The wiggling of his large, thick tail was a testament to Shen Zhixi’s good mood.
He had been smothered under the quilt for so long that he was struggling to breathe from the lack of oxygen before he finally poked his little head out to gasp for air.
“Little Xi, what are you doing?”
His brother’s urgent voice came from behind him. He had clearly rushed up from the study downstairs. He held his phone, the screen flashing a red “Heart Rate Too High Warning.”
Shen Zhixi slid off the bed wrapped in his quilt, his cheeks still flushed.
“It is nothing, Brother. I… I was just playing inside the blanket.”
The little snake, wrapped up like a large burrito, sat on the floor and gave his tail a little shake to emphasize his point.
“Alright, as long as you are okay.”
Shen Zhiheng pinched his slightly burning cheek, his peripheral vision catching a conspicuous gift box in the corner of the bedroom.
“This is…?”
“A secret! You cannot open it yet!”
Shen Zhixi lunged over with his blanket, shielding the gift box. He felt annoyed that he had not hidden it better, so he had to resort to the futile gesture of hiding the box behind his back.
Shen Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
“Is it for me?”
“Of course it is for you, Brother, but not right now. It is your birthday present.”
As he spoke, Shen Zhixi clutched the gift box and stuffed it into the wardrobe right in front of his brother.
“You are not allowed to touch this. You have to promise me that you will let me give it to you on your birthday.”
“Alright, Brother promises.”
Shen Zhiheng closed the wardrobe door himself, making a solemn vow amidst the little snake’s frantic and repetitive questioning that he would absolutely not peek ahead of time. He ruffled the little one’s hair, his gaze incredibly gentle.
“Baby, I have never looked forward to my birthday like this before. It is only because of you that I have this anticipation.”
He finally had something to look forward to regarding his birthday, and holding onto that expectation, he happily counted down the days.
The little snake did not fully understand such poetic words, so he scratched his cheek in confusion.
“Um… anticipation, it is good to have anticipation!”
Anticipation is a very, very good word! Shen Zhixi approved of his own logic and nodded happily.
On his birthday, the Omega Protection Association released an official announcement:
[Final Investigation Report Regarding the “Dangerous Mutated Omega” Disappearance Incident]
The notice stated that, following a joint search and investigation, it was confirmed that the snake-type Omega suffering from severe mental illness had encountered an accident while on the run and was now declared dead. Current threats had been completely eliminated; citizens were advised to rest assured.
Below the news were a few extremely blurry, censored photos, from which one could faintly discern a dark green figure and red bloodstains.
Shen Zhiheng gave a cold snort and turned off his phone screen. He could not even be sure if these images were AI-generated. But Bai Yongjiang had done what he promised. They had forged the evidence themselves and closed the case themselves.
Both socially and legally, the snake-type Omega known as Patient No. 07 was dead, and it had nothing to do with the Shen Zhixi registered in Uncle Wang’s household records.
To some extent, Shen Zhixi and the fusion body of the No. 07 snake-type Omega had been completely severed. From this moment on, Shen Zhixi would truly only be Shen Zhixi. He was the Shen Zhixi on Uncle Wang’s family register, the Shen Zhixi staying at Shen Zhiheng’s house under his care.
His phone rang; it was a call from Bai Yongjiang.
Shen Zhiheng brushed the snake tail resting on his lap aside, soothingly touched the little snake’s head as he slept soundly on the tail, and walked to the balcony with his phone. Closing the sliding door, his voice and the dark side of the world he was facing were completely isolated from the inside.
“Young Master Shen, happy birthday. I hope you like this birthday gift.”
Shen Zhiheng gave a light, “Mm.”
“If Young Master Shen intends to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony, I truly hope to receive an invitation.”
Shen Zhiheng chuckled, replying, “Someone as powerful as Chairman Bai would be warmly welcomed even if you came uninvited.”
There was a pause on the other end, likely as they considered the meaning behind Shen Zhiheng’s unconcealed malice.
“Young Master Shen is joking. It is our honor to be able to handle matters to your satisfaction.”
“Is there anything else?”
Shen Zhiheng was tired of listening to Bai Yongjiang’s endless flattery and interrupted the flow.
