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The morning air was incredibly fresh.
Feng Ping Lan rode on his bicycle, leisurely towards the dormitories. He yawned, a few tears leaking out of his eyes.
Sleeping on the floorboards yesterday wasn’t very comfortable, and he was still sleepy, that it was up until now that he was really awake.
Did that really happen yesterday? Or was it just a dream, and he had messed up between the dreamworld and reality?
As the bicycle reached the bottom of the mountain, he couldn't help but look back at the white residence halfway up the mountain.
Leaving just like this, felt like a… huge pity. He felt like he had to do something. Feng Ping Lan stood there thinking for a bit, and made a decision. He turned the bicycle around, going back to the original road. Twenty minutes later, the white residence was right before his eyes. The front courtyard's weeds were still there, and the iron gates were still locked shut, but the sinister weirdness surrounding it was now gone under the morning sun. Feng Ping Lan stopped his bicycle by the side of the road, climbing over the gates, straddling over and walking over to the big doors. The door was unlocked, and he walked into the room past the aisle and turned a corner, into the innermost hall. The golden engraved doors had traces of his blood from last night, the blood having dried to a dark brown. Feng Ping Lan breathed in, pushing the doors open. The huge hall was empty, with nothing in it. There weren't six gorgeous sculptures there, and there wasn't any sculpture-like people. Feng Ping Lan hanged his head, dismayed. Was it a dream? No, not possible. The memories from the morning were incredibly real, so it couldn't be a dream. There should be a few clues left, he had seen those CAS and GMP police shows that taught him that anything could leave traces behind. He wanted to prove that it had been real. He wanted to know what had happen to those six beautiful creatures. Feng Ping Lan moved around the room, trying to find the proof that helped him believe that it wasn't all a dream last night. He bent down to inspect the floor, then crouched and finally laid of the floor to search. Even a piece of hair would be fine, it would tell him that last night was not a dream. But what would it matter if he proved it? He did not know. But he just wanted to prove it. His heart felt refreshed and expectant at the same time, as if he had discovered a part of the world that the world itself did not know of. He had foolishly let go of this chance, and that had been truly stupid. Just as Feng Ping Lan lay on the floor, a chilly gaze full of revulsion stared at the wriggling body on the ground. Quetzal was at the door, his shadow cast long and tall. When he saw Feng Ping Lan, he had the immediate reaction of turning and leaving. He didn't want to have anything to do with humans. He hated humans. "Why isn't there anything here?" Feng Ping Lan muttered while crawling. "Aiya, even a strand of hair would be fine…" The cold and severe features moved to knit the eyebrows. What was this guy doing? Quetzal who had planned to leave halted his footsteps. He observed Feng Ping Lan aimlessly squirming in the room, crawling left and right, climbing while muttering, and lastly humming a off-key song. "Lilililimaomaoer1…" He did not realize the other presence in the room, creating an image of an alpaca happily and comically running around the prairie. Quetzal's expression became much colder, eyebrows furrowed tightly. Why was it this guy the one who broke the seal… He felt as if he had been humiliated. Feng Ping Lan lowered his head, continuing to search around and changing his direction towards the door. Just as he continued searching for clues, a pair of leather shoes appeared in his vision. Feng Ping Lan stared blankly, and slowly raised his head. The first thing he saw was a pair of dark western-styled pants, then clean sleeves, and finally a stern face. "What are you doing?" A deep demonic voice sounded, causing the warmth of the room to lower down to absolute zero. "Trying to find the body hairs that you dropped." Feng Ping Lan subconsciously answered, and immediately regretted it. Ah! He'd sound like a pervert if he said that! "Why did you come back?" Quetzal turned his hand over, and a sword instantaneously appeared, its blade coldly glinting. Feng Ping Lan stared at Quetzal, and blinked a few times looking unbelieving. Quetzal expected him to cry and beg, but the sluggish face split into a smile. "That's so cool!" This was great! It was all real! All six of them existed, and they were really demons! Quetzal frowned, "Why are you smiling…" "Because you're all real, hehehe…" Feng Ping Lan let out a sigh of relief. He stood up, patting off the dust on his body and staring at Quetzal, smiling uncontrollably. That smile made Quetzal incredibly unsettled. "I thought it was all a dream, but luckily it was all real, how fortunate hahaha!" Quetzal stared speechlessly at him. Why was he so happy by only proving their existence? Did he have other bad intentions in mind… He did not say his suspicions out loud, and silently observed Feng Ping Lan, waiting for him to reveal his intentions on his own. After saying this, Feng Ping Lan stared at Quetzal, neither of them making a sound. A few seconds later, Feng Ping Lan raised the sides of his mouth, smiling foolishly at him. "Hehehe…" An impatient expression appeared on the chilly face, and Quetzal looked at Feng Ping Lan coldly for a few seconds, then turning away to leave. But Feng Ping Lan followed from behind with absolutely no tact at all. "Where are the others?" Feng Ping Lan asked curiously, "Are they all out? You're not going along with them? That's right, are you guys friends? Or relatives?" In response to Feng Ping Lan's babbling, Quetzal turned a deaf ear and continued with his footsteps. Noisy… He had never in his life met such a noisy human. There had never been anyone who had dared to be so noisy in his presence before. "Oh right, I'm Feng Ping Lan." Feng Ping Lan smilingly introduced himself. "The white haired guy in the morning called you Quetzal, is that your real name? Is it your given name or surname?" He did not know how demons named themselves. Who knew what was the meaning behind that name which sounded like it was from a foreign country, whether it was really a name, a t.i.tle, or a curse. He thought that this name was just like a curse, unforgettable after hearing it once, just like this person whose appearance and figure were deeply etched into his mind. Quetzal snorted coldly. This lowly being did not have the right to know his full name. Feng Ping Lan spoke up, "Uh, actually I have have a request, it's just a small matter, but it might be a bit presumptuous…" Quetzal stopped moving, his eyes revealing a loathing sneer. Finally revealing his true nature then… Human… The innocent words and absurd actions were just a cover for his insatiable greed after all. Shameless creatures… Quetzal turned around, unyieldingly stating, "Say it." "Can I touch you again?" Last night he had touched the cold and hard stone sculptures, but he was curious after seeing those life and real bodies and wanted to feel the difference between them. Quetzal's cold smile became frozen, his obvious loathing causing his features to become dyed with indignant fire. Seeing no response from him, Feng Ping Lan gently asked once more, "Can I?" His hand moved towards Quetzal at the same time. His hand was seized by a vicious palm. Feng Ping Lan stared blankly at Quetzal, and even though the grasp was so painful it caused him to almost shed a few tears, he cared much more of another matter. The hand that had seized his wrist was unexpectedly cold, the temperature many times lower than a normal human's. "Your hand is so cold!" Feng Ping Lan spoke without a thought, putting on a delighted expression. "It's so cooling, very comfortable." Quetzal frowned, and flung Feng Ping Lan's hand away as if he was in contact with filth. "…Get lost!" "Do all demons have temperature that low? Or is it just you?" Feng Ping Lan asked, "Are you alright?" "It's not your business, human…" A highly threatening warning came from gritted teeth, "You're not allowed to come near us…" Having said that, Quetzal walked back into the darkness, as if he melded with the shadows and vanishing along with it. "Amazing!" Feng Ping Lan clapped at his position, stopping only after a while. He held out his hand, looking at the traces on his wrist, and was unable to hold back a smile. It was a real, it wasn't just a dream… Leaving the residence, Feng Ping Lan headed towards the dormitories on his