024 The Python Big Flower Guards Yi Siyu

They were all clever people; a single hint was all it took.

Qiu Hong’s expression turned cold and sharp in an instant. Before the incident, she had been abroad for half a year, leaving her son in the care of Yi Tiancheng. After the incident, everyone had kept her in the dark. By the time she learned the news, her son had already been missing for three days!

Qiu Hong’s mental state had reached its breaking point today, leading her to contemplate jumping. She thought that perhaps, by following the current, she might be swept to wherever her son was; even if she died, at least mother and son would be reunited.

When Yi Tiancheng’s call to Qiu Hong didn’t go through, his expression darkened. A small boy beside him called out "Daddy" in a crisp, clear voice. A charming woman draped herself over his arm. "Husband, are you unhappy? What are you worried about? How much longer do we have to wait for this to be over?"

Yi Tiancheng felt a stir of excitement at her voice. "Just wait a little longer. That woman must be devastated after losing her son. Once her mind can no longer take the strain, it will be perfectly natural for her to be killed in a car accident. Then, all the assets will be mine, and we can finally be a family."

"Finally, that little brat is dead. Husband, I can hardly wait."

The two of them, naturally, shared another display of intimacy. Yet, the moment Yi Tiancheng stepped out to face the media, he donned the mask of a desperate, loving father searching for his son.

"Mr. Shen, do you know something?" The project that the Yi family had once collaborated on with Shen Zhihan had been negotiated by Qiu Hong. After the contract ended, the business relationship had ceased, and Shen Zhihan had not renewed it.

"Ms. Qiu, if I may speak bluntly, do you really think your pillow partner is that trustworthy? If I were you, I would transfer my assets as soon as possible, uncover Yi Tiancheng’s wrongdoings, and leave him with nothing."

Shen Zhihan did not elaborate; he knew Qiu Hong would handle the specifics herself. Qiu Hong was surprised that Shen Zhihan had actually been keeping an eye on Yi Siyu’s situation. Once hope was rekindled, her gaze finally found focus, and she noticed An'an.

"Who is this?" she asked, startled. Why was there a little girl by Shen Zhihan’s side? There had never been any rumors or gossip surrounding him before.

"My daughter, An'an. An'an, this is Auntie Qiu Hong."

"Hello, Auntie Qiu," An'an greeted her sweetly. "The little brother is still alive, Auntie Qiu, so please don't cry." As she spoke, she took out a piece of candy and gave it to Qiu Hong.

Qiu Hong took it, her eyes instantly welling up. "Thank you, An'an." She didn't eat it; instead, she tucked it away carefully.

***

"Stop, we're here," An'an instructed the driver.

Shen Zhihan opened the door and stepped out, reaching out to take An'an. The area was remote, the road ending abruptly ahead. It looked like a vast expanse of wasteland, choked with overgrown shrubs and weeds. Night had already fallen, and nothing could be seen in the distance.

Shen Zhihan kept a flashlight in the car, and he had the driver turn on the headlights, instantly illuminating a large area. An'an slid from Shen Zhihan's arms. "Daddy, just hold my hand. I'll lead the way."

Shen Zhihan held the flashlight, gripping An'an’s hand tightly. She led them about two hundred meters before stopping in front of a massive drainage pipe. The pipe was dry and measured a meter and a half in diameter. As the flashlight beam lit up the interior, Qiu Hong lost all composure.

"Siyu!"

Yi Siyu lay inside the pipe, his fate uncertain. A massive, patterned python suddenly reared its head, flicking its tongue and letting out a hiss.

An'an spoke in her soft, milky voice to soothe the giant snake. "Da Huahua, don't be afraid. This is the little brother's mommy. Thank you for protecting him, but it's time for him to go home."

The python ceased its aggressive posture and tilted its head, as if deep in thought. It didn't know what it was thinking, but after a moment, it coiled around Yi Siyu and gently nudged him toward Qiu Hong.

Qiu Hong rushed forward, her hands trembling as she carefully embraced her son. Feeling the warmth of her arms and the familiar scent, Yi Siyu’s eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes. When he saw who was holding him, tears began to stream down his face. His parched lips trembled. "Mommy? Is it really you? Mommy, I'm not dreaming, am I? Is it really you?"

"It's me, Siyu. Mommy is here to take you home."

"Mommy..." Yi Siyu began to sob. Qiu Hong wept as well, mother and son clinging tightly to each other. Watching them, tears welled up in An'an’s eyes and began to fall. She was so envious; the little brother had his mommy. But she was also very happy; the little brother was reunited with his mother.

Shen Zhihan leaned down to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry, An'an, you should be happy. You really are a little angel. If it weren't for you, the little brother would never have seen his mother again."

The python crawled toward An'an. The bodyguards were visibly unnerved, but Shen Zhihan stepped in front of An'an, and the guards positioned themselves in front of them. The python cast an arrogant glance at them before continuing to slither toward An'an.

An'an signaled them to move aside. "Daddy, Da Huahua is just saying goodbye to me."

The python reached An'an, raised its head, and flicked its tongue, meeting her gaze levelly. An'an reached out and patted the python’s head, praising it. "Da Huahua, you did a great job. You need to hide well so others don't find you! Otherwise, some people might want to eat you!"

The villagers in Pear Blossom Village were known to eat snakes; whenever they caught one, they would cook it. Later, when An'an grew older and realized she could talk to animals, she told all the snakes to hide well so they wouldn't be caught. The villagers soon found that it became nearly impossible for them to catch snakes.

An'an gestured for Shen Zhihan to touch it too. Shen Zhihan felt a chill run down his spine—snakes were truly terrifying! An'an noticed his hesitation. "Daddy, are you scared?"

Nonsense. How could he, Shen Zhihan, show weakness in front of An'an? He tentatively touched the python’s head; the cold, slick texture made his skin crawl with goosebumps.

An'an explained, "The little brother once saved Da Huahua. This time, after the little brother got into trouble, Da Huahua saved him, finding him wild fruits to eat so he could survive."

Yi Siyu was shockingly thin. Qiu Hong’s eyes were swollen from crying. She nodded, "Yes, Siyu has loved watching nature documentaries since he was little. He cherishes nature. When he plays outside, he wouldn't even hurt an ant. If he saw an earthworm crawl from the soil onto the pavement, he would move it back to the dirt, afraid it would dry out in the sun. Others are afraid of snakes, but he isn't. He used to say that as long as we don't attack or approach them, snakes will always hide when they hear us coming. Once, when I was driving him out, we encountered an injured python stretched across the middle of the road. Siyu spotted it first and made me stop the car. He got out, had me turn on the hazard lights, and stood in the middle of the road to block traffic until the snake had passed, only then did we continue our journey."

She never imagined that Yi Siyu’s small act of kindness would end up saving his life. Qiu Hong suddenly realized something. "An'an, how did you know that Siyu had once saved a python?"