My Demon Friends-Chapter 602 - 576: Cousin, See You Tomorrow

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

Zhou Li, now twenty years old, didn't feel the slightest bit panicked. He was still a young man, and after getting to know Brother Nan, his mental age had been gradually decreasing. This year, he was even more childish than the last. At the very least, he would have to wait a few more years to feel that the effects of time on his growth weren't always positive, and to feel what time was taking away from him. Right now, he was still in a process where every passing second brought something new. This was especially true during the days he spent with Brother Nan, days filled with a faint fragrance and a subtle sweetness.

「Noon.」

Zhou Li had just finished lunch at Baozi's Home.

Baozi quietly moved next to him and, in a rare gesture, sat close, whispering tentatively, "Cousin, I heard you're going to Chengjiang this afternoon?"

"Do you want to go as well?"

"Ah, how did you know!"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't call me Cousin."

"…" Baozi paused briefly, then seriously retorted, "It's not like that. Even if I usually call you Zhou Li, you're still my cousin. Blood is thicker than water; that can't be erased."

"That's progress," Zhou Li nodded. "Even so, I won't take you."

"Ah…" she dragged out the sound.

"Ah, what?"

"Why not?"

"Because this is just for Brother Nan and me, a world for two."

"Don't you need a ph-photographer?"

"No need."

"Ah…"

Still dragging out the sound, her voice was a bit dejected, her face full of disappointment, looking rather pitiful.

Actually, Baozi had been to Fuxian Lake before; it was very close, after all. But going out with Brother Nan and her cousin was about more than just the scenery. Her cousin was very wealthy, and Brother Nan was very generous. Generally, they would satisfy any of her cravings for bubble tea or ice cream—it was truly an Immortal's journey.

Too bad she wasn't part of it…

Baozi lowered her head and quietly left.

They wouldn't be having dinner here, as Zhou Li and Brother Nan were leaving in the afternoon. So, after sitting for a little while, they said their goodbyes and departed.

「In the elevator.」

Brother Nan swung her car keys in circles and turned her head to look at the advertisement screen. A small, antenna-like cowlick on top of her head had already splayed out at the tip, right in front of Zhou Li, quivering slightly with his breath. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The screen showed Tan Songyun, their fellow Yi Province native. This actress, now over thirty, still looked like a twenty-year-old girl with youthful clothes and a sweet smile, twisting her body as she danced and sang the catchy advertising jingle: "Nutri-Oats, lots of fruit, fruit cereal, Nutri-Oats…"

It replayed over and over.

Zhou Li involuntarily blew a gentle breath—

"PFFT."

Her antenna-like cowlick quivered.

Brother Nan sensed something was off, turning her head to question him, her features even more delicate than the actress's, "What are you doing?"

"UMM…"

Zhou Li thought for a moment and said nonchalantly, "Do you think today counts as our one-year dating anniversary?"

"HUH!"

Brother Nan was stunned for a second, blinked twice, then turned her head back to watch Tan Songyun on the ad screen. Only her endearingly silly voice could be heard, "What anniversary? When did we start dating? Aren't we sworn brothers? At most… at most, it's our one-year anniversary of becoming sworn brothers."

"PFFT…"

"Don't you dare tease me!"

Brother Nan turned back and punched him.

The elevator doors opened.

Brother Nan quickly retracted her punch to avoid hitting anyone else, then turned and walked out without a second thought.

An auntie walked in.

Zhou Li pressed the close-door button.

"DIIING~~"

The elevator doors slid shut and continued their descent.

In the split second before they closed, Brother Nan darted back to the elevator entrance. Zhou Li saw her eyes widen; her face was first blank and embarrassed, then quickly turned to surprise. She seemed shocked that he hadn't come out with her, hadn't reminded her, and was indifferent to the closing doors. She even raised her fist threateningly. He, in turn, gave her a look that clearly said, How can you be so dense?, shaking his head as if speechless.

「Reaches the ground floor.」

Twenty seconds later, Brother Nan emerged from another elevator, her smile as warm as the sunshine outside.

Only her fist was a little tight.

…

Brother Nan turned her head to look at Zhou Li. "Aren't you wearing ice sleeves?"

"I put on sunscreen."

"Ice sleeves are great, they feel so cool. I have a white pair; do you want them?" Brother Nan was usually quite serious, but a glance at Zhou Li's arms sent her rich imagination racing. "Maybe you can pull off a kind of white-silk stocking look… HEHEHE…"

"No, thanks."

