Under his brother’s care, the little snake’s health was improving day by day, and his thin, weak legs were gradually developing a bit of healthy fat and muscle.
Dr. Lin carefully reviewed the latest physical report and established a new human Omega medical file for Shen Zhiqi. All the data points had been updated, including the measurements for his one-meter-long snake tail, which had become shorter and thinner.
“Young Master Shen, is Zhiqi an exceptionally picky eater?” Dr. Lin pointed at the substandard data for Shen Zhiheng to see. “He is deficient in vitamins, calcium, and various other essential trace elements. These are incredibly important for humans.”
Shen Zhiheng looked at the report, then turned his gaze toward the little snake sitting on the examination table.
Feeling guilty, the little snake slowly turned around, showing his brother only a small, retreating back. Of course, he was pampered beyond measure by his brother; if he did not like something, he would throw a tantrum and refuse to eat a single bite.
As a little snake, he did not have to eat these things, but as a human, a balanced diet was crucial. Shen Zhiqi retained some of his beast-like characteristics, and his taste system naturally resisted all vegetables and fruits.
Seeing his brother’s stern expression, Shen Zhiqi knew he would not be able to escape this ordeal for long.
In the afternoon, the villa’s dining area was filled with the chaotic sounds of coaxing.
“Little Young Master, please, just take one bite. This is the nutritious meal that your brother and the doctor specifically ordered…”
A maid, holding a small porcelain bowl and looking distressed, chased the little snake as he ran in circles around the living room. She was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, yet she still had not managed to feed him a single spoonful.
By the time she finally caught up to the little snake, he had hidden himself inside a blanket, with only his tail poking out. He ignored everyone completely, his entire body radiating resistance.
How could they feed a puppy-snake this! Neither puppies nor snakes eat vegetables and fruits!
Someone tugged hard on the blanket, and Shen Zhiqi used all his strength to pull it back.
“No! I will not eat it! Neither puppies nor snakes eat this stuff!”
Shen Zhiqi’s muffled, complaining voice came from inside the blanket mound, carrying undisguised disgust. Unexpectedly, the maid’s voice did not follow.
“Xiao Qi, come out and talk to brother.”
The familiar voice made Shen Zhiqi shiver slightly. He turned around in small, measured steps, peeking out from under the fuzzy blanket.
“Brother…”
Shen Zhiheng took the bowl from the maid and instructed:
“Call me next time you make a nutritious meal for Xiao Qi. I had someone purchase specially formulated milk and meat broth; it should improve the palatability. You do not need to worry about supervising his meals anymore; leave it to me.”
“Yes, Young Master, we understand.” The maids bowed their heads, marveling for the umpteenth time at how far the Young Master was willing to go to handle everything personally.
Shen Zhiheng nodded and waved his hand, dismissing the relieved maids. He sat down cross-legged in front of the little snake.
Before he could speak, the little snake, with his face full of grievances, poked his head out from the blanket, complaining with a tearful voice:
“Brother, the adults are all bullying me! How can they feed me vegetables, tofu, and nuts? Those are for little rabbits. I am a little puppy-snake…”
He held his brother’s free hand with both of his own and shook it gently.
“Brother, I want to eat meat. I want to eat little suckling mice!”
After all, the underlying genetic code of this little creature was that of a giant python. Even though he had now fused with human characteristics, he remained a pure carnivore at heart. When they first met, he would specifically pick the lettuce leaves out of his burgers. How could he possibly stomach a nutrient-dense broth based on vegetables, fruits, and nuts?
Shen Zhiheng looked at his pouting little face, suppressing a laugh, and intentionally put on a stern, authoritative look.
“No. You are a human Omega with legs now; your human body needs these supplements. Besides, your legs underwent surgery; you need to consume plenty of calcium so you can grow taller.”
Hearing about calcium and realizing that even his brother was siding with the adults, Shen Zhiqi’s little face immediately fell. He stared at the foul-smelling nutrient broth, his small eyebrows knitted tightly, his tail twitching restlessly behind him.
