Shu Bai looked at Li Yuheng, feeling utterly desolate.
Li Yuheng is truly an extraordinary person.
He is like some kind of mutated virus, constantly evolving on his own.
From initially laughing foolishly to later engaging in sharp-tongued banter, their skin has thickened day by day, and now they've even unlocked the skill of selective misinterpretation.
Seeing that Shu Bai's eyes were vacant and he was clearly lost in thought, Li Yuheng deliberately leaned close to his ear and whispered to get information out of him: "Hey, what's your name?"
Shu Bai was still deeply immersed in self-doubt about her own aesthetic sense when she blurted out unconsciously, "Not up yet."
"Then why don't you come up with one now?"
Shu Bai turned her head and saw Li Yuheng smiling: "...You're trying to trick me?"
"Can good brothers exchange platitudes? This is called getting to know each other better. Besides, you already know my name, so why can't I know yours?"
"...Not at the moment."
Li Yuheng's ears twitched.
He recalled the interesting custom in the demon realm, where all members of the demon race had complete autonomy in choosing their names.
There is no requirement to follow a surname, nor are they bound by family seniority; both surname and given name are decided by the individual.
Typically, young demons need to go out and train after reaching adulthood, and only after they return from their training will they be formally named at the "Satisfying Gift".
Before that, even parents and relatives only addressed each other by their nicknames.
When Li Yuheng first heard about this tradition, he secretly envied it.
After all, being able to completely decide your own name is so cool.
Li Yuheng: "What about your nickname? I heard that your demon race's little ones all have nicknames before they are officially named. What did your family call you before?"
Shu Bai glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Li Yuheng deliberately poked Shu Bai with his paw: "Hurry up, don't be stingy. Is your nickname that special?"
Shu Bai slapped his dog paw away with one paw: "Get lost."
Li Yuheng chuckled: "Let me guess... could it be 'Mimi'?"
He deliberately dragged out the sound, with a teasing tone: "Mimi~ Are you coming back for dinner~"
"...If you want to die, just say so."
"That's 'Meow Meow'?" Li Yuheng continued to court disaster, "Meow Meow~ Here's some dried fish for you~"
As he spoke, he observed Shu Bai's reaction and noticed that the tip of the other's ear twitched slightly, which he immediately seized upon.
"Oh—" Li Yuheng smiled smugly, "Looks like I guessed right? It really is Meow Meow?"
Shu Bai suddenly turned around and scratched his dog face with a paw: "You're the boss!"
Li Yuheng nimbly jumped back to dodge, laughing even more wildly: "Hahaha, I knew it! Meow! That's a cute name, it doesn't match your fierce look at all!"
He deliberately called out in a sweet, cloying voice, "Meow~ Don't be angry~"
Shu Bai's face darkened completely, and he turned and left.
Li Yuheng quickly chased after him, circling around him: "Don't go, Meow Meow! Your name is really nice! It sounds much better than my nickname!"
Shu Bai paused, glancing at him sideways: "You have a nickname?"
Li Yuheng immediately raised his head, looking proud: "Of course! My parents call me my little angel!"
Shu Bai immediately lost his breath again.
He watched Li Yuheng's smug and silly expression as he announced "little angel," and the tip of his tail unconsciously twitched.
That bastard always manages to extinguish the fuse with some inexplicable words and actions just when he's about to explode.
"Little angel?" Shu Bai smirked, her tone cool. "You?"
"What? Doesn't it look like it?"
Shu Bai stared at his dog-like eyes, which were close at hand, with a hint of arrogance yet pure honesty. After a moment, he turned his head away.
“Like.” His voice was flat. “Like the kind of thing that tears off someone’s wings to play with.”
Li Yuheng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, letting out a gurgling laugh, and nudged Shu Bai with his head: "You understand me best!"
Shu Bai swayed slightly from his thrusts, as if she were used to it.
After Li Yuheng finished leaning against Shu Bai, he didn't move away. He kept his head close to Shu Bai's and suddenly sighed.
"well."
Shu Bai twitched his ears but ignored him.
Li Yuheng sighed again, this time even louder: "Alas—!"
"If you have something stuck in your throat, just cough it out," Shu Bai said coldly.
