Chapter 40 Pheromone "Tonight, I'll sleep with you!"

Cheng Shiyun also heard what the police officer on duty said at the Municipal Public Security Bureau that day.

After handling the major case, Officer Yang, who is in charge of Cheng Shiyun's case, will most likely stay at the provincial department and not return.

How to put it.

She didn't have much hope for this, so she doesn't feel too bad about it now.

But Xie Shijin...

Xie Shijin looked no different from usual.

He took good care of himself and her, and never mentioned helping her find the driver who caused the accident again.

Cheng Shiyun has a serene and peaceful sense of happiness.

It seems that living like this with Xie Shijin wouldn't be bad.

"Hiss~ When does your school start again?"

It's already mid-August, and Cheng Shiyun suddenly remembered that Xie Shijin seems to be starting school soon.

Will Xie Shijin take her to school with him?

"August 23rd".

Xie Shijin was holding the rabbit by its two legs and bleeding it.

In the animal kingdom, pythons strangle their prey before swallowing it whole. Cheng Shiyun studied this frame by frame, and as a result, the rabbit only suffered minor injuries!

Helpless, Xie Shijin could only slaughter the rabbit and cut it into small pieces for her to eat.

Twenty-three, that means there are only seven days left.

"Are my dad and the others coming back soon?" Cheng Shiyun remembered that Cheng Jinghua said he and her mother would come back before the Ghost Festival.

The rabbit in his hand thrashed for a moment, then Xie Shijin grabbed its neck and pressed it into the pool: "It's not coming back yet. Teacher Cheng said there's a treatment that can slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Teacher Ran is hospitalized and will probably have to stay in Beijing for another half a month."

"real?"

If Ran Hongyin's condition improves, Cheng Jinghua will need to take a semester-long leave to stay in Beijing and take care of her.

"Yes, but Teacher Cheng will be back for a day."

The scene of killing the rabbit was too bloody. Cheng Shiyun, with her back to him, asked, "Back for a day? What for?"

Xie Shijin glanced at her and said, "It's the Ghost Festival, I'll burn paper money for you."

"..."

I almost forgot, she's dead now.

Cheng Shiyun sighed and said slowly, "...Beijing is so far from Yichuan. Isn't it too much trouble to go back and forth? Besides, burning paper money is a scam. The dead don't receive it at all."

Xie Shijin glanced at her, his voice slightly hoarse: "Is that so?"

Cheng Shiyun found it amusing to hear the genuine curiosity in his tone: "You don't believe in this, do you? If burning a few pieces of paper could be used as money over there, wouldn't I be a millionaire by now?"

The boy's eyes darkened slightly; the rabbit in his hand had already breathed its last.

He didn't speak. Cheng Shiyun turned her head to look at him in surprise, and a strange but very likely thought suddenly popped into her mind.

Xie Shijin probably burned paper money for her too...

...

It was burned.

They burn it during festivals and holidays.

A lot was burned.

She folded gold ingots more skillfully than stars.

She didn't receive any of them.

...

Cheng Shiyun shuddered.

No way.

Even after she died, Xie Shijin wasn't afraid of her?

Fear?

Cheng Shiyun belatedly recalled the low sobs that came from the kitchen the day she came to find Xie Shijin.

She thought... Xie Shijin was scared to tears by her.

Cheng Shiyun gave a self-deprecating laugh. She didn't know how she had figured out that Xie Shijin was afraid of her.

After all, Xie Shijin didn't seem afraid of her at all.

Even after she turned into a snake, Xie Shijin still took care of her and was very... very concerned about her.

care.

Cheng Shiyun was startled by those two words, but she couldn't help but think about them.

Xie Shijin...does he like her?

Cheng Shiyun turned her head and took a look at his expression.

The boy's expression was cold and emotionless.

She suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and changed the subject, saying, "So you went to school on August 23rd... What am I supposed to do?"

“Come with me,” Xie Shijin said.

Cheng Shiyun was stunned by such a strong decision: "...Keeping pets in high school dorms and using prohibited electrical appliances are punishable offenses. Does that mean we can't keep pets in college either?"

