Jiang Jie, who gave people a rigid impression, didn't know she had just walked a circle on the edge of life and death. At noon, she even added a chicken drumstick to He Li's bento box.
After finishing the bento, He Li bought Jiang Jie a mango iced tea to express his gratitude.
Because the breakfast he brought for Jiang Jie cost 7 yuan, and the bento box at noon was originally 10 yuan, but it became 15 yuan with the addition of a chicken drumstick. The cost of the two meals was too different, so He Li bought a mango iced tea to make up for it.
He often did this, but he usually saved up. When he saved enough, he would treat Jiang Jie to something delicious. But this time, there was an 8 yuan difference, and he felt a little embarrassed.
Making friends, it's give and take. Although this friend was here to monitor him, it wasn't a big problem.
In the evening,
He Li greeted Jiang Jie, put on his small backpack, and left the bookstore. He walked along the road to the vegetable market.
Because of the rain last night, the water vapor evaporated by the sun all day today was very muggy. He Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and heard a sigh beside him.
"Sigh..."
He Li turned his head and saw a dejected, decadent uncle beside him. The uncle's eyes were always looking down, his brows slightly furrowed, as if there were some worries weighing on his heart.
"Uncle Li, why are you here?" He Li asked with a smile. He was a little surprised by the appearance of this decadent uncle, as this uncle appeared the least among everyone.
To He Li, this uncle was also the only "person" he could communicate with normally.
"Nothing much, just came out for some fresh air. I was thinking about finding a small bar for a drink," Li Qin said slowly, his voice magnetic, the end of his words trailing downwards, his tone filled with a low sigh.
"Drinking? I can't drink. If I get drunk, I'm very scary," He Li said with a chuckle.
"Then forget it," Uncle Li Qin waved his hand.
Then, he patted He Li's shoulder with concern and said softly, "But you shouldn't always cook at home just to save money. How many young people cook at home every day? Even if you don't order takeout, you should go out and eat a few good meals to treat yourself."
After a moment of thought, He Li smiled and said, "Alright then, how about we go for barbecue tonight? I know a barbecue restaurant that's having a promotion these days. 99 yuan for four plates of meat and three side dishes. What do you think? It's very cost-effective, right? Let's go there."
"Of course."
The passersby nearby, seeing He Li talking to himself and occasionally giggling, discreetly pointed at him with strange looks, as if they were looking at... a lunatic.
However, He Li had long been accustomed to these looks. In fact, he preferred the mental hospital. The environment there was beautiful, the air was fresh, the nurses were pretty and sweet-voiced, the doctors were gentle and polite, and it had the largest lawn in Binhai for the mentally ill to go crazy as they pleased. Most importantly, he wasn't an outsider there.
But it was good now too. As long as he didn't care, then others would care. His discharge certificate clearly stated: immersive personality closure, with complete self-care ability, no manic behavior.
In simple terms, He Li was immersed in his own little world, living with himself, not caring much about the outside world, and not harming others.
In fact, He Li wasn't sure if he was sick, but he believed in scientific medicine, and he also believed that Jin Fang and Li Qin were real, even though others couldn't see them.
Since you all say I'm sick, then I'm sick. It doesn't matter.
I admit it, what can you do about it!
At the barbecue restaurant,
He Li ate with gusto. The barbecue sizzled with oil. He didn't like to wrap it with vegetables. He just grilled it, dipped it in sauce, and put it into his mouth. The flavor of the sauce and the aroma of the meat hit his taste buds, bringing him great satisfaction.
Li Qin sat opposite He Li, watching him eat heartily, and smiled with relief.
"Actually, Jin Fang meant well. He cares about you a lot."
He Li flipped the meat slices, then scooped a few more mushrooms and placed them on the edge of the grill.
"I know, but his method of handling things is really too violent. Uncle Li, you know, killing isn't the most perfect solution."
Li Qin sighed and said, "Actually, I don't know what to do either. Making decisions like this still depends on Mr. He and Xiao Yue."
"Are what they say correct?" He Li asked with a smile.
"I don't know, but compared to us, they consider everything very comprehensively and can make the optimal choice for you," Li Qin shook his head again.
Just as He Li was about to speak, he suddenly saw a middle-aged woman in an apron walking over with a conflicted expression.
He Li looked at her.
The middle-aged woman walked to He Li's table, her face looking bitter and subtly fearful. Finally, she forced an awkward smile and said, "Sir... excuse me, can... can I ask you to dine in a private room?"
In a private room?
He Li was stunned for a moment, then realized. He looked around. Everyone in the barbecue restaurant was looking at him. When he looked over, they quickly lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.
He Li put down his chopsticks and looked at the middle-aged woman, who looked nervous and whose hands were trembling slightly. He smiled and said, "I won't go to the private room."
"Ah? Then... then..." The woman became even more frightened.
"Let's settle the bill. I'm full."
"Ah! Okay!"
Leaving the barbecue restaurant, looking at the bustling traffic on the street, He Li's eyes were clear, and he didn't care about what happened at the barbecue restaurant.
"I'm sorry, I disturbed your meal," Li Qin apologized to He Li.
"It's okay. In my world, there are only you guys. So, there's no such thing as disturbing or bothering."
He Li said with a smile, his voice very soft and firm, as if everything was natural. He was different from most people. They rejected him, even feared him, and He Li understood all of this.
It was like when he was in the orphanage as a child, there was a little boy with albinism, his skin and hair were all white. His playmates didn't play with him and ostracized him, not for any other reason than that he was different from them.
He Li walked on the street, Li Qin walked beside him, and the two chatted as they walked, with a three-meter-tall dark shadow following behind them.
"It's not suitable on the busy street. Let's go to the small woods," He Li said.
Li Qin, however, said, "It's too stuffy and muddy in the small woods. Let's do it here. I'll be quick."
He Li thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "Then hurry up, don't let anyone find out."
"Okay, then I'll start."
As Li Qin finished speaking, he immediately turned around, raised his right hand, formed his fingers into a claw, and gently retracted his fingers. The three-meter-tall dark shadow hiding in the shadows was forcefully dragged out by Li Qin.
It was a grotesque and disgusting demon, covered in flowing dark blue viscous liquid, with two scarlet eyes staring fixedly at He Li.
It was held in Li Qin's hand.
Immediately after,
The three-meter-tall, massive demon instantly shrank and disappeared, as if it had been compressed. The speed was very fast, and the demon didn't even have time to let out a scream.
Li Qin opened his palm, and a dark blue spherical bead appeared in his hand. Then, Li Qin gently squeezed it, and the bead shattered. A puff of dark blue gas emerged from between his fingers.
"Uncle Li, your method of handling things is much gentler than Jin Fang's," He Li said with a smile.
"Oh?" Li Qin was very surprised. He asked, "You think crushing a demon to death with gravity and then crushing it is gentle?"
He Li thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, at least it's much better than Jin Fang. If it were Jin Fang, I wouldn't be able to keep these clothes."
"Heh heh... Jin Fang is very gentle."
...
On the top floor of the Binhai City Spiritual Management Committee building, three people sat in front of computers, watching the footage on the screens.
He Li was walking on the street, then suddenly turned around, reached out, pulled out the demon hiding in the shadows, compressed it into a bead, and finally crushed it.
*Pop!*
A young man pressed a key, freezing the image on He Li's face.
The young man turned to look at the tall woman in a black women's suit sitting to his right. He paused and said, "The situation now is, Captain, immediately call those two back, otherwise I'm afraid they'll die at He Li's hands."
The tall woman immediately reacted and shouted into the microphone in front of her, "Mission canceled, come back quickly."
"Received!"
"But... we've been discovered."
...