「May 6, morning.」

Zhou Li didn't go to Old Master Ma's place. He packed his things—a total of one suitcase, one bag, and an unfinished statue—then moved back to his original home with Tuanzi.

Seeing his hands were full, Tuanzi, being very sensible, didn't ask him to hold her but followed him obediently.

She didn't always follow him steadily, though. She would dart off to smell the flowers and grass in the residential complex, investigate the bustling scene of ants moving their colony, or try to catch the bees and butterflies already flitting about in May. If she encountered pet dogs, she would scamper back to Zhou Li's side. But no matter how much fun she was having, she never strayed too far from Zhou Li and would quickly catch up if she did.

She also meowed, asking Zhou Li to wait for her.

Aunt Jiang was quite surprised by this behavior.

Old Zhou parked the car by the roadside to wait for them. Once they got in the car, Tuanzi immediately behaved herself.

Fortunately, the drive wasn't long.

Back at his original home, Tuanzi regained her liveliness. She ran around everywhere, looking here and sniffing there, then turned back to tell Zhou Li, "It all smells like Huai Xu!"

"Does it smell good?" Zhou Li asked her.

"Not as good as Lord Tuanzi," Tuanzi said, her brow furrowing slightly. "It stinks."

"Is that so..."

"The wooden statue you're holding looks like that Little Demon from downstairs," Tuanzi suddenly remembered, her eyes shining as she looked at Zhou Li.

"Very smart." Zhou Li indulged her.

"Haha, Lord Tuanzi is super awesome!" Tuanzi declared. "Even without eyes and a nose, Lord Tuanzi can recognize it!"

"Indeed..."

Aunt Jiang and Old Zhou were both inside the house, so it wasn't very convenient for Zhou Li to whisper secrets with Tuanzi; it would look a bit odd. He went back to his room and started to unpack and arrange his belongings.

He was back to the bunk beds.

Back to the days of living with Huai Xu.

Zhou Li glanced up. Sitting on the top bunk, looking down at him, was the 'ultimate version' of Dilinazha. What did that mean? It was the appearance captured in the very best of her red carpet photos, portrait shots, and candid street snaps—images where the perfect alignment of timing, location, people, and technology created a look the real Dilinazha didn't possess day-to-day.

Yet Huai Xu could transform these fleeting, unreal beauties into a real and constant state.

A pair of bare feet swung back and forth...

"What's up?"

Huai Xu raised an eyebrow at him. "Looks good, huh? I don't think it's as good as the one I usually use, but because this is a real person, a huge star, there's a bit of a mystique bonus, right?"

Having said that, she looked at Zhou Li expectantly. "There is, right?"

"There is."

"You…" Huai Xu seemed a bit stunned. "You actually admitted it!"

"Come down. Let's take a photo together."

"Oh," Huai Xu said as she jumped down from the bed. "Do you want an autograph?"

"No need for that."

They took a novelty photo together, but it seemed rather pointless. Zhou Li wasn't in the habit of posting on social media and had no intention of using it as a profile picture or screensaver. His current phone screensaver was a photo of Brother Nan from their spring outing two months ago, edited by Baozi. Brother Nan had suggested he use it, and since then, Zhou Li had lost the right to change his phone's screensaver.

Nonetheless, he chose to share it with Brother Nan.

Zhou Li: [Image]

Li Daimao: [Image]

Li Daimao: [Image]

...and so on, for seven or eight pictures in a row.

Zhou Li looked at each one in turn.

If Dilinazha herself saw these photos, besides being surprised about when she had ever posed with this person, she would probably also want to strangle Brother Nan.

Of course, she couldn't beat Brother Nan.

Zhou Li then picked up the wood carving again.

He was carving Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan had a round, plump body with simple yet endearingly charming lines, making him quite recognizable and very cute. However, carving him wasn't without its difficulties. Xiao Yuan was a real creature, not an extremely simplified cartoon character. To carve him vividly was quite challenging. To achieve a level comparable to the celestial maiden in Old Master Ma's dreams, Zhou Li would likely need several years of hard work.

Several years of hard work—almost equivalent to a lifetime.

Anyway, enduring such hardship was impossible for him.

He couldn't stomach it.

This statue also had a certain effect. It embodied one of the most primal uses of Spiritual Power, capable of putting people into a very comfortable and reassured state, acting as a tranquilizer. It was suitable for a bedroom but not a workplace.

However, Zhou Li was somewhat worried.

His Spiritual Power was of very high quality and quantity. For instance, the Little Daimao carving he'd made previously was originally designed to have an effective radius of a few meters, varying slightly based on the Heavenly Master's skill—enough to cover a single room. However, it ended up covering a ten-meter radius. Fortunately, after inspecting the Array's principle, they confirmed that only the coverage range would increase. Testing also showed it didn't cause discomfort to mice, nor did it affect humans.

So, he had to be even more cautious with this statue.

Otherwise, since this apartment was smaller, if its effect covered other rooms, it would definitely affect Old Zhou and Zhu Shuang.

He slightly modified the outline, bringing it closer to Xiao Yuan's likeness.

Zhou Li looked at it, very satisfied.

Huai Xu remarked from his side, "His face isn't that round!"

Zhou Li ignored her.

When he was engrossed in his own world, he couldn't hear anyone trying to pull him out of it. This was a survival skill he had learned from Brother Nan.

He glanced outside again.

Flocks of wild geese were flying past the river.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he put down the statue and selected a wooden board from his supply of materials.

