Chapter 41 The snake's inherent lustful nature led to him being... taken advantage of by another snake...

"Snakes in heat like to coil around things."

Cheng Shiyun blushed.

"The lubricating mucus secreted by the cloaca is used to reduce friction during mating."

Cheng Shiyun wanted to die.

"It might be seeing you as a partner."

Gaba.

That was the sound of Cheng Shiyun dying.

Waaaaah—would it kill her to bite herself?

But she was under anesthesia, so she couldn't bite even if she wanted to.

"The anesthetic will wear off in about thirty minutes." The doctor took off his latex gloves and said to the nervous boy, "After the anesthetic wears off, observe him for another half hour. If there is no vomiting or unusual agitation, you can leave."

Xie Shijin nodded upon hearing this, placing his palm on the little snake's cold head to feel her faint breathing.

It was past midnight, and there were very few people at the pet hospital, only a few on-duty medical staff and hospitalized pets.

"Is this one of yours?" the nurse asked curiously. A few days ago, the boy brought home a cat, and today he brought home a snake. Does your family run a zoo?

The boy hummed in agreement.

Nurse: "Is this a spotted snake? It's so beautiful."

The snake is entirely silver-white, with beautiful light gray patterns on its back.

"Isn't the glazed snake a Class II protected animal in China? Can it be kept as a pet?"

Xie Shijin coughed softly, avoiding the nurse's gaze.

The doctor said, "A certificate is all you need."

Nowadays, people are no longer satisfied with just cats and dogs; more and more people are keeping exotic pets such as lizards and centipedes. There's even a golden python with ulcerated skin receiving treatment in the hospital, and doctors are used to it.

"Hiss~"

What certificate?

Is a student ID acceptable?

"..." Xie Shijin patted her pointed little head and asked the doctor, "How long does her heat cycle last?"

The doctor said, "It usually takes three to five days. The loss of appetite and clinginess you mentioned are symptoms of a female snake wanting to mate with a male snake."

"Hiss~"

Cheng Shiyun tried to cover the doctor's mouth, "Keep talking!"

Talking about these things in front of the snake in question, doesn't she have any pride?

I'm too ashamed to face anyone.

She buried her head in the boy's hands, arching her back, "Cover her up, cover her up quickly!"

Xie Shijin smiled and stroked the little snake's back to comfort it.

"Oh, right," the doctor reminded the boy, "Although the glazed snake is very docile, it is still a venomous snake. There is no antivenom for glazed snake venom in China, especially during the mating season. The female snake has a high need for her mate, and if it is not satisfied, she will strangle her mate to death."

Snakes are not as intelligent as cats and dogs. When Xie Shijin first came to the hospital, the snake was wrapped around his wrist and he couldn't get it off no matter what he did. For his safety, the doctor advised Xie Shijin not to sleep with his snake pet.

Xie Shijin, sitting in the armchair, said, "I understand, thank you."

For one's partner.

Demand is high.

Cheng Shiyun suddenly thought of four words.

—Snakes are inherently lustful.

...

Even after the anesthesia wore off, Cheng Shiyun was still pretending to be dead.

The doctor said that cobras, like chickens, ducks, birds, and other oviparous animals, lay eggs.

Generally, the female snake will lay eggs about a month after the mating season begins, but unfertilized eggs will not hatch. If the eggs fail to hatch, she will experience postpartum depression, becoming irritable and easily angered.

"The female snakes were very aggressive at that time and would exhibit anti-wild behavior," the doctor advised. "You'd better remove its eggs."

Xie Shijin lowered his eyes, quite surprised: "She can... lay eggs?"

The nurse smiled and said, "Snake eggs are more nutritious than chicken eggs."

What's the meaning?

Should Xie Shijin eat her eggs?

Cheng Shiyun stopped pretending to be dead: "Hiss~ No way!"

Don't eat her eggs!

A soft chuckle escaped from above, and the boy nodded with a slight smile: "Thank you, doctor."

Cheng Shiyun didn't want to live anymore.

The stars are so bright tonight.

He's fit to die.

Xie Shijin scooped up her limp tail, which was about to fall to the ground, and carried her in his arms as they walked out of the hospital.

