My Demon Friends

Chapter 751 711: A Novel World

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

Zhou Li woke from a deep sleep, feeling an extraordinary warmth in his bed that made him reluctant to leave. The only thing missing was Lord Dumpling. A cat's body temperature is slightly higher than a human's, so if Lord Dumpling were there, the bed would always be even warmer. Indeed, Lord Dumpling was a divine artifact for the winter.

Brother Nan must be sleeping extra warm, right? Zhou Li felt somewhat discontented.

"AAH..." He yawned, then decided to get up. But before getting out of bed, he stretched one hand out from under the covers, feeling the chilly morning air. Then, he knocked on the wooden frame of the bed.

"KNOCK-KNOCK!"

The upper bunk compressed the space above his head, and the room was dimly lit. However, Zhou Li didn't feel oppressed at all. Instead, he experienced an inexplicable sense of security.

A head popped out and stared at him, somewhat displeased. "What are you knocking for? Do you think I sleep in like you? I've already been out and back."

Even without Instantaneous Movement, nothing can stop your wandering heart...

"Nothing can stop it!"

"Really?" Zhou Li glanced at the curtains, knowing Huai Xu must have jumped out of the window. "I'll install burglar bars."

"I'll tear them down! Let's see if you can install them faster than I can tear them down!"

"You're tough," Zhou Li said. He pulled the covers over his head and closed his eyes again, trying to dispel the lingering sleepiness. Then he asked, "How is it outside?"

"Quite lively."

"I can already hear the sound of gongs and drums."

"Not bad. Your ears are almost catching up to... one percent of mine."

"You've learned to use 'one percent,' huh?" Zhou Li pursed his lips, pondering for a moment. "What's one percent plus three-sevenths plus five-ninths, minus two-fifths?"

"Boring!"

Huai Xu's head disappeared.

Zhou Li smiled, then got out of bed. He pulled open the curtains. The windows were wide open, which explained why the room was so cold.

The world outside was veiled in a thick fog. The sound of gongs and drums drifted from afar. It was so faint that ordinary people couldn't hear it, nor could they see any figures. It was probably some shopping mall or real estate development holding New Year promotions. Maybe the Old monster even went to join in the fun. Who knows if he got any eggs or stainless steel bowls?

The weather forecast said today would be good weather.

The weather in Yan City was always like this: most of the winter was shrouded in gloom, but it would invariably turn sunny and warm for the New Year.

After getting dressed, he saw his desk was laid out with a computer, a few books, a weekly planner, a diary, a pen holder with several pens, a desk calendar, and an ink bottle. Zhou Li flipped the calendar to a new page. Glancing at it, he couldn't help but smile. He turned to Huai Xu and said, "This month, the lunar calendar dates align with the Gregorian calendar again."

Upon hearing this, Huai Xu turned over, the wooden bunk bed creaking. He looked down at Zhou Li from the upper bunk. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Let me see."

"Here..." Zhou Li picked up the calendar and handed it to him.

Huai Xu stretched out a long, pale arm, took the calendar, and examined it closely.

Actually, there wasn't much to see. Zhou Li certainly wouldn't deceive him about this. It wasn't that Zhou Li hadn't deceived him once or twice before, but he wouldn't do so over something like this; it wasn't any fun. He, like Zhou Li, was just reminiscing about three years ago when a month had also been like this. They had only recently become acquainted back then.

Huai Xu also found it interesting. Looking at it again himself, he found it even more interesting.

「Ten in the morning.」

Zhou Li carried a box of Moutai and two other gifts and headed to Brother Nan's home to offer New Year's greetings. He also planned to pay a visit to Old Master Ma.

He had been to Brother Nan's home many times. Brother Nan's parents were very nice people—forthright and talkative. Though they were a bit rough around the edges, they didn't discriminate against quiet, scholarly types like Zhou Li, and he always felt comfortable interacting with them. But during New Year's, Brother Nan's family was especially large. There were many people Zhou Li wasn't very familiar with, and he couldn't just run off to Brother Nan's room to hide as usual. As a result, he had to sit awkwardly in the living room, enduring the teasing from Brother Nan's brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts, while two invisible demons watched and laughed at his expense.

Even Lord Dumpling, dressed in her little lion costume, came over. She sniffed around him and then asked with concern, "Zhou Ni, what's wrong with you?"

Zhou Li could only pick her up and bury his face in her fur, trying to distract himself and give off an "I'm busy petting the cat, don't talk to me" vibe.

Things only started to improve in the afternoon.

Zhou Li headed to Brother Nan's room and found a mini bed set up. It was too small even for a cat to sleep on and was probably meant for a doll. It was lavishly decorated, clearly designed to appeal to a little girl with princess dreams. Undoubtedly, this was the resting place for His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu.

"Quite exquisite."

"Right? I picked it out," Brother Nan bragged. "I ran to several supermarkets."

"Looks very cozy."

