For Sale

Hurry up and put He Zhiwen up for sale on the Black Market.

Aside from their striking looks, this type of snake produced several times more mucus on its tail than an ordinary snake. When exposed, the tail stayed damp all the time.

Given the nature of snakes, that unusual trait made them rather tempting to their own kind.

Xing Yue knew a little about it, but she had not seen her own snake tail in decades and was unfamiliar with those traits. At Tan Xiang'e's teasing, she silently pulled the blanket higher, covering the lower half of her face.

The anesthetic was taking effect, making her drowsy, but the dose was not enough to put her to sleep. She could only watch clearly as the scalpel cut into her leg.

"If you and Miss Bu are planning to have children..." Tan Xiang'e suddenly brought up the subject and offered a fairly practical suggestion. "It would be better for the little snakes to inherit Miss Bu's genes. Your genes have too high a chance of mutating, and the children could be born with defects."

Genetic mutations could produce stunning colors, but that was rare. The risk was still considerable.

Even if Tan Xiang'e had not mentioned it, given Bu Yao's family background, the Bu Family would probably never allow them to have Green Tree Pythons. The Bu Family was too powerful. This world did not favor sons over daughters, but it did distinguish between Snake Species.

Xing Yue grew uncharacteristically bashful. She had never thought that far ahead. "We haven't considered anything so far in the future. If she likes little snakes, I... I'm fine with whatever."

She did not care much about passing on her bloodline. If Bu Yao wanted little snakes, Fire Snakes or Green Tree Pythons would both be fine. It was just that the parent who carried the Snake Eggs would contribute a greater share of the babies' genes.

If the Bu Family wanted Little Fire Snakes, Bu Yao would have to carry the Snake Eggs.

Pregnancy was hard, and that was what worried Xing Yue more. Bu Yao had always been pampered; who knew how much she would suffer?

Xing Yue felt a little guilty. She had not even won the approval of Bu Yao's parents, yet she was already imagining having little snakes with her...

A knock suddenly sounded at the bedroom door. Tan Xiang'e instinctively pulled the sterile drape over Xing Yue, then spread an ordinary blanket on top.

"Teacher Xing, I heard you..." Jiang Yue came in carrying a basket of medicinal herbs. A wave of Rose Scent met her as she opened the door. Several pots of fresh flowers stood everywhere, from the large balcony to the living area. Her voice faltered as she immediately sensed something was wrong.

She glanced around the room, concealed the questions in her eyes, and put on a warm expression. "I heard you caught a cold. Zhi Zhi asked me to bring you some herbs. She said a bath with them might make you feel better."

She turned to look for Xing Yue, only for an unfamiliar woman to suddenly lean in close. Jiang Yue startled; the woman was so near that their cheeks touched.

Jiang Yue stepped back and took a closer look, but the woman followed, sniffing at her.

"Assistant Tan!" Xing Yue called out.

Xing Yue's clear voice barely broke Tan Xiang'e's transfixed stare. Tan Xiang'e gripped Jiang Yue by the shoulders. "How strange. There's a scent on you I've never smelled before. Are you a new Snake Species? Or an endangered..."

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yue shoved the woman away before Tan Xiang'e could finish. Usually gentle in front of others, she was visibly angry now. "Who taught you to throw yourself at people like that? You almost kissed me. Maybe you don't mind, but I find it disgusting."

She rubbed hard at the cheek Tan Xiang'e had touched. Even though it had only been the brush of a nose, she looked as if she had been defiled. Her stomach churned.

Xing Yue had witnessed the whole thing. She frowned slightly. Though the anesthetic had not worn off, she managed to prop herself up. "Sorry, Xiao Jiang. My assistant is new and hasn't been trained. I'll take the herbs. Thank you."

Jiang Yue set down the basket and left. She could not even keep up a polite front; Tan Xiang'e's behavior had clearly repulsed her.

Strange. Xing Yue's thoughts raced. Jiang Yue had not looked merely offended, nor had she seemed angry at being scrutinized. She had looked almost afraid of women. A touch on the cheek from another woman had made her sick.

