Chapter 12 Snake

An Zhi kicked, but not only did he not touch the ground, his body also fell dangerously to the side.

As soon as I lost my balance, a cold hand gently grabbed my wrist.

"Don't move."

Quinn's voice was not loud, like the thin ice that had not melted in early spring.

She froze, not daring to look back.

Tears were still hanging on her eyelashes, trembling.

The scary little black snake coiled up, looking down with its green eyes.

She could feel Gugu's subtle, aggrieved trembling.

Quinn's hand didn't exert any force, just lightly wrapped around her slender wrist.

The touch was like some kind of cold jade, and the chill seeped into the skin.

An Zhi shrank his neck, holding back his sobs, and only let out small, frightened whimpers.

He pulled her back onto the stool, not very gently, but he did not let her fall.

"It won't hurt your mushrooms."

Quinn lowered his eyelashes and his gaze fell on the little black snake.

The snake was comfortably coiling itself into a small vortex, clinging to the umbrella canopy, seemingly enjoying the faint warmth.

The snake's tongue moved in and out gently, almost touching the edge of the mushroom.

"Will it eat the mushrooms?"

An Zhi's voice was shaking badly.

Quinn seemed to find the question amusing, the corners of his lips curved upwards so quickly it seemed like an illusion.

"No."

He extended his pale, slender index finger, and placed the tip of his finger just an inch above the snake's head.

The little black snake lazily raised its eyelids, then lazily lay down again, clinging even more closely to the mushroom.

An Zhi tried hard to understand these complicated things, and confusion temporarily overwhelmed his fear.

Quinn's gaze shifted from the snake to An Zhi's face. Her small, disheveled figure was clearly reflected in those bottomless eyes.

He looked intently, with the calmness of examining an object.

"Your mushrooms are special."

An Zhi felt his whole body crawling when he looked at her, and he twisted the corners of his clothes nervously.

She mustered up her courage and pleaded in a low voice with tears in her eyes:

"Can you return the mushroom to me?"

Quinn didn't answer immediately.

The only sounds in the room were the occasional slight hissing sound from the snake's tongue and An Zhi's suppressed breathing.

The air was so thick that it seemed frozen.

He suddenly moved.

Instead of reaching for the mushroom, raise your hand.

The cold fingertips gently brushed across An Zhi's tear-soaked cheek.

An Zhi shuddered as if he was frozen, his eyes instantly filled with tears, but he didn't dare to look away.

It felt so strange.

Quinn moved slowly, wiping away the wet marks on her face bit by bit with his fingertips, as if he was wiping a precious and fragile piece of porcelain.

He was like an invisible net, covering her tightly.

"It's all tears."

He whispered, his fingertips lingering on the corners of her slightly cold eyes.

The distance was too close, and An Zhi held her breath. Fear and the completely unfamiliar feeling of being locked by a powerful existence intertwined, making her unable to move.

"Afraid of me?"

Quinn's voice sounded almost next to her ear, her breath brushing against her soft fur.

An Zhi trembled even more violently, and tears rolled down silently, hitting his fingertips before he could retract them.

Warm, with a childlike saltiness.

Quinn's fingers curled.

He stared at the wetness on his fingertips, and something flashed across his deep eyes, so fast that it was difficult to capture.

At this moment, the little black snake coiled on the mushroom suddenly raised its head and vigilantly spit out its tongue towards the door.

Quinn's eyes suddenly turned to the closed door.

The oppressive feeling of scrutiny that had enveloped An Zhi disappeared.

An Zhi took the opportunity to catch his breath.

Outside the door, there were extremely light and deliberately slow footsteps, which stopped at the door.

Quinn slowly withdrew his hand, the remaining moisture on his fingertips seemed to carry a scorching temperature.

He took one last glance at An Zhi's frightened face and put the mushroom back on An Zhi's head.

An Zhi watched Quinn disappear through the door, which closed gently behind him.

There were only her, the snake, and the mushroom left in the room.

An Zhi curled up on the high stool like a frightened baby bird.

The weight on her head reminded her that the terrible snake was still occupying her mushroom.

She didn't dare move, and even her breathing was light and slow, for fear of disturbing it.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was silently pushed open again.

Quinn is back.

He walked silently, like a moving shadow, and walked straight to An Zhi.

He had nothing in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on her.

"Come down."

An Zhi turned his back and slowly climbed down.

She practically slid down, and as soon as she touched the ground she carefully turned around so her back was not facing Quinn.

Quinn's eyes swept over her head - the little black snake was still coiled on the mushroom, its green eyes half closed, looking very comfortable.

He stretched out his hand, and the little black snake seemed to sense the call of its master. It raised its head lazily, slid down the mushroom obediently, and wrapped around Quinn's pale wrist like a flowing black tattoo.

The mushroom finally regained its freedom, and the faint light seemed to brighten a little.

An Zhi was about to breathe a sigh of relief when his heart rose to his throat again.

Because Quinn's hand was hovering in front of her.

The little black snake on his wrist locked its emerald pupils on An Zhi, its tongue moving dangerously.

"Come here," Quinn ordered.

An Zhi was so scared that he took a step back, shaking his head like a rattle, and tears began to well up in his eyes again.

Quinn's brows knitted slightly, and his irritation became more obvious.

"It won't bite you."

His tone was filled with a hint of impatience as he stated an obvious fact.

"Come here and touch it."

This request was tantamount to torture for An Zhi.

She looked at the cold, slippery creature coiled around her pale wrist, conveying an innate sense of fear and oppression, and her stomach churned.

She shook her head vigorously.

"Too weak."

Quinn's voice was soft, like a sigh, but also like a judgment.

He looked at An Zhi's face, which was pale with fear.

"If I can't even overcome this little fear, how can I live on?"

His words pierced into An Zhi's confused consciousness.

Survive?

She didn't understand why she suddenly had to overcome the snake to survive.

She just wanted to stay away from that scary thing.

Quinn seemed to be losing his patience.

He took a step forward, and his figure instantly completely enveloped An Zhi.

An Zhi was so scared that she wanted to scream, but he grabbed her hand.

The touch was so icy that she shuddered.

She wanted to struggle, but Quinn's hands were like iron clamps, not allowing her to break free at all.

He forcefully pulled her trembling little hand and pressed it irresistibly towards the little black snake lying quietly dormant on his wrist!

"ah--!"

An Zhi's scream was stuck in her throat.

The fingertips finally touched the cold scales.

Such a smooth, hard touch with the ups and downs of life.

She pulled her hand back suddenly as if she was scalded, and struggled backward with all her strength, tears pouring out like a dam breaking.

"No! No snake!

Wuwuwu...let me go!"

She cried out and backed away regardless, bumping into the leg of a stool with a harsh sound.