“No, happy birthday once again.”
“Thank you.”
Shen Zhiheng hung up and rubbed his temples in frustration. He was not yet strong enough to dismantle that nest, but he would never let this matter rest.
People in the manor were surprised that their young master’s coming-of-age ceremony was so quiet, with not a single outsider present. Of course, some wealthy scions had tried various ways to bribe the staff to get a ticket to the event. But the truth was, Shen Zhiheng had no intention of spending it with anyone other than the little snake, and he had no desire to host a lavish party for them to enjoy.
With the help of the servants, the brothers set up a barbecue grill on the lawn and had a lively outdoor meal. Comfortable beanbag chairs were moved to the grass, and a screen was set up to play an outdoor movie.
Shen Zhiheng sank lazily into a soft chair, and the little snake squeezed in beside him, licking cream off a birthday cake. The little snake’s tiny tongue would curl up a small dollop of cream and swiftly pull it into his mouth. He had never eaten such melt-in-your-mouth cream; no matter how much he ate, it never felt overly sweet. He savored it wholeheartedly, not at all like a snake eating with one bite per cake, but instead licking it like a puppy.
“Baby, did you not forget something?” Shen Zhiheng held out his hand to the little snake. “Where is my gift?”
“Oh! That…”
Shen Zhixi stopped eating the cream cake entirely, elevating the task of giving his brother his gift to the highest priority. He stretched out his big tail to retrieve the gift box from not far away. He carefully handed the box over, holding the small plate of cake with both hands, feeling a little nervous.
“Brother, happy birthday. Here is your gift.”
Inside the gift box lay the snake skin, which had been neatly rolled into a small cylinder. The wine-red ribbon bow seemed as fiery and hot as a flame.
Shen Zhiheng picked it up, his fingers gently tracing the patterns on the surface of the skin. It still held a faint, original scent, like sweet, cloying popcorn, which made one’s mind drift.
Did I not tell Uncle Wang to take it away to be cleaned and stored? How did it end up back in the little one’s hands?
Shen Zhiheng looked at the snake skin in his hand with a hint of confusion.
“Does Brother not like this gift? Why are you not saying anything? Even if you do not like it, please say something. I asked Uncle Wang, ‘What does Brother like?’ He said Brother likes snakes, so I wanted to give you a snake. I knew it, no one likes snakes.”
Shen Zhixi started muttering frantically in his arms, his voice almost turning into a whimper. He hung his head, his tear-filled eyes fixed on the cake plate in his hand. For some reason, the lingering taste of the cake in his mouth no longer felt so sweet. He lowered his head, crestfallen, and the little snake’s tongue licked the remaining cream from his lips.
Shen Zhiheng pulled him close to hug him just in time, gently ruffling his hair. His other hand held the rolled-up snake skin, his nose tip almost touching the surface. Only when he got close enough could he smell the thick, sweet popcorn scent more clearly. He remembered that the database said the puppy scent was exactly this cloying popcorn smell; how could his little snake also have this scent?
He took a deep breath, and the sweet smell made his head feel a little dizzy.
“Who said I do not like it? I like this gift very, very much, and I like the little snake very, very much.”
In his short eighteen years, he had never really liked any animals. He liked this snake, not because he loved the species in general, but simply because of this little fool who had filled his loneliness.
Shen Zhixi was easily coaxed into happiness by his brother’s words. He dragged out his tone and asked:
“But, what should we do if I am a puppy? What if Brother likes little snakes?”
He was determined that he did not want to be a little snake anymore!
“Oh, that! Brother will like the only puppy-snake in this world, Shen Zhixi.”
“Pu, puppy-snake?”
Shen Zhixi blankly repeated this strange term. His not-so-bright little brain worked hard to understand the meaning of these three characters.
“Mm, puppy-snake.”
Shen Zhiheng held the snake skin in his arms and cupped the little one’s face—which was covered in cream—in both hands. He vigorously kneaded the little guy’s cheeks, which had finally put on a bit of weight, making them soft and pliable like dough.
“Our little puppy is well-behaved, cute, and obedient, and has the most beautiful big green tail in the world. You are the puppy-snake Brother loves the most.”
