Chapter 293: Chapter 293: He Kept Talking to That Big Box
Michelle Fuller immediately crossed her arms. "I refuse!" she said fiercely. "Take your blessing back!"
"Alright," Renee Jennings said agreeably. "Blessing retracted."
"Excellent." Michelle Fuller nodded in satisfaction, then scanned the QR code to start ordering.
The food arrived incredibly fast. In less than ten minutes, the table was covered with all sorts of meat.
Time for the usual ritual: photos first.
After the pictures were taken, Renee Jennings reached for the tongs and started grilling the meat.
She placed the slices of meat on the grill. The moment they hit the hot surface, the fat and heat collided with a SIZZLE.
The aroma of cooked meat slowly began to fill the air.
Renee Jennings placed a grilled slice of meat onto Michelle Fullerâs plate. "My lady, eat up while itâs hot."
"Oh, thank you." Michelle Fuller theatrically blew her a kiss.
Renee Jennings was both amused and exasperated.
After finishing the piece of meat, Michelle Fuller picked up the tongs. "My beautiful Princess Renee, now itâs my turn to serve you."
Renee Jennings didnât know whether to laugh or cry. "Itâs so embarrassing when you call me that."
"Itâs fine," Michelle Fuller said with utter conviction. "Iâm not the one whoâs embarrassed."
Renee Jennings: "..."
âSigh. Sheâs the friend I chose, so I guess I just have to spoil her.â
They were halfway through their barbecue when a piercing scream suddenly cut through the air.
"AHHHHHHâ"
Michelle Fuller immediately poked her head out, looking around curiously. "Why is someone screaming? Whatâs going on?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Renee Jenningsâs eyes as well. "Yeah."
Immediately after, a clamor of voices followed.
"Thereâs a snake!"
"Oh my god, thatâs terrifying!"
"AHHHH, Iâm terrified of snakes!"
"Help..."
Michelle Fuller blinked, then turned to meet Renee Jenningsâs gaze. "Oh, so itâs a snake."
In the past, if sheâd heard there was a snake, Michelle Fuller would have grabbed her bag and run for it instantly.
But now, she asked, "Renee, want to go check it out?"
"Sure," Renee Jennings nodded.
The two of them walked out of their tent and saw a crowd gathered around a spot three tents down from theirs.
"Did anyone call the fire department?"
"What kind of snake is that? Is it venomous?"
"So scary!"
Renee Jennings stood on her tiptoes to get a look. Near a seat in one of the tents, she saw a slender black snake with a flattened, round head, its body covered in diamond-shaped scales.
"Renee, do you know what kind of snake it is?" Michelle Fuller asked. "Is it venomous?"
Renee Jennings said softly, "It looks like a kohl snake. If it is a kohl snake, then thereâs no need to worry. Theyâre non-venomous."
The people nearby heard her and turned to look.
"AHHHHHH!"
A shriek, even more piercing than the last one, suddenly erupted.
Everyone jumped, thinking another snake had appeared.
"Whatâs wrong? What happened?"
"Who screamed this time?"
Renee Jennings and Michelle Fuller were also startled by the sudden cry.
The next secondâ
A girl shouted at the top of her lungs, ecstatic, "Renee Jennings! I see Renee Jennings!"
"Huh? Whereâs Renee Jennings?"
"Holy crap, for real?"
"What? Whoâs Renee Jennings?"
Renee Jennings froze for a moment, not expecting the girl to be screaming for her.
"Renee Jennings!" The girl waved at her excitedly. "I get to see you before the fan meet!"
Renee Jennings smiled back at her. "What a coincidence."
"Waaaah, my luck is insane!" The girl covered her mouth, so moved she started to cry.
Many people nearby didnât know who Renee Jennings was and looked on in confusion.
"Isnât the point right now something other than this girl?" a guy with glasses said indignantly. "Shouldnât we be figuring out how to save my girlfriend first?"
He looked at Renee Jennings, a flash of awe in his eyes, before he accused her, "My girlfriend is in danger, and youâre over here trying to grab the spotlight. Is that really necessary?"
"Your girlfriendâs in danger, and instead of saving her, you have the nerve to join the gawking crowd?" Michelle Fuller immediately shot back. "Is *that* really necessary?"
The man with glassesâs expression changed. "Itâs a snake! How am I supposed to save her?"
"Then how is anyone else supposed to?" Michelle Fuller rolled her eyes. "You wonât save your own girlfriend, so you expect someone else to do it for you?"
She then said to the terrified, pale-faced girl, "You should dump trash like him as soon as you can!"
"What did you just say?" the man with glasses snapped, furious.
Michelle Fuller lifted her chin. "Iâm talking with my mouth. What, canât your four eyes see that?"
The girl, who was being stared at by Kohl, had a face pale and streaked with tears. She trembled, "Help me, Iâm scared of snakes..."
Just as Renee Jennings was about to go over and help, she suddenly heard Kohl speaking as it flicked its tongue.
"Why are you afraid of snakes? Snakes wonât hurt you! You should be afraid of that four-eyed biped."
Renee Jennings stopped in her tracks. Her brow furrowed, a look of confusion on her face.
âWhy would a kohl snake say something like that?â
Renee Jennings walked over and sat on the stool next to the girl, where a purse had been placed.
Hearing the movement, Kohl turned its head, its two black, jewel-like eyes looking at her.
âHuh? Isnât this biped afraid of snakes? How dare it come closer on its own?â
Renee Jenningsâs lips curved into a slight smile. She reached out and gently stroked its head. "Youâre not going to hurt me, so why should I be afraid of you?"
When Kohl heard her say this, its eyes grew even brighter. "Finally! Iâve met a biped that isnât afraid of snakes!"
"My name is Renee," Renee Jennings said with a raised eyebrow. "Whatâs your name?"
Kohl replied, "Snakes donât have names."
The girl, who had been trembling in fear, saw Renee Jennings actually dare to reach out and touch the snakeâs head, and her eyes widened in terror.
"Eve!" the man with glasses shouted to her. "Hurry up and come over here now!"
Eve was the girlâs name. She looked up at her boyfriend and choked out, "My legs are weak..."
Kohl snorted. "Your legs are so weak from fear you canât even walk, and that four-eyed biped still wonât come get you. Youâve got some nerve, still being with him!"
"You seem to have a strong opinion about him," Renee Jennings asked curiously. "Can you tell me about it?"
"Of course!" Having finally met a biped it could communicate with, Kohl had no reason to refuse.
"Let this snake tell you," Kohl said. "This snake saw that four-eyed biped late last night."
Renee Jennings raised her eyebrows slightly. "Where did you see him last night?"
"Right here!" Kohl explained. "It was the middle of the night yesterday, and no one was eating here anymore. This snake saw him come over carrying a big box."
"A big box?" Renee Jennings asked, puzzled.
"Yes!" Kohl leaned close to her ear. "He kept talking to the big box, saying things like, âYou forced me to do all this. If you had just behaved, why would I ever do this to you?â"
An inexplicable tightness gripped Renee Jenningsâs heart. Her brows knitted together, and her expression turned grave.
âHer intuition told her this was more complicated than it seemed!â
Renee Jennings glanced at the man with glasses without letting her expression change, knowing that now wasnât the time to press for details.
She thought for a moment, then glanced at the girl, who had calmed down a bit. "My name is Renee Jennings. Can I get your contact information?"
Although Eve didnât know why Renee Jennings wanted her contact information, she was the one who had saved her, after all. She nodded. "Okay, but my phone is in the bag behind you."