"What's wrong with you?!"
"What happened?"
"Speak up!"
Zhang Liu was so startled by the sight in front of him that he fired off questions one after another.
But Anya didn't respond at all. She just sat on the ground, gasping for air. Her eyes were wide with fear, her legs stretched out straight but trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing her reaction, Zhang Liu didn't hesitate. He reached out and lifted her skirt. On Anya's pale, slender thigh, a long wound was oozing blood. The blood traced two thin trails down her fair skin, eventually soaking into the soil below.
A snake's head and part of its body were coiled around the wound, just a few centimeters below Anya's private area. Glistening droplets clung to the smooth hair there, a clear sign that something had gone wrong during their journey.
Carefully examining the snake's features, Zhang Liu let out a small sigh of relief. Its head was oval, and its tail tapered gradually—classic signs of a non-venomous snake.
Without wasting time, he grabbed the snake's head from the side and yanked it off Anya's leg. Then, gripping both ends, he pulled hard. The sound of bones grinding against each other echoed, but Zhang Liu didn't stop. He seized the snake's tail and swung it repeatedly, smashing its head against a nearby sturdy tree.
The entire ordeal took less than five seconds. Anya stood frozen, dazed, while the snake in Zhang Liu's hands went from thrashing wildly to twitching in its final death throes, reduced to mere nerve reflexes. Its head was completely crushed, ensuring it would never bite again.
"It's okay. The bite marks are long and bleeding, and the snake's body is dark with a round head and pointed tail. Plus, we're on land, so it's very unlikely to be venomous," Zhang Liu said, tossing the snake aside. He approached Anya, who was still trembling, and quickly tied his belt tightly above the wound to slow the blood flow, all while trying to reassure her.
"Really?" Anya's heavy breathing began to calm. After hearing Zhang Liu's assurance that the snake wasn't venomous and seeing his swift, practiced response, her fear and anxiety started to fade. But her voice still carried a trace of doubt.
"Yes, really." Nodding, Zhang Liu placed his hand on the wound on Anya's thigh and squeezed firmly.
The small trickle of blood instantly surged.
"Ah!" Anya yelped, startled by both the sudden touch of a man's hand on her inner thigh and the sharp pain from the pressure on her wound.
Instinctively, she tried to kick Zhang Liu away with her other foot.
"Don't move!" Zhang Liu grunted as her kick landed hard in his stomach. Despite the pain, he didn't back off. Instead, he bent forward, trapping her foot against his body, and said, "Non-venomous snakes aren't completely harmless. They live in the wild, so their fangs can carry pathogens. We need to clean the wound now!"
"It hurts! Stop squeezing! I can do it myself!" Anya yanked her foot free, leaving her shoe caught on Zhang Liu's thigh. Her small foot, clad in white stockings, accidentally kicked him in the face. "Don't touch me!"
"Alright…" Feeling the soft pressure of her foot against his face, Zhang Liu reluctantly released her thigh and stepped back, watching her closely.
Anya glanced up at him, checking his expression to ensure he wasn't angry. Satisfied, she quickly lowered her head and pressed her hand against the wound on her inner thigh.
But after more than ten seconds, she barely applied any pressure. The inner thigh is one of the softest parts of the body, and even a light squeeze could cause intense pain.
Anya, who had been pampered growing up, had endured her fair share of hardship practicing kendo. But when it came to inflicting this kind of pain on herself, she could only manage a gentle press before hesitating to push harder.
Her efforts only caused the wound to ooze slightly, far from enough to flush out any potential contaminants.
"Anya?" Zhang Liu, watching from nearby, could see her reluctance to apply force. He couldn't help but urge her, "You need to act fast. Time's critical for treating wounds like this."
According to what he'd read, the first five to fifteen minutes after a snakebite were crucial, even for non-venomous snakes. While this snake was likely harmless, infections could spread quickly, and squeezing out the blood sooner rather than later was the safest option.
Seeing Anya's hesitant, conflicted movements, Zhang Liu added, "If you don't treat it properly, the wound could get infected and fester. In a worst-case scenario, you'd need an amputation—and out here in the wilderness, there's no way to perform one!"
Anya's whole body shuddered at his half-threatening warning. But the sharp pain from pressing the wound made her unable to muster the courage to squeeze harder.
"Why don't you just grit your teeth, and I'll do it for you?" Zhang Liu, seeing her distress, grew anxious and took a step forward.
Anya screamed as if she'd seen a monster and shrank back.
Zhang Liu froze, standing there helplessly, his worry mounting.
"Can you… can you suck the blood out instead?" Anya hesitated, looking up at him. "Like they do on TV, with your mouth."
"Huh?" Zhang Liu glanced at the black triangle of fabric hanging around Anya's left ankle, then at her exposed, defenseless body. He asked, confused, "With my mouth?"
"Yeah… if you use your mouth, at least it won't hurt as much." Anya averted her gaze, staring at the nearby trees as if counting their leaves. She added, "I didn't mean to kick you. My body's just… too sensitive, and I couldn't handle the pain."
"But…" Now it was Zhang Liu's turn to hesitate.
Anya's wound wasn't in an ordinary spot—it was just a few centimeters below the most intimate part of her thigh. To be honest, he'd already seen more than enough. Using his mouth there felt… inappropriate.
"I don't want to lose my leg. You've already seen everything…" Anya's voice grew steadier. "But this stays between us. No one else can know."
Seeing Zhang Liu still standing there, hesitant, Anya's fear of amputation pushed her to snap, "I'm a girl, and I'm already in this state. Can't you be a bit more decisive?"
"Okay!" Her words were like a final push, shattering Zhang Liu's hesitation. He nodded firmly.
Stepping forward, he gently took hold of Anya's slender right leg, then leaned down without hesitation.
Anya closed her eyes, her emotions a tangled mess. Zhang Liu's hands felt scorching hot against her cold, fear-chilled feet.
Was he about to touch her thigh with his mouth?
With her eyes shut, her heightened sense of touch became even sharper. Soon, she felt a soft sensation gliding up from her ankle, pausing at a specific spot.
Then, a gentle, lingering pressure settled there, unmoving.
It didn't feel like anything a human body part could produce.
Confused, Anya opened her eyes—just in time to see Zhang Liu, shirtless, his head lowered, his mouth pressed against her wound, sucking out the blood.