bicycle. This time he was in a good mood, and for no reason at all, he had a kind of expectant and excited feeling that was hard to put into words. It was eight in the morning, which was the time the students' lesson started. Feng Ping Lan rode the bicycle by the sideroad, moving away from the other cars. As he met a red light, he glanced right to left boredly. Suddenly, something caught his attention. What was that? He rubbed his eyes. He saw a green ball-like thing flying in the air. It looked like a balloon, but there was a something veiny poking out of its head, and as it turned it revealed a huge bloodshot eye. The dirty eyeball spun uncontrollably, and the crowd dismissed its existence completely as if it was just another advertis.e.m.e.nt sign. A sound returned Feng Ping Lan's attention to him, and he realized that the lights had turned green. He hurriedly stepped on the pedal, leaving the scene. It was probably a new way of advertising, even though it didn't seem that way. A metropolitan city was definitely different, always coming up with new things. He would remember to stay calm next time. Feng Ping Lan came up with a simple solution to the eyeball's presence. Reaching the dormitory, he found the administrator guy in the same situation as last night, wearing sungla.s.ses, a sour face, and drinking iced lemon tea that was filled full of lemon slices. "Yo." The administrator saw Feng Ping Lan, and greeted him, "Did you sleep well last night?" "Quite well, haha." "Why didn't your relatives send you here?" "What relatives?" Feng Ping Lan saw the calculating look in the administrator's eyes, and hurriedly made up an excuse, "Oh! That's right, my brother-in-law! I stayed at my brother-in-law's house last night! He has to go to work today!" "Oh, is that so." The administrator nodded his head, not wanting to break through Feng Ping Lan's lie. "Go to your dorm then, don't let your roommate wait too long." Feng Ping Lan hurriedly waved goodbye, leaving before the administrator asked any more questions. After registering with the dormitory supervisor and collecting his key, he went to his a.s.signed room. Zephaniah Academy's establishment was faultless. Its dormitory was incredibly simple but had a clean and pristine exterior. The whole building had light blue and white as its main colors, giving off a pleasant feel. What would his roommate be like? Bearing a sort of expectancy, he arrived at the third floor and found his room. The room was not locked, and Feng Ping Lan immediately pushed the door open. "Good morning—" A person stood in the room, stature tall and thin, and also wearing a girl's uniform. For an instant, Feng Ping Lan thought that his own fantasies had come true, but as he took another look he realized that although that the person was wearing a girl's clothes, he was most definitely a male. Feng Ping Lan stared blankly. Was this… a new kind of fad? He wasn't really clear on the tastes of people in the metropolitan city. Even though a guy wearing girls' clothes was weird, compared to the stuff shown on magazines and TV shows this was pretty normal. Feng Ping Lan inquisitively observed the person standing in front of him. This person was about the same age as him, with brown hair and adorning a pair of black-framed gla.s.ses which covered for the most part a refined male's face. The woman's blouse was stretched tight by broad shoulders and a white skirt revealed two long and thin legs underneath. The boy stood beside the window, eyes closed before the blowing wind, his chin raised as it he was sensing something. "h.e.l.lo. Are you room 384's Bai Li Rui2?" Feng Ping Lan asked. "Mm." The boy gave a sound of acknowledgement, still in the same position. "Oh, h.e.l.lo. I'm your roommate, Feng Ping Lan." He smiled, closing the door and bringing his luggage in, "Please take care of me." Bai Li Rui opened his eyelids, and stared at him for a moment, speaking up, "Can you help me with something?" "Oh alright, what do you want me to do?" Bai Li Rui looked back, closing his eyelids, "Hug me from the back." Facing this sort of strange scenario, this strange request, Feng Ping Lan did not think much, as this was a simple thing to do. "Oh, okay." He put down his luggage, walked up to Bai Li Rui and hesitated for a moment before reaching out his arms and stiffly wrapping them around the boy's chest. Bai Li Rui tsked, and shook his head to instruct him, "This isn’t a hug, it’s the Heimlich maneuver. You can do that if I've choked on something." He reached out to pull Feng Ping Lan's arm further down to his waist, "Your skills are really horrible, haven't you hugged a girl before?" "Nope." "Really." Bai Li Rui nodded his head, looking satisfied. "Me too. Maybe we can become comrades." "What comrades?" "Love comrades. With both of our efforts, we will definitely conquer the battlefield, and make all the cute girls bow before us, in front of every love hunter in the world." "Oh! Okay!" Even though Feng Ping Lan didn't really understand, he nodded enthusiastically, "Um, may I ask, what are we currently doing?" "Experimentation. I want to experience what a girl would feel in this type of scenario." Bai Li Rui answered. "To know what she is thinking, you'll have to experience it yourself." "I see," Feng Ping Lan paused for a moment and frowned, "So I'm acting as a s.e.xual hara.s.ser?" "No, you're acting as a male student that has had a crush on me for a long while now. You have written a letter and put it in my locker, and invited me to meet you under the cherry blossom behind the school compound. I’ve arrived ten minutes earlier than the set time, feeling apprehensive yet expectant. You walk up to me and embrace me from behind, asking me the answer to the question you have written in the letter." "I see." Feng Ping Lan thought for a moment, "It still sounds like a hara.s.ser’s role." "Even though it's a hara.s.ser, it's a romantic hara.s.ser. Romance is the photoshop of love, editing away any blemishes and disgraceful situations." "I see!" Feng Ping Lan went along with it once again, even though he didn’t really understand. It seemed that he had been paired up with a really profound person. That was good, he would definitely learn a lot of things in the next three years. After a long pause, Bai Li Rui spoke, "Alright, that's enough, let go." Feng Ping Lan let go. "What about it? What were the results of this experiment?" "Too hot. It doesn't feel good when sweaty palms are placed on your body." Bai Li Rui took up a golden notebook off his desk, noting it down. The boxes on the ground contained a few similar-looking notebooks in it, and Feng Ping Lan could not help but feel impressed. "Why do you do these experiments for?" "I love women, and I want to get a girlfriend." Bai Li Rui did not look up, his tone expressing that what he said should be obvious. "After attending a boy's school for three years, my dried-up soul needs a bit of pink fragrant-scented moisture. This is an absolutely needed preparation. If I don't prepare I will not be able to achieve my goals." "I see." Feng Ping Lan admired him. "Where are your things? Only this much?" "The others haven't been delivered yet." Feng Ping Lan said this while moving to the cabinet to store the electric pot, "Apparently it will only arrive in the afternoon— f.u.c.k!" He couldn't help make a sound due to the thing in the cabinet. There was a pale-faced woman sitting in the cabinet. She wore an unb.u.t.toned blouse, her wine-colored bra hugging her faintly discernable b.r.e.a.s.t.s. There was nothing covering up her lower body, both of her white-skinned legs drawn together, looking innocent yet lewd. Even though she had an incredibly attractive body, the woman wore no expression. Her empty eyes two deep pools of backwater, extremely creepy in a sense. "What is it?" Bai Li Rui turned his head, "Even though it's sent late, there's no need to be angry." "No! Not because of that!" Feng Ping Lan pointed at the cabinet, "Is that yours? Your girlfriend? Is she inflatable, or is she an actual human? I agree that she's hot! But also terrifying!" There were two possible reactions to this; he didn't know whether to feel aroused or to wet his pants in fear. Bai Li Rui looked at the cabinet, and said confusedly, "Isn't that just an empty cabinet?" "What?" Feng Ping Lan was astonished, "Empty?" "Are you on drugs? Why are you high so early in the morning?" Feng Ping Lan turned his head to see the woman's blank eyes staring at him. You… can… see… me…? Blood red lips slowly opened and closed, spitting out soundless words. Feng Ping Lan was absolutely horrified. He wanted to run, but a sort of thirst surged up in his