Her tail was wet after her heat had just subsided.

"It's a normal physiological reaction, don't be shy," Xie Shijin said softly.

The little snake in his arms stirred, coiling into a hard, round disc—the kind that could kill someone if swung around: "Hiss~ Who's shy? Don't get the wrong idea, I just think of you as..."

"It's just a tree."

In nature, female snakes without mates usually find a tree to rub against when they are in heat.

That's normal.

She's not even human anymore; if anyone should lose face, it's Xie Shijin who should lose face, for being... taken advantage of by a snake.

Last time, Xie Shijin even put his finger in her mouth to touch her teeth, so they're even now.

"Do trees have pheromones?" Xie Shijin looked down at the round cake in his arms and pinched the tip of its tail. "Can trees make you feel good?"

Cheng Shiyun stared wide-eyed.

Unfortunately, even when she stared wide-eyed, the little snake's eyes were only the size of mung beans.

She suddenly stood up, her scales bursting open.

What is Xie Shijin saying?

Who felt comfortable? She just wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed against him.

Okay, I do have some feeling about it.

“Of course, with your muscles so hard, what’s the difference between you and a tree?” Cheng Shiyun firmly denied it, rigidly concluding, “At most, you’re a little more fragrant and pleasant-smelling, but other than that, there’s no difference.”

Xie Shijin smiled and said, "I understand."

The bustling streets during the day become quiet late at night. Xie Shijin, carrying a cobra, walked towards home, his steps uneven as he disappeared into the darkness.

The bright moon hangs high, the night is clear and the wind is gentle; the sky is pure and transparent.

It's already past 1 a.m.

Across this road is the back gate of No. 7 Middle School. The snack street is closed, and the lights in the residential buildings on both sides are off, casting dark shadows heavily in the night.

There weren't many cars on the road, but Xie Shijin still waited for the traffic light, crossed the zebra crossing, and turned onto Xuezi Road.

This isn't the way home. Just as Cheng Shiyun was about to speak, she heard Xie Shijin say, "Cheng Shiyun, let's go to the school and take a look."

"School?" Cheng Shiyun was taken aback. "Go to Guo Renyi's office to find Feng Yuezhe's jar of stars?"

"Um."

"Didn't Officer Yang say not to act rashly?"

"I don't trust the police," the boy said detachedly.

"Xie Shijin..."

Xie Shijin lowered his eyes, the dim light of the streetlamp outlining his thin face: "I didn't mean to hide it from you."

It didn't rain tonight. Cheng Shiyun slept with him, but it was just an excuse to keep an eye on him and prevent him from going out.

Even though he knew it was true, he still felt very satisfied.

He felt content when Cheng Shiyun approached him.

Cheng Shiyun sighed softly.

Xie Shijin was determined to find out the truth and help her find the driver who caused the accident. Yang Shengnan had gone to the provincial department again and was very likely not to return, so the investigation into Guo Renyi was forced to be put on hold.

Many things are put on hold and put on hold... and eventually just fade away.

Xie Shijin was probably afraid of this too.

Two years later, her death had become a demon in his heart, making it impossible for him to abandon the clues he had already uncovered.

"No...you just didn't want to tell me that you didn't want me to go with you."

He didn't intend to hide it from her. Xie Shijin should have told her the plan when he was at home in the evening. Cheng Shiyun almost believed him!

Xie Shijin touched her flared scales: "I'll tell you after I finish investigating, so it'll be considered keeping it from you?"

Even if it doesn’t count.

Cheng Shiyun always felt that he was making excuses.

Xie Shijin added, "I don't know what dangers I might encounter, and I'm not sure if you can... protect me."

"Hiss!" Cheng Shiyun flicked her tongue. "Are you questioning me? Questioning our great Cobra Clan!"

She's an officially certified venomous snake! The kind that's extremely venomous! Whoever she bites is dead! Definitely dead!

"A little," Xie Shijin said with a smile, "but I'm relieved now."

Even if he leaves, she won't be bullied.

Cheng Shiyun hissed twice: "You should have brought me for a check-up sooner." She'd made a huge fool of herself!

