My Demon Friends-Chapter 694 - 655: Fruit Freedom

"Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm..."

The girl hummed an unknown tune.

At first, she wore flip-flops, but as she walked, she soon didn't want to wear them anymore. She took them off, carried them in one hand, swinging them as she walked barefoot.

Stepping on the sandy path, she could clearly feel the texture of the soil, the coolness and dampness of the ground, and the small pebbles. Yet, her feet remained unstained by mud or sand, still pristine. Her fair skin, with a hint of pink, complemented her delicate, elegant toes with their perfectly trimmed nails; anyone with a particular appreciation for such things would likely find their gaze lingering.

Suddenly, the girl looked up.

She saw another girl approaching in the distance. This girl had a delicate, pale face and a petite figure. She was dressed casually, wearing a goose-yellow fisherman's hat, a bulky camera hanging around her neck, a thermos flask of over a liter slung at her waist, and a tripod in hand—a collection of gear that starkly contrasted with her seemingly fragile build. Four or five large dogs trotted along with her, some in front, some behind.

Soon, Baozi also spotted 'Brother Nan.' She stopped dead in her tracks, expressionless, observing 'Brother Nan' from a distance as if her feet were rooted to the spot.

But 'Brother Nan' didn't stop walking.

Baozi peeked left and right from the corner of her eye. She saw a fork in the path ahead, leading up the mountain.

In an instant, she imagined 'Brother Nan' walking halfway and suddenly taking that fork. Then she pictured herself quickening her pace to take the fork first, feigning nonchalance as she brushed past 'Brother Nan'. But that was risky.

By the time she snapped out of it, 'Brother Nan' was already beside her.

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, said with a smile,

"Morning."

"Morning."

Baozi's face remained wooden, showing no emotion.

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, glanced at her attire—flip-flops in one hand, a casually plucked weed twirling in the other—and asked,

"Where did you go?"

"T-to take pictures of the sunrise."

"Where'd you shoot them?"

"Over there, on the other side."

"That's quite a ways."

"Mmm..."

"You must have gotten up before dawn, right?" His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, stared at the camera she was carrying, clearly curious about it. "Weren't you scared anymore?"

"I... I had them to protect me."

"Hahaha."

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, glanced at the dogs around Baozi. The smarter ones had stayed behind to guard the sheep. The ones with her now were a different, rather reckless and dim-witted bunch, but their strong, powerful builds did offer a sense of security. They were also extremely vigilant; right now, for instance, they were all watching him warily.

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, looked curious. "How did you convince them to come with you?"

"Erm..."

Baozi fell silent, thinking for a moment. Deciding against any embellishment, she lowered her head and answered honestly, "I bowed to them and asked them to please protect me on my trip, and they just came with me."

"So that's how it was." The Elm King nodded.

"Sincerity always works," Baozi murmured.

"Makes sense," His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, readily agreed.

"So..." Baozi darted a quick glance at him. "Can I go back now?"

"Hold on."

"Huh?"

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, took a step closer, grinning widely as he reached his 'devilish claws' out towards her.

Baozi squeezed her eyes shut without hesitation.

Sure enough—closing her eyes made it much better!

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, gently kneaded her cheeks. The skin felt tender, smooth, and delicate, with a slightly powdery texture. With the slightest pressure from his fingers, her cheeks would yield, soft and pliable, easily molded into various shapes.

He played with her face for a while until it turned a little red, then he withdrew his hand, satisfied.

"Just as I thought, very nice and soft."

"..."

"Alright, you can go now."

"..."

Baozi kept her head bowed low and hurried away.

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, was in high spirits. Chuckling, he casually tossed the weed he'd been holding, and it landed right on the Rottweiler's face.

"Hmph? WOOF!"

"Haha, just an accident, an accident..."

Chuckling merrily, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, strode off.

Breakfast was simple: a pot of rice porridge cooked to perfect consistency, two stir-fried dishes from the previous night (leftovers that hadn't fit in their serving basin and were put in small bowls in the fridge, then forgotten), pickles, and fermented tofu. This was a typical light and appetizing breakfast in the Yi Province countryside.

Zhou Li didn't want to eat inside. He carried his bowl to the doorway and paced back and forth.

The oily broth from the side dishes tinted his white porridge. Coiled in the bowl was a long pickled cowpea, about half a meter in length, looping around twice. There were also a few pieces of pickle and half a cube of fermented bean curd.

Zhou Li lowered his head and began to eat his porridge.

"SLURP~~"

?

What was that sound effect?

Zhou Li turned his head. The Old Monster had appeared beside him at some point, holding a basin and also slurping from it.

With one large gulp, the liquid level in the basin dropped dramatically.

Standard procedure for him...

Zhou Li calmly looked away. He then saw a pack of dogs returning in a group from the distance, but Baozi was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling bored, he started walking in their direction, still holding his bowl.

He soon spotted Baozi.

The little girl was standing next to the stable, clinging to a wooden post. She earnestly examined the tame piebald horse inside, apparently considering how to use it for a photo shoot later. But before long, she put down everything she was carrying, opened the stable door, and led the horse out.

Zhou Li watched from a fair distance.

His little cousin really seemed to want to ride the horse. She was probably envious after seeing 'Brother Nan' ride the day before.

The piebald horse was very calm and docile. Just as she'd hoped, it stood perfectly still, allowing her to try and mount. She even managed to get one foot into the stirrup.

But that was as far as she got—

Zhou Li silently watched her try to swing herself up, but lacking the strength, she tumbled solidly to the ground.

After picking herself up, she seemed lost in thought, apparently reviewing her failed attempt and pondering how to succeed... In the end, she gave up. She led the piebald horse back into the stable, dusted off her pants, picked up her things, and walked back as if nothing had happened.

Zhou Li remarked, "Quite the handful, isn't she."

Huai Xu added, "Resilient, that one."

The man and the demon exchanged a look, then calmly continued eating.

As noon approached, the temperature gradually climbed.

Zhou Li brought out a long wooden bench and sat in the yard. Huai Xu sat beside him, and next to Huai Xu, a half-grown cat squatted.

All three pairs of eyes were fixed on something in front of them.

Little Cousin stood beneath a pear tree, head tilted up, searching. She quickly locked onto a target and reached high for it.

She couldn't reach.

So she started jumping.

Still couldn't touch it.

Xiao Yuan, who was in the tree, couldn't bear to watch any longer, moved to help her pick it, and the pear dropped.

"Oof!"

The pear bonked Baozi on the head again. She looked around, dazed and confused.

She quickly bent down, picked up the pear, and ran back towards the house. Reaching Zhou Li, she declared, "Brother, I picked a pear!"

"You picked it *up*," Zhou Li corrected.

"Then I picked up a pear."

"Mm-hm."

"Can I eat it?"

"Wash it first."

"Oh!"

Baozi went into the house and came out a moment later holding the washed pear. She nibbled at it, her eyes darting around.

Brother and Little Sister Zheng had told her she could pick any ripe fruit here, as there was so much they couldn't possibly eat it all. Still, she felt too shy to pick very many.

She had already observed that, besides pears, Little Sister Zheng also grew peaches, plums, apricots, dates, blueberries, grapes, and watermelons that were currently ripe—so many kinds! It seemed Little Sister Zheng put a lot of effort into growing fruit so she wouldn't have to go down the mountain to buy any.

At school, she rarely bought fruit because it was expensive. She never imagined she could eat her fill here without spending a single penny.

This was pure bliss!