heart, as if a voice was whispering to him, to approach the woman in the cabinet. Shua! A blue shard shot through the cabinet, shooting through the woman's forehead. The woman revealed a panic-stricken look, opening her mouth to scream for help, but the blue piece of fragment on her forehead shone a blue light, causing her to vanish completely. The piece fell to the ground, turning into water. As the woman disappeared, the thought that had plagued him vanished along with it. "That was a lower-level demon." A belittling voice sounded, and Feng Ping Lan turned to see the blue-haired boy from this morning standing behind him. "Where did you run off to? I couldn't find you anywhere," the blue haired boy accused. "I went back to the house for a while…" Feng Ping Lan foolishly replied, "Why are you here?" "Of course it's because I have some matters to do, so I came, do you think that I'm bored enough to take the initiative to come so close to humans on my own?" He finished saying this, rolling his eyes. "Are you guys friends?" Bai Li Rui sized up the blue-haired boy, "I'll say this first, if you want me to become friends with him too, I'll definitely refuse." "He should be counted as someone I know… Probably…" Feng Ping Lan didn't know how to explain their relationship to him. The boy in front of them could not even be counted as human. "What does that have anything to do with me? Shoo shoo! Away to the side, I have things to discuss with this guy!" The blue-haired boy waved his hand as if he was shooing away a small animal. Bai Li Rui knitted his eyebrows, looking at Feng Ping Lan, "Can I hit him?" "You probably shouldn't do that, human." The blue-haired boy haughtily tsked. "That will only hurt you." "Oh? And what do you plan to do? Make me die of laughter from your chuunibyou tendencies?" "Ahahaha! Don't be like that! We're all friends, get along with each other!" Feng Ping Lan quickly interrupted them both, making effort to cool down the atmosphere. "Um, I'm sorry, I've forgotten that I have things to do with… with…" "Conglong.3" The blue-haired boy said unhappily. "Right, Conglong and I have something to do, so he came here to get me. See you later!" Before Bai Li Rui could ask any questions, Feng Ping Lan pulled Conglong out of the room into the laundry room at the end of the hallway. "Um, what was that thing in the cabinet?" He thought back on those blank eyes, his heart still carrying a lingering fear. "That was a lower-level demon." Conglong replied, eyes wandering towards the washing machine in the corner. "What's this?" "A washing machine, haven't you seen one before?" "The underworld has no such thing. We don't come to the human world often." Conglong curiously pressed the b.u.t.tons on the header. "Only you can see it. You released the seal, so your soul has a connection with us, causing you to have the ability to see us. Also, demons don't just appear in the rooms, they're everywhere." "The why was the woman in our room? Why was she… clothed like that?" "That was a succubus that lives on this floor, who’ll follow the wishes of those that reside here and transform into what they want to see in order to feed on their life force. Low-level demons will be pretty weak when they transform and won't won't be able to stay in that form forever, so they'll hide in the darkness." "I see.” Feng Ping Lan nodded his head. A white blouse and unclothed legs were definitely a man's romance. Conglong pressed the b.u.t.tons a few times, with no response from the machine. He unwillingly turned towards Feng Ping Lan, "How do you operate this?" "You have to insert a coin to use it." "So why aren’t you putting a coin in?" "I don't have any clothes to wash." "Take off the clothes you're wearing, then." "What?" This was really too much to ask a person! "My change of clothes haven't arrived yet. That would be too awkward!" "What's the difference? Looking at what happened last night, I thought that you didn't have any sense of shame in you." Conglong impatiently curled his lip. "Strip now! I want to see it operate, hurry up." "Alright, alright." Feng Ping Lan forced a smile, taking off his clothes and socks, then getting shocked by the pony-tailed nurse residing in the washing machine. "G.o.d! It appeared again!" Conglong flicked his finger, a blue piece of shard shooting into the washing machine, causing the girl to vanish. "This town is between two worlds, so the lower-level demons can come here, but they have no physical bodies. The demons who have evil intent towards humans are the ones that will be a threat to humans." "They look like ghosts…" "90% of ghosts are made up by lower-level demons. They can be killed, but it's hard to maintain in this place so they exist in that manner. Souls that have died will go to where they should go, and won't stay in this world. Also, demons have a special interest in humans that see them, so if you show too much reaction to them, they will take the initiative to find you." "Then what should I do?" "The most appropriate solution is to ignore them." "That's too hard…" Even a terrifying beauty would make his pulse almost stop. If there were any more of this, he was worried that his heart wouldn’t move any longer. Feng Ping Lan threw the clothes into the washing machine, inserting a coin. The washing machine started to move. Conglong couldn't wait and moved closer to it, opening the lid of the washing machine to further inspect how it operated. "It'll stop moving if you open it." "What? How would I know it isn't lazing off then?" "Machines don't laze off." "So you've never seen it innermost parts before?" Conglong thought for a bit, speaking, "Get in and see what happens in it, then come out and tell me." "Don't joke around! I'll die! Why isn't it you the one that goes in?" "Because those are your dirty clothes." Conglong said obviously. Feng Ping Lan did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Well I'm sorry for that then…" "That's right, you went back to our residence? Why?" "Ah, because I wanted to check whether it was a dream or not…" Feng Ping Lan subconsciously looked at his wrist where the hand prints had faded slightly, "I only found that half-human half-snake there." "You saw Quetzal?" Conglong was astonished. "That's right." "Quetzal doesn't like humans, so you shouldn't get too close to him." Conglong paused, "But in retrospect, he stays clear of the things he hates, and I didn't think he would appear before you…" "Oh really!" Knowing this bit, Feng Ping Lan couldn't help but feel pleased and high spirited. "What about you? Why did you come here especially to find me?" "Who would come here especially—" Not waiting for Conglong to finish, Feng Ping Lan started guessing by himself, "Ah, did you come here specifically to warn me about the low-level demons, so that I would be prepared?" Conglong was unhappy, "What do you mean by specifically—" "Thank you! You're really kind-hearted." Conglong stared blankly. Taking advantage of this, Feng Ping Lan spread his arms, tackling him in a hug. "Impudent!" Conglong reprimanded with a sour face, glaring unhappily at Feng Ping Lan. "You lowly b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Who gave you permission to touch me! Repulsive!" He hit Feng Ping Lan's waist hard, then freed himself forcefully. "Ah, it hurts." Feng Ping Lan released his grip, rubbing his waist. "You're not allowed to do that anymore!" Conglong warned. "Alright, I get it." Feng Ping Lan smiled, "Is it just you who came?" "Other than Quetzal, all the others have come, they went to other areas to investigate. Simo4 and Byriel5 will meet up with us shortly." Conglong paused, "That's the female and the blond one." "What about the black haired and the white-haired one?" "That's Morris6 and Dongya7." Conglong looked at the washing machine." When will this thing stop moving?" "After washing it'll need to rinse, so that'll take about twenty minutes to finish." Feng Ping Lan looked at his watch, it was already 11 am. "Do you want to have lunch with me? I'll go borrow some clothes from Bai Li Rui, let's go to the dining hall together!" Conglong thought for a moment, "Byriel said that we have to observe the humans, so we can blend in with them easily. As you happen to be inviting me, I'll reluctantly accept." "It must be a huge grievance to you, then," Feng Ping Lan forced a smile. They went back to find Bai Li Rui organizing a mountain of junk. Seeing Feng Ping Lan's bare body, Bai Li Rui frowned. "What happened to your clothes?" "It's currently in the wash…" Bai Li Rui stayed silent for a few minutes, "…So what did you do to cause you to need to wash them?" "Nothing much, I just happened to dirty