Chapter 12 Cold War: "When a demon has set its sights on someone, it is devoted to them wholeheartedly..."
Even after Shu Qing returned home, the little snake demon was still giving her the cold shoulder. She watched sadly as the little snake demon crawled out of her backpack and onto the bed, wondering how she had offended it.
She tried to reach out to it, and the little snake hissed and bared its teeth at her, its crimson vertical pupils icy cold.
"Why are you suddenly so fierce?" Shu Qing coaxed. "Didn't we say we were just moving to make money?"
The little snake demon kept staring at her, showing no sign of backing down.
Shu Qing guessed, "You don't like Nian Nian?"
The little snake turned its head away, and Shu Qing knew she had guessed wrong. She then tentatively asked, "Don't you like that Miss Qi?"
"...No, that's not right either. Are you tired? Or are you unhappy that I made you into a villain?...It can't be that you're unhappy that I edited you and Nian Nian into a couple, right?"
The little snake demon turned back to look at her this time, and reluctantly nodded slightly.
"Really?" Shu Qing chuckled. "It's all fake, just for fun. You really look down on Niannian that much?"
The little snake suddenly darted out and tried to bite her, but instead of biting her, it bit her sleeve, as if it wanted to tear a hole through it.
"..."
Shu Qing thought about it and understood. First, Nian Nian is male, and the sexual orientation of monsters may not be as open as that of humans; second, one of them belongs to the class Reptilia and the other to the order Primates, which is quite a big difference in species, so they probably wouldn't appreciate each other's appearance; finally, in terms of demonic power, Nian Nian is far inferior to the little snake demon.
Even if the little snake wants to date in the future, it should date a female snake that is similar to itself, not a primate.
Shu Qing thought she had figured out the root of the problem, and was both amused and exasperated. She simply lay down on the bed and assured it face to face: "It's all fake, just for everyone's amusement. I won't really pair you and Niannian up."
The little snake watched her silently, its tail tip tugging at the hem of her clothes. Shu Qing thought to herself: There's hope!
"Don't worry," she promised, seizing the opportunity, "when you grow up, I'll definitely find you a beautiful and powerful little female snake to mate with!"
"hiss--!"
The little snake demon bared its teeth angrily at her, then slithered under the pillow and refused to come out no matter what Shu Qing said. Its crimson vertical pupils stared at her through the dark gaps, and Shu Qing could vaguely see a hint of grievance in them.
It's the one that wants a cold war, and it's also the one that's unpredictable. I wonder what it's complaining about now.
Could it be that even a baby snake, less than half a month old, is just as innocent as a primary school student, avoiding the topic of dating?
Shu Qing scratched her head. Considering the huge gap between their ages and species, she gave up trying to guess what the little snake was thinking.
When language communication failed, she tried to coax the snake demon with food. Shu Qing took out all kinds of candies, dried fish and snacks, picked out the ones the little snake demon liked to eat, and lined them up on the bedside table like offerings to the gods.
Unfortunately, the object of the "sacrifice" didn't even look at it, making the sacrifice a complete failure.
Shu Qing was extremely helpless.
This is tricky, let's get to work first.
Shu Qing returned to her computer to edit the video. Before, when she was working, the little snake demon would always coil around her neck to keep her company. Now that the little snake wasn't with her anymore, she wasn't quite used to it. Every half hour, she would turn her head and glance under her pillow.
The video was half edited, but the little snake was still motionless, looking quite angry.
Shu Qing was exasperated. Looking back at the video she had edited, she felt it was a complete mess, so bad she couldn't even stomach it. Frustrated, she downed a can of iced cola, shut down the editing software, and decided to try again tomorrow.
Before going to wash up, she took out her phone and snapped nine photos of the little snake huddled under her pillow with only its head sticking out. She then posted the photos on her WeChat Moments with the caption: "I've raised a Xuanwu that's both a tortoise and a snake."
She then asked for help in the comments: "Friends, has anyone ever tried to comfort a snake? My snake is sulking, what should I do? _(:з」∠)_"
The little snake demon gritted its teeth and watched coldly. Only after she finished washing up and climbed into bed did it emerge from under the pillow, curling up far away to one side, never giving her a chance to grab it.
"Xiao Hong," Shu Qing asked, utterly perplexed, "what's wrong with you?"
The little snake ignored her. It wasn't until she fell asleep, her mind still full of worries, that it finally swam slowly to her hand, opened its mouth in frustration, and gently bit her, grinding its sharp teeth back and forth on her fingertip.
She said it herself, he was her monster.
Even the Supermarket Management Bureau officially confirmed it, has she forgotten?
The little snake demon reluctantly admitted: Although they could not be together in this life, he was actually very sad to find that she did not care about him at all.
He will never have any other monsters, but what about her? Will she have any "others" in the future?
Probably so. She readily allowed him to be intimate and flirtatious with other demons, and the way she looked at him was completely different from how she looked at him.
When she met that "other person" one day... when she met that person...
The little snake demon thought this should be a good thing, but he was even more heartbroken, his heart filled with an indescribable bitterness. He lowered his head, his forked tongue slowly licking her hand. Her flesh and blood were no longer as full of spiritual energy as before, but they still held an irresistible attraction for him. He licked her hand gently and tenderly, finding her scent so sweet.
As if sensing something in a dream, Shu Qing slightly curled her index finger. The little snake demon felt her unconsciously touch its head and mutter, "Good girl..."
The little snake demon pressed its head against her palm, gently rubbing against it, trying to find some comfort in this false caress.