Shen Zhixi was busy trying to think through his brother’s words, unable to spare any attention for the evil hands pinching his little face.
“Brother, you are not lying to me, right?” His voice was intermittent because his face was being kneaded.
“I am not lying to you. A puppy-snake only needs to be a puppy-snake, and Shen Zhixi only needs to be Shen Zhixi, and he will be loved by Brother.”
Shen Zhiheng finally let go of the little snake’s face, placing the back of his hand against the cheeks that had turned bright red from the kneading.
“So, I really like this gift. This is the best birthday present Brother has ever received.”
Nothing could surpass sincerity; Shen Zhiheng had always believed this gift was an invaluable treasure. In fact, even if the little snake had not presented it as a gift, he would have treasured it secretly anyway.
The time on the light screen jumped to 0:00; it was already the second day of Shen Zhiheng’s birthday. The little snake had long been unable to stay awake and had fallen asleep in his brother’s arms.
Shen Zhiheng searched through the many automated birthday wishes and clicked on the chat history with his father. As expected, there was nothing. Shen Zhiheng smiled faintly and exited the app. A few days before meeting the little snake, he had still been looking forward to receiving at least one blessing from his only blood relative on his eighteenth birthday. Now that he had been ignored as expected, there was no longer a single ripple in his heart.
He gently stroked the soft, tousled hair of the little one in his arms, his heart feeling as soft and calm as when he was grooming a small animal. Just by staying by the little snake’s side, he could be healed bit by bit by this little creature.
“Hoo… mm, Brother.”
Shen Zhixi held his brother with both hands as if hugging a large pillow, murmuring softly in his sleep as if having a very solid, wonderful dream. His big tail lacked strength, flopping limply over Shen Zhiheng’s thighs, with the rest piled messily on the floor.
Shen Zhiheng switched apps to the one monitoring the little snake to check the data for the umpteenth time. Body temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation, location. The heartbeat fluctuation line on the screen was slower than usual, indicating that the little guy was in a very deep sleep. The little red dot representing the little snake’s location overlapped perfectly with Shen Zhiheng’s.
This is fine.
Immense satisfaction filled Shen Zhiheng’s heart. He discovered for the first time that one did not need a crazy, wild celebration to feel enough happiness and joy. On this night with the moon and few stars, on this isolated island that belonged only to them, Shen Zhiheng had finally spent a happy birthday. He did not have to worry about the hollow loneliness that usually followed a wild party the next morning, because his little snake would definitely wake up by his side.
Shen Zhixi’s private doctor came for a regular check-up and brought heavy gifts this time. He handed the bags of gifts to Uncle Wang on the side.
“Young Master Shen, happy birthday.” He certainly had to seize this opportunity to make an impression on the young master.
“Thank you, please come in. My little snake just passed his milky eye period.” Shen Zhiheng thanked him politely and, without even looking at the gifts, got straight to the point about the little snake’s recent condition. He talked incessantly about the little snake, explaining the situation during the milky eye period to the doctor in great detail.
The doctor nodded after listening and replied, “According to our understanding of exotic pets, a snake during the milky eye period is deaf, blind, and mute. Indeed, you cannot disturb them; you must let them stay quietly in a safe place.”
He handed a thick stack of snake-raising guides he had prepared to Shen Zhiheng and continued his explanation:
“Snakes in the milky eye period are sensitive, fragile, and easily stressed; they can be irritable and highly aggressive. Furthermore, his breed should be a highly venomous Green Tree Python; 0.5 milliliters of venom can kill an adult. Young Master, you staying by his side the whole time was very dangerous for both you and him. The next time he encounters a molting period, it is best to place the little one in a quiet, humid incubator. Do not touch him.”
Shen Zhixi, who was boringly coiled on the sofa eating fruit jelly, paused. His eyes widened in disbelief, his little snake tongue hanging out, forgetting to retract it.
What does he mean by deaf, blind, and mute? What does he mean by do not touch me! What does he mean by having to shut me in a room alone!?
A Level 1 alarm immediately sounded in the little snake’s head. He had been thinking about how to get his brother to hug him during those scary times, and now he could not even stay by his brother’s side! If his brother really listened to this and did not hold him, what would he do?
