Snakey decided to take back its previous words.
Actually, a snake's life was quite pleasant.
In front of the stone table, Chai Xiaomi held a branch in each hand, each skewering a golden, crispy roasted rabbit leg that sizzled with oil.
She handed one of them to Hongjiao. Seeing it eat with great relish, she smiled and asked, Is it good?
Hongjiao nodded vigorously while gnawing on it.
It had only ever eaten raw meat before; who would have thought that roasting it over a fire could make it smell and taste this incredibly good?
Hongxiao rested her chin in her hands, watching them with complete satisfaction, her eyes full of warm, melting smiles.
Earlier, when Xiaomi came to ask for water and couldn't get anything to eat, she had felt quite bad about it.
So, she had specifically gone to the wild to catch a hare, penned it in the fence, and eagerly hoped for Xiaomi to come asking for water again so she could give her the roasted wild rabbit to eat.
Unexpectedly, Xiaomi came again the very next day.
For the next three days.
Xiaomi came here every day.
She kept muttering, I can't take it, I can't take it. A stone-faced coach and hellish training. I'm hiding out at your place.
As a result, Hongxiao went catching rabbits for three consecutive days.
She lived all alone in these outskirts. Occasionally seducing some men to absorb their vital essence was nothing more than a fleeting encounter; once the deed was done, they parted ways.
It had been a long time since anyone told her a story, and a long time since anyone played chess with her.
Xiaomi knew how to do everything. She could tell her stories and keep her company playing chess.
Although her chess skills were not as exquisite as Xiaoman's, those stories were even more captivating than the ones Xiaoman told.
The Little Mermaid saved the prince and fell in love with him, Chai Xiaomi's voice was soft, like she was humming a distant song. So she made a deal with the sea witch, trading her voice for a pair of human legs.
But she had to obtain an immortal soul, which meant winning a human's love. When someone loves you with all their heart, their soul is shared with you, and you can possess a true soul. Thus, the Little Mermaid tried everything to win the prince's love.
Hongxiao nervously clutched the black chess piece in her hand, hesitating to place it, and stared at Chai Xiaomi, asking urgently, Did she... get it?
Chai Xiaomi sighed and placed a white piece on the board, deliberately making a flawed move.
Hongxiao's chess skills were evidently still at a beginner's level, so she could only secretly let her win.
Then she continued the tale, No, the prince thought the princess from the neighboring kingdom had saved him, and ultimately married her. The Little Mermaid failed. Unable to gain an immortal soul, she would turn into sea foam on the morning after the prince's wedding.
However, there was one way for her to turn back into a mermaid.
Thinking the story had reached a turning point, Hongxiao's eyes sparkled, What way?
Chai Xiaomi looked up, Kill the prince.
Her sisters traded their hair to the witch for a dagger. As long as she plunged it into the prince's heart and let his warm blood flow over her feet, she would turn back into a fish tail.
The Little Mermaid held the knife, gazing at the sleeping prince by the sea at the first light of dawn. She heard him softly murmuring his bride's name in his dreams.
Chai Xiaomi paused, looked at Hongxiao, and kept her in suspense, Guess what she did?
Hongxiao blurted out almost without thinking, She wouldn't kill the prince; she would choose to turn into foam!
Chai Xiaomi was momentarily stunned, then her eyes curved into crescents, You guessed right! Baby Hongxiao is so smart.
Praised, Hongxiao felt a sweetness in her heart, but a small bulge suddenly swelled under her skirt—her tail had accidentally popped out. Startled, she hastily hid it, holding her breath and exerting effort to make it disappear.
At the same time, she nervously and guiltily peeked at Chai Xiaomi sitting opposite her.
She saw her studying the chessboard with a normal expression, as if she hadn't noticed a thing.
Glancing at Hongjiao to the side, it was still reluctantly gnawing on the meat scraps in the crevices of the bone.
Hongxiao then quietly breathed a sigh of relief, unable to help but silently scold herself. She could never fix her bad habit of popping out her fox tail whenever she was happy.
Although the story left one feeling somewhat melancholic and regretful, fortunately, Hongxiao won the chess game.
Haha, I beat you, Xiaomi! She raised her arms and cheered, jumping for joy like an innocent child.
Hongxiao often exhibited such innocent and naive behaviors unbefitting her age, which seemed even more out of place when paired with her charming, seductive face.
But after watching her for a while, it surprisingly didn't seem abrupt.
Chai Xiaomi's face beamed with a smile, her gaze falling back on her own flaw-filled moves on the chessboard.
Suddenly, she understood why her dad always lost to her mom time and time again. It turned out that sometimes, losing could also bring a sense of joy.
Hongxiao was halfway through her cheering when her gaze inadvertently swept across the distance. Her whole body suddenly stiffened, and she awkwardly lowered her raised arms, her head drooping along with them.
She looked just like a newly ignited little flame that had been thoroughly drenched by a basin of cold water.
Chai Xiaomi asked in confusion, What's wrong?
Xiaomi, your husband... is really scary. Hongxiao shrank her hands beneath the table and quietly pointed a fingertip in Wu Li's direction. Fortunately, a lake separated the bamboo house from that side, requiring a detour to get over, which gave her a slight sense of security.
From just now until this moment, he has looked over here eighty-nine times! That gaze is so fierce it's like he wants to eat someone. Are you really not afraid of him?
Afraid? Chai Xiaomi turned her head. Wu Li was crossing his arms, lazily leaning against a tree trunk.
A dozen bats circled in the air, and poor Sister Yao had been shooting under the sun for ages without hitting a single one.
Those bats were clearly being controlled by Wu Li, which was why they could predict where Sister Yao was aiming every time and accurately dodge her arrows.
He was obviously staring at the sky the whole time, busy manipulating that flock of bats. Where would he find the free time to look over here?
If you talk about being afraid, I am a little bit. Chai Xiaomi rested on the stone table, folding her hands under her chin. Looking into Hongxiao's innocent eyes, she tilted her head and suddenly felt she could confess, I'm afraid he'll turn dark.
For some reason, looking at Hongxiao's ignorant yet bright and innocent eyes, as if they could encompass everything and hold all secrets, she couldn't help but want to share the words in her heart.
What does turning dark mean? Hongxiao asked earnestly without blinking. She seemed naturally gifted at being a listener.
Turning dark, Chai Xiaomi thought for a moment and explained, means becoming a great demon, killing everyone in sight and leaving no survivors!
After saying that, she added a throat-slitting gesture.
Hongxiao shrank her neck and sneaked a glance at the young man in the distance.
She quietly muttered in her heart: Hasn't he already turned dark then?
The lethal, malevolent aura that had permeated the rooftop that night clearly emanated from his body, and the vengeful spirits entangled within it were so numerous she didn't even dare to count them.
But she couldn't tell Xiaomi.
Otherwise, her identity as a demon wouldn't be hidden anymore, and perhaps, Xiaomi would never come looking for her to play chess again.
