My Demon Friends-Chapter 688 - 649 Cousin, Hurry Over

"You saw it?" Old Zhou struggled to remain calm.

"Uh-huh." Zhou Li nodded honestly.

"Then why didn't you say hello to me?" Old Zhou frowned, trying to change the subject.

"I was afraid you'd feel awkward." Zhou Li answered as honestly as always, not telling a single lie.

"Awkward about what?" Old Zhou laughed it off, shaking his head dismissively as he explained, "I just happened to be out, and on a whim, went in to have a look. I bought it to keep for later use."

"Oh." Zhou Li nodded again, the honest child that he was. "Where are you going fishing tomorrow?"

"...Hey, are you not understanding what I'm saying to you?"

"I'm afraid of running into you again."

"..."

The corner of Old Zhou's eye twitched. He felt distressed. My son has changed, he thought. He wasn't like this before.

At the same time, he swore to himself— I'll cancel tomorrow's first-ever fishing trip! Absolutely no fishing! And I'll stay home all day with Aunt Jiang, wait for them to come back for dinner, and subtly bring it up at the dinner table. That way, Zhou Li will know I truly stayed home all day, and his ideas were just silly, childish guesses. Hilarious! Completely off the mark!

Thinking so, he turned off the TV and went back to his room to sleep.

「July 10th, Saturday.」

The temperature was just right, a rare perfect day for fishing in the midst of summer. Old Zhou left the house early, driving twenty kilometers away from the city.

And Zhou Li was still sleeping soundly.

The familiar bunk bed and Huai Xu lying on the upper bunk gave him an inexplicable sense of safety and peace. After washing up last night, he lay down and chatted with Huai Xu for a while. He struggled to stay awake as he told Lord Dumpling half a fable. It wasn't that he fell asleep halfway through; Tuanzi didn't let him finish, and he quickly fell asleep afterward.

He slept until the break of dawn and, because of the cool morning, was reluctant to wake up. Aunt Jiang didn't call for him either.

Eventually, he couldn't sleep anymore.

THUMP...

A little foot stepped on his chin—the plum blossom paw pad was cool. It was followed by the other foot stepping onto his lips. Then, the front paw lifted. The back paw landed exactly where the front one had been, stepping firmly on Zhou Li's chin and lips twice in succession before one front paw accurately landed on his eye.

Zhou Li felt he could sense the inward depression of his eyeball.

He didn't fully awaken until Tuanzi stood on his forehead, bent her legs to jump, and made him absorb all the recoil with his forehead.

Completely awake now.

Zhou Li propped up his upper body, rubbed his eyes, and looked at Tuanzi, speechless. "Lord Dumpling, when you walk on me, could you please look down? Some places shouldn't be stepped on."

"Hmm?"

Tuanzi turned her head, looking at him with confusion, then immediately said in a childish voice, "Sowwy, Zhou Ni~~"

Zhou Li: ...

Why did this decisive and sincere apology seem so familiar?

What else could he do but forgive her?

Zhou Li sighed, his voice softening. "Lord Dumpling, you're up so early?"

"Yes, oh! Lord Dumpling has been waking up this early for a long time now!"

"It's all Baozi's fault."

"Meow?"

Tuanzi continued to gaze at him, tilting her head and blinking. Didn't you always ask Lord Dumpling to sleep early and rise early? she wondered. Now that Lord Dumpling *is* sleeping early and rising early, why do you seem so strange? I can't figure it out.

However, Tuanzi didn't voice these questions but kept them inside her little head, turning instead to hop and skip after a mosquito, possibly one that had flown in through the open window the night before.

Zhou Li began to dress.

Movement came from the upper bunk as someone turned over, causing the bed to creak softly. Huai Xu's head peeked over the edge of the upper bunk. "You're up late today. Old Zhou has already gone fishing."

Zhou Li grunted in acknowledgment. "I slept too well."

Hearing that, Huai Xu nodded affirmatively. "It must be because you slept with the Great Devil King that you slept so soundly."

Zhou Li rolled his eyes.

By the time he was dressed, Tuanzi had already caught what was perhaps the only mosquito in the room. She held it tightly in her small paw, clasped between her paw pads, her expression serious. She hopped to the window on three legs, limping slightly, intending to let it go outside, but was halted by the window screen.

So she could only turn her head and seek help from Zhou Li, calling out, "Zhou Ni~~"

"Coming."

Zhou Li quickly put on his slippers and walked over to the window.

As he pushed the window open, the cool, fresh morning air instantly poured in, seemingly carrying moisture and the scent of earth, sweeping away all sleepiness.

Tuanzi, her little face solemn and earnest, carefully extended her paw outside the window and instantly released it, her paw blossoming open to release the clutched mosquito.