Slander! This is pure slander! He is a completely bad uncle!
Shen Zhixi shouted wildly in his heart, angrily dropped the plate, and dragged his big tail whoosh, whoosh—bouncing and jumping until he landed between Shen Zhiheng and Dr. Lin. He opened his arms to block in front of his brother, baring his two little teeth, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.
“Little Xi, what is wrong?” Shen Zhiheng looked at the little one who had suddenly darted out, looking furious and glaring at the person, feeling a bit bewildered.
“I do not want an incubator! I, I want Brother!” Shen Zhixi was so anxious his face turned red, stuttering as he retorted. He did not know how to use the complex language of humans to refute high-level medical terminology; he only knew that this human in the white coat.
“You, you are purely a rotten egg!”
Having been viciously scolded by the little snake in his milky voice, the doctor could not be angry at all; instead, he was amused. He explained in a very good-natured manner:
“Little Young Master, this is a biological instinct for snakes. You wanting to be by your brother’s side is due to the insecurity caused by your limited vision at the time. If you get used to molting in a temperature-controlled and humid room, you will not feel so uncomfortable.”
“I will not get used to it!” Shen Zhixi was so anxious that the entire snake went into attack mode, his sharp little tail standing straight up. He wanted to come up with some reason to argue, but his young brain was a blank slate, completely unable to output a long, coherent string of curses, so he angrily chewed on the air.
The little snake was so anxious that his tail slapped the carpet. He had no choice but to turn around and throw his arms around his brother’s thigh, complaining like a child who had been dealt a huge injustice:
“Brother, do not listen to his nonsense! He does not understand snakes at all. I, I am the only puppy-snake in this world, only Brother understands me!”
He pressed his face against his brother’s trousers, his little nose sniffling heavily.
“You cannot not touch me, you cannot not hold me, you cannot lock me away.”
“I, I just really, really want to cuddle with Brother when I cannot see!”
Shen Zhixi raised his chin, looking up with teary eyes, his tail rising and shaking slightly.
“I was not good that time, right…? I did not bite Brother, I am a very, very good puppy.”
He had even been cuddling himself and rubbing his little arms when he wanted to soothe his skin hunger during the milky eye period.
“Puppy-snakes are meant to cuddle with their brothers.”
This unreserved reliance and straightforward expression of need were like a heavy hammer, stunning Shen Zhiheng. His rationality regarding scientific snake raising collapsed instantly before the little guy’s obedient words of wanting to cuddle with Brother. He did not even care anymore if his little brother was a venomous snake.
“Such a clingy little friend. Brother will, of course, stay with you every time you cannot see, and let you stay tangled up with me.”
Shen Zhiheng completely abandoned the doctor’s warning that Little Xi was a venomous snake. He leaned over, picked up the little one by his feet, held him firmly, and patted the side of his waist where the snake tail connected, comforting the little snake who was sniffling with grievance.
Only after he finally managed to coax the little snake into a good mood did Shen Zhiheng speak:
“Dr. Lin, my little treasure is a bit special. He does not need those standard exotic pet-raising rules. In the future, please do not bring up suggestions like isolation again.”
Dr. Lin put away his dumbfounded expression, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes. The point the young master mentioned was overlooked by me. The psychological needs of a fusion-type Omega are indeed more important than physiological ones. It was my lack of consideration.”
Hearing the bad doctor apologize, Shen Zhixi finally felt relieved and rested his chin on his brother’s shoulder, finding a comfortable position to space out. He stuck out his pink little tongue, secretly raising a victorious smile, his tail winding happily around his brother.
No one can take Brother away from me, including that rotten egg!
After the short interlude, the doctor helped Shen Zhiheng give the little snake another physical examination.
“He grew a little longer after molting, and the snake tail below the waist and abdomen has also thickened by a circle. Young Master, you are raising the little one very well.” The doctor handed the updated data to Shen Zhiheng to look at, sighing with emotion as he did so.
After molting, the scars remaining on the snake tail were so faint they were almost invisible. The neat snake scales were arranged in rows, plump and reflective. Shen Zhiheng never imagined that his snake-raising achievements could really become increasing numbers presented in the record book that belonged to the little snake. He felt like a parent seeing their own child grow taller.
