My Demon Friends-Chapter 673 - 634

Zhou Li: I'm back for rice noodles.

Huai Xu: No thanks.

Zhou Li: Are you that afraid of him? *wipes sweat*

Huai Xu: Who's afraid? *spaces out*

Zhou Li: Then you don't dare come back?

Huai Xu: Trying to provoke me? When I was charging in and out of battlefields seven times over, your ancestors hadn't even been born! I'm just having fun outside; it's incredibly fun out here.

Zhou Li: Alright then.

Zhou Li: Let me be honest with you.

Zhou Li: Actually, the Elm King wants you to teach him how to play games. Aren't you in the top ten on the national server, always crushing various streamers and professional players? After I told him, he suggested he'd like to take you as his master.

Huai Xu: Hehehe...

Huai Xu: Do I look that stupid?

Zhou Li: Alright, actually he just hinted that he wanted to take you as his master. He didn't say it directly; he still has his pride, you know. It struck me that this is a great opportunity for you two to clear up any misunderstandings, and then you wouldn't have to avoid him anymore.

Huai Xu: When have I ever avoided him?

Zhou Li: Yes, yes, yes.

Zhou Li: The Elm King has indicated that if you teach him to play LOL, he won't hold a grudge about what you said: yesterday, that his Honor of Kings gameplay is like delivering takeout and his Battle Royale skills are like delivering packages; the day before yesterday, that he was clueless about everything; the day before that, you laughed at him for not knowing what plastic is; the day before *that*, you laughed at how he applied a sheet mask; and the day before *that* day, you looked down on...

Huai Xu: But what I said was the truth...

Zhou Li: Then I'll tell him to forget it.

Huai Xu: Wait a second!

Huai Xu: Since he's sincerely begging, I will graciously teach him.

Huai Xu: Sigh, I have no choice. I was just starting to enjoy myself out here.

Zhou Li: Hurry up and come down from the tree.

Huai Xu: ???

Zhou Li: Wait five minutes.

Huai Xu: For what?

Zhou Li didn't reply.

Putting away his phone, he looked at His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, who was earnestly navigating the LOL tutorial mode. "I've spoken to Huai Xu," Zhou Li said. "She expressed that being able to guide Your Highness in gaming is a tremendous honor for her. Although she's currently busy with something important, she immediately stated her intention to drop everything and rush back as soon as possible."

As he said this, Zhou Li sneaked a glance at the Prince. "Considering this, you shouldn't make things difficult for her anymore, right?"

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, leaned closer to the screen, seemingly fully absorbed in the game. Without turning his head, he said, "Do you think I'm as gullible as your girlfriend?"

"Not at all," Zhou Li replied. "Brother Nan isn't easy to deceive either; he's just not one to hold grudges."

"What do you mean I make things difficult for her? She's the one with the loose tongue every day."

"As the saying goes, a great person overlooks the faults of lesser people."

"Hmph..."

"Then I'll take that as a yes."

"We'll see how she performs."

「Five minutes later」

Huai Xu appeared in the living room.

Today, the old monster had taken the form of a tall woman with a cold, arrogant demeanor. She tilted her chin up slightly and glanced at His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu. "I hear someone wants me to teach them how to play games?"

Zhou Li silently put on his shoes and grabbed his keys. As he walked out, he said, "I'm going out for a bowl of rice noodles; I'll pack some for you both."

From behind him came Tuanzi's delicate, high-pitched voice shouting, "Make sure to bring back fish soup with rice for Lord Dumpling!"

Zhou Li closed the door, shutting the brewing storm inside the room with it.

BUZZ! BUZZ!

His phone vibrated.

Baozi: Cousin, cousin, can Lord Dumpling come to work today?

Zhou Li: It's the weekend.

Baozi: But business is best on weekends.

Zhou Li: You evil capitalist.

Baozi: ...

Baozi: What about tomorrow?

Zhou Li: Weekend. Off.

Baozi: Oh. Then please ask Brother Nan for me if there are any more leave slips; I couldn't find any in the drawer.

Zhou Li: There aren't any more. We all just climb over the wall.

Baozi: Oh.

Zhou Li: What do you need a leave slip for?

Baozi: To go out and take photos.

Zhou Li: Where are you going to shoot?

Baozi: Xidian Village.

Zhou Li: Where's that? Is it pretty? Is it fun?

Baozi: Not suitable for couples.

Zhou Li: Got it.

By the time he switched off his phone, he had already walked into the rice noodle shop. He chose shredded chicken, meat slices, and crispy fried pork, adding two fried eggs, three quail eggs, and two pieces of bamboo fungus. He then ordered a bowl of thick rice noodles. Sitting at a spot near the entrance, he began to eat with relish—the occasional, subtle fluctuations of Spiritual Power from the floor above were none of Zhou Someone's concern.

