CHAPTER 397: CHAPTER 393: STEAMED HILSA HERRING AND BOILED CABBAGE AREN’T TASTY ANYMORE

Zhou Li felt conflicted.

He wanted to comfort Huai Xu, or at least say something to make him feel less miserable, yet he didn’t know how to start. It felt indescribably awkward.

Should I apologize? he wondered. That seems awkward too.

Just then, Huai Xu lifted his eyelids and spoke first. "Don’t blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you."

"Why are you comforting me...?"

"I understand you."

"Oh."

What surprised Zhou Li slightly was that there was no anger on Huai Xu’s face. I thought that, given Huai Xu’s temper, he would at least curse the ’thieving heavens’ or something of the sort... Don’t most people do that?

"I think Hong Ran is right," Huai Xu said, trying to remain calm. He took a breath, and his dull eyes gradually cleared. "Here in the human world, Teacher has indeed stayed long enough. Maybe he feels that it’s time too. If he leaves soon, even if it’s not due to natural causes, I think he would be able to accept it."

"And what about you?" Zhou Li asked.

"Me?" Huai Xu seemed a bit lost. "I should be able to accept it as well... Demons don’t put much emphasis on lifespan."

"Hmm..." Zhou Li waited a few seconds. "Just that?"

"Just that? What do you mean ’just that’?"

"There’s no ’just that’?"

"Nope."

"I see."

"Why should there be a ’just that’?" Huai Xu asked, puzzled.

"Nothing..." Zhou Li paused. "I just felt a bit of uncertainty in the way you spoke."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Zhou Li hesitated. "I understand you too."

The reason...

Zhou Li thought for a moment.

Perhaps it’s because even though Huai Xu is a demon, he has always considered himself one. He speaks and acts from a demon’s perspective, often saying ’you humans’ when talking with me. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. He truly is a demon. He was human for less than twenty years and a demon for over two thousand. In his nature, ’demon nature’ far outweighs ’human nature,’ yet no matter how disparate the ratio, there’s still an element of ’human nature’ within.

Zhou Li, having interacted with demons a lot, could feel that Huai Xu was a bit different from most demons.

Becoming a complete demon probably wasn’t so easy, he thought.

"Have you been with Master Ming for a long time?"

"Not very long, but it would be considered a very long time for you humans." Huai Xu had just shown a hint of reminiscence when he immediately glanced at Zhou Li. "Are you going to be jealous now?"

"I’m not that petty..." Zhou Li was speechless.

"You humans are just that petty!" Huai Xu had a ’don’t think you can fool me’ look of smugness. "I’ve seen it plenty!"

"Be serious," Zhou Li said.

"Lighten up," Huai Xu retorted. "Being serious makes one uncomfortable."

Zhou Li was silent.

At that moment, Hong Ran returned with two plates of pastries. She placed them on the coffee table between them, her voice extra gentle. "I just made them. They’re hot, so don’t eat too many. We’ll be having a meal soon."

Zhou Li hummed in acknowledgment.

The couch was wide enough, so he shifted to the side to make space for Hong Ran.

Hong Ran smiled faintly and sat down next to him, casually asking, "What were you two discussing?"

"We talked a bit about Master Ming’s situation."

"Huai Xu and Master Ming are very close," Hong Ran said, looking at him too. "Will you be jealous?"

"At a time like this... don’t joke about it." Zhou Li felt a headache coming on. What is with all these demons?

"It’s fine."

Hong Ran still smiled gently.

This highlighted, yet again, the difference between humans and demons.

If Master Ming didn’t wish to leave but was forced to die, even demons who were strangers to him would feel sad. They would mourn that a fellow being’s life didn’t end naturally or by their own volition, and they would grieve. Conversely, demons’ ability to accept death often surpassed what most humans could comprehend.

They treasured life but viewed death lightly.

Hong Ran was just like that.

In her life, too many old friends had passed away. They had said their goodbyes to her openly, telling her they would never meet again. Then, they returned to the Old Land to be reborn as new life. There was really no reason to be sad.

At most, she felt loneliness and solitude.

