Chapter 75: Liu Qingzhang IF Line 1 Part 2

Bai Ying couldn’t walk yet, not even stand steadily. Without support, he’d wobble and then splat to the ground. Liu Qingzhang had wanted to teach him early, but with Bai Ying clinging to his neck like an obedient little pendant, waiting to be carried to eat, he suddenly couldn’t bear to set him down.

…Forget it.

Liu Qingzhang thought. Learning to walk could wait; so what if the little snake learned later than humans? Snakes didn’t need to walk anyway!

Liu Qingzhang carried Bai Ying all the way to the dining room, where he spotted the infant high chair prepared by Zhong Peide right beside his seat.

It was a small table with a round opening, designed to keep the child from falling no matter how much they squirmed. Zhong Peide said respectfully, “The Little Young Master can sit here to eat.”

Liu Qingzhang recalled Guide Item 7 again—food to mouth was no good; the child needed to learn to eat independently soon.

But…

Liu Qingzhang looked at Bai Ying, who gazed back pitifully. He seemed to understand Zhong Peide’s words and let go of Liu Qingzhang’s neck voluntarily, but still clung reluctantly to his collar.

“Ahem.” Liu Qingzhang cleared his throat lightly. “No need. I’ll hold him while he eats.”

When a servant tried to feed Bai Ying, Liu Qingzhang waved them off. He personally held the small spoon, feeding Bai Ying the mashed breakfast porridge. The little snake was picky; though he’d eaten grass in the wild due to poor hunting skills, given a choice, he only wanted meat and refused vegetables. Thinking of the guide’s advice on balanced nutrition, Liu Qingzhang scooped a spoonful of carrot puree and coaxed the little snake to eat it warmly.

The little snake was very obedient, doing whatever he was told, even if reluctant. But those pretty big eyes would well up with tears, making Liu Qingzhang unable to push further.

Balanced nutrition, balanced nutrition…

Liu Qingzhang repeated it twice in his mind, then with difficulty turned the spoon around and ate the carrot puree himself.

Forget it. Snakes ate meat; being picky about veggies was fine. Worst case, he’d use demon power to regulate the little snake’s body.

Freed from carrots, the little snake smiled with crinkled eyes and brows, affectionately rubbing his head against Liu Qingzhang’s chin. Liu Qingzhang immediately cast the parenting guide from his mind.

He forgot it all the way until the little snake’s study time. Zhong Qian had spoken at one, written at two, and even started foreign languages and voice lessons. Zhong Peide had listed it all proudly in the guide. Each Zhong Family Head had higher expectations than average, but Liu Qingzhang figured little Ying was just a snake—no need to match Zhong Qian.

Learning to speak would suffice, but even that didn’t progress.

No suitable early education teacher had been found yet. Liu Qingzhang nitpicked dozens of flaws in every renowned tutor from the capital’s elite families and decided to teach Bai Ying himself. He started with picture books to teach speech, but Bai Ying ignored the crayon-drawn flowers and stared longingly out the window at the blooming garden.

Early April, crabapples hung low, peonies bloomed in swaths. Liu Qingzhang rarely visited the garden, but it always burst with seasonal flowers. The newly transformed little snake still had wild instincts; compared to staying warm indoors learning human speech, he yearned to turn back into a snake and roll among the flowers and shrubs.

Seeing his eager eyes, Liu Qingzhang helplessly set down the picture book.

Learning to speak… could wait too.

Bai Ying didn’t transform immediately. Though the sun shone brightly today, early spring outdoors was still chilly. Liu Qingzhang had a servant fetch a cloak and personally fastened it on Bai Ying. Little Bai Ying wore a Prussian blue dress with brown ruffled edges, and the cloak matched in color and style—dignified yet cute. His hair was tied into two small buns behind his ears, with blue ribbons knotted into butterflies draping over his shoulders. Liu Qingzhang knew full well he was a boy, but the orphanage’s girlish outfit suited him perfectly. Since Bai Ying was still so young, he continued dressing him in skirts.

The Zhong Family servants in Willow Mansion whispered that the Little Young Master was like a little princess.

Liu Qingzhang thought Bai Ying was indeed his cherished pearl.

