Between Ice and Fire

(This story is set in a fictional world. Don't pick up random things outside in real life; it's dangerous.)

Jiao Gao found an egg and brought it home to hatch, expecting a wild bird with colorful feathers. But after forty-nine days, what hatched was a snake.

Snakes can be pets too, so Jiao Gao kept it.

After losing for the umpteenth time, Jiao Gao rolled over and straddled Lou Zhang, pinning him beneath him. "That's not fair. You said two times each."

Lou Zhang wiped the sweat from Jiao Gao's chin. "You must have misheard. I said two times per rod."

Summer Heat · Jiao Gao Snake · Lou Zhang (chang)

Lou Zhang: A sharp-tongued chatterbox in every sense of the word.

Jiao Gao: Loves raising little animals, has an unusual way of thinking, and is so innocent that Lou Zhang tricks him all the time.

Blurb written: 2023.4.17

Theme: The cold, too, can grow warm.