If possible, he hoped that day would be later... much later.
When Shu Qing woke up the next day, she habitually checked her phone first. Her WeChat Moments were full of "hahahahaha", and her close best friend shamelessly said, "Your little snake has a problem. Send it over and I'll soothe it and then send it back [doge.jpg]", but obviously no one could offer her any reliable advice.
She opened the chat again and found that Jiu Su had left her a message late at night. When she opened it, it was at least several hundred words long, all of which were answers to the question she had asked on her WeChat Moments: "What should I do if the snake is sulking?"
Shu Qing rolled over, reached out and picked up the still-sleeping little white snake, pulling it back into her arms. She held it close and carefully read Jiu Su's reply. After reading two lines, she scratched her head, her expression turning strange.
“You don’t need to coax it. Just treat it well from now on,” Jiu Su told her. “Demons and humans share the same understanding, so you can’t treat it like a pet. Even if it’s just a joke, don’t pair it with other demons, whether they are of different races or the same race. Don’t adopt other demons, and don’t let anyone else get involved.”
He emphasized some precautions for humans and snakes when interacting, and concluded by saying, "Once a demon has chosen a person, it is devoted to them wholeheartedly."
"What does that mean?" Shu Qing muttered, "Little Red doesn't want to find another female snake, she wants to stay with me for life? That sounds weird..."
The little snake demon stirred in her arms, pretending to be asleep, but one eye was secretly watching her, waiting to see her reaction.
Shu Qing was completely unaware of this, and it didn't take long for her to put this dilemma aside—she had no intention of raising any other monsters; the little snake was enough.
As for the other "people"... she lives alone in another city and never intended to live with anyone else. She has always had an indifferent attitude towards dating and starting a family, and has no particular attachment to them.
However… she glanced down at her phone screen again. Undeniably, a few days ago, she had felt a certain fondness and curiosity towards Jiu Su.
But now...
She gently tossed her phone up and caught it again, whispering to the little snake demon, "What do you think of Jiu Su?"
The little snake pretended to be asleep, secretly listening to what she would say next.
"If he really is the heir of a reclusive family or something... then he must have his own things to do." Shu Qing didn't really want the little snake demon to answer her. She said to herself, "He came to help me with my exams before, maybe because of you. Later, he was willing to help me with my studies, and now, he even cares about how I get along with you... Can he really be that free?"
Shu Qing didn't have the bad habit of excessively belittling herself; she didn't think she was unworthy of being liked. But when it comes to liking someone, it's either love at first sight—based on looks—or it develops over time—based on character and personality. Jiu Su had never even met her, so it couldn't possibly be based on looks; as for "inner beauty," Jiu Su had at most witnessed her unwavering willpower when facing difficulties, which was somewhat tinged with spite.
To say that she had fallen in love with him so easily was unbelievable to Shu Qing; she wasn't that narcissistic.
Moreover, Jiu Su didn't seem to be pursuing her at all. There wasn't a single ambiguous word in their conversation; he was serious and earnest from beginning to end. Even when she offered to give him gifts or invite him to dinner, he refused them all, showing no intention of taking advantage of the situation.
Why is he so enthusiastic towards her?
It can't be that we're learning from Lei Feng, doing good deeds, and accumulating merit, can it?
Shu Qing was unsure, so she cautiously replied, "Thank you, senior. When you have time, how about I treat you to a meal? There's a really good new Japanese restaurant that just opened."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "If there's anything else I can do to help, feel free to contact me anytime, and I'll do my best!"
She tossed her phone aside, let out a soft breath, and patted the little snake demon's head.
"Since I've taken you in, I'll be responsible for you to the end and won't abandon you," she said softly. "If anyone else dares to make a move on you, I'm not someone to be trifled with."
The future conflicts haven't erupted yet, but the immediate conflicts urgently need to be resolved. Although the root cause is clear, the fuse is still burning fiercely—she still has to complete her business orders.
Shu Qing decided: economic foundation determines everything. First, she would settle the business orders she had, and then she would try to appease the snake!
She left the still sulking little snake demon at home and went to the Chiffon Photography Studio to shoot a public service announcement for Niannian, as planned yesterday. Niannian was initially a little afraid of her, but upon discovering that the little snake demon wasn't there, she quickly regained her liveliness, and the shoot went smoothly.
Shu Qing returned home in the afternoon and packed a box of fresh shrimp balls for the little snake demon. The little snake demon ate them one after another, its beautiful red eyes staring at Shu Qing, as if to say, "That's it?"
Hmm, it seems the progress bar has reached 80%.
Shu Qing bribed the sulking little monster with a bag of shrimp balls, quickly pulling him out of his agitated state from the previous night. Looking back at yesterday's results, they seemed much better.
The client also found her appealing. After receiving the finished product she sent, he quickly transferred the remaining 100,000 yuan to her, along with a string of thumbs-up emojis.
"It's fantastic!" Miss Qi said happily. "I thought we wouldn't be able to film it yesterday, but the result is even better than I expected. I plan to release the joint submission when traffic is high tonight, around nine o'clock, don't forget!"
Shu Qing replied with an "OK" and stretched lazily. When she turned around, she found the little snake silently coiled on the back of her computer chair, flicking its tongue at her.
Shu Qing leaned back in her chair, teased it with a finger, and asked with a smile, "Aren't you angry anymore?"
The little snake demon hid behind her, its red eyes silently watching her, conveying the complex meaning of "I'm angry, say something nice to hear" through its expressive eyes and agile body language.
Okay then.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
