Chapter 4: Sleeping with a Snake

“Xing’er, do you recognize this place?”

Xing’er took the photo from my hand and immediately recognized it, nodding vigorously: “Xing’er remembers.”

Hearing this, I excitedly asked her: “Where is it? Is it far from here?”

Xing’er looked troubled: “It’s about two hours’ walk away, just beyond the mountain. It’s the source of our mountain spring water. Quite close to the ancient town. But half a month ago, there was heavy rain that caused a landslide, blocking the only path.”

“I see…” I sighed deeply in disappointment. The road ahead is long and winding it seems uncovering the truth won’t be that easy.

On the night exactly one week after I started my job, that mysterious man came again.

In almost the same scenario, I don’t know if my psychology was pathological, but this time I didn’t resist at all instead, I did everything to respond to him.

The pleasure this man brought was too intense, overwhelming my mind into complete blankness. That kind of happiness where both body and soul are utterly satisfied cannot be described with any words.

After the intense lovemaking, my body was in a state of extreme exhaustion, as if nothing felt real.

“Who are you? Are you real or just a dream? Will you leave again when day breaks…”

In the darkness, only a faint moonlight shone through the window, allowing me to see his vague outline and those clear, soul-captivating starry eyes.

He just looked at me, remaining silent. Until I fell into deep sleep once again…

Morning came; I stretched and slowly opened my eyes. The scenes from last night seemed still vivid in my mind. Almost instinctively, I looked toward the bedside empty, no one was there.

Sighing quietly to myself, I was about to get up when suddenly I felt something moving at my feet, slippery and cool, continuously crawling up along my right calf.

All the hair on my body stood up. I stiffened, not daring to move. With trembling hands, I abruptly threw off the covers that dark red venomous snake was flicking its crimson tongue, as if provoking me.

“Ah Ah !!”

I’m extremely afraid of such soft-bodied reptiles. Almost as a reflex, I kicked my leg, sending the snake flying. I hugged the blanket and shivered in the corner of the bed.

Until Xing’er rushed in calling me several times: “Teacher Lin, Teacher Lin?”

I don’t remember how long it had been since I last cried, but this time I was scared to tears. With red eyes, I choked up, unable to speak a word.

Xing’er searched the room and around the eaves indignantly and thoroughly but found no trace of the snake.

“Teacher Lin, don’t be afraid. Why don’t you sleep in my room? There are no snakes in my room.”

Covering my face with my hands, I felt utterly embarrassed crying from fear in front of a ten-year-old girl.

“It’s alright, I was just being overly alarmed.”

Xing’er looked remorseful: “If only I had killed it that day, then it wouldn’t have scared Teacher Lin anymore.”

In the end, Xing’er insisted on switching rooms with me. Perhaps because of the psychological trauma, during that period even accidentally stepping on a twig would make my heart tremble violently.

Once bitten by a snake, one fears coiled ropes for ten years I truly understood this feeling now.

I originally thought changing rooms would solve everything, but reality proved me too naive!

Three nights after changing rooms, the man appeared again, wordlessly pressing me down as he indulged in boundless desire. Our bodies fit together seamlessly…

I wanted to struggle, but my limbs felt leaden and heavy, utterly devoid of strength. When I tried to speak, no sound escaped my lips.

Then my legs were lifted high, and I felt his intensely aroused hardness pressing against me…

“Are you the one I’ve been searching for? Promise me, don’t leave… please don’t go…”

He panted softly, biting my lips with a slight sting before a wet warmth slipped into my mouth, tangling with my tongue in an intimate dance.

Unnoticed, cold hands had crept beneath my clothes, rough fingertips deliberately brushing against sensitive peaks. A faint gasp escaped me as I tried to push him away, but my hands paused against his chest before ultimately wrapping around him.

His cool kisses trailed slowly down my neck, lingering at my collarbone. I cradled his head, my fingers sinking into the silky softness of his jet-black hair.

Suddenly he took my rosy left peak into his mouth. The unexpected sensation nearly made me cry out.

“No… don’t…”

He chuckled lowly, the sound unbearably seductive.

Using both teeth and tongue, he teased until the bud stood firm and rigid, only releasing when a faint ache blossomed from his ministrations.

My clothes lay scattered across the bed, the nightgown pushed up to my waist. He forced my legs apart, settling between them while his hardened length rubbed persistently against my damp panties.

