My Demon Friends-Chapter 517 - 496: Absurd Dream

"What are you looking at?"

"You have more friends now."

"So have yours."

"Shall we play a game?"

"Why?"

"I can’t sleep anyway."

"You can’t sleep?"

"OW!"

"I see." Zhou Li nodded, turned off his phone, and placed it beside his pillow before closing his eyes. "I can sleep."

"..."

It was quite late that night, and Zhou Li fell asleep exceptionally fast.

Influenced by the old monster’s sudden conversation, he had a bad dream.

In the dream, Sister Hong Ran, the girl he liked, sprouted nine tails from under her skirt. This attraction even surpassed her long, fair legs, and she transformed into a Great Devil King.

This referred to a genuine Great Devil King, far beyond any mere pretender. She regarded human and demon lives as insignificant as grass. Her hands were stained with blood. She even feasted on live humans and demons daily, unable to eat a meal without them. Moreover, she schemed and plotted just like humans do. Even Master Ming fell under her influence, perishing before his complete decline. In short, if Sister Hong Ran knew, she would probably die of anger on the spot.

The old monster truly was toxic.

「Morning of the 1st.」

Zhou Li looked at Huai Xu, who lay beside him motionless, his eyes wide open as if he couldn’t die in peace. Zhou Li silently put on his jacket and got up.

The living room was very quiet.

Brother Nan was wrapped in a blanket, lying on her side on the sofa.

Tuanzi lay very well-behaved on the other side of the sofa, with her paws tucked neatly under her chest. Though already awake, she was motionlessly watching Brother Nan without making a sound.

Like a fake cat.

Perhaps this wasn’t the Tuanzi he was used to.

"MEOW~~"

A very soft meow.

Zhou Li also instinctively lowered his voice. "Good morning, Lord Dumpling. You’re up early."

"You too, Zhou Ni~~"

"Did Lord Dumpling sleep well?"

"Very well! And you?"

"Not so good."

"Hmm? Why, meow?"

"It’s all Huai Xu’s fault."

"’It’s all Huai Xu’s fault!’ Tuanzi repeated, then asked curiously, ’What did Huai Xu do this time?’"

"He’s misbehaving."

"Exactly!!"

At those words, Zhou Li couldn’t help but smile. He picked up Tuanzi and sat in the spot she had been lying on, which was still warm. "Happy New Year, Lord Dumpling."

"Where’s Lord Dumpling’s red envelope?"

"Uh..."

"Last night, Brother Lan told Lord Dumpling! You even gave *her* a red envelope!"

"Alright, I’ll send it right away... Sent."

"Where is Lord Dumpling’s phone?"

"I’ll go get it."

Brother Nan had been using Tuanzi’s phone as a car navigation device. The car was now parked downstairs, so getting the phone would be a bit troublesome. However, since Zhou Li was idle anyway, he leisurely went downstairs in his slippers with Tuanzi in his arms, treating it as a stroll.

「About twenty minutes later.」

Zhou Li squatted beside the sofa. The phone lay on it, and Tuanzi also stood on the sofa, head lowered, staring intently and unblinkingly at the screen.

"Just like this..."

"This way..."

"Lord Dumpling, let me see your paw. Then, tap it just like this." Zhou Li took Tuanzi’s paw and, as she complied, pressed her little paw pad onto the screen. "TA-DA! Lord Dumpling has received an 88.88 red envelope! Aren’t you super happy?"

"So happy!!"

"As long as Lord Dumpling is happy."

"Okay!"

"Then I’ll take the phone back downstairs..."

"Approved!~~"

So, Zhou Li logged out of Huai Xu’s QQ account on the phone. He then went downstairs again with Tuanzi and put the phone back in the car.

He also asked in a low voice, "Did Lord Dumpling learn today’s procedure?"

"I’ve learned it!"

"Has Lord Dumpling remembered it?"

"I’ve remembered it!"

"What was it like? Can you recap it for me?"

"Just tap it once!!"

"Full marks!" Zhou Li praised sincerely, his face overflowing with admiration. "Lord Dumpling is just so brilliant!"

"Haha!"

Once they were back home, Brother Nan had woken up. Zhou Li checked his watch and realized that this whole cursory process had actually taken more than an hour, achieving its full distracting effect. Regrettably, he had initially planned to arrange a set of activities involving Brother Nan afterward, but now that would have to be shelved.

He approached Brother Nan and quietly asked, "Awake?"

Brother Nan had already sat up but was still in her usual morning daze, like a statue: messy hair, bleary eyes, motionless.

In response to his question, she only responded with a weak hum.

