Chapter 5 Snake Head Tail Ring

When the four roommates gathered in the evening, they set off to a barbecue restaurant near the school. Qin Weizhao and Zeng Duoli drank and chatted, getting drunk. Jiang Wansheng and Shu Ke helped them back to school. They vomited before settling down in the dormitory.

Zheng Wen didn’t return to school until half a month after that night, limping. When asked, he just said he accidentally fell. He directly withdrew from the literary society after returning and had an unpleasant encounter with Wen Qing, but there was no further news.

Jiang Wansheng didn’t pay much attention to it, as it was just a way for Qin Weizhao to vent at the time.

In the blink of an eye, it was early June, and the sun became increasingly scorching as summer progressed.

Jiang Wansheng was studying in the dormitory. The end of June was the final exam week, and there was a lot to memorize for the Chinese department, which was not easy.

Qin Weizhao was lying on the bed, scrolling through her phone, while Shu Ke was working on her thesis, and Zeng Duoli spent the whole day in the computer room without being seen.

“When I chose this 5000-word final paper elective course, my brain must have been squeezed by the door. Why did I choose this? A poor little waste of time can only produce academic garbage in the dormitory.”

Shu Ke deleted and edited countless times, her mental state on the verge of collapse.

Qin Weizhao, amused, imitated the cheerful tone of “Little Sloppy” and sang, “Little garbage~ little garbage~”

“…”

Shu Ke puffed up her cheeks and threw the pillow she was leaning on at Qin Weizhao’s bed, “Qin Weizhao, you’re dead!”

The two of them started their daily banter again, and Jiang Wansheng could now face it all calmly.

Their battle finally stopped when Qin Weizhao’s phone alarm went off.

Qin Weizhao picked up her phone, holding a doll, and saw a calendar reminder:

【One day left until little uncle’s birthday】

Suddenly, she remembered something, “Wansheng.”

Jiang Wansheng looked up, “What’s up?”

“My little uncle’s birthday is tomorrow. Usually, he and a few friends casually gather tomorrow night. About the cookies you mentioned last time, I’ll bring them for you.”

Jiang Wansheng smiled, “Thanks, when do you leave?” as she got up to prepare.

“Don’t rush, the gathering is tomorrow night, I’ll leave in the afternoon, so there’s plenty of time.”

After careful consideration, Jiang Wansheng decided to prepare in advance and borrow some baking tools from her classmates in the baking club.

Shu Ke, puzzled, asked, “What kind of encrypted communication are you having? What little uncle, what cookies?”

Jiang Wansheng didn’t plan to explain in detail, “A while ago, Weizhao’s little uncle helped me out, so I plan to give him some cookies as a token of appreciation.”

“Weizhao’s little uncle, isn’t it…” She cleared her throat, lowering her voice with some reverence, “Qin Mo?”

Seeing her reaction, Qin Weizhao found it amusing, “Why are you so timid?”

Shu Ke raised an eyebrow, as if asking, “What are you showing off about?” “May I ask, aren’t you afraid?”

Qin Weizhao fell silent, thinking of her third uncle’s distant and aloof demeanor, his eyes like ancient ice, sending a shiver down her spine, “I take back what I said about teasing Shu Ke just now.”

Jiang Wansheng, observing their reactions, recalled the unease she felt when those cold eyes stared at her that night, understanding deeply.

It was like being in a jungle surrounded by predators, any slight movement could result in being bitten and becoming a beast’s meal.

“Qin Mo’s birthday, and you’re giving him cookies?” Shu Ke’s incredulous voice rang out again, “This is a joke, right?”

Qin Weizhao shrugged, “Why not? My little uncle lacks nothing, anything we give would be useless, so might as well give him cookies as a gesture.”

“Hasn’t your uncle received a cherished gift before?”

Jiang Wansheng was also curious. Someone who always seemed indifferent and didn’t care about anything, what would they cherish?

Qin Weizhao struggled to think, “I’ve given him many things, but if we talk about cherished items—” she paused for a moment, “does the snake head tail ring my grandfather gave him when he came of age count?”

Jiang Wansheng: “…”

Shu Ke: “…”

Qin Mo, holding an absolute dominant position in this capital city where no one dared to provoke, especially with the iconic snake head tail ring representing Qin Mo.

With twin snakes entwined, the snake’s body forming the ring, the snake’s head resting on the body, the snake’s eyes made of Burmese pigeon blood red rubies, priceless and embedded in a pure black ring, resembling fresh blood, eerie and dangerous.

Worn on Qin Mo’s right ring finger, seeing it was like seeing the man himself.

“This thing has no reference value at all. Ordinary people can’t afford Burmese pigeon blood red rubies, nor can they afford craftsmen who can carve a black snake so realistically,” Shu Ke commented expressionlessly.

Jiang Wansheng suddenly remembered that day when she was about to fall, her waist was held by someone, and she vaguely felt something prickly and cool.

That touch and outline seemed to be from that tail ring…

The thought made her skin tingle all over.

—

In the afternoon, Jiang Wansheng went to find the person in charge of the baking club, named Ling Nan, a person of medium height with a gentle temperament, in the same department as her but a year ahead.

They were once classmates in the same elective course and had worked together on group projects, exchanging contact information.

Ling Nan was very kind, and as soon as she explained her purpose, he readily agreed. Jiang Wansheng thanked him and promised to share the finished product with him.

She secured the venue and spent the whole afternoon at the bakery. Having worked in a dessert shop before, she was quite skilled in making cookies.

When she returned to the dormitory in the evening, she brought back several flavors of cookies.

Due to the extended time spent there, she was enveloped in a strong sweet scent.

Zeng Duoli had just returned from the computer room, hadn’t eaten dinner yet, looking completely drained. When she saw Jiang Wansheng coming back with a box of treats, her eyes lit up.

“Wansheng, I smell a rich fragrance. Did you hear the cries of my stomach and come to save me?” She was so touched she was almost in tears.

Qin Weizhao and Shu Ke were also enticed by the smell, their eyes fixed on the box in Jiang Wansheng’s hands.

Setting down the canvas bag, Jiang Wansheng opened the cookie box on the table, “I made four flavors: original, savory cheese, chocolate, and matcha. Can you help me taste and see which one is the most delicious?”

The three of them tried all the flavors, but with differing tastes, they couldn’t agree on the two best ones, so Jiang Wansheng ended up making all four.

They weren’t sure which ones would suit their preferences.