Even before they came to this world and became "Invaders," many friends had chosen to stay in their crumbling other half of the world, facing death with acceptance and grandeur. At the time of parting, they had said farewell to each other calmly, as if standing at a crossroads on the way home after a small gathering. But this farewell was forever, severing any possibility of meeting again.

However, to say she was indifferent wouldn’t be entirely accurate; even now, Hong Ran often thought of them.

At those times, she would hold a cup of hot tea and climb to the mountain peak. There, she would either watch the bamboo forest below billowing like waves or gaze at the glittering moonlight on Dian Lake, feeling the warmth in her palms as she quietly reminisced about the past.

「The past.」

「...」

After chatting for a while, Hong Ran mentioned that the walnuts on the back hill were ripe. So, they decided to go collect them, only to discover upon arrival that the walnuts had already been picked by some unknown Little Demon. Only a few were left on the ground, likely because there were too many to carry away. Fortunately, except for the Old Monster who felt regret at not getting to eat walnuts, none of them felt disappointed. They simply went to another spot to enjoy the scenery.

They returned just in time for dinner.

When it came to meals, Hong Ran never shortchanged her brother. After they finished eating, she even considerately packed food for him in insulated containers, as if she wished she could pack up the entire kitchen and send it with him.

「Nine-thirty in the evening.」

Zhou Li’s hands were full, his expression a bit awkward; he really hadn’t wanted to take so much.

"Then..."

Zhou Li glanced at Huai Xu out of the corner of his eye. "When do you think we’ll meet Master Ming?"

"In about a month."

"Oh."

The thought of facing Master Ming directly makes me feel a strange unease, even a bit nervous. What’s that about? Zhou Li wondered.

After saying goodbye to Hong Ran, he went home.

Tuanzi lay in the center of the living room, sleeping soundly like a rag dropped on the floor.

Zhou Li unconsciously lightened his steps and took extra care when closing the door. When he reached Tuanzi, he looked at her motionless body, then carefully took out a plate of shad from one of the food containers and set it in front of her nose.

SNIFF, SNIFF...

Tuanzi’s nose twitched twice. She unconsciously moved closer to the shad, but her eyes remained closed.

Zhou Li moved the shad a little further away.

The half-grown cat continued to sniff drowsily, following the scent. Since Zhou Li kept moving it further away, her neck soon wasn’t long enough. Her limbs began to move in her sleep, helping her continue the pursuit of the aroma.

A smile curved at the corner of Zhou Li’s mouth.

Gradually, Tuanzi had stood up.

What Zhou Li found most fascinating was that throughout the entire process, she never woke up.

Finally, she woke up.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Zhou Li frantically stuffing something into a box. Because her vision was limited just after waking, she didn’t see what was being put in.

Rubbing her eyes with her little paws, Tuanzi gradually opened them wide, looking alertly at Zhou Li. "Zhou Li, you’re baaack~~"

After saying that, her nose twitched again.

She then turned her head to look around, her little face full of confusion. "Strange, how did Lord Dumpling stand up...?"

"Did Lord Dumpling dream of eating something delicious?"

HMM... SNIFF, SNIFF...

Tuanzi sniffed again and turned her head to look behind Zhou Li. "Lord Dumpling seems to smell Cabbage in Consommé and other delicious things!"

After finishing, she looked up at Zhou Li, her eyes now sparkling. "Did you bring something tasty for Lord Dumpling?"

"Not at all!"

"Liar!"

"It was in Lord Dumpling’s dream!"

"Liar! Lord Dumpling will see for herself!"

As Tuanzi spoke, she trotted around behind Zhou Li with small steps, stood upright, and pawed at an insulated container, peering inside. Her little face quickly lit up with joy.

"Where did you get so much yummy food, Zhou Li?"

"I bought it..."

"You’re lying again! You must have asked Hong Ran for them." Tuanzi looked sympathetically at Zhou Li. "You really went to a lot of trouble..."

"For Lord Dumpling, it’s no trouble at all."

"WAAH WAAH... It’s all for Lord Dumpling~~"

"Yes, it is."

"MEOW... Hey, where are you taking that Pagoda Pork?"

"I’m taking it to Brother Nan."