After that, Pearl began appearing in my life more and more often.
Sometimes he came as a snake, coiling behind the flowerpot on my windowsill or hiding in the side pocket of my backpack and following me to class.
Whenever I walked back to the dorm alone late at night, he accompanied me from the shadows.
I asked him why he never spoke.
"I like your voice," he said. "I want to listen to you."
I blushed and turned away, pretending to read.
He sat beside me without speaking, his silvery-white hair glowing beneath the desk lamp.
Neither Joanna nor Beth knew Pearl's true identity. They only knew that the white snake often appeared near the dorm and never harmed anyone.
Once, Joanna came across Pearl coiled in the hallway and screamed.
Pearl merely glanced at her and leisurely slithered
