My Demon Friends-Chapter 600 - 574: Pastry and Tea

For the next two days, Zhou Li dragged a rather begrudging Brother Nan along to keep Ms. Ji and the little girl company, getting to know about his first property under his name in the process. By the time they returned, Huai Xu had completed Brother Nan's custom design.

The aesthetics of the Old monster were truly something—

A face that could charm all beings, bearing a slight resemblance to the filtered style of online celebrities, but only a slight resemblance; the appearance crafted by the Old monster was much more natural.

Breasts big, very big, just a tad shy of 'exaggerated,' and it's precisely this tad that made her cleavage striking yet harmonious. She was tall, with long and straight legs that were full and fleshy, not like Brother Nan's tight, muscular legs, nor like the many photoshopped spindly legs online—her skin was white and fleshy.

Big waves of hair, tempting lip color, eyes brimming with seductive charm.

Ripe, so ripe.

And she dressed scantily, in a shiny, tight miniskirt that covered only from above the chest to below the buttocks, pushing up the towering breasts and outlining the slender waist and peachy buttocks.

Huge patches of snow-white skin were exposed.

She didn't wear shoes either; she lay on the sofa, legs crossed, feet cocked, skin as white as milk—her feet were exceptionally beautiful.

Zhou Li's eyes nearly popped out!

Although the Old monster often changed her appearance, she rarely tried this style. After all, at heart, the Old monster was actually a Free Little Demon who preferred to act naive, silly, and cute; at most, she would try a more seductive look... But she had never worn such clothes. And most of the time, she transformed into a young girl. The difference was really huge!

So much so that Zhou Li found it difficult to associate the woman in front of him with the familiar image of the Old monster who loved to lie on the floor munching on fried chicken, spaced out. If he were to judge by appearance alone, he felt this persona should be seated at a café or bar, throwing flirty glances at men, or playing with men's feelings for sport, much like Tuanzi.

"AH!"

Brother Nan was her target of amusement; the old horndog was thrilled, hurrying over and starting to feel her up... beginning with those milky-white, long legs.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" the Old monster asked with a smile, her voice that of a mature woman, gentle yet flirtatious, but Zhou Li still found it somewhat familiar.

"Smooth!" Brother Nan exclaimed, eyes wide.

"HMPH HMPH!"

With two snorts, the previous mature charm was reduced by half, replaced by a touch of mischief—yet this mischief didn't reduce her allure. On the contrary, it only made her more irresistible. Her earlier appearance made it easy for one to feel 'I can't handle this woman,' but this slight downgrade gave a false impression of 'I might have a chance.'

"So big and bouncy!"

"Of course!"

"The skin is really nice, so nice..."

"I've tried to make it as normal as I could; otherwise, it could have been even better," the Old monster paused. "But Zhou Li called it fake."

"What does he know."

"COUGH, COUGH..."

Zhou Li coughed lightly. Unable to bear it any longer, he turned his gaze away, "Stop touching her."

Both the man and the Demon turned their heads to look at him.

Their expressions seemed to say—How did this person get here?

「Half a minute later.」

At Zhou Li's strong request, the Old monster changed into a set of normal clothes. The vast expanse of skin previously exposed to the air was now covered, no longer boldly inviting, but her figure was still undeniable. Coupled with her bewitching features and a headful of waves, the ripe, tantalizing aura continued to ooze out slowly, seeping into the earth like spring rain, still irresistibly overwhelming.

If she were to walk alone on the streets at night, even in this law-abiding society, it's likely that some might be tempted into taking risks.

Of course, the risk was real—they would end up being pressed into a river and drowned.

The Old monster naturally walked over to Zhou Li upon leaving the room. She sat down beside him without adopting any more of the seductive vixen manners, casually crossing her legs, and leaning back on the sofa, "Don't you feel a sense of inferiority every time you see a new me?"

"If you ever find yourself on the streets again, you could become a streamer," Zhou Li said, then added, "With your looks, you wouldn't even need to know how to sing or dance."

"But I can sing and dance," the Old monster said.

"Oh..."

"Do you want me to perform for you?"

"No, thanks." Zhou Li turned his head away from her.

"I liked it better the way it was before." Brother Nan appraised her, pondering for a moment before turning to blame Zhou Li, "What's the difference between you and those people who report little websites, magnet links, and porn?!"

"Magnet links??" Zhou Li was bewildered.

"You wouldn't understand," Brother Nan waved it off.

"..."

Unfortunately, the deed was done, and time couldn't be reversed. And since breaking up with Brother Nan had serious consequences, Zhou Li had no other choice but to accept it.

「The 26th, Lantern Festival.」

「West Mountain Bamboo Garden.」

Zhou Li finally managed to get a meal at Sister Hong Ran's place, which was no easy feat.

After the meal, Hong Ran sat in the pavilion playing Gomoku with Zhou Li. Zhou Li only knew how to play Gomoku and Chinese chess, and since Hong Ran only had Go equipment, they aptly used it to play Gomoku.

Zhou Li held a white piece, looking it over from every angle, cautiously making his move.

Hong Ran was playing with the black pieces. She leaned her body forward, close to the stone table, lazily propped her chin with her hand, and rested her chest on the tabletop. Her gaze flickered, and the tail behind her swayed slowly back and forth, lifting the hem of her skirt.