However, she is a Class II protected animal in China, and keeping her without a license would result in confiscation and a fine. If Xie Shijin hadn't been worried about her health, he probably would have kept her secretly indefinitely.

Xie Shijin pursed her lips: "If you had come for a checkup earlier, you wouldn't be in this situation. Your heat cycle is usually around these few days anyway."

Cheng Shiyun: "..." (The sentence is repeated twice in the original text.)

"Luckily, I'm at home."

"..." and then mentioned it again.

"otherwise……"

The little snake's tail curled up and snapped shut on his lips: "Hiss~ Shut up."

The boy curled his lips into a smile and caught her tail in his hand: "Can't even mention it? You dare to do it but not admit it."

Cheng Shiyun twitched her tail, but failed to pull it back, and became angry and embarrassed: "When have I ever dared to do something but not admit it?"

"I am not a tree."

Xie Shijin said.

How did the topic come back to this again? His tone was so serious. Cheng Shiyun's head was spinning: "I... I was just using an analogy, why are you taking it so seriously?"

"You said it yourself," Xie Shijin said coolly, "that you only see me as a tree."

"..."

"At most, I just smell a little better."

"..."

"Apart from that, there is no difference."

Cheng Shiyun's eyes widened. She was just... shy, that's why she said that, okay? Couldn't she see that? Is Xie Shijin a blockhead?

Next time, Xie Shijin won't actually make her go find a tree, will he?

Cheng Shiyun licked her teeth. She had done even more shameful things to him, so what did she have to lose face? "Who said such a thing? How come I didn't know? Who mistook you for a tree?"

"You are not a tree, you are better than a tree." A thousand times, ten thousand times better.

"Trees don't have pheromones, only you do." She could only smell his.

"What makes me feel comfortable... is you." This also made her heart race and her mind wander.

Although it is true, it is too embarrassing to say it out loud!

She still had some self-respect; after saying that, she kept snuggling into the boy's arms, forming an "O" shape, and burying herself inside.

"Cheng Shiyun, it itches." His chest vibrated slightly.

"Ouch—!" I'd rather die of itchiness.

"Let's go." Xie Shijin gently pulled the little snake out of his arms and patted her haughty head. "Going to school?"

“Go ahead, I didn’t say you couldn’t go, I’m going too.” Cheng Shiyun wrapped the tip of her tail around his wrist. “After all, this is related to my death, I can’t let you go on an adventure alone. You’re so stupid and honest, you’ll be bullied by others.”

Xie Shijin: "You'll protect me?"

Cheng Shiyun affirmed, "I will protect you!"

...

Yichuan No. 7 Middle School has strict school rules.

Boarding students cannot leave the school without a leave slip, but the fence on the west side of the school is broken, just like the rooftop of Bowen Building, and one of the railings can be removed. It's a secret known only to a very few people.

With a "clatter".

Xie Shijin used his knuckles to easily remove the loose railing.

Guo Renyi's office was on the fifth floor of Boxue Building. Xie Shijin covered the railing and walked towards the teaching building.

The lights in the student dormitories were all off, and the huge campus was unusually quiet. Apart from two patrolling security guards, there was hardly anyone to be seen.

When the two security guards patrolled to Boxue Building, one of them suddenly stopped, shone his flashlight on the half-open iron gate downstairs, and asked his colleague, "Didn't you lock the gate?"

“It was locked. The students weren’t in class, so how could it not be locked?” The colleague paused for a moment, then said, “Principal Guo came this afternoon. I guess he forgot to lock it when he left.”

"Lock it again."

"Wait a minute," the man said. "Let's go upstairs and take a look."

My colleague said, "Aren't you tired of climbing up and down all that?"

The man reminded him, "Have you forgotten what happened 16 years ago?"

As soon as he said that, his colleague remembered: "You mean Old Chen?"

During the summer vacation of 2016, the school was installing air conditioners and repairing the circuits, so the surveillance cameras were out of service. However, there were security guards on duty at the front and back gates 24 hours a day.

