The Serpent’s Embrace

“Just behave, and I won’t make you suffer.”

Such profound mercy. Such bitter irony.

Su Xiaoxiao already knew she couldn’t escape this ordeal. Xiyue’s tail, full of menace, pressed against her.

Her heart felt dead, yet she refused to be humiliated by Xiyue out in the open. Thus, she spoke in a low voice, “Xiyue, not here. I don’t want to be here…”

Xiyue was a flood dragon. Before transforming into one, she had been a snake.

Snakes, by nature, were lustful creatures. During mating season, they coupled and intertwined wherever they pleased, be it in a ditch or on a branch, solely focused on pleasure.

While Xiyue was not as brazen, the inherent nature of a snake still lingered deep within her. She simply desired swift and satisfying release.

Su Xiaoxiao’s suggestion, to her, was merely a flimsy excuse, a lie meant to delay.

Xiyue slapped Su Xiaoxiao’s waist. The slender curve of her waist immediately flushed crimson.

Su Xiaoxiao, however, neither cried nor screamed. She merely wondered why the method Gu Yan had suggested only worked once.

Xiyue’s strength was immense. In just a few swift motions, she tore Su Xiaoxiao’s clothes, even her undergarments, to shreds.

Many years later, Su Xiaoxiao would still not understand this habit of hers. Why did Xiyue so delight in destroying things?

Having never managed a household, Xiyue understood nothing of the value of everyday necessities.

Xiyue touched one of Su Xiaoxiao’s fins. “Open up, just like last time.”

The absurdity of that day remained unforgettable to Su Xiaoxiao. She was terrified.

Her hesitation and dawdling quickly wore down Xiyue’s patience. “Hurry,” Xiyue urged, her voice laced with a hint of menace.

Knowing she could no longer escape, Su Xiaoxiao slowly opened up. Xiyue, seeing her compliance, immediately coiled around her.

Su Xiaoxiao only registered the searing pain in her tail. Her body ached all over, as Xiyue’s flood dragon scales rubbed against her skin and tail.

An unknown amount of time passed. Xiyue, glancing over, suddenly noticed several scales from Su Xiaoxiao’s tail had scraped off onto the stones at the edge of the pool.

Xiyue froze instantly, her movements halting. A single thought flashed through her mind.

‘This fish will likely be crying again soon.’

Xiyue gently caressed Su Xiaoxiao’s tail, where several scales were missing. Then, a faint wisp of black energy gathered in her palm.

In an instant, Su Xiaoxiao’s tail transformed into a pair of delicate, slender, white legs.

The skin where the scales had fallen seemed scraped raw, as if on the verge of bleeding.

Xiyue gently repositioned her body. Su Xiaoxiao’s legs hung limply in the water.

In this face-to-face position, Xiyue took in every detail of Su Xiaoxiao’s body and the emotions reflected in her eyes.

Su Xiaoxiao bit her lip, not making a sound. Xiyue observed that she was close to breaking the skin.

“Stop biting.”

“If you keep biting,” Xiyue added, “you’ll bleed again shortly.”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t understand the meaning behind her words. As Xiyue ceased her movements, Su Xiaoxiao gradually adjusted, no longer crying, no longer struggling.

Her fishnet-like undergarments fell away languidly, revealing her collarbones and skin.

Xiyue’s gaze burned. She raised a hand to caress her, and Su Xiaoxiao, thinking she was about to pinch her, instinctively recoiled.

Her skin was cool and smooth, wonderfully soft to the touch. Xiyue leaned in.

Without much force, she tasted.

Su Xiaoxiao, however, whimpered, “Xiyue, stop…”

Her voice was delicate and faint, yet laced with a captivating allure. Had anyone been eavesdropping, they might have assumed Xiyue’s temperament was so cruel that she tormented Su Xiaoxiao relentlessly even in bed.

Su Xiaoxiao had been consistently taking the medicine prescribed by Gu Yan. Still, whenever her emotions became too agitated, she couldn’t help but cough softly.

“Cough, cough…”

Just as she covered her mouth to emit two soft coughs, Xiyue reached out, supporting her back, and lifted her entirely into her arms.

This position made Su Xiaoxiao shriek uncontrollably. Xiyue gently stroked the back of her neck, her tone far softer than before. “What are you afraid of? I told you I wouldn’t make you hurt.”

“It hurts too much…”

Su Xiaoxiao weakly rested her head on Xiyue’s shoulder, panting.

It was an exceedingly intimate position. Xiyue, in a rather good mood, countered with a question, “Is that all?”

Su Xiaoxiao, gasping softly, didn’t seem to have heard her.

