My Demon Friends

Tuanzi sat upright on top of the standing air conditioner, looking down intently, a serious expression on her little face.

"Honey, I was wrong..."

"You realize that now?"

"I do..."

"What took you so long!?"

Two strangers were arguing.

Just moments before, they had even fought—the woman threw a pillow at the man's face, making Tuanzi ponder: Was Zhou Li also hit like that that day?

Suddenly, Tuanzi heard the female human angrily say in a punitive tone to the male human, "You're sleeping on the couch tonight!"

"I really know I was wrong!"

"Then behave and sleep on the couch!"

"I want to sleep in the bed..."

"And you still think you deserve to sleep in a bed!"

Tuanzi froze, lost in thought.

The woman was furious; she was truly speechless with this man. His salary wasn't as high as hers, and she still had to do all the household chores. Two days ago, on Christmas, he hadn't suggested they go out for a nice meal, nor had he even offered a greeting—it was as if he hadn't known. She had already been fuming on her way home from work. Fortunately, just then, she found Orange in the underground garage, which warmed her heart a little.

This is the best Christmas gift from heaven, she believed. Too bad it wasn't from the man in front of me.

Walking to the base of the air conditioner and seeing the little figure above, head hanging as if lost in thought, the woman couldn't help but feel a twinge of heartache.

She must have been scared.

Thinking this, the woman glared at the man again, then extended her hand to Tuanzi. "Come down, Orange, it's alright. Tonight you'll sleep next to me. Let this rotten man sleep alone on the living room couch; that'll teach him for misbehaving."

Tuanzi gazed at her, then turned to look at the man, and finally at the couch.

The woman, on her tiptoes, scooped her up. "From now on, it'll just be the two of us. We won't deal with him anymore!"

Tuanzi didn't struggle.

She thought of her 'big room'.

...

The two casually discussed the three existing couples in Class Three and Class Four, classmates who had found partners in other classes or schools, and even one classmate who was dating a second-year female senior—a topic that had long been a favorite subject of gossip.

They walked under the lights, then into the dim corners opposite them, repeating this pattern.

After maybe five or six laps, Zhou Li suddenly saw a familiar figure ahead and said to Brother Nan, "That looks like Liu Zhengming from our dorm."

"The somewhat creepy one?"

"No, he's just a bit short," Zhou Li frowned, clarifying.

"Hmm! Let's go and check it out!"

"Alright."

So Brother Nan hunched over and tiptoed ahead. Zhou Li followed behind, thinking, Brother Nan truly embodies 'creepy' at this moment.

The two slowed their steps two meters behind Liu Zhengming. Brother Nan immediately resumed her natural pace to match Liu Zhengming's, whispering to Zhou Li, "Don't be too obvious; don't just stare at them. If he turns around and sees us, we act surprised—'Oh, you're here too!' Got it?"

"Are you a spy or something?" Zhou Li whispered back.

"HEH HEH!"

Brother Nan looked ahead.

There was a girl with Liu Zhengming; she was also attending the event. The girl looked petite, perhaps just a little over five feet tall, which made her a good match for Liu Zhengming. She had long hair that fell down her back, giving off a sweet and docile vibe from behind.

Zhou Li and Brother Nan followed them for another two laps without being noticed. Brother Nan, quite daring and visibly excited by such things, not only encouraged Zhou Li to take photos but even snuck up close during crowded moments to eavesdrop on their conversation, continuing until Liu Zhengming and the girl left the sports field.

Zhou Li and Brother Nan stopped, looking at each other.

Brother Nan scratched her head. "Should we head back too? I've got a gaming session scheduled with Zhou Qianqian..."

"Sure."

Thus, they also left the sports field.

The rest of the walk was silent, likely because they were both lost in their own thoughts and felt clueless about relationships.

Back in the dorm, Zhou Li didn't mention that he and Brother Nan had been following Liu Zhengming, nor did he tease him about it. He just inquired about Liu Zhengming and Chen Yang's situations.

Chen Yang, wearing only a pair of red underwear, was dipping his feet into a basin to test the water temperature. "I told her yesterday that I was going on a trip after my last class today," he said. "We discussed it, and this 'event' is now over."

"Where are you going on your trip?" Liu Zhengming asked.

"I made it up!" Chen Yang said. "It was just a random excuse. I couldn't tell her the truth, could I?"

Why not? Zhou Li thought. He imagined Chen Yang telling the girl, 'You said my shoes looked ugly. We're done.' That would certainly be amusing.

"Bad idea," Chen Yang said.

"How did the girl react?" Zhou Li asked.

"She wasn't too happy," Chen Yang said, spreading his hands. "But there's nothing to be done. We're not compatible, not even as friends."

"How about you, Zhengming? How are things going with that female classmate?" Zhou Li then looked at Liu Zhengming.

"Pretty well," Liu Zhengming said, blushing.

So that's how it is. Zhou Li nodded. Things are progressing, albeit shyly.

Just then, Chen Yang asked, "What about you and Brother Nan? Pretending not to be a couple and then pretending to be one, is that fun?"

Zhou Li pondered for a moment. "A tongue twister?"

「The next day.」

Cai University One-Week Couple: Day four. Have you discovered any shining qualities about each other?

Cai University One-Week Couple: Fixed task: Before going to sleep, wish her goodnight and gently remind her to rest early.

Cai University One-Week Couple: Today's task: With final exams approaching, most departments have already suspended classes. Are you all studying for them? I'm guessing you might need a quiet space to spend time together; the library is a great choice. So, why not invite her to the library today to read or review? (Spend at least an hour together. A quiet space is a real test for a couple, so prepare well!)

