Zhou Li invited Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan to his house as guests. The two little demons hesitated for a long time before agreeing.
Zhou Li specially prepared snacks for them.
Dried shiitake, dried sweet potato, cherries, watermelon, and nuts, as well as fried chicken legs and crispy small fish he bought especially from outside the residential complex.
He had many questions he wanted to ask Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan. The two little demons always gave him the impression that they were quite experienced, and today Huai Xu seemed to have conveniently given him a push.
However, after going upstairs, Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan kept showing resistance and fear towards Huai Xu. They remained cautious around him, which made Zhou Li ponder. Perhaps he was being somewhat abrupt.
Seeing Xiao Yuan's gaze constantly drifting to the nuts, while Lao Hui sat upright on his desk surveying the room, Zhou Li took the lead and picked up a pecan, struggling a bit to peel it.
"These are really tasty." Actually, it was Zhu Shuang who really loved them.
"Is that so?" Xiao Yuan did not move.
"Don't be shy; they're not poisoned. I have some questions I'd like to ask you." Zhou Li felt that being straightforward might be better at this point. So, after a brief moment of thought, he chose a not-too-deep question, "It seems that you are very afraid of Huai Xu, and it's not just because he looks human, is it?"
"Hmm?" Huai Xu also showed interest. He did not expect Zhou Li's first question to be about himself.
"He has a very terrifying aura about him," Lao Hui turned and stared at Huai Xu, his eyes narrowing slightly. "That being said, you definitely have just woken up and have not regained your memory."
"Most little demons wouldn't dare to approach him, right?" Xiao Yuan also spoke up. After answering Zhou Li's question, he carefully picked up a nut, holding it with both hands and munching quickly. "At first, Lao Hui even suspected he was an evil demon that had just awakened or a Blood Demon that fed on its own kind, but soon we realized that was not the case. It's very possible that he had been involved in demons' fights and killings, such as tracking down evil demons. Or, a long, long time ago, he might have been bewitched or coerced by humans. In any case, he must have killed quite a few demons. Some things, once branded, cannot be erased."
"So that's it!" Zhou Li's eyes widened.
"So that's it!" Huai Xu puffed up his face, which was quite cute, but there were no fans of 'her' present.
"The world of demons sounds so dangerous!" Zhou Li said.
"It's not like that," Lao Hui spoke up. "We are far less cruel and warlike than you, and we treasure our own lives and those of our kind much more than you do, and we are far more observant of rules."
"But it might not be as I said." Xiao Yuan had started eating the kernel, peeling out a whole one, forming a stark contrast with the pile of fragments in Zhou Li's hand. "We are just two very weak little demons, after all. For specifics, you would have to consult those more experienced elders."
"I see..." Zhou Li nodded.
"I see..." Huai Xu echoed. His gaze showed a hint of disappointment. There were hardly any Great Demons around here. The one to the south had settled down these last few days, but he was probably more confused than Huai Xu himself now, and from the looks of him, he didn't seem easy to talk to.
"How long have you been awake?" Zhou Li asked.
"A long time." Lao Hui watched Xiao Yuan eat, lifting one of his paws and licking it.
"I see."
Zhou Li did not ask too much more. He decided to proceed slowly.
Xiao Yuan continued to gnaw on the nut, which rotated quickly in his hands. His teeth were sharp, making a series of CRUNCHING sounds.
He peeled it very quickly.
Zhou Li didn't quite know what to say, and Lao Hui, too, licked his paw while covertly scrutinizing him. The man and demon lapsed into a brief awkward silence.
Eventually, Zhou Li said, "We'll continue to be neighbors in the future, right? Just like before, living peacefully with each other."
Lao Hui hesitated.
Xiao Yuan also realized the conversation was coming to an end. He stopped his movements and looked at Zhou Li, then glanced down at the nut in his hand, reluctant to part with it.
A moment later, Lao Hui said, "If we can live peacefully, of course we don't want to move away."
Xiao Yuan nodded vigorously.
"I'm a good person," Zhou Li said.
"Hopefully, but we don't have much value."
"Then we... will take our leave now," Xiao Yuan said, stuffing an entire nut into his mouth and bending over to tidy up the nutshells and fragments on the table.
"Let me take some down for you," Zhou Li offered.
"Thank you very much," Xiao Yuan replied, lacking dignity.
"What do you like to eat, Lao Hui? Chicken leg? Do you like fried yellow croaker? It's sweet and spicy," Zhou Li looked towards Lao Hui, who hadn't eaten anything.
"No need, I appreciate the gesture," Lao Hui responded.
"Alright then."
Zhou Li took a lot of nuts and went downstairs again.
When Zhou Li returned to the room, Huai Xu seemed to have just awakened from a contemplative state. He slowly turned to look at Zhou Li and said, "I think I used to do many unconventional things."
"I think so too."
"Right?"
"Are there many Great Demons?"
"Not many, I guess."
"Then you must not have been an insignificant figure in the past," Zhou Li consoled him. "You will remember it eventually, or maybe we'll meet someone who has woken up earlier and just happens to know you before that."
"What exactly was I like before?" Huai Xu squinted, his expression seeming a bit uncomfortable.
"Sleep on it, think it over slowly."
"Yes, that might do."
Huai Xu turned and conscientiously climbed onto Zhou Li's upper bunk, lying down and looking at the ceiling.
Today, he was a girl, which Zhou Li was not quite accustomed to.
「June 9th.」
In the past, today would have been the day to go to school to estimate scores and also to listen to the teacher talk about choosing colleges and related information.
