Encountering a Snake - Chapter 26

Sometimes, Yi Mo couldn’t understand why Shen Qingxuan always smiled at him so warmly, with eyes that seemed to light up with joy, as if everything around him was good news and everyone was kind-hearted. Yet Yi Mo knew Shen Qingxuan had many worries that had never vanished. Every time Yi Mo saw that smile, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he was smiling about.

Despite his curiosity, Yi Mo never asked. The longer they knew each other, the more he got used to seeing that pure smile. It even had the effect of brightening his own mood. As Yi Mo approached, he noticed a faint scent of milk in the air and asked, “What are you doing? Why are you so happy while holding something?”

Shen Qingxuan mysteriously waved his hand, signaling him to lower his voice, then opened his cloak to reveal a small black furball.

Yi Mo took one look and reached out to lift the sleeping creature as if it were a rag. Ignoring the little wolf’s frightened struggles, he examined it closely, wrinkling his nose in disdain. “Where did this beast come from?”

Shen Qingxuan laughed at the comment and thought to himself that everyone could be seen as beasts in some way. He said, “Just put it down. You scared it half to death. Sit down, and I’ll explain everything.”

Yi Mo waved his hand, and the black furball rolled back into Shen Qingxuan’s arms. The little wolf, frightened, curled up and clung to Shen Qingxuan’s chest. Shen Qingxuan comforted it, knowing the wolf wasn’t really afraid but was responding to Yi Mo’s perceived threat. He couldn’t help but stare at Yi Mo with a fixed gaze, which made Yi Mo frown and ask, “What are you staring at?”

Shen Qingxuan found it hard to see what was so frightening about Yi Mo and actually liked him more. He complimented, “You look good,” then pulled Yi Mo’s hand and had him sit beside him. He recounted in detail how the wolf came to be and how he ended up taking it in. Yi Mo listened without showing much emotion, only giving a cold laugh and keeping his eyes fixed on the wolf cub in Shen Qingxuan’s arms.

Just as Shen Qingxuan was about to ask for Yi Mo’s opinion, Yi Mo waved his hand, and the cub instantly transformed into a baby, lying on Shen Qingxuan’s chest, kicking chubby arms and legs and babbling. Shen Qingxuan was startled by the sudden change and almost dropped the infant into the nearby fire pit, shouting in alarm and instinctively hugging the baby tightly.

His face turned pale.

When he regained his composure, Shen Qingxuan couldn’t help but clutch the baby tightly with one hand while grabbing a nearby iron poker with the other, swinging it at Yi Mo and shouting, “Do you know how scared you made me, you scoundrel!”

Yi Mo didn’t expect such a sudden outburst and awkwardly dodged the swings. Shen Qingxuan didn’t stop and continued to lash out with the poker, though he didn’t hit Yi Mo, causing a slight noise as the poker cut through the air. His face was ashen, and his eyes were red from fear, making him look childishly foolish.

The baby’s crying eventually stopped the commotion. Shen Qingxuan dropped the poker, no longer caring about Yi Mo, and wrapped the baby in his cloak, softly comforting, “Don’t cry, dear, Uncle will get you some milk…”

Yi Mo, standing to the side, felt a sense of unfair treatment. Then Shen Qingxuan’s expression changed, and he stared blankly at the baby. When Yi Mo picked up the little creature, Shen Qingxuan’s freshly dried clothes became wet again. The baby had soiled itself. Shen Qingxuan looked up with an innocent, helpless expression, unsure of what to do, and reached out to pull Yi Mo’s sleeve without knowing what to say. The air was filled with a faint, unpleasant odor.

Yi Mo frowned and scrunched up his nose, saying, “It smells terrible.”

Only then did Shen Qingxuan realize and hurriedly changed the baby’s clothes, as there was no reason to wear such a smell during the New Year celebrations.

