"Wuwu~ woo..."
Taotie jumped onto the railing in front of Xiao Xiao and held out both paws, looking entirely justified in its demands.
Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly.
Since he'd shared the compensation meant for it with the other yao, was Taotie demanding extra compensation?
A faint smile appeared in his eyes. "Little Taotie, one of those boxes was for them from the start."
"The ones I bought for you all ended up in your stomach."
Taotie froze, then...
Xiao Xiao's brow twitched as he watched Taotie rolling around and making a scene. He was at a loss for words.
Was it just him, or had this yao's personality changed along with its size?
Then again, he didn't know what Taotie had been like before it was sealed away.
He just often heard it brag about how mighty and impressive it used to be...
He thought a certain yao might have rather poor self-awareness.
"All right."
He reached up and rubbed his temples. "We'll stop by the cake shop again on the way back."
"Wuwu~"
Taotie immediately got up and sat on the railing, looking perfectly well-behaved.
Xiao Xiao shook his head with amusement. "Satisfied now?"
"Let's go."
Before the words had even left his mouth, he felt a weight on his head. Taotie had already flopped back down on top of it.
Xiao Xiao: ...
"Little Taotie."
Xiao Xiao's voice was gentle, even a little soft.
But Taotie shivered all over, and its body stiffened just as it was about to lie down.
"...Wuwu~"
Taotie cautiously made a little sound.
"Are your paws clean?"
Xiao Xiao enunciated each word, his face darkening.
Just thinking about how a certain yao had been bouncing all over the ground, only to climb right back onto his head...
He felt