There was no lavish meal.
Feng Yi had just found an excuse to gloss over the current awkward situation.
But he knew in his heart that something had indeed changed.
In the morning, he had eaten a large bowl of noodle soup with 10 plus-sized buns, and by the time he left Xiao Feng Mountain, it hadn't even reached noon, yet the feeling of hunger was growing more and more apparent.
The good thing was that he had prepared plenty of food yesterday for climbing the mountain. Since he had been preoccupied, he had been too tense to feel much appetite, leaving most of the food untouched.
"Master, I'm going to eat something in the car," Feng Yi said.
"Go ahead, as long as it's not instant noodles or durian or something. Be careful not to choke," the driver replied.
The driver drove the car out of the Xiao Feng Mountain reserve's boundaries, but the image of the King Snake swallowing a frog was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't hold back from commenting.
"There's a saying back in my hometown, 'A Chinese beauty snake on the beam, and two hundred mice a year are gone'! I don't know which of the two beauty snakes the saying refers to, but comparing it to the slender Black-browed Beauty Snake, the King Snake with its short and bulky body looks like it can eat more. Considering the food consumption of those King Snakes in the reserve, I reckon that in a year, they eat no less than that amount of mice, only more. Look at them, so robust and bold!"
"Don't you think so?" the driver asked Feng Yi.
"Right!" Feng Yi nodded, "A bunch of gluttons!"
Feng Yi finished off the food in his bag in the car, and once he reached the airport, he had another good meal.
The various pieces of equipment he had bought at the outdoor store on the way up couldn't be brought on the airplane due to restrictions, so Feng Yi packed them and sent them back via courier.
Since he didn't know when he would be able to finish his business, he hadn't booked a return flight in advance. He bought a ticket on the same day, and when he got back to Rong City, he ran right into the evening rush hour.
Feng Yi sat in the taxi, regretting not taking the subway directly.
Outside the car window, a long traffic jam stretched along the elevated roads during peak hour...
Pah!
What snake?
Feng Yi now had a bit of an avoidance mindset and didn't want to bring up anything related to snakes. He simply moved his gaze away from the long queue on the elevated road, rubbed his temples, and started checking the news on his phone.
By the time he returned home, it was completely dark outside. A wave of fatigue washed over him, and Feng Yi ordered takeaway for four and quickly ate before washing up and going to bed. He tidied up the takeaway trash and left it to one side, planning to sort it out the next day.
In the middle of the night, most of the residents in the apartment complex were asleep.
A rat crawled from the balcony of the neighboring apartment towards the one Feng Yi lived in. Just as it was about to reach the balcony, it stopped abruptly and sniffed the scent in the air.
In the air, there was the tempting aroma of food.
But there was also a scent that instinctively filled it with dread.
After hesitating for a while, it eventually turned around and scurried down the exterior wall.
Feng Yi had strange dreams all night, but when he woke up, he couldn't remember anything.
After dealing with yesterday's trash, he carefully checked his apartment. He didn't find any signs of rats or cockroaches.
He felt relieved.
After breakfast, Feng Yi called the old butler.
This time, the old butler initiated a video call directly to Feng Yi.
Feng Yi answered, "I came back from Xiao Feng Mountain last night. I've already visited the ancestral home, and I've signed the family tree."
Butler: "I am aware. The money will be transferred to your account shortly."
On the other end of the video, the old butler's expression had changed from the first time Feng Yi met him.
The day they first met, the old butler was polite in speech but mostly distant in demeanor. Now, as he looked at Feng Yi through the camera, he regarded him with the tenderness one might show a kitten that has just opened its eyes, his demeanor softer.
Feeling a bit strange under that gaze, Feng Yi was nevertheless thrilled at the thought of a hundred million soon hitting his account. Of course, he didn't get overly ecstatic. Right now, there were many questions in his mind that needed answers.
"I... I feel like I've changed," Feng Yi said.
"Scared?" asked the butler, his smile warm and friendly.
"Not really. It's just... not used to it," Feng Yi wasn't sure how to describe the sensation. Instinct told him the change was beneficial for survival, an advantage, an evolution. But these changes also made him anxious.
"Life, you know, being like everyone else, isn't it too boring?" the butler said.
