In other parts of the country, it was already deep winter, with less than half a month remaining until Spring Festival. Zhou Li recalled the climate in Yi Province; the coldest period must have already passed. Around Spring Festival, there would always be several consecutive days of fine weather that ushered in spring, and the flowers on Ziku Mountain would begin to bloom. Every year, Aunt Jiang would forcibly drag the three of them to admire the flowers.
But in this city, Zhou Li had yet to experience the cold.
Except just now. Cold showers were still very cold.
It was cold at night too. Stepping out of the bathroom, the wind hit him, making his skin so numb it almost didn't feel cold anymore.
Zhou Li stood at the balcony door, vigorously rubbing his hair with a towel. He wasn't trying to dry it completely, just getting it mostly dry before he hung the towel up and quickly walked to his bed to climb in.
Zhou Li saw someone lying perfectly still on his bed—a tall girl with exquisite curves and an indescribably beautiful face. She lay there with her mouth slightly open, concentrating on the ceiling as if counting mosquitoes and bloodstains.
Huai Xu turned her head at the sound but only glanced at him absentmindedly before continuing to stare at the ceiling. "Guess what I heard just before you came back to the dorm?" she said.
Zhou Li was lost for words.
You think I'm going to guess?
After a quick glance at Liu Zhengming on the bunk below, Zhou Li grabbed Huai Xu's calf, pulled gently, and gave her a look.
Huai Xu glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
She appeared on Chang Xiaoxiang's bed, sitting on the edge with her legs dangling through the safety rail. Swaying them, she said to Zhou Li, "It's so boring at home alone when you sleep in the dorm. There's no one to talk to, and even that stupid cat ignores me."
A faint smile touched the corners of Zhou Li's mouth.
As if I talk to you either...
When Zhou Li caught Huai Xu blinking at him from the corner of his eye, he found he couldn't ignore her. He pursed his lips, lay down on his bed, took out his phone, and whispered, "Don't you have games to play, snacks to eat, and soda to drink? You roam around, scope out places, and always run off to bully other kids. How can you be bored?"
"I still get bored." Huai Xu stopped swinging her legs. She lifted them, holding them out straight, and stared at them admiringly.
"You're so narcissistic!" Zhou Li commented.
"I look good!" Huai Xu said, tilting her head at him. "Don't you think so?"
"Look, long legs. Aren't they long?"
Zhou Li pulled the blanket over his head, and his voice came out muffled, "I'm going to sleep. You should get to bed early too. We have to go to Banna tomorrow."
"Maybe I should sleep next to you?"
"When you and Li Daimao are on the verge of dating, you'll definitely want to sleep next to her. It'll be inconvenient then."
"Why aren't you talking? Did you fall asleep?"
"I'm going to tickle you!"
"Hmph! You're no fun!"
PUFF. The dormitory quieted down, leaving only the sound of Liu Zhengming playing games.
Zhou Li cautiously pulled the blanket down just below his eyes and was startled to see Huai Xu sitting where she was before, grinning at him. She reminded him, "You haven't said goodnight to Li Daimao yet. She's going to beat you up tomorrow!"
This old monster... she's so mischievous.
「January 13th, early morning.」
「Tianruikang Garden.」
Today, Zhou Li had driven the car over from school. Brother Nan sat in the passenger seat, holding a pot of Yueli. The demon's abilities were truly magical; in just ten days or so, the Yueli had already grown new branches and leaves and had even developed another flower bud. Perhaps after the winter break, this flower branch would grow to be as large as the original plant Zhou Li had nurtured.
He opened the door and entered the house.
Huai Xu was still in her female form, holding an ice cream and sitting on the sofa. Transformers played on the television as she turned her head to look at them.
"Brother Nan," she called out.
"Ice cream this early in the morning?" Brother Nan asked casually.
"Brother Nan, please put the flower on the balcony," Zhou Li said to Brother Nan. "Huai Xu will come back to water it regularly during the winter break."
"I'm taking it back with me for the winter break," Brother Nan replied. She walked to the balcony, glanced at the flowers on the ground, then at the one in her arms. Chuckling, she placed her flower next to Zhou Li's, muttering softly, "Putting these two together..."
Zhou Li then looked at Huai Xu and asked, "Where's Tuanzi?"
Huai Xu pointed towards his room.
Zhou Li turned his head to look and briefly saw half a small head at the door, but it quickly ducked back in.
「Twenty seconds later.」
Zhou Li found Tuanzi behind the curtains. He crouched down and whispered, "We're going to Banna for a few days. Me, Brother Nan, and Huai Xu."
"Bind that," Tuanzi said, looking up at him.
"Yes, Xishuangbanna."
"That's right. Are you going?"
"Lord Dumpling is going."