This little fish was too naive, completely oblivious to such gentle, suggestive words. It only served to intensify Xiyue’s desires.

Her face was flushed, whether from the crimson glow of the setting sun or from the burgeoning pleasure she was beginning to discern.

Xiyue couldn’t help but tease, “Your reaction… it doesn’t look like pain to me.”

It truly didn’t hurt much anymore, but Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t quite describe the sensation. Deep down, she seemed to want Xiyue to stop, yet also yearned for her to continue.

This was too strange, and it slightly frightened Su Xiaoxiao.

Xiyue, however, didn’t understand the intricate workings of the little fish’s heart. She no longer wished to waste words on her.

“Ah… please…呜,” Su Xiaoxiao bit her lower lip tightly. This time, perhaps because the ups and downs brought no quick release, the suppressed sensation surged, threatening to overwhelm her.

Su Xiaoxiao tried to evade, but Xiyue held her waist, preventing her from thrashing about.

Her long legs flailed wildly in the water. She arched her neck, like a fish about to drown, gasping for air with an open mouth.

“No, stop it!” Su Xiaoxiao suddenly seemed to regain her senses, beginning to struggle violently. “Let go of me!”

“Ah—”

Just as an intense sensation finally began to build, Xiyue found her too noisy. She cupped the back of Su Xiaoxiao’s neck, pulling her close, and sealed Su Xiaoxiao’s cries of pain with her lips.

Her mind felt like exploding fireworks. For a moment, the world before her turned into a screen of static, leaving her utterly limp and powerless, unable to recover for a long time.

Gradually, her consciousness returned. The beauty before her was like a unique, cold moon fairy, fallen to the mortal realm.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her features picturesque. Silver-white hair cascaded to her waist, and her peach-blossom eyes were as profound as a galaxy.

With skin like ice and bones like jade, Xiyue resembled a fairy from the Moon Palace descending upon the human world.

At this moment, the fairy drew near, her breath like orchids. “My good Xiaoxiao…”

Satiated and content, Xiyue’s demeanor was less cold than usual. A hint of post-coital tenderness emerged.

She embraced Su Xiaoxiao, and seeing her lost in thought a moment ago and now intermittently coughing, Xiyue felt a pang of regret for the very first time.

That palm strike back then had indeed been too heavy. After injuring her spiritual and heart meridians, Su Xiaoxiao’s body had grown increasingly frail.

Yet, upon closer reflection, Xiyue blamed the little fish herself for being too foolish, for knowingly approaching a tiger in its mountain lair.

A mere mermaid, barely three hundred years old, dared to lay hands on her. It was indeed overestimating her own abilities, utterly foolish.

Su Xiaoxiao’s coughs were barely audible. Xiyue refused to release her, and though Su Xiaoxiao was afraid, she lacked the strength to struggle.

Her chest felt uncomfortable as well. The familiar burning sensation seemed to have returned.

Xiyue noticed her discomfort and softly called, “Little fish?”

Su Xiaoxiao remained slumped against her shoulder, occasionally letting out a choked cough or two.

Xiyue’s brow furrowed slightly. Maintaining their face-to-face embrace, she lifted Su Xiaoxiao from the water, swiftly carried her back into the room, and, with relative gentleness, placed her on the divan before turning to retrieve a medicine bottle.

Even after taking the medicine, Su Xiaoxiao’s complexion remained poor. Xiyue then transferred a small amount of spiritual energy to her, and only then did the color gradually return to her delicate face.

“Feeling better?” Xiyue asked her.

Su Xiaoxiao did not reply. She merely curled up, turning her back, unwilling to speak with Xiyue.

The strange sensation in her belly filled Su Xiaoxiao with dread. Her heart was full of unspoken grievances, leaving her to grieve in silence.

Having expended too much energy earlier, Su Xiaoxiao soon fell asleep.

Xiyue had never encountered such an awkward fish. She stood by the bed, watching her for a while, surprised to find the little fish had, once again, fallen asleep so carelessly.

Unbeknownst to her, Xiyue’s lips curved into a faint smile.

When the moon ascended to the treetops, Su Xiaoxiao awoke, feeling hungry. Xiyue was seated at the table, and seeing her stir, she said, “Come here and eat.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s legs were still somewhat weak. She swayed as she got out of bed, and just as she sat down, Xiyue seized her hand.

Su Xiaoxiao was highly wary, desperately trying to pull her hand back. Yet Xiyue held her wrist firmly, refusing to let go.

When the other finally released her, Su Xiaoxiao discovered a jade bracelet on her wrist. Red threads seemed to drift within the jade.

She looked up at Xiyue, a question in her eyes. Xiyue merely stated indifferently, “It’s for you.”