He finally understood why his classmates would say that their parents were happy about the height marks drawn on the wall after a summer vacation. It turned out that seeing the little one you raised grow up was such a happy thing.
After seeing the doctor off, Shen Zhixi was still sitting on the sofa, staring at his own beautiful, reflective snake tail in a daze.
“What are you looking at, baby?” Shen Zhiheng sat down beside him. The big snake tail curled up a little, piling up on the sofa.
Shen Zhixi placed his little hand on the side of his snake tail, below his waist and abdomen, and stroked it gently.
“Here, there was a very, very deep mark, but just now when the uncle was checking, I realized it seems to have disappeared.”
Shen Zhiheng’s gaze followed the direction of the little snake’s finger. There, dark green scales were neatly and tightly arranged. Because he had just molted, these new scales looked like top-quality ink jade, emitting a faint, moist, cool light under the bright lights of the living room.
Shen Zhiheng leaned closer, kneeling on one knee beside the snake tail. He looked very carefully before he finally saw a trace, about ten centimeters long and slightly lighter in color, amidst that flawless ink-green. It was not obvious, and it was almost covered by the crowded new snake scales. If the little snake had not pointed it out himself, Shen Zhiheng would never have noticed it.
Shen Zhixi used his slightly cool fingertips to lightly stroke that faint mark, his tone extremely relaxed:
“There used to be a very, very long scar here. I thought it would always be there. But today I realized, it seems like it is going to disappear!”
The rising tail tone was pure joy; Shen Zhixi was genuinely happy about having a beautiful big snake tail.
“After molting a few more times, it will definitely disappear completely! I will have a perfect tail without any marks!”
The snake tail flicked a wave happily, and the tip lightly patted Shen Zhiheng’s ankle. The little snake did not explicitly say it, but Shen Zhiheng, who was now an adult, knew all too well what this scar was. His heart was wrenched by an invisible hand, and a wave of soreness rose in his heart one after another.
Shen Zhiheng measured the length of the scar with his hands; he measured the web of his thumb twice, even his fingertips were trembling.
How deep was this wound? How painful was it? The little snake’s body is so weak, how did he endure it?
Shen Zhiheng’s breathing became heavier, and even when he made a sound, the ending of his words was trembling: “Baby, are there any more?”
“Should be? I do not remember, none of the others are this long.” Shen Zhixi said easily, diligently turning over and finding the scars that used to be on his tail. But his memory was limited; he really did not remember where else he had been hurt. He even had a blurry memory of most of his past.
Shen Zhiheng hung his head, his heart aching so much he did not know what to say. His throat felt as if it had been pinched, and even breathing became difficult. He stretched out his hand, extremely carefully, like treating a fragile piece of porcelain, gently stroking the snake scales that had once been scarred.
As soon as they touched, the unique touch of the little snake reached his palm. It was not the sticky, slimy sensation of stereotypes, but like touching high-quality, well-polished leather, or individual hard glass blocks with a slightly cool temperature.
Shen Zhiheng’s fingers gently stroked along the direction of the snake scales, brushing down the tail without any resistance. Under the smooth, cool scales, one could clearly feel a pulsing sensation, vigorous and full of vitality. Among the neat scales, Shen Zhiheng’s fingertips felt a tiny bit of roughness. That was the slight misalignment and bump left over after the once-severed snake scales healed.
The warm palm of a human stayed for a long time on that scar that had once been deep enough to see bone. It was as if he had traveled through time and space through this scar, peeking into the past of the little snake Omega.
“Hoo!” Shen Zhixi shuddered slightly. The thick snake tail tightened slightly, then shook in a small range.
“Hot!” The little guy let out a soft protest, accompanied by a heavy, slightly unaccustomed breath. “Brother, the tail is hot.”
The slightly cool scales gradually became warm after touching human skin. Shen Zhixi felt that the already-healed scar was a bit hot and itchy, so he used his little hand to scratch it gently.
Shen Zhiheng realized he might have scalded the little snake and quickly moved his hand away.
“Is it uncomfortable?” He asked nervously, his deep black eyes full of self-blame and heartache.