Old Chen was a security guard at the back gate of the school. A female student was hit and killed at the school gate, less than 20 meters away from the security office. At the time of the incident, Old Chen had skipped work to go out drinking. When the police came to ask the security guard if the female student had entered the school, Old Chen was still drunk.

The principal was furious and fired both security guards who were on duty at the time.

Security guard work may seem easy—it's just registering visitors and patrolling regularly—but if something goes wrong, not everyone can bear the responsibility.

My colleague, still shaken, said, "Let's go upstairs and check it out."

The two opened the iron gate and went upstairs.

The flashlight beam swayed and flickered.

The first to fourth floors are all classrooms, eight on each floor.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, my colleague said, "There's no need to look at the fifth floor; it's all offices, and only teachers have the keys."

He shone his flashlight on the upper floors, indicating there were probably no people there: "Let's go."

The sound of their footsteps fading into the distance as they descended the stairs.

In the darkness, a calm-looking boy walked down from the platform on the fifth floor leading to the rooftop.

"Hiss~ Have they gone downstairs?"

A small snake's head sprouted from the boy's collar.

Xie Shijin peeked out from the gap in the stairs and looked down: "Yeah, they've gone down."

Previously, some students at No. 7 Middle School were dating in class instead of going home at night. So the academic affairs office installed iron gates on the teaching building and locked them.

But the door wasn't locked when they arrived, and Xie Shijin left it as it was, without touching the lock.

The sound of a security guard pulling a chain and locking the gate could be heard from downstairs.

Cheng Shiyun buried her head in his collarbone and almost got caught, which scared her so much that her heart almost jumped out of her chest!

"Cheng Shiyun," Xie Shijin called out to her.

"Hiss~ What's wrong?"

She responded lazily, her forked tongue licking his neck.

She seemed to have a particular fondness for his collarbone, always burying her face there.

Xie Shijin's Adam's apple bobbed: "It's nothing."

Cheng Shiyun hissed in dissatisfaction: "Why did you call me if there's nothing wrong?" She interrupted her pheromone tasting.

Xie Shijin turned on his phone's flashlight and walked towards Guo Renyi's office.

"Hiss~ Why did the office move to the fifth floor?" she whispered, leaning on Xie Shijin's shoulder.

She remembered that there used to be an office on each floor, and her father's office was on the fourth floor.

Xie Shijin held up his phone, illuminating the door number on the door, and said, "In 2017, the school underwent a comprehensive renovation, and all the offices that were scattered on different floors were consolidated into the fifth floor."

507.

He took a paperclip out of his pocket, straightened it, inserted it into the keyhole, adjusted the angle, and turned it, opening the office door.

...real torture.

Cheng Shiyun gritted her teeth in his ear: "You still say you weren't planning to sneak into school behind my back?"

The tools for the crime were all prepared, and he had no intention of discussing it with her at all.

Xie Shijin said, "I got it at the hospital."

He was in such a hurry when he left that he didn't have time to bring the tools he had prepared with him.

Entering the office and closing the door, Xie Shijin began searching for the glass jar filled with stars that Cheng Shiyun had mentioned.

"It's been two years, could it have already been thrown away by Guo Renyi?" Cheng Shiyun didn't have much hope for tonight's operation.

Xie Shijin also remembered the glass jar she mentioned: "Last year on Teachers' Day, the school took promotional photos of every teacher and put them on the bulletin board at the school gate."

He found Guo Renyi's photo on the school website that afternoon and showed it to Cheng Shiyun.

In the photo, a student comes to ask for help with the monthly exam questions, and Guo Renyi bends down to point at the exam paper with a kind look in his eyes.

On his desk, a glass jar filled with origami stars stood out.

Cheng Shiyun recognized something: "It seems... it was taken in this office?"

Xie Shijin nodded: "Mm."

Because it was a temporary office, Guo Renyi would only come to this office to rest when he was teaching students, so there were far fewer things on his desk compared to other teachers.

Calendar, pen, folder...

Xie Shijin wiped the dust off his desk; there was no dust.

There's still half a glass of water in the cup, and the date on the calendar is yesterday.

This at least proves that Guo Renyi was in the office yesterday.

He opened the drawer; it wasn't locked.