She had also heard that boys in the dorms didn't wear clothes, and some even liked to sleep naked. She had never been in a relationship before, and she didn't want to open her eyes in the morning to see several naked male bodies.

The pool was full of blood. Xie Shijin turned on the tap to rinse it off, and also washed his hands: "I'm not staying in the dorms, I'm renting a place."

"Renting a place?"

Renting a place is so expensive, and she's not delicate, so it's not like she can't make do with something less than ideal.

Xie Shijin said, "It's not appropriate to kill chickens or rabbits in the dormitory."

Cheng Shiyun: "Hiss~ That's true."

She only thought about Xie Shijin and didn't consider his roommate.

No normal person could accept someone keeping a snake as a pet in their dorm.

Renting a place is fine; Xie Shijin will definitely find a way.

The moment the thought crossed Cheng Shiyun's mind, she was suddenly taken aback.

What makes her think that way?

It seems that Xie Shijin can handle anything.

They are about the same age.

But she seemed to trust him more than she trusted herself.

...

Cheng Shiyun said haughtily, "If you sincerely invite me, I might consider it."

She was just a tiny snake with zero experience in the wild. If Xie Shijin hadn't taken her in, she wouldn't have been able to find anything to eat.

Moreover, she also wanted to see what university was like.

"Is all the blood drawn?"

"Um."

Cheng Shiyun crawled over and climbed onto the boy's body, wrapping her arms around his.

Xie Shijin turned off the tap and began skinning the rabbit, his expression calm and his movements swift.

His long, slender fingers were beautiful and graceful, making even this kind of work a pleasure to behold.

After skinning the rabbit, the boy used a knife to cut open its belly and reached inside to remove its internal organs.

Cheng Shiyun shivered.

Such a calm and refined person, who seemed only capable of holding a pen, could slaughter live animals with such ease and without changing expression.

His sleeves were rolled up, revealing one or two spots of blood on his sharp, protruding wrist bones, probably from when the rabbit pounced.

Xie Shijin's hands were covered in the smell of blood, the snow-white skin contrasting sharply with the glaring red.

Cheng Shiyun didn't find it scary.

On the contrary, it has a kind of... disjointed, stimulating, and alluring beauty.

No wonder there's a term like "violent aesthetics"—it describes things very accurately.

After dealing with the rabbit, the baby mouse escaped from the styrofoam box.

Those baby mice were fed some kind of feed, they were so fat, they looked like big pink maggots! Cheng Shiyun felt disgusted and couldn't eat them, so Xie Shijin kept them in a styrofoam box.

One of the puppies ran into Cheng Shiyun's nest and pooped everywhere, which made Cheng Shiyun furious.

Xie Shijin washed the nest for her, and luckily the sun was strong, so it dried in a day.

The laundry detergent he used was the same one he used, and it smelled just like Xie Shijin—very fresh and pleasant.

Cheng Shiyun took a deep breath; she was almost drunk.

Perhaps she inhaled too much, because Cheng Shiyun felt dizzy all day.

The gardenia's blooming season is almost over. What used to be a magnificent, snow-white cluster of flowers is now reduced to just a few scattered buds that haven't opened yet. At the height of their bloom, the nutrients were all taken up by other flowers, so they probably won't be able to bloom at all.

Xie Shijin bought fertilizer and pruned away the branches that were stealing nutrients, managing to salvage the situation.

"Did you hear anything?" Cheng Shiyun asked, her arms wrapped around his wrist. She heard a series of sounds, like shouts, coming from outside the balcony.

"I heard you," Xie Shijin said. "Military training."

The military training for new students at Yichuan No. 7 Middle School has begun. An opening ceremony was held in the morning, with a cannon salute, making quite a grand spectacle.

Cheng Shiyun asked, "Hiss~ If there's an opening ceremony, do the school leaders have to attend?"

She remembered that Guo Xuan's eyeball removal surgery was scheduled for the next few days.

Xie Shijin nodded: "Yes."

The article has already been published on the campus's official WeChat account, and Guo Renyi was present.

Although Cheng Shiyun disliked Guo Xuan, he had already learned his lesson after being blinded in one eye, and probably wouldn't dare to abuse cats again.

