My Demon Friends-Chapter 605 - 579: New Semester

When Zhou Li came out after brushing his teeth again, he didn't see the Little Trash Cat. Instead, a soft, delicate voice drifted from the drawer: "Zhou Ni, guess where Lord Dumpling is hiding~~"

Zhou Li felt awful. Why didn't you hide earlier?

Brother Nan had also finished brushing her teeth. She walked past him, casually swatting his butt as she went, a rather cheeky gesture. She was ready for bed, dressed very casually in loose floral shorts and an equally loose short-sleeved t-shirt. Her silhouette was tall, her long, fair legs swaying as she walked, her slim waist hidden beneath the baggy clothes. She was probably not wearing anything underneath.

Zhou Li's gaze followed her. Brother Nan had a great figure, but her gait was too unceremonious, lacking any sway or sashay. She walked with a steadiness that seemed a waste of her long legs and perky butt.

Just then, Brother Nan suddenly stopped, turned back to look at him, and said, "Go sleep in your own bed!"

"I want to sleep next to you…"

"Lord Dumpling wants to sleep next to Brother Lan!" another voice chirped from the drawer.

"You already touched me," Brother Nan said.

"I sleep soundly when I'm next to you."

"Trust you? As if..." Brother Nan rolled her eyes, a surprisingly seductive gesture. Unbelievable...

But just for an instant. Then her expression turned fierce. She pointed at Zhou Li, her eyes sharp. "Behave, you hear me?"

Zhou Li nodded repeatedly.

He walked to the window. Outside, the wind stirred Fuxian Lake into countless fine ripples, reflecting the full moon of the sixteenth. The water shimmered like shattered silver foil. Distant mountains and nearby moored boats were clearly visible in the moonlight; one could even see fish leaping from the water, sending ripples spreading.

SWISH!

The night view was hidden behind the curtain. The lights went out too.

The room fell silent. Zhou Li held Brother Nan's warm body, listening to her steady breathing.

「The 28th, Sunday.」

「Early morning.」

Zhou Li opened his eyes, fully revived.

He quickly realized he had Brother Nan's warm, smooth leg clasped between his own. He discreetly released it, glanced up, and saw Tuanzi squatting in the corner of the bed, her little head drooping as she dozed.

It was true that sleeping with Brother Nan made for a better night's rest. Tuanzi, this Little Trash Cat, bullied the weak but feared the strong; she never dared to go parkouring when Brother Nan was asleep. If he had slept in a separate bed from Brother Nan last night, the Little Trash Cat—who had insisted on sleeping next to Brother Nan—would have quickly found she couldn't sleep at all. Then she probably would have ended up using his bed for some off-road mountain biking.

While Brother Nan was still asleep, he quickly played with her cowlick a few times. He even took out his phone for a selfie with her. In the photo, he was pinching her cowlick, his expression fixed in a mock-fierce scowl. Secret Album +1.

He got up. Zhou Li planned to go buy breakfast for Brother Nan.

But just as he sat on the edge of the bed, Brother Nan woke up, as if sensing his movement.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Seven o'clock."

"So early…"

"Sleep a bit more? I'll go out to buy breakfast soon."

"Wait for me…" Brother Nan rubbed her sleepy eyes. She felt some discomfort and touched the top of her head but didn't think much of it; it was common for her cowlick to be sore after waking up. Then she struggled to sit up. "I saw online that there's a place downtown serving delicious braised pig's trotters. I want to try them. If they're really good, I'll figure out how they're made and add them to my family's noodle shop menu as a side dish."

"Really dedicated."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tuanzi, who was beside them, finally couldn't stay upright any longer and keeled over onto the bed. The fall woke her up. She staggered back into a sitting position and immediately whipped her head around, looking to see who had pushed her. Whether she found the culprit or not, her gaze eventually landed on Zhou Li.

"Mmm, Zhou Ni~~"

"Did Lord Dumpling just go to sleep?"

"I was asleep a loooong time ago!"

"So, do you still want to sleep?"

"Yes."

"But we're going out. Is Lord Dumpling coming with us, or will you sleep in the room?" Even though Tuanzi had spoiled his plans the previous night, Zhou Li's tone remained gentle as he assessed her current state. "I suggest Lord Dumpling sleeps in the room. Getting enough sleep helps you grow taller." Besides, he didn't particularly want to carry this Little Trash Cat around the lake.

"I want to go! Lord Dumpling wants to go!"

"Is that so..."

「Nine in the morning.」

The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

A faint greasiness from the braised pig's trotters still lingered on Zhou Li's lips as he and Brother Nan arrived at the lakeside.

The morning scenery was quite different from the afternoon's. The lake was much calmer, without large waves, its surface shimmering, and wild ducks played upon it. The lakeside was lined with willow trees. It was early spring, and they had just sprouted new, tender buds. Thousands of delicate willow branches drooped, almost touching the lake's surface, their weight bending the trees so much they looked like they might fall into the water.

There seemed to be a school up ahead.

Zhou Li saw two middle school students in blue and white uniforms walking side by side, a boy and a girl. Neither carried a backpack nor held any books. They strolled leisurely, their faces full of youthful innocence, instantly taking Zhou Li back to his own hectic high school days. His gaze followed them unconsciously.

Suddenly, the boy did something to provoke the girl—probably on purpose, Zhou Li thought. The boy darted off, and the girl sprinted after him determinedly. Soon, they were far in the distance.

Brother Nan's voice arose beside him— "What's up?"

"Nothing..." Zhou Li shook his head, thought for a moment, then said, "How come we didn't date in high school?"

"Wouldn't that have interfered with your studies?" Brother Nan grinned, her gaze following his. At the corner, the girl had caught up to the boy—clearly only because he'd let her. Then the girl's fists began to drum against the boy's back. "Besides," Brother Nan added, "you probably would've been beaten up by my Little Brothers and forced to drop out."

"Actually, I wouldn't have been afraid."

"It's not too late now." With that, Brother Nan mounted her bicycle and called for him to go.

The willows were a vibrant green, a gentle breeze rustled through them, the air was crisp, and the streets were spotless. Two figures on bicycles rode side by side into the distance. The circuit around the lake was nearly a hundred kilometers, but they were in no hurry. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

...

「March brought spring.」

Zhou Li and Brother Nan went to apply for their D licenses. Brother Nan hadn't lied; getting a D license was indeed simple. It was for a three-wheeled vehicle, which wouldn't tip over. The unscrupulous driving school didn't even let them practice. They were just told to arrive early on exam day. Before the test began, using the actual exam course and vehicles, they were briefly shown how to operate the three-wheeler and an overview of the exam procedure. They each did a couple of laps, and then the exam started. The proctoring was lax too.

Zhou Li and Brother Nan both passed on their first try.

In the same group, one person kept rolling back during the hill start. The examiner looked completely exasperated but still endured it, only scolding the person's instructor a couple of times after the exam concluded.

Immediately after the practical test, they took the theory exam and then had their licenses issued.

Actually, the entire process took only one day, but they had waited a few days after registering, so the total time from application to issuance was less than a week.

So, school was about to start again.

Zhou Li worked day and night, finally finishing the first three Qinghe Statues. He sent them out by express mail, received a hefty sum of money, and then focused on preparing for the new semester.