Her pupils shrank suddenly, she opened her mouth in dumbfounded shock, unable to utter a word.
She sat stunned on the ground, the soft, moist grass beneath her saturated her shoes and socks with dew.
A flash of fear crossed her face, causing her to scramble back a couple of steps on the ground.
Charlotte Thompson frowned at the snake writhing in her hand. With a hint of irritation, she used her other hand to secure its head.
She lifted her gaze to a particularly sturdy bamboo shoot in front of her, her expression thoughtful.
Catching sight of Zoe Anne’s frightened face out of the corner of her eye, a faintly mischievous grin crossed Charlotte’s face.
She slowly crouched down, thrusting the snake in her hand towards Zoe Anne.
The pampered Miss Anne, who had never been subjected to this kind of shock, was trembling all over like a leaf in the wind, her shock momentarily overriding her capacity to react.
Charlotte curled her lips in a mocking smile, "What are you scared of, Miss Anne? This adorable creature here?"
She paused for a moment, then continued with a smirk, "I almost forgot to tell you, this snake’s head was about to crawl into your collar. If it hadn’t looked like it was about to bite, I wouldn’t have pushed you away."
Charlotte casted a glance at the snake she had managed to subdue, licking her lips, "Such a cute creature, it’d be a wonderful experience if it had managed to crawl into your shirt."
She chuckled, asking, "Don’t you think so?"
The other woman shrank back, her face expressing both fear and disgust. She turned her head slightly, her voice trembling, "Stay away from me..."
With a weak effort, she got up from the ground. At that moment, there were footsteps sound coming from behind them.
Charlotte lazily lifted her eyelids to look over, her eyes devoid of any hint of surprise.
Asher Howard, with his bag slung over his shoulder, confidently strode across the grass towards them. Upon seeing the snake in Charlotte’s hand, a faint hint of surprise flashed across his face.
He stepped forward, bent down and took a closer look at the pitch-black snake. A playful smile rose to his lips.
"This snake is non-venomous, you can release it."
Hearing his remarks, Charlotte nodded in understanding, then gently let go of the snake.
The freed black snake slithered off into the grass, causing Zoe Anne to immediately jump to her feet and scamper over to Charlotte’s side, as frightened as a bird startled by the twang of a bow.
Asher looked appreciatively at Charlotte and a wild smile flicked at the corners of his lips, "I didn’t expect Designer Thompson to be so brave."
At his words, Charlotte smiled modestly, "You flatter me, Designer Howard. It’s nothing but a non-venomous snake. If it was venomous, I wouldn’t dare touch it even if I had ten times the courage."
Having said that, she glanced at her wristwatch.
Having dealt with the snake for so long, it was almost time to go.
She pursed her lips and said, lowing her gaze, "We’re running out of time. Let’s go." Fresh chapters posted on novel⚑fire.net
She looked at Zoe Anne, who had tightened her grip on her own clothes, her face full of helplessness. "Miss Anne, the snake is gone now. Could you please let go of me?"
Hearing this, Zoe Anne looked down at her hand in confusion, then she stepped back as if she’d got an electric shock, an unnatural expression flashing across her face.
"It’s just a snake. You’re making it sound as if I was really scared."
Charlotte’s lips twitched slightly in response.
Indeed, who was the one frightened out of her wits just now.
With a resigned shake of her head, Charlotte sighed softly as she started to walk away, "Alright alright, Miss Anne, you’re the bravest... If you don’t want to come across any more unknown creatures, we better pick up the pace."
After they left the bamboo forest, many guests had already started to arrive. Among them, a woman who was over-dressed was the most pitiable sight. She had opted to wear a skirt and high heels in order to maintain her appearance.