"Then… let's go!"

With a push of her foot, Brother Nan's bike darted forward.

Zhou Li turned his head to look at Tuanzi behind him. "Is Lord Dumpling ready?"

"Ready!"

"Will you fall off?"

"Nope!"

"Lord Dumpling, you better hold on tight."

"Lord Dumpling is a Great Demon; it won't hurt even if I fall." Tuanzi hesitated for a moment. She was standing on the clothes in Zhou Li's backpack, her upper body poking out, paws hooked onto Zhou Li's shirt. "If I do fall, Zhou Ni, you have to remember to find Lord Dumpling and bring me back~~ Otherwise, Lord Dumpling will be lost!"

"Okay."

In the time it took for this brief exchange, Brother Nan had already ridden some distance ahead and was looking back at them.

Chengjiang City is a county-level city, under the administration of Yuxi, the one famous for its tobacco.

From Zhou Li's place, it was very close, only about thirty kilometers. At Zhou Li and Brother Nan's pace, occasionally riding side-by-side to chat or slowing down to enjoy the scenery, it took them just an hour to travel from the shores of Caiyun's largest lake to its third largest, Fuxian Lake.

Fuxian Lake is also very large, with a circumference of over ninety kilometers.

Unlike the heavily polluted "green Dian Lake," Fuxian Lake is the other extreme. The water here is crystal clear and can even be drunk directly, as it's a national first-class drinking water source.

Following the straight Xianhu Road down, they passed through the small city and soon reached the lakeshore.

The first thing that met their eyes was the vast surface of the lake, seemingly stretching for thousands of acres, a brilliant azure under the blue sky. This kind of terrain would naturally have wind, but fortunately, today's breeze was gentle, only slightly ruffling the lake's surface. Tiny waves lapped continuously at the sandy shore, and one inadvertently wet the feet of a child playing by the water. Startled, the child yelped "AH!" and jumped back, hurrying away.

Brother Nan put on a duckbill cap and settled a similar one on Zhou Li's head. Hands clasped behind their backs, they walked towards the lake.

The sand was coarse, mixed with small pebbles.

Brother Nan left a trail of shallow footprints.

Zhou Li followed behind her, stepping into her footprints, gazing into the distance as he walked.

Visibility was good under Qingtian; the mountains on the other side of the lake were clearly discernible. Much like Erhai Lake is ringed by the Cang Mountains, Fuxian Lake too is cradled by mountains, which, from a distance, looked quite similar.

Lost in thought, Zhou Li didn't notice Brother Nan had already walked a dozen meters ahead. She was wearing a plain white T-shirt and loose denim overalls. Standing with her hands on her hips, she was talking to the little boy whose feet had just gotten wet. She was playfully threatening that his mother would give him a talking-to when he got home. The little boy just stared blankly at her.

Soon, the little boy ran off.

Brother Nan then burst into laughter and turned her head to look at Zhou Li, as if wanting to share her joy with him. Though she was a graceful young woman, her spirit was still very much like a child's.

Continuing forward, she found a rock to sit on. Facing the wind that carried no fishy smell and basking in the gentle sun, she felt extremely comfortable. She couldn't help stretching lazily, letting out a soft "Mmhmm~" that perfectly conveyed the blissful comfort of the moment.

Zhou Li sat down beside her and heard her say, "The wind today is so soft!"

"Maybe it's carrying good news."

Zhou Li pulled out his phone and opened WeChat.

Sure enough, he had received a red envelope from Sister Hong Ran: "May you always be this lively."

188.88.

A smile touched Zhou Li's lips.

Just then, another message arrived, this time from his Little Cousin.

Baozi: [Image]

Baozi: [Image]

…

A dozen or so images followed in quick succession.

Baozi: The pictures are retouched! This is the premium selection. I pulled several all-nighters to finish them, I've even got dark circles. Cousin, take a look and see if you're satisfied.

Baozi: Of course, these are compressed, so the image quality is a bit reduced. The colors in the original files will be even better.

Baozi: You get me…

Zhou Li pondered for a moment—

Zhou Li: Today is my birthday

'Baozi' retracted a message.

'Baozi' retracted a message.

…

He watched as the dozen or so pictures and three lines of text she had just sent vanished rapidly, as if bubbles were being popped one after another. Then, Baozi's next message arrived—

Baozi: I'll come again tomorrow.