Chapter 52

Mo Laoda rushed away, dragging Yin Xiaoxiao behind him wrapped up in his tail. Yin Xiaoxiao was thrown into confusion. “Wait, hey, wait!”

Mo Laoda turned a deaf ear until both of them were very, very far away from Yin Xiaoxiao’s family’s home. It was only then that Mo Laoda stopped.

Yin Xiaoxiao was dazed, his upper body swaying in circles. From the bottom of his heart, he resolutely swore: Even if Heitan’s was faster, in the future he absolutely couldn’t let Mo Laoda drag him around! It was really too hard on a snake, okay!

Mo Laoda didn’t feel even the slightest bit of guilt over his behavior, even to the point where he complained a little to Yin Xiaoxiao, “Little Idiot, you’re too lacking in physical strength! It seems that it’s vital to continue you training!”

Still in a daze, Yin Xiaoxiao had no words to express his resentment and couldn’t help but cry out in his mind, “Stinky Heitan! Bad Heitan! You only know how to bully me!”

Mo Laoda stood up, began to scan his surroundings and, without asking for Yin Xiaoxiao’s opinion, selected a direction and stated, “Well, we can return home.”

Yin Xiaoxiao,  following behind Mo Laoda, obediently said “Oh” and obediently began to slither after Mo Laoda.

While slithering, Mo Laoda turned his head and looked at Yin Xiaoxiao, baffled. Seeing that Yin Xiaoxiao was obediently following him, Mo Laoda couldn’t help but ask, “Little Idiot, you don’t blame me for dragging you away from your home?”

Yin Xiaoxiao heard Mo Laoda’s words and stared blankly. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he answered,” When you first said that you wanted to return with me, I immediately knew that my Pop and Dad certainly wouldn’t agree to my being friends with you! Ultimately, you dragging me away was a good outcome. Only,” Yin Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, “I know you are very dissatisfied that my Dad and Pop didn’t permit you to be friends with me, but you also shouldn’t joke about taking me as your partner. What would happen if my Dad and Pop took it seriously?”

Listening to Yin Xiaoxiao, Mo Laoda was, at first, very calm. By the time Yin Xiaoxiao had finished speaking, Mo Laoda was green in the face ¹ . This Little Idiot! He had already said to Hua Xiaohua and Yin Dabai that he wanted to marry the Little Idiot ² and become partners, and the Little Idiot ³ actually still thought that he was joking! Mo Laoda stopped, turned around and advanced slowly until he was in front of Yin Xiaoxiao.

“You think that I’m joking when I say that I’m going to take you as my partner?”

As Mo Laoda suddenly turned and approached, Yin Xiaoxiao moved back. Yin Xiaoxiao asked, “Yes, wasn’t it?”

"

"

Mo Laoda moved even closer towards Yin Xiaoxiao’s face. As he did, Yin Xiaoxiao, who wanted to recoil, was rooted in place. “Little Idiot, listen. I will only say this once. I like you. I want you to be my partner. What about you?”

Yin Xiaoxiao looked blankly at Mo Laoda’s exceptionally earnest face and unconsciously only let out an “ah?”

After Mo Laoda heard Yin Xiaoxiao’s “ah?”, he felt very dissatisfied. Eyes half-narrowed he asked, “Could it be that you don’t like me? That you actually don’t want to be my partner?”

Yin Xiaoxiao looked Mo Laoda in the eyes and swallowed. Yin Xiaoxiao had a premonition. If he said that he didn’t like him, he’d be toast! Thus, Yin Xiaoxiao nodded repeatedly. “Like. I like you.”

“Really?” Mo Laoda’s already half-narrowed eyes narrowed again.

Yin Xiaoxiao drew himself up, appearing solemn and respectful, and said with an earnest tone, “Really. Really without a doubt! Why would I deceive you?”

Suspicious, Mo Laoda looked at Yin Xiaoxiao. Finally, he straightened and rose to look at Yin Xiaoxiao with a pleased and cheerful expression on his face, as though saying, “How could Little Idiot not like me?! I am such a handsome, charming and strong Mo snake, how could there possibly be a snake that didn’t like me?! Yes, as long as the Little Idiot likes me, other snakes need not like me. Don’t envy me too much.” Mo Laoda revelled in his narcissism as he once again turned around and set off.

Yin Xiaoxiao furtively sighed and followed Mo Laoda. Fortunately, he was clever otherwise his young life ⁴ would have ended here!

