Chapter 6

Tan Ming didn’t let Bai Ying use the knife; he only had Bai Ying help wash the vegetables. His knife skills were excellent, and the potato shreds he cut were uniform and attractive. Bai Ying watched from the side as he stir-fried the dish.

“Be careful not to get splattered by the oil,” Tan Ming said as he poured the cut potato shreds into the wok.

Bai Ying obediently ducked behind him.

Tan Ming felt a thrill of satisfaction.

In his life before this one, Tan Ming had lived alone most of the time. Madam Tan, the director of the television station, and Mr. Cheng, the principal of a key high school, were always busy and rarely home. Since Madam Tan didn’t like having outsiders in the house, they hadn’t hired a nanny after Tan Ming could take care of himself. He had learned to cook early on. Spending so much time caring for himself alone made Tan Ming feel that living by himself for the rest of his life wasn’t so bad.

Sometimes, he even had the illusion that he liked living alone.

But now, Tan Ming felt that having one more person by his side was just right. Someone admired the skills he had mastered with wide-eyed awe. When he stir-fried vegetables, someone watched with the eager eyes of a greedy little animal. When tasting the freshly served dish, that person accidentally burned their mouth and unwittingly stuck out a small section of their soft red tongue…

“Don’t rush.” Tan Ming poured a glass of cool water for Bai Ying and took the opportunity to say the words he had been brewing in his heart for a long time. “If you don’t mind, you can come over to my place for meals from now on.”

Shouldn’t Tan Ming be the one who minded?

Bai Ying thought Tan Ming had accidentally said it backwards. “That would be too much trouble for you, and my off-work hours are so irregular.”

This was a rejection.

However, before Tan Ming could feel disappointed for long, he heard Bai Ying say, “When I have time off, I’ll bring ingredients and come visit.”

Bai Ying thought to himself that he needed to buy more things to properly thank his kind neighbor for all this.

Tan Ming’s mood instantly brightened. From then until he walked Bai Ying home, he felt light as a feather.

Feeling like he liked someone after just one meeting seemed too sudden, too hasty.

But now it was their second meeting, and Tan Ming felt this affection had been carefully considered and withstood the test of time.

Watching Bai Ying’s figure disappear through the door, Tan Ming felt a pang of reluctance amid his anticipation for their next meeting.

***

It was rare for him to return home so early, so Bai Ying immediately ran hot water for a bath after getting back. In his second year living here, he had bought a small square bathtub. It was a bit cramped for an adult man, but perfect for a snake!

Bai Ying transformed back into his original form and immersed himself in the warm water.

After adding milk bath salts, the hot water turned milky white, and Bai Ying’s jade-like white scales nearly blended with the water’s color. He had never figured out what breed he was—maybe an albino corn snake—but after searching online for photos, nothing quite matched. Perhaps after becoming a spirit, it was hard to define his breed anymore.

His memories before transforming into a demon were very fuzzy. Bai Ying hadn’t cultivated for centuries to gain sentience and then another few centuries for a human form like in the myths. He only remembered living in the wild, where his poor hunting skills meant he mostly ate bugs. One day, somehow, his snake eyes could suddenly see clearly, and human toddler-level thoughts appeared in his mind. Then he turned into a human infant.

Good-hearted people camping in the mountains picked up Bai Ying and, unable to find his family, sent him to the orphanage. As a child, Bai Ying knew he was different from others, so he was very withdrawn, even seeming autistic, and was never adopted. By the time he gradually integrated into human society, he was too old. And so, he lived alone until now.

Bai Ying rested his oval head on the edge of the bathtub and lifted his tail to pat the water.

Perhaps, he was a little lonely too.

That was why he wanted to find an owner—someone who would take good care of him and never leave him.

Actually, Tan Ming was a very suitable person.

Bai Ying’s body coiled up tightly. It was a pity that Tan Ming was afraid of snakes; if he feared even ordinary ones, seeing a snake demon that could turn human might scare him to death. Bai Ying wouldn’t force it—he didn’t want to frighten his good neighbor into a breakdown like the White Lady did to Xu Xian in the legends.

So, he had to look elsewhere.

After his bath, Bai Ying swam out of the tub, rolled around several times in the towel he had prepared in advance, then crawled out of the bathroom. Because he often turned back into his original form and slithered around the house, Bai Ying kept his floors very clean. As he passed the sweeping robot, he bumped it with his head—his good friend—before crawling all the way to the bed.

Bai Ying grabbed his phone. Because he frequently shifted back to his original form, for convenience, he didn’t set a password; a light swipe unlocked it. He checked the piled-up WeChat messages and first replied to Duan Yunjin. She had invited him to meet offline tomorrow at nine to discuss the event venue.

Bai Ying: 【Okay, just the two of us?】

Duan Yunjin: 【Bring Xiao Lu too. He’s interning, after all; teach him more.】

Bai Ying sent a green dinosaur giving an OK expression package.

