Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The black king snake was so dark there wasn’t a single speck of white on its body, and its scales gleamed with a glossy sheen. Even a newbie like me could tell it was an exceptional specimen.

I didn’t agree to sell it.

First impressions mattered, and I couldn’t bear to hand over such a beautiful snake.

Besides, I wasn’t sure whether it already had an owner.

Before the video call ended, the shop owner gave me one last reminder, sounding a little regretful.

“Looks like it should be in heat. It’s normal for it not to eat. It can go ten days, even half a month without food and be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

I looked at the snake that had clearly been so clingy last night but had suddenly turned aggressive today, then raised my hand and tapped its head.

“You little thing. Turning your back on me already? Last night you even broke out of jail and climbed into bed to sleep with me.”

The snake: “…”

“Anyway, no one’s looking for you right now, so stay with me for the time being,” I said, half talking to myself and half discussing it with the snake. “How about I call you Pearl?”

It was as beautiful as a black pearl.

The black snake curled into a ball and ignored me.

Not all snakes had the same personality. I just took it as the snake not having adjusted to its new environment yet.

That night passed peacefully.

The snake didn’t escape.

After Friday came the long-awaited weekend.

That night, the snake seemed to become the way it had been on the night I picked it up again. When I touched it, it wound itself up along my fingertips.

It really felt nice in my hands.

Maybe beauty really was in the eye of the beholder, but after seeing the black snake in front of me, all the ones I saw online seemed a few notches inferior.

It was so pretty, and so clingy.

I couldn’t help lowering my head and kissing Pearl on the head. Just then, it flicked out its tongue, damp and cool.

But after I kissed it, its reaction was a little strange. It suddenly slithered off my hand and onto the desk, watching me warily.

I reached over, wanting to rub its head. The very next second, I got bitten again.

“How does one little snake change its attitude so fast?” I laughed and still stroked its head. “I only kissed you once. I’m basically your owner now, right? What’s wrong with your owner giving you a kiss?”

Before it let go, I leaned in and kissed it a second time.

The snake froze.

I put on a shameless grin. “Pretty little snakes are meant to be kissed to death by their owners. I’ll kiss you again next time!”

The snake ran away.

It coiled itself high up on the clothes rack in my bedroom, extremely on guard.

Adorable.

I stopped teasing it, turned on my computer, and started working on my own things.

Partway through, I got a call from a headhunter. Since I happened to be at home, I put it on speaker.

After graduating, I’d joined my current company and stayed there for several years before finally clawing my way up to my current position. Climbing any higher wouldn’t be easy.

There were plenty of people with better qualifications and better connections than me. My only advantage was my ability to do the work.

If a headhunter was trying to poach me, of course I wanted to give it a shot.

People were always trying to move up in the world, after all.