My Demon Friends-Chapter 701 - 662 Jump Rope

"MEOW!"

A series of meows emanated from the stairwell.

Baozi's hand paused, and she turned to look towards the staircase. For a moment, panic flickered in her eyes.

But a glance from the corner of her eye at her cousin's expression reassured her. She realized it was only Lord Dumpling coming up; Brother Nan hadn't come with him.

"Cousin, open your mouth."

"Lord Dumpling, save me!"

"MEOW!"

A medium-sized cat ran out from the staircase.

Today, Lord Dumpling was a golden gradient. He had a round head and a chubby body, with several vertical lines on his forehead. This made him look like he was frowning, always with a troubled expression, as if he had been wronged.

After arriving at the rooftop, he walked with tiny steps straight to Zhou Li and Baozi, sat down very naturally a meter away, and looked up at them.

"Haha, Zhou Ni, you've turned into a cat with a painted face!"

"Is Lord Dumpling here to rescue me?"

"Zhou Ni, did you get beaten, meow?" Lord Dumpling tilted his head.

"Baozi is bullying me."

"Lord Dumpling is here to watch the drama," Baozi stated.

Lord Dumpling sat properly, small as he was, still wearing that troubled expression. His little head turned left and right, now looking at Zhou Li, now looking at Baozi.

Baozi, without a change in her expression, continued to offer the ice cream, smearing it in a circle on Zhou Li's face around his mouth.

At that moment, Lord Dumpling suddenly turned his head.

"MEOW!"

Baozi turned her head too.

A pair of long legs in flip-flops stepped out from the staircase, strikingly white in the dim light.

Baozi's hand trembled, dropping a few more drops of yogurt on Zhou Li's collar. She hurriedly reached out, wiping haphazardly with her palm while turning her head to stare at the approaching Brother Nan.

"Brother Nan—mmph!" Zhou Li's words were muffled as Baozi, reacting quickly, stuffed the whole ice cream into her cousin's mouth.

She then turned her head to Brother Nan. "Brother Nan, have you finished your laundry? I was feeding my cousin some pudding, and he kept moving, getting his face all covered with yogurt. He even blames me for not feeding him properly. Why don't you do it?"

Lies! All lies! Zhou Li fumed internally, his mouth still full. After speaking, Baozi silently praised herself.

Brother Nan approached with a casual stride, replying nonchalantly, "Not yet. I haven't even scrubbed my shoes. I just heard someone upstairs calling for help, so I came up to check."

Oh no! Baozi panicked inwardly, but her face remained expressionless. "Brother Nan, you heard wrong."

"Is that so?" Brother Nan placed her hand on Baozi's head.

"Yeah!" Baozi, her head pressed down, nodded vigorously. Even now, she wouldn't give up the struggle, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Get up."

Upon hearing this, Baozi promptly stood up, demure and obedient, just as she acted in front of her cousin when his eyes were normal. She handed the ice cream to Brother Nan with both hands.

Brother Nan sat down in Baozi's spot, took the ice cream, casually took a bite, stretched her legs comfortably, and slouched a little. "I swear, you two siblings, why are you both cut from the same cloth?"

Zhou Li, wiping his face, turned to say, "It's a family misfortune, Brother Nan. Please teach her a lesson for me!"

"How should I teach her a lesson?"

"Just give her a beating."

"Is that appropriate?"

"Otherwise, she'll mess with me again tomorrow."

"Let me think..." Brother Nan continued eating the ice cream leisurely.

The little cousin secretly watched her cousin. She didn't struggle or make a sound, standing obediently to the side with her hands clasped together. However, a glint flickered in her eyes, her mind clearly racing.

As she was thinking, she saw Brother Nan looking over at her. Startled, Baozi immediately crossed her arms over her chest, assuming a defensive posture, her face full of wariness.

「Half an hour later.」

In the courtyard downstairs, the little cousin, acting as if she hadn't been beaten at all, was now queuing up to jump rope.

It was Miss Zheng's turn to skip.

This was Miss Zheng's first attempt at jump roping, and Brother Nan was coaching her. Brother Nan had demonstrated just once. Thanks to her Heavenly Master's physique and coordination, Miss Zheng learned quickly. She was soon skipping at a very fast speed, managing several hundred jumps in a row—quite impressive.