Yi Mo discarded the cloak wrapped around the cub, leaving the baby exposed to the cold air. He placed the wet cloak behind the screen. Shen Qingxuan, in the middle of changing clothes, did not avoid Yi Mo’s presence and remarked, “You really have some skills, turning animals into humans with just a wave of your hand. What am I supposed to do now?”

Yi Mo, recalling the scene of being hit by the poker, snorted, “You’re the one who’s becoming more skilled.” Shen Qingxuan, embarrassed by the earlier incident, smiled shyly and said, “You scared me. At least give me a heads-up next time. If I had dropped it in the fire pit, we’d have had roast baby for the New Year’s feast.” He then took Yi Mo’s hand and kissed it, trying to placate him. “Don’t be angry. Why did you turn it into a child?”

Yi Mo pinched his face, causing it to turn red. He instinctively touched it as if to comfort him. Unaware of his own actions, he retracted his hand and said, “The child is a result of the union between a human and a wolf spirit. It inherited features from both its mother and human characteristics. As expected, its mother transferred some of her inner core to it, so I just need to supply it with some demonic energy to maintain its human form. This is also why Xu Mingshi easily killed the mother wolf.”

Shen Qingxuan didn’t fully understand but knew Yi Mo’s dislike for explanations. After a moment of contemplation, he realized, “Ah, so you mean it doesn’t need to cultivate to maintain its human form? What about Xu Mingshi…”

“Xu Mingshi killed its mother, and its father died because of that. Given the wolf’s nature, it would seek revenge. But once the wolf transforms into a human, its human traits become more apparent. If you’re willing to put in the effort to teach it, Xu Mingshi will have less trouble in the future.”

“What do you mean by traits?” Shen Qingxuan pondered, “Do you mean its milk teeth?”

“It will start growing teeth within a month, which is a wolf’s trait,” Yi Mo explained. “However, it appears as an infant when in wolf form, barely distinguishable from a newborn. This is due to the human blood in its body. If it grows up in human form, it will start crawling by three months and walking by five months, and besides its appearance, it will be quite advanced.”

Shen Qingxuan was stunned and asked, “So what should I do?”

Yi Mo replied, “If you choose to raise it, then do so.”

“…I’m a man. What use is it for me to raise a child?” Shen Qingxuan shook his head. “I can’t raise it; you do it.”

Yi Mo retorted, “You’re dreaming.”

Before Shen Qingxuan could respond, the baby outside the screen started crying loudly again, its voice piercingly loud.

Shen Qingxuan’s shoulders slumped as he sighed, “I should have known better than to feed it so much earlier.” He tidied his clothes and went out again. When he saw the tiny, naked baby on the cold chair, he felt a pang of sympathy. Only a child who has lost its parents would be left so alone and exposed without any warm clothing.

Reholding the baby, Shen Qingxuan placed it on the bed, found a few of his winter knee warmers, and made a makeshift swaddling blanket to wrap the infant, then held it close again. Yi Mo stood at a distance, clearly uninterested in helping. Shen Qingxuan found that he was less troubled by the child itself and more by its constant crying. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking back to the days when Yi Mo had joked about wanting a small snake. He silently cursed to himself, even if he had given you one, you would probably run off to the ends of the earth. Despite the internal grumbling, Shen Qingxuan looked down at the baby in his arms and felt genuinely troubled.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to raise the child. At his age, many of his peers were already fathers, with one or two children. Yet, he remained childless.

He had once had a child, but it was taken away by fate before it could fully form. He tried his best to forget the pain, but what else could he do?

He had long given up on matters regarding children, yet now another child was placed into his arms. Besides the relief, there was more worry.

He was no longer the person he once was, and he didn’t know how much longer he could live. If he were to raise the child for a few years and then pass away, wouldn’t the little one be even more pitiful? Moreover, the Shen family is a deep-rooted and influential family. If this child were his own, they would naturally care for him meticulously after his death, so there would be no need to worry. But this was an adopted child, and any unusual traits would inevitably be discovered in the future. When that time came and he was gone, no one would protect the child, leading to countless potential troubles.

