Snake Scales Everywhere

Perhaps in Xing Yue's mind, Bu Yao was still the young lady who liked ordering people around and expected to be waited on hand and foot. She had never imagined that Bu Yao would agree to change when asked, let alone try to do better.

That left Bu Yao quietly upset. It meant Xing Yue thought very poorly of her.

Bu Yao hooked Xing Yue's little finger. Warmth soothed Xing Yue's skin, and she curled her fingers around Bu Yao's. "Mm..."

Having never been deeply loved, Xing Yue couldn't understand why Bu Yao insisted on being with her.

Did anyone in the world actually enjoy hardship? Xing Yue's father had left home partly because he'd wanted to do something wild instead of living by the rules. Her mother's arrival had been like a dash of seasoning in his dull life. The privileged young man had simply wanted a taste of something new.

Bu Yao wasn't restricted by her family. She could study whatever she wanted and do as she pleased. What did she stand to gain by leaving the Bu Family? Was she really just angry with her mother over a few unkind words from Madam Bu?

While Xing Yue was still mulling it over, 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 would spend all their 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 just spoke without thinking sometimes. Ten years ago, Bu Yao's difficulty recognizing emotions had kept her from noticing. Only in the past couple of days had she realized that her mother had always looked down on Xing Yue.

She had to make her position clear so her family would know how much Xing Yue mattered to her. She had to stand up for her.

The two of them went to the market for meatballs and carrots, planning to start with something simple. Breakfast today would be meatball rice noodles.

Xing Yue stood behind Bu Yao, wrapping one hand around hers to hold the carrot and guiding her other hand with the tool. "Wash it first, then peel it. Use this julienne peeler—a knife could cut your hand. You can use it to peel potatoes and shred them, too."

The position left Bu Yao almost nestled in Xing Yue's arms.

She paid close attention. When she turned the carrot over, she could peel it without Xing Yue guiding her hand, though her pressure was uneven. She went back over the spots she had missed.

When it came time to chop the vegetables, Xing Yue was afraid Bu Yao might cut herself and kept a close watch. "Be careful."

Warm, steady breathing filled Bu Yao's ears. Her right ear quietly grew hot. Looking at the carrot she had cut into sticks, she felt a little swell of accomplishment. "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 didn't seem to mind being in the kitchen. Focused on Bu Yao's hands, Xing Yue didn't catch the question. "Hm?"

"Do you think the same things I do? Will my wife like this dish? Should I boil it or fry it? Is the flavor too mild?" Bu Yao put the carrot sticks in a bowl and turned back to ask, "Do you?"

Xing Yue cut crosses into the remaining meatballs. Her eyes curved slightly as she tended the soup. "No. When I used to cook for you, all I could think was, The young lady is so hard to please. She won't eat this or that, and she keeps scolding me. Maybe I should just poison her mute."

Xing Yue popped Bu Yao's rosy little fantasy bubble by bubble. Bu Yao pouted in mock anger. "Then why didn't you? Who ruined your plan?"

Bu Yao picked up two lettuce leaves, imagined they were a certain scoundrel, tore them into strips, and threw them into the pot.

Watching her sulk, Xing Yue smiled. "I couldn't do that. I rather liked the sounds you made in bed. It would've been a shame to poison you mute."

The young lady had a temper like a little chili pepper. Even in bed, she tried to give Xing Yue a hard time. Her body might have surrendered, but her mouth never did.

"Mm, don't... Who taught you to do that, Xing Yue? No..."

"A little wild snake taught me. All bright colors and clever moves."

"Get away from me... Mm, ah... Xing Yue..."

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

It had happened ten years ago, but Xing Yue's words sent the memories flashing through Bu Yao's mind. The scenes played out one after another. She remembered not just what they had said, but even the delicate, honeyed tone of her own voice, as though it had all happened last night.

Heat rushed into her face. Her snake tail slipped out without her noticing and fell to the floor. It silently sought out Xing Yue 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 almost wanted everyone to know, the moment Xing Yue stepped outside, that she had been tangled up with a Fire Snake.

"What are you thinking about in broad daylight?" Xing Yue picked up the red tail and gripped it in her palm. As if scolding a naughty little snake, she hefted it in her hand and casually dropped it back to the floor.

The fall was nothing to a snake tail. It barely hurt. The embarrassment of the little smack it made was far worse.

"I'm not thinking about anything!" Bu Yao denied at once, nearly biting her tongue.

Her face red, she thought, Xing Yue was the one who brought it up, that wicked woman. Bu Yao had long suspected Xing Yue was hiding something about her romantic history. Xing Yue claimed Bu Yao had been her first, but her technique hadn't looked like a beginner's. Her hands had been skilled enough, and even the filthy things she'd said...

