Yu Ying carried the iron cage back to the ancient castle. The rabbit inside the cage emitted a sharp, piercing cry, similar to the wailing of a child. She turned her head and saw Sui Lin following closely behind her, her gaze locked onto the prey.
She pulled open a drawer and unlocked the storage room door. A wave of dust and moldy odor rushed out to meet her. She fanned the air to disperse the dust, coughed twice, and lifted her eyes to see Yu Mianmian.
Yu Mianmian was wearing a pure white nightgown, her light blue long hair draped behind her back. The shorter top layer of her hair was messy, with a single, bent cowlick standing up on the crown of her head, and the long braids behind her ears were loose and slightly disheveled.
Yawning, she said sleepily, “Sister Yu Ying, are you planning to keep the rabbit?”
“Yes. You stay here and keep an eye on the rabbit; I’m going to clean the storage room.” Yu Ying did not feel at ease leaving the rabbit with Sui Lin, so she had to leave Yu Mianmian to watch it while she went to handle the cleaning.
Yu Mianmian opened the iron cage and cradled the rabbit, her palm gently stroking its fur. “Sister, help me braid my hair later.”
“Alright,” Yu Ying promised her.
Yu Ying entered the storage room carrying a bucket and a mop. There were not many items in the room, only stacks of newspapers. As Yu Ying moved the papers, the one on top fell to the floor. She picked it up and saw the black-and-white photograph printed on it.
The photo had been taken exactly seven years ago at the ASR Biochemical Laboratory. A group of research doctors stood at the entrance, and in the center stood the only female doctor.
The female doctor was a Chinese biologist. After leaving China, she participated in ASR’s biological research and produced countless scientific achievements in her lifetime.
The newspaper contained no records of her research achievements, nor did it record her name or nationality; instead, it blatantly accused her of stealing experimental results and blowing up the laboratory, labeling her as a criminal in the history of science.
Yu Ying suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. She took a candy from her box, popped it into her mouth, and placed the newspaper back in its original position. She did not notice the fine print on the newspaper: The ASR Biochemical Laboratory primarily researched marine biology, with the goal of exploring immortality for all mankind.
The storage room door slammed shut with a thud, emitting a creaking sound that only appears in horror movies.
Yu Ying snapped her head around and saw Sui Lin standing in front of her. Sui Lin was wearing a black sheer long-sleeved top with a lace bra underneath. A snake-shaped bracelet made of green gemstones adorned her wrist, and her silvery-white snake tail slithered across the floor, its tip hooking cautiously around Yu Ying’s ankle.
“Teacher Sui Lin?”
Sui Lin covered her nose slightly with a silk handkerchief; the musty smell of the storage room disgusted her, but… she caught a hint of a sweet scent amidst the mold.
She didn’t waste any time with Yu Ying and stated her purpose directly: “Let’s make a deal. The money, power, and fame you desire—I can give them all to you.”
Yu Ying did not understand why Sui Lin would say such a thing. She instinctively felt that the current Sui Lin was dangerous, and she took two steps back.
“You only need to provide a little of your scent.” Sui Lin leaned closer to Yu Ying, her red eyes boring into Yu Ying’s pitch-black pupils. “This is a win-win deal for you.”
Scent…? Teacher Sui Lin needed her scent? Yu Ying braced her palms against the wobbling wooden table as Sui Lin forced her into a corner where there was no way out. She subconsciously sniffed herself; besides the perfume sent by her sponsor, she didn’t smell anything else.
Yu Ying heard the sound of cartilage squirming again. Tiny tentacles pierced her eardrums, rendering her unable to hear anything. Black mist rose in her pupils, causing temporary blindness.
The “Him” living inside her body had fully awakened.
“Sui Lin.”
He softly called out to his child. As Sui Lin looked up at Him, He completed the parasitism on her.
“All of this is nothing more than your illusion.”
She placed her palm gently against Sui Lin’s cheek and spoke. No sooner had the words left her lips than she slapped Sui Lin across the face.
