Chapter 71

Life without having to go to work was truly so refreshing!

Bai Ying couldn’t help repeating this sentence N times every day!

He no longer had to wake up each morning and wail to the heavens for just five more minutes of sleep, no longer had to squeeze into the sardine-can-like morning rush hour subway packed with humans, no longer had to scarf down food while dealing with a difficult client only to painfully realize that his lunch break would be spent revising proposals, and no longer had to clock out at nine in the evening, trudging home through the cold wind while cursing his shitty company about where his overtime pay was…

Now, the little snake could sleep until he naturally woke up each day. He would elegantly and leisurely roll over in bed, then use his tail to fish his phone out from under the pillow before casually deciding whether to release the big snake from the blacklist today.

Considering how the big snake had checked the entire homestay for him yesterday and confirmed there were no cameras, allowing him to safely shift back into snake form for the night, he deserved some credit. In light of his merit, Bai Ying pulled him out of the blacklist and even sent over an emoji of a chubby penguin with hands on hips.

Liu Qingzhang always replied to Bai Ying’s messages in seconds: 【Good afternoon, little snake.】

Eh? Bai Ying quickly glanced at the time in the upper left corner of his phone. Damn it, he had actually slept until noon at twelve o’clock. How dare the big snake point out that the little snake hadn’t gotten up even after the sun had warmed his butt—what crime was that!

Liu Qingzhang seemed to read something in Bai Ying’s silence and immediately followed up: 【Even getting up at noon during vacation is impressive for the little snake.】

Bai Ying: 【Hmph.】

Liu Qingzhang asked him: 【Is the little snake going to eat now? Can we meet today?】

Liu Qingzhang was now in the same city as him, staying not far away, but they still hadn’t actually met face-to-face because…

【No, because the little snake has only forgiven you 40%. You need 50% to unlock a meeting.】 Bai Ying replied seriously.

This was the strategy game the little snake had devised—the big snake had to take it step by step without getting impatient.

Liu Qingzhang raised an objection: 【But wasn’t it 45% yesterday? Why has it regressed today?】

Heaven and earth could attest that he hadn’t done anything yesterday to upset the little snake!

As for why the big snake had performed well yet the forgiveness progress had regressed…

Bai Ying typed confidently with the tip of his tail: 【Because the little snake has a bad memory and sucks at math. Got a problem with that?】

Liu Qingzhang didn’t dare object: 【The little snake is always right.】

Seeing how cooperative he was, Bai Ying magnanimously declared: 【But the little snake permits you to sneak peeks at him. Sneakily, though!】

And so, for the rest of the day, Bai Ying knew there was definitely a big snake quietly trailing behind him.

After chatting with the big snake, the little snake finally got out of bed. He shifted back to human form in the covers, then got dressed, washed up, turned off the room’s AC, and went downstairs to eat. The place he was staying was fairly remote, mainly because he wanted something nicer but didn’t have ample funds, so he had to sacrifice location. Anyway, he didn’t lack time for commuting now. The homestay was a retro-style self-built house with a small courtyard planted with some greenery the owner had grown themselves, and the owner’s calico cat was always lounging on the stone path in the middle.

Bai Ying stepped over it and turned back to pet its back: “Meow-meow, I’m heading out to eat!”

The calico cat mewed softly twice. It had already eaten and lived worry-free ever since latching onto human thighs—it was practically the homestay’s mascot!

Logically, a little snake like him should fear felines, but perhaps because he’d never been hunted by one, Bai Ying liked cats like most people and was especially afraid of the big snake instead. He thought there was one thing he had in common with Tan Ming: if you truly liked something, fear could be overcome…

But he only thought about it in his mind for now! He wouldn’t tell the big snake, lest he get too smug.

Though the homestay was remote, there were plenty of eateries nearby. The little snake randomly picked a hotpot place and went in. The boss asked what spice level he wanted.

Bai Ying wasn’t actually afraid of spice, but considering where he was, he cautiously said, “I’m from out of town.”

The boss laughed. “Then mild spicy for you.”

The pot arrived soon, roiling with red broth full of chilies. Bai Ying eyed it warily—he hadn’t seen such a spectacle much outside. It started okay, but got spicier the longer it cooked. In the end, even the baby bok choy that had boiled in it needed to be rinsed thoroughly before he dared eat it.

Liu Qingzhang, standing not far away and legally peeking at the little snake through the glass door, saw Bai Ying accidentally stick out his tongue from the spice. That soft segment of tongue was bright red and glossy. Liu Qingzhang took a sip of his iced lemon water.

He was outside a beverage shop.

He wasn’t wearing a heavy-looking overcoat like before, but still sported long sleeves and pants, a stark contrast to the short sleeves and shorts of summer streetgoers. Passersby couldn’t help glancing at him, but he gave off an unapproachable vibe, so they hurried off after one look.