Held in hand, he feared it would drop; in mouth, he feared it would melt. This rare tenderness accumulated over a thousand years seemed all poured into this little snake. He held Bai Ying up to reach the crabapple branches. The one in his arms was so small and soft, leaving him at a loss—too much force, and he might melt like snow; too little, and he might slip away like wind.

The speechless Bai Ying, upon touching the soft petals, let out a very soft, very light laugh.

The inner garden of Willow Mansion was not small—at least it was vast for such a young child. Liu Qingzhang held him and spun in circles, lingering wherever Bai Ying’s gaze was drawn. Before they knew it, lunchtime arrived. Back in the dining room, the infant seat was still there, but Liu Qingzhang didn’t even glance at it. He sat down holding Bai Ying and fed him by hand once more. This time, Zhong Peide said nothing. He figured that the special table and chair for infants would probably never be used again and could be removed after lunch.

Bai Ying slept eleven hours at night, yet he still needed a nap in the afternoon, which lasted two or three hours. Liu Qingzhang saw nothing wrong with this; snakes loved to sleep, after all. He completely forgot that his own snake habits after transforming into human form were not so deeply ingrained.

Having turned back into a little snake, Bai Ying wriggled and nudged in Liu Qingzhang’s arms. At first, Liu Qingzhang didn’t understand why, but after a while, he realized Bai Ying wanted him to transform back into a snake and sleep together.

Bai Ying was very afraid of big snakes, but he naturally regarded the big snake who had taken him in as his father—though Liu Qingzhang hadn’t legally adopted him or called him son, what did a little snake know of such things? Bai Ying feared the big snakes that would prey on him, but if the big snake was his father, then he could only depend on him.

Liu Qingzhang didn’t fully revert to his original form; he became a two- or three-meter-long python, coiled his body, and encircled the little snake in his embrace as they slept.

When they woke, Willow Mansion had been completely transformed. Bai Ying’s adoption by Liu Qingzhang had happened so suddenly that many things weren’t prepared. While Bai Ying slept, the Zhong family members carpeted the entire mansion inside and out, so the little snake—who disliked wearing shoes—could step on soft carpets wherever he went, without hurting himself even if he accidentally fell.

The awakened little snake still had no interest in learning to speak; he wanted to soak in water. The northern climate was drier than the south, and even though Willow Mansion’s temperature and humidity had been specially adjusted, it still differed slightly from the environment the little snake had known before. His skin felt uncomfortably dry. He coaxed the big snake to join him, and the two snakes lay side by side in the bathtub, soaking intimately together. The afternoon passed just like that.

Evening was no time for lessons. The little snake’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the TV screen, which played cartoons he couldn’t really understand. Liu Qingzhang thought the parenting guide was right—children did love cartoons—but he completely ignored the following advice about moderation in entertainment. He simply let Bai Ying watch until bedtime.

Liu Qingzhang carried Bai Ying to the bedroom prepared for him.

[Parenting Tips Article 27: Train the child to develop the good habit of sleeping alone.]

They had only returned to Willow Mansion the day before, and Liu Qingzhang had taken Bai Ying straight to his own bedroom, where they slept together that night. Only after seeing the parenting guide did they urgently prepare Bai Ying’s room, working a full day until Liu Qingzhang was satisfied.

“Be good, Little Ying, and sleep by yourself,” Liu Qingzhang said, kissing his forehead. “I’ll come wake you up in the morning.”

Little Bai Ying clutched the blanket tightly and looked at Liu Qingzhang with pleading eyes.

He had slept alone on a small bed at the orphanage, so he should have been used to it. Now the bed was even bigger and softer, surrounded by many plush toys he liked. But the moment he heard Liu Qingzhang was leaving, tears started falling uncontrollably.

As soon as he cried, Liu Qingzhang forgot all about the parenting tips. He hugged and cooed at him, then carried Bai Ying back to his own room, repeatedly promising not to leave and that he would sleep with Little Ying. Bai Ying nodded through his tears, turned back into a little snake, and wrapped tightly around Liu Qingzhang’s arm without coiling up.

The little snake, terrified of being abandoned, was utterly pitiable. Liu Qingzhang’s heart ached for him.

Zhong Peide’s all-night study of the parenting guide was tossed aside by him. What useless thing—it had no value at all.

A certain big snake resolved to spoil him without restraint.