Chapter 062: Giant Snake? Just an Illusion, I Guess

Chapter 062: Giant Snake? Just an Illusion, I Guess

System: "According to the setting, in the urban snake king novel, the snake king male lead accidentally has a one-night stand with the vicious female side character in society. Later, the vicious female side character finds herself pregnant, only to give birth to two snake babies. She is terrified of snakes, wants to abandon them, and even mistreats them in various ways. Her behavior enrages the male lead, and eventually, when she tries to discard the two children, she encounters the male lead’s enemy and meets a miserable end. Now this role is vacant with no plot progression. You must take on this character and follow this storyline."

Pu Shu: "...Actually, I’m scared too."

System: "You don’t have any memories anyway. The vicious female side character is hot-tempered, loves to argue, and is a workaholic. She’s also known in the industry as the 'female demon' because of her good looks."

Pu Shu stroked her chin, deep in thought, and quickly crafted a new reincarnation image: a sophisticated beauty with a touch of elegance.

"Spawn successful."

*

By the river, at a café.

Gu Pushu, tired of her parents' nagging, reluctantly went on a blind date on this pleasant weekend. Seeing the guy was nothing like what Aunt Wang described, she knew it was a wash.

Gu Pushu quietly texted a friend to call her so she could have an excuse to leave.

"You must be Gu Pushu, introduced by Aunt Wang. I’m Luo Zhiqiang. Nice to meet you. You’re even prettier than Aunt Wang said." Luo Zhiqiang’s eyes were practically glued to Gu Pushu. He touched his coffee cup, flashing the watch on his wrist. "But you look a bit too assertive, lacking the gentle softness expected of a woman."

After this spiel, before Gu Pushu could even respond, he kept on talking without waiting for a reply. Her eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, but she held back and didn’t lash out immediately.

"I know you’re just acting tough. It must be hard for a woman to work and earn money. But don’t worry, now that you’ve found me, I’ll take care of you. You won’t need to pretend to be strong anymore, because your strongman is here—"

Luo Zhiqiang said this with pride, convinced that Gu Pushu would be so moved she’d be in tears, desperate to marry him without asking for a bride price, and even willing to bring a dowry.

Gu Pushu: "..."

The phone call hadn’t come yet—hold it in a little longer!

"Aunt Wang said you work at a foreign company and are now a department manager."

"This kind of job isn’t really suitable for family life. After we get married, I think you should quit and return to the family to take care of the kids and the elderly. Three meals a day, I’ll need you to handle that too."

Luo Zhiqiang continued his steady stream of nonsense. He was short—even sitting, he had to look up at her.

She was very pretty, but looked too stunning and overbearing—hard to handle.

But women, well, if they come out for blind dates, it means no one wants them. Marrying her to bear a son is enough—she barely meets his standards.

Gu Pushu took a deep breath. She didn’t speak, afraid she might explode. Yet Luo Zhiqiang thought she was convinced, looking quite smug.

"My job is stable, a few thousand dollars a month, but it has good prospects. I’ll pay the mortgage and car loan. Your savings will cover household expenses. Once we have a son, I’ll add your name to the house."

He said this like he was doing her a favor, his eyes demanding gratitude.

"Oh, right, Aunt Wang also said you’re gentle, virtuous, not a big spender, and thrifty. That’s good. After marriage, you shouldn’t keep any money. Women can’t handle money—buying bags and makeup is what trashy women do, going out to fool around. You’re not allowed to do that."

"I’ll be in charge of the money. I’ll give you a generous five hundred dollars a month for expenses. Anything more, you’ll need to account for where it’s going, and I’ll approve it."

Luo Zhiqiang said this matter-of-factly, as if he were picking his teeth with a toothpick. He took a sip of coffee to appear knowledgeable, occasionally showing off his watch.

His tirade was loud enough for many in the café to hear, and they couldn’t help but shoot sympathetic looks at Gu Pushu. This girl really had patience.

Forget the bizarre remarks—just by looks alone, this was a toad wanting swan meat. If he looked like a toad, at least he’d be a lucky charm—he’s just a nobody, just daydreaming and making a fool of himself.

"...Haha." Gu Pushu let out a cold laugh. She couldn’t hold back anymore. "Aunt Wang told you so much, but did she mention my requirements? And you dared to come?"

"What?" Luo Zhiqiang was confused, his brows furrowing. "A woman your age should be grateful to get married, and you dare to make demands?"