"The fabric is really nice and warm; I even want to sleep on it myself, HEHE!" Brother Nan laughed, then teased, "So, was the festival fun?"

"It was fun," Zhou Li replied expressionlessly.

"Really or not?" Brother Nan looked entirely unconvinced.

"Last night's fireworks were beautiful. It's a pity it was only last night; no one set any off after that."

"I'll set some off for you another time," Brother Nan said, winking at him. She then teased further, "Anything else? Was today fun?"

"It was fun," Zhou Li still nodded. "Lord Dumpling's little lion costume is very festive."

"Anything else?"

"That's all."

Two question marks seemed to pop up on Brother Nan's forehead. "What about me? Am I not cute? You even mentioned Lord Dumpling!"

"Not today."

BANG!

Zhou Li felt no disturbance internally. She probably hadn't eaten enough to hit that hard.

Lord Dumpling wobbled over again. Today, she was dressed like a lion from a lion dance, in a red outfit adorned with golden tassels and a small decorative bell around her neck. As she walked, her whole body swayed from side to side in the outfit, looking utterly adorable.

She stopped in front of Zhou Li and looked up, her azure blue eyes gazing at him. "Zhou Ni," she said crisply, "you got hit again..."

Zhou Li felt his heart melt at her cuteness.

...

「The fifteenth of the first lunar month, evening.」

Today was also good weather. The sky hung with a bright moon, casting down its chilly moonlight. Under the moonlight, the small mountain village was quiet and distinct, with patches of thin mist occasionally drifting by.

A brazier burned in the main room, providing some warmth.

Brother Nan and Huai Xu held skewers of meat, while nearby, Tuanzi and His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, watched them with unwavering gazes. Zhou Li was holding a small shovel for the charcoal, but his attention was elsewhere—Miss Zheng lay on a bamboo recliner covered with a woolen blanket, her eyes closed, receiving treatment from Lord Dao Min, with Qinghe by her side.

"Almost done?" Huai Xu asked.

"Roast it a bit longer," Brother Nan said. "This cut is fatty, and fatty meat is best when it's charred."

"I'll eat first," His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, declared, his tone allowing no dissent.

"His Highness eats first! Lord Dumpling is second!" Tuanzi announced crisply, then stated her reason, "Because Lord Dumpling is also very noble!"

"TSK!"

"HEHE..."

"Kid, add more charcoal!" Huai Xu urged. "What are you looking at?"

"OH, OH..." Zhou Li hurriedly looked away and added two small pieces of charcoal, carefully positioning them to prevent them from flaring up.

When he looked towards Miss Zheng again, Lord Dao Min had already withdrawn his hand and let out a long sigh.

Then, Miss Zheng opened her eyes—

The haze in her vision was gone. Her eyes were incredibly clear, as if they were glowing, completely untainted by the dust of this turbid world.

The first person she saw was Qinghe, who was closest to her, bending down. Then she saw Lord Dao Min, who had taken a step back. Both figures were distinct, just as they always had been. The world, as she saw it, was already different from before. Yet, she didn't immediately turn to observe this novel world. Instead, her gaze shifted to the other familiar figures nearby.

These figures were also distinct. Apart from Zhou Li's and Brother Nan's clothes, they looked much the same as always.

Zhou Li met her gaze, and they looked at each other for a long moment. "How does it feel?"

Hearing his question, Miss Zheng smiled, as quiet and gentle as ever, though her eyes seemed a little brighter. Her voice was soft and gentle as she said, "For now, there's no difference."

"How can that be?"

"Temporarily."

Only after the others, humans and demons alike, had turned to look at her, and Miss Zheng had looked them over once more, did she finally avert her gaze and look elsewhere.

The charcoal glowed red, with tiny flames dancing upon it—flickering, ethereal, yet with a sense of substance.

Occasionally, sparks would shoot out.

The roasting meat sizzled, tiny beads of oil bubbling on its surface, which was sprinkled with a fine powder of seasoning.

Outside was the night, the night in the mountains.

The moonlit night wasn't just a blur of black. It illuminated the color of the village's tiled roofs, delineated the shapes of the mist clouds, and sketched the undulating silhouette of the mountain ranges. The clouds pooled in the valleys like a vast lake. The moon hanging in the sky was not just a diffuse glow; it had mountains, undulations, and patterns on its surface.

...

Some of this she had seen before, during those brief moments when they had shared their vision with her, but some of it was new. The thought that she would now possess such eyes forever felt somewhat unreal—

Perhaps, like before, they would disappear after a few days?

Miss Zheng retracted her gaze.

"CAW! CAW! CAW!"

A crow flapped its wings as it flew overhead, letting out a coarse cry.

Here, crows were auspicious symbols, not omens of ill luck. This particular crow was remarkably intelligent. Perhaps it, too, was celebrating for Miss Zheng. Or perhaps it felt a pang of regret that Lord Evil God—the one who had blessed it with intelligence and Miss Zheng with sight—was not there to witness this moment.