I still wish him a successful surgery.

After rescuing the gardenia, Xie Shijin started preparing dinner.

I didn't go out all afternoon!

Cheng Shiyun ate and slept all day long. She slipped into the bathroom and took a look at her body.

She was also afraid of animals that crawl on the ground, such as snakes, centipedes, and earthworms. So, after turning into a snake, she hadn't really looked at herself closely.

Xie Shijin seemed fearless and even complimented her on her looks.

Cheng Shiyun climbed onto the sink and took a deep breath.

3, 2, 1 Raise your eyes!

I've gained weight.

She looked left and right, raising her tail to observe.

I've gained weight from head to toe!

She's only been back for a few days, how come she's already gained weight!

She's gone from a slender little snake to a chubby one! In a few more days, she'll definitely be as fat as those baby mice.

Xie Shijin is suited for the animal husbandry industry, or he could open a zoo; he would definitely raise the animals to be plump and healthy.

After looking at herself for a while, Cheng Shiyun made peace with herself. How fat could she possibly be? She couldn't possibly be thicker than Xie Shijin's arms.

The difference between humans and animals is that humans become ugly when they get fat, but chubby kittens and snakes are very cute!

She now thinks she's very cute.

Clean and pure, fragrant and white, the snake of my dreams!

Xie Shijin made a profit.

However, Cheng Shiyun only ate two bites of dinner and then stopped eating.

A person and a snake sat at a table.

Cheng Shiyun used her tail to push the bowl away.

Xie Shijin glanced at her twice: "You're not fat, eat some more."

Cheng Shiyun propped her head up in shock: "...You were peeking at me?"

Xie Shijin said, "You didn't close the door yourself." She looked in the bathroom mirror for more than half an hour, almost making people think she had fallen into the sink drain.

"Do you think I'm as stupid as you? And you blame me for not closing the door? How am I supposed to close it?" Cheng Shiyun suddenly darted in front of him, gritting her teeth. "Come on, tell me how I close it."

She doesn't even have hands!

"You think you can peek just because I didn't close the door?"

She reasonably suspected that Xie Shijin was seeking revenge for her previous spying incident; how come she hadn't noticed how wicked Xie Shijin was before?

Xie Shijin turned his head and smiled.

Cheng Shiyun bared her teeth and threatened, "If you laugh again, I really will bite you."

The boy stopped laughing: "Want some more?"

"I'm not eating anymore, you can take it away..." She curled up in a ball, looking like she had no appetite.

Xie Shijin frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Doesn't it taste good?"

The little snake's diet is very limited, consisting mostly of chicken and rabbit; after eating it for several days, it's probably gotten tired of it.

"I don't want to eat rabbit meat..."

Xie Shijin put away her bowl, which contained half a rabbit meat. The little snake could only eat fresh food; if it didn't finish its meal, the rest had to be thrown away.

Cheng Shiyun climbed onto his wrist, then climbed up his arm until she reached his shoulder.

"What would you like to eat, birds, insects?"

Xie Shijin put the bowl into the sink, rolled up his sleeves to reveal his smooth forearms, and prepared to wash the dishes.

Cheng Shiyun still remembered her earlier grudge and gritted her teeth in his ear: "You want to eat people."

"You've seen Animal World, right? We snakes do eat people, one bite at a time, crunchy and delicious." She perched on Xie Shijin's shoulder, looking at the boy's sharp profile, and menacingly threatened him, "Like you, I really like to eat you."

Xie Shijin curled her lips into a smile, unable to suppress a laugh: "You can eat that?"

"I can't eat anymore, eat slowly." Cheng Shiyun said, "Hiss~ I haven't eaten a person in so long, I really want to bite you right now."

It's as if she's eaten it herself.

"Where did you bite?" Xie Shijin picked up a rag and slowly wiped the bowl, water droplets sliding down his fingers. "Your hand? Or your neck?"

"If it involves biting the neck..." he said thoughtfully.

Cheng Shiyun's gaze fell on his long, slender neck: "Just bite his neck."