"Aunt Wang said you’re 1.88 meters tall, handsome, a returnee from overseas, run a law firm, and earn tens of millions a year. You didn't even bother to draft that lie—you're a comedian."

"Can’t you see what you look like? Can’t afford a mirror? I can spare a few bucks for one, but I suggest you don’t look in the mirror at night—that shoe-sole face of yours would scare even ghosts."

"Your shoes look five centimeters thick, you’ve gelled your hair up. With all that help, you can’t even reach 1.70 meters when you jump, and you claim to be 1.88? If you went to the hospital for that height boost, they'd say you're nuts."

Gu Pushu had a calm ferocity, her sharp and disdainful gaze putting psychological pressure on him, looking down on him from head to toe.

"You crazy—" Luo Zhiqiang, stung where it hurt, fuming with rage.

Before he could finish, Gu Pushu stood up and poured coffee into his mouth. "Wash your mouth out with soap!"

"Cough—cough—" Luo Zhiqiang choked, spraying coffee all over his clothes, looking very disheveled.

Gu Pushu dodged gracefully, pulled out a tissue, wiped her fingers with a hint of elegance, and glanced at his watch. "Showing off a fake, you have quite the nerve. How many layers of paint did you put on your face?"

Luo Zhiqiang’s face turned from pale to green to red with embarrassment. He silently pulled down his sleeve to cover the watch.

After Gu Pushu paid for her own coffee and left the café, Luo Zhiqiang didn’t want to make a bigger scene. He went outside and called Aunt Wang, complaining that the blind date wasn’t as gentle as she’d said.

"She’s just a bit hot-tempered, so what? What woman isn’t? There are so many bachelors now, be glad you can even get a wife!"

"Coffee thrown? That’s minor. She used to like slapping people, but she’s reformed now! She doesn’t resort to violence anymore! Look at me, I’m fine—she didn’t hit me! If you got hit, it’s your own fault!"

Hearing Aunt Wang’s words, Luo Zhiqiang was fuming. He hung up, cursing his bad luck.

But within half an hour, Aunt Wang called back. He wanted to refuse, but since he still wanted a wife, he answered.

"Damn it! You Luo Zhiqiang, how dare you deceive me and tarnish my twenty-year reputation as a matchmaker! One eighty-eight? Handsome? Law firm owner? Bullshit! You had the nerve to make that up!"

"*"

Aunt Wang exploded into a stream of profanity that scared Luo Zhiqiang. He hung up trembling.

This was arranged by a relative through several connections asking Aunt Wang to introduce someone. Luo Zhiqiang, of course, knew his own situation—he'd just 'stretched the truth a bit'. He thought his charm would win her over, but he failed.

At home.

Gu Pushu lived in the same building as three friends. When she returned, the three friends came over to ask about the blind date. Since she was back so soon, it must have failed.

Gu Pushu poured herself an iced drink and calmly recounted the entire blind date experience, leaving nothing out.

*

"Damn, this guy is shameless."

"He’s got nothing going for him except his daydreaming skills."

"But Pushu, you didn't even lay a hand on him this time? Just a few sarcastic remarks and you came back?"

They looked at Gu Pushu in surprise, finding it odd. This wasn’t like her.

Gu Pushu had a fiery temper. In her school days, she was called the 'Annihilation Nun', and after starting work, she earned the nickname 'Demon King Gu'. She had a short fuse and was a good fighter.

She made female friends into fangirls and male friends into brothers. Single until now at 28, she is not anxious, but her family is about to die from worry, wanting to pack a man and deliver him to her door.

"The old Chinese doctor said my liver fire's too strong, I need to calm down and nurture my spirit, try to lose my temper less, and keep calm."

Gu Pushu has been feeling unwell recently, with excessive liver fire, having trouble sleeping at night, and her mind wandering.

As for the old doctor's blunt remark, "Don't you have a boyfriend to regulate your hormones?" she ignored it.

She doesn't need men; what men bring isn't hormone relief—it's a whole host of gynecological problems! The bacteria on men’s junk don’t hurt them at all, but touch a woman’s fragile, sensitive area and it’s trouble.

The first step to taking care of your body is to keep men away!

"But I told my parents about it, and they will be my mouthpiece," she added calmly.

The other three silently condoled that blind date guy; they had seen Gu Pushu's parents, each one more explosive than the last.

As parents, of course they hope their child resolves marriage early, but they absolutely do not want to see their precious daughter, a flower stuck on a loser, and being deceived at that.

"Alright, alright, with blind dates like this, the more blind dates you go on, the more freaks you run into; just get used to it."

