My Demon Friends

Zhou Li's three photos were carefully selected.

One was of him and Old Zhou.

One was of him and his mom.

The last was a family photo of the four of them; this one was taken after he started middle school.

He shared stories about his family with Brother Nan.

The photos Brother Nan prepared included one of her detonating bombs to fish, and another one of her fighting with a stick against the fiercest dog from several local teams, which was also taken by her idiot cousin.

The final photo was of the entire Li family clan, an old one from years ago. Zhou Li could make out Brother Nan. He also vaguely recognized the high school principal and Brother Nan's parents. Then, Brother Nan guided Zhou Li through the photo, pointing out her idiot cousin, her grandparents, and the childless Great Uncle, from whom her family had taken over the noodle shop.

She recounted the glorious deeds of her childhood.

Zhou Li was already familiar with some of them, so even when they were shockingly unbelievable, he remained composed.

"Oh."

"Impressive."

"Is that so..."

Zhou Li felt not a ripple in his heart.

After finishing, Brother Nan sighed, "Ah, if only you'd gotten to know me sooner."

Zhou Li nodded and replied, "Yeah."

He envied Brother Nan's childhood. If he'd met her earlier, perhaps his own childhood wouldn't have been so dull, and maybe his personality and hobbies would have changed.

But then, perhaps he wouldn't be himself.

Zhou Li got up, patted his backside, and said to Brother Nan, "Fancy a cup of milk tea?"

"Let's do it!"

Brother Nan agreed without hesitation.

「December 30th.」

Zhou Li had just brushed his teeth and was reviewing when his phone suddenly rang.

Cai University's One-Week Couple: It's the sixth day already, you must have gotten to know each other quite well, right?

Cai University's One-Week Couple: Today's task...

Cai University's One-Week Couple: Today's mission: Couples inevitably intersect with each other's social circles. Through your partner's friends, you can gain a new perspective and a clearer understanding of your partner. So, please introduce her to your roommate or a friend today! (The cafeteria is a great choice for this.)

Cai University's One-Week Couple: We've received a notice from the campus newspaper saying they're interested in covering this event. If you're getting along well, could you send us a beautiful photo of the two of you? (meekly asking) You can have a friend take it for you when you meet.

Zhou Li: Received

He blinked.

This mission... seemed somewhat meaningless for them. Did he even have any friends Brother Nan didn't know?

Brother Nan, on the other hand, had a bunch of Little Brothers that he didn't know, such as the members of the various miscellaneous clubs she had joined, though she didn't attend them often.

Yin Le? He was his friend, wasn't he? But he was too embarrassed to ask Yin Le. Zhou Li thought for a moment, then turned to his three roommates.

One was chatting with his girlfriend.

The other two were fast asleep.

「Noon, at the cafeteria.」

Together with his three roommates, Zhou Li stood at the entrance and waited for a while until Brother Nan also arrived with her three roommates.

Zhou Li smiled slightly; it seemed they had the same idea.

When Brother Nan approached, he thought for a moment and said to his roommates, "Let me introduce her to you. This is my one-week girlfriend."

"Hello, Brother Nan," the three bowed, startling the students coming and going through the cafeteria door.

"???" Zhou Li was taken aback.

"No need to be so formal!" Brother Nan waved her hand.

Then she followed Zhou Li's lead and introduced him to her own roommates, "This is Zhou Li, my, well, partner for the activity."

Little Cousin showed no expression.

Cotton Swab sweetly waved and greeted him.

Zhou Li felt it a bit odd that his three roommates also pretended to find him quite intriguing.

Eight of them entered the cafeteria.

Little Cousin silently looked around at the row of food service windows, following closely behind Brother Nan with her DSLR slung on her back, not daring to stray an inch.

Aside from Little Cousin, who didn't talk much during the meal, the rest of them chatted harmoniously. After all, they often had classes together, and with Zhou Li and Brother Nan's presence, they were already quite familiar with each other.

Among the other three girls, even the average looks of the two cute girls who picked their feet exceeded Cai University's average by a large margin, and the three from room 502 had once been interested. Sadly, those cute girls had high standards. The only one who might catch their eye was probably Chen Yang. Zhou Li, however, thought that guy might have some issues. As for Baozi, she was pure and uninterested in worldly desires.

Today's task might be a challenge for many, but for Zhou Li and Brother Nan, it just seemed boring.

