Healing the Tail

Snake Scales covered every inch.

Perhaps Xing Yue still thought of Bu Yao as the imperious young lady who needed everyone to wait on her. She had never expected Bu Yao to accept her criticism, much less try to change.

That left Bu Yao quietly upset. It meant Xing Yue thought badly of her. Very badly.

Bu Yao hooked Xing Yue's pinkie. The warmth of her touch soothed Xing Yue's skin, and Xing Yue tightened her fingers around it. "Mm..."

Never having been deeply loved, Xing Yue couldn't understand why Bu Yao was so set on her.

Did anyone in the world actually enjoy hardship? Part of the reason her father had run away from home back then was that he wanted to go a little wild instead of living by the rules. Her mother had appeared like a dash of seasoning in his dull life. The pampered heir had simply wanted a taste of something new.

Bu Yao faced no restrictions at home. She could study whatever she wanted and do as she pleased. What did she stand to gain by leaving the Bu Family? Was it really just because Madam Bu had said a couple of unkind things about Xing Yue, and Bu Yao wanted to spite her mother?

While Xing Yue was still lost in thought, Bu Yao tugged her hand. "Don't worry. Once my mom apologizes, I'll go back. If I really cut ties with my family, who's going to spend all that money?"

"..." Xing Yue's mouth twitched. "I'm very reassured."

Bu Yao wasn't throwing a mindless tantrum. Abandoning her parents, giving up the family fortune, and leaving home would be beyond foolish.

Besides, her parents didn't object to her being with Xing Yue. Her mother was just careless with her words. Ten years ago, Bu Yao had struggled to understand emotions and hadn't noticed it. Only in the past couple of days had she realized her mother had always looked down on Xing Yue.

She had to take a stand so her family would know how much Xing Yue mattered to her. She had to protect her.

The two of them went to the market and bought meatballs and Carrots, deciding to start with something simple. Breakfast would be meatball Rice Noodles.

Xing Yue stood behind Bu Yao, guiding the hand that held a Carrot with one of her own while using the other to guide the peeler. "Wash it, then peel it. Use this Julienne Peeler. A small knife could cut your hand. You can use the peeler on potatoes too, either to remove the skin or make shreds."

In that position, Bu Yao was practically nestled in Xing Yue's arms.

She studied carefully. She peeled the other side of the Carrot on her own, without Xing Yue guiding her hand. Her pressure was uneven, though, so she went back over the patches of skin she'd missed.

When it came time to cut the vegetables, Xing Yue was afraid Bu Yao would hurt her hand and stayed alert. "Careful."

Steady, warm breaths brushed Bu Yao's ear, making her right ear quietly heat up. She looked at the Carrot she'd cut into sticks, a sense of accomplishment welling up inside her. "Xing Yue, what do you think about when you cook for me?"

Bu Yao was more eager to learn than Xing Yue had expected, and she didn't seem to mind the kitchen. Xing Yue's attention was on Bu Yao's hands, so she didn't quite hear. "Hm?"

"Do you think what I do? Will my wife like this dish? Should I boil it or stir-fry it? Is the flavor too mild?" Bu Yao put the Carrot sticks into a bowl and turned to ask, "Do you?"

Xing Yue scored crosses into the remaining meatballs. As the soup simmered, her eyes curved faintly and she said casually, "No. When I used to cook for you, all I could think was—This young lady is such a pain to serve. She won't eat this or that, and she likes yelling at me. Maybe I should just poison her mute."

One by one, Xing Yue popped the rosy bubbles of Bu Yao's fantasy. Bu Yao pouted, feigning anger. "Then why didn't you? Who ruined your plan?"

Bu Yao picked up two lettuce leaves, treated them like a certain bastard, tore them into strips, and threw them into the pot.

Xing Yue smiled at her petulance. "It wasn't that bad. I rather liked the sounds you made in bed, young lady. It would've been a shame to make you mute."

The young lady's temper was as fiery as a little chili pepper. Even in bed, she tried to give Xing Yue a hard time. Her body might have surrendered, but her mouth hadn't.

"Mmph, don't... Who taught you to do that, Xing Yue? Stop..."

"A little wild snake. All colorful and full of tricks."

"Get away from me... Ah... Xing Yue..."

Her body had been softer than clouds, yet she'd still threatened to take scissors to that colorful little wild snake and cut it in half.

It had been ten years, but Xing Yue's words sent the memories flashing through Bu Yao's mind. She recalled not only the conversation, but even the delicate, breathy tone of her own voice, as clearly as if it had happened last night.

Heat rushed into her face. Without realizing it, her snake tail emerged and dropped to the floor. It silently sought Xing Yue out and wound around her ankle with practiced ease. The tip released her scent in a frenzy, possessively trying to cover Xing Yue in the smell of her snake body.

She wanted anyone Xing Yue met outside to know she'd been tangled up with a Fire Snake.

"What are you thinking about in broad daylight?" Xing Yue picked up the red snake tail and gripped it in her palm. Like she was disciplining a naughty little snake, she hefted it once, then casually dropped it to the floor.

That height was nothing to a snake tail. The faint sting was nowhere near as strong as the embarrassment of the little smack it made.

"I wasn't thinking about anything!" Bu Yao denied it so quickly she nearly bit her tongue.

Her face flushed as she brooded. Xing Yue was the one who brought it up first, that awful woman. Bu Yao had always suspected Xing Yue was hiding something about her romantic history. Xing Yue claimed Bu Yao was her first, but her technique hadn't seemed like a beginner's. Her hands were practiced enough, and she'd even said things like that...

