Mist lingered around the poolside.
Su Su’s fearful tears soaked the corners of her eyes, her damp eyelashes clinging to her eyelids. She had cried so much that even the tip of her nose had turned red.
“Xiao Hei…”
Don’t do this.
Don’t do this.
Don’t scare her like this.
Her pale fingers clutched tightly onto the section of the snake tail binding her hands, scraping off a piece of its smooth scales.
This was the only resistance she could muster when facing an attack from a large animal.
Yet, the python seemed completely unaware of the pain. It launched the fiercest assault against its prey, accurately targeting the human’s fatal weak points and pressing down mercilessly.
A chilling sense of impending doom—of being completely devoured by a cold-blooded predator—cloaked her heart.
Su Su screamed uncontrollably.
“Xiao Hei!!!”
The python, which had been resting with its eyes closed, brought its massive head closer, rubbing against the sleeping human in confusion.
“Hiss?”
Su Su jolted awake, her slightly accelerated heartbeat revealing that she had just experienced a rather unpleasant dream.
When she felt the familiar snake tongue flickering toward her, she instinctively dodged.
Xiao Hei had already reverted to its massive form. Seeing the female avoid its affectionate gesture, a trace of hurt flashed through its vertical pupils. It made no sound, merely gazing at her in silence.
Clutching her still wildly beating heart, Su Su vividly recalled the scenes from her dream.
She even remembered all of its terrible actions in the water.
All of this could be blamed on what happened two months ago—when the suddenly shrunken Xiao Hei slipped into the hot spring, tied her up against the rocks, and “attacked” her… That “fear” had been magnified dozens of times in the dream, raising Su Su’s vigilance to its peak.
Two months had passed.
Because the heavy snow had sealed the roads and mountains, and with no means of transportation or a detailed map, Su Su decided to wait in the mountains until the snow disaster ended.
During this time, Xiao Hei had been exceptionally well-behaved, never repeating that kind of behavior. The “rift” from that day had gradually faded, and Su Su’s vigilance had slowly returned to normal.
If not for having that dream just now, she might have already forgotten about that day’s events.
“Hiss?”
“……”
Xiao Hei attempted to show goodwill once more, but still received no response from the female. Disheartened, it gently placed her inside the makeshift shelter and turned to go hunting.
Not long after, a freshly killed, bloodied rabbit was tossed in front of Su Su.
The massive python stuck its head into the shelter, gazing at the female with eager, expectant eyes.
Looking at Xiao Hei’s cautious and careful demeanor, Su Su sighed and took the initiative to hug its large head.
“Sorry, I just had a nightmare and got scared.”
“Hiss~”
Xiao Hei happily rubbed against her, showing no trace of resentment or displeasure toward her earlier resistance and wariness.
A wave of warmth and guilt rose in Su Su’s heart.
For the past two months, amidst the vast, snow-covered mountains and forests, she and Xiao Hei had relied on each other for survival… No, it was more like Xiao Hei had been taking care of and feeding her.
When meat was scarce, it would burrow underground to find hibernating animals. When temperatures dropped, it would generate heat on its own, serving as a living electric blanket throughout the night. When boredom struck, it would carry her around in search of edible wild greens that could substitute for fiber.
It had even taken her to an abandoned mountain village, where they discovered books and early magazines left behind by the villagers, helping them pass the long, dull days.
Thinking about all this, Su Su’s guilt reached its peak.
How could she hold on to such prolonged wariness toward Xiao Hei just because of what happened that day? She had nearly forgotten about it after two months, yet a dream had resurfaced those memories, painting Xiao Hei in such a terrible light.
It was just an accident.
“Xiao Hei, I’m sorry for these past few months.”
Su Su’s sudden apology was spoken without much thought. She hadn’t expected Xiao Hei to understand, but the python she was holding not only comprehended her words, but a glimmer of triumph even flashed in its eyes.
Hiss… It silently flicked out its forked tongue, trying hard to suppress its urge to lick the female. When her gaze turned toward it, it quickly assumed a gentle and harmless expression.
Su Su completely let down her guard.
She picked up the bloodied rabbit and smiled. “Today, we’re having spicy rabbit head and diced spicy rabbit!”
She had all the necessary seasonings. Before the supermarkets were completely ransacked by survivors, she had gathered a good amount of spices and stored them in Xiao Hei’s space, greatly enriching their meals over the past two months.
Su Su skillfully skinned the rabbit, marinated it, and stir-fried it. The pungent aroma filled the air.
The large black python lying nearby nearly sneezed.
Su Su nudged its head. “Stay back a little.”
The black snake refused to move. Its flicking tongue, longing to lick its human, was restrained by rationality—it stretched out, then silently retracted.
Su Su fed half of the cooked rabbit to Xiao Hei, while she held a bowl of rice and a plate of spicy diced rabbit for herself.
Sunlight, rare and precious, filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light onto their simple shelter. She squinted in pleasure, her voice carrying a hint of excitement. “Xiao Hei! In a few more days, we’ll be able to continue our journey!”
