Shen Zhiqi’s thoughts were guessed correctly by his brother, so he immediately shook his head to banish such non-“good puppy” behavior from his mind.
“I won’t hide anything from you again, Brother.”
Shen Zhiheng did not know if the little snake truly understood his intentions or if he was simply complying because he was strictly following the rules of being a “good puppy.”
Still uneasy, he explained again: “Baby, I cannot always guess what you are thinking right away. I need you to tell me.”
He held the little snake’s slightly cool, small hand and continued to teach him gently: “I need to ask over and over, and I need my little puppy to tell me what happened and what he wants again and again. As for Brother’s rewards, they will certainly be things you like. And Brother’s punishments are only intended to help you remember a lesson; they will never truly cause you pain.”
The little snake nodded, seeming to half-understand.
In truth, he had never really been punished by his brother. His brother’s doting on him had reached an outrageous level; as for rewards, they were always varied and plentiful.
He had developed a concept of “Brother’s Rules” in his little heart, but he only had a deep, tangible sense of the rewards.
The little snake tentatively asked, “Then what would make Brother truly angry?”
Shen Zhiheng counted off the little snake’s fingers, listing them seriously: “Concealment, deception, and leaving.”
He could not think of a fourth term, so he stopped there.
“Aside from those, Brother can tolerate my little puppy making mistakes again and again.”
The little snake pursed his lips and thought about it earnestly.
“Brother, you are lying. When I was running around in the yard before, you were angry too.”
“That can be counted under the category of leaving. Even if you do not want to, if your body is too weak and you are always sick, you would eventually leave Brother.”
Shen Zhiheng’s brilliant brain explained it earnestly.
This explanation was logically impeccable, and the dull little snake had no way to refute his brother with his own not-so-sharp brain.
In the little snake’s perception, his brother’s rules drew a line between the past and the present, truly assigning him to his brother from the bottom of his heart.
His dependency now had a psychological anchor, becoming more stable and indestructible.
The little snake did not know the severity of the punishments; he never once thought about crossing his brother’s red lines.
Having resolved this thorny psychological issue, the brothers turned their attention back to the accident at hand.
Shen Zhiqi widened his eyes as he looked at his brother.
Although his brother said he would not be angry, laughing at him for this was also forbidden!
Shen Zhiheng gave the little snake special face this time. He reiterated: “This is a normal physiological reaction as your tail changes into human legs, baby. It is a normal phenomenon.”
Only then did the little snake nod in relief and pat his chest.
“Do not worry, Brother. Since I was the one who accidentally dirtied it, I will wash it clean.”
“It needs to be washed, but you do not need to do it.”
Shen Zhiheng took a soft towel and wiped the little snake’s tear-stained face clean.
“Baby, these little hands can be used to draw or to hold Brother’s hand, but they do not need to be soaked in laundry water. Professional matters should be left to professionals. Just let the laundry staff handle it.”
“Wait, wait a minute!”
Shen Zhiqi grabbed his brother’s sleeve, stopping him from calling the maid.
“No, do not call anyone else. Do not tell anyone about this… Please, Brother.”
He pressed his hands together in front of him, pursing his little lips as he muttered “please.”
“It is too embarrassing. I am not a toddler anymore. How can an eight-year-old child still wet the bed? How could I let others on the island know? It would be so embarrassing!”
Shen Zhiheng pinched the tip of the little snake’s nose and laughed: “You little puppy-snake, where did you get such a heavy burden of idol image? Besides, if it is okay to tell other people, why is it a problem to tell your brother?”
“Brother, Brother is different! You can know… this is a secret between me and Brother!”
The little snake fell into his brother’s trap without hesitation, personally admitting that his brother was different from everyone else. This one sentence made the corners of Shen Zhiheng’s mouth unable to stop curling upward.
Shen Zhiheng naturally picked up the little pants and squeezed a bit of specialized detergent onto the light-yellow stain.
The soft velvet he had sewn onto the waistband of the pants himself was soon rubbed clean in his hands.
Actually, for a family like Shen Zhiheng’s, there would have been no issue with just throwing them away.
But the little snake insisted on destroying the evidence, so Shen Zhiheng had to indulge him and wash it by hand.
