Raising My Sweet, Well-Behaved Puppy-Snake to Be My Wife - Chapter 5

“No, no!”

Shen Zhiqi perked up, shaking his head frantically until his bangs were even messier than before, almost blocking his vision.

“I will make Big Brother like the dog tail that likes to play with snakes!”

The car fell into a sudden silence until Uncle Wang in the front seat could not help but chuckle. Are they even talking on the same channel? It does not seem like it, but let us keep watching.

Shen Zhiheng deeply realized the existence of a “cross-species communication barrier.”

His passionate, positive lecture about how “your body is the most important thing” had somehow, in the bean-sized brain of the little snake, turned into ironclad proof that “Big Brother does not like me enough yet.”

Watching the little guy’s ambitious look, as if he were declaring, “I will make Big Brother like playing with my tail,” Shen Zhiheng rubbed his temples. The initially serious atmosphere was shattered by the child’s astonishing words. It was still too early for moral and worldview education; after all, Shen Zhiqi had not even fully recovered the use of his legs.

Sitting in the backseat, Shen Zhiheng could not help but feel a surge of frustration and gently tapped the leather backrest of the front seat. This guy actually took my protection and affection for politeness! Does this kid have any idea what kind of suggestive things he is saying?

He turned his head to see the child staring curiously at the streetlights flashing past the window, and he let out a silent sigh. Looking at him, the little guy really has no clue.

Before arriving home, Shen Zhiheng thought it over and decided that, as the older brother, he needed to provide some education regarding his identity.

“Xiaoqi, come here and look at Big Brother.”

Shen Zhiqi stopped staring at the passing streetlights, turned around to sit properly, and focused his undivided attention on his brother.

“Tell Big Brother, what is your name?”

“Shen Zhiqi!”

The little guy clearly recited his own name, the one he had practiced diligently while hiding under the hospital covers.

“Such a good boy.”

Shen Zhiheng patted his head and smoothed out his messy bangs.

“The first rule of the Shen family is: you are not allowed to let outsiders step on your tail.”

Shen Zhiqi opened his round, bean-like eyes and stared at his brother’s serious gaze, thinking hard. Dog Mom said that only people who like dogs can play with a dog’s tail. A snake is a dog. Big Brother’s rule says outsiders cannot play with a snake’s tail. But Big Brother is not an outsider. Therefore, Big Brother can play with the snake’s tail. Big Brother can like snakes! He can also touch the snake’s tail!

The little snake used his small brain to reach a grand conclusion.

Seeing the little snake flicking his tongue rhythmically, eyes lowered as if contemplating the family rules specifically designed for his younger brother, Shen Zhiheng wondered: Did he realize that these rules I made up to manage him are fake?

“Um, Xiaoqi, is there anything you do not understand? You can ask Big Brother.”

“I will do it, Big Brother! I am an obedient dog!”

Having straightened out the logic in his head, Shen Zhiqi felt excited. In his enthusiasm, his snake tail tightened unconsciously around his brother’s ankle. Snakes tighten their tails around their prey for two extreme emotions: a loving embrace or a fatal constriction. Clearly, Shen Zhiqi’s feelings for his brother were the former.

He looked at his brother with bright, golden pupils, his human-like eyelids blinking.

“Good child.”

Shen Zhiheng patted his head and said gently. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. I was too worried; the thought that this little fool would consider such deep, complex reasons was unnecessary.

Shen Zhiheng gently took the little snake’s hand, unfolding the cool, slender palm in his own.

“Since it is a family rule, the little snake must obey it well. If you break the rule and become a bad child, then…”

Big Brother’s hand tapped lightly on the little snake’s palm.

“Big Brother will punish you.”

Shen Zhiheng used very little force, just tapping the palm a few times. Perhaps it was because the little snake’s body was too frail, but a faint flush appeared on his cool palm from just a few taps. It felt a little hot and tingly. The little snake squeezed his fist, pressing his cool fingers against his slightly burning palm.

“I will be obedient, Big Brother.”

He answered obediently, having no self-awareness that he was at a disadvantage.

Under his brother’s gaze, Shen Zhiqi took his brother’s large hand and hooked his own pinky finger around his brother’s finger.

“Let’s make a pinky promise. I will definitely follow the family rules.”

The two hands, one large and one small, swung in the air, accompanied by the exclusive nursery rhyme Shen Zhiqi recited about “a hundred years of not changing.”

Shen Zhiheng felt his heart soften completely as he watched the two hands locked together, sealed by the little snake’s thumb.

“A hundred years is not enough, Xiaoqi. We will be together forever.”

