Fortunate to Have You This Lifetime

It really smells awful.

Purple Summers covered her nose in disgust, went back to her room to put on a thick coat, and came back downstairs only to find the smell still lingering.

The smell was unbearable, even making her breakfast less appetizing.

Purple Summers frowned as she drank soy milk, and then suddenly realized…

“Ah!” She stood up abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” Atra Blanc looked at her in surprise.

Purple Summers didn’t answer and ran into the living room in her slippers, heading straight for the snake enclosure!

She opened the top glass cover, and as soon as she lifted it, a putrid smell came rushing up, almost making her faint!

Oh no!

Terrible!!!

It was the rabbit she had fed Cleo three or four days ago, but Cleo had not eaten it, and the rabbit had decayed badly in the warm room!

No wonder Tiny the crow had been drawn to the smell lately; crows are naturally sensitive to decay!

“Cleo, Cleo.” Purple Summers called anxiously, climbing up to the tall enclosure.

The boa constrictor inside didn’t move at all.

“What’s wrong? What happened to Cleo?” Atra Blanc also ran over.

“Mom, what should I do…” Purple Summers was annoyed, her face showing sadness, “Is Cleo going to die?”

The boa constrictor was coiled up, its scales dull and faintly white, even its normally crystal-like eyes were covered with a thin layer of white.

Purple Summers remembered Alexander Summers telling her not to feed the snake too frequently.

If Cleo didn’t eat after being fed, she had to remove the food promptly.

She needed to clean the enclosure regularly to prevent bacteria.

Medicinal oil to prevent parasites had to be applied consistently…

Yet, she had not done any of that.

People have a tendency to procrastinate, especially when faced with tasks they don’t like or want to do.

She didn’t want to clean the enclosure, so she kept putting it off, fearing Cleo would get hungry and escape, always feeding it in hopes that a full belly would keep it calm.

Fear of boa constrictors might be instinctual, but she never wanted Cleo to die!

Purple Summers felt extremely guilty, her heart tightening, feeling overwhelmed with guilt and remorse for her neglect causing harm to an innocent life.

Atra Blanc wore a worried look as well.

On normal days, she would stay far away from the snake, not even daring to take a second glance, let alone noticing the rotten food inside the enclosure.

Without worrying about anything else, Purple Summers bent down and pushed herself up on her toes, trying to lift the heavy boa constrictor.

It was big and heavy; Purple Summers couldn’t carry it on her own, so she dragged it bit by bit instead.

Atra Blanc wanted to help, but looking at the huge snake, she felt a little scared and didn’t dare to reach out.

“What are you doing?” Alexander Summers’ voice came from the staircase.

Purple Summers turned to look at him, surprised. She thought he had left already and didn’t expect him to be home.

“Cleo is sick, come help your sister!” Atra Blanc said anxiously.

Alexander Summers was dressed in a black satin pajama, his hair messy, leaning lazily on the staircase, seeming like a languid playboy.

Only after hearing his mother’s urging did he leisurely walk over.

Purple Summers had just lifted the round head of the boa constrictor.

Alexander Summers glanced at the snake briefly, then looked up, silently staring at Purple Summers.

Her face turned red with guilt, and she bit her lip, not daring to meet Alexander’s gaze.

Atra Blanc knew that Alexander had insisted on Purple Summers raising the snake, afraid he would blame his sister, so she tried to mediate, “Don’t blame her. It’s your fault in the end. Why would you want a young girl to raise a boa constrictor? It’s just asking for trouble. Your sister suffers, the snake suffers too…Sigh!”

Alexander Summers’ lips curved into a faint grin, half-laughing, “Mom, did I say a word to her?”

Atra Blanc was speechless.

Alexander Summers turned and leisurely headed back upstairs.

Purple Summers quickly called after him, “Brother, then…what should we do with Cleo?”

“I’m going to change,” Alexander Summers replied without looking back, leisurely adding, “Then I’ll drive it to the veterinary clinic.”