My Demon Friends-Chapter 450 - 446 Big Handsome Zhou the Scum
October 30, morning. It was another Friday.
The breath of deep autumn was becoming stronger. In the city of Chunming, this was mainly felt in the crisp chill of the mornings and evenings. Dew often formed on the flowers and leaves by the roadside in the early morning, looking like crystals, and was quickly chased away after the sun came out.
Ancient wisdom had already summarized it well—Deep autumn, heavy dew.
This year was even colder than the last.
Zhou Li, wearing a thin jacket, was on his way to breakfast. He felt a bit chilly and wore a helpless expression. He had planned on sleeping in, having stayed up late last night playing games with Brother Nan. This cool morning would have been perfect for sleeping. However, early in the morning, a Great Demon had come over, calling him for breakfast. If he didn’t get up, she threatened to lie down beside him and sleep with him.
How could that be okay? Zhou Li had no choice but to get up.
Few people were on the streets, where a thin layer of mist lingered.
Not only was the dew heavy in autumn, but the fog was thicker too.
Upon reaching the more distant Ziyuan Canteen, Zhou Li touched his forehead. His hair was already a bit damp. When he turned to look at Huai Xu beside him, he couldn’t help but smile.
"What are you laughing at?" Huai Xu asked, frowning.
"...The bangs on your forehead are wet, covered with lots of little droplets," Zhou Li mused, recalling Brother Nan’s words, "You’ve stolen some sugar."
"I rode an electric bike over."
"How come you didn’t swoosh over?"
"I just saw an electric bike at the base of the building, and suddenly felt like riding."
"I see."
The entrance to Ziyuan Canteen was also quiet, perhaps because it was too early. However, white steam continually billowed from behind the canteen. It was steam from the cooking, carrying the faint scent of food—like steamed pastries—through the air, adding a touch of comforting warmth to the chilly morning.
Pushing aside the transparent curtain at the entrance, few people were dining inside.
"What will you have?" Zhou Li asked.
"What will you have?" Huai Xu responded.
"I’ll just have a bowl of porridge and an egg, that’s enough," Zhou Li was still sleepy, his appetite wasn’t very good, and he just wanted something warm to eat.
"Then I’ll also have about ten bowls of porridge, that’ll be enough for me too," Huai Xu followed his choice, "and about ten eggs too."
"How can you eat so much..."
"I’m awesome."
"..."
Zhou Li really didn’t see what was so awesome about that.
The canteen’s porridge wasn’t freshly made; it was boiled from the previous day’s leftover rice. It wasn’t very tasty, and the amount of actual rice solids you received was purely a matter of luck. However, if you asked the aunty to make it thicker, she would often oblige, unless she was in a bad mood. You couldn’t scoop it yourself. Nowadays, students had become quite skilled at maximizing their portions when serving themselves, so if left to their own devices, a pot of porridge would quickly devolve into mere rice water.
"Aunty, I need ten bowls of..." Zhou Li was at the window, but his words trailed off as a voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
"Zhou Li?"
"?"
When Zhou Li turned around, he saw Zhong Xin, his former class president, standing behind him. She looked at him in surprise, visibly struggling not to glance at Huai Xu beside him.
"..."
Zhou Li felt a headache coming on. He’d come all this way, yet he still bumped into someone he knew.
"It really is you! Are you here for breakfast too?"
"Yes..."
"You came all this way?"
"Yes," Zhou Li replied calmly, "You came here to eat too, right?"
"I was out for a morning run and happened to end up here. I usually eat breakfast here," Zhong Xin said, batting her eyelashes at him. "Coincidentally, I also think the food at Ziyuan Canteen is a bit better than at our usual spot."
"..." Only then did Zhou Li notice she was dressed in running gear that outlined her slender figure. Her ponytail underscored her youthful energy, leaving him somewhat at a loss for words. His mind raced. "I also think it tastes a bit better here," he managed.
"Really..."
Zhong Xin muttered under her breath, clearly skeptical. She then turned her head toward Huai Xu. "This beautiful..."
Holy shit!! What the hell kind of Immortal beauty is this!?
Zhong Xin didn’t even finish her sentence; she just froze.
When she saw Zhou Li having breakfast so far from their usual places with an unfamiliar girl—definitely not Brother Nan—she had sensed something was off. Girls are prone to gossip. Her mind raced with jumbled thoughts, even concocting the outline of a trashy novel. Overall, however, a small spark of joy flickered in her heart.