Feng Yi wiped his face and asked, "Am I still human then?"
"Of course. Why not? You could think of it as humans who took a different evolutionary path."
"Are you one of them as well?" Feng Yi asked.
"I am different from you."
That statement was somewhat delicate, but seeing that the butler was not inclined to elaborate, Feng Yi did not pursue the matter further. He would figure it out eventually.
"Then, what is your opinion on snakes?" Feng Yi asked.
"What do people think of monkeys? No, monkeys don't even compare. They're merely pets, or food," the butler said indifferently.
"...It's illegal to eat snakes now," Feng Yi reminded him.
"Of course, law-abiding citizen," the butler flipped through a document on hand, "The inheritance Madam Feng left for you, apart from that one hundred million, includes real estate, stocks, funds, and the like, which I will manage for you for the time being. These are secondary concerns. Right now, your main focus should be on the changes happening to you. Over the next period, your body will undergo some minor changes. Once these changes are complete, everything Madam Feng left you will be handed over to you."
Upon hearing this, Feng Yi felt a pang in his heart, "'Minor' changes?"
Real estate and stocks were attractive, but comparatively, Feng Yi was more concerned with the "minor changes" mentioned by the old butler.
He could earn money and property with his own abilities, acquiring as much as his capabilities allowed. He wasn't overly fixated on being a billionaire. If he lacked the skill, no amount of money given to him could be safeguarded. If he had the skill, he didn't need handouts; he could achieve it on his own.
But "minor changes" were something that concerned himself and were beyond his control!
The old butler's smile broadened slightly in reassurance, "Don't worry, they're just some minor changes. Pay a little attention, and you won't be discovered by others. If you notice any changes, give me a call."
After a moment of thought, the old butler added, "Remember to wear a mask when you go out."
After that, he disconnected the communication.
Feng Yi pondered the old butler's words.
The gist of the last few sentences summarized:
First, the changes wouldn't be dramatic; a simple disguise would prevent discovery by others and wouldn't affect day-to-day life.
Second, that "minor" change might be solved simply by wearing a mask. Could it be... teeth?
"At least I'm still human!"
Knowing he hadn't turned into something strange, Feng Yi indeed breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The promised one hundred million from the old butler arrived before the darkness fell that night.
With that substantial sum, Feng Yi didn't have to worry about how to make money. He could have bought several luxury cars he had long coveted and changed them at whim. But he had no plans to do so.
After repaying thirty million to the old butler, he left the rest of the money untouched. His studio had already disbanded, and he was now unemployed, needing to think about what to do next and make some plans. Who knew what else was part of the inheritance and whether it could secure his future? Instead of fantasizing about unsecured assets, Feng Yi trusted the money he had earned himself more.
However, there was no rush. The old butler had said there would be some minor changes coming up, and he needed to figure out exactly what kind of "minor" changes they would be.
He opened his phone and browsed through the neighborhood residents' group.
Since the afternoon the day before yesterday, the community had organized a rodent extermination, but those rats that had already entered residents' homes were difficult to deal with.
The property management office purchased many glue traps and allowed residents in need to take and use them.
However, when Feng Yi opened the residents' group, he saw a resident complaining:
"I collected the glue traps from the property management last week, and they're amazing! They stuck to my entire family, but not a single rat was caught!"
"Another rat entered my house yesterday, and I have no idea how it got inside—such a big one! What does it feed on? Did the hormones act excessively on it!"
"High alert! [Video] It freaking learned how to pry open window screens! If it can't chew through, it pries them open! Is it about to become a spirit or what!!"
"Actually, these large rats, after infiltrating human society for a long time, understand some human speech. That's why the elderly always say, speak softly or not at all when setting up traps for rats. If they hear you, they won't bite."
"So what do we do now! They're disturbing the peace in every possible sense! They're the very top of urban nuisance rankings, no other creature can surpass them!!!"
The residents' group had been in an almost frenzied state during this period.
While looking through the messages, Feng Yi received a text from Wu Ji.
Wu Ji:[How did you sleep last night? Everyone says it was the worst night of disturbance by the rats.]
Feng Yi:[I slept very well, straight through till morning.]
Wu Ji: [Goodbye]