Yin Xiaoxiao couldn’t keep his gaze off of the sight of Mo Laoda’s back. To tell the truth, Heitan would make a good future partner. He was nice enough, strong enough, forgiving enough. He could comprehend the differences between him and ordinary vipers, and wouldn’t ask about matters that were better left untouched. It was only unfortunate that he was a Mo snake, otherwise Dad and Pop also wouldn’t have been opposed. Maybe they even would have been happy because he had returned with such a large and powerful viper!

Naturally, as far as Yin Xiaoxiao was concerned, whether Mo Laoda was a Mo snake or a Lan snake or whatever other kind of snake didn’t matter to him. As a human reborn as a snake with all the memories of his previous incarnation, he absolutely wouldn’t reject him just on the basis of being a Mo snake. Naturally, the reason why he thought that they couldn’t be together was not at all because he was a Mo snake. Moreover, a viper’s lifespan was really very long. Living alone as a snake for 200 years would surely be very painful. Yin Xiaoxiao didn’t want that.

Yin Xiaoxiao again stealthily eyed Mo Laoda from behind. Although he still didn’t know if he liked or didn’t like him, Heitan’s existence was still unquestionably special to him even though he still didn’t know what position Heitan held in his heart. And there was nothing wrong with partnering with Mo Laoda. Yin Xiaoxiao also couldn’t help but think of it and unexpectedly also looked forward to living with Mo Laoda as a partner. Actually, in fact, right now he was already living together with Mo Laoda, so it didn’t seem like becoming partners would change anything from the way it already was.

Well, Yin Xiaoxiao, actually you have forgotten the most important thing that comes after marriage!

Naturally, believing that he’d gotten it all settled, Yin Xiaoxiao, in a flash, became cheerful and lighthearted. Quickly, he slithered several paces to catch up with Mo Laoda. “Heitan, there’s no need to urgently go back! Let me introduce you to my friends, okay?”

Heitan: “Okay.” At the same time, Mo Laoda thought in his mind, “At first you didn’t want to even part with Ji Kang! Now, Ji Kang has been cast into the back of your mind.”

Yin Xiaoxiao’s tail wagged twice, perhaps because Mo Laoda had agreed to meet his friends. In past generations, friends of the husband and wife would gradually meet each other, so it wasn’t wrong to organize it by oneself, right? Yin Xiaoxiao slithered forward two steps, looked around, and confirmed where Lu Xiaohuang’s home was from where they were. “Oh, from here Uncle Hei and A-Lu’s ⁵ home isn’t far. Quickly, come with me!”

This was the second time Mo Laoda heard the appellation “Uncle Hei” from Yin Xiaoxiao’s mouth. Honestly speaking,  Mo Laoda was very curious about this “Uncle Hei”. But, surnamed Hei? Mo Laoda was pensive. Likely, the other person was a Hei snake.

When Mo Laoda saw Hei Aban, immediately he knew that his assumption had been correct. Hei Aban was indeed a Hei snake, one who, even among Hei snakes, couldn’t be regarded as strong. In the eyes of the Mo snakes, Hei snakes naturally weren’t held in high esteem. This was even to the point where they could be said to spurn and disdain them. Before, Mo Laoda naturally also thought like this. Of course, the Mo Laoda now still thought like this. Only now that Hei Aban was conflated with Yin Xiaoxiao’s “Uncle Hei”, Mo Laoda could no longer treat Hei Aban as he would other Hei snakes.

And when Hei Aban first saw the Mo snake beside Yin Xiaoxiao, his eyes widened in disbelief. Beside Hei Aban, Lu Xiaohuang’s eyes also brimmed with concern, unaware of the shared history of this Mo snake next to Yin Xiaoxiao.

“Uncle Hei, A-Lu, this is my good…future partner.” Seeing Mo Laoda’s slitted eyes staring at himself as though saying, “If you call me your good friend then you’re toast!”, Yin Xiaoxiao, at the last moment, changed what he was going to say. Fortunately he was in time. Yin Xiaoxiao secretly applauded himself in his heart.

Hearing Yin Xiaoxiao’s introduction, Lu Xiaohuang and Hei Aban’s expressions became strange as their gazes, which had rested on Mo Laoda, turned to Yin Xiaoxiao. The eyes of both snakes conveyed naked doubt and disbelief.

At this, Mo Laoda began to speak, “I am Mo Laoda and I will be Xiaoxiao’s future partner.”