them, so I threw them in for a wash, hahaha." Feng Ping Lan grabbed his head, "Could you lend me some clothes?" "Sure." Bai Li Rui opened a drawer, pulling out a garment. He gave it to Feng Ping Lan, gravely warning, "But do not 'just happen to dirty them' while wearing these clothes…" Zephaniah Academy had two dining hall, one on the northern side of the dormitory the other situated a floor underground. It was connected to both the male and female dorms, its purpose meant for socializing, where boys and girls from separate dorms could find solace from the depressing boarding school life. It was four days until the actual cla.s.ses started, so there were only freshmen present. Other than the convenience store, there was only one stall open, the students thinly spread out at different tables. Bai Li Rui surveyed the dining hall like and eagle hunting its prey, quickly running over to a table in a corner near the toilets. "Are you sure you want to sit here?" Feng Ping Lan looked at the other tables, "It's a bit far from the stalls…" "This table's nearer to what I desire…" Bai Li Rui purposefully kept up a profound exterior, saying this while staring at the table two places away from theirs, his eyes subtly displaying a slight thirst. It was an expression found on a boy undergoing p.u.b.erty. Conglong frowned, asking disapprovingly, "Choosing a seat close to the toilets, are you interested in eating feces?" "It's not that!" Bai Li Rui berated, lowering his voice, "Do you see the table at the front?" The two of them looked over to where Bai Li Rui had instructed, to see a quiet and gentle female student sitting alone by herself, calmly eating her lunch. "That's my target." Bai Li Rui said proudly. "You want to steal her food?" Conglong frowned once more, "Stealing from the weak is a really despicable act, you might as well eat the feces." "You eat it! Who wants to steal her food! Are you doing this on purpose?!" "Ahaha, Conglong is just joking around, aha it's so humorous, I'm about to die of laughter hahaha." Feng Ping Lan hurriedly intercepted, forcing out a laugh, earning Conglong and Bai Li Rui's cold stares. Bai Li Rui looked at Conglong, "Anyways, it'll be easier to talk to a girl that's by herself. Even though she'll be cautious at first, it's easier than tackling a huge group at once." "Oh! So Li Rui, you've decided to make a move? You're going to make a move on that pure young lady now?" Feng Ping Lan said excitedly. "No, making a move after sitting down would be top suspicious, and it'll just alert her, this is an easy mistake to make. We need to move step by step, make it look natural, we can't be hasty—" Conglong interrupted impatiently, "So what do you want to do?" "Bai Li Rui stayed silent for a minute, "…Let's go order our lunches first." Conglong rolled his eyes, muttering, "Eating with humans is really troublesome…" The three of them went over to order their lunches. Feng Ping Lan purposefully slowed down his footsteps to talk to Conglong behind Bai Li Rui, "Are you okay with consuming the food here?" He felt that the food that demons ate would be different from humans. "After reaching the human world, we will eat the human food to fit in with this world. It's just that we don't consume food like how normal humans humans do." "Then why does the demon from earlier consume humans' lifeforce?" "A demon that does not have a physical body can only eat things that aren't physical. Those low-level demons are no different from parasitic worms. Higher-level demons can go through many different worlds, and will be much more difficult to be discovered, these are the characteristics of a higher being." Conglong grunted in disdain. "Our standing is much higher than those small fry." Reaching the food stall, Conglong surveyed the dishes, putting on an unsatisfied expression. "Do you have milk or any dairy products?" "They're available in the convenience store next door," Feng Ping Lan pointed to the other shop. "Bring me there." "Oh, alright," he informed Bai Li Rui about it, then brought Conglong to the shop. He realized that he was now accustomed to Conglong's headstrong and frank behaviour. Although he was haughty and arrogant, he didn't feel offended… Oh! Was he by chance having m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic tendencies? Could it be that he wanted to be ordered around, summoned, and even liking the feel of being tied up and whipped? High school could really open many possibilities to him. While Feng Ping Lan was letting his imagination run wild, an icy cold package was stuffed into his hands. He turned his head to see a huge carton of domestic milk. "I want this one." "Can't you pick a smaller one…" "I'm already being courteous by only taking a carton." Conglong said moodily. "Only this?" Feng Ping Lan was flabbergasted, "You don't need to eat anything else?" "That's right." Conglong explained. "This is the substance that's the most suitable for me to consume. This is different for every demon, but there is only one suited for them." "What would happen if you ate anything else?" "Nothing special would happen, it's just that I wouldn't like it. There is of course some demons that are allergic to some foods, but those are rare cases. Also, if we can't benefit from it, why would we have to force ourselves to like it?" Conglong asked. "You're right." It looked like haughtiness was a normal characteristic of demons. "That's your lunch?" Right after returning to their seats, Bai Li Rui asked Conglong doubtfully about his choice of lunch. "It's none of your business, why don't you eat your feces!" Conglong opened the lid, sticking the straw inside, elegantly drinking it with a satisfied smile on his face. Looking at the aggressive Conglong making such an expression, Feng Ping Lan suddenly felt that this kind of Conglong was actually quite cute. "Where's your food?" Bai Li Rui looked at the empty s.p.a.ce in front of Feng Ping Lan, frowning, "Are you planning on drinking the same milk along with him? Although I'm not prejudiced towards a person's s.e.xual inclinations, I'm absolutely against someone blatantly showing public displays of affections in front of me." "Even though I don't know what you're talking about, your opinions have nothing to do with me." Conglong immediately reb.u.t.ted. "I'm just waiting until dinner to eat." He had spent too much money yesterday, and he'd probably have to do without a few meals in the next month. "Are you on a diet?" Bai Li Rui had a huge realization, "Taking advantage of the huge hype for vampires, purposely gaining the appearance of a thin and sickly boy to gain the girls' pampering and indulgence? I didn't realize you were that cunning." "It's not that, I'm just simply out of money." Feng Ping Lan smiled, denying, "Can I have your leftovers?" "Of course, "Bai Li Rui generously put out his lunchbox, "When the girls ask you about me, please tell them of my courteous actions, so that a good impression will be left in them." "No problem!" Conglong looked from Feng Ping Lan taking the unwanted vegetables from Bai Li Rui's lunchbox to his carton of milk, frowning silently in deep thought. Suddenly, a little emerald green and orange sparrow appeared from out of nowhere, slowly landing on their table. Feng Ping Lan stared at the colorful bird in shock, and as he moved to praise it, Conglong gave him a look. He immediately closed his mouth, looking at Bai Li Rui who had not reacted in the slightest. So this was also a demon… The sparrow walked towards Conglong, fluttering its wings; at the same time, its body collapsed into dazzling feathers, a gentle sound reverberating as they fell. Even though he was quite near, Feng Ping Lan could not understand what was being said. The feathers vanished as they hit the table. "What's that?" Feng Ping Lan lowered his voice to ask. "…Simo's messenger demon." Conglong closed the lid over the milk, "I'm leaving." "You're leaving now?" "Byriel's discovered something, I have to go." Conglong finished his milk and stood up to leave. "Wait!" "What's the matter?" Conglong stopped his footsteps. "Um, will you come back?" Feng Ping Lan could not help but ask, "Will we meet again?" Bai Li Rui rolled his eyes, "Which drama show are you guys acting from?" Looking at Feng Ping Lan's face full of expectancy, Conglong suddenly thought that staying behind with Feng Ping Lan wasn't actually a bad idea. But his rationality immediately removed that absurd thought. "I don't know." Conglong looked at Feng Ping Lan, pausing then speaking again, "Maybe I will… I'll try." With that said, he hurriedly left, feeling kind of embarra.s.sed even though he did not know why. TL Notes There doesn’t seem to be any connotations of it at all. It’s just a meaningless lyricless song. 白理睿, bái lǐ ruì. His name interestingly means ‘white’, ‘truth’ (though it can mean other things), and ‘astute’ respectively. 璁瓏, cōng lóng. 希茉, xī mò. 百嘹, bǎi liáo. 墨里斯, mò lǐ sī. 冬犽, dōng yà.