Shen Zhixi was quick to press down on his brother’s large hand as it tried to move away, shaking his head vigorously, and pressing his brother’s warm palm back onto the old wound.
“It is not uncomfortable.”
“Does it, does it hurt?” Shen Zhiheng’s voice was hoarse, his gaze fixed on the little hand the little guy was using to hold his.
Shen Zhixi continued to shake his head, the smile on his face as pure as could be, without a shadow.
“Brother is silly, it healed a long, long time ago, how could it hurt?” He used his tiny hands to wrap around his brother’s large one and squeezed it hard. “Once the puppy’s tail changes into a new set of clothes a few more times, it will completely disappear! By then, even if Brother wants to find it, you will not be able to!”
There was even a hint of pride in the little guy’s tone about being able to become a brand new puppy-snake. But the more the human listened to his innocent explanation, the more heartache he felt.
“But it did hurt.” Shen Zhiheng held the little snake’s cool hand in reverse, his other hand gently stroking every scar he could find on the snake tail. Heartache and anger intertwined, almost drowning him completely.
“No, it will not hurt anymore! Brother, once it is healed, it will not hurt!” Shen Zhixi seemed to notice his brother’s low mood and explained urgently. He lowered his head and took back the tail that was piled on the floor, stacking it together, and explained seriously:
“Brother, I will not hurt at all. The new big tail will not even leave a trace.”
“I will not remember. I only remember that Brother’s palms are warm now!”
Shen Zhixi explained clumsily, then lowered his little head and thought about it.
“Once I change to a new snake tail, I will not remember the old feelings, what should we do, Brother?”
The little fool’s analysis was logical, but it did not really make sense.
“The tail always remembers Brother’s temperature, but what should I do if I forget after changing to a new tail?”
Shen Zhiheng sighed deeply. How could there be such an adorably unaware little fool in this world?
“When baby changes to a new tail, Brother will warm it up for you with my palms again.”
Shen Zhixi revealed a look of sudden realization, his smile deepening, his eyes curving into a pair of beautiful little crescent moons.
“Oh, right, that solves it! Brother is so smart!”
Shen Zhiheng pinched his face, his tone helpless yet doting: “Silly baby.”
That scar would eventually disappear from Shen Zhixi’s big tail, but it was deeply branded in Shen Zhiheng’s heart. He could not ignore the little snake’s past suffering; the bumps his fingertips touched always brought phantom pain to his fingertips.
A few days later, the copy of the personal file Shen Zhiheng wanted was delivered to his hands. The one delivering the copy was Chairman Bai’s assistant, a shrewd-looking young Beta.
“Young Master Shen, Chairman Bai asked me to tell you that he and his allies hope this is the last time they hear news of the snake-type experimental subject from your lips. Making this matter vanish into thin air is good for both you and the little snake.”
Shen Zhiheng took the antique-like paper copy. As his fingers gripped the paper, he wrinkled the edges. He had the courage to fight to the death with the person in front of him, but not the ability to succeed. He suppressed the irritation in his heart and replied politely: “The Chairman has misunderstood. My little snake has a weak constitution and is always getting sick. I just wanted to find a way to treat him, no other intentions.”
“Better so. Young Master Shen is a smart man.”
After sending the person off, Shen Zhiheng began to browse the booklet in his hand. There were no handwritten notes or stamps on the copied content; as long as no one admitted it, it would not be considered an official organization or institution. According to Shen Zhiheng’s request, only a small portion of the experiments related to the little snake remained.
He was not born a snake Omega, but was a terminally ill, orphaned infant on an inferior planet. At the very last moment when his life was about to dissipate, he was taken away by someone possessing fusion Omega technology. They gave him life anew, fused the genes of a Green Tree Python, and saved him.
A snake experimental subject named 07 had henceforth possessed life and lost his freedom. He was no longer regarded as a human, but just an experimental object like a white mouse. He underwent experiment after experiment, finally providing the human laboratory with a molting-healing technology, which was used for medical aesthetics or repairing burns.
After this seven-year experiment ended, he no longer had value and was fostered in a closed-off mental hospital on the planet where Shen Zhiheng lived.
