My Demon Friends-Chapter 555 - 534: Chance Encounter

"Hello, Auntie."

Zhou Li tilted his neck to look back at a middle-aged woman passing by. He had helped her take a photo when he was going up the mountain.

Thanks to his distinctive appearance, the woman recognized him instantly and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "I've run into you again, young man! What a coincidence. Do you have a partner yet?"

"I do."

"Oh…"

"Auntie, could you…"

"This is your…"

"You go ahead, you go ahead!"

"Auntie, you first."

"Oh, is this your little buddy?" the woman asked, turning to look at Huai Xu sitting next to Zhou Li.

"Yes."

"Does he have a partner?"

"He only looks like a boy, but he isn't actually. He dresses quite androgynously," Zhou Li said sincerely, and he wasn't lying.

"Oh…" the woman continued to nod, her disappointment evident. "So, is he your partner?"

"He isn't."

"Then where's your partner?"

"Working from home."

"Oh…"

This young man isn't quite right, the woman immediately felt. Thank goodness I didn't introduce my daughter to him. Still, she maintained a cheerful expression on her face. "What were you going to say just now?"

"Could you take a photo for us?"

"Of course! Absolutely!"

"Thank you."

"How do you want it taken?"

"We'll just sit like this, and you can stand behind us. Just take a photo of our backs, and please capture the sunset," Zhou Li said as he unzipped his backpack and pulled out Lord Dumpling. "And her."

"No need to show our faces, huh?"

"No need." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"TSK TSK…"

The woman took Zhou Li's phone and walked behind them.

In the desert, under the setting sun, two people and a cat sat facing the sunset. Once the camera focused on the sun, their backs became dark silhouettes. The half-set sun cast a series of colorful halos across the sky. These halos passed between Lord Dumpling and Huai Xu, slightly affecting the composition.

"This looks pretty good without showing faces."

"Thank you, Auntie."

"No problem at all."

"Would you like me to take one for you?"

"No need, I took some earlier, and they turned out very nice. Would you like to see them?"

"Sure."

So, the woman excitedly showed him the 'hand-held sunset' and 'dancing gracefully' photos she had taken earlier. She even pitched her photography skills, saying that if he wanted, she could take some for him too. However, it was too late to 'hold' the sun now, as only half of it remained.

Zhou Li offered some perfunctory praise while tactfully declining.

Finally, he saw the woman off.

By then, Huai Xu had already dug a hole beside Zhou Li and buried his own legs in the sand. He also buried Lord Dumpling, leaving only her little head visible above the sand. Seeing Zhou Li sit down next to him, he grinned and said, "I suggest you bury your legs in the sand like this. It's quite interesting."

"Zhou Li~~ Huai Xu buried Lord Dumpling in the dirt!"

"Oh," Zhou Li said. "I'm so tired."

"Li Daimao wouldn't find this tiring. If she were here, she could chat with that woman until dark," Huai Xu said. "Come on, get buried."

"Be polite."

"I'm older than her."

"I forgot..."

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"Don't rush me."

Zhou Li proceeded at his own unhurried pace, and soon his legs were also buried in the sand. Only then did he turn his head and say, "Lord Dumpling, look, I'm buried too."

Lord Dumpling let out an "Ooh."

「The sun had completely set, and the temperature plummeted.」

The few remaining tourists began to descend the mountain one after another. Just then, a string of excited exclamations rang out nearby.

It sounded like they were shouting about a white fox or something; the noise was quite chaotic.

Zhou Li turned his head towards the sound. He saw a few people holding up their phones, all pointed in one direction. In that direction, a pure white fox trotted along, leaving a trail of delicate paw prints in the sand. The Little White Fox stopped when it neared the people, not at all afraid. It even looked up at them as if waiting for something.

Soon, someone took out food and began feeding it.

The Little White Fox wasn't fussy at all. It ate whatever was offered, whether sausages, beef jerky, or even vegetarian snacks. After eating, it would lift its head and gaze at the people, maintaining a distance of two to three meters.

If anyone approached, it would retreat slightly but wouldn't run off.

It seemed quite spirited.

Zhou Li turned his head and watched in silence for a while, then glanced at Huai Xu.

The Great Devil King seemed to have no interest in it.

Lord Dumpling, however, turned her head and stared unblinkingly at the beautiful Little White Fox.

This chance encounter with the Little White Fox made the few tourists still on the mountain as ecstatic as if they'd won the lottery. However, the Little White Fox wasn't interested in playing with them. Consequently, their excitement soon cooled. As the chill of the encroaching night set in, after feeding it and taking their fill of photos, they waved goodbye to the Little White Fox and cheerfully descended the mountain.