Leaving just like this, felt like a… huge pity. He felt like he had to do something. Feng Ping Lan stood there thinking for a bit, and made a decision. He turned the bicycle around, going back to the original road. Twenty minutes later, the white residence was right before his eyes. The front courtyard's weeds were still there, and the iron gates were still locked shut, but the sinister weirdness surrounding it was now gone under the morning sun. Feng Ping Lan stopped his bicycle by the side of the road, climbing over the gates, straddling over and walking over to the big doors. The door was unlocked, and he walked into the room past the aisle and turned a corner, into the innermost hall. The golden engraved doors had traces of his blood from last night, the blood having dried to a dark brown. Feng Ping Lan breathed in, pushing the doors open. The huge hall was empty, with nothing in it. There weren't six gorgeous sculptures there, and there wasn't any sculpture-like people. Feng Ping Lan hanged his head, dismayed. Was it a dream? No, not possible. The memories from the morning were incredibly real, so it couldn't be a dream. There should be a few clues left, he had seen those CAS and GMP police shows that taught him that anything could leave traces behind. He wanted to prove that it had been real. He wanted to know what had happen to those six beautiful creatures. Feng Ping Lan moved around the room, trying to find the proof that helped him believe that it wasn't all a dream last night. He bent down to inspect the floor, then crouched and finally laid of the floor to search. Even a piece of hair would be fine, it would tell him that last night was not a dream. But what would it matter if he proved it? He did not know. But he just wanted to prove it. His heart felt refreshed and expectant at the same time, as if he had discovered a part of the world that the world itself did not know of. He had foolishly let go of this chance, and that had been truly stupid. Just as Feng Ping Lan lay on the floor, a chilly gaze full of revulsion stared at the wriggling body on the ground. Quetzal was at the door, his shadow cast long and tall. When he saw Feng Ping Lan, he had the immediate reaction of turning and leaving. He didn't want to have anything to do with humans. He hated humans. "Why isn't there anything here?" Feng Ping Lan muttered while crawling. "Aiya, even a strand of hair would be fine…" The cold and severe features moved to knit the eyebrows. What was this guy doing? Quetzal who had planned to leave halted his footsteps. He observed Feng Ping Lan aimlessly squirming in the room, crawling left and right, climbing while muttering, and lastly humming a off-key song. "Lilililimaomaoer1…" He did not realize the other presence in the room, creating an image of an alpaca happily and comically running around the prairie. Quetzal's expression became much colder, eyebrows furrowed tightly. Why was it this guy the one who broke the seal… He felt as if he had been humiliated. Feng Ping Lan lowered his head, continuing to search around and changing his direction towards the door. Just as he continued searching for clues, a pair of leather shoes appeared in his vision. Feng Ping Lan stared blankly, and slowly raised his head. The first thing he saw was a pair of dark western-styled pants, then clean sleeves, and finally a stern face. "What are you doing?" A deep demonic voice sounded, causing the warmth of the room to lower down to absolute zero. "Trying to find the body hairs that you dropped." Feng Ping Lan subconsciously answered, and immediately regretted it. Ah! He'd sound like a pervert if he said that! "Why did you come back?" Quetzal turned his hand over, and a sword instantaneously appeared, its blade coldly glinting. Feng Ping Lan stared at Quetzal, and blinked a few times looking unbelieving. Quetzal expected him to cry and beg, but the sluggish face split into a smile. "That's so cool!" This was great! It was all real! All six of them existed, and they were really demons! Quetzal frowned, "Why are you smiling…" "Because you're all real, hehehe…" Feng Ping Lan let out a sigh of relief. He stood up, patting off the dust on his body and staring at Quetzal, smiling uncontrollably. That smile made Quetzal incredibly unsettled. "I thought it was all a dream, but luckily it was all real, how fortunate hahaha!" Quetzal stared speechlessly at him. Why was he so happy by only proving their existence? Did he have other bad intentions in mind… He did not say his suspicions out loud, and silently observed Feng Ping Lan, waiting for him to reveal his intentions on his own. After saying this, Feng Ping Lan stared at Quetzal, neither of them making a sound. A few seconds later, Feng Ping Lan raised the sides of his mouth, smiling foolishly at him. "Hehehe…" An impatient expression appeared on the chilly face, and Quetzal looked at Feng Ping Lan coldly for a few seconds, then turning away to leave. But Feng Ping Lan followed from behind with absolutely no tact at all. "Where are the others?" Feng Ping Lan asked curiously, "Are they all out? You're not going along with them? That's right, are you guys friends? Or relatives?" In response to Feng Ping Lan's babbling, Quetzal turned a deaf ear and continued with his footsteps. Noisy… He had never in his life met such a noisy human. There had never been anyone who had dared to be so noisy in his presence before. "Oh right, I'm Feng Ping Lan." Feng Ping Lan smilingly introduced himself. "The white haired guy in the morning called you Quetzal, is that your real name? Is it your given name or surname?" He did not know how demons named themselves. Who knew what was the meaning behind that name which sounded like it was from a foreign country, whether it was really a name, a t.i.tle, or a curse. He thought that this name was just like a curse, unforgettable after hearing it once, just like this person whose appearance and figure were deeply etched into his mind. Quetzal snorted coldly. This lowly being did not have the right to know his full name. Feng Ping Lan spoke up, "Uh, actually I have have a request, it's just a small matter, but it might be a bit presumptuous…" Quetzal stopped moving, his eyes revealing a loathing sneer. Finally revealing his true nature then… Human… The innocent words and absurd actions were just a cover for his insatiable greed after all. Shameless creatures… Quetzal turned around, unyieldingly stating, "Say it." "Can I touch you again?" Last night he had touched the cold and hard stone sculptures, but he was curious after seeing those life and real bodies and wanted to feel the difference between them. Quetzal's cold smile became frozen, his obvious loathing causing his features to become dyed with indignant fire. Seeing no response from him, Feng Ping Lan gently asked once more, "Can I?" His hand moved towards Quetzal at the same time. His hand was seized by a vicious palm. Feng Ping Lan stared blankly at Quetzal, and even though the grasp was so painful it caused him to almost shed a few tears, he cared much more of another matter. The hand that had seized his wrist was unexpectedly cold, the temperature many times lower than a normal human's. "Your hand is so cold!" Feng Ping Lan spoke without a thought, putting on a delighted expression. "It's so cooling, very comfortable." Quetzal frowned, and flung Feng Ping Lan's hand away as if he was in contact with filth. "…Get lost!" "Do all demons have temperature that low? Or is it just you?" Feng Ping Lan asked, "Are you alright?" "It's not your business, human…" A highly threatening warning came from gritted teeth, "You're not allowed to come near us…" Having said that, Quetzal walked back into the darkness, as if he melded with the shadows and vanishing along with it. "Amazing!" Feng Ping Lan clapped at his position, stopping only after a while. He held out his hand, looking at the traces on his wrist, and was unable to hold back a smile. It was a real, it wasn't just a dream… Leaving the residence, Feng Ping Lan headed towards the dormitories on his bicycle. This time he was in a good mood, and for no reason at all, he had a kind of expectant and excited feeling that was hard to put into words. It was eight in the morning, which was the time the students' lesson started. Feng Ping Lan rode the bicycle by the sideroad, moving away from the other