Once Tan Xiang'e's excitement passed, she calmed down. "Did I cause trouble for you? You have no idea—she smelled like a new Snake Species. If we reported it, that would be a major discovery!"

She was still caught up in her excitement. If it really was confirmed as a new Snake Species, it would cause quite a stir.

Xing Yue parted her lips, wanting to say something, but said nothing in the end. That was not a new Snake Species. It was an endangered one. Tan Xiang'e would have no chance to report it, and the authorities would never allow it to become public.

After leaving the room, Jiang Yue still felt a wave of revulsion. She scooped up water and scrubbed frantically at her face, wishing she could peel off her entire right cheek.

Lately, she had been feeling nauseated more and more often. Even after being intimate with He Zhiwen, she had to shower. Now it had grown so bad that having another woman brush against her face made her want to vomit.

Jiang Yue cursed inwardly, then suddenly realized something. How could an ordinary assistant know how to identify someone by scent?

She thought of the roses placed all over the room in such an obvious attempt at concealment, the strange instruments she could not identify, and Xing Yue lying in bed beneath the blankets...

Tan Xiang'e might be more than an assistant. Only someone highly skilled in medicine could distinguish Snake Species by scent. Everyone else needed instruments or had to judge by the snake's appearance.

"Yueyue."

A soft voice came from behind her.

He Zhiwen wrapped her arms around Jiang Yue and looked at her in the mirror. "What's wrong? You came back and stayed in the bathroom..."

Jiang Yue quietly removed the hands around her waist and smiled. "Nothing. I had a nice chat with Teacher Xing. Send me the photos you took of the Snake Eggs. Teacher Xing said she'd like to see them."

That assistant seemed unusually capable. Perhaps she could tell something from the photos. Jiang Yue did not want to wait anymore. She felt sick every day, and even two showers a day were not enough.

Hearing that Xing Yue wanted to see their babies, He Zhiwen grew a little shy. As she scrolled through her photos, she complained mildly, "You're their mother. You haven't saved a single photo of the babies?"

Thinking back, He Zhiwen realized she was always the one taking photos whenever they visited the babies. Jiang Yue did not seem to have taken any.

Jiang Yue froze, then came up with an excuse. "I have. I uploaded them to cloud storage for safekeeping. Logging in means getting a verification code, and it's such a hassle. Just send yours to me on WeChat. Then I can take them over and show Teacher Xing. It's easier."

"Did Xing Yue really say that...?" He Zhiwen murmured as she sent the photos. She was shy about it, but something still felt odd.

In the past, Jiang Yue would have soothed He Zhiwen, sweet-talking her until she stopped doubting anything. Now Jiang Yue had no patience at all. She took her phone and went out.

In the corridor, she happened to run into Tan Xiang'e, who had finished the surgery and was heading off to rest.

Tan Xiang'e did owe her an apology for what had happened and was about to offer one when Jiang Yue approached with a completely different face. Her expression was warm and friendly; the change was faster than a Sichuan opera mask switch.

"Assistant Tan, I didn't mean to snap at you. Something's happened in my family, and I've been anxious." Jiang Yue beamed, her young face looking pure and innocent.

Tan Xiang'e was baffled. Why was Jiang Yue apologizing to her?

"Uh... I..."

Jiang Yue led her into a small lounge and sat down as if they were old friends. "My brother-in-law just called. My sister laid four Snake Eggs. It's been on my mind, and I've been on edge all day."

As she spoke, she found the photos He Zhiwen had taken on the first day after laying the Snake Eggs. "Look. These four little things have caused no end of trouble. My sister had a rough pregnancy."

Tan Xiang'e followed her lead and looked at the photo. She had only meant to give it a polite glance, but then she spotted a major problem.

"Wait, this..." She zoomed in and studied the photo again and again. "These weren't conceived by a female and a male. Is your brother-in-law a woman?"

She asked hesitantly.

Same-sex couples were common in this world, but people generally did not call their sister's female partner a brother-in-law.

These Snake Eggs had clearly come from two female snakes. If one parent had been male, the eggs would have been pale yellow with harder shells. Eggs laid by two females were milky white, with soft, pliable shells.

