"I'm sorry."
Xiao Xiao spoke up at just the right moment.
"Huh?"
The Elegant old man looked surprised.
Then he seemed to find it somewhat to be expected.
There were only Xiao Xiao and Shangqing here.
Xiao Xiao's expression was normal.
Shangqing's face was grave...
Even if the change in Shangqing's expression had nothing to do with Xiao Xiao, the boy surely knew something.
The Elegant old man looked at Xiao Xiao.
"Could you tell me what happened?"
Surely these two children hadn't quarreled?
The Elegant old man shook his head inwardly.
He quickly dismissed the idea.
Neither of these two children was unreasonable or quick-tempered.
Although this was his first time meeting Xiao Xiao and they hadn't spent much time together, he already had a general sense of the boy's temperament.
He was somewhat like Shangqing.
Both were unhurried, the sort who handled things with ease.
Xiao Xiao seemed even easier to get along with than Shangqing.
He couldn't believe those two would quarrel.
Perhaps they'd disagreed?
It was only natural for Shangqing and him to disagree during their discussions.
In fact, it was hardly likely that a "well-matched" discussion would involve no disagreements.
But...
The Elegant old man searched his memory.
He remembered...
Even when they disagreed, Shangqing's speech never sped up by the slightest bit.
Though that often only made him get even more worked up.
Shangqing had never shown such an obvious change in expression while discussing things with him.
Thinking of that...
The Elegant old man grew even more curious about what had happened here while he'd been in the kitchen.
Xiao Xiao's eyes curved in a smile.
"Grandpa Ouyang, this is A Jiu."
Xiao Xiao gently raised the Little White Fox in his arms.
"Huh?"
The Elegant old man had been