cars. As he met a red light, he glanced right to left boredly. Suddenly, something caught his attention. What was that? He rubbed his eyes. He saw a green ball-like thing flying in the air. It looked like a balloon, but there was a something veiny poking out of its head, and as it turned it revealed a huge bloodshot eye. The dirty eyeball spun uncontrollably, and the crowd dismissed its existence completely as if it was just another advertis.e.m.e.nt sign. A sound returned Feng Ping Lan's attention to him, and he realized that the lights had turned green. He hurriedly stepped on the pedal, leaving the scene. It was probably a new way of advertising, even though it didn't seem that way. A metropolitan city was definitely different, always coming up with new things. He would remember to stay calm next time. Feng Ping Lan came up with a simple solution to the eyeball's presence. Reaching the dormitory, he found the administrator guy in the same situation as last night, wearing sungla.s.ses, a sour face, and drinking iced lemon tea that was filled full of lemon slices. "Yo." The administrator saw Feng Ping Lan, and greeted him, "Did you sleep well last night?" "Quite well, haha." "Why didn't your relatives send you here?" "What relatives?" Feng Ping Lan saw the calculating look in the administrator's eyes, and hurriedly made up an excuse, "Oh! That's right, my brother-in-law! I stayed at my brother-in-law's house last night! He has to go to work today!" "Oh, is that so." The administrator nodded his head, not wanting to break through Feng Ping Lan's lie. "Go to your dorm then, don't let your roommate wait too long." Feng Ping Lan hurriedly waved goodbye, leaving before the administrator asked any more questions. After registering with the dormitory supervisor and collecting his key, he went to his a.s.signed room. Zephaniah Academy's establishment was faultless. Its dormitory was incredibly simple but had a clean and pristine exterior. The whole building had light blue and white as its main colors, giving off a pleasant feel. What would his roommate be like? Bearing a sort of expectancy, he arrived at the third floor and found his room. The room was not locked, and Feng Ping Lan immediately pushed the door open. "Good morning—" A person stood in the room, stature tall and thin, and also wearing a girl's uniform. For an instant, Feng Ping Lan thought that his own fantasies had come true, but as he took another look he realized that although that the person was wearing a girl's clothes, he was most definitely a male. Feng Ping Lan stared blankly. Was this… a new kind of fad? He wasn't really clear on the tastes of people in the metropolitan city. Even though a guy wearing girls' clothes was weird, compared to the stuff shown on magazines and TV shows this was pretty normal. Feng Ping Lan inquisitively observed the person standing in front of him. This person was about the same age as him, with brown hair and adorning a pair of black-framed gla.s.ses which covered for the most part a refined male's face. The woman's blouse was stretched tight by broad shoulders and a white skirt revealed two long and thin legs underneath. The boy stood beside the window, eyes closed before the blowing wind, his chin raised as it he was sensing something. "h.e.l.lo. Are you room 384's Bai Li Rui2?" Feng Ping Lan asked. "Mm." The boy gave a sound of acknowledgement, still in the same position. "Oh, h.e.l.lo. I'm your roommate, Feng Ping Lan." He smiled, closing the door and bringing his luggage in, "Please take care of me." Bai Li Rui opened his eyelids, and stared at him for a moment, speaking up, "Can you help me with something?" "Oh alright, what do you want me to do?" Bai Li Rui looked back, closing his eyelids, "Hug me from the back." Facing this sort of strange scenario, this strange request, Feng Ping Lan did not think much, as this was a simple thing to do. "Oh, okay." He put down his luggage, walked up to Bai Li Rui and hesitated for a moment before reaching out his arms and stiffly wrapping them around the boy's chest. Bai Li Rui tsked, and shook his head to instruct him, "This isn’t a hug, it’s the Heimlich maneuver. You can do that if I've choked on something." He reached out to pull Feng Ping Lan's arm further down to his waist, "Your skills are really horrible, haven't you hugged a girl before?" "Nope." "Really." Bai Li Rui nodded his head, looking satisfied. "Me too. Maybe we can become comrades." "What comrades?" "Love comrades. With both of our efforts, we will definitely conquer the battlefield, and make all the cute girls bow before us, in front of every love hunter in the world." "Oh! Okay!" Even though Feng Ping Lan didn't really understand, he nodded enthusiastically, "Um, may I ask, what are we currently doing?" "Experimentation. I want to experience what a girl would feel in this type of scenario." Bai Li Rui answered. "To know what she is thinking, you'll have to experience it yourself." "I see," Feng Ping Lan paused for a moment and frowned, "So I'm acting as a s.e.xual hara.s.ser?" "No, you're acting as a male student that has had a crush on me for a long while now. You have written a letter and put it in my locker, and invited me to meet you under the cherry blossom behind the school compound. I’ve arrived ten minutes earlier than the set time, feeling apprehensive yet expectant. You walk up to me and embrace me from behind, asking me the answer to the question you have written in the letter." "I see." Feng Ping Lan thought for a moment, "It still sounds like a hara.s.ser’s role." "Even though it's a hara.s.ser, it's a romantic hara.s.ser. Romance is the photoshop of love, editing away any blemishes and disgraceful situations." "I see!" Feng Ping Lan went along with it once again, even though he didn’t really understand. It seemed that he had been paired up with a really profound person. That was good, he would definitely learn a lot of things in the next three years. After a long pause, Bai Li Rui spoke, "Alright, that's enough, let go." Feng Ping Lan let go. "What about it? What were the results of this experiment?" "Too hot. It doesn't feel good when sweaty palms are placed on your body." Bai Li Rui took up a golden notebook off his desk, noting it down. The boxes on the ground contained a few similar-looking notebooks in it, and Feng Ping Lan could not help but feel impressed. "Why do you do these experiments for?" "I love women, and I want to get a girlfriend." Bai Li Rui did not look up, his tone expressing that what he said should be obvious. "After attending a boy's school for three years, my dried-up soul needs a bit of pink fragrant-scented moisture. This is an absolutely needed preparation. If I don't prepare I will not be able to achieve my goals." "I see." Feng Ping Lan admired him. "Where are your things? Only this much?" "The others haven't been delivered yet." Feng Ping Lan said this while moving to the cabinet to store the electric pot, "Apparently it will only arrive in the afternoon— f.u.c.k!" He couldn't help make a sound due to the thing in the cabinet. There was a pale-faced woman sitting in the cabinet. She wore an unb.u.t.toned blouse, her wine-colored bra hugging her faintly discernable b.r.e.a.s.t.s. There was nothing covering up her lower body, both of her white-skinned legs drawn together, looking innocent yet lewd. Even though she had an incredibly attractive body, the woman wore no expression. Her empty eyes two deep pools of backwater, extremely creepy in a sense. "What is it?" Bai Li Rui turned his head, "Even though it's sent late, there's no need to be angry." "No! Not because of that!" Feng Ping Lan pointed at the cabinet, "Is that yours? Your girlfriend? Is she inflatable, or is she an actual human? I agree that she's hot! But also terrifying!" There were two possible reactions to this; he didn't know whether to feel aroused or to wet his pants in fear. Bai Li Rui looked at the cabinet, and said confusedly, "Isn't that just an empty cabinet?" "What?" Feng Ping Lan was astonished, "Empty?" "Are you on drugs? Why are you high so early in the morning?" Feng Ping Lan turned his head to see the woman's blank eyes staring at him. You… can… see… me…? Blood red lips slowly opened and closed, spitting out soundless words. Feng Ping Lan was absolutely horrified. He wanted to run, but a sort of thirst surged up in his heart, as if a voice was whispering to him, to approach the woman in the cabinet. Shua! A blue shard shot through the cabinet, shooting through the woman's forehead. The woman revealed a panic-stricken look, opening her mouth to scream for help, but the blue piece of fragment on her forehead shone a