"I'm just reflecting," Li Yuheng said in a deep voice. "Do you think that once I go back, no one will play with you like this anymore?"
Shu Bai's body stiffened for a moment.
"Who cares?" he replied curtly, taking two steps forward to create some distance.
Li Yuheng immediately clung to him, following him closely: "I love it! Look, besides me, who else would dare to play with you like this? Who else could catch your paws without getting angry? Who else could help you run away when you were being chased by the Galeme Group?"
He counted on his fingers: "Fighting, arguing, doing bad things together, even sleeping in each other's arms... My good brother is definitely one of a kind in the Three Realms, right?"
Shu Bai stopped and looked back at him, her cat-like eyes revealing an unreadable emotion: "Are you done talking?"
Li Yuheng grinned, revealing his sharp teeth: "I haven't gotten to the important point yet."
He leaped forward, blocking Shu Bai's path, his dog-like face serious: "So, before I go back, you'd better cherish me while you can, understand?"
"For example?" Shu Bai raised an eyebrow.
“For example…” Li Yuheng’s eyes darted around, a sly glint in them, “Now let me touch your tail again?”
Shu Bai stared at him without saying a word, but instinctively hid her tail behind her back.
Upon seeing this, Li Yuheng immediately raised one paw and solemnly declared, "I promise! Just once! Gently! I absolutely won't pinch!"
His eyes, which always carried a hint of arrogance and mockery, were now trying to squeeze out a touch of sincerity, though they looked more like they held ill intentions.
Shu Bai looked at him.
An autumn wind swept by, swirling up a few withered leaves that danced around their feet.
After a while, Shu Bai twitched the tip of its tail.
Li Yuheng's eyes lit up instantly.
He cautiously extended his claws and gently touched the tip of the black tail with his fingertips.
It's fluffy and has a hint of sunshine in it.
Shu Bai tensed up, suppressing a very soft sob in her throat, but she didn't flinch.
Li Yuheng touched it, immediately withdrew his claws, quickly took two steps back, and a bright, dazzling smile bloomed on his face.
As Shu Bai watched his silly grin, her tense body slowly relaxed.
He turned his head to look at the treetops in the distance, bathed in the golden light of the autumn sun, and muttered a curse under his breath:
“…Stupid dog.”
The sound was very soft, almost dissipated in the wind.
With a hint of helplessness and a very faint trace of indulgence that even he himself was unaware of.
Shu Bai flicked its tail, as if trying to shake off some unpleasant memory, and suddenly said, "You'd better not drink baijiu in the future."
Li Yuheng was pondering how to trick someone into giving him a second chance to pet his tail when he heard this, and his ears perked up: "Why?"
"You're a lightweight," Shu Bai said with a hint of disdain. "If you don't want to die a violent death in the street, watch what you eat."
Li Yuheng shrugged: "Fine, if you don't want to drink, then don't."
He wasn't particularly fond of baijiu (Chinese liquor); it was too spicy and pungent, nothing compared to the fun of fighting in the sun.
However... it feels good that his good friend cat is openly showing concern for him.
"How about beer and fruit wine? I didn't pass out last time I drank beer," Li Yuheng asked again.
Shu Bai was too lazy to argue: "...Whatever."
“Okay!” Li Yuheng immediately turned around. “Then I’m going to steal some beer! We’ll drink together later.”
He didn't really want to drink it; he just inexplicably enjoyed the feeling of being indulged.
As Li Yuheng ran, he thought to himself, "This cat may have a bad temper, but it's perfect as a brother."
His judgment of Li Yuheng was indeed unparalleled.
…
Shu Bai watched Li Yuheng's cheerful figure and suddenly changed his mind.
That contract remains unresolved.
He originally wanted to verify whether Li Yuheng had feelings for him before the contract was signed.
But at this moment, he was somewhat afraid of the answer.
If you guess wrong, you're just being delusional.
If I'm right, then this oblivious, stupid dog is utterly despicable.
Let it stay as it is.
At least for now, the pure joy in Li Yuheng's eyes is real.
Shu Bai turned and leaped onto the wall, its tail gently curling in the autumn wind.
Some answers are better left unresolved forever.
Anyway, there's plenty of time in the future.
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