Furthermore, it was born of a wolf mother; its inherent wolfish nature could not be erased. As long as he was alive, he could still teach the child. After he died, who would willingly overlook the child’s wild nature and provide gentle guidance?

In this world, even an adult like him sometimes shivered at its coldness. How could he nurture and protect this child, only to abandon him in his tender years when he still needed care?

Shen Qingxuan thought and thought but still couldn’t make a decision.

For the first time in his life, he hesitated before responsibility.

Some responsibilities he could shoulder, while others he could not, especially concerning such a fragile life. Shen Qingxuan did not know how long he could care for the child, what kind of life he could provide, or what kind of path he could pave for him. Often, the entire future of this innocent life depended on his momentary decision.

After soothing the child to sleep again, Shen Qingxuan held the baby, lost in long silence.

Yi Mo had been waiting for his decision but had not received it. He could only ask what exactly he was hesitating about.

Shen Qingxuan remained silent, looking down at the peacefully sleeping baby in his arms. The baby’s long and curled eyelashes, the tears still drying, the rapid and shallow breaths, and the strong smell of milk filled his senses.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Qingxuan broke the silence and asked softly, “Yi Mo, how much longer can I live?”

“… Why do you ask this?”

“I want to raise him, but I fear dying midway, causing him more suffering. I can’t bear it.” Shen Qingxuan was honest, revealing his thoughts: “If I could live for another ten years, I would raise him, teach him how to deal with the world, how to retaliate when wronged, and how to alleviate his emotions when he is upset… If… If I die, you could take care of him for a few more years, teaching him to dispel distractions and maintain a peaceful temperament. That would be even better.”

Yi Mo looked at his profile and said with a low voice, “You have indeed thought this through.”

Shen Qingxuan bowed his head and remained silent.

The two of them were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts.

Eventually, Yi Mo walked over, stood in front of the man holding the baby, and coldly commanded, “Open your mouth.”

Shen Qingxuan didn’t know what he intended to do but obediently opened his mouth. Yi Mo flicked his fingertip, and a golden pill flew into Shen Qingxuan’s mouth, sliding down his throat. Shen Qingxuan instinctively closed his mouth and asked, “What is this?”

Yi Mo looked at him, then glanced at the sleeping baby in the swaddling clothes, and after a while, looked back at Shen Qingxuan’s face and said solemnly, “Consider this a New Year’s gift. This medicine cannot restore your health to its original state, but it will not shorten your life any further. From now on, do more good deeds to accumulate merit, and you may extend your life by a few more years.”

Shen Qingxuan then realized what Yi Mo had given him. He wasn’t too surprised, as he had bet his life on when Yi Mo would soften and end the torment caused by his passion. He had never considered what would happen if Yi Mo couldn’t solve it. In his mind, Yi Mo was omnipotent. Only such an unshakable, omnipotent existence could make him admire and willingly submit, not caring about everything just to keep this demon by his side. Day in and day out, living together.

Shen Qingxuan smiled, his face slightly flushed, and asked him, “In the future, can we indulge as much as we want?”

Yi Mo raised an eyebrow, “Do you want it again?” He bent down, slid his hand along Shen Qingxuan’s clothing, and deftly unfastened the ties, moving towards his waist.

Shen Qingxuan shivered. His waist was a sensitive area, and just a few touches from Yi Mo’s cool hands made him soften and his body heat up. Holding the swaddled baby with one hand, Shen Qingxuan couldn’t help but embrace Yi Mo’s neck, tilt his face up, and kiss him. Yi Mo quickly took control, his tongue swirling in Shen Qingxuan’s mouth. Shen Qingxuan moaned, his body instinctively writhing under Yi Mo’s touch, as if seeking more. This body, already undone by Yi Mo’s kisses, needed only a little touch to become aroused.