Bu Yao suddenly shot Xing Yue a fierce glare, set down the ladle she'd been about to use for the soup, and walked into the living room empty-handed with a cold expression. She looked ready to wait for Xing Yue to bring her noodles and serve her.

Xing Yue watched her go. Behind Bu Yao, a gorgeous snake tail swayed, while every corner of the house filled with her soft, distinctive scent.

She's angry again. The problem was, Xing Yue had no idea what she'd done this time.

It never occurred to her that being too good at it had led her ex-wife to suspect she'd lied about her romantic history...

Bu Yao was a picky eater, but never when Xing Yue cooked. She ate a big bowl of Rice Noodles, drank every drop of soup, finished four meatballs, and picked at a few bites of Carrot.

It was ordinary home cooking, nothing remarkable in terms of skill. But who did the cooking made all the difference to Bu Yao's appetite.

Xing Yue had training tomorrow and wouldn't have much time for anything else. Before then, she wanted to find the doctor she'd met at the hospital last time.

"I need to go out for a bit. Will you watch TV at home?" she asked Bu Yao with a look.

It wasn't that she meant to leave Bu Yao alone at home. She was afraid of what had happened after she'd been hypnotized last time. She didn't want anyone else to see her like that.

Bu Yao wasn't happy, but she held something back and reluctantly said, "Oh."

Before leaving, Xing Yue patted Bu Yao's head, then crouched to pat her snake tail too. The tail eagerly arched up and rubbed against her palm. Once it had gotten its cuddle, it shyly curled into a coil the next second, hiding its tip underneath.

On a sudden whim, Xing Yue lightly scratched the Snake Scales, hooked the little tip out with her index finger, and pinned it to the floor.

Bu Yao was mortified. She scooped up her own snake tail and turned her back on Xing Yue.

Xing Yue laughed softly and stopped teasing her. Then something came to mind, and her smile held. So cute. If I had a tail, would it act like that too? She hadn't seen hers in nearly thirty years. She could barely remember the pattern of her own Snake Scales.

She'd booked an appointment with Tan Xiang'e online and drove to the hospital, arriving just about on time.

When Tan Xiang'e had seen the name on the appointment, she'd wondered if it belonged to someone else. She hadn't expected it really to be Xing Yue. After all, Xing Yue had seemed upset when she left the hospital that day, having had her childhood glimpsed.

"You came alone today?" Tan Xiang'e teased. "Miss Bu didn't come?"

From the moment Xing Yue entered until she sat down, she kept her Sunglasses on. There was warm water on the desk, and she drank it all in one go. "No. Doctor Tan, you seem to have some understanding of my condition."

Doctors generally didn't speak so easily with patients about conditions they didn't understand.

Even if Xing Yue hadn't come today, Tan Xiang'e had planned to try contacting her. This was the first time she'd encountered a condition she'd only read about in medical texts. Xing Yue was her first patient with it, and the discovery excited her.

"Don't be nervous." From the way Xing Yue had walked in, Tan Xiang'e could tell exactly how she was doing. Keeping her nerves wound so tight wasn't healthy. "Since I last saw you, Miss Xing, I've read a great deal of medical literature and consulted many professors. I've learned a lot. I can't promise absolute certainty, but once treatment starts, it will have an effect."

There were disabled snakes born without tails, arms, or legs. Even if a tail had been lost later in life, medical equipment could still detect its nerves.

But Xing Yue's couldn't be detected. The difference between her and those other disabled snakes was that their injuries were physical, while hers was psychological. Strictly speaking, in terms of her body's structure, Xing Yue's tail was still there. A psychological barrier had kept it from appearing for decades, sending false signals through her nervous system until even her body believed she had no tail.

But she did.

"All right... thank you." Xing Yue nodded, her voice low and gentle. The slight tremor in her shoulders betrayed that she wasn't nearly as calm as she looked. "What do I need to do?"

At the mention of treatment, Tan Xiang'e grew more solemn. "Different Snake Species shed at different times of year, but everyone needs to shed at least twice a year. You haven't shed the skin on your tail in all these years, and the growth cells have long since stopped developing. The most effective approach right now is to make incisions in your legs where the scales should be and stimulate the growth nerves. Once Snake Scales grow on your legs, you'll be more than halfway there."

She warned Xing Yue, "As you know, a healthy snake is covered in Snake Scales. So this won't be a matter of one or two cuts. The process won't be... easy."

It would take thousands upon thousands of cuts, the blade tracing the curved edges of the Snake Scales again and again until scales grew.

Tan Xiang'e had also thought of a way to ease the pain. "After each course of treatment, you can lick the wounds with a Snake Tongue. That will clean them and somewhat ease the severe pain after the anesthetic wears off. It may be awkward to do it yourself, so you can ask Miss Bu to help. It works better than painkillers."

As long as there was a method, Xing Yue would try it. She couldn't care less whether the treatment was easy or painful. "Doctor Tan, I have to return to the company for training tomorrow. Do you think I should put work aside and focus on treatment?"

Tan Xiang'e spent plenty of time online and knew a little about Xing Yue's career. Xing Yue was at an age when her career was about to change dramatically; giving that up would be a shame. "No, no. Keep working as usual. You can hire me as your private doctor for a while."

As she spoke, she pulled out a price list. "Don't let my job as a hypnotherapist fool you. I'm excellent with a scalpel. Hiring me is worth it. I'll come with you to the company. Besides the medical and surgical fees, there'll be fees for accompanying you and making visits. You'll also need to cover my meals and lodging. Oh, and can I write up your case in an academic paper?"