In a cubicle by the window in the girls' restroom of Year One at Yuanyue Academy.
An Le was browsing a webpage, researching information about small snake species.
Last night, a small and peculiar white snake suddenly appeared on her windowsill.
She had a fair understanding of snakes since she initially considered keeping a pet snake when she started exploring exotic pets. However, her parents were terrified of snakes, so she settled for a gecko, which they could sowhat tolerate. Spiders and insects? Those were out of the question.
But that snake from last night…
It was so tiny yet bore an uncanny resemblance to a cobra, making An Le wonder if it might be venomous. She had fed the snake a little food and then locked it up to ensure it wouldn’t escape.
This morning, she scoured the internet during class breaks, trying to identify its species and determine if it could be dosticated.
In a gacity like Linn, built on the ocean, native wildlife was practically non-existent. If a snake showed up in a residential area, it was likely an escaped pet. Judging by its severe injuries, its previous owner probably hadn’t cared for it properly.
An Le wanted to keep it but couldn’t find any matching information after a whole morning of searching. The patterns, size, and appearance didn’t resemble anything she had seen before.
And really, was there such a thing as a small, milky-white cobra?
“Hey, Shuwen, I heard the president refused all the gifts again this morning…”
“Yeah, no one can catch him awake, so it’s impossible to even try!”
As An Le was putting down her phone and preparing to head back to class, she overheard her classmates chatting just outside. She froze, holding her breath, not daring to move.
Park Shuwen seed to open the cubicle next to hers. Her voice continued:
“You’re clueless! The key isn’t whether the president is awake; it’s all about that student council accountant.”
“Oh, you an that nerdy guy you ntioned before?”
“Exactly. He’s super close to the president and really approachable. If you sincerely ask him for a favor, he’ll definitely deliver the gifts to the president.”
Listening to their conversation, An Le pressed her lips together, staying silent.
“Do you think that’ll work?”
“Of course. But don’t overdo it—once or twice is fine, but too many requests, and he’ll refuse.”
After a pause, she heard the sound of a door opening as Park Shuwen continued, “So, we’ll space out our requests, maybe once a week. Be sure to act cute and sweet…”
As she washed her hands, Park Shuwen mimicked a syrupy voice:
“Oh, Yaqiao-kun, you’re so amazing! I don’t know how to thank you~”
“Ugh, gross. That’s too much! Hahaha…”
“Shh, these are my little secrets—don’t tell anyone else. Besides, he’s the only one in the council who’s really helpful. You Anlina might help, but she’ll read every letter a dozen tis before it’s even delivered…”
“And Aixi Li? Always walking around with that sour face. She’s impossible to deal with!”
“Then there’s Ying Gong… hahaha…”
Their laughter faded as the school bell rang. An Le stayed in the cubicle, mulling over their conversation.
So, if she delivered a ssage through Yaqiao, Yan Huan might actually accept it?
Still, sothing about it didn’t feel right.
And if Park Shuwen and the others found out she had overheard and tried the sa tactic...
An Le pressed her lips tightly and clutched her chest. A suffocating feeling weighed on her, causing her to unbutton her collar. Her blouse was so tight that it strained against her chest.
But even after doing so, the oppressive feeling didn’t fade. That’s when she realized—it wasn’t her chest that felt heavy. It was her heart.
“Gululu~”
As she hesitated, a snake-shaped tattoo, faintly shimring and otherworldly, began to slither out from beneath her skin.
An Le held her face in her hands, noticing movent in the corner of her eye—sothing wriggling on her arm.
“!!”
Startled, she shot up and looked down at her arm.
A snake! A snake?!
How was there a snake on her arm?!
As she stared, panicked and on the verge of tears, the snake tattoo detached from her skin and materialized into the small white snake from the night before.
“Gululu…”
The tiny snake, identical to the one she had rescued, tilted its head at her.
“An Le, hello.”
The snake rose slightly, studying her, and then spoke—its voice distinctly feminine.
“It… It talked!”
An Le clamped a hand over her mouth, questioning whether she had lost her mind from too much self-isolation.
The snake rolled its eyes with an unmistakably human expression. Then, glaring at her, it said, “Idiot!”
“Wha… why are you suddenly insulting ?”
“You don’t even protest when I call you an idiot? Are you even human?”
“But… I don’t even know why you’re mad. Is it because I locked you up last night…”
The snake, montarily stunned, laughed in exasperation. It seed at a loss for words.
After a mont, it muttered to itself, “Unbelievable. Fine, no choice. If I wait any longer, the others will get ahead of .”
“Get ahead… of you?”