The boy had a fair neck, a clear Adam's apple, and a slight tremor when he spoke.

It makes you really want to take a bite out of it.

"You want to bite now?" After washing the dishes, Xie Shijin reached for a towel and slowly dried his hands. "Can I wait a bit? I'm going to take a shower."

Ingredients should be treated with the awareness that ingredients are essential.

"!"

Cheng Shiyun froze, and before she could react, Xie Shijin pulled her down.

His hands were icy cold from the water, and when his fingertips brushed against the scales on her body, she shuddered and instinctively wrapped her arms around his.

"I'm poisonous, are you crazy?" Cheng Shiyun glared at him angrily, her tail tip curling up in rage. "If I bite you, you're dead, absolutely dead!"

“It’s not necessarily poisonous.” Xie Shijin looked down at her. “It couldn’t even kill a rabbit, and it even got kicked twice by the rabbit.”

"???"

What?

Cheng Shiyun exclaimed incredulously, "Hiss—! Say it again!"

"I just didn't use any force, you understand? If I were really going to use force, I would have killed the rabbit in one bite."

I'm so angry! I'm so angry! They're always being bullied by chickens or rabbits. They're a disgrace to the cobra clan!

"Want to bite?"

The boy bent his index finger and brought it to her lips.

The wound on his palm was slowly healing, but snakes have a sense of smell comparable to a sophisticated radar, and Cheng Shiyun could smell a very faint scent of blood seeping from the wound.

Thump thump—

It was as if you could hear the sound of blood flowing through his veins, pumping from the warm wound at his fingertips all the way to his vibrant, beating heart in his chest.

That dizzy, limp feeling came back to her.

She couldn't help but stick out her forked tongue.

Snakes' tongues are covered with tiny taste receptors, and they can also detect very small aerosol particles.

In other words, the air was filled with Xie Shijin's scent.

The scent of soap on her skin, the slightly salty smell of blood, and a clean, youthful aroma that made her heart flutter.

She really wanted to... bite it.

She longed to hold his cool fingertips in her mouth, to feel his pulse throbbing between her teeth, to feel his warm blood flowing down her tongue.

It was as if the boy was meant to be devoured by her.

No, no!

She seemed to have fallen into a thicket of thorns. After struggling to come to her senses, Cheng Shiyun frantically flicked her tongue like a snake.

The little snake shook its head and said fiercely to the severed finger that had been offered to it, "If you bite me to death, who will take care of me!"

She can tell the difference between a full meal and a full meal.

The little white snake returned to its den, leaving him with a cold, indifferent back view!

Xie Shijin walked to the cabinet by the living room entrance, opened the worn-out door, and took out a flashlight. Perhaps because it had been stored away for too long, the light flickered twice when he turned it on, and the beam was dim. He then found the matching charger and plugged the flashlight in.

Why would you charge a flashlight? Are you going out tonight?

Go to school?

Definitely!

Military training has begun at No. 7 Middle School. At mealtimes, the snack street behind the school is filled with students in military training uniforms eating.

The second and third year students haven't started school yet, and not wearing military training uniforms makes them stand out in the crowd. During military training, security guards are very strict and won't easily let outsiders into the school.

Xie Shijin wanted to go to Guo Renyi's office that night to find the jar of paper she mentioned for folding stars.

Why didn't you tell her?

Is there no basic trust between humans and snakes?

Cheng Shiyun bit down on the edge of the cat's bed and ground her teeth hard.

...

That evening, after Xie Shijin finished showering, Cheng Shiyun, carrying her own nest, squeezed open the bedroom door.

Xie Shijin was wearing loose black pajamas and drying her hair when she heard the sound and turned around. She saw a small white snake carrying a large cat bed in its mouth, wriggling with great effort.

This adjective isn't great, but it's vivid and descriptive.

The cat bed was too big, so Cheng Shiyun used her mouth to bite it and her head to nudge it, as if she were moving a small hill.

The little snake released its grip, and the cat's nest fell to the ground, bounced, and became as soft as bread.

"What are you looking at? Help me carry it upstairs," she said imperiously.