While things were bustling inside, the laundry room door was pushed open from the outside.
The servant who had prepared lunch had waited through several rounds; the food had been reheated twice, but the eldest young master and the little snake still had not appeared.
They had no choice but to search the villa, eventually finding the two in the laundry room.
As they opened the door, they saw the scene before them.
The young master, who had almost never stepped foot in this laundry room before, was now diligently washing bedsheets at the utility sink.
The diligent servants, having no idea what was going on with their young master, rushed over to take the sheets from Shen Zhiheng’s hands.
“Young Master, why are you here? Please leave it to us; we are responsible for the little master’s clothing.”
Shen Zhiheng did not let go, but the little snake grew anxious, opening his arms wide and shielding his brother with a guilty conscience.
This secret between the brothers could not be exposed to others!
“No, do not need for you to wash it!”
Shen Zhiqi stammered loudly, his little face flushed red, unable to come up with a valid excuse to keep others away.
He looked back for help, his eyes filled with urgency.
“Brother, say something! We had an agreement!”
Shen Zhiheng found his appearance so adorable that he could not help but laugh.
He waved his hand at the servants and ordered: “You all go back to your other tasks; I will handle this.”
“But, Young Master, this…”
Shen Zhiheng nodded again to confirm: “It is fine.”
Even though the servants were confused, they had no choice but to leave.
One person muttered softly, “What are those two brothers playing at?” before leaving, still filled with doubt.
Shen Zhiqi pressed against the door to confirm that everyone had gone far away, and his tense nerves finally relaxed.
Behind him came Shen Zhiheng’s voice: “Brother promised to keep your secret, and I will definitely do so.”
The little snake hopped back, raised his hands to wrap them around his brother’s waist, and his snake tail coiled around his brother’s ankles.
“Mmh! You are the best, Brother! You are the best brother in the whole wide world!”
He was eager to pinky-promise with his brother, his hands still covered in bubbles, looking at him with bright eyes:
“We have to pinky-promise. This is a secret between me and Brother forever.”
Shen Zhiheng made the promise with him and sealed it with his thumb: “Forever.”
Before the information about the publisher of the missing person notice reached Shen Zhiheng, his own dismal interstellar higher education entrance exam results arrived.
He knew his scores would be ugly; after all, he had fallen asleep during the most important exam in people’s eyes.
In the past, his future had no goals and no motivation.
The money his father gave him was enough for him to live a life of debauchery on this planet forever, without the need for any effort.
This life trajectory took a 180-degree turn with the arrival of the little puppy-snake.
Money alone was not enough; Shen Zhiheng needed connections to protect little Qi as he moved toward the future.
Moreover, he was still thinking about getting revenge for the little snake.
Shen Zhiheng was determined to retake the exam, but preparing for the exam again in just one short year was still a significant workload.
He hired renowned tutors to tutor him, and a group of people revolved around him on the island every day.
Shen Zhiqi would hold his own tail and periodically refresh his presence next to his brother, trying to understand the symbols and numbers on the projection screen just like his brother did.
Of course, he could not understand them.
At first, those symbols had clear strokes in his eyes, but then they became blurry.
It was not long before the little snake would slump over the desk and fall into a sweet sleep.
Countless times he resolved not to fall asleep today, but even after patting his cheeks until they were red, he would still end up fast asleep by his brother’s side.
Shen Zhiheng and the teachers had to check his breathing several times to make sure the little one had not actually fainted.
“What an enviable sleep quality for this age,” the old professor wearing reading glasses sighed.
During a break, the teacher curiously poked the little snake’s flushed, warm cheek.
He asked casually: “Children of this age are starting primary school; has the young master thought about taking Zhiqi to school?”
If he had not yet investigated who was behind the missing person notice, Shen Zhiheng might have considered whether to let the little snake gradually integrate into society.
Shen Zhiheng answered firmly: “No, it is too dangerous outside.”
“You cannot keep Zhiqi locked on this island forever, can you? Do you not want to take him to see the outside world?”
“He would not want to either.”
Shen Zhiheng gently pinched the little snake’s ears and whispered.
“If it were you, Teacher, and you saw an Omega walking on the street dragging a tail over a meter long, would your first reaction be fear and to run away?”