In the first drawer, there are two lesson plans, several red pens, and several sheets of A4 paper that have been scribbled on.

The second layer contained miscellaneous items, including sealed jars of throat lozenges, data cables, class photos of graduates from previous years, and various handwritten greeting cards.

The third layer.

With a clang—

...

The night was deep, and it was already two in the morning.

A silver-white sedan drove onto Xuezi Road.

Two bright, glaring headlights swept across the shutter door of the snack shop. The car stopped at the back gate of Yichuan No. 7 Middle School and honked its horn.

"Principal Guo, why are you at school so late?" The window of the security office was pushed open.

The driver rolled down the window. Guo Renyi pinched his brow, looking tired. "I left the house keys in the office. I'm coming back to get them."

She was incredibly busy that day. In the morning, she organized the freshmen military training mobilization, and in the afternoon, she rushed to the hospital to accompany her son for surgery. Guo Xuan had just woken up, and the doctor said his condition was stable. Qian Juan told him to go home and rest. It wasn't until she got home that she realized she had forgotten her keys in the office.

The security guard turned on the power switch for him.

Guo Renyi said, "Thank you for your hard work."

“You’re the one who works so hard every day. We’re just gatekeepers, it’s not hard at all.”

The security guard followed Guo Renyi to the Boxue Building and opened the door at the bottom of the teaching building for him.

At night, the power would be cut off in the teaching building, plunging it into darkness. The security guard, carrying a flashlight, would accompany Guo Renyi upstairs.

Fifth-floor office.

Xie Shijin opened the drawer, and a glass jar filled with paper-folded stars slid out from the bottom of the cabinet due to inertia.

“This is it!” Cheng Shiyun slid from Xie Shijin’s shoulder to his wrist. “Quickly open it and see if there are any words inside.”

She remembered that Feng Yue had written something on the paper she was folding into stars. She wanted to see it, but Feng Yue wouldn't let her, treating it like a precious treasure.

Xie Shijin pried open the cork, and inside there were roughly two or three hundred colorful stars.

He poured out two and was about to open them to take a look.

"Hiss~" Cheng Shiyun suddenly propped her head up. "Xie Shijin, did you hear anything?"

Xie Shijin said, "Footsteps."

The sound of footsteps going upstairs.

Someone is coming.

Two people.

Cheng Shiyun became alert: "Who would come to school so late?"

Are you a young couple?

Pat pat—

Suddenly, a beam of white light flashed through the corridor window; the two people had gone up to the fifth floor.

Xie Shijin closed the drawer, turned off the flashlight, and walked behind the door.

Conversations could be heard coming from the corridor.

"After all this trouble, won't you get home close to 3 a.m.?"

"Yes, I have to come over at seven o'clock to supervise the students' morning run during military training."

...

Xie Shijin opened an app on his phone that Cheng Shiyun had never seen before. A small red dot on the screen was flashing, indicating that it was nearby.

"Hiss?" What is this?

The boy exited the software, opened the notes app, and typed: [Locator.]

[Bought online.]

On the day he went to the hospital to follow Guo Renyi, he installed it on the rear tire of Guo Renyi's car.

Cheng Shiyun: "Hiss?" So this little red dot is Guo Renyi?

Guo Renyi came to the school?

"Oh dear, you won't be able to rest for more than a few hours when you get back." The security guard raised his voice and complimented, "If you ask me, the homeroom teacher can handle this kind of thing. Why does Principal Guo have to do it all himself? It's too much work for him."

Guo Renyi said, "The homeroom teachers work hard too. A few hours of rest is enough. It's alright..."

Behind the door at the end of the corridor, the boy's back was pressed against the cold door panel as he listened to footsteps approaching.

Cheng Shiyun nestled in his arms, her heart pounding.

The office window was open, and whenever Guo Renyi and the others came to open the door, she would dart out the window and cling to them, buying Xie Shijin time to leave.

The footsteps grew closer, and the little snake in her arms became increasingly restless. Xie Shijin lowered his head, his warm palm stroking her stiff and tense body, and whispered to comfort her, "Don't be afraid."

He put the paperclip back into the keyhole, so that even if someone outside had a key, they wouldn't be able to open the door.

