A Thousand-Year-Old Snake Spirit Walks into a Trap - Chapter 2

All I could do was explain that I had found the robe.

She invited me home anyway. And when she learned I had nowhere to stay, she waved a hand.

“Then stay here for a while. My son happens to be away. It’s just us two old people at home, and we get bored.”

Standing in a spacious, bright room with two sets of clothes a servant had handed me, I sighed inwardly.

There were still good people in this world.

A dark, damp room would have been even better, though. This one was so dry and airy that I felt a little uncomfortable.

It had already been cleaned. Looking around, I began to notice how exquisite the furniture and ornaments were.

Even the clothes in my hands were finer than they first appeared. Madam Liu said they were old garments her son no longer wore, one white and one blue-green. On closer inspection, there was more to them.

Subtle, elegant patterns adorned the cuffs and collars, while bands of what looked like gold thread wound around the hems. The fabric felt wonderfully smooth.

This family must be wealthy, powerful, or both.

Madam Liu’s own name was Xu Yaqing, and her husband was Liu Shousu. Both looked a little advanced in years, but she was still beautiful and he was still handsome. Their features were more sharply defined than those of most people here. They didn’t look local.

Their courtyard was tasteful and serene. Occasionally a servant or two hurried through, but otherwise it was quiet, almost deserted.

And so I settled in, getting to know my two hosts and wondering what their son might be like.

Five days later, while I was eating with the older couple, a tall man walked in with a bundle over his shoulder.

One look at his deceptively understated clothes told me this had to be their son.

I stood, cupped my hands in greeting, and gave him a polite smile.

He was unexpectedly good-looking in a rugged way, having inherited the best of both parents. He also looked rather bad-tempered.

With a slight frown, he glanced at my clothes as though displeased, then looked up at my face. He paused briefly, turned away, and didn’t look at me again.

I touched my face. I wasn’t ugly. Why did he seem so put off?

“Xu Yaqing, who is he?”

Not a particularly respectful way to address his mother.

Xu Yaqing showed none of the tender concern I had expected for a son returning home. Instead, she walked over, smacked his shoulder, and dragged him aside for a whispered conversation.

I stood there awkwardly and twitched my ears. I couldn’t hear a thing.

Strange. With a thousand years of magic, I couldn’t even catch two humans whispering outside the door?

Liu Shousu invited me to keep eating, but I didn’t want to interrupt their family reunion. I made an excuse and returned to my room.

That night, I lay in bed wondering how I would support myself. Food, clothes, lodging, travel—everything in the mortal world cost silver. I had none of the skills needed to earn a living, and I certainly didn’t want to do odd jobs or wait on people.

I meant to be a good person, so stealing or hurting others was out of the question.

Somewhere in the middle of these thoughts, I fell asleep.

Then my snake’s instincts jolted me awake. I stared warily at the door.

“Who’s there?”

Silence.

After a long while, I went outside and looked around. Nothing.

I went back to sleep.

And jolted awake again.

“Who’s there?”

This time I searched the entire courtyard, still finding nothing. When I reached Madam Liu’s son’s room, he happened to open the door and step out.

In the moonlight, his face was rigid, as though he were clenching his teeth. He looked at me with little friendliness.

Remembering my manners as a guest, I went over to greet him.

“I’m sorry. I kept feeling someone was outside my room, so I came to look around. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

It took him a couple of seconds to answer. His voice was a little rough.

“You’re imagining things.”

“Perhaps I had a nightmare.” I smiled. I didn’t believe that myself, but I had no intention of discussing it with him.

“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Lin Xiaoshe.”

After another long pause, he managed, “Liu Yang.”

Then came a deathly silence.

I found an excuse to flee.

At first light the next morning, I went out to see whether I could find a way to make money.

It was market time. Plenty of humans were still asleep, but the market was already packed with people stopping and starting, wicker baskets on their backs or smaller baskets in their hands.

I wandered through and discovered all sorts of unfamiliar foods. With no money to buy them, I could only ask their names, take a look, and move on.

“What’s this?”

“A chilled dairy dessert. Want a bowl?”

“What’s this?”

“Mung bean soup.”

“And what is this?”

“Peach-blossom pastries.”

“What’s this?”

“Hey, you’re a strange one. You’ve been asking all the way down the street and haven’t bought a thing.”

…