A damp towel draped over his shoulder, wetting the skin on the side of his neck. Xie Shijin half-squatted down, his voice still carrying the fresh scent of a recent shower: "Where should I take this?"

As soon as he reached out, Cheng Shiyun wrapped her arm around his and climbed onto him.

"Hiss~ It's on the bed." Cheng Shiyun said, "Hurry up, hurry up, I'll sleep with you tonight."

"Sleep with me?"

Xie Shijin raised an eyebrow slightly, her wet hair hanging down her forehead, water droplets rolling down her hair.

Snap—

It dripped right onto the little snake's head.

It felt cool and refreshing, seeping into the skin along the scales, yet inexplicably stirring up a feeling of heat.

Snakes are cold-blooded animals, so why does she feel warm all over?

appetite.

It must be appetite.

Such a large, beautiful, smelly, and probably delicious human was waving around in front of her, a feast for the eyes and the palate, yet she didn't take a single bite. She was incredibly patient.

To put it simply, it's Cheng Shiyun.

I'm craving him.

Xie Shijin asked, "Why?"

"Hiss?" Cheng Shiyun was bewildered.

Xie Shijin flicked the little snake's head with his fingertip as a reminder: "Why are you sleeping with me?"

Last time she turned into a cat, she always slept alone.

He probably planned to rest after drying his hair, so only a bedside lamp was left on in the bedroom. The soft light bathed the boy, making his already intense eyes appear even brighter and deeper in the dim light.

His lips were thin and slightly pursed, his clear pupils taking in Cheng Shiyun's embarrassed, evasive, and guilty expression.

"Because, because..."

Cheng Shiyun felt that she was not a snake, but a grape, the kind that had been washed and peeled, and placed on a plate in front of him.

Their gazes met like threads, and a nameless emotion quietly rose in Cheng Shiyun's heart.

She suddenly felt that the light was still too bright and should be turned off.

Cheng Shiyun felt a little awkward being stared at so nakedly by him and wanted to get off him.

A warm palm covered her head and wiped away the water droplets.

Cheng Shiyun shrank back slightly, and the tip of her tail wriggled around his fingers again, much to her dismay: "The weather forecast says it will rain tonight. Aren't you afraid of the rain...?"

Yang Shengnan went to handle a major case in the neighboring city, and Xie Shijin wanted to investigate Guo Renyi alone, but she felt it was too dangerous.

She was to keep an eye on Xie Shijin and make sure he never went out.

She said, "I'm just a snake, nothing special, except that I'm kind-hearted... so I decided to stay with you."

Xie Shijin gave a slight smile: "Then I should... thank you?"

"No need, why are you being so polite with me?"

Xie Shijin picked up the cat bed, placed it next to his pillow, peeled the small snake off and put it in the bed, then turned to leave.

Cheng Shiyun hooked her snake tail around his arm: "Where are you going?!"

The boy's wrist tightened: "Put the towel down."

"Oh..." Cheng Shiyun let go of him. "Then hurry up and dry your hair."

I'm starting to see threats everywhere.

But she really didn't dare to think about what she would do if something happened to Xie Shijin.

...

Entering the bathroom, Xie Shijin turned on the tap, and cold water seeped through his fingers and into his palms before he splashed two handfuls of it onto his face.

The refreshing coolness instantly dispelled some of the heat, but it couldn't suppress the surging palpitations in my chest.

Strands of damp hair clung to his brow bone, water droplets trickling down his jawline and splashing into the sink. They mirrored the ripples spreading across his uncontrollable heartbeat.

Sleep with him.

He pinched his red and burning ears, pulled the towel from his shoulder, covered his head, and wiped it haphazardly a couple of times.

Back in the bedroom, Xie Shijin lifted the covers and got into bed.

Cheng Shiyun felt as if the area around her had sunk a little.

"Do you want to cover yourself with a blanket?" the person next to me asked.

Cheng Shiyun grinned: "Hiss—! Only weak humans use blankets. We, the great Cobra Clan, don't need such things."

Xie Shijin reached out and turned off the bedside lamp.

The bedroom was plunged into darkness in an instant.

