The weather was somewhat cool at noon. Zhou Li waited for two minutes in line to get his meal. From the three available dishes, he chose Mapo Tofu and boiled fish. The third option, shredded pork with green peppers, looked like it was all green peppers, and he disliked green peppers.
Seniors always had to leave class early for meals. At this time, the entire canteen was full of them. Many were roommates or close friends who shared tables and ordered a few stir-fried dishes. The cafeteria generally provided a complimentary soup. If someone was sent to reserve meals after the third period, they could eat right after class. This was quite convenient as they didn't have to carry their own dishes.
They ate fiercely, scrambling for food, and their laughter as they did so created a pleasant atmosphere.
Brother Nan wasn't among them. He rarely ate at school, often complaining about the cafeteria chefs' poor skills. He would either go home to eat or to his usual restaurant. Occasionally, he'd bring a 'Little Brother' along; with Brother Nan present, the security guards would pretend not to notice.
Zhou Li found a spot with his bowl and ate quickly. Over the last couple of days, some people had invited him to share a table, including the Two Golden Flowers from the front row. After all, graduation was approaching, and their time as classmates was ending. Even those who weren't normally close cherished these fleeting connections. Zhou Li had declined these invitations as well.
After finishing his meal and leaving the cafeteria, Zhou Li saw San Zheng standing on the edge of the playground. After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Li walked onto the playground and began to stroll. Quite a few people were out walking. Some seniors, still holding their meals, openly disregarded school rules. With so many people around, San Zheng seemed hesitant to approach Zhou Li. Zhou Li kept an eye on San Zheng's movements, mulling over how to better handle such situations. If he went to university and was discovered by Demons again, it wouldn't be good to just trip over nothing or suddenly start acting crazy, would it?
"Zhou Li, have you finished eating?"
"I'm done." Zhou Li turned his head and saw Huai Xu had appeared beside him without him realizing.
"I just finished too." Huai Xu's pockets bulged, resembling a child's pockets stuffed with marbles. As he spoke, he smacked his lips. "I ate cherries, a lot of them. Do you want some? I brought some for you."
"Where did you eat them?" Zhou Li put on his Bluetooth headset, so others would think he was on a phone call.
"The supermarket."
"Weren't you discovered?"
"As long as you're fast enough, no one will see you."
Huai Xu spoke, looking around cautiously before stretching out a hand to Zhou Li. His clean palm openly held a cherry. "Look, I took a cherry from my pocket."
Zhou Li was about to hum in acknowledgment when, in the blink of an eye, the single cherry in Huai Xu's hand became two, nestled side by side.
"I took another one," Huai Xu said.
"That's amazing."
"Yeah." Huai Xu accepted his admiration. "Take them quickly before someone else sees."
"Thanks." Zhou Li took the two cherries.
Huai Xu continued, "Try them and see if they're good. I have more, but I daren't take them all out at once. A handful of cherries floating in mid-air would still be seen, even with fewer people around!"
"Your..." Zhou Li glanced at Huai Xu's trousers.
"I've handled it," Huai Xu said.
"I see." Zhou Li tasted a cherry. It wasn't as sweet as the ones Aunt Jiang had bought yesterday. "Tasty."
"Tasty, right!" Huai Xu exclaimed. "I picked them myself!"
"Yes, very sweet."
"Then come over here." Huai Xu was already reaching into his pocket, his movements careful, as if worried about damaging the delicate fruit.
"Thanks for these."
"It's not like I paid for them."
"True," Zhou Li nodded, noting Huai Xu's nonchalant expression. He guessed Huai Xu must have forgotten what he'd said last month. After a slight hesitation, he gently reminded him, "Going into the supermarket and stealing things… isn't that a violation of that…"
"Oh, right!" Huai Xu exclaimed, suddenly remembering.
He took only ten seconds to convince himself and then recited his justifications to Zhou Li. "The cherry box is huge and full of cherries! Who would notice if I take just a few? Besides, I haven't heard about any formidable humans around here lately. The Demon King hasn't appeared for centuries either. Who knows, maybe humans trapped and killed him…"
Zhou Li suspected Huai Xu might just be a pretend Demon.
Over the past month of observing Demons, he'd noted that even San Zheng, who was rather like a husky, behaved with utmost respect when mentioning the Demon King. The large Demons he'd seen in the mountains as a child all adhered to the regulations and avoided humans. This one in front of him was quite an anomaly.
Suddenly, Huai Xu stopped walking, pointed ahead, and said, "There's your deskmate."
Zhou Li looked ahead. He saw a figure with a tuft of sticking-up hair striding along, hands in pockets, a toothpick in his mouth, and humming a song. The person was looking around casually—a demeanor that, decades ago, would have led to a public criticism session.
At the same time, Brother Nan also saw him. He paused, then slightly changed direction and walked toward Zhou Li.
"Yo, out enjoying the sun!"
"Yeah. Want some cherries?" Zhou Li extended his hand.
"Post-meal fruit too?" Brother Nan unceremoniously grabbed a few from Zhou Li's hand. "Where'd you get cherries? Haven't you been at school this whole time? You've got more connections than I do!"
"A friend gave them to me," Zhou Li said.
"A friend? Which one? I thought you didn't have many friends at school." Li Nan grabbed a few more from his hand.
"You wouldn't know them."
"Ugh, got a sour one."
"Most of them are pretty sweet." Zhou Li glanced at Huai Xu, who was standing beside him.
"Ah! I heard the cafeteria food got better recently. What do you think?" Li Nan asked. "I'm kind of tempted to try a meal. They specifically added ingredients for us; it feels like such a waste not to try it."
"It's average. Just more meat now."
"Then never mind." Brother Nan was picky about food flavors. "How about I treat you to dinner tonight? Consider it thanks for your notes."
"No need to be so formal."
"What's the big deal? I'll take you out, and I guarantee you'll find it delicious!" Brother Nan waved his hand dismissively, not waiting for Zhou Li to reply. "It's settled then! I'm off to play basketball!"
"Your deskmate is quite interesting," Huai Xu remarked, standing beside Zhou Li.
"You two would definitely get along," Zhou Li said.
"What did you say?" Li Nan, already some distance away, turned his head back.
"Nothing."
"Oh." Li Nan walked away.
Huai Xu and Zhou Li walked past a willow tree, with Huai Xu slightly ahead. He stopped in front of a sandpit, eating cherries while studying the words on the opposite wall. Many of the characters he could only partially recognize, guessing the rest.
"'School motto… must wear school uniforms…'" Huai Xu read aloud, then paused. "'Strictly prohibited… what…'" He turned to Zhou Li.
"'Carry,'" Zhou Li supplied. "'Carrying.'"
"'Oh. Strictly prohibited from carrying mobile phones and other items unrelated to study,'" Huai Xu continued reading. "'Strictly prohibited from carrying controlled knives, clubs, batons, and other dangerous items.'"
"'Boarding students are not allowed to freely enter or exit the school gates during the term. Third-year students are not allowed to leave the school gates at noon or in the afternoon.'"
"'Strictly prohibited to ride bicycles within the school gates.'"
"'Strictly prohibited from being late, er…'"
"'Truancy,'" Zhou Li corrected. "'Skipping class.'"
"'Ah, truancy, leaving early…'" Huai Xu mused. "'It all seems so strict. So many prohibitions.'"
"It depends on the person, I guess." Zhou Li also looked at the wall. Actually, Brother Nan had never paid any attention to these school rules.