Perhaps the weather outside was gradually heating up, and more people started wearing single-layered clothing. Hong Ran was also dressed in lightweight attire; her sheer, high-waisted Ru skirt was not conservative, exposing her snowy-white skin from neck to chest. Sister Hong Ran was a woman with ample curves indeed, rivaling the one Huai Xu had spent days meticulously crafting.

However, Zhou Li's attention remained solely on the Go board.

This was her first time playing Gomoku, but she had become an expert almost the instant she learned the rules. While playing, she commented lazily, "This game is too simple. If there are no other rules, the person who goes first is bound to win, right..."

"There are restrictions in official games."

"I thought so."

Hong Ran picked up a piece of dessert from the side, biting off just a little bit and savoring it slowly in her mouth, her eyes still wandered over the game board—Zhou Li is very sneaky, laying down numerous lines, always leading my gaze towards the most conspicuous one. Clearly, the game has many fixed patterns, and as a newcomer, it's easy for me to lose if I'm not careful.

This kid really is something, exhausting me so much. I finally got a day off, and yet he's still giving me such a hard time.

The Go board was filled up.

That was Gomoku for you—anyone with a bit of skill would quickly run out of space on the board.

"Let's call it a draw," Zhou Li said. Seeing Hong Ran enjoying her food, he also picked up a piece of dessert.

It was a traditional pastry, the flavor of which wasn't easy to pin down because it seemed to contain more than one ingredient. From the looks of it, it was divided into three layers, each with a different color.

Of course, the desserts at Sister Hong Ran's place were high-end, but even the finest of these powdered desserts couldn't escape their inherent flaw—Zhou Li bit into half of it and felt it crumble immediately upon touching his tongue, turning into powder and filling his mouth with aroma. But as soon as he began to chew, it became both dry and sticky, clinging to his gums and sticking between his teeth, and it was also choking.

Another downside was that they easily caused coughing.

Zhou Li choked on it.

"COUGH, COUGH..."

As he coughed, a bit of powder sprayed out, which was mortifying.

Seeing this, Hong Ran, who was sitting by the side, chuckled. She took a sip of tea from her cup, seemingly demonstrating the correct way to eat the dessert, before saying softly, "You need to eat this kind of pastry slowly, and eat it with tea. Trying to eat half in one bite like you did certainly won't work..."

As she spoke, she lightly raised her hand, not moving much and looking listless, her slender fingers attractive... The teapot beside them then moved on its own towards Zhou Li, pouring a cup of tea for him.

Zhou Li drank half a cup in one gulp.

The teapot automatically refilled his cup.

Hong Ran pursed her lips and continued, "This type of pastry wasn't cheap in ancient times; most people could barely fill their bellies. So in today's terms, it should be considered a... luxury item. Usually, it's something that wealthy officials or nobility enjoyed as a pastime, with a pot of tea, breaking off a small piece each time, alternating between a bite of pastry and a sip of tea, lasting an entire afternoon with just one or two pieces."

"I see."

Zhou Li realized he had been eating them all wrong for many years.

But there was no shame in front of Sister Hong Ran. He broke off a small piece, trying it out as instructed.

Today, Hong Ran was serving Dian Hong tea, a kind with no lengthy history since it was only created during the Republican era. It was characterized by a warm, soft taste and a strong aroma. Especially the aroma—even the cheapest Dian Hong tea could be tasted for its rich and complex fragrance, with a primary note of fruit and complementary hints of floral and honey scents, making it delightful even for those who didn't favor tea.

A small bite of the crumbly pastry followed by a sip of the black tea—the pastry almost dissolved upon contact with water, blending its sweet osmanthus fragrance with the tea's elaborate aroma in the mouth, creating a perfect fusion on the taste buds. This way, it was no longer dry or sticky, tasting completely different from what he had eaten earlier.

"Now it tastes good," Zhou Li said.

"Shall we continue playing?" Hong Ran asked.

"Not anymore," Zhou Li replied.

"Finally, you show some consideration for your sister," Hong Ran said with a smile, breaking off another small piece of dessert. "Today is the Lantern Festival, right?"

"Mhm," Zhou Li nodded. "Tomorrow is my birthday. Remember to give me a red packet."

"Oh, you..." Hong Ran trailed off.

"Why do you look so worn out?" Zhou Li asked.

"It's from being tired," she replied.

"Oh." Zhou Li pondered for a moment. "I heard from Huai Xu that you've all been troubled searching for something. Is that what has been stressing you out?"

"Want to know?" Hong Ran read his mind like an open book.

"Um..."

Zhou Li immediately understood: yesterday, Huai Xu had been imitating Sister Hong Ran's tone.

No wonder it felt so familiar.

I'm really hopeless, don't I have any presence of my own?

Zhou Li sidestepped the topic, grumbling as he ate, "What's the use of this proxy role? Even coming to sponge a meal off you requires waiting for several days in line..."

Hong Ran was pleased to hear that but maintained her smile; a bigger smile required too much effort. "You go find Her Highness. If you bring out Her Highness, I won't have to take care of her affairs anymore. Then you can come over every day to sponge off me. I'll still be living here, and there will still be plenty of chefs..."

"Her Highness..."

Zhou Li glanced at her surreptitiously. He didn't catch her expression, but instead, his eyes strayed to her chest. These clothes are truly too revealing. He quickly and subtly diverted his gaze.

"You're quite clever," Hong Ran commented with a laugh.

Zhou Li behaved as if nothing had happened.