My Demon Friends-Chapter 705 - 666: The Victor Gets Hit

July 25th.

With Baozi, their photographer, in tow, their journey proceeded at a leisurely pace, as a significant portion of each day was dedicated to taking pictures. Master Bao always aimed for perfection. She would shoot the same scene multiple times, restarting at the slightest imperfection. Furthermore, if the weather was poor but a location's scenery particularly captivated her, she would insist everyone wait until the next day. This devotion was why they had stayed in Xindu Bridge for three days—all because Master Bao wanted to photograph cloud tunnels.

Zhou Li wasn't someone who particularly enjoyed photography. In fact, he found it hard to accept spending so much travel time on it.

But after seeing the photos in the group chat that night—

It was amazing!

Consequently, everyone was now very enthusiastic about daily photoshoots, which explained why they had only just reached Litang.

Litang, a city in the sky, sits at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. Despite its elevation, it's a beautiful place blessed with abundant sunshine and fertile land. However, what truly catapulted it to fame was a Tibetan boy with remarkably pure and innocent eyes.

Luckily, the Old monster was unaware of this. Otherwise, Zhou Li might have been "gifted" a one-day experience as an "optimized" Tibetan boy.

Or perhaps not. The Old monster disliked dark skin; even if she were to transform into the Tibetan boy, she would undoubtedly make his complexion paler.

The weather in Litang today was excellent. The sky was a crystal blue, and the clouds hung so low it felt as if you could reach out and touch them. In July, the grass was a vibrant green, and a stream burbled through Maoya Grassland, where scattered black dots moved about—yaks.

Zhou Li and Brother Nan were sitting side by side on the grassland.

Behind them, the rest of the group amused themselves and took photos. Tuanzi, in grass taller than herself, hopped about like a rabbit chasing small butterflies, visible only when she leaped into the air.

"It's so warm," Zhou Li sighed, stretching.

Brother Nan, a blade of grass dangling from her mouth, glanced around. "Why haven't I seen any pikas?"

"Maybe there aren't any here," Zhou Li replied.

"Oh." Brother Nan looked away, chewing on the grass stem before her gaze drifted to the distant road. "I always thought that after graduating from college, I'd cycle Highway 318 once."

Zhou Li followed her gaze.

Although it wasn't peak cycling season, quite a few cyclists were already on the road. They had endured an almost deathly torturous journey from Xiangke Sect to Honglong Town the previous day. Yet today, these cyclists were fully revived, brimming with excitement and energy, thanks to the beautiful scenery and the less demanding stretch of road ahead.

Zhou Li said softly, "You'll choose to ride a motorcycle in the future, right?"

"Not necessarily," Brother Nan replied casually. "Bicycles are fun in their own way, and so are motorcycles. They're different."

"Oh," Zhou Li acknowledged.

"I've heard that after this place, up ahead"—Brother Nan pointed forward—"there's a guesthouse in a village. I forgot its name, but cyclists always stay there. It's probably their destination for today. Fifty yuan per person, including breakfast and dinner. Every night they serve potato stew with yak meat, all you can eat. TSK TSK TSK, I really want to take Huai Xu there to teach the owner a lesson."

"That's cheap," Zhou Li remarked.

"It's been like that for years," Brother Nan said.

"Ah, I see," Zhou Li murmured.

Zhou Li continued to gaze at the scenery below, the wind occasionally sweeping Brother Nan's hair across his face.

The ground was dotted with numerous flowers and plants; a month earlier, they might have witnessed a sea of blossoms. In the distance, waves of cyclists passed on the road, alongside pilgrims prostrating themselves every three steps. Further off, on a relatively flat expanse of grassland, a lone basketball hoop stood—a simple source of joy for a group of Tibetan children. Their happiness was uncomplicated. Eagles circled overhead.

For Zhou Li, happiness on this trip was equally simple: sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Brother Nan, chatting idly, or even just sharing comfortable silence, was wonderful enough.

"It's so beautiful," Zhou Li said.

"Mmm..." Brother Nan swapped the grass stem in her mouth for a fresh one. "Once Little Zheng's eyes are better, we really should bring her here too."

"Yeah," Zhou Li agreed. This was something he had been thinking about for the past few days as well.

He glanced at Brother Nan, hesitating, unsure if he should say anything. But in the end, he decided to speak up. "Brother Nan, is that grass you're chewing clean? This whole area is covered in cow dung..."

Brother Nan turned to look at him, an uncomfortable expression slowly spreading across her face. "Huh?" Then—SMACK!

Zhou Li instantly felt aggrieved. It wasn't like *he* smeared cow dung on the grass she was eating! On the contrary, he was just giving a kind reminder, and this was the thanks he got! Such a cold world!

"PTOOEY!" Brother Nan spat out the grass, stood up, dusted off her pants, and ran off to join the others.

