How About I Call You Bai Ruxue from Now On?

" Hiss~ This hurts so much."

"Hiss~ Am I going to die?"

"Hiss~~"

Beside a pond, a little white snake lay in the grass.

A gash had been torn open across her back, and her entire body looked to be at death's door.

Not long ago, she had merely gone out to forage, hoping to fill her belly with a few mice. But she never expected to run into an eagle.

Even though she had managed to escape with her life, she had still suffered severe injuries.

When will Xiao Qing come? Will she be able to find me? The White Snake thought of her sister, but a flicker of disappointment soon passed through her slit pupils.

Even if she finds me, so what?

She can't heal me.

Just as the White Snake had lost all hope, she heard a faint rustling from the nearby bushes.

The White Snake raised her head and saw a little human boy parting the bushes as he stepped out.

The White Snake jumped in fright and hurriedly curled up, burying her head in the grass. "He hasn't seen me. He hasn't seen me."

"Found you!" Xiao Mo's eyes suddenly lit up when he spotted the little white snake.

"Oh no!"

Feeling his footsteps draw closer, the White Snake knew the little boy was coming for her!

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" The White Snake jerked her head up and opened her little mouth at him.

Xiao Mo stumbled back two steps, his heart pounding.

By all rights, a white snake like this shouldn't be venomous.

But in this fantastical world, who could say for sure?

"You look hurt. I'll treat you, so don't worry. I won't hurt you." Holding a shovel, Xiao Mo slowly stepped closer.

Seeing the weapon in the human's hand, how could she possibly believe him?

"Damn human! Even if I die, I won't let you stew me into soup!"

The White Snake steeled herself and sprang forward like a released spring, lunging to bite him.

But at that very moment, her wound pulled, and a wave of numb, searing pain swept through her body.

Xiao Mo had already prepared to dodge, but the White Snake went limp like a slackened rope and dropped straight onto the grass.

Her body continued to twitch.

Seeing that she seemed to have fainted and blood was still streaming from her wound, Xiao Mo hurriedly placed her in a bamboo basket and carried her down the mountain.

The little white snake had no idea how long she had been unconscious. When her senses returned and she slowly awoke, she found herself lying in a nest of grass.

This seemed to be a human's house.

The little white snake looked down at herself and saw that a clean white cloth had been wrapped around her body.

A faint herbal scent drifted from the cloth.

She recalled everything that had happened before she fainted.

Could that little boy have saved me?

Clatter.

Just as the little white snake was wondering, the door opened.

A little boy walked in, holding a mouse.

"You're awake." The little white snake saw the boy approach with delight, then carefully drop the mouse in front of her.

"Here, this is for you to eat." The boy smiled brightly, looking utterly innocent.

The little white snake glanced at the boy, then at the dead mouse before her.

Maybe...

He really isn't a bad person.

She was so hungry she could barely stand it. Opening her mouth, the little white snake slowly swallowed the mouse whole.

After eating, the little white snake quietly curled up in her grass nest, no longer as hostile as before.

This was a snake with spiritual intelligence.

Xiao Mo figured she must have realized he wouldn't hurt her.

"Little White Snake, do you have a name?" Xiao Mo asked.

The little white snake tilted her head in confusion.

"My name is Xiao Mo. That's my name." Xiao Mo pointed at himself. "How about I give you a name too?"

The little white snake froze for a moment, then nodded, a glimmer of anticipation even appearing in her eyes.

"You're so white, like snow."

Seeing that she agreed, Xiao Mo thought it over.

"How about I call you Bai Ruxue from now on?"

The Minister of Rites' residence in the Zhou Kingdom.

In the inner courtyard, a young woman who looked to be around sixteen leaned over a flower bed.

Her slender fingers held a delicate pair of silver shears, and she carefully trimmed the excess branches and leaves.

The woman wore a plain white dress, as if fresh snow had just fallen, its folds wrapped around her graceful figure.

A morning breeze swept past, stirring her skirt like drifting clouds and sending soft ripples through its fabric.

Her dress bore no elaborate embroidery. Only at the collar and cuffs, a few faint lotus vines had been outlined in fine silver thread. A pale moon-white sash was loosely tied around her waist, accentuating its slender curve and lending her the delicate grace of a willow in the breeze.

She turned her head slightly, revealing a neck as smooth and white as jade. A few strands of dark hair, black as sandalwood, had slipped from her loosely arranged bun and fallen against her cheek, making her porcelain skin seem all the more delicate.

Her brows were lovely, long and fine as distant mountains veiled in mist, their gentle arches ending in slightly lifted tails.

Beneath them lay a pair of clear eyes like autumn waters. They were lowered at that moment, and her long, thick lashes cast faint shadows beneath them, trembling softly as she trimmed the flowers.

Her lips were a pale pink, like early cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom. Their corners naturally turned upward, giving her a serene, approachable air even when she wasn't smiling.

"Daughter! My daughter! I have wonderful news!"

As the woman focused on trimming the flowers, the voice of Yan Zhen, the Minister of Rites, carried over from far away.

Hearing her father's voice, the woman raised her head and saw him hurrying into the courtyard.

She set down the shears, poured her father a cup of tea, and asked with a smile, "Father, you seem so happy. What's the good news?"

"Hahaha, my daughter, you have no idea!" Yan Zhen took the tea she offered and said excitedly, "You're going to become Empress!"

"Become Empress?" The woman was confused.

"That's right."

Yan Zhen nodded.

"His Majesty has been on the throne for a year now, and his harem is empty. It's finally time to choose consorts. Ruxue, you've been selected to enter the palace. And you're a daughter of the Yan Clan. Our clan has the Prime Minister serving at court and the Empress Dowager within the palace. You're sure to become the Empress of our Great Zhou, the mother of the realm! Your future child will be the Emperor of the Zhou Kingdom!"

The more he spoke, the more excited Yan Zhen became.

"However, your mother isn't very willing to let you enter the palace. After all, the palace is a sea of deep waters." Yan Zhen's joy faded. "You know what your mother is like. She and I argued for a long time, but in the end, we decided to leave it to you. Ruxue, do you want to enter the palace?"

Yan Ruxue smiled faintly and bowed. "Your daughter will follow Father's arrangements."

"Hahaha, good! In that case, your mother won't have anything more to say. I'll go speak with the clan leader now. Just wait here for the good news."

"All right, Father."

Yan Zhen laughed as he left the courtyard.

Yan Ruxue watched her father's retreating figure.

Her gentle, dark eyes slowly transformed into golden, imposing slit pupils.