blue light, causing her to vanish completely. The piece fell to the ground, turning into water. As the woman disappeared, the thought that had plagued him vanished along with it. "That was a lower-level demon." A belittling voice sounded, and Feng Ping Lan turned to see the blue-haired boy from this morning standing behind him. "Where did you run off to? I couldn't find you anywhere," the blue haired boy accused. "I went back to the house for a while…" Feng Ping Lan foolishly replied, "Why are you here?" "Of course it's because I have some matters to do, so I came, do you think that I'm bored enough to take the initiative to come so close to humans on my own?" He finished saying this, rolling his eyes. "Are you guys friends?" Bai Li Rui sized up the blue-haired boy, "I'll say this first, if you want me to become friends with him too, I'll definitely refuse." "He should be counted as someone I know… Probably…" Feng Ping Lan didn't know how to explain their relationship to him. The boy in front of them could not even be counted as human. "What does that have anything to do with me? Shoo shoo! Away to the side, I have things to discuss with this guy!" The blue-haired boy waved his hand as if he was shooing away a small animal. Bai Li Rui knitted his eyebrows, looking at Feng Ping Lan, "Can I hit him?" "You probably shouldn't do that, human." The blue-haired boy haughtily tsked. "That will only hurt you." "Oh? And what do you plan to do? Make me die of laughter from your chuunibyou tendencies?" "Ahahaha! Don't be like that! We're all friends, get along with each other!" Feng Ping Lan quickly interrupted them both, making effort to cool down the atmosphere. "Um, I'm sorry, I've forgotten that I have things to do with… with…" "Conglong.3" The blue-haired boy said unhappily. "Right, Conglong and I have something to do, so he came here to get me. See you later!" Before Bai Li Rui could ask any questions, Feng Ping Lan pulled Conglong out of the room into the laundry room at the end of the hallway. "Um, what was that thing in the cabinet?" He thought back on those blank eyes, his heart still carrying a lingering fear. "That was a lower-level demon." Conglong replied, eyes wandering towards the washing machine in the corner. "What's this?" "A washing machine, haven't you seen one before?" "The underworld has no such thing. We don't come to the human world often." Conglong curiously pressed the b.u.t.tons on the header. "Only you can see it. You released the seal, so your soul has a connection with us, causing you to have the ability to see us. Also, demons don't just appear in the rooms, they're everywhere." "The why was the woman in our room? Why was she… clothed like that?" "That was a succubus that lives on this floor, who’ll follow the wishes of those that reside here and transform into what they want to see in order to feed on their life force. Low-level demons will be pretty weak when they transform and won't won't be able to stay in that form forever, so they'll hide in the darkness." "I see.” Feng Ping Lan nodded his head. A white blouse and unclothed legs were definitely a man's romance. Conglong pressed the b.u.t.tons a few times, with no response from the machine. He unwillingly turned towards Feng Ping Lan, "How do you operate this?" "You have to insert a coin to use it." "So why aren’t you putting a coin in?" "I don't have any clothes to wash." "Take off the clothes you're wearing, then." "What?" This was really too much to ask a person! "My change of clothes haven't arrived yet. That would be too awkward!" "What's the difference? Looking at what happened last night, I thought that you didn't have any sense of shame in you." Conglong impatiently curled his lip. "Strip now! I want to see it operate, hurry up." "Alright, alright." Feng Ping Lan forced a smile, taking off his clothes and socks, then getting shocked by the pony-tailed nurse residing in the washing machine. "G.o.d! It appeared again!" Conglong flicked his finger, a blue piece of shard shooting into the washing machine, causing the girl to vanish. "This town is between two worlds, so the lower-level demons can come here, but they have no physical bodies. The demons who have evil intent towards humans are the ones that will be a threat to humans." "They look like ghosts…" "90% of ghosts are made up by lower-level demons. They can be killed, but it's hard to maintain in this place so they exist in that manner. Souls that have died will go to where they should go, and won't stay in this world. Also, demons have a special interest in humans that see them, so if you show too much reaction to them, they will take the initiative to find you." "Then what should I do?" "The most appropriate solution is to ignore them." "That's too hard…" Even a terrifying beauty would make his pulse almost stop. If there were any more of this, he was worried that his heart wouldn’t move any longer. Feng Ping Lan threw the clothes into the washing machine, inserting a coin. The washing machine started to move. Conglong couldn't wait and moved closer to it, opening the lid of the washing machine to further inspect how it operated. "It'll stop moving if you open it." "What? How would I know it isn't lazing off then?" "Machines don't laze off." "So you've never seen it innermost parts before?" Conglong thought for a bit, speaking, "Get in and see what happens in it, then come out and tell me." "Don't joke around! I'll die! Why isn't it you the one that goes in?" "Because those are your dirty clothes." Conglong said obviously. Feng Ping Lan did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Well I'm sorry for that then…" "That's right, you went back to our residence? Why?" "Ah, because I wanted to check whether it was a dream or not…" Feng Ping Lan subconsciously looked at his wrist where the hand prints had faded slightly, "I only found that half-human half-snake there." "You saw Quetzal?" Conglong was astonished. "That's right." "Quetzal doesn't like humans, so you shouldn't get too close to him." Conglong paused, "But in retrospect, he stays clear of the things he hates, and I didn't think he would appear before you…" "Oh really!" Knowing this bit, Feng Ping Lan couldn't help but feel pleased and high spirited. "What about you? Why did you come here especially to find me?" "Who would come here especially—" Not waiting for Conglong to finish, Feng Ping Lan started guessing by himself, "Ah, did you come here specifically to warn me about the low-level demons, so that I would be prepared?" Conglong was unhappy, "What do you mean by specifically—" "Thank you! You're really kind-hearted." Conglong stared blankly. Taking advantage of this, Feng Ping Lan spread his arms, tackling him in a hug. "Impudent!" Conglong reprimanded with a sour face, glaring unhappily at Feng Ping Lan. "You lowly b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Who gave you permission to touch me! Repulsive!" He hit Feng Ping Lan's waist hard, then freed himself forcefully. "Ah, it hurts." Feng Ping Lan released his grip, rubbing his waist. "You're not allowed to do that anymore!" Conglong warned. "Alright, I get it." Feng Ping Lan smiled, "Is it just you who came?" "Other than Quetzal, all the others have come, they went to other areas to investigate. Simo4 and Byriel5 will meet up with us shortly." Conglong paused, "That's the female and the blond one." "What about the black haired and the white-haired one?" "That's Morris6 and Dongya7." Conglong looked at the washing machine." When will this thing stop moving?" "After washing it'll need to rinse, so that'll take about twenty minutes to finish." Feng Ping Lan looked at his watch, it was already 11 am. "Do you want to have lunch with me? I'll go borrow some clothes from Bai Li Rui, let's go to the dining hall together!" Conglong thought for a moment, "Byriel said that we have to observe the humans, so we can blend in with them easily. As you happen to be inviting me, I'll reluctantly accept." "It must be a huge grievance to you, then," Feng Ping Lan forced a smile. They went back to find Bai Li Rui organizing a mountain of junk. Seeing Feng Ping Lan's bare body, Bai Li Rui frowned. "What happened to your clothes?" "It's currently in the wash…" Bai Li Rui stayed silent for a few minutes, "…So what did you do to cause you to need to wash them?" "Nothing much, I just happened to dirty them, so I threw them in for a wash, hahaha." Feng Ping Lan grabbed his head, "Could you lend me some clothes?" "Sure." Bai Li Rui opened a drawer, pulling out a garment. He gave it to Feng Ping Lan, gravely warning, "But do not 'just happen to dirty them' while wearing these clothes…" Zephaniah