This unfamiliar pleasure was irresistible. I could only cling tightly to the man, surrendering to his every whim.

When warm wetness began flowing freely, he slipped two fingers inside, skillfully stroking until the floodgates opened completely. Overwhelmed with shame, I begged: “Stop… please… ah… no more…”

He pulled down my underwear, his rigid member pressing against me once more. Though this wasn’t our first time, his entry still felt slightly strained.
“It hurts… slower… don’t move…”

He paused halfway at my plea, covering my lips and neck with kisses while kneading both rosy peaks until the pain dissolved into overwhelming pleasure.

Almost instinctively, I tightened my legs around him, and he used the motion to sheath himself completely within me.

I bit my lip but couldn’t suppress the soft moans as he moved inside me, his rhythm quickening until my body rocked like a small boat adrift in turbulent seas.

The continuous flow of moisture smoothed his movements, each thrust scattering my thoughts until only sensation remained. Clinging to this man, I reached climax repeatedly.

As dawn approached, our passionate entanglement gradually subsided. Each time he appeared, his sole purpose seemed to be draining me of all energy.

“Tell me who you are? Are you human… or a ghost?”

He remained silent, only lowering his head to kiss me not fiercely, but with deep tenderness. I could only hold tightly to his form, my heart overflowing with bittersweet affection.

“Are you the one I’ve been searching for? Promise me, don’t leave… please don’t go…”

As usual, exhausted beyond measure, I fell asleep without realizing it. When I woke up, it felt like a fleeting dream, utterly unreal.

I truly couldn’t tell if it was a hallucination caused by some psychological issue or if I’d encountered something sinister.

After breakfast, I returned to my room to fetch my lesson plan. While organizing things at the desk, I felt something brushing against my hair. Reaching up to touch it, I assumed it was a spider web or something similar.

Once I finished tidying up, I turned to leave but froze in terror, swallowing hard. That dark red snake hung from the ceiling beam, nearly two meters long, its crimson forked tongue flickering barely five centimeters from my face. My legs went weak with fear, and I staggered back two steps, leaning against the desk for support.

Suddenly, I realized something: every time that man appeared, this snake would inevitably show up in the morning. If it happened once or twice, it could be coincidence, but what about the third time?

And the previous two times, it had been on my bed…

I stared at the snake, and it seemed to be watching me too, showing no intention of attacking.

Just then, Xing’er’s voice came from outside: “Teacher Lin, are you ready? We’re almost out of time.”

“Oh, yes! I’m coming…”

I sidestepped carefully, keeping as much distance from the snake as possible while maintaining a wary eye on it. Slowly, I edged toward the door before darting out in a panic.

Due to limited teaching resources, besides teaching the children drawing, I also covered their Chinese lessons. Elementary-level knowledge being quite basic, it wasn’t particularly challenging.

During roll call that morning, one student was absent.
“Why isn’t Erya here?”

The children glanced at each other silently until a little boy finally raised his hand and explained, “Teacher Lin, Erya’s grandfather seems to be sick, so she didn’t come to school.”

“Sick?” I sighed inwardly. The plight of left-behind children and elderly in these remote mountains lacking proper care when would this ever be resolved?

After finishing the lessons, I left school early and asked the Village Chief to guide me to Erya’s home. Her house was quite far from the school, and by the time we arrived, darkness had already fallen.

Erya’s grandfather lay ill on the clay bed. Seeing us, he grew agitated, gripping the Village Chief’s hand and speaking rapidly. I couldn’t quite understand his heavy local dialect.

The Village Chief’s expression turned grave and anxious. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “Oh, Teacher Lin! Erya went to the mountains to gather herbs yesterday evening and still hasn’t returned! We fear something might have happened to her!”

We split into two groups: Old Wang from the village drove Erya’s grandfather to the town clinic on his tractor, while the Village Chief and I gathered several local youths familiar with the terrain. Armed with flashlights, we headed into the mountains.

“Erya! Erya, where are you?”

The Village Chief and I decided to divide into four search teams. We agreed to regroup at the mountain entrance in two hours, regardless of whether we found her.

The forest here was truly ancient and deep, rarely visited by people. After searching for what felt like ages with no sign of Erya, the eerie atmosphere set my nerves on edge.

I turned, intending to suggest to my search partner that we head back for now, only to find him gone. I hadn’t even noticed when we’d gotten separated.