The teacher froze, and under Shen Zhiheng’s scrutinizing gaze, he nodded honestly.
“Exactly. And is it not true that the only reason you did not run away because little Qi is a snake-type Omega is because I am here?”
The two adults remained silent in a tacit understanding for a while, staring at the little snake’s deep, long breaths as he slept.
After a long time, the teacher’s hesitant voice broke the silence: “But, what way do you have to break the human genetic fear of snakes?”
Shen Zhiheng shook his head.
“This is perhaps a problem that the little snake and I will continue to explore, pursue, and solve.”
The teacher smiled lightly, teasing, “I thought that, given your temperament, you would imprison him on this isolated island for his whole life.”
Shen Zhiheng shrugged, showing a proud expression, sighed lightly, and shook his head with feigned regret:
“Sigh, who made little Qi like me, this brother? Who made it so that the little snake never thought about escaping and only wanted to be by his brother’s side? Of course, I have to give the little snake the best, to give him what he likes. I will not be like the people in the laboratory who only gave the little snake life without giving that life freedom.”
The old professor rarely saw such a vibrant, 18-year-old youth in Shen Zhiheng, but he still could not help but slap the shoulder of the person who was being so smug.
“Stop acting like you have gained an advantage while still acting hurt.”
He withdrew his hand in annoyance, his gaze falling back on that defenseless, sleeping little face.
“But seriously, this child sleeping every day like this is not a long-term solution. He needs something to pass the time and something he can focus on.”
Shen Zhiheng deeply agreed and humbly asked for advice: “Does the teacher have any suggestions? Or should I let him try a few things?”
The old professor thought for a moment and gently pulled a few draft papers from where the little snake was lying.
On the papers were complex formulas Shen Zhiheng had used to calculate interstellar exchange rates, but in the blank spaces, the little snake had used colored pens to doodle some strange patterns.
Previously, the little snake could only draw thick green lines, drawing his snake tail like a thick vegetable. Now, he could draw quite interesting stick figures.
When Shen Zhiqi was not asleep, he would treat the teacher’s lecture voice as background noise, and his favorite thing to do was draw little green snakes and his brother, as well as a golden puppy, on paper.
He regarded this island as his true home and his brother as the head of the house he could rely on.
All of this could be seen in his childlike drawings.
Whether it was Shen Zhiheng’s biased elder brother filter or not, he held the little snake’s drawing and commented: “Qi’s color perception and emotional expression are excellent. I will arrange for an art teacher to give him lessons.”
Next to the living room where his brother studied, a space exclusive to the little snake was added.
A custom-made easel was adjusted to the height most suitable for Shen Zhiqi, and a full set of art materials was neatly arranged next to it.
The painting teacher Shen Zhiheng specially invited to the house, besides seeing the very expensive full set of materials, saw the student hiding behind Shen Zhiheng.
“Hello, is this Qi? I am the painting teacher your brother invited. How about I teach you how to paint later?”
The little snake was timid about the arrival of strangers; he had even taken a long time just to adapt to the presence of his brother’s tutors.
He hid behind his brother, poked his little head out from his brother’s shoulder, and stared at the strange adult with vigilance.
Just as almost all humans feared snakes, Shen Zhiqi was also terrified of real people.
Shen Zhiheng turned to look at the little snake timidly clinging to his shoulder and gently held his slightly cool, small hand.
“Baby, do not be afraid. This is Teacher Li. He is here to teach you how to paint. Brother has seen your drawings; they are excellent. But Brother does not know how to paint, so I asked the teacher to teach you.”
He led the little snake to the easel.
“The art supplies prepared for you are right next to Brother’s desk. This way, when you learn to paint, you will also be keeping Brother company while I study. Tell Brother, do you want to learn to paint?”
“Want to…”
The little one’s voice was thin and soft, but he honestly expressed his desire.
He held his brother’s hand a little tighter and whispered: “But… I am not, not someone particularly smart. I learn things very slowly, so…”
In the little snake’s world, his brother and other people were completely different humans.
He knew he was not as capable as humans and had to work very hard to learn something.
Even wagging his tail like a puppy had taken him a very, very long time to learn.
He had to work very hard to achieve the appearance people expected so that he could get rewards, or even the food needed to fill his stomach.
