Faced with the Little Shepherd Boy's pleading gaze, Guang Chengzi hesitated several times before finally unwrapping the candy and tossing it into his mouth at a speed rivaling a flying sword killing invisibly from a thousand miles away.
"Cheng, is it good?" the Little Shepherd Boy Xuandu asked again, his eyes full of expectation.
Guang Chengzi simply closed his eyes, murmured his assent, and nodded.
The Little Shepherd Boy Xuandu clapped his hands in delight. "Great! It's still edible! I forgot when I bought this candy. I dug it up in the Bamboo Forest outside the door when I left! Hmph, Teacher says I'm clumsy! See how clever I am!"
Guang Chengzi's expression shifted slightly, but he exhaled softly and bowed deeply to Xuandu again. Only after observing every courtesy did he venture, "May I ask why Senior Uncle Master sent you here, Senior Brother?"
The Little Shepherd Boy blinked and looked toward Boss Luo. After a moment's thought, he said, "Teacher said I should just come and take a look. Something about how looking was enough, since I couldn't snatch anything away from schemers like you anyway. But I don't even know what we're supposed to snatch! Oh, Cheng, is your belly really full of dirty tricks?"
Even Guang Chengzi's mature, steady expression cracked. He could only chuckle to cover his embarrassment.
Picking a fight with Xuandu, only to be beaten into a headlong retreat, would be even more embarrassing... Besides, although Xuandu seemed to have come alone, that was not actually the case.
With that thought, Guang Chengzi gave the green ox a slight, courteous nod. "Junior Brother Qing."
The green ox merely mooed, then lowered his head to inspect the golden cloud platform, apparently looking for grass to eat... Seeing this, Guang Chengzi chuckled and formed a