An Le blushed, catching only the word “ahead,” which sent her imagination spiraling.
“Listen closely, An Le. I’ll be blunt—I’m here to tell the truth.”
The snake flicked its translucent pink tongue and said, “Do you know what a golden finger is?”
“Y-yes. I’ve read plenty of novels from the Dragon Kingdom…”
“Well, I’m your golden finger—call
a cheat, a system, whatever you like. I’m here to help you fulfill your wishes.”
“My… wishes?”
“Exactly. You’re this world’s protagonist, the chosen one. You can achieve anything you desire.”
The snake slithered onto her arm, coiling tightly as it whispered, I can grant you the power to manipulate sensations. With it, you can control anyone’s pleasure, pain…
A wave of tingling, itching, and pain rippled through her arm, followed by…
An Le’s face flushed, her knees buckling as she felt a montary surge of sensations.
As you use my power, your abilities will grow stronger… until you evolve.
Its voice turned sweet and enticing, but then shifted abruptly to a grave warning.
But you must be cautious. Never, under any circumstances, let others discover your ability. It’s a rule set by the deity.
An Le swallowed hard. “What… what happens if soone finds out?”
Everything will end. You, , the entire world.
The snake sighed, then added, And let’s not forget the obvious—if others find out, you’ll probably get dissected.
After a pause, it hissed impatiently, “So, are you accepting my help or not?”
“I…”
An Le hesitated, staring at the snake. Its crimson eyes reflected her distorted figure.
“Are you really going to let others bully you forever? Elentary school, middle school, and now…”
“I…”
“Are you going to stay cowardly forever? Not even daring to talk to him, just watching him with other won?”
“No! That’s not it!”
Tears brimd in An Le’s eyes as she clutched her hands tightly. “I just… want to talk to him again… that’s all.”
What?! The snake was dumbfounded.
“You’ve got powers, and you’re settling for this?!”
After a beat, it snapped its tail against her hand, hissing, “You pathetic human! Grow a spine! Starting today, you fight back! Got it?!”
“I… I’ll accept your help!”
“Finally! Now stop being a pushover and take charge! Crush anyone who crosses you, enslave the ones you want—just like in those gas you play!”
An Le blinked, mumbling, “Gas are nothing like real life, though…”
An Le couldn’t bring herself to say anything further, sensing the snake’s rising temper. Instead, she asked,
“Little Snake… since you can talk, do you have a na?”
“…You can call
Little Pinky.”
“That’s such a strange na.”
She reached out to pat its head, only for it to slap her hand away in irritation. Unbothered, An Le continued the conversation, completing the thought Little Pinky had interrupted earlier.
“Little Pinky… I was going to say, your abilities sound impressive, but controlling pleasure and pain doesn’t seem very useful…”
“…”
The snake froze for a mont, flustered by her bluntness. Then it snapped,
“What do you an?! Are you calling
weak?! I’m more than capable of helping you!”
“No, I didn’t an it that way. I was just being honest…”
“Bullsh*t! And this is just the beginning! The more you use it, the stronger it will beco!”
“Hmm…”
Even so, An Le couldn’t shake the thought that the ability might not be very practical, no matter how much it developed. But she didn’t want to upset Little Pinky further, so she held her tongue.
An Le was a gentle girl.
“Fine, fine… but Little Pinky, you’re a snake. I can’t take you to school, and at ho, I’d have to hide you from my parents…”
“Do you think just anyone can see ? Only you can. No one else can see or hear .”
As it spoke, Little Pinky began to dissolve. Its milky white body seed to absorb a dark ink, becoming the snake-shaped tattoo on An Le’s hand.
The tattoo squird faintly, and then ghostly text appeared before her eyes:
Current Level: 1
Effect: Manipulate Pleasure and Pain
Usage thod 1: Once per day, 15 minutes per use. Works on any target within a 10-ter radius via ntal focus.
Usage thod 2: Invoke the snake tattoo and make physical contact with the target. This thod has no ti limit or cooldown, but only affects one person at a ti.
An Le stared at the translucent text, murmuring,
“This… this is just like the systems in novels…”
“Hmph, as long as you understand that I’m your golden finger. Now go and show those bullies what’s what!”
Little Pinky’s voice echoed in her mind. An Le bit her lip, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Instead, she glanced at her phone, realized how much ti had passed, and bolted upright.
“Oh no, class has already started! I need to get back to the classroom!”
“Hey! Are you even listening to ?!”
“…”
Ignoring Little Pinky’s protests, An Le slipped out of the cubicle and walked to the sink. Her mind was a chaotic jumble, stirred up by the snake’s sudden appearance.