But now, estimating scores was no longer necessary. With online research being very convenient, many classes at Yan City Middle School had abandoned this tradition, although Mother Zhao still kept it. And there was a graduation dinner in the evening, which all the teachers and students were supposed to attend—it could very well be the last time the whole class and teachers would gather together. It would be convenient to meet in the afternoon and then head straight to the hotel after the talk.
So, Zhou Li woke up from his nap and left the house.
Today was Sunday. The school was empty. As soon as Zhou Li entered the school gates, he saw the figure of San Zheng in the middle of the sports field, looking somewhat solitary.
Just then, a figure darted out of the adjacent teaching building, carrying a large stack of printed test papers.
"Zhou Li!"
"Teacher Zhao!"
Mother Zhao smiled, saying, "I was just about to head over when I ran into you."
"Quite a coincidence."
The two met up.
Huai Xu ran off to intercept San Zheng.
Mother Zhao kindly asked, "How did the test go?"
"Pretty satisfied."
"Weren't nervous, were you?"
"No."
"That's good to hear; there's a great chance you'll get into a top university! Will you estimate your scores in a bit, or wait for the results to come out?"
"Let's see later."
"Alright, I'll be waiting for your good news!"
"Sure."
The two fell silent for a while, with nothing to say.
It wasn't until they reached the bottom of the teaching building that Mother Zhao spoke up again, carefully asking him, "Do you still... have hallucinations occasionally?"
"Occasionally, yes," Zhou Li nodded decisively.
"Then you..."
"I'll learn to overcome it."
"That's good, you've all grown up, which is great." Mother Zhao kept nodding. "Actually, many outstanding people go through a period of silence in their lives, and that's okay. You are your own greatest masterpiece. Seeing you like this makes me happy. College will be a change of scenery for you; I hope you'll have an unforgettable time there."
"I definitely will."
Most of the students had already arrived, each sitting in their own place, chattering loudly.
Brother Nan was slouched in the last row by the window, completely slumped except for her cowlick still sticking up.
Mother Zhao received a series of greetings.
When Brother Nan saw Zhou Li approach, she just lifted her eyelids to glance at him and grumbled in a deep voice, "I called you to stay up all night, why didn't you answer me..."
"My phone died."
"You're lying."
"No lies here. I haven't even listened to that voice message you sent. Look, there's still a little red dot."
"You didn't listen this morning either?"
"No."
"You...," Brother Nan couldn't be bothered to argue further, "forget it. The top two students in our class went too, and they've never been to an internet cafe for an all-nighter before. After finishing the college entrance exams, isn't it all about doing things you've never done before?"
"Makes sense."
"So, are you coming tonight for the all-nighter?"
"Is it fun?"
"It's alright."
"What do you usually play?"
"Last night, Class 5 put together a team and played a league match against us, betting on breakfast and a pack of cigarettes."
"Who won?"
"Don't get me started!" Brother Nan sighed deeply. "Played ten rounds throughout the night and only won two. It pissed me off."
"At least you won two rounds," Zhou Li consoled.
"You don't understand since you weren't there. We got thrashed in the first five rounds; it was a massacre. In the end, it was me who found them and reminded them that winning all the time is no fun. Only then did we win two rounds," Brother Nan pouted. "We lost all our face."
"I see..."
Zhou Li, though he didn't play games, often heard people talking about them, so he roughly understood.
Class 5 was an ordinary class; so ordinary that a week before the college entrance exams, some of the boarding students even climbed the fence to go to an internet cafe and stay up late. Therefore, Class 5 had an inherent advantage in gaming. Meanwhile, his classmates not only expended too much energy studying, but they also had to carry Brother Nan, the weakest link.
Losing was the norm; if they won, it was most likely because Brother Nan cheated.
At this moment, Brother Nan probed again, "So, are you coming? After the dinner, we'll go for a bit of karaoke, then head to Bantang Internet Cafe – I've got you a spot in the 26-seat row. I've arranged for the class next door to join us today. You'll sit next to me and cheer me on; we'll definitely win!"
"I'm not going; it's not my scene."
"I..." The narrowing of Brother Nan's eyes made Zhou Li feel like he might have gotten punched if this were two years ago. Then she resignedly said, "You're such a killjoy! By the way, do you sing? Do you drink?"
"Drinking is harmful to your health; any amount is harmful."
"What about singing? I've never heard you sing. Wait, you've never even hummed a tune."
"I've never been to a KTV."
"Isn't your family wealthy? Hasn't your dad ever taken you to the kind of KTV that we can't afford?"
"He's scared."
"Alright, alright, never mind, I'll take you later!" Brother Nan felt a bit sorry for the kid; looking so good yet being so inept socially, what a waste.
"I don't want to go."
"Come on, just go, everyone's going. Don't be scared; all you have to do is sing loudly, it doesn't matter if you're good or not." Brother Nan repeated, "We've just finished the college entrance exams. It's boring if you don't try new things!"
"What about you? What new things do you want to try?"
"I..."
The question actually stumped Brother Nan.
After thinking for a long time, she said, "Actually, I've been thinking of getting a Class D driver's license, but I reckon my parents won't agree."
WHOOSH!
The Two Golden Flowers at the front desks turned around.
Zhou Li also took the rare opportunity to glance downward.
Brother Nan was puzzled. "What's going on?"
Fearing he'd get hit, Zhou Li quickly said, "Nothing, I just think your parents probably won't agree either."
"Yeah! Adults are so annoying!"
"..."
Zhou Li had something to say but dared not.