However, with the baby in his arms, Shen Qingxuan still retained a sliver of clarity. He remembered it was New Year’s Eve, a time already complicated, and with the daylight still bright outside and the sounds of people, it was not the right time to indulge. Forcing himself to sit up straight, Shen Qingxuan panted and shook his head, “It’s New Year’s Eve. How about you join me for the New Year’s meal later?”

Yi Mo played with the swollen red spots on his chest, ignoring him. After a while, he moved his fingers to the back, slipping beneath the fabric and lightly probing. Shen Qingxuan couldn’t help but moan, feeling the heat in that area, his folds responding to Yi Mo’s touch, wanting to swallow that hand. He quickly whispered, “No… Yi Mo… mm…”

Yi Mo tore open his waistband, reaching inside without fabric to block him. His fingers easily penetrated the desired area. Shen Qingxuan grasped his shoulder, tightening around his finger, with intestinal fluids starting to flow and becoming increasingly wet. Yet, he still resisted, not wanting to engage at this moment.

Yi Mo’s breath also became erratic. He had experienced that area countless times and was still not tired of it. He asked in a deep voice, “Can you still hold on?”

Shen Qingxuan nodded, moaning as he spoke, “… mm… please, take it out first… mm…”

Yi Mo lowered his eyes, silent but withdrawing his hand, suppressing his own urges. Yi Mo felt some frustration. In the past, he needed to arouse the other person to achieve satisfaction, but now, just touching him made him heavy and even painful. It was becoming less like himself.

Shen Qingxuan, unaware of Yi Mo’s thoughts, finally calmed his inner turmoil. He reached out, holding Yi Mo’s member through the robe, rubbing it in his hand, biting Yi Mo’s lips while saying, “After tonight, you can do whatever you want.”

Yi Mo bit back, “Really?”

“Have I ever said something to you that wasn’t true?”

Yi Mo was silent, but his fingers returned to the wet area, pressing and occasionally probing. Shen Qingxuan’s breathing became chaotic, his gaze dazed as he looked at him.

“Usually, I speak about your body,” Yi Mo said in a low voice, slowly playing with the increasingly soft entrance, “Tonight, I want to fill this place with my semen. Is that okay?”

Shen Qingxuan was completely enthralled by Yi Mo’s words, staring at him blankly and moaning, “Okay…”

Yi Mo received the response and, satisfied, kissed his face.

“Tonight, I will make you cry out from pleasure.”

Later, Shen Qingxuan couldn’t clearly recall how he returned to the dining area, his mind consumed by those two sentences, which kept flashing in his thoughts and nearly caused him to make a mistake.

Finally regaining his composure, Shen Qingxuan, with a flushed face, splashed his face with cold water in the frigid weather. He then refocused and remembered what needed to be done. He arranged for a maid to take the baby to find the Shen family matriarch and attended to his father and other relatives.

As dusk fell, the sounds of firecrackers began to fill the air. Shen’s father took a firecracker, and Shen Qingxuan lit the fuse. Shen’s father then flung it into the air, where it exploded with a loud bang.

Soon, the family, friends, and servants each lit their own firecrackers, the fiery, crackling sounds mingling with cheerful laughter. After thoroughly enjoying the festivities, they went back to have the New Year’s meal.

The more distant guests had left the day before. Only those particularly close stayed behind, all residing at the Shen residence. The women gathered around a large table in the side hall, while the men, including Shen Qingxuan, sat at the main table in the hall. The two rooms were separated by just a wall, and the sounds of joy and laughter were almost clear.

Shen Qingxuan was not present initially. When he arrived, a servant pushed the chair, and Yi Mo walked beside him.

At the meal, Yi Mo sat next to Shen Qingxuan, who was seated close to his father. The three of them were in the main seats. With the call of “Let’s start the meal” from outside, the New Year’s dinner began.