"Where's your family?" the prostitute asked.
She pitied the mentally ill. They faced discrimination everywhere, people avoided them, and some were even cruel, teasing and mocking them.
They found joy in seeing the mentally ill make fools of themselves, finding pleasure in others' pain.
She had witnessed it firsthand. A young man tormented a mentally ill woman, tearing apart her doll as if it were a child's toy. As the woman lay on the ground, wailing and trying to piece the doll back together, he clutched his stomach, roaring with laughter. In the end, the woman, using her hands and teeth, tore the young man apart. The scene was so bloody that many people vomited.
"He's my family."
"He's my family."
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang pointed at each other, then exchanged bright,灿烂 smiles.
The prostitute took out a hundred yuan and handed it to Lin Fan. "Take this. I'll treat you to a meal. There's a fast-food restaurant at the hospital entrance. Give the money to the server, and they'll give you food."
"We don't want money," Lin Fan shook his head.
Old Man Zhang added, "Right, we don't want money."
Lin Fan looked at the woman and said, "I can see that you need the money more than we do."
The prostitute laughed. "How can you tell? Making money is much easier for me than it is for you. Take it, don't be polite. Meeting you and chatting like this is a kind of fate."
Rustle!
A faint sound came. Ordinary people wouldn't hear it, or if they did, they'd dismiss it as the rustling of leaves.
"There's something over there," Lin Fan said, pointing to a nearby branch.
Old Man Zhang looked up. "I don't see anything. What is it?"
The prostitute also looked curiously. It was pitch black; she couldn't see anything.
Lin Fan walked into the small grove and picked up a stone from the ground, aiming at the branch above.
Whoosh!
He threw the pebble.
A few leaves fell, but nothing else.
The Black Serpent, coiled around the branch, was furious. It couldn't believe a human had thrown a stone at it. Your whole family should die! Don't you know I'm the evil Black Serpent?
If it weren't for fear of losing such a good hiding place, it would have swallowed him whole.
Lin Fan saw something wrapped around the branch, and it felt malicious towards him. He threw another pebble.
He still missed.
The Black Serpent flicked its tongue. Human, you're going too far! Don't think I won't swallow you. Try throwing another one.
Thwack!
The pebble hit the Black Serpent's tail. It stung a little, even breaking a scale.
The experiences of the past few days had filled the Black Serpent with resentment towards humans. Now, with its tail assaulted, it couldn't endure it any longer. Its body sprang forth, jaws open, aiming for Lin Fan's neck, intending to kill him with one bite.
The Black Serpent was fast, as quick as lightning, flashing through the darkness.
Lin Fan raised his arm to block, his muscles instinctively tensing. The Black Serpent bit down on his arm. Crack! Its fangs shattered. The long body coiled around Lin Fan's arm, tightening, trying to crush it.
"A snake, it's a snake," Lin Fan said calmly.
Old Man Zhang said, "It's so long!"
Lin Fan smiled. "Just like on TV. It's so cute, even cuter than the ones on TV."
"Yeah," Old Man Zhang clapped his hands. It was his first time seeing a snake up close. It really was cute.
A bolt of imaginary lightning flashed through the Black Serpent's mind.
Cute?
Someone actually called me cute.
I've met the right people.
The Black Serpent relaxed its body, gently coiling around Lin Fan's arm, pretending to be a companion, flicking its tongue and licking his palm.
You're right, I, the Black Serpent, am really cute. Humans really have no resistance to cute things.
"It tickles! It's licking me," Lin Fan said happily.
Old Man Zhang extended his hand to the Black Serpent, also wanting to be licked. After being licked, he said happily, "It licked me too! It's so ticklish!"
Seeing the two humans so happy, the Black Serpent naturally became even more enthusiastic.
It was secretly smug. Just you wait until I'm cute and loved by humans. I, the Black Serpent, just haven't met the right people. Look at these two foolish humans, so happy. When the opportunity is ripe, I'll swallow them whole, as a nice reward.
The prostitute's legs trembled. She was terrified. She hadn't expected such a long snake to be coiled in the branches. If she hadn't met them, the thought of such a long snake falling on her was unbearable.
Outside the hospital, there was a dirty alley where many families of long-term patients lived. Although they were just bungalows, the rent was cheap.
At this moment, a delicious aroma wafted from one of the houses.
The house was simple but tidy, with many award certificates plastered on the walls:
Three Good Student!
Excellent Class Monitor!
Beside the bedside table was a picture frame with two people inside: the prostitute and a smiling little girl in a school uniform.
The kitchen was inside the house. A pot sat on the stove, the source of the delicious aroma. Inside the milky white soup were sections of a snake's body, and a snake head rolled unwillingly in the thick broth.
The fire was strong, bubbling loudly.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang sat at the table, anticipating the meal. The aroma was just like that of a cute puppy. Cute things must be delicious.
Their stomachs rumbled, and they salivated.
The prostitute took out large bowls, poured the cooked snake soup into them, sprinkled some chopped green onions, and brought them to the table.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang were starving and couldn't wait to start eating.
The prostitute didn't eat the snake meat. The memory of the snake struggling on the chopping board, the glint in its eyes, sent chills down her spine.
She didn't know what the snake's expression meant.
Perhaps it was defiance.
Black Serpent: Holy crap! You said it was cute! Why did you chop me up? You damned humans, let me go and fight me one-on-one! Or let me have a ninety-nine-meter head start, and see if you can catch me!
A long time passed.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang stood at the door, holding plastic food containers. "Thank you for cooking for us. Thank you, you're a good person."
The prostitute smiled, but her smile was stiff.
The mentally ill were indeed pitiful.
But also terrifying.
She didn't know where she found the courage to bring them back and cook snake meat for them.
Perhaps it was kindness.
They walked down the alley, grease still on their lips, but their bellies were full and they were happy.
Old Man Zhang only ate a few pieces before saying he was full.
Lin Fan ate the rest, except for the leftovers they packed.
The food felt warm in his stomach.
Four men brushed past Lin Fan. They glanced at him but paid no further attention.
"Huh! The energy fluctuation of the evil creature was just within this range, but now it's gone. It seems we have to search house by house. Hopefully, we can find it."
"The evil creatures are getting smarter, knowing how to hide among humans. It's really troublesome."
"I wonder where that evil creature is now."
"Remember, don't overlook any dark corners."
"Got it."