“I do not want to…”
He scooted over and hugged Shen Zhiheng’s arm, rubbing his soft cheek against it. His round, black pupils stared directly at his brother, clearly reflecting his figure.
“Brother is the best. Can’t brother just pour this away? Xiao Qi can grow bones just by eating meat…”
Shen Zhiheng discovered that this little one was much smarter than when they first met; for instance, the little snake had already accurately identified the pattern of his soft-heartedness.
But this time was different. He could be limitless in his indulgence of the little snake, but when it came to his physical health, he had to be a strict brother. He did not soften or compromise, and his tone remained extremely firm: “Xiao Qi, this is not something you can get away with by acting cute. You cannot joke about your health; this broth must be finished.”
It was rare for the little one to hit a wall with his brother. He slumped down in defeat, turning his head to rest on his brother’s knee, back turned to him.
“It does not taste good at all. Brother does not like me at all…”
Shen Zhiheng took this monumental accusation with a helpless smile.
“I do like you.”
“If you like me, why are you bullying me?”
“I am not bullying you.”
Shen Zhiqi perked up, sitting straight up.
“Feeding a puppy vegetables, and you say that is not bullying!”
Shen Zhiheng stirred the nutrient broth he had already processed and explained: “I know the taste is not good for you, so I ordered a palatable seasoning used for small pets from another planet. Brother would not lie to you. Want to try it?”
The little snake leaned in, half-doubting, and took a sniff. He could still smell the unpleasant odor, but just as his brother said, it was now masked by some appetizing scents; it did not smell as unbearable as before.
“Be good, baby. Brother will feed you. If you behave well, brother will reward you, okay?”
The little one sniffed, and finally, under his brother’s persistent coaxing, he opened his mouth. Two sharp, little teeth clicked against the porcelain spoon, making a crisp sound.
Shen Zhiqi made a decision that betrayed his puppy-snake ancestors, swallowing that bite of broth as if he were ready to face death. The taste was not great, but it was not as hard to tolerate as before; the seasoning his brother added was very effective in covering up the parts he hated.
Seeing the little one with his face scrunched up like a bitter melon swallow the broth, Shen Zhiheng gently patted his head.
“Good, it is done. The taste is acceptable, right?”
The little snake maintained his martyr-like expression but nodded honestly. He was thinking about his brother’s reward, so he let his brother feed him mouthful by mouthful.
Finally, seeing the bottom of the porcelain bowl, both the man and the snake breathed a sigh of relief.
“Finished. Our Xiao Qi is truly amazing.” Shen Zhiheng put down the empty bowl and used a tissue to gently wipe away the residue from the corner of his mouth.
The little snake crawled in front of him, his tail nearly draping over his brother’s leg. He spread his hands open, his eyes shining as he looked at his brother.
“Brother, can a very well-behaved puppy get a reward?” The way he asked for a gift looked exactly like a puppy with watery eyes.
“Alright, here you go.” Shen Zhiheng took some snacks he bought from another planet out of his pocket. In this era, where nutrient pills replaced three meals a day, these slow-cooked meat snacks were a rarity.
As soon as Shen Zhiqi tore open the packaging and smelled the delicious aroma, his mouth began to water.
“Thank you, brother!”
He beamed a sweet smile, and all the grievances of being forced to betray his puppy-snake ancestors were swept away. If he could get his brother’s reward, it did not matter if he had to suffer a little! Moreover, he was being pampered by his brother while enduring that little bit of hardship.
Shen Zhiheng ruffled his hair and laughed: “Eat slowly, no rush. I told you, listening to brother is always the right thing to do, right? Brother always keeps his word.”
The little snake was captured by the snacks and nodded repeatedly, failing to detect anything amiss in his brother’s words.
From then on, the maids were finally relieved of the difficult task of serving the picky puppy-snake; Shen Zhiheng took full responsibility for his diet, from the selection of food and nutritional pairing to finally feeding the little snake spoonful by spoonful.
