"Shh!"
Huai Xu lowered her head to greet the little black cat, then tossed a slick rib bone onto the floor. "Silly cat, eat up!"
Tuanzi paused in the middle of licking its paw, as if interrupted, looked down at the bone, and then back up at Huai Xu.
After a mont of blankness—
"HAH!!"
Tuanzi blew fiercely at Huai Xu, looking super ferocious, then scurried to Zhou Li's feet and hid behind him, pointing at Huai Xu and said, "Zhou Ni! Help beat her up!"
Zhou Li also found this old monster sowhat annoying, so he said, "I'll scold her for you."
Tuanzi solemnly repeated, "Scold her!"
"Shaless."
"Shea-mless!"
"Not eating it? Fine then..."
With a gentle nudge of her foot, Huai Xu kicked the bone straight into the nearby trash can, lanting, "What a waste. It still had marrow in it, which is so delicious..."
Having said that, she continued to munch on the ribs in the plastic bag. This ti she didn't spit out the bones. She ate them like sausages, biting off chunks, CRUNCHING loudly, and then swallowing them down with great relish. Zhou Li almost wanted to gnaw on a whole bone himself, imitating her way of eating.
"You brought quite a variety of things with you." Zhou Li glanced at the plastic bag in her hand. "We're going to eat, too."
"Off you go, I'll wander around."
"Don't steal the plants and the fish. Many are for scientific research, and so are rare species," Zhou Li reminded. He then looked down and added, "And stop bullying Lord Dumpling. Take good care of Lord Dumpling and have fun with it."
"Got it... nag!"
Zhou Li was speechless. Another tour vehicle arrived, and he hurriedly waved it down.
Zhou Li initially thought they would have a communal lunch at noon, either at the park's cafeteria or the sa as the staff at the research base, but there was none. They had to fend for themselves like the other visitors inside the garden. Although the botanical garden was large, dining options were scarce. Near Banyan Garden, there were so shops. Most of these were small stores, and at least half of them sold souvenirs and trinkets. The food was expensive, tasteless, and the portions were small.
By the ti they arrived, many students opted for instant noodles; others bought cold bean jelly noodles, as well as fast-food als served in paper bowls the sa size as those for the cold noodles.
That's how most visitors were eating.
Brother Nan would need several boxes to be full. And the taste was just bad. The conditions were indeed harsh.
After lunch, so chose to continue strolling in the park, while others decided to return to the classroom for a short rest.
Because of the presence of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, Brother Nan had recently beco fond of afternoon naps. Zhou Li accompanied her back to the classroom and watched her fall asleep leaning over the desk. anwhile, he took out his phone and started to look for hotels within the park. There was only one hotel there, the Jade Lotus Hotel, and he wasn't sure if they provided als.
Looking at the room types, they offer breakfast, so there should be a restaurant. Great, we'll eat there from now on. If the conditions are right, we could even borrow the hotel's sofa or chairs, or rent a room by the hour for a nap. That would certainly be more comfortable than sleeping in the classroom. Besides, the park is too large; too much ti would be wasted traveling back and forth between eating and resting in the classroom. That would be truly agonizing. It's just like today: with so little ti, we have to travel to eat, then go back to the classroom, and then wait for transport to gather again. There's hardly any ti left for rest.
Brother Nan is indeed a rugged girl; enduring hardships is a piece of cake for her. But if there were a way to avoid hardship and she still chose to endure it, that would be foolish.
Just then, Brother Nan, who had just fallen asleep, suddenly sat up, her eyes clear as if she hadn't slept at all.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, looked toward Zhou Li and saw his fatigue. He couldn't help but smile and said, "You seem very tired... How did your learning go today?"
"It was alright," Zhou Li replied vaguely.
"How does it compare to learning spells? Which is more tiring?"
"Spells are more tiring."
"Then you're better suited to being a scholar."
"Maybe," Zhou Li said softly, pausing. "I also set an alarm for one-thirty, planning to wake Brother Nan up if you hadn't co out by then."
"You're quite thoughtful." His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, had so understanding of Brother Nan's character. He knew that if no one woke her, she might sleep until three or four in the afternoon. This didn't an she was careless, just that she felt no one could do anything if she didn't show up for the gathering.
After a brief pause, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, added, "I have to leave this afternoon. With so many people around, the teacher won't notice one less."
"Where to?"
"The Mirror Zone."
"What for?"
"You sure ask a lot of questions. Are you afraid I'll lose your girlfriend?" His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, said, but he still gave an answer, "To check the results of the latest simulations."
"Oh, they probably won't do a headcount," Zhou Li thought. And even if they did, they wouldn't be able to find you anyway.
"That's good."
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, got up, hesitated for a mont, and added to Zhou Li, "Then I'm off."
As if seeking approval.
"Take care."
"Alright."
Only then did His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, leave his seat and walk away. As he passed behind a stone pillar, his figure was obscured for a mont and then he disappeared.
「In the afternoon.」
Zhou Li bought a cup of iced milk tea for each person in his group, including one for the teacher, and told his group mbers that Brother Nan had left early because she found it boring. The group mbers didn't find this strange at all; they all agreed that this was typical of Brother Nan.
It seems that sotis the persona of a delinquent student can be quite useful.
Braving the intense sun, Zhou Li continued to accompany everyone on the visit to the botanical research facility, learning about the advanced techniques and indefatigable spirit of the research experts.
The visit didn't conclude until six o'clock in the evening.
After spending another half-hour leaving the garden, Zhou Li saw His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, by the gate under a tree. She was squatting by the flowerbed, idly teasing foraging ants with a blade of grass, while Tuanzi, back in its usual form, sat nearby watching her play with the ants.
Noticing Zhou Li and the others coming out, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, looked up. Tuanzi OWED, also lifting its head.
"You're out?"
From her tone, Zhou Li deduced that the speaker was His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu. If it had been Brother Nan, she would likely have used an obnoxious tone to boast about how boring the afternoon had been.
"Out now."
"Learned anything? Any gains?" His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, asked.
"Ummm..." Her question is a bit odd, as if she's quizzing on my howork, Zhou Li thought, but he answered anyway, "I learned about many types of flowers. When I get back, I'll try to develop my own varieties using their thods."
"Brother Nan, I'm so hungry..." Qian Qian said.
" too, so tired and hungry!" Mianmian chid in, clenching her fist with gusto. "I'm definitely going to have a good al tonight!"
"I took a lot of photos," Baozi said earnestly.
"Let's go then." His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, stood up. "There are several restaurants outside that sll quite appetizing."
Zhou Li watched her surreptitiously.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, can now stay out for increasingly longer periods, clearly surpassing Brother Nan's normal nap duration. I wonder what Brother Nan is doing right now—is she secretly watching from inside like His Royal Highness, or still asleep and not yet awake?
Cotton Swab and Baozi walked ahead. Zhou Li approached His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, and asked softly, "Your Highness, is the simulation going smoothly?"
"Very smoothly," His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, responded, then counter-questioned, "Once most demons have left, what do you plan to do?"
"I don't know."
"Then you can start thinking about it," His Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu, said calmly, holding Tuanzi. "Because it will be soon."
Is that so...
Zhou Li truly began to ponder.
My previous idea of becoming a wildlife photographer on the African savannah is no longer realistic. If I ran that far away, Brother Nan would break my legs. Besides, I don't feel the urge to be so far from people anymore. Being a zookeeper might still be an option. With my strength, I could treat tigers and lions like cats. Maybe I'd even go viral online. Open a pet shop? Or a flower shop? Being a kept man, living off Brother Nan... that wouldn't be too bad either.
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