My Demon Friends

Chapter 741 701 Return to School

Zhou Li leaned against the headboard, glanced at his phone, and called out to Tuanzi, who was playing with her tail at the foot of the bed, "Lord Dumpling."

"Meow?"

"Come, let me give you a hug."

"Oh!"

Tuanzi immediately stopped chasing her tail and instead climbed onto his chest, obediently lying down.

Zhou Li then held her tiny body, so soft and warm, slightly hotter than his own. While gently stroking her back in the direction of her fur, from her neck all the way to the tip of her tail, he absentmindedly scrolled through Zhihu, waiting for Miss Zheng's reply.

But the reply never came.

Unable to resist, Zhou Li peeked outside, curious about what Brother Nan and Miss Zheng could be discussing. Chatting for so long was beyond his imagination. Unfortunately, the hotel's soundproofing was decent, and Brother Nan's room wasn't on the same floor as his, so he couldn't hear clearly. He had no choice but to continue browsing Zhihu to pass the time.

As he scrolled, he once again made the decision to uninstall it. This app was becoming less and less user-friendly. Departing from its original purpose was one thing; at least it used to be a good compilation of stories, a decent way to pass the time. But starting last year, it kept pushing advertisements and sponsored content about exploiting deals and promotions. Clicking "Not Interested" was futile; it just kept recommending them. This year, thankfully, those ads were gone, but before he could get a break, it started bombarding him with takeout coupons. The ads, both overt and subtle, were of poor quality and always among the top three items in his feed. The first few sentences were always filled with Confuse, trying every which way to make you click. The "reduce this type of recommendation" function seemed to be just for show at this point, which was utterly annoying. Zhou Li couldn't stand it anymore.

After uninstalling it, he couldn't find another tool to kill time, so he just turned his screen on intermittently to check for messages. Seeing none, he kept Lord Dumpling company by speaking in childish babble.

Huai Xu turned his head to look over, "So, you have days like this too..."

Zhou Li's expression stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"How the tables have turned."

"..." Zhou Li looked uncomfortable. "Don't just use a phrase because you've learned it."

"HEH."

The old monster averted his gaze and continued staring at the ceiling, but said, "Aren't you dying to know what Li Daimao is saying to Little Sister Zheng?"

"..."

"Hmm? You don't want to know?"

"What do you want?"

"Flatter me."

"I refuse."

"Then forget it..."

"Great Devil King, your divine power is unmatched, for all eternity, a bucket of paste."

"Quite skilled, aren't you," Huai Xu nodded, praising him. "If you were born in ancient times, you'd have a promising future in the palace."

"Out with it."

"After letting it cold brew overnight, you just add your favorite fruit. But you need to pair the flavors right. Besides sweet ones, you need lemon, so it's both sour and sweet." Huai Xu mimicked Miss Zheng's voice and tone, then switched to Brother Nan's. "How about pineapple? Does it not infuse well?"

"..." Zhou Li paused for a moment. "That's it?"

"What else?"

"What about the comforting words?"

"That's been done already!" Huai Xu said earnestly. "You can't expect the comforting to last until dawn, can you?"

"..." Zhou Li fell silent again. "Then tell me the comforting words you used just now. Let me learn from Brother Nan's profound rhetorical skills."

"I refuse," Huai Xu copied his earlier tone.

"Why?"

"Just because!"

"What's in it for you?"

"It makes you uncomfortable."

"How does making me uncomfortable benefit you?"

"I just won't!"

"Then give me back the flattery I just gave you."

"Not that either!"

Huai Xu sounded particularly stubborn, but after a pause, his eyes darting thoughtfully, he conceded a small piece, "You're a bucket of paste."

"..."

So you did understand.

Thus, Zhou Li said to Tuanzi, "Huai Xu is the worst, right?"

Tuanzi immediately agreed, "Exactly!"

Huai Xu pouted.

Zhou Li said no more, re-entering the tedious wait.

Waiting and waiting, he didn't know when he fell asleep. He only knew that Lord Dumpling fell asleep first. The little cat lying on his chest breathed evenly, her small belly rising and falling gently. Perhaps such a serene and well-behaved sleeping kitten possessed a certain magic power, one that calmed the heart. He, too, was lulled by this magic and slipped into dreamland.