Jiang Feng slung an arm around Gu Pushu's shoulder, "While we're all off now, let's hit the beach vacation!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

The four of them already had this plan, and now their days off are all arranged for this week, enough for a trip out.

*

The next day, at the beach.

The weather was clear and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky.

They drove themselves there, arriving in the afternoon. They went straight to the booked hotel, got ready, changed into swimsuits, and went for a swim, planning to take a dip.

In the evening, the four of them sat by the sea enjoying the night view, each with a low-alcohol drink in hand.

There were also people moving around nearby; they chose a quiet corner, not dangerous, with a small seaside bar and lights.

"This is the life, so comfortable," Nan Rong spread her arms, feeling the evening breeze, her soul free.

"Cheers!"

The four clinked their bottles, chatting about everyday stuff, laughing and joking, without any pressure.

They chatted until around ten o'clock before returning to the hotel.

They were all adults; some had steady boyfriends and called them at night; they stayed in separate rooms.

Gu Pushu took a shower and washed her hair. When she came out, she found her bracelet missing. It was a gift from her sister-in-law last birthday, and she really liked it.

She didn't find it in the room. Figuring she dropped it while drinking, she changed and went out.

The area was still lively; their hotel was right on the beach, just a short walk away.

Gu Pushu didn't ask anyone to accompany her; she wasn't a little kid. With so many people around, what could go wrong? Even if she ran into some drunks, she could handle herself.

She arrived at the place where they had been drinking, used her phone's flashlight, bent over to search carefully, but searched around and didn't find it.

"…Hmm?" Gu Pushu watched the waves wash up and recede, and something shiny was left behind.

She walked over, feet sloshing through sand and water, picked it up—yep, her bracelet—and smiled happily.

"Lucky it wasn't lost." She pocketed it and was about to head back, but she thought she saw a huge dark shape swimming in the water, kicking up big waves.

An illusion, probably. She frowned, and as she turned to leave, she saw a monster burst out of the sea, blotting out the sky and moon: a giant snake, jaws wide open, fangs bared, vertical crimson pupils full of predatory aggression, looking extremely terrifying.

It was fixed on her; she looked like an ant next to it, wouldn't even be a mouthful in one bite.

Gu Pushu stood frozen in place, looking up, staring blankly at this giant snake, her limbs weak. She wanted to run but was frozen in place; when a person is truly terrified, they can't react. Facing humans is one thing, but now facing the snake she feared, her heart pounded as fear washed over her.

But the giant snake just stared for a few seconds, then slid back into the sea. Its massive snake body emerged, inky scales gleaming in the moonlight, and soon it swam away, the sea surface returning to calm.

"Was that... an illusion?" Gu Pushu rubbed her eyes, seeing no trace of any giant snake; it shouldn't exist.

This was real life, not a movie special effect!

But it was too real; even its eyes moved, staring down at her, its breath like a mountain's heavy exhale.

She went back, fear gnawing at her. She asked the owner of the seaside bar, "Did you just see a deep-sea giant snake?"

"Giant snake? Hahaha, probably a coconut tree's shadow on the water; you saw wrong. There are no snakes on this beach; occasionally there are water snakes but they are non-venomous. How could there be a giant snake? You're kidding me."

From this angle, if there were really a giant snake, the owner would have definitely seen it.

"…Yeah, I saw it wrong." Gu Pushu nodded with an awkward grin. She went back to the hotel and didn't dwell on it.

She'd been stressed from work and not sleeping well—must have been a hallucination. She needed to get some real rest.

*

The night was deep, the moon pale and chilly.

The sea breeze carried a briny smell, making it feel cold.

Not far from the public play area here, there was a private seaside courtyard, not open to the public.

Zexi paced in circles, staring at the sea but not daring to go near; their king was in the sea to relieve his rut.

Originally the rut hadn't arrived yet, but today their king, Yin Zhu, drank a cup of wine.

The herbs in the wine triggered an early rut.

After a while, a man walked back, arriving under the stars.

He had short black hair and sharp, cold features, deep, sinister red eyes, like a beast.

"My king, are you done?" Zexi respectfully greeted him.

"Dispose of those who made a move." Yin Zhu walked forward barefoot, his voice low and chilling.

He was tall—easily 1.9 meters—with a muscular build, broad shoulders, and long legs, exuding an imposing presence.

"Yes," Zexi nodded.

He didn't dare to follow, watched Yin Zhu stagger three steps and vanish into the hallway.