"I envy you..."
"Really?"
The girl's eyes were red at the corners, but a faint light had begun to shine in them.
"Really."
Xiao Xiao nodded earnestly.
"Mm."
At last, the girl smiled faintly.
Xiao Xiao watched the girl walk away.
She had declined his offer to walk her home.
Seeing that she seemed to be doing well, and hearing her say that her home wasn't far—about a ten-minute walk—Xiao Xiao didn't insist.
He only reminded her to keep to the side of the road, watch out for traffic, and not get distracted...
The girl agreed to each reminder.
Xiao Xiao turned his gaze away and started walking.
He needed to head home, too.
He hadn't expected that after coming out, he would learn so little about the Twin Flowers.
Instead, he had ended up playing counselor to a teenage girl.
He shook his head slightly.
He wasn't particularly good at this sort of thing.
He hoped he hadn't led her astray.
If he had to name someone who was good at this sort of thing...
After thinking about his friends, Xiao Xiao quickly came up with a suitable candidate.
Chi Xiuchuan was better suited to the role of giving people advice.
Little White Fox swished its fluffy tail.
Even in the height of summer, its fur was as dry, soft, and cool as ever.
It felt wonderful to the touch.
"You humans really are..."
Little White Fox tilted its head, then its eyes lit up as it thought of an idiom. "Making a fuss over nothing."
Xiao Xiao paused, then smiled slightly. "A Jiu, you're not using that idiom quite right."
"Shh-shh~"
The white snake flicked out its crimson tongue. Its soft, alluring voice held a hint of smugness and amusement. "Dummy."
"It's 'melodramatic.'"
"...Mm."