Slow to mature after marriage

When Mu Siwan pushed open the door, the living room light was on.

She changed her shoes, took two steps inside, and then stopped.

Something was coiled up on the sofa armrest.

Long and winding, its scales gleamed faintly under the warm yellow light, even more vivid than the pattern on the back of the thin inkstone.

The snake lay there lazily curled up, its head resting on its body. Hearing the noise, it slightly raised its head and flicked its tongue towards the door.

Dark eyebrows extend from behind the eyes all the way to the neck, elegantly outlining two lines.

Mu Siwan stood still, without moving.

Grace stared at her, and she stared at Grace.

A few seconds later, Grace moved.

It slowly slid down from the sofa armrest, swam along the back of the sofa for a while, landed on the floor, and slowly swam towards her.

Mu Siwan looked down as the snake drew closer.

one meter.

Half a meter.

Finally, Grace stopped at her feet, tilting her head slightly as if to examine her.

Bo Yan came out of the kitchen with a glass of water in his hand. When he saw this scene, he paused.

He leaned against the kitchen doorway, remaining silent.

Grace swam a little closer, tentatively touched her slippers, and then retreated.

Mu Siwan looked down at it, but still didn't move.

Bo Yan then slowly spoke.

"Grace," he said lazily, with a hint of amusement, "don't scare your mother."

Mu Siwan turned her head to look at him.

The man leaned against the kitchen doorway, dressed in casual gray loungewear, holding a water glass, and smiled nonchalantly.

As if she understood, Grace swam a little further forward and this time rubbed against her ankle.

It was cold.

光滑的。

A familiar touch.

Mu Siwan looked down at the snake, her eyes brighter than usual.

Bo Yan slowly approached, looking at her focused expression with some surprise.

"They really aren't afraid."

After all, although Grace is non-toxic, her size is a factor.

Ordinary people would have run away to who-knows-where as soon as they saw it.

Where else would one examine something so closely?

Grace rubbed around her ankle twice, as if confirming something, then stopped, tilted her head slightly, and continued to stare at her.

Mu Siwan squatted down.

The man and the snake finally looked at each other at eye level.

She stretched out her hand, hovering it in mid-air, without rushing to bring it down.

Grace looked at the hand, flicked her tongue, then leaned forward and touched her fingertips.

Lively, vibrant.

Mu Siwan's fingertips trembled slightly.

Then she placed her palm on it and slowly stroked it from head to back, following its scales.

Grace remained motionless, letting her touch her.

Bo Yan stood to the side, holding a water glass, watching this scene.

He had seen many people's reactions when they saw Grace.

Some screamed, some ran away, some turned pale with fright, and some forced themselves to pretend they weren't scared.

I've never seen anything like this before.

She squatted there, touching the snake as if she were touching a fragile piece of porcelain.

"Have you ever kept snakes as pets before?"

Bo Yan's heart stirred, and he suddenly spoke.

Mu Siwan's hand paused.

"Um."

"What snake?"

"The Green Snake," she paused, "when she was little."

"And then?"

"He's dead."

When Mu Cheng got drunk and beat her again.

The little green snake darted out from the corner, coiled around the man's wrist as he swung it at her, and bit him hard.

Then, like a rag, it was thrown against the wall.

died.

The living room fell silent.

Grace seemed to sense something, lifted her head from her arm, and rubbed against her wrist.

Mu Siwan looked down at it, her fingers gently stroking its scales.

"What's its name?" Bo Yan suddenly asked.

Mu Siwan raised her eyes.

At some point, Bo Yan also squatted down, right next to her.

The two were very close, close enough to see the curve of his chin.

She lowered her eyes.

"Xiao Qing".

Bo Yan nodded.

"It sounds nice."

He reached out and patted Grace's head rather casually.

"Did you hear that, Grace?" he said casually, yet with a strange seriousness in his voice. "You used to have an older brother named Xiaoqing."

Mu Siwan's fingers froze for a moment, then she casually withdrew them.

"Xiaoqing is female," she said flatly.

Bo Yan: "..."

He glanced down at Grace, patted her head, and changed his words, saying, "Did you hear that? It's your sister."

Grace flicked her tongue, looking completely innocent.

-

The next morning, Aunt Yang pushed open the door and came in right on time.

She carried her shopping basket, humming a little tune, and walked towards the kitchen.

I walked into the living room and stopped in my tracks.

There was a bundle of things curled up on the sofa.

Long and winding, its scales gleamed softly in the morning light.

Aunt Yang froze on the spot, and the vegetable basket in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

Grace raised her head and flicked her tongue at her.

"ah--"

Bo Yan appeared behind her without her noticing, lazily pressing down on her shoulder.

"Aunt Yang, don't be afraid, it won't bite."

Aunt Yang stared wide-eyed as the snake slowly slid down from the sofa and swam toward the stairwell.

Mu Siwan happened to be coming downstairs.

Grace swam to her feet and rubbed against her slippers.

She bent down and patted its head.

Good morning, Grace.

Seeing Aunt Yang again, he nodded and said, "Good morning, Aunt Yang."

Aunt Yang opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Bo Yan released his grip, yawned, and walked towards the kitchen.

"A simple breakfast is fine; I have a meeting later."

Aunt Yang stood there, looking at the snake wrapped around Mu Siwan's ankle, then at Bo Yan's nonchalant expression, and remained stunned for a long time.

"Mr. Bo, this..."

"Oh, Grace." Bo Yan didn't reply. "A new member to the family, don't be afraid."

Aunt Yang turned to Mu Siwan, her eyes filled with a last glimmer of hope.

"Mrs……"

Mu Siwan looked down at the snake and said softly, "It's very well-behaved."

Aunt Yang fell silent.

She bent down to pick up the vegetable basket and silently walked towards the kitchen.

Halfway there, she looked back—the snake was coiled at Mu Siwan's feet, motionless, as if asleep.

She glanced at Bo Yan again—he was leaning against the corner of the stairs, holding a glass of water, looking over there, with what seemed to be a slight smile on his lips.

What a bizarre family of three.

Aunt Yang looked away and lowered her head to pick vegetables.

Fine, as long as she's paid enough, she can keep doing this job.

-

The testing center was quiet in the morning.

Mu Siwan sat at the operating table, tweezers in hand, processing a submitted bone sample. The light shone on her hands, and her movements were as steady as a machine.

The people opposite her changed three times, but she never looked up.

She didn't put down her tools, take off her gloves, and slowly scrub her hands at the sink until the lunch bell rang.

At noon, a queue had already formed in the cafeteria.

Mu Siwan carried her tray and found a corner seat to sit down.

I had just taken two bites when a plate of rice was slapped down across from me.

Xiao Qin plopped down, sighing with exhaustion.

"Master, I'm exhausted from running around all day. Being a forensic pathologist is no job for a human being."

Mu Siwan glanced at her, said perfunctorily that she had worked hard, and then lowered her head to continue eating.

Xiao Qin buried her head and started eating her rice without paying attention to herself.

After taking a few bites, she suddenly remembered something, put down her chopsticks, and came over.

"Master, Master, have you heard?"

"What?"

"The Municipal Public Security Bureau!" Xiao Qin lowered his voice, but his eyes shone brightly. "They recently transferred someone over, and he's incredibly handsome!"