A bright red handprint appeared on Sui Lin’s fair cheek, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Her eyelashes trembled, her red eyes misting over with a layer of water, and she whispered, “Mother?”
She had seen her mother in an illusion again.
In Sui Lin’s vision, Yu Ying was always a black python with a human body and a snake tail. Her long black hair hung down, obscuring the right side of her face, while the left side was covered in snake-like markings. Her pupils were black slits, and her thick, sturdy snake tail was coiled around Sui Lin’s.
“Why did you betray me? Why did you make a deal with humans?”
Yu Ying’s tail coiled around Sui Lin’s waist and abdomen, lifting her high into the air. Sui Lin’s body hung in mid-air while her silvery-white tail dangled toward the floor. The hard scales rubbed against her body through the fabric, causing her snake tail to tremble uncontrollably with desire.
“Mother.”
Sui Lin did not explain that she approached humans recklessly only so she could see her mother in these illusions.
“Why are you always unable to learn?” Yu Ying’s tail slid into Sui Lin’s clothes, the hard scales scraping against her skin, causing the fair flesh to flush an unnatural shade of crimson. The tip of her tail hooked the black lace strap of her camisole and circled inside.
Sui Lin’s fingertips trembled as she whispered, “Mother.”
Yu Ying dropped Sui Lin, who fell onto the wooden floor. Her silver hair scattered over her shoulders, and her red lips looked like cherries moistened by rain. Her clothes slipped down to her shoulders, and if one looked closely, one could see her skin rubbed raw.
“Was the last lesson not enough?” Yu Ying’s tail rubbed against Sui Lin’s cheek. “The same mistake has allowed you to fail twice.”
Sui Lin’s fingertips touched the scales of Yu Ying’s tail. She dared not tell her mother how much she missed her. She expressed her longing for her mother in another way—for instance, by deeply inhaling the scent on Yu Ying.
“Didn’t you promise me you would be obedient? Why aren’t you listening? Why have you developed a dependence on humans?” Yu Ying grabbed Sui Lin’s long hair, forcing her to lift her chin, and Sui Lin’s red eyes met hers directly.
Sui Lin’s nasal cavity was filled with a sweet fragrance, her cheeks flushing with a drunken heat, as if she had consumed the nu’er hong wine her mother had buried beneath the trees.
She coiled her silvery-white snake tail around her mother’s, and her cold palms pressed against Yu Ying’s face. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and hung from her jawline; even her crying was laced with the bewitching charm of a snake demon.
The right side of her face, struck by her mother, still burned with pain, and the bright red handprint was branded onto her skin. Yet, Sui Lin seemed unable to feel the pain. Her mother hitting her only made her feel pleasure—a pleasure so intense she wanted to transform into a flood dragon and ascend to heaven.
“Open your mouth.” Yu Ying shoved a strawberry-flavored candy into Sui Lin’s mouth, blocking her throat.
“Mm.” Sui Lin did not know how her mother would punish her this time, until she saw the steel beads of varying sizes connected together in her mother’s palm.
“You are not allowed to make a sound.” Yu Ying ordered her not to make a noise; she couldn’t let Yu Mianmian outside know.
“The punishment begins.”
The chain of steel beads rolled down to the abdomen of Sui Lin’s snake tail…
Outside the storage room, Yu Mianmian waited obediently while holding the rabbit. Realizing that Sui Lin and Yu Ying were in the same enclosed space, Yu Mianmian worried that the mad snake would bully Yu Ying.
She twisted the lock, only to find the door locked from the inside, so she hammered on the wooden door.
Accompanied by Yu Mianmian’s pounding, Yu Ying finished teaching the snake a lesson. She pulled out the steel beads one by one, slapped the snake tail with her palm, and another bead rolled into her hand.
Yu Ying was capable of instantly parasitizing and taking over a host’s brain, or dragging them into a “Ghost Realm.” She tossed the chain of beads aside, snapped her fingers, and restored the storage room to its original state. She stood before Sui Lin.
