Raising My Sweet, Well-Behaved Puppy-Snake to Be My Wife - Chapter 14

The intense contrast eased the agitation Shen Zhiheng felt after his sleepless night. He stood to the side, leaving a path for the little snake to enter the room. Shen Zhiqi hugged his large, soft pillow and shuffled inside, dragging his snake tail behind him.

Once his brother closed the bedroom door, he looked around with a sense of delayed realization. This was his first time on the second floor, stepping into his brother’s bedroom and entering this private territory. The bedroom was decorated in a minimalist style, with a black, white, and gray color scheme that felt somewhat oppressive for a bedroom.

Shen Zhiheng walked around the little snake and sat on the bed. He watched as the little snake paced the open space in the bedroom, dragging his large tail like he was patrolling his territory.

“Not going to sleep?” Shen Zhiheng, sitting on the bed, asked.

“I have to help Big Brother check the sleeping environment. I promised to protect Big Brother while he sleeps.” The little guy spoke grandly, answering his brother’s question with a small, milky voice that lacked any intimidation.

“Alright, our Xiaoqi is the most capable.”

Shen Zhiqi used his clean belly scales to wipe the wooden floor of the room several times before nodding in satisfaction and moving to his brother’s bedside. He patted the soft quilt with his cool little hands and reported solemnly, “Big Brother, I have checked everything. The room is very safe.”

Shen Zhiheng looked at the wooden floor, which had been polished to a shine by the little snake, his smiling eyes filled with even more indulgence. “Thank you, my capable little treasure.”

He moved to the side of the bed and patted the empty space beside him. “Do you want to come over and sleep with Big Brother?”

“Yes! I want to. I want to guard Big Brother.”

The bed in his brother’s room was quite high, a full twenty or thirty centimeters; a height that was easy for a person to step up onto, but very difficult for a legless little snake. The bed in the little snake’s own room was the exact opposite, looking more like an inward-curving nest surrounded by soft cushions.

The legless, cold-blooded creature stood by the side of the bed, thinking. He supported himself against the edge, pushing his upper body higher to expose a section of his milky-white belly scales. Then, he pitched himself forward into the soft bed, using the edge of the bed as leverage to haul himself up, inch by inch.

Shen Zhiheng watched the snake moving inch by inch beside him, so utterly charmed that he forgot he should reach out and help. The silly little snake, meanwhile, never thought to ask his brother to pick him up and place him on the bed. He spent a great deal of effort getting his belly scales onto the mattress, and by the time he succeeded, he was gasping for air, flicking his little snake tongue.

Shen Zhiqi hugged his large pillow to rest, his chin resting on one side of the pillow, his little face flushed from the exertion. He rested for a good while before moving to coil his large tail into a mosquito-coil shape as a base, holding his upper body bolt upright.

“Big Brother, rest well! You can leave everything to the snake!”

He looks like he has zero attack power Shen Zhiheng thought to himself.

He did not expose the spirited little snake and obediently pulled up the quilt to lie down. “Alright, Big Brother’s sleep is in the hands of the great Xiaoqi.”

The lights in the room were dimmed, leaving only a warm orange nightlight on the bedside table. Snakes are usually nocturnal; even with poor vision, they can move through thermal imaging and sharp smell. Shen Zhiheng lay on his side, looking at the little snake, who sat like a small sculpture in the dim light. After a moment, he softened his voice and asked, “Xiaoqi, are you keeping watch?”

“Keep… keeping watch.”

The soft voice began to drift, revealing a deep sense of drowsiness. For a little snake Omega accustomed to sleeping at night, pulling an all-nighter was a fantasy. Furthermore, being by his brother’s side meant absolute security, and the soft, high-quality bed was comfortable even with his tail piled up.

Before long, the head that had been held upright began to bob like a chick pecking at rice. Then, like a ripe sunflower, it began to droop little by little. Hypnotized by the warm, safe atmosphere, Shen Zhiqi’s physiological instincts completely defeated his pitiful willpower.

The fuzzy little head fell onto the soft bed with a thud, and even the tightly coiled tail unraveled. Shen Zhiheng chuckled quietly in the silent room. He carefully pulled the quilt from underneath the little snake and covered the sleeping little guy with it. This fragile, delicate little guy, what heavy responsibility could he possibly carry?

The little snake under the quilt moved, emitting a few small, soft hums in his sleep. His little snake tongue flicked out, the pink tip visible—he was clearly fast asleep.

Shen Zhiheng then moved lightly to the little snake’s side and gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The cool body seemed to have the magical effect of soothing the mind, causing his own breathing to slow down as well. He did not dare to hold Shen Zhiqi tightly, fearing his own body temperature would wake the sleeping snake.

If I can see the little snake the moment I open my eyes, I probably won’t have nightmares anymore, right? Shen Zhiheng felt a sense of peace he had never known before. His so-called “heart knot” was lying quietly beside him, never to leave him, and never to be taken away. As long as he stayed by Shen Zhiqi’s side without leaving his sight—day or night—no one would ever be able to steal his younger brother.

Shen Zhiheng’s hand was pinned under the snake’s back, but the little guy’s frail shoulders added very little weight. At first, he felt peace, but gradually, he felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction. If only the little snake’s tail could wrap around me.

