My Demon Friends-Chapter 441 - 437: Walking Towards Poverty

"POP!"

Brother Nan slapped her forehead, deeply sighing at her oversight and quickly realizing the severity of the situation.

Cotton Swab, Baozi, and Qian Qian were just ordinary female university students. Although their family backgrounds were quite decent, especially Qian Qian’s, their main source of income was still the barely sufficient allowance they received regularly from their parents.

Wait, no, there was one whose allowance was definitely not enough.

In short, they weren’t as wealthy as Zhou Li, nor could they compare to rich women in society, let alone herself, the Child of Destiny.

Brother Nan was genuinely afraid Lord Dumpling would drain them dry.

Lord Dumpling was very resourceful in this regard.

Besides, she was a Demon; one couldn’t think of her as an ordinary cat.

"Hmm..."

Brother Nan had no intention of calling to rescue them—that was what a doting mother would do, not what a "big brother" would do.

After a moment’s thought, she took out her phone.

Li Nan: "Guess what I discovered after finishing my game?"

Zhou Li: "What?"

Brother Nan wasn’t in a hurry to answer. Instead, she lifted her phone and recorded a video of the empty dormitory.

Li Nan: "[Video]"

Li Nan: "Look at our dorm."

Zhou Li: "Your dorm is quite clean."

Li Nan: "I supervised their cleaning."

Zhou Li: "It was Mianmian and Qian Qian who cleaned it, right?"

Li Nan: "Your cousin was involved too."

Zhou Li: "She’s so lazy."

Li Nan: "I have the ability to make her diligent."

Zhou Li: "/Sweating"

Li Nan: "Didn’t you notice I’m the only one left in the dorm?"

Zhou Li: "Where did they go?"

Li Nan: "Why aren’t you concerned about your Little Trash Cat?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Zhou Li: "Lord Dumpling might seem naive and a bit silly, but she has strong survival instincts."

Li Nan: "But the three of them are gone too."

Zhou Li: "They wouldn’t harm Lord Dumpling."

Li Nan: "A doting mother spoils the child."

Zhou Li: "/Questioning"

Li Nan: "/Cursing"

Zhou Li: "Then I’ll call Baozi."

Li Nan: "Don’t."

Li Nan: "I already warned them, but they wouldn’t listen. It’ll be good for them to learn a lesson the hard way. They’ll know better next time."

Zhou Li: "Is that really okay?"

Li Nan: "During the campus lockdown, it’s not like they can spend that much money anyway. Young people need to experience some setbacks to grow."

Zhou Li: "Oh."

Every time Brother Nan saw Zhou Li type that word, she couldn’t help but think of something not suitable for children.

Luckily, she knew her boyfriend was a pure guy. He liked to say that word in real life too. In person, when he nodded and said ’Oh,’ he looked exceptionally obedient and cute, which always sparked her protective instincts. Otherwise, she would have definitely used "physical therapy" to help him break the habit.

Li Nan: "Oh."

Zhou Li: "Hmm?"

Li Nan: "/Sly smile"

Zhou Li: "What’s wrong?"

Brother Nan couldn’t help but laugh out loud in the dormitory, feeling the thrill of having secretly done something mischievous.

As for explaining, of course, that was out of the question.

Only children can’t resist blurting out their pranks on friends to get instant gratification and greater satisfaction. Adults, on the other hand, choose to keep it to themselves and secretly observe the prank’s target, deriving a more sustained thrill and contentment.

Besides, she was also afraid of corrupting Zhou Li.

Such a pure boyfriend was hard to come by.

Just then, Cotton Swab and Baozi returned.

Brother Nan turned her head to see them walking into the dorm, hands full of bags, big and small, chatting and laughing. She squinted, utterly perplexed—

They actually seemed happy?

"We’re back!"

Mianmian and Qian Qian exclaimed in unison, their voices sweet and flowing with a honey-like happiness.

Brother Nan nodded and asked nonchalantly, "Went shopping?"

"We took Little Trash Cat out for a walk," Qian Qian said. She was dressed in a white blouse, a plaid skirt with a tie, and black tights that outlined her slender legs. She wore matte black round-toe leather shoes, and her skirt fluttered as she walked. "And we bought a few things along the way."