...

Today, Baozi felt refreshed.

The medicine she bought the other day had clearly worked. For the past two nights, she hadn't run into Brother Nan during her late-night bathroom breaks.

Previously, she found waking up with a sudden urge to use the restroom while sound asleep incredibly disruptive, directly affecting her entire night's sleep quality. But for the past two days, the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night and being able to go straight to the toilet was incredibly liberating, almost indescribably wonderful.

All this was because she had an epiphany and decisively walked into the pharmacy!

I'm so clever! Baozi thought, mentally patting herself on the back.

She put on her canvas shoes, tied the laces, stood up, and stamped her feet. Then, she slung her small backpack over her shoulder, picked up her thermos filled with water, and grabbed the camera from the table. After taking a couple of steps, she turned back, took a bucket hat from the closet, and put it on, making her round face look even more adorable.

"I'm heading out!"

From the upper bunk came creaking noises, as if a large caterpillar were rolling around. Mianmian stuck her head out from the pink mosquito net and stared at her. "Where are you going?"

Baozi had already left the dormitory.

Xidian Village had recently become a popular photography spot within Chunming's photography circles. Unlike other places known for their beautiful scenery, it was an abandoned village situated halfway up a mountain. Due to the migration of rural populations to urban centers, many such villages dotted the mountains. The scenery there was similar to what her cousin had described about the place he and Brother Nan were planning to visit for their summer social practice program. Deserted by humans, the village was now overgrown with weeds and trees. The houses, covered in moss and vines, combined with the pleasant landscape, offered the chance to capture a post-apocalyptic feeling of civilization being reclaimed by nature.

Photos with this kind of style were very popular among netizens.

With a title like 'Nature After Humanity's Disappearance' and an encompassing theme, it might not be easy to win a major photography exhibition, but with my skills, bagging some small prizes or school photography awards should be quite doable, Baozi mused. Whether the prize money is substantial or not, at least it's better than nothing. And I enjoy it, too.

Coincidentally, someone in her photography group had been calling for a team outing a few days prior. Quite a few people had already signed up, all of them trustworthy friends. Since Lord Dumpling wasn't working, she had agreed to join.

They were to meet at South Station.

Baozi meekly greeted everyone and waited a bit before getting on the bus. It was a shuttle bus, a public transit coach.

Getting off midway, they found themselves at the foot of the mountain.

Xidian Village wasn't hidden away in high mountains and steep ridges like Yin Yang Temple. Standing by the county road, following the directions of the man in his forties who had organized the outing, everyone looked up. They could already see a corner of Xidian Village nestled amidst the lush greenery halfway up the mountain—roofs and walls already nearly assimilated by nature.

"Let's go!" the uncle, his face ruddy, shouted cheerfully, laughing heartily.

Baozi walked past him with her head down. He called out to her, "Yo, Xiao Jiran, carrying so much, huh? Such a big bottle of water! Want me to help you carry it?"

"N-no, thank you," Baozi replied shyly.

She had been in this group for several years. When she first joined, she was still in middle school and didn't own a camera, just playing around with her family's old digital one. It was these somewhat greasy middle-aged men and portly middle-aged women who had gotten her hooked on the hobby. The group wasn't large; most members were casual photographers pursuing it in their spare time, so their technical skills were limited. However, the atmosphere was wonderful. To this day, it remained Baozi's favorite and the only photography group in which she frequently participated.

It was these very people who, when she had stumbled into the group, had treated her with kindness, patiently guiding her until they finally lured her down this path, from which there was no turning back.

So, when new young people later joined and were similarly "lured" by this group, Baozi, thinking of her own experience...

I just keep quiet! Sometimes, I even help them out! she thought. Seeing others also begin to live life on a tight budget brought her a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

Baozi walked at the back of the group.

The group mostly consisted of middle-aged men, with a few middle-aged women. Including Baozi, there were three young people—another boy and a girl. The three youngsters stuck together, finding common topics for conversation. This also made it easier to collectively handle any teasing from the older members or to push someone else forward to take the heat if necessary.

Baozi took a sip of water.

Up ahead, one of the women started to sing. It was a Cantonese song, Teresa Teng's "Strolling Through Life." The woman sang beautifully, and Baozi found herself really liking her.

The mountain village didn't look very high, but the path was more challenging than expected. It was winding and zigzagging, climbing slopes and crossing ridges. Some parts of the narrow path had collapsed, requiring detours or quick sprints and jumps to get across. Many more sections were covered with weeds and small trees. Fortunately, many photography enthusiasts had trodden this path before, creating a trail to follow.