“Forever!”

Shen Zhiqi pressed his thumb hard against his brother’s hand, his fingertips turning pale from the intensity. The little snake likely did not understand the meaning of “forever,” nor the weight of such a vow. He agreed happily, thinking that he would call Shen Zhiheng “Big Brother” for his whole life.

The car crossed a river and stopped at a vast, isolated island. This was the place Shen’s father had purchased for his mother and Shen Zhiheng, where he had extravagantly built a large manor and a villa. The electronic barrier around the island made it safe and provided a spring-like climate year-round, but it was cut off from the outside world and far from the city center.

Shen Zhiheng did not know why his father had abandoned him here, but he had felt his father’s deep malice since he was a child. He was forced to stay here because of his father’s baseless hatred. Later, after Shen Zhiheng’s grandmother passed away early, only the housekeepers, maids, nannies, and the young master, Shen Zhiheng, were left.

The empty, beautiful manor raised the lonely Shen Zhiheng, and just before he turned eighteen, it welcomed the homeless and displaced little snake, Shen Zhiqi.

“Wow, a big forest.”

As soon as the little snake was carried off the car, he began slithering across the grass with his heavy tail. Compared to the concrete jungle of the rapidly developing city, the little snake certainly preferred the natural atmosphere of the vast manor. Since he had to use his tail to replace his legs, he struggled to defy his snake nature, trying to hold his human upper body upright.

In terms of height, the little snake was only a bit taller than half a person, making him shorter than others his age. In the eyes of the small snake, the meticulously trimmed trees in the manor were a massive forest. He slithered across the lawn, but seeing his heavy tail crushing the grass behind him, he felt a pang of heartache and wanted to turn back to straighten it up. He almost crawled to the ground, carefully correcting the grass, and whispered:

“I am sorry. The snake did not mean to. The snake’s tail is too long and heavy.”

Shen Zhiqi was simple and naive, with whimsical thoughts in his head and a natural kindness toward all beautiful things in this world. Knowing that people feared and disliked snakes, he would obediently hide in corners, apologize to the grass, and greet the flowers.

Watching his back, Shen Zhiheng sighed silently: He is truly an innocent, kind, and pure child.

He walked to Shen Zhiqi’s side, listening to the little snake’s low, sweet voice apologizing to the blades of grass, only for another patch to be crushed as he moved forward. The little snake’s voice became increasingly anxious, and one could hear the helpless nasal tone.

“Shall Big Brother carry you?” Shen Zhiheng suddenly spoke up.

“Okay!”

The little snake had found his savior; he turned, hugged his brother’s leg, and replied with a thick nasal tone.

His most comfortable height was when his tail was spread on the ground, with only his upper body standing upright. Therefore, he was only as tall as Shen Zhiheng’s leg. When he hugged his brother’s leg, his forehead rested right against the man’s hip bone.

“Crying again, little crybaby.”

Shen Zhiheng lowered his hand, perfectly reaching his head to ruffle his soft, short hair. The little snake’s nose was red, and there were tears in his eyes, though he had not yet started to weep. His golden eyes looked even more crystalline against the tears, looking pitifully at his brother.

Shen Zhiqi sniffled, flicking his forked tongue to relieve his embarrassment. He opened his arms to his brother, his tone a bit brazen for a “little crybaby.”

“Big Brother, carry me, carry me.”

“You say you are not crying, but your nose is all red.” Shen Zhiheng gently pinched the little snake’s flushed nose. “Be obedient; if you do not cry, I will carry you.”

“I was not crying.”

The little snake opened his arms and nudged forward. Even with wet, red eyes, he shamelessly rubbed his little face against his brother’s hem, drying his tears and destroying the evidence.

“Big Brother carry me the grass, they are innocent.”

Shen Zhiheng could not describe his heart, which felt like it was filled with cotton. The child’s pure kindness made his own nose feel sour for a moment.

“Alright, I will carry you.”

He picked Shen Zhiqi up, letting a section of the snake tail rest on his strong arm.

“The tail, what about the tail.” Shen Zhiqi asked, troubled as he looked at his dark green tail dragging on the ground.

Shen Zhiheng said, “Wrap it around me.”

The little snake obediently chirped an “Oh” and began to manipulate his tail to wrap around his brother.

“Do not wrap it around my legs, you little fool; I cannot walk like that. Around the waist is fine or wrap it around my neck like a scarf.”