He then messaged Xiao Lu and finally asked that question: 【Xiao Lu, Xiao Lu, do you like snakes?】

At the other end, Lu Changjun, who was playing billiards with friends, immediately plunged into a brain storm.

Why is my senior asking me this? Literal meaning, or some metaphor? Open-ended, or a standard answer? What if I answer right? What if wrong…

Before Lu Changjun could come up with a perfect response, someone leaned over: “What’s up, Jun-ge? One more shot and you win—why stop?”

“Busy replying to a message.” Lu Changjun pushed the guy’s head away. “Don’t mess around.”

The guy found it novel. Lu Changjun was known in their circle for single-minded focus. He played hard, but once away from the pleasure dens, he turned back into the upright heir of the Lu Family, the model student. He kept fun and business strictly separate, and no one had seen him pause mid-game to reply to messages.

Who was he replying to? Those two from the Lu Family?

He didn’t know, but Qin Yanchao, watching Lu Changjun’s phone screen, drawled mockingly, “Oh? Your that ‘sen-ior’ again?”

He twisted the normal word into something suggestive. Qin Yanchao knew Lu Changjun’s little crush; he called other “colleagues” bro or sis, but this one got a special title, practically wearing his favoritism on his sleeve.

Qin Yanchao kicked Lu Changjun’s shoe heel: “Remember what I told you earlier? My cousin’s back from abroad and in charge of your little company. You’re always working overtime with those people and can’t even be reached. Heard any news?”

“What does your Qin Family business have to do with me?” Lu Changjun looked lovesick. “Help me see—what does this mean?”

Qin Yanchao leaned over with a smirk. He saw himself as a seasoned playboy who could guide this double-virgin Lu Changjun. But seeing Bai Ying’s question, he was baffled too.

“What the hell?” Qin Yanchao puzzled. “Normal people ask if you like cats or dogs— who asks about snakes?”

Lu Changjun frowned. “Are you implying my senior isn’t normal?”

Qin Yanchao was speechless and doubled down: “Heard liking certain animals shows personality. Your senior likes cold-blooded creatures—must be dark inside, huh?”

Lu Changjun’s tone darkened: “Keep talking nonsense and I’ll punch you. My senior is the best person in the world!”

Qin Yanchao couldn’t believe Lu Changjun would betray friends for a crush: “Is your senior a celestial fairy to enchant you like this? Got a photo? Let me see.”

“In your dreams.” Lu Changjun wouldn’t create a rival.

But Qin Yanchao’s words reminded him—maybe Bai Ying liked snakes. After much deliberation, Lu Changjun replied: 【I like them a lot. Does senior too?】

At the other end of the city, the little snake nestled in his blankets immediately lifted its head.

He liked snakes!

And “a lot”!

Bai Ying instantly felt he’d found his destined owner and nearly sent, “Want to raise a little white snake?” But at the last moment, his tail pulled back from the screen.

The little snake rested his head on his tail and thought seriously.

Xiao Lu was still a student.

Students were always busy, with unstable lives and plans changing daily. Though he’d be very obedient, it might be a big burden for a student.

He shouldn’t hastily pin his future on Xiao Lu. What if Xiao Lu impulsively agreed? What if he regretted it later? What if… what if he got abandoned?

Bai Ying shuddered at the thought of those cats and dogs discarded by owners, turning back into strays. The little snake solemnly bit his own tail. Finding an owner couldn’t be rushed; he had to be picky like with his picky clients, scrutinizing repeatedly!

The text he typed changed to: 【I like them too OvO Sorry to bother you~】

Bai Ying didn’t know Xiao Lu was wildly overanalyzing. He turned to check another potential owner. When he got in the car earlier, he’d added Qin Juanshu on WeChat. The profile picture was pitch black, giving a cold impression, but it could also symbolize an adult’s mature steadiness!

Adults raising pets were more stable than students, after all.

That night, Bai Ying asked the second person the same question: 【President Qin, do you like snakes?】

Qin Juanshu, in a foul mood and nursing a drink, had just scared off a flashy man with an icy glare when Bai Ying’s message popped up.

His first thought was the same as everyone else Bai Ying asked.

What did this question mean?

Qin Juanshu puzzled over it until he glanced down at his Ouroboros Wristwatch—an early 20th-century antique he’d spotted and impulsively bought at a charity gala.

Had Bai Ying seen its value and was hinting for it?

Qin Juanshu recalled their brief interactions—Bai Ying had indeed glanced at the watch several times. Suddenly, the more he drank, the worse his mood got.

He’d accidentally entered a gay bar and felt it was embarrassing to leave, like he feared these gays, so he sat tight. Countless heavily made-up men hit on him, and Qin Juanshu thought how Bai Ying’s pure, good-looking face was nothing like these gaudy cheap ones?

With that in mind, Qin Juanshu angrily typed back: 【Bai Ying, love yourself!】

Bai Ying was stunned.

He’d just asked if he liked snakes—how did that lead to self-love?

The little white snake racked his tiny brain desperately but couldn’t connect the dots. He twisted himself into a pretzel of frustration and fell asleep just like that.