The Little White Fox looked around and then focused on Zhou Li and his companions.

However, Tuanzi's presence made her hesitate. She couldn't tell if these two humans would be more compassionate because they had a pet, or if they would become wary of her approach to protect their own animal. After a long hesitation, she finally made up her mind. She lowered her head, signaling she meant no harm, and slowly approached them, taking a few steps then pausing.

Even when she drew near, she maintained a distance of two to three meters, quietly observing them.

Their eyes met.

Zhou Li bowed politely. "Hello."

"Hello, little Demon, I am Lord Dumpling~~" Tuanzi chimed in politely.

"YA!" A clear, startled cry.

The Little White Fox got a terrible fright and immediately turned to flee.

Zhou Li said softly, "Don't be afraid. We mean no harm, and we won't hurt you."

"Don't be afraid of Lord Dumpling, okay?"

"We're all Demons, what's there to run from?" Huai Xu finally spoke up. "And when facing a Great Demon, escape is impossible anyway."

"Lord Dumpling is also a Great Demon!"

The Little White Fox finally stopped and looked back. She tried to find any demonic traces on Zhou Li and Huai Xu but found none. Thus, she became suspicious—truly, foxy in her suspicion.

Zhou Li hastily introduced, "My name is Zhou Li, and I'm a human Heavenly Master. This is Huai Xu, a Great Demon. He usually conceals his true form. Due to some particular past experiences, he carries a scent that can make ordinary Demons uncomfortable. This is the honorable Lord Dumpling."

"Lord Dumpling is a Close Attendant of Your Highness!" Tuanzi declared, dissatisfied with Zhou Li's overly brief introduction of her. She had to jump in and elaborate herself, though doing so felt a bit beneath her dignity.

"We're very friendly," Zhou Li said. "What's your name?"

"Humans call me Xiao Bai."

"Xiao Bai," Zhou Li repeated, then asked curiously, "What brings you here? Are you looking for food?"

"Yes…"

"You're really smart."

"There's no food in winter. Only here."

"Aren't you scared of people?"

"The people here are very nice… but I haven't had much contact with them! And they don't know I'm a Demon!" Xiao Bai quickly explained, glancing at Zhou Li with a touch of unease.

"I know, you're a shapeshifting Demon," Zhou Li said. "I'm very friendly too."

"You're a Heavenly Master…"

"But I'm actually a very weak Heavenly Master," Zhou Li said, his tone as gentle as possible to appear harmless. "In fact, I think this agreement is rather unsuitable. If Demons and humans want to coexist peacefully and amicably, avoiding all contact isn't a good approach. We need to understand each other."

"Ooh!" Xiao Bai glanced at Zhou Li again.

Huai Xu also glanced at Zhou Li but said nothing.

"Have you had enough to eat?"

"No, not yet."

"I have a box here…"

Zhou Li took a can of beef from his bag. "It's a can of beef I prepared for Lord Dumpling. I wonder if you'd like it?"

Xiao Bai immediately looked at Tuanzi.

Lord Dumpling was very generous. "I grant it to you!"

The can was opened, and its rich aroma wafted out. Xiao Bai still hesitated. She seemed a little slow on the uptake. It took a long while for hunger to overcome her caution, and she finally edged forward slowly.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome." Zhou Li paused. "How long have you lived here?"

"I've lived here for quite a while now."

"So you're a local."

"I guess so…"

"When did you awaken?"

"A long time ago. But I got lost before and couldn't find my way here," Xiao Bai said between bites. She was careful to swallow her food before lifting her head to speak. "I used to come here for food in the winter. The people here are very kind; they would give me food."

"I came across you on the internet last month. It must have been you."

"The internet?" Xiao Bai looked up, puzzled.

"Anyway, I've heard about you. I heard that a Little White Fox who wasn't afraid of people had appeared in this scenic area," Zhou Li said. "Now that it's gotten colder, are you managing to find much food here?"

"There are fewer and fewer people."

"New Year is approaching."

Seeing Xiao Bai seemed engrossed in her meal, Zhou Li didn't interrupt. He sat quietly beside her, waiting until she finished. Then he said, "Anyway, I'm glad we met you here. Our park ticket is valid for three days, so we'll be back here tomorrow afternoon before sunset. Will you be here too?"

"Maybe."

"Then what would you like to eat? We'll bring it for you."

"I can eat anything…"

"Alright."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow."

This Little Demon is already used to humans feeding her, Zhou Li mused. She seems like a child, not as self-reliant as Lao Hui or Xiao Yuan, but very cute all the same.

Zhou Li packed up his things and went down the mountain.