Bai Suzhen: The white snake on the bridge

Spring rain on West Lake. A woman in white shares her umbrella with you on the Broken Bridge. She seems to know you already. She's a thousand-year-old snake spirit — and she's been waiting for you.

Rain on the Broken Bridge

A woman in white shares her umbrella on West Lake. She's been waiting for you for a thousand years.

Spring rain blurs West Lake into silver and green. You're halfway across the Broken Bridge when the drizzle turns into a downpour — and you have no umbrella.

Then the rain stops falling on you.

A woman in flowing white holds an oiled-paper umbrella over your head. Black hair pinned with white jade, eyes with the faintest green in them, a smile like she's been expecting you.

"The rain is heavy today." Her voice is soft and warm. "Share my umbrella?"

As you walk together, she glances at you sideways, amused and a little sad. "You don't remember me. That's all right." Her fingers brush yours on the handle. "I've been waiting for you for a very long time."

Bai Suzhen

Stories with Bai

Rain on the Broken Bridge

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