「After lunch.」

Baozi transformed into a photographer, directing Zhou Li and Brother Nan to strike various poses and make expressions for photos, changing locations constantly—from the cafeteria all the way to the ginkgo avenue covered with yellow leaves, to the bell tower surrounded by purple lavender, and then to the Mingyuan Building... Zhou Li didn't know how many times he told her it wasn't necessary to be so meticulous, but she seemed not to have heard him.

It took half the afternoon to finish taking photos.

A series of professional-looking beautiful photos awaited development.

And the other five people from the two dorms, having nothing better to do, kept following them around for the fun of it.

「At three-thirty in the afternoon.」

Zhou Li went home to water the flowers he was growing.

Huai Xu was nowhere to be found. The trash can was filled with chip bags, ice cream wrappers, and soda cans. This old monster was beyond saving.

After watering, Zhou Li also pruned the flowers. He was a beginner in gardening, but the flowers couldn't cry out in pain, so he snipped off the branches and leaves he didn't like or thought didn't look good. Then he tied up the trash bag, replaced it with a new one, and made sure it was neatly pressed down in the trash bin, considering it a job well done.

He took out his phone and opened QQ. Surprisingly, there were several messages from the event's official account. They had been sent several hours ago.

Cai University One-Week CP: The last day's task is released in advance!

Cai University One-Week CP: Fixed task...

Cai University One-Week CP: Today's task 1: How has this week been for you? Write her a letter. It doesn't need to be long. Write about your first impression of her, your feelings during these days together, your thoughts for the future, etc., and personally give it to her.

Cai University One-Week CP: Today's task 2: The event is about to end. Do you feel reluctant to part? Can your fate continue? Prepare a small memento for her. It shouldn't be too expensive, limited to within 20 yuan. (For a gift, this is a very low price, so you need to choose very carefully! How can you make her feel your sincerity? Use your imagination! Maybe crafting the memento yourself is also a good choice.)

Cai University One-Week CP: Enjoy this beautiful time to the fullest, and when it's time to say goodbye, give each other a gentlemanly hug!

Zhou Li: Received

"No wonder they released the task early, what with writing a letter and selecting a gift…" Zhou Li sighed. He was always lacking in judgment on these matters.

"What are you murmuring about there?"

A voice rang out, very close to him.

Huai Xu had appeared next to him at some point, startling him, and was now looking down at his phone.

"OH~~"

Huai Xu seemed thoughtful yet surprised, "So you've been doing this for the past few days... What does this 'C-slope' mean? Is it like being a couple? Is it similar to playing house?"

He bombarded him with a flood of questions.

"It's 'Pee,' CP."

Zhou Li explained the event to Huai Xu and dealt with his dozen or so curious inquiries. Finally finding a gap in the conversation, Zhou Li quickly sought his help, "What kind of gift do you think I should give Brother Nan?"

"How would I know?"

Twenty yuan, that's too little. Zhou Li looked at Huai Xu; this old monster spent over thirty on a bowl of rice noodles.

"It's not little. Why don't you take her to pull an all-nighter?"

"An all-nighter at Chunming's is fifteen, right?"

"Indeed it is! Now Huai Xu understood the predicament. It wasn't even enough for two to pull an all-nighter; that was indeed too little. "Is it not allowed to go a bit over twenty?"

"It's the rule of the event."

"Then the students who organized this event thought it through pretty well, huh? If they hadn't added that rule, those students, y'know, would find it embarrassing to give something cheap and be reluctant to give something expensive. After all, they've only known each other for a few days, and it's just playing house... But a memento is actually different from a gift, right?"

"I'm asking you what's good to give."

"Oh, I just remembered!" Huai Xu suddenly opened his eyes wide. "The headphones you gave to Miss Zheng, even with a discount, were over a thousand yuan. If you give Li Daimao something worth a mere dozen yuan or so, she's likely going to feel slighted!"

"Thanks."

Zhou Li quietly stood up, picked up the trash, and went outside.

"Hey, hey, don't go!" Huai Xu panicked. "Come back."

"Zhou Li! Zhou Li! I'm telling you, I'll think of something! No one has a better idea than me!" Huai Xu followed Zhou Li out, his mind racing, and he talked non-stop, "How about giving Li Daimao some candy? A big chicken leg? Potato stew with ribs? Beggar's chicken? What about a Hami melon? Shall I run to Qingjiang to buy one for you? Why are you going for the elevator? Come on, let's go back and sit down to talk slowly... Maybe I should transform into a girl tonight and give you an analysis? I'm sure that would be perfect!"