And as the first person in the group to wake up, she'd clearly seen just how close the two people who'd slept in the middle had been when they woke that morning.
Though she was curious about what had happened, she was glad to see that Zoya, who was usually aloof and quiet, seemed to have found someone she could talk to. The team was getting along better, and overall, she was happy about it.
The young couple were chatting behind them, and this idiot had to go and butt in like a third wheel. What did he expect?
After Laila yelled at him, Belt could only rub his nose sheepishly and hurry along.
As he passed Bruce, who was lifting a leg against a tree to mark his territory, the brown-and-white canine monster shot him another look of disdain.
Belt knew that look.
It was exactly the same as yesterday's, and it meant, "Look at you, you spineless loser, scared of your wife!"
But now that he wasn't the one getting chewed out, he wasn't about to let a dog look down on him.
"You're just a lonely mutt. What would you know about keeping a woman happy?"
Leaving Bruce gaping in disbelief, Belt quickly returned to the front of the group.
Seeing Belt summoned back by Laila, He Xi and Zoya exchanged a glance and continued their quiet conversation.
Once they returned to Rose Town, there'd be plenty of things to take care of, but the most urgent was finding a place to live.
Thinking of that, he asked, "By the way, Zoya, where are you staying in Rose Town?"
Zoya answered honestly, "Treeheart Inn."
"An inn? How much does it cost?"
"Two Silver Scales."
"Two Silver Scales? That doesn't sound too expensive." He Xi was a little