Zhou Li sat under the eaves, in the light of the lamp.

Old Monster was sitting next to him playing games, and Lord Dumpling was squatting nearby, his eyes twinkling as he watched Miss Zheng jump rope.

The rope whizzed through the air. This, complemented by the sounds of jumping, landing, the rope striking the ground, and Miss Zheng's increasingly rapid breathing, made the yard lively.

In that moment, they truly resembled spirited young girls.

Zhou Li looked forward with a calm expression.

Jump rope really is an excellent exercise—it burns fat effectively and is also quite a spectacle to watch.

Unfortunately, since his eyes had been changed, he could clearly see Miss Zheng's cheeks becoming rosier and her small arms swinging the rope. However, the parts covered by her clothes remained unclear. He could only rely on his rich imagination and the material he had accumulated daily to fill in the blurry parts.

Gradually, Miss Zheng's face turned redder, and her breathing became more intense.

She was running out of stamina.

SNAP...

The rope caught on her foot.

Zhou Li quickly asked, "How many?"

"Over three hundred."

"That's impressive!"

"Not really…" Pleased by his praise, Miss Zheng lowered her head, a blush spreading to the base of her neck.

Next up was Brother Nan.

Lord Dumpling started cheering, encouraging Brother Nan.

Zhou Li also propped his chin on his hand, watching intently.

Brother Nan looked good. She wore a pair of shorts that showed off her long, bare legs—a style definitely worthy of emulation by all girls in summer.

"Go, Brother Nan! Aim for five hundred!"

"I'll try…"

In the end, Brother Nan jumped over two hundred times. Her long, straight legs were so dazzling that Zhou Li's vision blurred.

Then it was Little Cousin's turn.

Not worth watching.

Zhou Li turned his head to look at Brother Nan. "Is it hot?"

"Boiling," Brother Nan replied, pulling at her T-shirt collar to fan herself. "Phew, I think I'm going to lose weight again."

"You're thin enough," Zhou Li whispered, sitting up straighter. "You don't need to lose any more."

"Hey! Well said!"

"It's just the truth."

SNAP...

Little Cousin's turn at jump rope ended at 21 jumps.

Huai Xu quickly stuffed his phone into Brother Nan's hands. "It's my turn! It's my turn! Brother Nan, take over for me!"

Brother Nan, taking the phone, murmured, "Oh, Genshin Impact…" and immediately stopped fanning herself, focusing on the screen.

Zhou Li, disappointed, pulled his gaze away. As soon as he looked at Old Monster, he frowned. He realized Old Monster had conjured a strong wind. The dust on the ground swirled, and the sound of the wind he generated became a roar. The skipping rope barely touched the ground, making it impossible for an ordinary person to count his jumps.

He only stopped when he grew tired of it.

After a brief silence, Zhou Li resolutely raised his hand. "I propose that Huai Xu isn't allowed to jump anymore!"

"Why not?" Huai Xu protested.

"I second that," Brother Nan said, not looking up from the game.

"MEOW!" Lord Dumpling agreed.

"I…" Baozi had also been waiting painfully. She glanced at Brother Nan and Lord Dumpling, then raised her hand. "I, I second that too."

"Miss Zheng abstains, so the minority yields to the majority," Zhou Li declared.

"Hmph!"

Old Monster took back his phone, sat next to Zhou Li, and huffed at him. He then added sarcastically, "Some people... I don't even want to expose their selfish desires…"

Zhou Li pretended the whirring of Miss Zheng's jump rope, who had started another turn, was too loud to hear what Old Monster was saying.

The night passed in this manner.

Back in his room, lying on the bed, Zhou Li stared at the light bulb above—it was a bright halo.

BUZZ. BUZZ.

His phone vibrated.

Huai Xu immediately crawled over and took a look for him. "It's a message from Zhu Shuang. He's asking if you've missed him since it's been so long. Want me to reply for you?"

"Leave it."

"Oh."

Huai Xu picked up the phone and started typing a reply.

Zhou Li: I don't want to deal with you.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Li asked.

"Replying for you!"

"Give me the phone."

"No!" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"…"

Zhou Li pursed his lips, his expression uncomfortable. Great, I feel like I've offended yet another person.