My Demon Friends-Chapter 668 - 629: Enduring Humiliation for Lord Dumpling

The late hours of Room 106 were exceptionally quiet.

Mianmian and Qian Qian might be a bit rowdy before bed, but once asleep, they were good as gold. Baozi was always quiet, day and night.

At this moment, Baozi was still dreaming yet began tossing and turning on her bed, slowly transitioning into a state between sleep and wakefulness.

In her recent dream, she had been looking for a restroom.

This was all because she had started eating less at night, compensating by drinking more water, which meant she always had to get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night.

Between dreaming and waking, she gradually became more alert.

She was slowly becoming conscious.

But she still lay there without moving—hesitating, struggling, procrastinating, clinging to wishful thinking.

Maybe if I just squint and don't fully open my eyes, I can fall back asleep? If I sleep, the urge to pee will go away, and it'll be morning by the time I wake up again, sparing me from a midnight bathroom trip.

A perfect plan.

Baozi shifted from lying on her back to her side, her fair eyebrows slightly furrowed, her legs tightly clenching the blanket, like a koala.

She struggled against the increasingly strong physical urge.

"Ugh…"

The plan had failed.

Baozi opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling in the darkness, her gaze conveying her discontent with the failure.

She finally gave in.

She moved, first groping for her phone to turn on the flashlight, then flung off her blanket, preparing to get up.

"Mmph!"

She unzipped the mosquito net.

Out of habit, she glanced at the opposite bed, initially intending to see how Lord Dumpling had managed to fall asleep cuddled up with Brother Nan, a sight she momentarily envied. Besides, after I come back from the restroom and try to sleep again, I can imagine myself in Brother Nan's place, then in Lord Dumpling's position. I'll pretend Lord Dumpling is cuddling me to sleep. That way, I'll feel incredibly relaxed and comfortable, and I'll fall asleep faster.

?

Baozi paused.

Brother Nan's bed was empty, the blanket flung aside.

...

Baozi silently retracted her feet, sat on the edge of her bed with her legs pressed together, turned off the flashlight, and began to wait her turn.

Now, my earlier dawdling seems so foolish.

As time passed, it felt even more foolish.

One minute;

Two minutes;

Five minutes;

Ten minutes;

Twenty minutes…

Finally, the delightful sound of slippers shuffling on the balcony floor could be heard.

Brother Nan entered the room, holding Lord Dumpling.

Baozi didn't say anything, just exchanged a glance with Brother Nan before tremblingly descending the ladder, putting on her slippers on the wrong feet, and hurriedly walking out.

「Two minutes later.」

Baozi returned to her bed, feeling as if she had unloaded a massive weight. She had never felt so relieved. Just lying in bed, having earned the right to sleep, felt like a profoundly wonderful thing.

But due to the twenty minutes of torment she had just endured, she was wide awake now, lying flat on her bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Reflecting on it, I still feel a lingering fear.

In short—I never want to experience that feeling again!

「The next day.」

There was a class first thing in the morning.

Baozi got up early and bought the first batch of steamed buns from the cafeteria. She opted not to get soy milk or congee, instead turning the complimentary seaweed egg yolk soup into just seaweed soup, which was more economical and nutritious. According to her calculations, this would roughly meet her protein needs for the day, so even if her lunch and dinner were subpar, her nutrition wouldn't fall too far behind—she would just be hungry.

Mianmian and Qian Qian woke up at 7:40.

Brother Nan seemed to have no intention of attending class, but she was awake, just wrapped in a blanket with no sign of getting out of bed.

Baozi, hugging her book, turned around on her seat to face Brother Nan, lifting her head high. "Brother Nan, you were in the restroom for a long time last night. You should probably go see a doctor…"

"What's up?" Brother Nan was startled but didn't let it show.

"I was waiting for you, for a long time," Baozi said meekly, wanting to complain but afraid of Brother Nan's reaction.

"Oh, maybe it's because I ate too well the past few days. Yesterday, coming back to the cafeteria's mass-cooked food, I wasn't quite used to it," Brother Nan made up an excuse.

"Is that so…"

Baozi lowered her head humbly.

Then Brother Nan spoke from the top bunk, her tone earnest, "Who told you to skip dinner and drink so much water? Otherwise, why would you have to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom? Besides, drinking too much water at night also leads to swelling in your face and eyes in the morning. I think that's how your 'baozi' face developed, and now it won't slim down."

Mianmian, brushing her teeth, interjected, "Her face is puffy with swollen cheeks…"

Baozi stared blankly at Mianmian, Brother Nan's and Qian Qian's laughter ringing in her ears. She silently sat holding her book, not saying a word.

Dinner isn't necessary; a cup of milk tea is enough. It has milk, sugar, and fruit—a balanced mix of nutrients. Or just an ice pop or some ice cream is enough. Eating dinner after these would lead to overnutrition and trigger health issues.

Besides, I'm the only one who often gets up at night, not Brother Nan. And the night is long; it's impossible that I'd run into Brother Nan also going to the bathroom every single night.