Zhou Li watched her go.

Nearby, Zhu Shuang stood engrossed in her phone, fingers flying across the screen. She was likely sharing the day's itinerary and photos with her group of friends, sparking a lively discussion about their travels. Zhu Bing was scampering around after Lord Dumpling. Baozi was photographing Huai Xu. In her eyes, Huai Xu was the perfect model; every shot of him was stunning, and her photography skills turned each one into a masterpiece. The Old monster, under Baozi's direction, struck various poses, managing to look quite artistic despite being uncultured.

Then, a blur before his eyes—Brother Nan was back at his side, sitting down. She held a dandelion up to his mouth.

"Blow!" she commanded.

"Hm?" Zhou Li responded.

"Blow on it!"

"Oh." Zhou Li took a deep breath. Just as he was about to blow, he caught Brother Nan watching him secretively, a mischievous glint in her beautiful eyes. He immediately froze.

"No, thanks."

"Huh? Why not?" Brother Nan asked.

"You'll shove it in my mouth the moment I open it!"

"I won't," she insisted.

"Really?"

"Mhm, mhm, mhm..." she hummed reassuringly.

"I don't believe you."

"..." Brother Nan was growing impatient. "Come on, I wouldn't! Could Big Brother lie to you? Just blow!"

"No."

"Are you going to blow it or not!?" Her voice was now laced with a clear threat.

Zhou Li's eyes darted about as he stared at the almost perfectly formed dandelion. His mind raced, searching for a countermeasure, all while feeling a surge of disdain for Brother Nan.

If a prank doesn't work, resort to force. He, Zhou Li, despised such people the most.

Zhou Li pursed his lips, then turned and waved to his Little Cousin, Baozi, who was holding her camera nearby. "Baozi! Come here a sec!"

"What's up, Cousin?" Baozi lowered her camera and looked at him in confusion, but didn't move.

"Come over here."

"What is it, Cousin?"

"Brother Nan wants you."

"Oh," Baozi said and quickly trotted over to Brother Nan.

Zhou Li watched them, saying nothing.

Brother Nan held the dandelion out to Baozi. "I heard that blowing on a dandelion here brings good luck!"

Baozi immediately took a step back, her eyes full of suspicion. She looked at Brother Nan, then at Zhou Li sitting beside her. After a brief silence, she asked, "Was this Cousin's idea?"

"HAHAHA..." Brother Nan burst out laughing, much to Zhou Li's discomfort.

As an older cousin, his reputation was in tatters! Hadn't he sunk to the same level as Old Zhou?

"Sigh..." The sound of Brother Nan's laughter still grated on his ears. It seemed the more miserable he felt, the happier she became.

Wait a minute— Zhou Li thought he'd realized something.

He peeked at Brother Nan, then at the dandelion in her hand. An internal battle waged within him. Should he do it or not? This was his only chance; no time for hesitation. Hesitation meant defeat.

SWOOSH!

With lightning speed, Zhou Li snatched the dandelion from Brother Nan's hand and stuffed it right into her mouth.

"HAHAHA—ACK! PTOOEY! PTOOEY!" Brother Nan sputtered, spitting out dandelion fluff, and stared at Zhou Li in astonishment. After pulling the prank on her, the scoundrel didn't even try to run or hide. He just sat there beside her, watching, apparently willing to risk a beating just to etch her current embarrassing state into his memory. And he even managed to look innocent!

"Good! Very good!" Brother Nan seethed, though her smile was dazzlingly bright.

"Sorry, Brother Nan, let me explain," Zhou Li said earnestly. "I only thought about it for a second; I hadn't actually decided to do it. My hand just moved on its own!"

"Very good!" Brother Nan repeated, her smile wider than ever.

Baozi, standing beside them, raised her camera and captured her cousin's audacious act, her finger continuously pressing the shutter.

What followed was a performance: Brother Nan pinning her cousin to the ground and forcibly stuffing dandelions into his pried-open mouth.

Everyone nearby turned to watch.

Zhu Shuang found it novel.

Zhu Bing was shocked.

Huai Xu was thoroughly intrigued.

Tuanzi even stood up on her hind legs like a meerkat, peering over the tall grass with her front paws dangling, her gaze fixed on them in utter confusion.

Behind the camera, a faint smile played on Baozi's lips.

Compared to breathtaking landscapes or elegant, aloof portraits, she actually preferred moments like these. Each click of the shutter captured an emotion, a story that would be cherished for years to come, growing more precious with time.

"MEOW!"

Tuanzi suddenly dashed over recklessly, rushing to Zhou Li's side, apparently intending to help Brother Nan hold down his hands.

Unfortunately, the spectacle was already over.

Zhou Li sat up, spitting out dandelion bits, and watched the little creature's antics. His heart suffered a second blow.