It wasn't until the next morning that he saw Miss Zheng's reply. Judging from the message, it was clear her mood had improved and she was no longer greatly distressed. So Zhou Li simply said that winter break was coming soon, and he would visit her when he returned.

「That evening.」

At Manting Park, after the bonfire dance, Zhou Li and Brother Nan once again found themselves atop the high vantage point they had visited before. Below, tourists holding flower lanterns, hundreds, even thousands of them, merged into a river of candlelight, slowly progressing forward. The red lotus lanterns cast their faces in an orange-red hue. Among them were Cotton Swab Package, Chen Yang, and the others.

A few young people walked at the front. Reaching the riverside, they bent down to release their flower lanterns into the river, bowing their heads earnestly to make a wish, allowing the lanterns to drift with the current.

Last time, Zhou Li and Brother Nan had done the same.

Zhou Li turned to look at Brother Nan. Her face appeared snow-white in the dim light. "What did you wish for last time?"

"To give you a boost," she said.

"Specifically? How did you boost me?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Come on, tell me."

"No!"

"I'll compliment you."

"No!"

"..."

Zhou Li didn't press further. His wish had come true, and since Brother Nan's wish was to give him a boost, that meant her wish must have also succeeded.

"Sigh..."

"Why the sigh?" Brother Nan turned her head to look at him.

"I'm feeling somewhat wistful."

"Wistful about what? That time passes quickly, and things have developed in such a mysterious way, right?"

"It's that some people had their eyes on me even back then," Zhou Li couldn't help but adopt Huai Xu's tone. "Such great charm, it's truly lone—"

BANG!

Brother Nan slowly withdrew her fist. "Say too much, and you die!"

"Got it."

CLICK!

A few more crisp shutter sounds followed.

Baozi put down her camera and trotted over to them, seemingly in high spirits. "Cousin, Cousin-in-law, aren't you two going to release a river lantern and make a wish?"

"We did it last year."

"You can do it again."

"We made a wish last year. Making another one this year would feel a bit greedy."

"But... we bought tickets, right? Everyone gets one," Baozi hesitated. "It's a waste not to collect it."

"Let's just skip it."

"Hmm? Did your wishes come true?"

"They did."

"Wow, it really works!"

Instantly, Baozi clenched her fists, her expression serious, brimming with anticipation for a prosperous future.

Brother Nan, knowing what she was thinking, chuckled. "Alright, let's get going."

"Okay!"

Led by Brother Nan, the group left the park.

Outside, numerous barbecue stalls filled the air with swirling smoke. Although they had already eaten at the event's buffet, the excitement of the performance and dancing around the bonfire for so long had helped them work up an appetite. So, they bought some barbecue and ate as they walked back to the hotel.

「The next day at noon.」

The coach bus stopped at South Station.

Tuanzi had a troubled expression, wriggling in Zhou Li's arms. She slowly opened her eyes a sliver to ask him, "Zhou Ni, are we not in Banna anymore?"

Zhou Li felt a pang of sympathy seeing her like this; if he had known, he would have driven them himself.

"We've arrived in Chunming," he said.

"Oh…"

Suddenly, Zhou Li felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Turning around, he saw Baozi quickly retract her hand, looking at him timidly, "Cousin, will there be another publicly funded trip… I mean, labor activity in Yi Province during the winter break?"

"I don't think so."

"Oh. I miss Little Sister Zheng."

"You can still visit if you pay for your own trip. Think of it as coming to my house for the New Year. Hmm, you'll definitely get a red envelope." Zhou Li paused, then added, "I just don't know how big it will be, or if it'll be enough to cover your travel expenses so you don't end up out of pocket."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"I'll… I'll think about it."

"But it's winter now," Zhou Li said. "It gets really cold in the mountains, and there won't be as many fruits to eat. You should consider that."

"I can endure hardship!"

What Baozi said was true—being able to endure hardship and loving sweet treats were not mutually exclusive.

Zhou Li, carrying Tuanzi, got off the bus. He had put on a thin jacket. Looking up, he saw the sunlight was far less scorching than in Banna, and the temperature was significantly lower. Chunming was indeed much colder than Banna, especially since this was the coldest time of the year.

Back in Chunming again.