Under his brother’s direction, the little snake used his hands and tail to wrap his tail around his brother in a mess. He wrapped it twice around his waist, and then the end was hung around his brother’s neck like a scarf. The little snake’s tail was cool and soft, making it a perfect cooling tool for the summer days at least, the little snake had often used his own tail to cool off in the sweltering hospital summer.

Shen Zhiheng chuckled, holding the little snake with one hand while the other was free to pinch the thin, delicate tip of the snake tail.

“The little snake is cool.”

“Big Brother is hot.”

Shen Zhiqi tilted his head and nuzzled against his brother.

There was a difference in body temperature between human and snake, but the two silently sensed each other’s warmth as they walked across the vast lawn from the manor entrance to the house. The snake tail was wrapped messily around his brother like a thick vine, gradually warming from cool to slightly hot due to the human body temperature.

Shen Zhiqi felt a little hot, and his throat felt dry. He did not say anything, just silently flicked his snake tongue, his body temperature gradually matching his brother’s.

Once they reached the foyer, Shen Zhiheng had to exert considerable effort to unwrap the little snake and place him on the floor. He specially instructed Uncle Wang and the house staff to lay down clean cashmere carpets throughout the house.

Shen Zhiheng closed the door, wiped his feet on the foyer carpet to clean his soles, then changed into slippers and walked in front.

“Xiaoqi, it is not convenient for you to go upstairs. I asked Uncle Wang to prepare a bedroom on the ground floor for you.”

Before he could finish, there was a soft thud behind him.

Shen Zhiheng turned around to see the little snake face-down on the ground.

“Xiaoqi! Why did you fall? Wake up!”

He was about to help him up when he saw the little snake lying on the foyer carpet, using his hands to push his body forward, then shifting back. The little snake just lay on the ground, moving back and forth in small increments, rubbing himself on the carpet for quite a while without even looking up at his brother.

Shen Zhiheng watched the little snake’s confusing behavior with a puzzled expression until Shen Zhiqi finally used his hands to push his upper body up. This time, Shen Zhiqi stood taller than when he was crawling outside, exposing a long section of his belly scales below his waist. He patted his belly scales, which had been rubbed until they were slightly warm and highly reflective, and looked up at his brother with a sweet smile, face glowing.

“Big Brother, I cleaned them very well.”

“This is…” Shen Zhiheng frowned in confusion.

“Big Brother is stupid! This is a snake’s shoes!”

Shen Zhiqi did not get the praise he expected from his brother and unhappily flicked his little snake tongue.

Shen Zhiheng froze for a second, his eyes shifting from the little snake’s pouting face down to the polished, gleaming belly scales. He finally understood why the child had been rubbing himself back and forth like a little bulldozer. Because the little snake had seen his brother wiping his soles on the carpet, and as a snake with no feet that relied entirely on its belly to walk, he had to strictly follow the etiquette of “wiping his shoes” before entering the house.

The confusion in Shen Zhiheng’s eyes vanished, replaced by amusement and helplessness. He walked to Shen Zhiqi’s side and pressed the back of his hand against the cleaned, slightly warm belly scales.

“Very clean, smart little snake.”

Shen Zhiqi nodded with satisfaction, his little tail tip flicking happily. He twisted his waist and managed to move forward a small step.

“Then can the snake come in? The snake will not make Big Brother’s carpet dirty.”

“Let us go. Big Brother will take you to see your room.”

Shen Zhiheng reached out a hand, which the little snake immediately caught with his cool little hands.

As soon as they entered the bedroom, the little snake’s round, bean-like eyes widened. The room was equipped with many facilities suitable for a snake, including an embedded platform bed with raised edges and a sunken center.

Shen Zhiqi curiously moved to the edge of the bed, leaned against one side, and slid the entire tail in like a slide. He turned around, draped his snake tail over the edge of the bed, rested his chin on it, and flicked his tongue in a relaxed, comfortable mood.

“Do you like this place?”

Shen Zhiheng crouched beside him and patted his head.

“I like it! Thank you, Big Brother.”

The little snake raised his head and actively nuzzled his brother’s palm.

Like a puppy. Shen Zhiheng noted to himself.

“Then you rest here for now, and I will take you for a tour of the grounds later.”

Shen Zhiqi nodded, and just like that, he fell asleep resting on his large tail.

In the past, he liked to curl up and pile his entire body in a corner of the room, taking up as little space as possible. This was the first time he had felt the sensation of a comfortable, soft, and spacious bed that did not require him to cramp his tail.

The Shen manor was huge and even operated a wine industry, with a sprawling vineyard.