The flashlight beam flickered as Guo Renyi and the security guard approached.

It wasn't until we reached the door that the security guard reminded us, "You forgot your keys inside, how are you going to open the door?"

Guo Renyi subconsciously touched his pockets, only to find them empty. He sighed helplessly, "...I've been so busy these past few days that I'm completely out of it, my brain isn't working properly anymore."

The security guard exclaimed, "Then you've made a wasted trip."

The curtains weren't drawn, and the window was half-open. Guo Renyi glanced into the office subconsciously.

The beam of the flashlight swept quickly across the empty room, and the curtains in the opposite window fluttered slightly in the wind.

The security guard said, "Principal Guo, let's go."

Guo Renyi nodded and turned to walk downstairs.

"Buzz—Buzz—"

My phone suddenly rang in my pocket.

He pulled out his phone, saw it was Qian Juan's number, and pressed the answer button: "Hello?"

Qian Juan's voice was trembling with tears on the other end of the phone, urgent: "Old Guo, come to the hospital right away!"

Guo Renyi: "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Xiao Xuan is going to jump off a building!"

In the afternoon, Guo Xuan underwent surgery, and the doctor removed his necrotic right eyeball.

After being transferred to a regular ward, Guo Renyi left in the early hours of the morning, and Qian Juan stayed by his bedside the whole time. Guo Xuan was sleeping, and so was she, but when she woke up, Guo Xuan was gone.

She searched the entire hospital and overheard a nurse calling the police that someone had jumped from the rooftop.

Qian Juan cried and shouted, "Xiao Xuan! Xiao Xuan, come down! Don't do anything foolish, son!"

Guo Renyi's expression changed drastically, and he said repeatedly, "I'm coming right away! I'm coming right away!"

The two hurriedly left the fifth floor.

Qian Juan's desperate cries were also heard by Cheng Shiyun, who was on the other side of the wall.

She felt pity, but even more disgust, but she might not be very happy if Guo Xuan died.

"Did Guo Renyi leave his keys in the office?" she asked.

"Hmm." Guo Renyi and the security guard had already gone downstairs. Xie Shijin turned on his flashlight again and shone it on the calendar on his desk. There was a set of keys next to it.

He continued to unpack the paper stars he hadn't had time to unfold earlier.

Cheng Shiyun slid down from Xie Shijin's shoulder, curled her tail tip around the boy's wrist, and stared at the note in his hand.

[October 11, 2015, sunny...]

“…This is Feng Yue’s handwriting.” Cheng Shiyun recognized it. “Feng Yue likes to write this kind of cheese-style handwriting the most, and she even bought calligraphy practice books to practice.”

Xie Shijin dismantled several stars, and what was written on them were mostly excerpts from song lyrics and novels.

It's all about love and affection, both subtle and obvious, clearly written by a young girl experiencing her first love for her sweetheart.

Cheng Shiyun urged him, "Next, next."

Xie Shijin unfolded the star-shaped paper strip in her hand.

—[October 26, 2015, our first time]

Cheng Shiyun: "?"

Xie Shijin: "".

Next one.

—[March 5, 2016, our 100th day together]

Cheng Shiyun: "??"

Xie Shijin: "..."

The time was written on each of the paper strips folded into stars.

The period spans from October 2015 to May 2016.

As time went by, the words above gradually became more explicit and straightforward.

Cheng Shiyun patted the boy's hand with the tip of her tail: "Look up Guo Renyi's resume on Baidu."

Xie Shijin opened his phone, entered Guo Renyi's name and school position into the webpage, and his work experience immediately appeared.

—Guo Renyi, male, Han nationality, born in May 1970, from Yichuan, holds a doctorate in literature…

"Feng Yue said that her boyfriend's birthday is the same as hers, both in May, and this jar of stars was also folded by her and given to her boyfriend."

"So Feng Yue's boyfriend..."

"Is it really Guo Renyi?!"

Xie Shijin nodded slowly.

Cheng Shiyun's worldview has been shattered!

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

Author's Note: We're finally about to find it!!! [Glasses]

I hope you won't laugh at my naive suspense plot.