Zhou Li: Received.

Go to the library, huh... Zhou Li was delighted.

Today, the School of Life Sciences had officially suspended classes and entered the exam preparation phase, which would continue until the first exam on January 4th. This meant they had a seven-and-a-half-day break.

Zhou Li had planned to study on his own. This semester, under the explicit influence of someone Li and the covert influence of someone Huai, he had missed quite a few classes. Sometimes he didn't listen attentively in class, either because he didn't want to or because he was influenced by someone else. In short, he hadn't learned very well. However, he wasn't discouraged. He hadn't planned to learn much specialized knowledge in university; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen Class Three or Four, as his scores could have easily gotten him into the elite class.

However, as long as he reviewed seriously, passing would be quite simple.

According to Chang Xiaoxiang, Room 502's own Bai Xiaosheng, the library atmosphere during finals was excellent, with many people, making it suitable for those who lacked self-discipline to study there. However, if one was already self-disciplined, the nearby hills or dedicated study rooms were quieter than the library.

「One o'clock in the afternoon.」

Zhou Li, with his basic physics review materials, met Brother Nan at the dormitory entrance.

Brother Nan wore Baozi's fisherman's hat to shade herself, the shadow covering half of her face, her hands empty.

"Let's go," she said.

"You didn't bring any books?" Zhou Li asked.

"Doesn't the library have books?" Brother Nan wondered.

"...Okay."

Arriving at the library entrance, Brother Nan looked at Zhou Li, and Zhou Li also looked at Brother Nan, both of them grinning.

"No laughing!" Brother Nan reached out and hit Zhou Li.

Zhou Li pretended to be in pain but didn't learn his lesson and seriously asked, "The semester has ended, classmate Li Nan, have you even been to the library this semester?"

"BANG!"

"HISS!"

"Well, have you?" Brother Nan retorted.

"I have."

He's actually been here! Brother Nan hit Zhou Li again.

A university's library is a testament to its depth and heritage. Cai University, after all, was the leading educational institution in Caiyun Province and had a glorious history, so its collection of books was naturally vast. Aside from various academic materials, there was also an abundance of extracurricular books; even some out-of-print titles could be found here.

Indeed, the library was full of people, but it was also very quiet. Some people were sitting on the floor beneath the bookshelves. Most seats were taken, and those that appeared free were already claimed by books left as placeholders.

Zhou Li saw Brother Nan heading straight for those spots with books and knew she'd ignore the books reserving them. He quickly grabbed her. "No, no, let's not. We don't want to cause a scene and disturb others reading." He paused. "Let's just sit on the ground. Let's not spoil our good mood over it."

Brother Nan pondered for a moment and nodded.

So, the two of them weaved through the aisles and found a spot in the middle. Zhou Li sat cross-legged against a bookshelf with his review materials, and Brother Nan went to find a book.

Brother Nan came back quickly and sat down next to him.

Zhou Li turned his head to see the book she was holding.

The cover was old-fashioned and worn, titled "Love Ballads," authored by He Xiaozhu. Apparently a romance novel?

Zhou Li had an 'as expected' expression on his face. He wanted to ask Brother Nan, Wasn't it hard to find a romance novel? but before he could speak, Brother Nan seemed to sense his intention.

Thus, she stopped him with her gaze.

"HMPH!" Brother Nan let out a soft, almost inaudible hmph in the ultra-quiet library, which only Zhou Li could hear. Then she lowered her head.

She opened the first page, looked at the author's bio and copyright information. It was a book from seventeen years ago, written by a representative poet of 'Nonism,' no wonder it looked so old. She glanced at Zhou Li sitting closely next to her, raised her chin signaling him to focus on his review materials and not to mind what she was reading.

Time slowly passed.

Occasionally, a cough or the sound of a phone vibrating and pages being turned could be heard from not far behind them. Every now and then, someone would walk past them, and both would simultaneously pull their feet in, letting the person pass before placing them down again. People often sneaked glances at them.

Zhou Li also looked over at Brother Nan from time to time. It wasn't for any particular reason, just that he rarely saw Brother Nan concentrating so intensely on a book—even during the sprint for the college entrance exams, Brother Nan had been lax and nonchalant when studying. Yet, her current quiet and focused demeanor was exceptionally beautiful. Her delicate side profile, the perfect lines of her face, and the strands of hair naturally falling were all breathtaking to Zhou Li.

Sometimes, a strand of hair would fall on the book, and she would blow it away before carefully turning the yellowed pages.

At some point, Zhou Li noticed something was amiss.

Is Brother Nan's face slightly flushed? But the library's temperature is quite comfortable. She even coughed lightly, as if to hide something.

Zhou Li cautiously leaned in a bit closer, and with his eyesight, he quickly made out the text on the page.

He read the line: "Cui Yu, why don't you try on Auntie's nightgown..."

"After she put it on, I helped her take it off once more. Then, we put it on again. In this cycle of taking off and putting back on, we completed our (at least my) long-awaited first time doing... it."

Suddenly, a frantic, snow-white hand covered the last word.

Zhou Li's gaze shifted slightly upwards, meeting Brother Nan's eyes.

Brother Nan's face was red, her look dangerous.

Brother Nan is really something...

Zhou Li quietly moved his gaze downwards again and, equally discreetly, moved Brother Nan's index finger aside to get a good look.

He shifted his gaze back to Brother Nan—

Alright, you can hit me now.