Shen Zhiqi followed by his brother’s side, and it took several days to slowly tour the entire estate. In fact, most places looked the same to Shen Zhiqi; his small brain had no sense of direction, and he could not remember the path at all. Even if his brother took him in circles in the same place, he would not notice.

The little snake had never seen such a place.

So, sunlight on the leaves turns into tiny particles and forms little squares on the ground.

So, the sky is so wide and large, not square.

So, outside the high walls of the factory, there are so many beautiful, vibrant flowers.

There was a wine cellar in the manor, with sunlight grapes planted in front. As one of the many minor industries of the Shen family, this vineyard was where Shen Zhiheng used to play alone as a child. The early-ripening grapes hung on the vines, pale purple and translucent in the sunlight. Shen Zhiheng picked one and peeled it to feed the little snake.

The sweet, crisp flavor was mixed with a hint of non-intrusive tartness, lacking the intense sweetness of a fully ripe grape. The cool taste was perfectly suited to the little snake’s body temperature, and his eyes widened until they looked like two round little balls.

“It is delicious… Big Brother, what is this?”

“Grapes. Do you want more?”

Shen Zhiqi nodded obediently and asked, “Can I eat more?”

“Of course. Everything here belongs to Big Brother. In other words, everything here can also be yours.”

As Shen Zhiqi chewed the grape his brother fed him, he dragged his tail in circles around his brother’s feet.

“Is this heaven? I really want to stay here forever.”

The massive, thick snake tail formed several overlapping circles around Shen Zhiheng, trapping him in a small space. Shen Zhiheng stood in the center, watching the little snake, who was excitedly circling him, darting from the far right to the far left of his field of vision, disappearing, and then suddenly reappearing.

He was amused by the little snake’s cute and completely nonsensical behavior and continued to peel grapes for his younger brother. He discovered that the little snake’s happiness was very simple like eating a single early-ripening grape.

Shen Zhiheng had once thought the world was dull and gray, with loneliness and isolation becoming warnings on his depression diagnosis. But no one cared about the thoughts of a wealthy child who did not like to smile; it seemed that in the public eye, wealthy children were supposed to be cold and emotionless.

He finally realized that a childhood could be colorful and sweet. It was his little snake brother who told him that.

“Big Brother, slow down the snake, has no teeth.”

While his brother was lost in thought, he did not stop peeling grapes and stuffing them into his little brother’s mouth.

Shen Zhiqi’s cheeks were puffed out with grapes. He cupped his face with both hands, trying his best to crush the grapes with his gums. The half-human, half-snake characteristics made Shen Zhiqi a bit self-conscious; he had retained only two little baby teeth, like a snake’s fangs.

Snakes do not need to chew; they keep food in their digestive cavity and hang lazily on tree branches to slowly digest it. But Shen Zhiqi was different; his human throat could not expand like a snake’s, so he could only use his gums to grind the food.

The obedient little snake could not process the food quickly enough, but since his brother was feeding him, he had to accept it all, obediently opening his mouth every time. He had been fed by his brother until he looked like a little goldfish, with both cheeks puffed out, truly looking like a little snake with a swollen throat.

Shen Zhiheng wiped the little snake’s mouth with the back of his hand and put the remaining grapes into his own pocket.

“Why did you not say anything? Do you just eat whatever I give you?”

“The snake said something but, Big Brother did not listen. Big Brother does not listen to the snake at all.”

The little guy held his face, crushing the grapes with his gums. His tone was a bit aggrieved, vaguely grumbling about his brother’s endless feeding.

“Fine, it is all Big Brother’s fault. I will pick some grapes to take home so I can make you some juice later, okay?”

“Yay, juice!”

Shen Zhiqi looked at his brother with bright eyes.

The two of them had not brought any bags, so they could only stuff some grapes into their pockets. However, the little snake did not need to wear pants, which meant the amount of grapes they could take home was significantly reduced.

Big Brother and the little snake played by the grapevines all afternoon, only planning to return to the villa when the sun began to set. Shen Zhiheng led the way, and the little snake followed closely behind.

“Big Brother, walk slower, the snake has no legs.”

Shen Zhiqi caught up to him, his little hand gripping his brother’s hand, which was sticky with grape juice. Shen Zhiheng deliberately took several long strides, forcing the snake to struggle and move his heavy, fat tail to keep up. Without looking back, he could hear the little snake’s “hissing” sound, likely panting heavily from the exertion.

He could not help but laugh and had no choice but to stop.

Even as naive as Shen Zhiqi was, he knew his brother was teasing him.

“Big Brother! You bad guy!”

How could a person bully a snake with no legs just by having two long legs!