass gently to try and get the snake’s attention. “I can’t stay with you. Can you be a good girl on your own?”

The snake, of course, couldn’t answer. She didn’t even react or lift her head. Only the tip of her tail, hidden deep within the hide, gave a tiny twitch. Her little head remained pressed firmly and obediently against the cave entrance.

Song Keling got up and poured some mineral water into a pudding cup, placing it inside the enclosure. Since she wasn’t sure what was wrong with Qianqian, she didn’t want to spray water recklessly, as that would fluctuate the carefully adjusted temperature and humidity.

After placing the cup, she looked at the “off” little creature with lingering worry and urged, “Remember to drink water.” It was a pointless thing to say—snakes don’t understand speech. But even if she didn’t understand, Song Keling felt compelled to say it.

She grabbed a jacket, took her phone, and left. She left decisively, even switching off the lights.

This clearly infuriated the little white snake in the hide. In the darkness, she immediately poked her long body and head out to look, but she only caught a glimpse of a receding back, which soon vanished entirely.

—Why did this human leave again?!

—Didn’t she just leave for a long time?!

—And she left with that “invader” I just drove away!

She had only been trying to scare that person, not her!

The little white snake appeared anxious. She quickly slithered out from the stone hide and climbed to its highest point. She pressed her round little head forcefully against the lid of the box, attempting to push the solid, secure barrier open. Her horn scales were squeezed flat, and the distance between her crimson pupils widened under the pressure, but the lid didn’t budge an inch.

Qianqian was very good at giving up. She turned around and slithered to the bottom of the box, following the ventilation holes along the side of the enclosure to climb. She had become quite adept at this. The holes in this breeding box were slightly larger than those in the small “scumbag box.”

Qianqian tried hard and found her head couldn’t fit through, but she could flick her black tongue through the holes to gather information. Poking at them was actually quite fun. Thus, as she played, Qianqian forgot what she had originally intended to do…

Next door, Xu Xinlei heard the sound of Song Keling leaving. She waited patiently for a while, making sure she was truly gone and wouldn’t return shortly, before picking up her phone and creeping over quietly.

The door was closed. Xu Xinlei gripped the knob and turned it slightly.

The sound was faint, but Qianqian—who was currently flicking her tongue through a ventilation hole—detected it immediately. She retracted her tongue and turned her head toward the door with sharp alertness, her scales bristling all over.

Outside, Xu Xinlei hit a snag. Song Keling had actually locked the door when she left!

Usually, when they went to class, the inner room doors were left unlocked. Song Keling generally closed her door since getting the white snake, but she occasionally forgot. As for whether it was locked, Xu Xinlei had never tried the handle before, so she didn’t know. But usually, people didn’t lock them!

Realizing a “criminal” thought was brewing in her mind, Xu Xinlei hurriedly used her hem to wipe the door handle in a panic, then slunk back to her own room.

From the moment she detected the movement outside until it disappeared, Qianqian stopped playing with the ventilation holes. She slithered back into her hide. She remembered what she was trying to do now. She wanted to find the human who had been kidnapped by the “invader.”

But dammit, this place was too sturdy. She couldn’t get out. She had to find a way to make that human let her out again. And once she was out this time, she was never coming back in!!

Song Keling had no idea the beautiful snake was “two-faced,” nor that she was seriously plotting an escape after the first attempt failed. She donned her protective gear and entered the venomous snake area to help her senior save a sharp-nosed pit viper whose pneumonia had taken a turn for the worse.

When Song Keling arrived, the senior brother who had been assisting rushed back to the adjacent workstation to monitor the centrifuge. Song Keling and Lu Yunli tried various methods of resuscitation, but in the end, they couldn’t save the viper. In the face of severe illness, human ability is ultimately limited.

Afterward, Lu Yunli followed protocol, spraying disinfectant over the viper’s enclosure and the operating table. Song Keling, still in her protective gear, was responsible for handling the deceased snake.

She picked up the snake tongs. The dead viper was a sub-adult with a beautiful, light-colored pattern. However, the lifeless body had gone limp, its white belly turning upward in sections. As she lifted the floppy body, its head lolled to one side, exposing part of its tongue.

A flash of imagery crossed Song Keling’s mind—Qianqian turning her belly up like this, her vivid red pupils losing their luster. The image lasted only a second, but it sent a chill through her entire body!

Early symptoms of pneumonia in snakes include loss of appetite and decreased activity. The viper that had died tonight had been almost motionless before its end, showing no aggression and no flight response.

Just like Qianqian tonight!

Song Keling remembered how incredibly docile Qianqian had been when she pinched her earlier—no struggle at all. Does she have pneumonia?! The more Song Keling thought about it, the more terrified she became.

She immediately placed the dead snake into a sealed biohazard container. Not knowing when the animal disposal unit would arrive, she filled out the disposal logs and said to Lu Yunli, “Senior, I’ve filled out the forms. Give them to the staff when they arrive. I have something urgent and need to get back to the dorm.”

Lu Yunli was still busy with disinfection and didn’t look up, just saying “Okay.”

Song Keling went to the pharmacy room and grabbed pneumonia medication for snakes, along with disposable syringes and Houttuynia injection fluid. Then, she raced down the stairs.

The night temperature in March and April was a bit low. It was only after she got downstairs that Song Keling realized she had only remembered to take off her lab coat and had forgotten to put her jacket back on. She was covered in a cold sweat, and when the wind hit her, the chill surged from her feet straight up to her spine.

She didn’t want to run back, thinking she’d just head to the dorm, but her room keys were still in her jacket. Song Keling turned around and ran back up to the fourth floor in one breath.

Lu Yunli watched her rush in and out with a frantic, hurried expression. When the centrifuge finished, the senior brother came out to look, catching only a glimpse of Song Keling’s departing figure. He turned to Lu Yunli: “What’s wrong with the junior? I’ve never seen her look this panicked.”

Lu Yunli replied, “I don’t know. She just said she had something to do and didn’t explain.”

Song Keling pedaled her bike like the wind. Back in her room, she flicked on the light. The little snake was still in her hide. Song Keling steadied her ragged breathing and walked to the desk to greet her.

Qianqian’s head moved slightly toward her, and she flicked her tongue. Hmph, so you finally decided to come back!

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