The maids said it was the first time they had seen a brother acting as both father and mother. Somehow, these words reached Shen Zhiheng’s ears. All he thought was that his goal had been so easily recognized by others.
As time passed, Shen Zhiqi’s legs, nourished by the nutrient solution, gradually returned to normal. He could run and jump like a normal child, except for the occasional loss of physiological control that made him twitch as if having a cramp. Fortunately, whenever this happened, Shen Zhiheng would notice it in time and gently massage his cramping knees.
Shen Zhiqi patrolled the small island, hopping and jumping. He picked up the drawings that had naturally fallen off the wall and tugged at the four corners of the paper. The ink on the drawings was starting to blur; the little green vegetables, golden puppy-people, and stick figures he had drawn were gradually losing their shapes.
He redrew new, identical pictures and continued to wait for news from the Puppy Mom. But wait as he might, he never received any news. He did not understand why none of the drawings brought a response, but the unease in the bottom of his heart was quickly suppressed. The Puppy Mom had not had the ability to take him away, and she had left all the food and clothing for him so he could have the chance to escape from the hospital. If the Puppy Mom had any news of him, she would definitely come to find him!
He had so many things to tell the Puppy Mom, such as having a good brother who liked him very much; following brother meant he would not suffer at all. He wanted to thank the Puppy Mom; that phrase, “Children who have suffered will be rewarded with sweets,” was not a lie at all—he really was eating sweets.
The little snake’s tiny head never questioned whether the drawings he plastered all over the island had any chance of being seen by the Puppy Mom.
At the same time, a missing person notice for a snake-Omega posted online was forwarded to Shen Zhiheng by the sharp-minded Lin Ze. The notice explicitly named the snake-Omega’s nickname as “Xiao Qi” and stated that anyone with information must contact him.
Having already gone through the incident with the Omega Protection Association, the alarm bells in Shen Zhiheng’s heart immediately rang.
“Why is there still a missing person notice? Did the Omega Protection Association not already announce that the snake-Omega had passed away?”
On the other end, Lin Ze shook his head. “I just saw this news, too. It felt wrong, so I immediately sent it to you. I will go look into it further and contact you as soon as I have news.”
“Good.” Shen Zhiheng hung up the communication; the nerves that had just begun to relax tightened once again.
How many people in this world still wanted the little snake’s life?
But regardless, having experienced the battle for the little snake once, Shen Zhiheng was now well-versed. He did not mind cutting off these prying eyes one by one. He was very confident. The last time this happened, his little snake did not even hear a whisper, and the matter was perfectly resolved by him. This time would be the same; it must be the same.
Shen Zhiheng stepped up security, guarding the little snake in his own way. Even if his expression showed nothing unusual, the frequency with which he checked his phone—many times more than before—betrayed his inner anxiety.
The anxiety intensified while waiting for the results of the investigation. Shen Zhiheng watched the little snake’s shadow day in and day out, even though, logically, the little snake could never leave the island on his own.
One noon, Shen Zhiheng walked into the bedroom at the usual time when the little snake would wake up hungry, only to find the bed empty. The sheets were gone, and only a pile of messy quilts remained.
“Xiao Qi?”
A feeling of extreme dread spread through Shen Zhiheng’s entire body, causing a ringing in his ears. He immediately opened the tracking software to check Shen Zhiqi’s location. The little red dot representing the little snake was still nearby, showing a location in a small corner on the first floor of the villa area.
Shen Zhiheng ran, finding him at the entrance of the first-floor laundry room. This was where the villa’s maids washed clothes; all sorts of detergents for different fabrics filled the room. The door was ajar, and the sound of flowing water drifted out.
Shen Zhiheng pushed the door open and saw, at a glance, the little one standing on a small stool by the laundry tub. The little snake was not tall enough, so he had to stand on the stool to reach the edge of the tub. He probably did not understand measurements and had poured in a lot of detergent, creating a massive amount of bubbles, some of which had even landed on the tip of his nose. Thin sweat had beaded on his forehead, twisting his fine hair into strands.