「Afternoon.」

Zhou Li hung the wooden plaque he had just made on a peach tree in the residential complex. The plaque was sizable. Once hung, the wind caused it to swing back and forth. One side, carved in large letters, read: 'Please do not pick the fruit.' The other side, in smaller letters, carried a somewhat lengthy message. It essentially stated that the fruit was dry and inedible, its fuzz might cause allergies, and everyone should leave it for the birds. To prevent the complex's management from taking it down, he had made the plaque as exquisite as possible, even carving flowers on it.

He wondered if it would be effective.

At least the adults who saw it would probably restrict their children a bit... He remembered the children in the complex being quite well-behaved, even showing a lot of love for the community cat.

Huai Xu's voice emerged from behind him, "You're like a kid!"

Zhou Li ignored her.

Tuanzi tugged at his pants leg, peering curiously. "What did you write? Read it to Lord Tuanzi!"

Zhou Li just humored her with a couple of vague sentences.

After searching around the residential complex, he found Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan chatting on a tree branch. These two Little Demons seemed as carefree as always, never getting bored day after day. He unconsciously smiled at the sight, but upon realizing it, he quickly suppressed his smile.

"Lord Zhou Li has arrived."

"Lord Xiao Yuan, Lord Lao Hui," Zhou Li imitated their formality. "Long time no see. How have you been?"

"Very well," Xiao Yuan replied, his tone immensely positive.

"The weather has been getting warmer recently," Lao Hui, ever the realist, added, "and food has gradually become more plentiful."

"I am His Highness the Demon King's Close Attendant, Lord Tuanzi," Tuanzi introduced herself.

"What a beautiful little cat!" Xiao Yuan exclaimed.

"Little one, were you raised by humans? Demons never lie," Lao Hui said, a bit more serious.

"I was raised by His Highness."

"She was indeed raised by His Highness. We met Hong Ran and Lord Lin Zhong in Chunming," Zhou Li helped Tuanzi explain, then couldn't help but glance at Xiao Yuan. "But don't mind her."

"Hong Ran and Lord Lin Zhong?" Lao Hui was surprised.

"Yes."

HISS...

Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan exchanged glances.

Among Demons, they were just small fry. Powerful figures like Hong Ran and Lord Lin Zhong, true overlords, were beings they had only heard of—far beyond their reach. His Highness the Demon King was even more distant, like a deity.

"Greetings, Lord Tuanzi," Xiao Yuan said, standing up and bowing properly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Tuanzi. Please send my regards to His Highness," Lao Hui said, his gesture much more formal. "Has His Highness awakened yet?"

"Not yet," Tuanzi replied cheerfully. "That's why I'm here."

"I see."

"Don't be scared of her; she's just a child who doesn't know much," Zhou Li said quickly, seeing Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan becoming a bit uneasy. He changed the subject. "We've moved back here."

"Right, Lord Tuanzi is a child," Tuanzi agreed.

"Oh, good! So we're neighbors again," Xiao Yuan said, a bit joyful. But his expression fell the next moment. "I heard this place might be demolished, though, maybe next year. It seems we won't be neighbors for much longer."

"Where will you go after it's demolished?"

"We'll find another place," Xiao Yuan said. "Lao Hui is really reluctant to leave this place, you know."

"Why do you have to drag me into this!" Lao Hui grumbled.

"This place is quiet, the environment is great, and we don't have to worry about food. It'll be hard to find such a good place in the future," Xiao Yuan said, clearly reluctant to leave.

"I'll miss this place too."

"Hm?" Xiao Yuan asked, picking up on something unusual. "Is there something on my face? Lord Zhou Li, why do you keep looking at me?"

"Nothing like that. It's just that…"

Zhou Li then told him he was carving a statue of him and asked for his consent, which Xiao Yuan gave almost without a second thought.

Then, Zhou Li casually invited him to be his model.

Xiao Yuan agreed.

Evening lights intertwined.

Xiao Yuan sat stiffly on the desk, maintaining one position, not moving a muscle.

Next to him was a large plate of nuts and beef jerky. He seemed utterly indifferent to it, his gaze fixed only on Zhou Li's hands as they worked the wood carving and the knife, wood shavings falling with a soft RUSTLE.

Zhou Li sighed. He spoke again, "You really don't have to be like this. Just relax. This food is for you, so please enjoy it, Xiao Yuan. All you need to do is stay here, where I can see you."

"Is... is that so?"

"Yes. Relax, just relax. You're too tense."

"Oh, okay."

Xiao Yuan finally relaxed.

Zhou Li then slipped a pecan into his lap and handed a piece of beef jerky to Lao Hui. "If it's not to your taste, I can buy something you prefer. Otherwise, I'll feel quite embarrassed."

Xiao Yuan finally started nibbling.

Lao Hui also reluctantly took a bite of the beef jerky.

Time passed, bit by bit.

The features on the statue Zhou Li was carving grew clearer and more lifelike.

The snacks on the plate gradually dwindled.

Lao Hui was initially too embarrassed to eat much. He felt he hadn't earned it and planned only to eat the piece Zhou Li had handed him. But the human-made food was just too fragrant and appealing, which made him feel even more awkward.

"Is it almost midnight already? Time flies," Zhou Li said, noticing Xiao Yuan yawning. He checked his watch. "You two should have been resting long ago. Let's stop here for today and continue tomorrow."

"Alright."

"Um..." Lao Hui hesitated. "Do you... need other types of models?"

At that moment, Zhou Li had only one thought—

These two Little Demons are just too adorable!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.