A glossy black snake tail smacked the ground in displeasure.
Having grown accustomed to spending time alone with Su Su, Xiao Hei had no desire to set off again—let alone return to their previous life, where she would once more be surrounded by those foul-smelling humans.
Su Su didn’t notice its reluctance.
Over the past months, she had traveled all over the mountain range with Xiao Hei, yet she hadn’t seen any familiar villages or landmarks pointing toward G City.
That left only one possibility—she had strayed far from G City. If she wanted to reunite with Pang Cancan and the others, she would have to spend a long time on the road again.
A few days later, the thick ice covering the roads completely melted. Su Su packed up their simple shelter and climbed onto Xiao Hei’s back.
“Let’s go, we’re leaving the mountains!”
“Hiss!”
The black snake adjusted its size to a suitable proportion—large enough to carry the female while moving, yet not so conspicuous as to attract undue attention.
Finally, just before nightfall, human and snake crossed out of the mountain range and caught sight of a familiar highway!
In just a short while, several cars had already sped past.
Su Su and Xiao Hei hid in the woods by the roadside, enviously watching them. “Xiao Hei, if only our off-road vehicle was still here.”
There were still hundreds of kilometers to the Southern Base, and she couldn’t just ride a giant python openly on the road.
Not to mention the risk of attracting unwanted attention, but also—if Xiao Hei had to slither such a long distance, the scales on its belly would probably be worn down to sparks against the asphalt.
“Hiss!”
Let’s steal one.
The black snake’s vertical pupils glowed faintly as it fixated on the moving “steel boxes” below, already selecting which one would be the most suitable for its female’s journey.
Su Su patted its head. “We can’t steal one.”
In the apocalypse, vehicles were scarce and valuable resources—they could be used as threats or for trade. Simply robbing one would be too aggressive and domineering.
Despite everything she had been through, her personality hadn’t changed much. She was still mild-mannered and had no desire to bully others with power.
Su Su continued observing the road for a while before an idea took shape in her mind.
“Xiao Hei.” She opened the backpack she carried. “Hurry up, get inside.”
To lighten the load for the human, the black snake shrank back to a size of about two meters, perfectly fitting into the backpack.
Su Su climbed down the steep slope at the edge of the forest.
The snow had only recently melted, leaving the ground wet and slippery. She failed to notice a slick patch and landed hard on her backside, her clothes below the waist instantly covered in mud.
“Hiss!”
Xiao Hei’s head shot out of the bag, seeming confused as to how she could fall so easily.
As expected, she really couldn’t be left alone.
Su Su struggled to stand up. “Xiao Hei, did I squish you?”
“Hiss…”
A crimson snake tongue flicked out, attempting to lick away a smear of mud on the female’s cheek, only to be swiftly smacked aside by her quick reflexes.
“Dirty! No licking!”
The black snake silently withdrew its tongue and instead used its tail to wipe the mud away.
Seeing that her clothes were already filthy beyond salvation, Su Su simply bundled Xiao Hei back up and stuffed it into the backpack again.
“Stay inside for now. I’m going to try and flag down a car.”
Her plan was simple: use food or other supplies to stop a passing vehicle, negotiate a ride to the nearest town, and then search for an abandoned but still functional car she could use.
However, reality slapped her hard in the face.
Su Su stood by the roadside, frantically waving her arms, but every single vehicle that saw her only accelerated, speeding away without hesitation, leaving behind nothing but a trail of cold, indifferent exhaust fumes.
Before long, another car approached from behind.
“Holy shit? There’s a gorgeous woman up ahead trying to flag us down!”
A man inside the car clung to his seat, his eyes practically glowing. “Boss, let’s stop and pick her up?”
The driver growled, “Use your damn brain! Even before the apocalypse, when we were on road trips, we wouldn’t just stop for random hitchhikers. And now, in the apocalypse, in the middle of nowhere, a woman suddenly appears out of nowhere—who the hell knows if it’s a trap?! If you idiots want to die, just say the word, and I’ll kick you all out right now!”
His outburst successfully sobered up the rest of the passengers. They awkwardly shut their mouths.
The driver slammed the gas pedal, and the car sped off in a flash, disappearing from sight.
Su Su: “…”
Was stealing a car really the only option?
As she contemplated her choices, another vehicle—a white Volkswagen Beetle—approached.
Not holding out much hope, Su Su half-heartedly waved her hand.
To her surprise, the car actually stopped right in front of her.
The driver was a sharp-featured woman, and in the passenger seat sat an exceptionally good-looking man.
The woman glanced at Su Su’s mud-stained clothes and frowned. “Did something happen to you?”
Seeing a chance, Su Su quickly recited the excuse she had prepared. “I was traveling with my companion to the Southern Base, but we had a fight, and he kicked me out of the car… I still have some food with me. If you’re willing to take me to the next town, I’ll give you all of it!”
The woman’s gaze lingered on Su Su’s face for a few seconds before she gave a straightforward response.
“Alright, get in—I’ll take you there, since you’re pretty.”