“Learning slowly is not necessarily a bad thing; it means you learn more meticulously than others.”
Shen Zhiheng understood the little snake’s childish concerns, rubbed his head, and consoled him softly:
“Baby, tell Brother, do you like it? Do you want to learn? Brother only needs to know that much, and you only need to do what you like.”
Putting aside all worldly concerns about results, the little snake’s answer became very clear.
Shen Zhiqi nodded, looked into his brother’s eyes, and answered sincerely: “I like it. Every time I draw, time goes by very fast, and I do not feel sleepy at all.”
“Good, then we will learn.”
Shen Zhiheng signaled to the painting teacher, indicating he should say something to the little snake.
Teacher Li nodded and immediately followed up: “Do not worry, Qi. I will teach you slowly in a way you can accept.”
He was happy to do such tutoring work; there was no need to consider the pressure of art school admissions, as it was purely for a hobby.
Being able to devote energy to one’s hobby was a happy thing. At least for Shen Zhiqi, he could truly feel happiness from painting.
Thus, the little snake accompanying Shen Zhiheng finally stopped sleeping all day and began to pick up the brush to explore a new world.
The little corner where the desk and easel stood side-by-side now had colorful colors, and the walls were covered with colorful drawings.
From the simple lines at the beginning, they gradually gained concrete shapes and detailed depictions.
Shen Zhiqi was still obsessed with drawing the puppy mama he kept in mind, and the presented artwork became clearer and clearer.
The beast-like features of a Golden Retriever, short light-gold hair, and a physique much, much stronger than the one Shen Zhiqi drew for himself.
The increasingly clear content made Shen Zhiheng suspicious.
The content of these drawings looked more and more like a real person.
At this time, the person who had been persistently posting the missing person notice on the light terminal finally had news.
The other party was cautiously weird; he was looking for someone but was unwilling to reveal more details about the little snake Omega.
Shen Zhiheng was secretly uneasy.
Was not this kind of inquiry method just like the Omega Protection Association trying to secretly deal with the little snake?
Lin Ze brought the information about the owner of the missing person notice to find Shen Zhiheng.
He pushed open the villa’s door and saw at a glance Shen Zhiheng, who was relaxing after just finishing a small test, and the little snake, who was doodling on his brother’s face.
“Young Master, I have brought the relevant information.”
Shen Zhiheng nodded, settled the little snake, and followed Lin Ze to the side.
His face had many traces of colored paint, all doodles from the little snake.
Among them, of course, was the thick green vegetable.
“The matter is related to the Mu family’s eldest son. He wants to meet with you.”
Lin Ze handed the information in his hands to Shen Zhiheng and explained.
Shen Zhiheng had some impression of this person.
A well-known wealthy gentleman in the tycoon circle, a child raised by the Mu family with extremely strict family education, pouring everything into him.
Of course, that person had always looked down on Shen Zhiheng, the playboy.
Shen Zhiheng had a headache, “Why is the eldest son of the Mu family meddling in this?”
“The eldest son of the Mu family is at least a reasonable person. Young Master, you can meet with him. Moreover, with the Mu family’s connections, it would only be a matter of time before they finally found you.”
After some internal struggle, Shen Zhiheng decided to meet with the eldest son of the Mu family.
The meeting place was arranged by Lin Ze in a highly private club.
According to the appointment, the only one who pushed the door and entered was the Mu family’s eldest son, Mu Jingyi.
Just as in Shen Zhiheng’s impression, Mu Jingyi wore an extremely exquisite custom-made suit, his gaze sharp and restrained, his whole body exuding the maturity of a superior person who did not belong to his age.
Shen Zhiheng sat in front of him, feeling nervous and sitting up straight.
The successor of the Mu family before him, who had been through hundreds of battles, absolutely had more negotiation experience than a playboy like him.
He bit the bullet and said: “Young Master Mu, let us speak plainly. Was that missing person notice posted by you?”
“No, I posted it for someone else.”
Mu Jingyi’s calm voice sounded, his gaze falling lightly on Shen Zhiheng’s tense face.
“For Young Master Shen to go to such great lengths to call me here, saying a face-to-face meeting was necessary, does that mean you have news of that little snake Omega?”