Revenge on Park Shuwen and her friends hadn’t crossed her mind. Instead, images from over a decade ago resurfaced.
Back then, her family hadn’t yet moved out of the South District. They lived in an old, run-down community. Like now, she didn’t have many friends.
The only difference was that she had a close childhood companion back then.
The neighborhood kids often played together but didn’t include her. She was too quiet, too unlikeable.
Still, she longed for friendship. Even if she just followed the others silently or sat on the sidelines doing nothing, she was content to be near them.
In that neighborhood, there was an orphanage. The children there often played with the neighborhood kids, and that’s where An Le t a boy nad Yan Huan.
A special boy.
He was the only one who noticed her sitting alone in the corner.
He was the only one who approached her, spoke to her, and invited her to play.
She carefully prepared birthday gifts for him, brought him to her house, and even shared her bed with him.
Her parents adored him, and in her innocence, she once suggested they adopt him into their family.
Those few years of happiness were unforgettable.
But all of it ended when her family moved out of Linn.
She rembered clinging to him and crying as they said goodbye. He couldn’t bear to see her upset, so he cut a piece of cardboard and said,
“Don’t cry. I’ll make you a bookmark.”
“Wahh, what’s a bookmark, Huan?”
“A bookmark is sothing that records where you stop reading, so you can pick up where you left off.”
“So, this bookmark is a record too?”
“Yeah. The aning of a bookmark is to help you reunite with the story after being apart.”
On the cardboard, he wrote both their nas:
Yan Huan and An Le.
He asked if she wanted to add anything.
Her young mind thought of only one thing. She wrote on the bookmark, completing it:
Yan Huan and An Le.
Together forever.
After that, her family moved back to Dragon Country for several years before returning to Linn’s Luoqiao District.
She visited the orphanage in the South District, but by then, Yan Huan was long gone.
Perhaps fate was kinder than she thought. She managed to get into Yuanyue Academy, and there, Yan Huan appeared before her again.
He had also been admitted to Yuanyue and was now her schoolmate.
But even though she yearned to reconnect, an entire sester had passed, and she hadn’t reached out to him.
Cold water ran over her hands, its chill stealing her warmth and making her look up at the mirror.
Her long, thick black hair dragged down her aura, and even when she brushed it aside to reveal her pure, delicate features, her gaze avoided her reflection.
That self-doubt clouded her entire being, burying her under layers of insecurity.
How could soone like her…
…ever be with soone like Yan Huan, now the Student Council President admired by so many?
An Le bit her lip and lowered her head, letting her hair fall back into place and obscure her face.
Her chest tight with unease, she left the restroom and walked toward her classroom.
She knocked lightly, entered, and saw Mr. Zhou at the podium. Stamring, she said,
“Teacher… I’m sorry for being late…”
Prepared for a scolding, she began heading toward the back row where she always sat.
But unexpectedly, Mr. Zhou simply adjusted his glasses and said with a smile,
“It’s fine. Take your seat.”
“Huh? Oh… thank you, Mr. Zhou.”
Relieved, An Le bowed her head and walked to her desk. Just as she was about to sit down, she froze.
Her book… where was her book?
The book itself didn’t matter, but the bookmark…
If the bookmark was gone…
Her hidden eyes widened, trembling. The snake tattoo on her hand stirred, as if feeding on her dread.
“Gululu~”
She turned to see a blonde-haired Spencer holding the old, worn bookmark in her hands.
It’s in her hands!
Spencer glanced curiously at An Le, who hurriedly whispered,
“Please… please give that back to …”
“Huh?”
Spencer raised an eyebrow, studying An Le from head to toe. Her expression shifted from interest to boredom.
“Fine.”
She handed the bookmark back with the book, saying dismissively,
“Here you go.”
“T-thank you…”
An Le clutched the bookmark, letting out a relieved sigh. But Spencer’s voice soon followed,
“You like him too, don’t you? Yan Huan, the president…”
“I… I don’t… no…”
An Le’s face flushed as she waved her hands in denial.
Seeing her reaction, Spencer’s gaze softened, almost pitying her.
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with liking soone. But just so you know…”
“What?”
An Le, unsure, bit her lip and waited for Spencer’s words.
“Yan Huan is already with Ying Gong Tong. They’ve even done… that.”
An Le froze. “That…?”
Spencer smirked, her golden hair gleaming in the light. Her lips ford a silent word.
The implication hit An Le like a tidal wave, conjuring vivid images in her mind of Yan Huan gazing lovingly at the vice president.
In an instant, An Le’s face turned pale as her body trembled uncontrollably.
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