Seeing him enter, Shen Zhiqi was startled and almost fell off the small stool, only narrowly avoiding disaster when his brother rushed over to steady him.
“Brother…” The little snake blinked his eyes in helpless confusion, calling out softly.
“Why are you here? Who told you to wash clothes?” Shen Zhiheng used his free hand to take the little snake’s red, chafed hands, a nameless anger rising up. “Is someone bullying you? Why did you not tell brother?”
Shen Zhiheng could not understand it at all. Logically, no one on the entire island would dare bully the little snake. Who had been bold enough to make such a little guy stay here to wash sheets?
The little snake hurriedly spread his tiny arms, trying to use his own thin, human body to block the laundry tub behind him. His eyes dodged in extreme guilt, and he explained awkwardly: “No… no one is bullying me!”
Shen Zhiheng became even more convinced that the little snake was being coerced. He sank his face, intending to push the little snake aside. “You are lying. Let me see what is going on.”
“It is not bullying! Brother, brother, do not look…”
Shen Zhiqi was so anxious that he used his wet hands to hug his brother’s waist, his eyes red, his voice elevated to a high pitch. But he could not stop his brother, who was much taller than him. Relying on his height advantage, Shen Zhiheng saw the sheets and his brother’s intimate underwear soaking in the basin at a glance.
“You still say you are not being bullied? Who told you to skip meals and stay here alone to wash the sheets?”
“It was me… it was me myself…” Shen Zhiqi lowered his head, his hands nervously rubbing the shirt belonging to his brother that he was wearing.
“Why are you still not telling the truth at a time like this?” Shen Zhiheng sighed, picked the little snake up from the dangerous little stool, and placed him on a clean counter nearby.
With his gaze finally level with the little one, he no longer had the oppressive presence caused by their height difference. The older brother took the little snake’s cool, small hands, his voice softening to the extreme: “Baby, if you have been wronged, you have to tell brother. You cannot keep anything inside. Brother will absolutely not let anyone bully you. Tell brother the truth, okay?”
Shen Zhiqi looked at his brother’s eyes, full of concern, weighing whether he would be criticized if he told his brother the truth. He bit his lips and looked at his brother earnestly for a very long time.
Shen Zhiheng used his thumb to gently wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, asking again with infinite patience: “Tell brother, why are you washing the sheets here feeling so wronged?”
“I am… I am like this because of my legs…” Shen Zhiqi finally opened up hesitantly, tears falling uncontrollably. “I still do not know how to control this human body very well… I did not feel anything when I was sleeping, but when I woke up, I discovered I had dirtied the sheets and my pants…”
The quieter he spoke, the more ashamed and guilty he felt, covering his little face with his hands. “The puppy-snake tail is really strange. Walking and that… they are all on the tail… they just conflict…”
Shen Zhiheng did not fully understand the little snake’s muttering, but he guessed part of it. He reached out and pulled a corner of the sheet from the foam-filled tub, seeing the pale, yellowish stain on the white fabric.
The little snake bent down to pick up his big tail, pulling it back bit by bit until only the soft tip of the tail remained in his palm. He wanted to explain, but his vocabulary was not enough.
“It is just… the puppy-snake’s bottom grows here…” Shen Zhiqi pointed at the creamy-white bottom scales at the tip of his tail, then patted his own hip bones. “But why do humans grow here?” He blinked, looking at his brother in confusion.
Shen Zhiheng’s highly functional brain finally understood. When his little snake was in his half-beast form, he retained his snake tail and all the physiological characteristics of a snake, such as walking with ventral scales and having a cloaca in a strange place. But now that he was a human Omega, the little snake not only had to learn to walk with his legs but also had to adapt to the various organs of a human.
So, the poor little snake had accidentally wet the bed.