Academy had two dining hall, one on the northern side of the dormitory the other situated a floor underground. It was connected to both the male and female dorms, its purpose meant for socializing, where boys and girls from separate dorms could find solace from the depressing boarding school life. It was four days until the actual cla.s.ses started, so there were only freshmen present. Other than the convenience store, there was only one stall open, the students thinly spread out at different tables. Bai Li Rui surveyed the dining hall like and eagle hunting its prey, quickly running over to a table in a corner near the toilets. "Are you sure you want to sit here?" Feng Ping Lan looked at the other tables, "It's a bit far from the stalls…" "This table's nearer to what I desire…" Bai Li Rui purposefully kept up a profound exterior, saying this while staring at the table two places away from theirs, his eyes subtly displaying a slight thirst. It was an expression found on a boy undergoing p.u.b.erty. Conglong frowned, asking disapprovingly, "Choosing a seat close to the toilets, are you interested in eating feces?" "It's not that!" Bai Li Rui berated, lowering his voice, "Do you see the table at the front?" The two of them looked over to where Bai Li Rui had instructed, to see a quiet and gentle female student sitting alone by herself, calmly eating her lunch. "That's my target." Bai Li Rui said proudly. "You want to steal her food?" Conglong frowned once more, "Stealing from the weak is a really despicable act, you might as well eat the feces." "You eat it! Who wants to steal her food! Are you doing this on purpose?!" "Ahaha, Conglong is just joking around, aha it's so humorous, I'm about to die of laughter hahaha." Feng Ping Lan hurriedly intercepted, forcing out a laugh, earning Conglong and Bai Li Rui's cold stares. Bai Li Rui looked at Conglong, "Anyways, it'll be easier to talk to a girl that's by herself. Even though she'll be cautious at first, it's easier than tackling a huge group at once." "Oh! So Li Rui, you've decided to make a move? You're going to make a move on that pure young lady now?" Feng Ping Lan said excitedly. "No, making a move after sitting down would be top suspicious, and it'll just alert her, this is an easy mistake to make. We need to move step by step, make it look natural, we can't be hasty—" Conglong interrupted impatiently, "So what do you want to do?" "Bai Li Rui stayed silent for a minute, "…Let's go order our lunches first." Conglong rolled his eyes, muttering, "Eating with humans is really troublesome…" The three of them went over to order their lunches. Feng Ping Lan purposefully slowed down his footsteps to talk to Conglong behind Bai Li Rui, "Are you okay with consuming the food here?" He felt that the food that demons ate would be different from humans. "After reaching the human world, we will eat the human food to fit in with this world. It's just that we don't consume food like how normal humans humans do." "Then why does the demon from earlier consume humans' lifeforce?" "A demon that does not have a physical body can only eat things that aren't physical. Those low-level demons are no different from parasitic worms. Higher-level demons can go through many different worlds, and will be much more difficult to be discovered, these are the characteristics of a higher being." Conglong grunted in disdain. "Our standing is much higher than those small fry." Reaching the food stall, Conglong surveyed the dishes, putting on an unsatisfied expression. "Do you have milk or any dairy products?" "They're available in the convenience store next door," Feng Ping Lan pointed to the other shop. "Bring me there." "Oh, alright," he informed Bai Li Rui about it, then brought Conglong to the shop. He realized that he was now accustomed to Conglong's headstrong and frank behaviour. Although he was haughty and arrogant, he didn't feel offended… Oh! Was he by chance having m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic tendencies? Could it be that he wanted to be ordered around, summoned, and even liking the feel of being tied up and whipped? High school could really open many possibilities to him. While Feng Ping Lan was letting his imagination run wild, an icy cold package was stuffed into his hands. He turned his head to see a huge carton of domestic milk. "I want this one." "Can't you pick a smaller one…" "I'm already being courteous by only taking a carton." Conglong said moodily. "Only this?" Feng Ping Lan was flabbergasted, "You don't need to eat anything else?" "That's right." Conglong explained. "This is the substance that's the most suitable for me to consume. This is different for every demon, but there is only one suited for them." "What would happen if you ate anything else?" "Nothing special would happen, it's just that I wouldn't like it. There is of course some demons that are allergic to some foods, but those are rare cases. Also, if we can't benefit from it, why would we have to force ourselves to like it?" Conglong asked. "You're right." It looked like haughtiness was a normal characteristic of demons. "That's your lunch?" Right after returning to their seats, Bai Li Rui asked Conglong doubtfully about his choice of lunch. "It's none of your business, why don't you eat your feces!" Conglong opened the lid, sticking the straw inside, elegantly drinking it with a satisfied smile on his face. Looking at the aggressive Conglong making such an expression, Feng Ping Lan suddenly felt that this kind of Conglong was actually quite cute. "Where's your food?" Bai Li Rui looked at the empty s.p.a.ce in front of Feng Ping Lan, frowning, "Are you planning on drinking the same milk along with him? Although I'm not prejudiced towards a person's s.e.xual inclinations, I'm absolutely against someone blatantly showing public displays of affections in front of me." "Even though I don't know what you're talking about, your opinions have nothing to do with me." Conglong immediately reb.u.t.ted. "I'm just waiting until dinner to eat." He had spent too much money yesterday, and he'd probably have to do without a few meals in the next month. "Are you on a diet?" Bai Li Rui had a huge realization, "Taking advantage of the huge hype for vampires, purposely gaining the appearance of a thin and sickly boy to gain the girls' pampering and indulgence? I didn't realize you were that cunning." "It's not that, I'm just simply out of money." Feng Ping Lan smiled, denying, "Can I have your leftovers?" "Of course, "Bai Li Rui generously put out his lunchbox, "When the girls ask you about me, please tell them of my courteous actions, so that a good impression will be left in them." "No problem!" Conglong looked from Feng Ping Lan taking the unwanted vegetables from Bai Li Rui's lunchbox to his carton of milk, frowning silently in deep thought. Suddenly, a little emerald green and orange sparrow appeared from out of nowhere, slowly landing on their table. Feng Ping Lan stared at the colorful bird in shock, and as he moved to praise it, Conglong gave him a look. He immediately closed his mouth, looking at Bai Li Rui who had not reacted in the slightest. So this was also a demon… The sparrow walked towards Conglong, fluttering its wings; at the same time, its body collapsed into dazzling feathers, a gentle sound reverberating as they fell. Even though he was quite near, Feng Ping Lan could not understand what was being said. The feathers vanished as they hit the table. "What's that?" Feng Ping Lan lowered his voice to ask. "…Simo's messenger demon." Conglong closed the lid over the milk, "I'm leaving." "You're leaving now?" "Byriel's discovered something, I have to go." Conglong finished his milk and stood up to leave. "Wait!" "What's the matter?" Conglong stopped his footsteps. "Um, will you come back?" Feng Ping Lan could not help but ask, "Will we meet again?" Bai Li Rui rolled his eyes, "Which drama show are you guys acting from?" Looking at Feng Ping Lan's face full of expectancy, Conglong suddenly thought that staying behind with Feng Ping Lan wasn't actually a bad idea. But his rationality immediately removed that absurd thought. "I don't know." Conglong looked at Feng Ping Lan, pausing then speaking again, "Maybe I will… I'll try." With that said, he hurriedly left, feeling kind of embarra.s.sed even though he did not know why. TL Notes There doesn’t seem to be any connotations of it at all. It’s just a meaningless lyricless song. 白理睿, bái lǐ ruì. His name interestingly means ‘white’, ‘truth’ (though it can mean other things), and ‘astute’ respectively. 璁瓏, cōng lóng. 希茉, xī mò. 百嘹, bǎi liáo. 墨里斯, mò lǐ sī. 冬犽, dōng yà.