This time, Yu Ying did not erase all of Sui Lin’s memories.
‘My dear, I have disciplined our disobedient child for you.’
Yu Ying opened her eyes suddenly; the black mist in her irises dissipated, revealing bright, clear eyes. She carried the bucket out of the storage room and collided squarely with Yu Mianmian.
“Sister, are you alright?” Yu Mianmian’s palm brushed Yu Ying’s arm; the neural network on her skin sensed Yu Ying’s body temperature.
The temperature was so hot. Had Yu Ying been bullied by that wicked snake? Snakes were species without ethics or morals; what if Sui Lin treated the human before her as a plaything to be molested?
“Mianmian.” Yu Ying called out to her in confusion; being touched by Yu Mianmian made her feel itchy.
Yu Mianmian realized she had lost her composure and released Yu Ying, her gaze shifting toward Sui Lin behind her. Sui Lin’s face was flushed, her expression satiated, her clothes were in disarray, and that silvery-white tail looked as if it had been wantonly played with…
Could it be that the snake had been bullied by Sister Yu Ying? That seemed unlikely; Sui Lin was a legendary-grade anomaly—how could she willingly submit to a human?
Yu Mianmian hadn’t been idle while waiting for Yu Ying; she had woven a rabbit cage out of bamboo. “Does it look good?”
Yu Ying praised Yu Mianmian for being dexterous, and the praise made her smile sweetly. Yu Mianmian tucked her arm into Yu Ying’s and walked to the sofa, handing a comb to Yu Ying.
“Sister promised me she would braid my hair.” Yu Mianmian did not give up on probing Yu Ying.
Yu Ying gripped the comb, smoothed out Yu Mianmian’s long hair, and began to braid it. She twisted three strands of hair, intertwining them, but after struggling for a long time, she couldn’t get it right.
Yu Mianmian held a mirror, peeking at Yu Ying through the reflection, and burst into laughter as she watched Yu Ying’s clumsy attempt to braid her hair. “Sister, just braid my hair into pigtails instead.”
Yu Mianmian handed the blue hair ties to Yu Ying. Yu Ying lifted Yu Mianmian’s long hair, her fingertips brushing against the “cleft” on the back of Yu Mianmian’s neck.
The “cleft” was thin and long, looking like a strand of hair, invisible if one didn’t look closely. The “cleft” on an anomaly’s shell was particularly sensitive. A feeling of ambiguous itchiness climbed up her neck, and Yu Mianmian gripped her skirt hem. “Sister, are you done?”
Yu Ying stared at the “cleft” in a daze; the blood-red fine line looked like a scar left behind after stitching. She snapped out of it and finished tying the pigtails for Mianmian.
Yu Mianmian clipped on a diamond hair accessory and put down the mirror. She knew Yu Ying was not her mother, but in the human world, Yu Ying took care of her just like a big sister, and she held special feelings for her.
She had intended to use this opportunity to test Yu Ying; it was clear the test had failed, and Yu Ying was not her mother. In the game, her mother would style her hair in various ways and buy her beautiful hair accessories.
“Sister, is there seafood porridge for breakfast this morning?” Yu Mianmian hid her emotions and changed the subject.
Having been busy all morning without breakfast, Yu Ying closed the storage room door and hid the key in her bag to prevent Sui Lin from finding it.
“Do you want to eat anything else?” Yu Ying asked.
“No, I only want to eat the seafood porridge made by you—seafood porridge with sea salt.” Yu Mianmian followed Yu Ying to the kitchen and put on an apron to help out.
She didn’t want to see the snake slacking off, so she dragged Sui Lin into the kitchen. “Teacher Sui Lin, I hear that your cooking is excellent.”
Sui Lin: “…”
This venomous jellyfish was deliberately making things difficult for her. Sui Lin looked at Yu Ying’s back, her mind flashing with the scene of her mother disciplining her. She did not want to leave Yu Ying and Yu Mianmian alone together.