Either Zhou Li had issues with Brother Nan, or it meant Handsome Zhou wasn’t as upright as he seemed. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
So—if other girls could, why couldn’t she, Zhong Xin? If anyone was going to be ’out of the picture,’ it would be that girl first!
Now, though... my apologies for intruding.
She considered herself a minor goddess pursued by many. If it weren’t for Brother Nan, claiming the title of number one beauty in the Life Sciences Institute wouldn’t have been difficult. But now, seeing the person before her, Zhong Xin not only felt utterly inferior but also had the unnerving sensation of her own orientation wavering!
Zhong Xin lowered her head deeply, staring at the tips of her shoes. She scuffed the grout line between the tiles with her foot, again and again.
Zhou Li remained calm—calm to the point of detachment—to mask his inner turmoil. "This is a friend of mine. We just happened to bump into each other."
"Oh... Goodbye!"
Zhong Xin bowed her head and walked away quickly.
Huai Xu watched her receding figure for a long time before she shifted her gaze. "Your class president is pretty funny... Li Daimao should thank me for clearing out someone who keeps thinking about you. But then again, Li Daimao’s attractiveness isn’t enough; if she were as good-looking as me, no one would even dare to..."
"Auntie, ten bowls of porridge and ten eggs," Zhou Li called out to the aunty, feigning nonchalance, "and also a portion of fried dumplings over here."
BEEP!
After swiping his card, Zhou Li turned to Huai Xu and muttered helplessly, "This can really lead to misunderstandings; being a guy is somewhat more convenient."
"You were indeed worried about this!" Huai Xu said earnestly.
"From now on... let’s just stick to being guys."
"No way! This is my freedom, I’ll do whatever I like!" Huai Xu became serious and irrefutable, though her use of local slang was slightly jarring. "This is my demonic right, as sacred and inviolable as freedom itself!"
"The porridge is ready, take it away."
"Alright!"
"Sit in the farthest corner."
"Why?"
"You eat too much."
"You’re impossible..."
Huai Xu frowned and glared at him, but still picked a corner to sit down.
It took two trips to carry over ten bowls of porridge.
As he sat down and began to eat his porridge, Zhou Li pulled out his phone to check it and immediately frowned slightly.
A morning of cell biology. That was going to be tough.
Suddenly, DING DONG!
Hong Ran: Are you up yet?
Zhou Li: Up. Having breakfast.
Hong Ran: So diligent.
Zhou Li: Huai Xu woke me up.
Hong Ran: Miss me?
Zhou Li: Yes.
Hong Ran: Lying at such a young age.
Zhou Li: It’s true.
Hong Ran: You don’t even like my Moments.
Zhou Li: ...
He was rather speechless. What did liking her Moments posts have to do with anything?
Then again, considering the kinds of Moments Hong Ran posted—either criticizing some Great Demon for being brainless or questioning foreign government policies—Zhou Li wouldn’t dare to ’like’ them casually.
For instance, Zhou Li clicked on her profile picture for a quick look—
’Idiots are not exclusive to humans or Demons. /smile’
(Visible to select contacts)
Below it was a large meme image.
Hmm...
After a brief hesitation, Zhou Li finally tapped ’like’ on the post, as a show of agreement.
Hong Ran: When are you free?
Hong Ran: Only liking it now?
Zhou Li: I’m always free.
At the same time, he glanced at Huai Xu.
Huai Xu was wolfing down her food, having already devoured over half of his fried dumplings. Sensing his gaze, she looked up, her expression puzzled as she glanced from him to the phone in his hand.
"What’s up? Who’s messaging you?" she asked, licking her lips. "Is Li Daimao asking you to bring her breakfast in bed, and wants me to deliver it?"
"It’s Hong Ran."
"!!" Huai Xu’s expression instantly tensed. She stopped licking her lips. "What did she say?"
"’Idiots aren’t exclu—’" Zhou Li nearly quoted Hong Ran’s post. Snapping back to his senses, he focused on the screen. "She asked when we’re free. She said the Mirror Zone is ready, arrangements have been made, and they can temporarily isolate it from the Will of the World. Coincidentally, Master Ming is also about to visit Yu Country in the Old Land World."
"I’m full!!"
"Don’t rush. Rushing won’t help..."
Zhou Li replied to Hong Ran. He and Huai Xu then finished their breakfast before leaving the canteen.
First, he needed to get a leave of absence note from Brother Nan.
