The waxing moon hung obliquely in the sky, its faint light outlining the contours of the mountains. The small village was mostly made up of tiled-roof houses, the tiles smoothed by years of rain. From a bird's-eye view, this cluster of buildings, dilapidated during the day, now reflected the cold moonlight.
Crows cawed in the moonlit night.
Brother Nan pushed open the door, the old hinges creaking.
Zheng Zhilan was already lying in bed.
Seeing her wearing over-ear headphones, semi-reclined with her eyes open and staring straight ahead as if intently listening to sothing, Brother Nan imdiately lightened her steps and tiptoed over.
However, Zheng Zhilan noticed her in advance and tilted her head slightly. Her eyes weren't particularly bright, yet they seed to convey her thoughts. This imdiately made Brother Nan, who felt like a thief caught red-handed, sowhat embarrassed.
"What are you doing?" Brother Nan asked.
"Hm?"
Zheng Zhilan removed her headphones, still tilting her head to look at her.
Brother Nan repeated the question.
"Listening to a novel."
"An online novel?"
"Yes."
"...Did Zhou Li teach you this?"
"Yes."
"Don't let him corrupt you."
"It's actually quite good."
Zheng Zhilan smiled shyly. Indeed, she had co across novels with sowhat skewed values, which were not uncommon on the internet. However, she possessed a certain aesthetic sense and the ability to discern. This was also one of the few channels through which she could familiarize herself with the youth of the outside world. Previously, she had been practically out of touch with her peers, sotis not even understanding what people were saying.
Seeing her smile, Brother Nan grinned too. Standing by the bed, she lunged forward and hugged Miss Zheng. She had been planning to do just that: sneak up on Little Zheng when she wasn't paying attention and give her a scare. Alas, she had been spotted.
"So soft! What novel are you reading? Let see, I often read them too."
"This..."
"Oh..."
Brother Nan realized they weren't reading the sa type of novels.
She liked ones with fights and battles, with demons, immortals, and wars, so eighty percent of the books she read were male-oriented. Little Zheng evidently had different tastes.
Soon, Brother Nan noticed the headphones around Zheng Zhilan's neck. "Wow, it's Sony, no less!"
Zheng Zhilan felt a bit embarrassed and simply humd in acknowledgnt.
She paused the novel and hung the earphones around her neck without putting them back on, as a matter of courtesy and respect. The room beca so quiet that she could hear Brother Nan's breathing.
"There's a crow cawing," Brother Nan remarked.
"It's my neighbor."
"Huh? Is it a demon too?"
"Not really. It was just an ordinary crow, but it gained so special abilities under the influence of the Evil God."
"Doesn't that an it's beco a demon?"
"Well..." Zheng Zhilan was unsure how to explain; the demons they talked about were different from those in cultural works.
"What kind of special abilities?" Brother Nan asked again. Newest update provided by n0velfire
"It's particularly smart," Zheng Zhilan said after a mont's thought, "and sotis it can see demons."
"Crows are already pretty smart."
"It understands human speech, likes to tease dogs, chickens, and ducks for fun, and often cos here to steal food," Zheng Zhilan said with a smile.
"What do crows eat?"
"They eat everything."
"Everything?"
"Yes," Zheng Zhilan nodded. "Wheat, millet, corn, at—whatever people eat, it eats."
"If it were , I'd use a slingshot to shoot it dead."
No sooner had she spoken than the flapping of wings suddenly sounded outside the window.
Zheng Zhilan shook her head and said, "Let it steal. It can only eat a little bit."
"That makes sense."
"Besides, it's friends with Stead Bun."
"Which one is Stead Bun?"
"The smartest one."
"Oh, the Border Collie."
"Right. Stead Bun doesn't like to play with other dogs, perhaps finding them too dull. However, it gets along well with the crow. They often go up the mountain together to steal wild chicken eggs. The crow knows where the eggs are but can't beat the wild hens. Sotis Stead Bun brings other dogs along as a treat for its friends. The crow gets unhappy then because its share is smaller. Zheng Zhilan hadn't known this expression before."
"That's incredible!" Brother Nan exclaid, captivated by the story. "And what about their spoils of war?"
"They split it evenly."
"What if there's an odd number?"
"I don't know..."
Zheng Zhilan's head bobbed slightly, her composure increasingly faltering.
At that mont, Brother Nan and she were cramd into the sa quilt, and Brother Nan had been hugging her since shortly after they lay down. She had never been so close to anyone before. However, she'd heard in novels that girls from down the mountain—especially good friends—often did this. So even playfully groped each other while sleeping together… Fortunately, Brother Nan didn't grope around.
...
Huai Xu shut the door with his backside. His deanor and aura instantly shifted—before, he was Zhou Li; now, he was the Free Little Demon.
He even humd a song softly to himself.
The feeling of being able to eat and drink without working for it is just fantastic.
In his left hand was a plate of polos, in his right a plate of dried yak at, all laid out on the desk.
Tuanzi lay at the corner of the desk licking its paw, then looked up and said ekly, "Give Lord Dumpling a piece of the dried yak, a flat one, not all twisted. Lord Dumpling can't chew those."
"Can't you get it yourself..."
Huai Xu grumbled but still bent down to pick one out for her.
Taking a small piece of the dried at, Tuanzi remained at the desk corner, her fluffy paws cupping the at, yet she didn't hurry to eat. Instead, she looked curiously at Huai Xu and suddenly asked, "Huai Xu, aren't you tired of pretending to be Zhou Li?"