So it's even less necessary.

Maybe if we do bump into each other next time, and I'm still ahead of Brother Nan, then I'll deliberately stay inside for a long time to make her wait until she's bursting, hhh...

Baozi, expressionless, thought with amusement.

After Mianmian and Qian Qian had finished washing up, she also got up with her book and walked out with them.

Brother Nan's voice came from behind, "Mark me present, and don't mark it twice."

All three of them responded.

「Mid-June.」

Even in the city of Chunming, it was already very hot.

Brother Nan had already grasped the basics of sealing the Elm King. She was just waiting to summarize, conclude, and finalize the experiments, after which she would fully master the ability.

Of course, this couldn't be done without the Elm King's help.

Thanks to the trust between them, the cooperation between Brother Nan and the Elm King proceeded very smoothly.

With the knowledge imparted by the Elm King, Brother Nan quickly mastered several Spells and at least a dozen practical applications of Spiritual Power, achieving near-maximum proficiency almost immediately.

In return, Brother Nan hardly placed any restrictions on the Elm King and continuously helped her understand this world. By now, the Elm King could come out for an average of two hours each day and had a relatively complete understanding of the modern human world, as well as the interpersonal relationships of those around Brother Nan and Zhou Li.

This trust largely stemmed from the Elm King's initial pledge:

"I will help you wield the sword."

However, one thing was a real pain for Brother Nan—

Ever since returning to the dormitory, the way Baozi looked at her had become increasingly strange, as if she always had something on her mind but was unsure whether to speak up...

And every few days, Baozi's gaze would become a bit more resentful.

According to the Elm King, this also happened every few days on average.

This resentment had accumulated until now…

Baozi always looked at her with lowered eyes.

This won't do. She's Zhou Li's cousin, and in the future, she'll be my cousin too. If Zhou Li and I get married and need a lot of bridesmaids, Baozi might even be one of them.

Out of serious consideration, one evening before bedtime, Brother Nan lay on her bed and murmured softly,

"Did you really do as I instructed?"

The next morning when she woke up, there was a piece of paper by her pillow.

Brother Nan unfolded it. Owing to their joint efforts, she could now read it quite smoothly:

"Don't doubt my capability.

"Just as you wouldn't doubt yourself.

"Every night before I go out, I lock the bathroom door from the inside and set a trap. If someone knocks or forces the door open, I'll sense it immediately and rush back. But your roommates have never knocked; they just endure and wait, which is quite nice.

"Baozi goes to the bathroom every night. I can't help it.

"Moreover, she woke up again last night, and when I came back, she looked at me as if I did it on purpose."

"Hmm..." Brother Nan held the paper and wondered aloud, "Isn't there another way? Something to prevent them from waking up at night?"

The next day, the Elm King replied, "It's not that simple. They are your friends, not enemies. I can't use violent measures to prevent them from waking up. Because if I did, I'd have to restrict their metabolism to prevent accidents in their sleep, and restricting their metabolism would cause even greater harm to their bodies. And I wouldn't know how.

"I'm not omnipotent.

"I am like you; I like things straightforward and direct, not intricate and brain-racking.

"Just wait.

"I am already looking for a Demon with relevant abilities, trying to achieve an effect where even if I leave, they will still believe you are in bed.

"By the way, Zhou Li's cousin is really adorable. So many times, yet she never suspects a thing, never knocks on the door, or complains to you. She just silently endures. It's truly amusing... I am quite curious as to how long she can bear this kind of life."

Brother Nan folded the paper with a smile, whispering, "It's not that she doesn't suspect; she's just too lazy to suspect, uninterested, too lazy to knock or complain... it's all just laziness..."

It was now late morning.

Baozi and Cotton Swab had already finished classes and returned.

Looking down from her bed, Brother Nan saw Baozi. Instead of using her stool, Baozi had commandeered Brother Nan's chair, moving it to the middle of the dormitory, perhaps finding it more comfortable. Sitting on it, she cheerfully swung her legs, clad in jeans and canvas shoes, a red string tied around one ankle.

She looked utterly carefree.

Brother Nan made a sound of acknowledgment and got out of bed as well.

Seeing this, Baozi promptly vacated the chair and said softly, "Brother Nan, are you awake? Is Lord Dumpling awake too? Can I take him to work now?"

Lines of exasperation appeared on Brother Nan's forehead. "All you think about is Tuanzi…"

Baozi thought for a moment and said, trying to curry favor, "The term is ending, and teachers are getting stricter with attendance. Brother Nan, you should skip classes less to avoid losing participation points."

"Got it."

"Then, Lord Dumpling…"

"You can't just make someone go to work the moment they wake up, can you?" Brother Nan was quite protective of Tuanzi. "He hasn't even had breakfast yet."

"Oh…"

Baozi sat back on her little stool, waiting quietly, doing nothing but wait.

Without Lord Dumpling, her stall held no meaning.

She didn't dare to urge her.