Of course, infidelity was extremely common in their world. Most likely, Jiang Yue's older sister was married to a male snake but had an affair with a female snake. That was entirely possible.

To Tan Xiang'e's surprise, Jiang Yue grew excited. "Really? They were conceived by two female snakes? Look again. Can you tell what Snake Species they are? My brother-in-law is a Coral Snake. Could there be some mistake?"

Tan Xiang'e did not like the sound of that. After years in medicine, she was hardly going to confuse something so basic.

Ordinary families waited until the Snake Eggs had developed, then held them up to a light to examine them. Wealthy families who wanted to know the Snake Species sooner could pay a high price to send mucus from the eggs overseas for a genetic analysis. It was not completely accurate, but it gave them a rough idea.

Tan Xiang'e had plenty of experience. She barely needed instruments; if she knew the Snake Species, she could usually identify it from the eggs' shape and color.

"These aren't Coral Snake eggs either..." She was almost certain Jiang Yue's older sister had had an affair. She explained, "Coral Snake eggs are tiny, and the hatchlings are only about two fingers wide. The mother can deliver them easily. These four eggs were obviously delivered by surgery. They're python eggs. Barring anything unusual, all four little ones inherited your sister's genes."

She had only meant to tell Jiang Yue that she could not identify the woman involved in the affair from the eggs, because the eggs were still too young.

Jiang Yue was a Ball Python, so her older sister must be one too. Tan Xiang'e's conclusion was based on that assumption.

It was possible she had misjudged them. If both mothers were pythons, the eggs could also have inherited the other parent's genes. It was a matter of probability.

Jiang Yue's expression turned as dark as a thunderstorm deep in the mountains, her eyes cold enough to freeze water into shards.

Others might not know what a Spirit Snake looked like, but she knew perfectly well. He Zhiwen's snake form was not a python at all...

Seeing Jiang Yue's grim face, Tan Xiang'e shivered. Anyone who did not know better might think Jiang Yue's brother-in-law had cheated and she was furious on her sister's behalf.

Jiang Yue did not return to her dorm. She took He Zhiwen with her and drove overnight to her hometown in another city.

The drive was not too long—two hours each way—but it would be very late by the time they returned. He Zhiwen tried to persuade her otherwise, but Jiang Yue insisted she missed the babies and wanted to see them immediately, tonight. She missed them terribly. He Zhiwen had no choice but to go along.

"Yueyue, I'm going to sleep for a while. Wake me when we get there." He Zhiwen leaned against the car window, hoping to rest.

Jiang Yue drove beyond the cameras' view and turned onto a narrow road. "Honey, there's roadwork ahead. It'll be hard to sleep. Why don't you change back into your snake form and curl up?"

The bumpy ride really did make it hard to rest.

He Zhiwen was still in her nursing period, and even this short trip was uncomfortable for her. Before long, a snow-white snake lay coiled several times over on the passenger seat, its head drooping.

She had barely settled for two seconds before she crawled onto Jiang Yue's lap instead. Finding a comfortable spot, she curled her tail, tucked her head into Jiang Yue's arms, and fell asleep against her.

Jiang Yue waited another ten minutes or so. Once she was sure He Zhiwen was fast asleep, she quietly retrieved a bag from the back seat and pressed a handkerchief soaked in chemicals over the snake's face, knocking her unconscious.

She took an iron cage from the trunk. It was about the size of a birdcage, with several loops of electrical wire wrapped around the outside. She put He Zhiwen inside.

The cage was so small it barely held He Zhiwen's snake body. There was not even room to move her tail. Packed in so tightly, she would be forced to stay in snake form, unable to turn human again.

To keep He Zhiwen from escaping when she woke, Jiang Yue electrified the wires wrapped around the cage. Pressing the switch would send current through them.

She called a man. "Is the listing ready? Hurry up and put this woman up for sale on the Black Market. Don't let her affect my debut."

"And I'm going home now to lure my mom out. Break up those Snake Eggs for me. They haven't developed yet, so they don't count as children..."