Zhou Li quietly observed her, then after a moment’s thought, said, "So you’re up, huh?"

"Mmm~~"

"Want to sleep some more?"

"Mmm~~~"

"I see."

Then Zhou Li put down Tuanzi, walked straight up to Brother Nan, and pinched her pale, tender face.

Brother Nan turned her eyes to look at him.

Zhou Li pinched the other side.

A hint of confusion appeared on Brother Nan’s face. She stared unblinkingly at Zhou Li, her expression seeming to inquire—

What are you doing?

Zhou Li pretended not to notice and gave her cheek a firm tug.

Her fair, tender cheek was very elastic and became amusingly distorted when pulled.

But Brother Nan still didn’t want to bother with him.

Zhou Li pondered again, then reached out to touch her head.

He was a little apprehensive about this action. After all, Brother Nan’s cowlick was a forbidden zone. So, to add a veneer of legitimacy to what he was doing, he said while stroking her head, "Still acting like a child at your age... it’s just too cute."

Brother Nan couldn’t help but squint her eyes.

Just like Tuanzi, who would squint her eyes in comfortable enjoyment whenever Zhou Li petted her.

But just two seconds later, she opened her eyes again. They were now completely clear, and she shot Zhou Li a razor-sharp glance.

Oh no!

Zhou Li instantly understood. He had been too rash!

SWISH! He snatched his hand back like lightning, retreated two steps, and simultaneously tried his best to plaster a bewildered expression on his face as a defense.

Then it was too late...

Before his expression could fully ’load,’ Brother Nan’s hand shot out and grabbed his shirt.

"BANG!"

「About five seconds later.」

Zhou Li clambered up from the sofa. He calmly smoothed out his shirt, which had been twisted into a small chrysanthemum shape, as if nothing had just happened. He then continued talking to Brother Nan, "I thought you’d wake up later. What time did you sleep last night?"

"Past two!"

Brother Nan’s voice was a bit hoarse, showing she was still angry. She glared sideways at Zhou Li, looking like she might launch a second wave of attack at any moment.

A moment later, her gaze shifted to the side, looking past Zhou Li.

"What’s up?"

Zhou Li turned his head to look.

Oh, it was just Huai Xu. He’d been lying in bed, but upon hearing Zhou Li getting beaten up, he’d run out to watch the spectacle.

Zhou Li turned his gaze back and continued, "That’s about when I went to sleep too. Did you dream last night?"

"No."

"I did."

"A wet dream?"

"It wasn’t a good one," Zhou Li admitted honestly. "A very unpleasant one."

"Dreams are the opposite of reality."

"True." Zhou Li boldly sat down next to Brother Nan and continued, "It’s just that for a little while after waking up, I felt a bit unsettled, as if the dream were real."

"I’m the same way." Brother Nan’s expression had softened, and she gradually became engrossed in this new topic. "No matter how outrageous the dream’s content is, for that little while right after you wake up, your mind has this feeling that the dream was real. The dream’s content gets mixed up with your memories; it’s all chaotic. But that only works in that hazy, half-awake state. After a bit, when your mind clears and you can distinctly separate dreams from memories, then it’s fine. However, because of this, you remember such dreams more clearly than others."

"Like what?"

"For instance, I once had a dream where I was an Immortal. When I woke up, I genuinely believed I could use spells. And another time, I had a nightmare about zombies..."

Zhou Li put on an air of earnest listening, nodding from time to time. Brother Nan just kept talking, showing no signs of fatigue, seemingly ready to go on endlessly. When she finally seemed to feel her mouth was a bit dry, Zhou Li opportunely handed her a glass of water.

As for the incident just now...

What incident??

Anyway, that hurdle was successfully bypassed.

The smile on Zhou Li’s face widened—it was the joy of a narrow escape. In his happiness, he couldn’t help but praise, "You remember dreams from so long ago, Brother Nan. Your memory is amazing!"

"They weren’t that long ago!"

"Ummm..." Zhou Li hesitated for a moment. "Pardon my asking, but how long is ’not that long ago’?"

"The furthest back are from a few months ago, the most recent from just these past few days. For example, that dream where I became an Immortal was freshly concocted just a few days ago," Brother Nan said with a nonchalant expression. "What’s wrong?"

"I see." Zhou Li nodded. "I thought only children had such absurd dreams."

???

Brother Nan tilted her head, frowning at him in confusion. After a few seconds, she said, "I haven’t settled the score with you from earlier, and now you’re mocking me again. Fine. Bring your head closer, and I’ll tell you an even more amusing one..."