Only then did she retract her paw, staring out the window as she said, "Goodbye, mosquito."

Zhou Li watched her calmly.

He had become acquainted with this mosquito the night before. It had been brought inside by the Old Monster, who had insisted on sitting on the window frame to enjoy the night breeze—this one and only mosquito. During his half-asleep state, it had danced and played music by his ear. He had swung his hand several times without thinking, hoping for a lucky shot, but to no avail.

He was annoyed beyond measure but didn't want to wake up just for this one mosquito. Covering up with a blanket was too hot. In the end, he had to give up. Might as well let it feed its fill, he thought.

If Zhou Li had caught this mosquito this morning, he would certainly have squashed it.

But Lord Dumpling, as expected, was kind-hearted.

"Zhou Ni?"

"Meow?"

"Meow? Why are you imitating Lord Dumpling?"

"What's up?"

"If Lord Dumpling sleeps with you, what if His Highness comes out and can't find Lord Dumpling?" Tuanzi furrowed her brow, a little cat managing to wear a look of deep concern.

"That won't happen. Tomorrow we'll be with His Highness," Zhou Li said, spreading his hands. "There's really no other way. Pumpkin at Brother Nan's place is too fierce. I know Lord Dumpling is a Great Demon, but if we're not careful, we could still get hit by Pumpkin."

"Oh..."

Tuanzi's enthusiasm immediately waned.

Seeing this, Zhou Li said, "Then let's quickly go finish breakfast. After that, let's go find Brother Nan, okay? Maybe we'll happen to see His Highness if he's out."

"MEOW!!"

Zhou Li checked the time.

It was half past nine.

Based on Brother Nan's recent routine, she should still be asleep.

But you could never be sure.

For Brother Nan, a sleeping schedule was, much like Zhou Li himself, entirely at her whim. Yesterday she might have pulled an all-nighter, completely reversing day and night, and today she could be up with the sun after an early bedtime.

Besides, the Elm King's waking moments were limited, so it wasn't guaranteed they would coincide.

After breakfast, it was ten o'clock.

Zhou Li left the house.

In the elevator, he opened QQ and found Baozi.

Zhou Li: Is Brother Nan awake yet?

He didn't send the message until he reached the ground floor.

The reply came quickly.

Baozi: No

Zhou Li: Are Brother Nan's parents at the shop?

Baozi: Don't know. They're definitely not home. Right now, it's just me, Brother Nan, and Pumpkin. Pumpkin is lying beside me, staring as if it wants to hit me. I'm a bit scared.

Zhou Li breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Brother Nan's parents weren't home; otherwise, he would have been really nervous.

Zhou Li: How long has it been staring?

Baozi: A long time

Zhou Li: And it hasn't made a move for so long...

Baozi: ?

Zhou Li: It must be planning something big!

Baozi: ...

Baozi lay next to Brother Nan, daring not to move. This was partly because she genuinely didn't want to.

Brother Nan was sleeping soundly. The room was so quiet. With the hosts not around, Baozi felt a bit awkward even going to the bathroom. She was so bored that she found herself responding to her cousin's messages with unusual eagerness.

Suddenly, Baozi was startled.

It seemed Pumpkin had moved a little closer and crouched down, still staring intently at her.

Baozi turned her head and looked at Brother Nan for help.

In her sleep, Brother Nan's complexion was fair and clear, her features delicate, and her lashes long. She was a picture of serenity, oblivious to Baozi's plea for aid.

The moment she looked back, she was surprised to find that Pumpkin had moved even closer.

"You, you, you..."

"Don't come any closer."

"I'm Brother Nan's classmate."

Baozi tried to reason with the big orange cat.

Obviously, it failed. Pumpkin continued to approach.

Out of options, Baozi quietly stretched her hand to the side, picked up a strand of Brother Nan's hair, and waved it slightly towards Pumpkin, trying to use this method to drive away the big orange cat.

Just then, Brother Nan opened her eyes and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh!"

Baozi quickly let go of Brother Nan's hair and turned her head to say in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, you're awake! Pumpkin is going to hit..."

The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became.

She hadn't finished speaking when she closed her mouth. Bowing her head, she quietly observed Brother Nan. Even though Brother Nan just woke up, she thought, her expression is remarkably clear, and her eyes are bright. She doesn't look at all like someone who's just woken up and still booting up. This feels a little... strange.

She looked around the room—

The curtains were drawn, dimming the room's light.

It was an old residential complex with poor lighting. Looking through the gap under the door, the living room outside also seemed dark and gloomy.

The home was eerily silent.

Today seemed cooler than yesterday.

The closet door was a mirror, reflecting her panicked self, her sister-in-law observing her with a tilted head, and a large orange cat eying her predatorily...

Baozi quietly swallowed.