Help! The Villainess Trapped in the Beast World's Drama!-Chapter 167 - 161: Bringing the Little Snake Home
After Shen Tang finished bandaging the wound and taking the little snake away from the slave market, she didn’t bother to loiter around and directly signaled the escorts to return to the palace.
Sitting in the carriage, she cradled the little snake in her arms, smiling gently, "Get some sleep first. I’ll wake you when we’re home."
"..." Xue Yinzhou had never heard the unfamiliar word "home" before; even the old man who had cared for him since childhood never dared to claim to be family.
He nodded lightly, quietly curling up in the clothing, coiling his tail, resting his head on the tail, and closed his eyes.
The journey was not bumpy, very smooth.
Xue Yinzhou, breathing in the scent of Shen Tang, quickly fell asleep in her arms.
In his memory, it had been a long time since he had slept soundly.
He had always been on edge, wary of those chasing him.
Sometimes the old man would take him and flee in the middle of the night.
Rushing day and night, escaping for their lives.
Many times, he dared not close his eyes for days on end.
Later, working in the slave market, beaten and tortured day by day; even more so, he never had a good night’s sleep.
But at this moment, the warmth and softness in the young female’s arms was like being wrapped in the soft clouds from the sky, making him extremely comfortable and relaxed, subconsciously releasing his tense body and drifting into dreamland.
This sleep, Xue Yinzhou slept very deeply and sweetly.
After who knows how long, someone gently touched his head.
A cheerful voice said, "Wake up, we’re home!"
Always alert to the slightest sound of rustling grass, Xue Yinzhou opened his drowsy eyes, lazily awakening.
He flicked his tail to relax his body, raised his upper body, and looked out the carriage window.
In front of him was the magnificent imperial palace, with many attendants continuously coming and going.
Xue Yinzhou had never seen such a splendid place, it actually made him feel a trace of retreat; how was he qualified to come to such an esteemed place.
Shen Tang carried him down from the carriage.
The attendant asked, "Princess, where do you intend to arrange for this slave to stay? I will have someone prepare."
Hearing this, Xue Yinzhou felt even more at a loss, his body tensing into a bow.
He instinctively feared the unfamiliar environment, and now, the only one he felt familiar and close to was Shen Tang.
He wanted to stay by her side, not leave her.
But he was just a purchased lowly slave, surely destined to stay in the slaves’ quarters.
She was an esteemed Princess of the Empire, such a noble person, he would only be able to gaze at her from afar in the future.
But the next second, upon hearing the young female’s voice, his heart was thrown into tumultuous waves,
Shen Tang said, "This is the little slave I bought, naturally, he is to personally serve me, and from now on, he will live with me."
Xue Yinzhou looked up in shock at her, his snake body tensed like a rod, a trace of warmth unexpectedly rising on his cold body.
Fortunately, he was not in human form; otherwise, he surely would have shown a blushing face.
Luckily, he was in snake form, so nothing could be seen, only shyly curling up, burying his head into the clothes, unnoticed by anyone.
The attendants were somewhat surprised at this but didn’t dare defy the decision of the Little Princess.
It was indeed more convenient to have the little slave reside closer for serving purposes.
Anyway, there were several vacant rooms within the Princess Mansion.
The sky had darkened, reaching dinner time, and Shen Tang was feeling a bit hungry.
She glanced at the thin little white snake and guessed he must have been starved at the slave market, probably famished by now, though he wouldn’t say a word.
Shen Tang actively asked, "What would you like to eat? I’ll have the kitchen prepare it."
Xue Yinzhou finally spoke, his voice clear and pleasant, with a hint of timidity, "I, I can eat anything."
He paused and added, "Your Highness, I’m not a picky eater, I’m easy to feed..."
He didn’t know why this Little Princess had the sudden whim to buy him.
Maybe it was kindness, perhaps curiosity, there might be a bit of fondness too.
He didn’t want to waste effort speculating on the reasons; rumors said nobles were capricious and passionate.
He only hoped that when she grew tired of him, she wouldn’t discard him.
Shen Tang had no idea what the little white snake was thinking. Considering that snakes are carnivorous, she had the kitchen prepare several plates of meat dishes.
The little white snake lay on the table, flicking his tongue, swallowing saliva as he smelled the aroma of the meat.
He turned his head towards Shen Tang, seeing she hadn’t moved her chopsticks yet, obediently waiting to start eating.
Shen Tang, after waiting a while, noticed the little white snake still didn’t eat; could it be that the food from the kitchen wasn’t tasty?
She tried a piece of the meat dish; while not matching her and Lu Xiao’s cooking skills, the imperial chef’s work wasn’t bad at all.
Thinking about the poor little creature’s tough days at the slave market, she figured he might be scared, so Shen Tang picked up a large piece of meat, brought it to his mouth, and smiled sweetly, "Here, open up, let me feed you."
How could a princess be feeding a slave?
This truly was, unprecedented!
Xue Yinzhou was at a loss.
He looked into her bright eyes, this Little Princess was not exceptionally beautiful, yet he couldn’t bear to look away.
He came to his senses, obediently opened his mouth, and swallowed the piece of meat.
It was delicious.
The little white snake then picked up another piece of meat from the plate and happily ate.
Seeing this, Shen Tang left him be and focused on her meal.
After finishing their meal, Shen Tang went out and summoned the attendant, asking them to prepare several sets of clean clothing.
When she returned from the courtyard, she spotted an additional slender figure by the dining table.
The youth sat at the table, still wearing the tattered old clothes, his silver hair disheveled and face dirty, yet his exquisite and beautiful features were visible, leaving her in a daze.
Seeing her return, Xue Yinzhou nervously said, "Your Highness."
Shen Tang snapped out of it, "Get down first!"
Xue Yinzhou quickly jumped off the table, having regained strength after the meal, he could transform back into human form.
Just then, the attendant brought over the clean clothes.
Passing the clothes to him, Shen Tang surveyed his dirty body with a slight headache, "Go take a bath and change into new clothes."
"Okay." Xue Yinzhou carefully accepted the brand-new clothes.
The luxurious fabric and exquisite craftsmanship were evidently expensive, and he feared his dirty hands might stain them.
He softly asked, "Your Highness, where should I take a bath?"
Shen Tang, without much thought, relying on the original owner’s memories, led Xue Yinzhou back to the princess’s chamber.
The chamber was spacious, with a separate small bathing pool, making it convenient for bathing.
Afraid he might not know how to use it, Shen Tang considerately asked, "Want me to accompany you?"
"No, no need!" Xue Yinzhou replied shyly, turning around and running off.
Shen Tang quickly reminded, "The bathroom is on the left; you’re going in the wrong direction."
The youth hurriedly changed direction, his bashful demeanor akin to someone fleeing in panic.
Suppressing her laughter, Shen Tang returned to her bed to rest.
Xue Yinzhou spent three to four hours in the bath without coming out, and the sky outside had turned completely dark.
Shen Tang wondered if he had drowned.
Recalling the young man’s bashful demeanor, she hesitated to disturb him.
Waiting and waiting, until midnight, Shen Tang was almost asleep when Xue Yinzhou finally emerged from his bath.
This time, he did not remain in human form but shifted back to his beast form.
Nervously, he asked, "Your Highness, where should I sleep?"
Without thinking, Shen Tang replied, "Sleep with me."
