Chapter 6 — Little Fish and the White Serpent

I turned my head to see that Ye Ming had already slided forward. His serpentine tail dragged a long trace across the floor, and his vibrant azure eyes fixed straight upon the peace officer standing by the doorway.

Do not disturb her, I am precisely the one you are looking for.

Several bodyguards immediately surged into the room, pinning Ye Ming harshly to the floor. Ye Ming offered no resistance whatsoever. He merely gazed at me, his brilliant blue eyes swimming with deep remorse.

I am sorry, Jiang Yu, he murmured softly. I have dragged you into this.

Take him away. The uniformed man waved his hand dismissively.

The guards hauled Ye Ming toward the exit. I lunged forward frantically: He is not a wanted criminal! He is merely an injured snake that I rescued and brought home!

Miss Jiang, I must ask for your cooperation, the man in uniform blocked my path. If you obstruct justice any further, we shall arrest you as well.

I stared in utter disbelief as Ye Ming was dragged away, the massive black serpent leaving a twisting trail of blood across the floorboards. The wounds that had only just begun to heal were torn wide open once again. From start to finish, Ye Ming refused to look back, as though terrified that if I pursued him, I would somehow be harmed. He merely whispered a single phrase where my eyes could no longer clearly read his face. The passing wind carried his parting words to echo faintly beside my ear:

Wait for me.

The door clicked shut. I collapsed limply onto the floor, my entire body trembling uncontrollably.

Jiang Yu. Fan Han's voice drifted from behind me.

I turned my head to see him leaning against the bedroom door, his expression extraordinarily complex.

Was it you who called the police? I demanded.

He remained silent for several seconds before answering, Yes. Tears welled up in my eyes instantly.

Why? What offense did Ye Ming ever commit against you?

He committed no offense against me. Fan Han walked forward, crouching down right before me. But do you even know what his true identity is?

I do not care!

You may not care, but I do. Fan Han spoke in a chillingly cold tone. Jiang Yu, I simply cannot allow you to remain by his side.

I froze in shock.

Fan Han, you...

If you fancy me, then for the rest of your life, you are permitted to fancy only me. He reached out, cupping my face in his hands, his sapphire eyes staring intently into mine. Jiang Yu, stay with me. I am... willing to bear children with you.

I looked directly into his eyes. This very face that had once stirred my heart was now positioned inches from my own. Yet within the depths of my soul, the one I recalled was an entirely different pair of eyes—azure, gentle, and shimmering with remorse as he told me to wait for him. I forcefully brushed his hand away.

Fan Han, you are entirely mistaken.

He looked momentarily stunned. What?

Affection is something that must be mutual to truly be called affection. I stood up, hastily wiping away my tears. The two of us have never truly cared for one another.

I stared straight into his eyes: Now, you have personally driven away the person I actually care for. Fan Han's complexion instantly turned deathly pale.

Jiang Yu, that Ye Ming is a wanted fugitive! He is a remnant of the black serpent clan! Do you even have any idea what the black serpent clan represents? They are a rebellious race that plotted to overthrow the interstellar government thirty years ago! He approached you with ulterior motives, without a doubt!

And what about you? I retorted sharply. Do you not have any secrets hidden from me? Was there no hidden agenda when you chose to stay by my side?

I had known the truth for a long time. The serpentine beastmen were once among the most formidable races in the entire interstellar society. The white serpents and black serpents, in particular, possessed the greatest strength and held the highest status. The white serpents advocated that beastmen belonged to a superior class, whereas the black serpents championed peaceful and equal coexistence between humans and beastmen. The two factions eventually clashed, resulting in devastating mutual losses and triggering widespread interstellar turmoil. Ever since, the status of all serpentine beastmen had been heavily suppressed, yet only the black serpent clan was permanently categorized as a high-risk threat. Fan Han's voice grew strained: Just how much do you actually know?

I do not know a great deal, I watched him closely. But I do know that after the chaos of those years, the white serpent clan suffered virtually no losses. By contrast, the black serpent clan was nearly driven to total extinction.

What are you implying?

I am implying nothing at all. I averted my gaze. I merely found myself wondering, if the black serpent clan was truly so dangerous, why were they the only ones classified as high-risk? What about the white serpents? Where did all of them go?

Fan Han fell into a heavy silence.

Fan Han, you are one of the white serpents, aren't you?

His pupils contracted sharply.

From the very first day I brought you home, I already knew. I said softly. Your scales, your eyes, and that inherent arrogance of yours—aside from the white serpent clan, no other species of snake possesses such traits.

Then why didn't you expose me?

Expose you for what purpose? You were someone I purchased, and my name was the one on the rescue permit. Whether you were a white serpent, a black serpent, or any other kind of serpent, what difference did it possibly make to me?

And the same holds true now. Whatever existed between us ends here. Let us not dredge up the past any longer.

Fan Han's face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

Jiang Yu, I...

His lips parted, but not another word escaped.

You should leave. I said. Do not trap yourself for a lifetime by my side, mirroring the exact imprisonment you once desired for me.

I turned my back to him, refusing to look any further. From behind me came Fan Han's strained voice: Jiang Yu, what if I told you... that I no longer wish to leave?

Whether you wish to leave or not has nothing whatsoever to do with me. I did not look back. But I never wish to lay eyes on you again.

Fan Han departed. A man as fiercely proud as he was would inevitably choose to leave. Plunged back into sudden solitude, I found myself unaccustomed to the quiet. I gathered all of Fan Han's belongings, crammed them into a large cardboard box, and waited for him to come retrieve them someday. I had gone to the detention center, desperately seeking a way to visit Ye Ming, yet the personnel there insisted that no black serpent had ever been detained. I tried numerous methods, from lodging official complaints and reports to storming the Central Administration Bureau to raise a ruckus, but the results were entirely in vain. Ye Ming had instructed me to wait for him, so with no other options left, I could only choose to trust him. Countless nights, I lay upon my plush bed, tossing and turning, unable to find sleep. When people are left alone in the dark of night, their minds easily wander into melancholy and overthinking. Just the thought that my generous high-tier subsidy allowance was about to vanish along with Ye Ming brought tears to my eyes even in my dreams. Amidst my hazy slumber, I felt something repeatedly brushing against my cheek in rhythmic strokes, licking me so insistently that it snapped me wide awake.

...Ye Ming?

I must be dreaming, for how else could I possibly feel Ye Ming hovering above me, gently licking away my fallen tears?

Little Fish... I have missed you so terribly.