"Not at all! Why do you ask?" Huai Xu looked at Tuanzi quizzically and saw a pair of shining eyes.
"Lord Dumpling is curious."
"That's my talent; I'm used to it," he replied.
"Oh!"
Tuanzi nodded and casually licked the dried at, then lifted her head again. "Do you still rember what you originally looked like?"
Huai Xu paused at the question.
"I don't rember anymore."
"Oh~~"
Tuanzi still nodded, thought for a bit, and then said with a hint of defiance in her voice, "Lord Dumpling is also very capable. Lord Dumpling pretends to be a little kitty every day, and Lord Dumpling isn't tired at all."
Huai Xu grinned. "That's because you actually are a dumb cat!"
"OW!"
Tuanzi was so angry she even put down her beef jerky. One mont, she claid to be an impressive Great Demon, and the next, she said she was a Close Attendant to Your Highness. She even claid that if it weren't for Hong Ran, she would have risen to the highest official rank by now. The joyful atmosphere made Huai Xu forget the brief mont he had zoned out.
He had initially planned to play video gas, but he hadn't gotten around to turning on his computer.
Until his phone pinged—
Zhou Li: Howork check.
Huai Xu: /spacing out
Zhou Li: Send a screenshot.
Huai Xu: ...
Huai Xu: [Image]
Zhou Li: Where's the copied text?
Huai Xu: /spacing out
Zhou Li: The text, idioms, words, where did they go?
Huai Xu: /spacing out
Zhou Li: Don't play dumb.
Huai Xu (glancing at Tuanzi beside him): Tuanzi isn't letting copy.
Huai Xu: I'm pretending to be you; I don't have ti.
(Two ssages in a row.)
Zhou Li: Do you rember what you said you'd do if you didn't manage?
Huai Xu: I don't rember anymore.
Zhou Li: PFFT
Huai Xu: Isn't this all for you?! You, on the other hand, are having a great ti over at Little Zheng's place with good food and fun. You even have Li Daimao to play with! I'm working so hard pretending to be you every day; I'm worn out.
Zhou Li: ...Thanks for your hard work.
Huai Xu: [Emoji]
Zhou Li: Brother Nan is sleeping next to Little Zheng tonight.
Huai Xu: Uh, do you know what two girls usually do when they sleep together?
Zhou Li: What do they do?
Huai Xu: When two guys go out shopping, they don't hold hands, but two girls might. Two guys won't kiss in a photo, but two girls might. Two guys typically won't sleep in the sa bed; if they occasionally do, it would be awkward. But it's not like that for two girls. Let tell you, girls...
Zhou Li: What about girls?
Huai Xu: I'm sleepy, going to sleep now.
Zhou Li: But you don't even get sleepy...
Zhou Li: ?
Zhou Li: You there?
Zhou Li: ...
...
「On the eighth day of the first lunar month, in the early morning.」
Zhou Li was placing pinecones in the stove, the fire burning bright red. He looked up at Zheng Zhilan. "Brother Nan still isn't up?"
"No."
"What ti did she go to sleep last night? Pretty late, right?"
"Around midnight."
"She didn't disturb you, did she?"
"No..." Zheng Zhilan shook her head as she spoke. Yet, she clearly looked like she hadn't slept well; just a mont ago, Zhou Li had seen her secretly yawn.
"We talked for quite a long ti last night," she said.
"About what?"
"Lots of things. We talked about everything."
"Oh." Zhou Li nodded. "That's just how she is. She loves to talk, has a lot to say, and is curious about everything. She can grab onto any topic and chat about it for ages. When you're with her, you'll never run out of things to talk about."
"Mhm."
Breakfast was simple: just a pot of porridge and so scrambled eggs, along with pickled vegetables and preserved vegetables with minced at that Zheng Zhilan had made. It was actually quite substantial.
Brother Nan yawned, washed up quickly, and started eating as soon as she sat at the table.
Just one bite seed to lift her spirits.
"These eggs are cooked perfectly," Brother Nan said, her eyes shining. "Better than the ones I make."
"Maybe you're using rooster eggs, and Zheng Zhilan is using hen eggs," Zhou Li theorized.
"How would I know if they're rooster eggs or..." Brother Nan hadn't finished speaking when she realized she had once again fallen for his nonsense. He's infuriating!
THUMP!
The lovely morning began with a smack.
After breakfast, Brother Nan and Zheng Zhilan decided to wash their hair. Fortunately, Zheng Zhilan's house had a water heater, so they didn't need to boil water.
Zhou Li then sat in the yard. He watched the sea of clouds churn in the distant valleys and played fetch with a few dogs using a small wooden disc. It wasn't long before he heard the footsteps and voices of the two won behind him.
"How do you usually cut your hair?"
"I always cut it myself."
"By yourself? That's pretty impressive! I've cut my own hair too, but only my bangs."
"I just snip away randomly," Miss Zheng said, deflecting the complint.
"My hair has gotten a bit long, and my bangs sotis get in my eyes. I was planning to get a haircut during the New Year, but then the epidemic happened, and all the barbershops closed," Brother Nan complained.
"I'll cut it for you," Zheng Zhilan offered.
"Really?"
"But I'm not very good at it, so please don't mind."
"No, no, it's fine..."
...
Zhou Li couldn't help but touch his own hair. My last haircut was about two months ago as well. It's not that I like long hair, but I have this quirk—every ti I go for a haircut, I have to go through quite an internal struggle. Mine has gotten a bit long too.
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