Cheng Shiyun's two little green bean eyes were wide open. She was worried that Xie Shijin would sneak up and take action in the middle of the night, so she didn't plan to sleep tonight.

She saw the boy close his eyes and breathe slowly and rhythmically.

After a while, Xie Shijin's brows relaxed as if he had fallen asleep. Only then did Cheng Shiyun carefully crawl out of her nest, climb onto his pillow, curl up in a comma shape, and press her head against his ear.

She wanted to stay by his side forever.

...

Xie Shijin simply lay on the bed with her eyes closed.

I couldn't sleep because I didn't take my medicine last night.

My phone next to my pillow vibrated; it was midnight.

According to the plan, he should now be dressed, wearing a hat, holding a flashlight, and prying open the lock on Guo Renyi's office.

The moon is bright tonight, and it's not raining.

The curtains were drawn, so the bedroom wasn't completely dark; the chandelier on the ceiling could be vaguely seen.

He turned his head and suddenly felt a slightly cool sensation on the tip of his nose.

Cheng Shiyun climbed out of her own bed and slept on his pillow.

The little snake has no eyelids and cannot blink. When it rests, its clear snake pupils are wide open, neatly coiled into a small round ball, like a snow skin mooncake.

Xie Shijin tilted his head to the side, his gaze fixed on the small snake beside the pillow.

Cheng Shiyun didn't react for a full half minute.

The scene he had dreamt about countless nights came true at this moment, and an uncontrollable impulse surged through his veins, making him somewhat unable to control himself.

So what if they're not human?

The boy's eyes welled up with tears, and he swallowed hard, his throat dry.

He leaned in, slowly, very slowly getting closer.

My heart is pounding.

Breathing microscreen.

The distance is getting closer inch by inch.

He couldn't help but kiss the little snake very lightly.

Instantly separate.

...

His eyes were a little wet, and he wanted to look at her again, but Cheng Shiyun moved slightly.

The boy, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly closed his eyes.

Cheng Shiyun was awake; she felt something warm and soft touch her head.

She turned her head and glanced at the sleeping boy.

Xie Shijin slept peacefully and did not sneak out of the house, which pleased Cheng Shiyun. After a few minutes of sound sleep, she felt a little cold again.

Snakes are cold-blooded animals and cannot maintain their body temperature on their own. When the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius, Cheng Shiyun's "seven aunts and eight cousins" will have to prepare for hibernation.

She glanced at the air conditioner temperature: 16℃.

No wonder she fell asleep; she wanted to hibernate.

Hiss? What's the temperature?

16℃!

High school boys are so hot-tempered!

Cheng Shiyun crawled around on the bed, but couldn't find the remote control, so she had to crawl under the covers.

Haha, even a cobra needs a blanket at 16℃.

Xie Shijin offered her a blanket, but she refused. What's she being so dramatic about?

The summer blanket was very thin, and the little snake's head pushed against the blanket, creating a small arc, and slowly crawled over the boy's chest.

The cool yet delicate touch felt like a tentacle as it brushed across his collarbone and down his waist and abdomen.

We must continue.

The boy's breathing suddenly quickened, and unable to hold back any longer, Xie Shijin reached his hand under the covers.

We caught them.

...You'll find it if you go down a little further.

"Cheng Shiyun, stop going down." The boy's Adam's apple bobbed loudly, but his voice remained calm.

Cheng Shiyun twisted in his palm, feeling extremely annoyed.

Xie Shijin smells so good and feels so warm.

Why didn't she go to sleep with Xie Shijin earlier?

Many pets sleep with their owners, so why can't she?

"Hiss~ You're awake?"

"Hmm." Xie Shijin pulled her out of the blanket, pinched her fidgeting head, and said with suppressed embarrassment, "Why aren't you sleeping? You're doing naughty things."

Cheng Shiyun immediately wrapped her arms around his wrist, rubbing against his skin and saying, "Hiss~ Xie Shijin, I can smell... your pheromones."

The cool yet warm scent overwhelmed her sense of smell.

It made her want to get even closer to find the source of the scent.

Xie Shijin pursed his dry lips: "Pheromone."