Hei Aban and Lu Xiaohuang’s gaze again returned to Mo Laoda. Mo Laoda bore the gazes of the two snakes without changes to his expression.

“This…” Lu Xiaohuang considering phrasing and finally only said one sentence, “will be very hard.” Lu Xiaohuang’s meaning was, “If you were going to be together, you may have to bear much more persecution than Aban and I had to bear.”

Yin Xiaoxiao still didn’t understand what Lu Xiaohuang meant. Mo Laoda, displeased,  declared, “I am the most powerful Mo snake! I won’t be disdained by a Hei snake!” he stared at Hei Aban as he finished speaking. Mo Laoda meant “How could you compare me to a Hei snake? Are we even comparable? If the Little Idiot follows me how could he suffer any wrongs?”

Lu Xiaohuang’s face turned even more green ⁶ . Why did this Mo snake insult Aban? But Hei Aban was actually very tolerant of Mo Laoda’s attitude. He had been alive for a long time, what hadn’t he seen Mo snakes do? Even like this, Mo Laoda could be considered easygoing. There were some Mo snakes who, the moment they saw a Hei snake, would devote all their energies to killing the Hei snake.

“I hope you can treat Xiaoxiao well.” Hei Aban looked at Yin Xiaoxiao with eyes full of love ⁷ .

Mo Laoda first “hmm”ed, then uncouthly turned and said, “I don’t need you to tell me what I already know.”

Hei Aban smiled a little. In fact this Mo snake was actually pretty interesting. Presumably, a snake that could make Xiaoxiao fall for him was unlikely to be terrible.

If Yin Xiaoxiao knew what Hei Aban was thinking, he surely would have shouted at the great injustice of it: ‘I was forced! I absolutely didn’t choose this! Ah!’

“That, I’m pregnant,” Lu Xiaohuang abruptly stated, then he laughed embarrassed. “Of course I wanted to tell you a while ago, but you never visited. I went to your family’s home and didn’t find you, so I had to wait until you visited to tell you.”

“Really?” Yin Xiaoxiao asked, pleasantly surprised. Yin Xiaoxiao knew that Lu Xiaohuang had really wanted a child and, since Hei Aban’s child bearing years were about to pass, Lu Xiaohuang had been increasingly worried. Hei Aban also wanted a child but was still a little hesitant because Hei Aban’s future progeny were likely to be Hei snakes. As a parent, Hei Aban in no way wanted his own children to walk the same road he did. But, since Lu Xiaohuang was already with child, even if Hei Aban was worried about this he wouldn’t let Lu Xiaohuang see that. Now he could only bless and protect the birth of Lu Xiaohuang’s children.

“Yes, it’s already been two months. By the time another six months passes, the eggs will be laid. Then it’ll be another three months before the children are born.” On Lu Xiaohuang face was the special parental smile of a pregnant man (or a pregnant woman), which dazzled Yin Xiaoxiao’s eyes.

“Really good! When the young snakes are born, I can play with them!” Having found out that, in the future, Lu Xiaohuang would give birth to young snakes, Yin Xiaoxiao jumped in eagerness, wishing that there was already a row of young snakes behind him.

Lu Xiaohuang laughed gently. Even the corners of the mouth of the usually expressionless Hei Aban curled up. Probably the only one present who didn’t feel happy was Mo Laoda. ‘Hmph, in the future my and Xiaoxiao’s child would surely be more adorable than this Hei snake’s! And more awe-inspiring! And more powerful! And more…’ The many subsequent words were omitted. But when Mo Laoda thought of the many years Yin Xiaoxiao still had to reach adulthood, he suddenly became dizzy…

After Lu Xiaohuang warmly invited them to come back and visit for the birth of the baby snakes, Yin Xiaoxiao said goodbye to Hei Aban’s family. At the moment, Yin Xiaoxiao was fit to bursting with cheer and with every step he slithered, he wished he could skip. Mo Laoda helplessly followed Yin Xiaoxiao with a sigh.

T/N:

Footnotes

<ol>脸都绿了: expression which means that someone is experiencing very strong emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, etc added for clarity added for clarity a bit of a pun, since Xiao (小) both means young and is also the character used in Xiaoxiao’s name the raw had 这里离黑黑叔和阿斑 or Uncle Hei and Aban. I figured that the author probably meant Uncle Hei and A-Lu, so I changed it meaning ‘his emotions increased in intensity’ 慈爱: love and affection felt towards a child</ol>