At the door, Zhou Li withdrew his knocking hand and turned to look at Brother Nan, who stood beside him holding a bag of apples, waiting patiently.
CLICK.
The door opened.
Zhou Li gently pulled it open and looked down to see Tuanzi.
Tuanzi sat obediently on the ground, looking up at Zhou Li, her eyes shining brightly. "Zhou Ni, you’re back..."
Before she could finish, her small head suddenly tilted. She had spotted Brother Nan behind Zhou Li. Without another word, Tuanzi stood up and excitedly trotted towards Brother Nan, crossing the threshold and bouncing to her feet.
"Brother Lan!!"
She began circling around Brother Nan’s feet.
Zhou Li, who had just opened his mouth to respond, fell silent at this scene and slowly closed his mouth again.
In the past, Tuanzi would greet like this. The difference is, she would run over and pounce on my calves, grabbing my pants. But she wouldn’t dare do that to Brother Nan; she only dared to circle her feet.
Co to think of it... the way she acts with is still a bit more intimate.
Zhou Li suddenly felt much better.
The living room lights were dim; only the television was on, not the old demon’s usual style.
Zhou Li saw a graceful figure in the living room, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a piece of fruit in hand, munching noisily. In the darkness, he could only make out a silhouette, but Zhou Li guessed it was an apple.
The old demon is probably watching a movie too.
Zhou Li and Brother Nan entered the house.
Tuanzi, like a little satellite, also darted back into the room.
Only then did the old demon turn her head. She cast them a fleeting glance while eating her apple and said, "So, you brought her back, huh? Not bad..."
Her voice was muffled and unclear.
Zhou Li pretended not to hear. Without turning on the lights, he walked over to the coffee table and looked down in the flickering light from the TV.
On the coffee table lay a large bag of red apples, so close he could sll their fragrance. The trash can contained several apple cores—genuine cores, eaten remarkably clean. It was a level of skill not easily achieved by ordinary people.
Nearby lay half an apple, likely cut, its edges gnawed ssily.
Judging by the bite marks, Tuanzi must have been the one eating it.
The TV was indeed playing a movie: "Operation Red Sea."
Zhou Li withdrew his gaze and quietly asked Huai Xu, "Why did you buy apples too?"
"I saw it on TikTok," Huai Xu said generously, picking up two apples and handing them over. "They said today is a day for eating apples, so I went and got over ten jin worth. They’re really tasty, you should try them."
"Those are usually bought by couples," Zhou Li said. "Single dogs like us don’t need to."
"Want so?"
"We also bought a bag."
"You kids in relationships usually buy those fancy boxed ones, like you did last year—the super expensive kind, right?" Huai Xu comnted, looking at the bag Brother Nan was carrying.
"Brother Nan bought them by the roadside," Zhou Li awkwardly explained. "She said these are more practical; buying the other kind would be foolish."
"Try ours!" Brother Nan also ca over, placing her bag on the coffee table next to the ones Huai Xu had bought, beaming. "On the way back, there were several tricycles selling them by the roadside. I checked out a few before picking this batch. They’re delicious too."
" too," said Huai Xu. "I tasted several from each stall before choosing these."
"You win."
Huai Xu shifted aside, making room for them, so Zhou Li and Brother Nan also sat down on the sofa.
The TV continued to play.
Dividing her attention, Huai Xu watched while asking Brother Nan how "Wonder Woman" was, to which Brother Nan quietly replied.
Tuanzi, anwhile, hopped back onto the coffee table, sidled up to her half-eaten apple, and started munching again. After a few bites, she rembered Zhou Li hadn’t had any, so she nudged the apple towards him with her little paw.
"Zhou Li, are you going to eat?" Tuanzi asked.
"No, thank you," Zhou Li said, his expression polite.
"What about Brother Lan?"
"She doesn’t want any either."
"It’s really tasty!"
"Thank you, Lord Dumpling," Zhou Li continued in a soft voice. "As long as Lord Dumpling enjoys them, that’s all that matters."
"Okaaay~"
Tuanzi paid no mind, lowered her head, and diligently gnawed away. It took her about twenty minutes to finish it.
Zhou Li watched her the whole ti.
「The night gradually deepened.」
Zhou Li received a ssage from Chang Xiaoxiang. He had been staying in the dorm for the past few days but hadn’t returned tonight, so Chang Xiaoxiang ssaged to check up on him.
Zhou Li told him he had gone ho.
After putting down his phone, he turned and snuggled closer to Brother Nan, resting his face on her shoulder. At this distance, he could sll her hair, bringing him a sense of peace and bliss.
"Brother Nan."
"What’s up?" Brother Nan whispered.
"Did Mianmian and Qian Qian gossip about you not coming back to the dorm tonight?" Zhou Li asked.
"I already told them," she replied.
"Did they believe you?"
"Of course, they believed !" Brother Nan replied, blinking uncomprehendingly. "I have no need to lie!"
"That’s true..." Zhou Li nodded.
"Are you tired?" Brother Nan asked again.
"A little," Zhou Li said, his eyes rolling slightly.
"You’ve been going to bed early these days, huh?" Brother Nan reached out and pinched his face.
"Very early," Zhou Li said honestly. "I’ve been going to bed very early in the dorm. After class, I review the key points for the exams, and I’m in bed before lights out. I’m scared of failing."
"Then go wash up and get to bed," Brother Nan suggested directly. "Warm up the bed for . I’ll join you in a bit."
"Umm..." Zhou Li trailed off, sneaking a glance at Huai Xu.
Huai Xu was still sitting cross-legged on the sofa, intently watching the television, absentmindedly playing with her hair as if she hadn’t heard their conversation at all.
This greatly eased Zhou Li’s embarrassnt.
So Zhou Li got up, put on his slippers, and walked towards the bedroom, tidying the bed as he went.
After washing up, he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting silently, occasionally checking the ti.
He hadn’t slept here since the Winter Solstice. The bed still held the faint scent Brother Nan had left last ti. Yes, and Little Cousin’s too.
CLICK.
A tall figure tiptoed into the room, turned, and quietly closed the door. "Asleep yet?" she asked in an extrely soft voice.
"Almost," Zhou Li mumbled, pretending to be very sleepy. "Feels like I’m about to drift off."
"Sorry if I disturbed you."
"No..."
"Well, you go to sleep then. I still need to wash up."
"Oh."
Zhou Li, through his peripheral vision, saw Brother Nan enter the bathroom. Soon, the sounds of washing up followed. He lay still in bed, waiting patiently. It wasn’t until Brother Nan erged from the bathroom, damp and fragrant, that she slipped into his bedcovers and hugged him.
The embrace was warm and soft.
The two began to chat in whispers about the end of term, the exams, and the winter break.
Zhou Li had made so progress. He could now further explore the physical makeup of a Child of Destiny, able to ignore so layers of clothing to feel Brother Nan’s delicate and smooth skin more closely. Although they were still at the stage of kissing and touching—and might remain there for a long ti—Zhou Li was already very content. In fact, he felt it was almost too much, a little beyond what he felt he could handle.
So, when Brother Nan nonchalantly asked how he felt, his heart throbbed violently, pounding loudly as if trying to burst out.
His mouth was dry, his breathing rapid, and even the timbre of his voice was different from usual.
Brother Nan must be laughing at him.
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