It was better to be human and able to see it.
The youkai smiled at Xiao Xiao, its eyes narrowing.
"Shu Hu~ Shu Hu~ Shu~"
My lord, thank you for your help.
The youkai bowed to Xiao Xiao again.
"You're welcome."
Xiao Xiao smiled too. "Then be careful on your way back."
"Goodbye, Shu Hu."
"Shu Hu~ Shu Hu~"
Goodbye, my lord.
The youkai's mouth curled into a grin.
"Goodbye, Shu Hu."
The young man beside him copied Xiao Xiao, murmuring softly.
There was a hint of melancholy between his brows.
He sighed faintly to himself. They were saying goodbye, but he and this youkai probably wouldn't meet again, would they?
The youkai looked at the young man.
Even though his voice had been soft, it had still heard him.
It tilted its head.
What a strange human. He couldn't see it, yet he was saying goodbye to it.
Oh, well. It was in a good mood.
"Shu Hu~"
"Kong Yi, it said goodbye to you."
Xiao Xiao relayed the youkai's response to the young man.
"Really?"
The young man's eyes suddenly lit up.
He smiled.
The melancholy between his brows faded.
This was good enough.
He'd had a brief encounter with a youkai. Could he even say they'd formed a faint bond?
It was something he would never have imagined before.
He would remember this experience for the rest of his life.
Still, he thought that many years from now, when he looked back on it, it might feel like a dream.
Never mind the future—even now, he still felt as if he were in a daze, living through a dream.
"Let's go."
Watching Shu Hu make a few nimble leaps before disappearing into the woods, Xiao Xiao turned to the young man.
"We're heading back."