Sui Lin stood blankly in place, wearing an apron, not knowing what to do.
“Mianmian, you’re responsible for washing the vegetables.”
Yu Ying picked up a kitchen knife and shoved it into Sui Lin’s hand. “Go and kill the goose at the door.”
Sui Lin was not good at delicate work. She dropped the knife. “There’s no need for such trouble.” She preferred to eat raw and drink blood, tearing at her prey.
“Wait, I’ll go with you.” Yu Ying held a copper basin in her arms, inside of which was a kitchen knife, and she carried a pot of hot water in her hand.
She had just reached the door of the castle and pushed it open to see a bloody scene.
Sui Lin had grabbed the goose’s fragile neck and bitten down. Sharp teeth pierced the goose’s blood vessels, and blood splashed onto Sui Lin’s face. She closed her eyes to feel the warm blood flowing across her skin, the snow-white down feathers sticking beneath her eyelashes.
“Sui Lin.”
She heard her mother calling her, the voice seemingly traveling through the game world to her ears. Sui Lin turned around in a daze, only to see Yu Ying standing not far away, stunned.
A pitiful and fragile human.
This was the first time Yu Ying had witnessed such a cruel way of killing. She watched as her respected Teacher Sui Lin bit into the goose’s neck, the bloody smell of the animal spreading in the air and drifting into her nasal cavity.
This method of hunting animals reminded Yu Ying of a snake. Snakes loved to bite into their prey’s neck to suck the blood and swallow the entire prey whole.
The way Sui Lin killed the goose overlapped with the hunting style of a certain abyss python in the game. A very bold guess popped into Yu Ying’s head. Could it be that the children I raised in the game have all come ashore?
Soon, Yu Ying dismissed this thought.
Yu Ying was not surprised by Sui Lin’s way of hunting the goose; she was long accustomed to seeing illusions. As long as Sui Lin didn’t aim those two fangs at her own neck, it was fine.
Yu Ying touched the side of her neck, walked to Sui Lin’s side, and pulled the goose from Sui Lin’s mouth. The goose struggled in her hands for a moment before breathing its last.
“Pluck the goose feathers clean.”
Perfect—Yu Ying could free up her hands and not have to manually pluck the feathers. She detested removing animal down; doing it by hand was inefficient, and it required scalding the feathers with hot water, which produced a nauseating odor.
Since Teacher Sui Lin was so skilled at killing geese, plucking feathers must be a breeze. Yu Ying stood beside Sui Lin, supervising her at all times.
Sui Lin glanced at Yu Ying, then at the goose. She opened her mouth and took a large bite of the down, then spat it out, repeating this many times until the feathers were plucked.
Having lived with Sui Lin for so long, Yu Ying found even a giant python to be adorable, especially Teacher Sui Lin, who looked “cool and cute” with down feathers in her mouth. Sui Lin was simultaneously disgusted by the smell of the goose and obediently following Yu Ying’s orders to pluck the feathers.
Sui Lin didn’t understand why she was so submissive to Yu Ying; whenever Yu Ying gave an order, her body made an instinctive reaction.
Seeing that she had plucked the goose clean, Yu Ying snatched the goose from Sui Lin’s mouth and gave her a word of praise.
Sui Lin was dizzy with the praise and didn’t realize something was wrong until Yu Ying had already taken the goose away. She twisted her snake tail and angrily followed behind Yu Ying, attempting several times to snatch the goose back.
She had spent ages plucking those feathers and hadn’t gotten a single bite! This was the biggest failure she had ever experienced as a deep-sea predator. She secretly vowed that she would never help Yu Ying pluck the feathers off any prey again!
Bang! Sui Lin bumped her head against the castle door and twisted her tail to enter the castle through another entrance. Once the goose was cooked, she would eat it all; she wouldn’t leave a single piece of meat for the human.
The snake thought viciously.
To the humans, her dark thoughts even seemed somewhat adorable…