"Oh? What did you buy?"

"Some little things the kitten likes," replied Mianmian. She wore a relatively simple Ming Dynasty Attire, an upper jacket and a lower skirt, looking like a lively young maidservant. "Plus, Little Trash Cat really liked some other things, so we bought those too."

"How much did you spend?"

"N-not much." Baozi’s top was a bit old-fashioned, and her wide-leg jeans were faded from washing. She wore a very ordinary pair of canvas shoes, one of the two pairs she alternated between, which made her already small feet look even tinier. Her overall attire made her look like a child.

"’Not much’ is how much, exactly?"

"Well..."

Baozi silently turned her head away. It seemed her heart bled at the mere thought of the amount, so she didn’t want to mention it. She said stubbornly, "It really wasn’t much! On the way back, I called Zhou Qianqian and signed up for a work-study job. I start tomorrow and get paid weekly. I’ll have money again soon!"

"What about your postcards?"

"I’ll sell those too."

"Ah, so two part-time jobs."

"Three."

"Oh, right, you also do photography gigs. Good, good."

"Photography."

"Alright, alright, photography, photography..."

Brother Nan nodded and said no more. Driven by curiosity, she moved closer to see what they had bought.

Fortunately, the campus had been locked down since the beginning of the month, so there were no pet stores around, and hardly anywhere sold pet supplies. If Brother Nan had to guess, she really couldn’t imagine what Little Trash Cat would have them buy.

"Towels, plush dolls, cups..." Brother Nan couldn’t help but look at Tuanzi. "Little Trash Cat, what do you need a cup for? Didn’t I buy you a special bowl for drinking water? A stainless steel one, at that!"

"MEOW!" Tuanzi’s voice was sharp and clear.

"Talking back?" Brother Nan tilted her head, looking at Tuanzi.

"MEOW~~" Tuanzi’s voice instantly softened. She trotted over to Brother Nan’s legs with tiny steps and started rubbing against them.

"Go away!" Brother Nan continued to inspect the items, muttering nonstop, "A music box, this little pinwheel, a small desk lamp, a mini fan... She likes these trinkets too? They do look quite pretty, all sparkly and bright."

"MEOW~~"

"Oh, this half-box of snacks I can understand..."

"MEOW~"

"Wangzai Milk, AD Calcium Milk..."

"Sprite?!"

"Can someone explain this electric kettle to me?" Brother Nan grew increasingly perplexed, finding the situation both exasperating and funny.

"MEOW~~"

Tuanzi patiently explained each item to her in a faint voice. After finishing, she looked at Brother Nan worriedly, unsure if she had understood, or if, even understanding, she could grasp Tuanzi’s reasoning.

At times like this, she really missed Zhou Li. Zhou Li always understood her; whatever she said, he got it and could comprehend her intentions.

Sigh...

Tuanzi sat on the floor, blinking her eyes and looking pitifully at Brother Nan.

Such a worry-cat.

「Ten minutes later.」

The dorm room was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.

Brother Nan, with a numb expression, glanced at the scene before her: Cotton Swab and Baozi were squatting on the floor, having a grand time playing with Tuanzi, as if they had discovered life’s ultimate bliss.

"TSK TSK!"

Brother Nan couldn’t help but click her tongue.

No wonder so many men couldn’t resist the temptation of trashy girls, and so many women couldn’t withstand the advances of trashy boys. Perhaps only on the day Little Trash Cat left would they truly understand pain. Until then, they were simply happy.

It was as if, right now, they’d even forgotten their own last names.

"Brother Nan, are you going to join us?"

How touching, they actually remembered her at a time like this. It meant her usual care for these two endearing goofballs hadn’t been in vain.

"No, thanks."

"Oh."

Lights-out time was gradually approaching.

Little Trash Cat meowed and pawed, urging Baozi to unpack the electric kettle for her. Then, she lay down in the kettle’s packaging box. And you know what? The cardboard box was just the perfect size for her to sleep in comfortably.

Brother Nan lay quietly in her bed, typing up the night’s events into a long message for Zhou Li. She hoped her boyfriend would take it as a cautionary tale.