When a Snake Falls in Love with an Eagle

This is a simple, wholesome little story.

It takes place in a strange world with no humans, ruled entirely by animals.

Animals can fall ill and be injured, but they never die of old age. Any animal that lives safely for hundreds or even thousands of years can gain intelligence, take human form, and begin a completely new life.

The protagonist is a little black snake who has yet to take human form, but seems to have gained intelligence. He develops feelings for his natural enemy, a giant stone eagle that soars through the sky.

It all began with an accident. The eagle ignored the little black snake because he was so weak, and, by a twist of fate, ended up saving his life. From then on, the snake's simple, monotonous days gained a new purpose: every day, at the same time and in the same place, he would gaze up at the blue sky and chase after that graceful figure.

To get the eagle's attention, he worked hard to grow stronger, and finally took human form after just a hundred years.

Then one day, the eagle was injured mid-flight and fell from the sky.

Their story began there...

Early on:

The eagle stole the snake's food and took over his bed.

The eagle asked, "Since you say you like me, there's nothing wrong with me treating you this way, right?"

The snake replied, "Nothing wrong with that."

Later, the snake lost his memory.

The snake pinned the eagle down...

Afterward, the snake asked, "Since you say you like me, there's nothing wrong with me treating you this way, right?"

The eagle replied, "Nothing wrong with that."

A pathetic, relentless snake gong in the early part + an awkward snake gong later VS a haughty, domineering eagle shou early on + a gentle eagle shou later.

A few things to know:

1. The story has a simple setup. It's not fantasy, and there are no extraordinary magic powers.

2. There is pregnancy and childbirth.

3. The story focuses entirely on the protagonists' romance, with no secondary couples.

Preview of the upcoming novel, The Dashing Young Master's Daoist: Synopsis

Female lead's version

Nan Xi has spent years in a temple when she is ordered to go down the mountain and deliver medicine to a wealthy landowner. She happens to come upon the landowner being attacked by assassins. While saving him, she meets Zhai Lang, a carefree, easygoing, and unconventional man.

The two agree to escort the landowner and... um, his beloved from the brothel to safety.

On the road, Zhai Lang talks Nan Xi's ears off. She is also thoroughly exasperated by this grinning rascal who calls her his Daoist wife every day.

At the same time, she realizes that Zhai Lang may not be as harmless as he seems.

But then he tells her, "I like you."

He seems sincere this time, but his flippant reputation is so ingrained that Nan Xi doesn't take him seriously at all.

Until one day, she learns the whole truth.

She finds him, kisses him of her own accord, and says to him, as he stares at her in delighted disbelief, "If you want to do anything else, you have to come back alive!"

Male lead's version

Zhai Lang carries a sandalwood fan inscribed with the words "Show Off." He spends his days in all manner of places of pleasure, and with his breathtakingly handsome face, he embodies the very image of a dissolute young master.

One day, he meets a woman. Even dressed in plain gray cloth, she cannot hide her peerless beauty. But she is a Daoist nun who has severed her ties to the mortal world.

She doesn't speak? No problem. He can talk, and even sing.

She treats him like he isn't there? No problem. He can make a spectacle of himself, circling her until she can't help but notice him.

The more she dislikes him, the closer he gets.

He insists that if she finds him annoying, it's only because she hasn't seen enough of him. See enough, and she'll get used to him.

So he says, "Revered Daoist, won't you take a look at me?"

His seemingly frivolous behavior, apparently driven by her beauty, actually conceals a deeper reason.

Then one day, her soft, boneless hand grabs him just as he's about to fall off a cliff. He realizes he can hide anything, but he can no longer hide his heart.

A little scene

One day, Zhai Lang and Nan Xi are forced to pretend to be a farm couple. They share a room at a shabby inn with a family of five.

"Young man, how long have you been married?"

Zhai Lang smiles. "Uh, not long. Just a year."

"A year! You're still newlyweds. Why don't you seem close at all?"

"That's not true. My wife is just shy."

As he speaks, Zhai Lang pulls Nan Xi to his side and, in the blink of an eye, kisses her on the cheek. Seeing his "wife" about to lose her temper, he holds her hand as though affectionately, but is actually panicking like crazy, and frantically signals to her with his eyes.

"Ha ha, you're a funny one, young man. But you've been married a whole year. How come you don't have any children?" The man points to the three rambunctious kids behind him. "Look, our oldest was born six months after we got married!"

Zhai Lang: "...You're impressive, sir! But, well..." He reaches out and rubs Nan Xi's stomach. "Soon, soon!"

In an empty corner of the inn.

"Revered Daoist! Revered Daoist! I was wrong! I was wrong! You can hit me anywhere, just don't hit my face, okay?"

Reading guide:

1. One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationship, happy ending, fictional setting.

2. An old-school story.

3. Both the male and female leads have viewpoint chapters.

Theme: Love can cross species, even between fated enemies.