It was still as tranquil as ever here at Hong Ran's.

Even the sunlight filtering through the bamboo tips seemed to have lost some of its harsh heat, becoming gentle, warm, and soothing. It shone in dappled patterns on the ground covered with dry bamboo leaves, creating a serene scene that settled the spirit.

The chef's skills were as superb as always, crafting desserts that were soft, glutinous, and delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness, making The Old Monster unable to stop eating them.

Even Zhou Li, who normally didn't care for sweets, found them tasty.

However, Hong Ran was quite busy.

Zhou Li didn't want to disturb her and simply sat quietly, enjoying the pastries, playing with his smartphone, and enjoying the breeze.

Now and then, Demons would pass by, some ignoring them completely while others gave them curious glances.

He even encountered two Demons who recognized Huai Xu.

Unfortunately, Huai Xu didn't recognize them, probably having never paid them much mind before. After all, the only reason they knew of Huai Xu was because he had stood beside Master Ming when they met him years ago.

"The internet speed here is pretty fast," Huai Xu commented while browsing Douyin on his phone. "It seems like the college entrance exams are coming up in a few days."

"Mm," Zhou Li acknowledged.

"Your brother and that sister of yours are taking the exams this year, right? The summer vacation is going to be shorter."

"Mm."

Unbeknownst to Zhou Li, The Old Monster had become quite the 'human expert.'

Just then, Huai Xu put down his phone, leaned in closer to Zhou Li, and gestured with his eyes towards the Bamboo Courtyard. "Do you know what they're discussing inside?"

"No..." Zhou Li began.

Huai Xu frowned. "Why are your answers so brief all of a sudden!?"

"Stop eating green bean cake while talking, or at least swallow before you speak. Otherwise, you're going to spray powder everywhere as soon as you open your mouth." Zhou Li pointed to the stone table, where Huai Xu had already sprayed a thin layer of powder. Swiping a finger across it left a clear streak. "See? How annoying is that?"

"This, this..." Huai Xu stuttered, "It's just how green bean cake is!"

"Blaming the green bean cake now?"

"What else then? It's supposed to spray everywhere, what can I do about it?" Huai Xu retorted shamelessly. "It's all powdery, after all."

"You... are such a headache," Zhou Li said.

"I'm not human."

"Powdery..." Zhou Li muttered.

"You're so annoying!"

Huai Xu paused, then attempted to steer the conversation and salvage his image by leaning in once more. "They're discussing state affairs, strategies related to dealing with the threat from you humans. Aren't you interested?"

"Do not eavesdrop where you're not invited."

"What gift?"

Zhou Li remained silent.

"Oh, you mean that! I misheard you." Huai Xu slapped his forehead. "I wouldn't know about not eavesdropping when it's impolite, but I am quite skilled at gathering intelligence. Without the other party knowing, I get everything about them in my hands... and then perfectly kill them off!"

"Can you hear them?" Zhou Li asked.

"I can hear them!" Huai Xu said. "They're not avoiding me on purpose; they haven't even set up any soundproofing."

"Then why aren't they avoiding you?"

"Because I am a Demon."

"Quick response."

The Old Monster was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked dejected and shot Zhou Li an angry glance, draining him of any sense of achievement.

Zhou Li had some guesses about Hong Ran's busyness.

On one hand, as the Demon Kingdom's political structures were being restored, they began to pay closer attention to human affairs. The new era had brought forth powerful humans, causing the Demons to feel anxious and restless—maintaining military suppression over humans had always been key to their existence on this planet.

Therefore, almost every Demon Kingdom was exhaustively brainstorming, devising various strategies and testing their viability.

Regarding Yu Country... Zhou Li only knew that Hong Ran was trying to reform, learning from the experiences and technologies of this era's humanity. This was public knowledge, and anyone could sense it. As for other strategies, which were more secretive, he naturally would have no clue about them.

Then there was Lin Zhong. Influenced by the aggressive strategies of other Demon Kingdoms, the voices of the Hawk Faction in Yu Country had recently been growing louder.

By lunchtime, Hong Ran finally had a moment to herself.

She grabbed a soup ladle and sighed with annoyance, saying to Zhou Li, "I've been so busy lately."

"I shouldn't have come to disturb you."

"What are you talking about! Asking for a spanking!" Hong Ran frowned and glared at him. When she relaxed her brow, the worry lines seemed to lessen, possibly displaced by her pretend anger. "It's actually good you came; my mood has improved a lot. I was about to lose my temper."

"Getting angry isn't pretty," Zhou Li said. "Not gentle."

"You have a point." Hong Ran chuckled. "But sister is gentle even when she's angry."

"That sounds terrifying."

"Next time I'm angry, I'll spank you."

"...I'm going back to Yi Province tomorrow," Zhou Li said.

"No wonder you came to find me." Hong Ran scooped some soup and gently blew on it. Her red lips reminded Zhou Li of a bride from TV dramas leaving for her new home.

"To say goodbye." Zhou Li paused. "My younger brother is taking his college entrance exam soon. I'm rushing back to cheer him on."

"Sounds like a lie."

"Er..."

"Try this soup; it's very fresh. This is something you humans don't have in your world; not even the Emperor can have it." Hong Ran lowered her head to fill a bowl for him, deliberately avoiding the slight embarrassment on his face. But she could guess, and only found it endearing.

The little thing had even learned to lie.

He really had grown up.

After the meal, Zhou Li contentedly wiped his mouth when suddenly his phone rang. After checking it, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"My maternal half-sister came to visit. She's already downstairs in the residential complex."

"Oh, the child your mother had overseas."

"Right, she's only in her teens."

"Aren't you only in your teens, too?"

"That's true..." Zhou Li conceded.

"Teens... such a young word." Hong Ran smiled faintly. "Why did they come back to Chunming too?" she asked.

"They came back to hide from the pandemic," Zhou Li explained.

"That figures."

Hong Ran stretched lazily, accentuating the ample curves beneath her chest-high Ru Skirt that were hard to grasp. Then she casually patted Zhou Li on the head and asked, "So, will you get jealous?"

"Not really."

"Well, you should head back." Hong Ran stood up and straightened her clothes. "I should be getting busy soon too."

"Take care, keep in good spirits."

"That's a fresh piece of advice coming from you..."

Zhou Li was taken back to the rooftop by the Ladybug Monster again; the trip took a few minutes. Then he hurried downstairs to meet Ji Xuan.

Unexpectedly, Baozi was with her too.

"Hi, brother!" Ji Xuan chirped.

"Hi..." Zhou Li replied, then looked at Baozi, somewhat speechless. "Why didn't you just bring her upstairs directly?"

Baozi replied calmly, "I forgot the way."

Zhou Li was silent.

"Why did you take so long to come down?" Ji Xuan asked.

"The house was a mess; I had to tidy up a bit."

"Wow, me too!" Ji Xuan exclaimed, as if she'd found common ground. "I always make a mess of my room at home and then get scolded. So, I guess we might have inherited that from Mom!"

"Maybe..." Zhou Li answered absentmindedly as he led them upstairs.

From entering the residential complex gate to getting in the elevator, Ji Xuan chattered incessantly in less-than-perfect Mandarin.

The girl was genuinely confident and cheerful, and very quick to warm up to people, expressing her likes and dislikes openly. For instance, she simply liked Zhou Li, thought he was handsome, and because of that, wanted to be close to him. Her enthusiasm was so direct it even made Zhou Li feel a bit uncomfortable. If it were a typical child from the country, at this age, even if they didn't show hostility towards a maternal half-brother, they would likely be deliberately distant and maintain a sense of separation.

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