Seeing Bai Ying finish eating and about to come out, Liu Qingzhang left a fruit tea suited to the little snake’s taste at the beverage shop and slipped away soundlessly to a blind spot in the little snake’s line of sight.

Bai Ying hadn’t been out long before the lingering spicy numbness in his mouth refused to fade. While frantically searching for a milk tea shop, he received a message from Liu Qingzhang—the big snake had ordered him a fruit tea at the shop ahead.

Bai Ying held his phone, trying to act reserved and not be swayed by a mere fruit tea, but he couldn’t help smiling with crinkled eyes.

Sipping the cool, icy fruit tea not only quelled the spice but eased his somewhat swollen lips. Bai Ying dashed to the subway station and hopped on. He wanted to wander a bustling, lively area today, but forgot it was the weekend—people on vacation always lost track of the days. The midday subway was packed; not as hellish as Shen City’s morning rush, but still crammed tight.

Bai Ying unluckily got sandwiched by a group of burly men. Just then, someone appeared behind him. The man was similarly tall and broad, but his muscles weren’t exaggerated. In the summer heat where most sweated buckets, he only carried the scent of trees.

Bai Ying didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

The man was steadier than the subway poles. The little snake leaned against him peacefully and typed on his phone: 【Didn’t I say meeting isn’t unlocked yet? [Angry][Angry]】

He clearly wasn’t angry. Through the subway glass that reflected figures, he could see his lips slightly pursed, suppressing a smile.

Liu Qingzhang replied: 【The little snake didn’t turn around, so it doesn’t count as meeting.】

Bai Ying agreed with that logic, even though they’d essentially seen each other anyway.

Just as Liu Qingzhang saw Bai Ying smiling through the glass, Bai Ying saw Liu Qingzhang shielding him in his arms, gently lowering his head to look at him. Today, the big snake was dressed far more casually, with his long sleeves rolled to the elbows and the top two shirt buttons undone, giving off an easygoing air.

Before, he had seemed like some untouchable big shot from the shadows; now, it was like the big shot had gone straight…

The train rocked, but when it braked or accelerated, Bai Ying didn’t need to grab the overhead handrail—he just needed to lean on Liu Qingzhang. They were so close that a dip of the big snake’s head would brush his ear, but Bai Ying insisted on only chatting via phone. The little snake commented: 【This shirt looks good!】

The big snake suited a casual shirt style too!

Liu Qingzhang replied: 【Yeah, after all, you spent quite a while on it before.】

Bai Ying: Huh… Huh?!

He had zero memory of this shirt, but the clothes he’d been around—perhaps, probably, maybe… only those from when he’d hidden in Liu Qingzhang’s closet during his heat?

And those had apparently been messed up by him. Liu Qingzhang, who had no shortage of clothes, hadn’t thrown them out but picked them up to wear!

Bai Ying typed shakily: 【You did wash it, right?】

Liu Qingzhang: 【Washed it.】

Bai Ying breathed a sigh of relief. Good, the big snake wasn’t that perverted yet.

Then Liu Qingzhang followed up: 【Your leg ring got left behind. I put it in the nightstand drawer—that one’s unwashed.】

Bai Ying: 【…That’s a shirt clip, not a leg ring!】

He took back his thought—the big snake was a total pervert!

“I didn’t mess with it, just put it away.” Liu Qingzhang leaned down and murmured near Bai Ying’s ear in a voice only they could hear. “But when you’re willing to come to Willow Mansion, we can see how to use it.”

Bai Ying’s ears turned red.

He typed: 【Forgiveness progress: 35%.】

Liu Qingzhang behaved after that.

When the subway reached the commercial district, the crowd surged out, and Bai Ying was among them. Liu Qingzhang followed at a neither-too-close-nor-too-far distance, continuing his legal stalking.

Bai Ying had group-bought a coupon for a hair salon. Besides shopping, his main goal today was a haircut. His hair had grown out again; it hadn’t been long since he’d chopped off the batch that had wildly grown to his knees. He also wanted to dye it a bit. Xie Jin had dyed it for him before, and the effect was nice, but it was temporary dye that washed out quickly.

A salon package in a prime commercial spot was exorbitantly priced, but with over a hundred thousand in savings and his “spend it all” vacation mentality, the little snake splurged for once. At the place, he was assigned a stylishly dressed older sister as stylist. Bai Ying took one look at her own hair and knew this was solid.

“Going short might not suit you well. How about trimming on the current length?” the stylist sister suggested. “Grow it a bit more later, and it’ll look great.”

Bai Ying nodded. It did seem nice… Qin Juanshu had always been petting his hair back then.

The stylist had him pick a highlight color: “Glacial blue is cooler, milk apricot is cuter. These are good too—which do you like?”

Bai Ying, who had never dyed his hair, said pitifully, “Can you pick for me?”

The stylist sister decided: “Milk apricot then.”