"After we come back from Banna, we'll return to Yi Province. Lord Dumpling will come back with us too, right?"
"I see." Zhou Li reached out and gently stroked Tuanzi's forehead. Watching her squint her eyes, he said with a laugh, "Lord Dumpling is quite the little tag-along, huh?"
"Then Lord Dumpling is a little ankle-biter."
"What's an ankle-biter?"
"It's another word for a tag-along."
"Hmm, not at all!" Tuanzi tilted her head, thinking. "Lord Dumpling is protecting you! Just like last time. If it weren't for Lord Dumpling, Lin Zhong would have beaten you into a pulp by now."
A smile touched Zhou Li's lips. Lin Zhong hadn't just wanted to beat him into a pulp; he'd wanted him dead. Lord Dumpling had indeed played a significant role in his escape.
"You're welcome." Lord Dumpling, with great magnanimity, didn't hold it against him. She just lifted her chin and said, "Bring Lord Dumpling's little kitty too."
Zhou Li still had a few clothes to pack.
Banna had a tropical rainforest climate with plenty of sunshine and no winter. Even during the early morning, late evening, or on rainy days, it only got a bit chilly. Brother Nan, being quite tough, had only brought summer clothes. Zhou Li decided to use her as a reference and also pack only summer clothes. If they weren't suitable, he could ask Huai Xu to come back and get more.
He needed to pack a few extra items. Discover more novels at NoveI(F)ire.net
He also needed to pack plenty of sunscreen.
By the time he finished packing, Huai Xu had also set down a large, transparent plastic bag nearby, brimming with snacks and drinks.
And Tuanzi was nowhere to be found again.
Zhou Li sighed and walked into the bedroom. Spotting a small lump on the bed at a glance, he lifted the quilt. Sure enough, Tuanzi was huddled underneath, curled up as tightly as possible.
Feeling the fresh air and coolness, she looked up at Zhou Li, curious and confused.
"How did you find Lord Dumpling?"
"Just a coincidence."
"Ohh~ Pick Lord Dumpling up."
Zhou Li picked up Tuanzi, slung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbed Tuanzi's little cat doll, and then called out to Brother Nan and Huai Xu to leave.
After stowing the luggage, Brother Nan closed the trunk.
"Which of us should drive?"
After asking, she thought for a moment and quickly added, "It's a long drive. I suggest we let someone who's a good driver take the wheel. Plus, it's tiring, and I'm the type who isn't afraid of getting tired at all."
The hint was very clear.
Zhou Li looked helpless and was about to agree to her request when Huai Xu, who was standing nearby, stepped forward, thumped her chest, and declared—
"Aren't you talking about me?"
She was now in her female form, her chest almost as big as Brother Nan's.
Hmm... how big exactly?
Well, bigger than Zhou Li's, at any rate.
But Brother Nan still turned her down. For one, Huai Xu didn't have a driver's license and was afraid of being stopped by police in the city. For another, Brother Nan wanted to drive herself. So, she just told Huai Xu they could take turns driving once they were on the open road. Huai Xu happily agreed.
From the school to Banna, it was over five hundred kilometers on the highway, and the map showed it would take more than seven hours.
But they couldn't take the highway.
That would make the journey much longer.
The road conditions on this route, spanning over six hundred kilometers, weren't great overall. The drive was estimated to take sixteen hours. Just the thought of it… was enough to make Brother Nan and Huai Xu feel excited.
Zhou Li sat in the passenger seat, with Tuanzi nestled in his lap. Huai Xu sat in the back seat with her snacks and drinks.
"Huai Xu, hand me that pillow," Brother Nan called.
"You even put a pillow in the car." Zhou Li looked at the light blue pillow. "Why do you need a pillow when you're driving?"
"I just bought it, isn't it nice? Don't you think putting a pillow in the car gives it a really cozy feel?" Without waiting for an answer, Brother Nan stuffed the pillow into Zhou Li's arms. "Here, hold this!"
"I don't really think so... And why do I have to hold it?"
"Is it uncomfortable?"
"Doesn't it look good?"
"Well then… hug it tight!" Brother Nan pulled out her phone and aimed it at him. "Let me take a photo!"
Zhou Li silently held the pillow.
The pillow was a solid color, made of linen, square, and slightly firm, but quite comfortable to hold.
The color was a light, watery blue. Zhou Li turned his head and looked behind him. There was another light green one there. It did seem to add a different feel to the car's interior.
Brother Nan had already started the car.
The car slowly pulled away, and she chattered in Zhou Li's ear about wanting to buy a good dashcam with high resolution, preferably one whose footage could be used directly as a travel vlog.
As they drove out of the underground garage, sunlight streamed in from the front, warming Zhou Li's face.