Shen Zhiqi instinctively used his gathered tail to cover his eyes, acting as an eye mask, and sobbed softly while covering his face. “I really did not mean to… Before, before I would be careful. I would not go to sleep on the bed when my tail turned back into legs…”
His words were filled with self-blame, or perhaps a fear born from the same scenarios in the past. The little snake’s simple plan had been perfect; he would wash the sheets clean before his brother found out and replace them with new ones without anyone knowing. He did not know why his brother had found him so quickly.
“It is just that this time… I felt that after my tail turned into legs, even when I ran and jumped, it did not hurt. I thought I would not wet the bed anymore…”
Shen Zhiqi nervously pinched his snake tail to cover his eyes, not daring to look at his brother’s expression. But if he had moved the tail and looked, he would have found that there was not a hint of blame in his brother’s eyes—only tenderness and heartache.
“I will wash it clean, brother… please, do not blame me, do not punish me…”
“Wait a moment, baby.”
Shen Zhiheng gently pulled away the tail that was blocking the little snake’s eyes. He really could not bear to hear the little snake’s self-reproach any longer; not a single word of it. The tear-streaked little face lifted slightly, and his red, crying eyes looked at his brother timidly.
Shen Zhiheng had originally wanted to coax the little snake directly as he had before, reassuring him that brother would not blame or hurt the little snake over something like this. But facing those eyes that were instinctively filled with cowardice, and the reflection of himself in those eyes, he realized there was still a barrier between him and the little snake that needed to be crossed.
Through his figure, his little snake saw the deep-seated trauma of the past, even if those memories came from instinct rather than intent. He did not want to see that expression in the little snake’s eyes ever again. His little snake depended on him, but this dependency was always mixed with a deep-rooted need to please and fear. The little one always subconsciously felt that as long as he made even a small mistake, he would lose all of his brother’s love and receive harsh punishment in return.
But the rules Shen Zhiheng wanted to establish, the rules of rewards and punishments, were not like that.
“Baby, look at brother.”
Shen Zhiheng cupped the little one’s tear-stained face, his thumbs gently stroking his eye tails. He did not allow the little snake to dodge his gaze again, reaching out to straighten the little snake’s face. “Why do you have such a misunderstanding? Why do you think brother would blame you, scold you, and punish you for this?”
Perhaps to ease the tension, Shen Zhiheng jokingly laughed: “Brother does not remember this being in the household rules.”
Surrounded by gentle guidance, Shen Zhiqi finally carefully opened up a bit of his heart.
“Because… wetting the bed means getting punished…”
These rules were engraved into his marrow. No wonder he was so scared.
Shen Zhiheng’s fingertips trembled slightly, but he forced himself to stay calm and gentle during this guidance, protecting the vulnerability that the little snake had worked so hard and resolved to show him.
“I know our little snake had some very difficult days.”
He gently pulled Shen Zhiqi’s trembling body into his arms, patting his thin back gently, wrapping the scars left in the little snake’s subconscious with tenderness.
“But baby, those were not brother’s rules, were they?”
The little snake in his arms nodded, his tear-stained face rubbing against his brother’s expensive clothing.
“Then, baby, how can you use those people’s rules to understand brother? In baby’s heart, are brother and those bad people exactly the same?”
“How could they be!”
Shen Zhiqi heard a complete false accusation and urgently stood up from his brother’s arms.
“How could brother be a bad person? Brother is the best person in the world! Brother cannot think like that…”
He urgently grabbed his brother’s shoulders, shaking him back and forth, wishing he could shake this bad thought out of his brother’s body. Shen Zhiheng was shaken back and forth like part of some ritual for quite a while, his head dizzy, before he managed to persuade the little one to stop.
“Since that is the case, no matter what happens, should you not be honest with brother?”
The little snake was convinced and nodded earnestly. His brother was different; he could understand and resolve his needs and confusion. He thought for a moment and asked:
“But brother, if I really do something wrong, will you punish me?”
Shen Zhiheng raised his eyebrows slightly, a trace of imperceptible danger appearing in his eyes.
“A certain little friend keeps saying they want to be brother’s good puppy; why, from the very beginning, were they thinking about how to hide things to avoid punishment?”