Bai Ying was already sweet-natured, and with the dye, he looked even softer and more adorable. When sending him off, the stylist sister worried he’d get snatched away.

But with someone watching, probably not. The stylist thought.

Though only partial highlights, it took a while. Midway, a handsome guy had someone deliver milk tea to Bai Ying. If Bai Ying hadn’t accepted it, the stylist might have suspected the big snake hovering at a distance—refusing to approach himself—was a creep. Now it seemed like some quirky couple’s flirtation.

So extravagant, shelling out tens of thousands for a membership just to sit in the shop. And probably wouldn’t return. The stylist sister marveled.

Bai Ying burst out of the salon and happily messaged the big snake: 【Doesn’t it look super cute?!】

Liu Qingzhang replied: 【Beautiful. The little snake looks lovable no matter what.】

Today’s “like” had been banked.

Bai Ying felt that with a fresh haircut, it wouldn’t do to not get nice new clothes, so he boldly entered a clothing store in the mall. Ten-odd minutes later, he beat a hasty, disheveled retreat. Sorry, wrong store—it was luxury brand, where any piece could’ve vaporized his hundred-odd thousand savings in seconds.

Scarier still, he had membership there. Bai Ying racked his brain before remembering Qin Juanshu had brought him to buy clothes from this brand. Though Qin Juanshu paid, it counted as his purchase. No idea what Qin Juanshu did to his account, but Bai Ying, who nearly cleared the store last time, almost tripped over himself fleeing.

Sorry, the real little snake was poooor.

【Why’d you come out so fast? Didn’t like the clothes there?】 You sneaky big snake, mocking the little snake?!

Liu Qingzhang did worry the little snake wasn’t living well enough or had insufficient funds—which explained why the little snake sometimes treated him like a dad. Now Liu Qingzhang asked: 【Want my bank card? Spend freely.】

The little snake refused. This was his hard-earned gap year from years of work—he’d spend his own money.

He even bought the big snake a two-yuan ice cream from a nearby Xue Bing Cheng to show the little snake could earn his own!

The big snake lavishly praised: 【Little snake is amazing!】

Though no new clothes, Bai Ying’s looks made anything look good on him. Compared to the trendy guys and girls strolling the streets, he had an extra layer of natural, unadorned purity. The stylist was right—Bai Ying like this easily attracted flirts.

Moreover, at this moment, Bai Ying finally realized that these people weren’t trying to trick him into getting a membership card. Unlike before, when pretty girls asked for his WeChat, he thought they wanted to sell him dance classes, and when handsome muscular guys asked for his phone number, he thought they were trying to scam him into a gym membership…

In the past, with his mistaken assumptions, Bai Ying could righteously refuse them, but now he could only blush with red ears, lower his head, clutch his phone, and softly decline.

The more embarrassed he seemed, the more enthusiastic some people got. Until a certain big snake rose up, forcing the person back with just a look.

The guy who had been teasing him for a few minutes said awkwardly, “So you have a boyfriend.”

Bai Ying stammered.

“Not exactly a boyfriend…” His voice was so soft even he couldn’t hear it clearly.

As soon as the guy left, Liu Qingzhang lowered his head and asked him, “Am I Little Snake’s boyfriend?”

Bai Ying nearly gritted his teeth. “You’re a nearly thousand-year-old big snake—why can’t you hold back a little, act more mature and steady?”

Clearly, when he first met Liu Qingzhang, the man had been a proper elder. How did he turn into this the moment they stopped acting like elder and junior?

He wasn’t like this with other people…

“Because I like Little Snake too much, so I can’t help it,” Liu Qingzhang said. “How could I bear to keep up pretenses with the person I like?”

A nearly thousand-year-old great demon was acting like a young lad, unable to resist getting close to him and saying things that made him shy.

Bai Ying: “Forgiveness progress…”

Liu Qingzhang’s heart tensed up. Bai Ying was so embarrassed right now—would his forgiveness progress drop again?

“Forgiveness progress: 50%.” Bai Ying turned to look at Liu Qingzhang. Seeing the big snake’s eyes widen in surprise, he couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile. He stepped forward, hugged Liu Qingzhang’s neck, and said, “From now on, if I block you, it means I don’t want to see you that day. If I unblock you, it means we can go on a date that day.”

Liu Qingzhang reached out and hugged him. “Then when can we see each other every day?”

“Once I forgive you 100%!” Bai Ying pulled back a little and said seriously, “So, you have to behave well!”

Liu Qingzhang asked him, “If I kiss you now, is that good behavior or bad behavior?”

Kissing before they’re officially together is bad—it would scare Little Snake! Kissing anytime, anywhere is a privilege for a proper boyfriend! But considering that the big snake had asked in advance this time…

Bai Ying’s ears had been red before, but now his face was too. He said softly, “Neither good nor bad, I guess.”

Liu Qingzhang lowered his head and gently kissed him.

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