Shen Zhiheng lay on his side, eyes fixed on the little snake’s quiet, obedient sleeping face. If that were the case, the snake tail would press against my nerves like a strangling hold, causing my limbs and muscles to ache with congestion. And then, the pain would allow me to clearly feel my brother’s existence. As long as there is pain, the little snake is by my side.

The smile on Shen Zhiheng’s face was less gentle and more dark and pathological. But he did not move; he did not disturb the snake’s tail or interrupt his dreams.

“Goodnight, baby.”

Shen Zhiheng had not slept so soundly in a long time; there were no nightmares of losing the little snake, and no bottomless loneliness.

The next morning, Shen Zhiqi was woken up by the heat. He did not know how he had managed to wrap his tail around his brother this giant heat-tree and even press his heavy tail down so that the man could not move.

“Hmm…”

Shen Zhiqi rubbed his eyes in a daze and lifted his head from his brother’s neck. He opened his eyes, and the round, bean-like eyes, which should have been round, gradually turned into thin, long slits due to the morning sunlight streaming into the room. When he recovered his senses and saw his brother’s enlarged, handsome face, and felt the human body temperature on his tail, those thin, vertical pupils immediately widened into rounds, and his remaining sleepiness vanished instantly.

Oh, oh no! I promised to protect Big Brother, how did I fall asleep?!

Shen Zhiqi felt so guilty that even his breathing became erratic. He lowered his head, flicking his tongue out repeatedly, moving his tail cautiously in an attempt to shift it away unnoticed. Once Big Brother wakes up, I will tell him I guarded him all night!

Just as this thought emerged, Shen Zhiqi patted his own small face lightly. I cannot be a bad child who tells lies. I should  just admit my mistake to Big Brother directly.

“Good morning, our family’s most capable little guard.”

Suddenly, a lazy, pleasant chuckle with a thick nasal tone came from above. Shen Zhiqi’s movement of retracting his tail froze abruptly. He raised his head stiffly to meet his brother’s smiling, deep, and bright eyes. The dark circles under his brother’s eyes had faded, and those clear, smiling eyes were filled only with the reflection of the little snake.

“Go, good morning, Big Brother.”

The little snake stuttered a greeting, his fair little face turning bright red. He flicked his little pink snake tongue in a cute gesture, attempting to muddle his way through. Shen Zhiqi glanced guiltily at his brother; seeing his brother’s sharp gaze fixed on him, he could not sit still. He simply gave up and threw himself into his brother’s arms, his voice coming out muffled:

“I… I accidentally fell asleep yesterday.”

The deliberately softened voice was clearly an attempt to act spoiled in front of his brother.

What else could Shen Zhiheng blame the little guy for? This was nothing more than a silly little snake. The little guy needed to sleep well to grow. He ruffled Shen Zhiqi’s already messy head even more and softened his voice: “Big Brother knows, of course. Yesterday, Xiaoqi did not wait for Big Brother to sleep before falling asleep first.”

The little silly snake in his arms flicked his tail, his ears turning hot with embarrassment. He pursed his lips and raised his head, looking expectantly at his brother. “Big Brother’s dark circles have faded, and your eyes look better too. You can see me in your eyes.”

This deliberate attempt to change the subject, trying to muddle through with flattery, amused Shen Zhiheng so much he could not stop himself from laughing. Shen Zhiheng’s state was indeed excellent; it was the first time he had slept until noon, and he felt refreshed and energized.

Seeing that his brother was silent, Shen Zhiqi quietly moved his tail, inching away from the position where it was pressing down on the man. The soft snake tail curled around the quilt, becoming a larger bundle, making it very difficult for the little snake to drag his tail along. He bit his lip, gave his large tail a forceful flick, and successfully pulled the thin quilt that had been draped over his brother away.

“Hmm…”

The little snake’s small head fell into deep thought. It seems I have tangled myself up with the quilt.

Shen Zhiqi looked at his brother for help, his little snake tongue flicking, his round eyes reflecting a bit of sunlight that had stolen into the room, making them sparkle.

Laughter erupted in the bedroom, followed by the little snake trying to cover his brother’s mouth, chirping “Big Brother” in a milky voice.

“Do not make fun of me! Stop, stop it! Big Brother, Big Brother is broken!”

Shen Zhiqi flailed his hands in confusion, but he could not stop his brother from laughing; instead, the man laughed even harder. Before he could react, he was hugged by his brother along with the snake and the quilt. The soft quilt wrapped around a large portion of the snake tail, making the embrace feel exceptionally substantial and filled with happiness.

Shen Zhiheng leaned his head on the snake’s tail, pressing the soft quilt down. “Big Brother is only able to sleep well because of Xiaoqi. From now on, wherever Big Brother goes, Xiaoqi goes too, okay?”

The little snake’s guilt and confusion vanished, and a sweet smile bloomed on his flushed face. “Okay! I will do it!”

He mimicked his brother’s gesture and patted his brother’s head.

“I have a tail, and from now on, Big Brother will have a little tail too.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to be Big Brother’s little tail.”

Shen Zhiheng touched the little snake’s cheek, answering in a gentle voice:

“Baby is Big Brother’s big tail.”

The brothers were truly inseparable; no matter where Shen Zhiheng walked, the little snake dragged his tail behind his brother. As long as Shen Zhiheng turned his head, he could see the little snake in his line of sight.

For a time, Uncle Wang and the psychiatrist could not tell if the lonely, gloomy young master needed the little snake’s company more, or if the physically fragile little snake needed the young master’s care more.