Shen Zhiheng closed the booklet, his eye sockets becoming hot. He saw the basic information in the file: the little snake was nine years old this year. He also remembered that earth-shattering medical advancement, which made that planet incredibly wealthy, with its rating jumping from C to S. If this report were finally presented to that honorable planet, how would they describe these seven years belonging to the little snake?
An anonymous experimental subject? A burden that might ruin their reputation, or…
A hero.
Shen Zhiheng’s mind brought up this word. In fact, they had also given their own answer—”a poisonous, dangerous, and mentally unstable snake-type Omega.”
Shen Zhiheng’s fingers gripped the thin file that had been heavily redacted, his knuckles turning a chilly pale white. He was delicate enough, and because he had felt loneliness and depression, he was ten thousand times more sensitive than the average person. The deliberately deleted files could not be connected, nor could they completely describe the seven years belonging to the little snake. But even if it were only a few words, it was enough for Shen Zhiheng to realize the pain in the abyss.
Those people seemed to know that a snake’s bean-sized brain would be inherited by Little Seven, so no matter how excessive things were done to him, they would not be remembered by Little Seven.
But Little Seven clearly should have enjoyed glory and had people sing praises for his suffering. Instead, he was treated as a defective product that had lost its value, standing on the opposite side of humanity because of the snake species, bearing the infamy of a monster, and hunted down by a wanted notice with nowhere to hide.
Bang! Shen Zhiheng slammed a fist into the hard rosewood desk, the dull thud echoing in the empty room. His eyes were bloodshot, and intense, manic, bloody-smelling pheromones churned out of control along with the fresh scent of blood from his broken skin.
The study door suddenly pushed open a crack.
“Brother?” Shen Zhixi poked his fuzzy little head in cautiously through the gap. He smelled a strong scent of blood and curiously came to check what delicious food his brother was making for him. The scent of Alpha pheromones had a strong oppressive feeling for a young Omega; even though Shen Zhixi had not differentiated yet and would not be physically affected, he was a little out of breath, yet he stared at that pressure and dragged his big tail to slowly swim into the room.
So fragrant. No, wait, Brother seems very uncomfortable!
Shen Zhixi shook his head, forcibly swallowing the saliva that had secreted after smelling something delicious. But, so fragrant. No, now is not the time for fragrant! But so fragrant.
“What is wrong, Brother?” Shen Zhixi moved to his brother’s feet, looked up, his golden bean-like eyes full of worry. “Is something not going well?”
He met his brother’s bloodshot eyes and finally noticed the tears his brother had rarely shed. Shen Zhixi did not know what had happened; he just stretched out his little hand and clumsily rubbed his brother’s burning face.
“Why do you look so sad, Brother?”
Shen Zhiheng closed his eyes, hiding the overwhelming anger and murderous intent in his eyes.
“Brother just feels that I am not strong enough. If Brother had met Little Xi sooner, I would not have let you suffer.”
He paused, then continued, “If Brother had been older when I met Little Xi, I could have acted immediately.”
But instead, an eight-year-old snake met an eighteen-year-old Shen Zhiheng.
“Me? I am not suffering now!” Shen Zhixi raised a bright smile and leaned into his brother’s arms. “I have delicious food now, a soft bed to sleep in, and a brother who likes me so much.”
Shen Zhiheng hugged the silly little snake, his eye sockets getting even hotter.
“You suffered before, silly baby.”
“Mm… but, children who have suffered will have lots and lots of candy to eat later!” Puppy Mama did not lie to me at all! Shen Zhixi thought firmly, and after finishing, he nodded in self-affirmation. He looked up, his forked little tongue affectionately licking his brother’s chin. The salty taste immediately filled his entire mouth, making the little snake frown and stick out his tongue.
“This one is still bitter. Brother, do not cry. Did you not say you would not let me suffer!”
Shen Zhiheng chuckled, the tears on his face not yet dry.
“Sophistry.”
“Not at all!” Shen Zhixi argued for his own logic, the tip of his little tail patting the floor. He felt that his brother’s pheromones had become much, much gentler, becoming even more fragrant!
The little snake finally possessed, in this ninth year of his life, a pair of eyes that shed tears for his suffering.