Bu Yao suddenly shot Xing Yue a fierce glare. She put down the ladle she had been about to use for the soup, turned cold-faced, and walked empty-handed into the living room, looking every bit like she expected Xing Yue to bring her the noodles and wait on her.

Xing Yue watched her go, her gorgeous red snake tail swaying behind her. Every inch of the house was suffused with Bu Yao's soft, distinctive scent.

That woman was angry again. The problem was, Xing Yue had no idea why.

It never would have occurred to her that being too good in bed could lead to this—that her ex-wife suspected she had lied about her romantic history...

Bu Yao was a picky eater, but never about Xing Yue's cooking. She finished a large bowl of rice noodles and drank the broth to the bottom. She ate four meatballs and a few bites of carrot.

It was ordinary home cooking, nothing remarkable. But who stood at the stove determined 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 had met at the hospital last time.

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

She wasn't deliberately leaving Bu Yao alone at home. She was afraid of ending up like she had after being hypnotized last time. She didn't particularly want anyone else to see her like that.

Bu Yao was unhappy, but she seemed to restrain herself. "Oh," she said reluctantly.

Before leaving, Xing Yue patted Bu Yao's head. Then she crouched and patted her snake tail, too. It eagerly arched up to rub against Xing Yue's palm. The moment it got its cuddle, it curled up shyly, hiding its pointed tip underneath.

A sudden playful urge struck Xing Yue. She lightly scratched the Snake Scales, hooked the little tail out with her index finger, and pinned it to the floor.

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

Xing Yue laughed softly and stopped teasing her. Then, as if something had occurred to her, her smile lingered. So cute. If I had a tail, would it act like that too? It had been almost thirty years since she had seen hers. She could barely remember the pattern of her own Snake Scales.

She had booked an appointment with Tan Xiang'e online and drove to the hospital. Her timing was just right.

When Tan Xiang'e saw the name on her appointment list, she wondered if it might be someone else with the same name. She hadn't expected Xing Yue to actually come. After leaving the hospital that day, Xing Yue had seemed unhappy about someone glimpsing her childhood.

"Here by yourself today?" Tan Xiang'e teased. "Miss Bu didn't come?"

From the moment she entered until she sat down, Xing Yue kept her sunglasses on. She picked up the warm water on the desk and drank it in one go. "No. Dr. Tan, you seem to have some understanding of my condition."

A doctor who knew nothing about a patient's condition was unlikely to speak with her so easily.

Even if Xing Yue hadn't come today, Tan Xiang'e had planned to reach out to her. This was the first time she had encountered a condition she had only read about in medical texts. Xing Yue was her first chance to examine it firsthand, and the prospect excited her.

"Don't be nervous." From the way Xing Yue had entered, Tan Xiang'e could tell precisely how she was doing. Her nerves were wound too tight, and that wasn't healthy. "Since we last met, I've consulted many medical texts and professors. I've learned quite a bit. I can't promise a cure, but once we begin treatment, it will help."

Some snakes in the world were born without tails, arms, or legs. Even when a tail was lost later in life, instruments could still detect its nerves.

But they could detect nothing in Xing Yue. That was the difference between her and those patients: their injuries were physical, while hers was psychological. Strictly speaking, Xing Yue's tail was still there. Because of a psychological barrier, she hadn't brought it out in decades, sending false feedback through her nervous system until even her body believed she had no tail.

But that wasn't true.

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

Tan Xiang'e's expression grew more serious as she explained the treatment. "Different species of snake shed in different seasons, but everyone should shed at least twice a year. Your tail hasn't shed in decades, and its growth cells have long since gone dormant. The most effective approach right now is to make incisions on your legs in the shape of scales to stimulate the growth nerves. Once Snake Scales grow there, we'll be halfway there."

She warned Xing Yue in advance. "As you know, a healthy snake is covered in scales. So this won't be a matter of making one or two cuts. The process will be... difficult."

It would take thousands upon thousands of cuts, carving the curved edges of Snake Scales over and over until scales began to grow.

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

As long as there was a way, Xing Yue would try it. Whether the treatment was easy or painful no longer mattered. "Dr. Tan, I have to go back to the company for training tomorrow. Do you think I should put work aside and focus on treatment?"

Tan Xiang'e spent time online and knew a little about Xing Yue's career. At her age, Xing Yue was on the verge of a major career shift; 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 took out her fee schedule. "Don't let my job as a hypnotherapist fool you. I'm first-rate with a scalpel. Hiring me will be worth it. I'll go to the company with you. On top of the medical and surgical fees, you'll cover my attendant and house-call fees, plus food and lodging. Oh, and may I write about your case in an academic paper?"