Chemical signaling molecules secreted by organisms, also known as pheromones, are special odors emitted by organisms during mating and marking territory.

Cheng Shiyun was overwhelmed by his smell: "You should tone it down."

"What are you collecting?"

"Your pheromones."

How to collect it?

"Just... put it away like that." Cheng Shiyun tilted her head and looked at him, her tone full of matter-of-fact. "You don't even know how to do this? Hmm~"

“…No.” He stroked the cool scales on her back, a hint of a smile unconsciously appearing in his eyes. “I’m not a snake.”

Cheng Shiyun retorted, "Then how could I smell your pheromones?"

She reasonably suspected that Xie Shijin did it on purpose; he wanted to release his pheromones to drug her and then sneak out when she wasn't looking.

Definitely.

How could he be so bad?

Xie Shijin turned on the bedside lamp, sat up, and the blanket slipped down, piling up on his lower body: "Did my pheromones affect you?"

In the soft, misty light, half of his face was softened, while the other half remained hidden in the shadows, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

Cheng Shiyun flicked out the snake's tongue.

"Hiss..." It has had an impact, a very big impact.

She wrapped her arms around the boy's wrist, tightening her grip like she was strangling prey, and she could even feel his vibrant blood surging and pulsating in his veins: "Xie Shijin, I feel... something strange about my body."

She felt something was wrong in the afternoon, but she thought it was because she hadn't eaten live animals for too long and something was wrong with her body.

Now that strange heat surged up again, causing the scales on her body to pop open a little, and she just wanted to cling tightly to his warm skin, completely inseparable.

The boy's eyes darkened slightly as he stroked her head, which was resting on his hand, and asked in a low, calm voice, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's not just comfortable, I don't know..." She just wanted to cling to him, all sticky and cuddly, "You feel so good..."

"Your pheromones smell so good..."

She clung to him tighter and tighter, her slender body slowly rubbing against his arm.

Xie Shijin's body temperature was very high. When the temperature is above 35 degrees Celsius, snakes will feel uncomfortable, but Cheng Shiyun did not want to go down and wanted to crawl all over his body.

Cheng Shiyun couldn't help but slip into his sleeve and climb all over him.

She climbed inside his clothes.

The boy lay half-reclined, his waist and abdomen tense and hard: "...Cheng Shiyun?"

She just clung to him, constantly tightening her body, wrapping herself around him without any skill, as if she really wanted to strangle and devour him like prey.

Xie Shijin took a few deep breaths, realizing something was wrong, and decided to take her to the hospital.

He lifted the blanket and suddenly realized that his waist and abdomen were wet.

He reached in and grabbed her; it was very slippery.

The snake's tail coiled around the fingers.

A thin, transparent, slightly cool-touch viscous substance trickled down between his fingers.

...

Pet hospital.

The doctor in the white coat, wearing latex gloves, pinched Cheng Shiyun's tail with two fingers and said, "The cloaca is red and swollen."

The doctor looked at the boy beside him, his lips tightly pressed together, and spoke with certainty.

"Your snake is in heat."

-----------------------

Author's note: I've seen some readers say the pacing is slow, but emotions and plot don't develop overnight; they need a certain amount of buildup.

Everyone knows they'll end up together, and the murderer will definitely be caught, but what's exciting is the process of unraveling the mystery and revealing their true feelings.

We have a God's-eye view, but the characters in the story don't. It's highly unlikely that the protagonist could capture xxx in a flash of inspiration.

Xiao Xie wanted to continue the investigation, but Xiao Yunduo felt it was dangerous and didn't want him to act alone. It would take time for the two of them to reach an agreement (minor spoiler: next chapter).

Actually, I'm even more eager for it to end than you guys. God, I'm even dreaming about writing! This story is only about 350,000 words long. I need some more inspiration, sob sob! (PS: There's also a pure action/satisfying story in my column; that one's progressing very quickly, haha, it's a whirlwind of action.)

(P.S.: The source of pheromones' scent: a mysterious fluid secreted by certain parts of the body during sexual arousal in both men and women.)

(P.S.: I won't correct any typos in this chapter, for fear of being penalized by the censors.)