Little Taotie grinned.
In its eyes, the Young Scholar was a somewhat silly chatterbox.
Little Taotie had never really minded the Young Scholar's past unkindness toward it.
Because it didn't care what the Young Scholar thought of it.
It only cared about doing what it wanted.
Even so, Little Taotie wasn't insensitive.
Even when it made no effort to understand, it still passively picked up on strong emotions.
It had clearly seen the Young Scholar change.
It didn't know why.
After a second of curiosity, it decided it wasn't interesting and lost interest.
It didn't know whether the Young Scholar's change was good or bad...
But...
Watching the Young Scholar quietly read with his eyes lowered, Little Taotie felt as though it had returned to the day it first met him.
The Young Scholar had been quietly reading then, too.
And then...
That quiet had been broken by it.
Little Taotie tilted its head.
It watched the Young Scholar for a while.
Then it turned and left.
It wanted to go somewhere else.
Little Taotie had always been the sort to do whatever it felt like doing.
That was the last time Little Taotie saw the Young Scholar.
The Young Scholar might not even have realized it was their last meeting.
"Will you ever have another human friend as close as the Young Scholar?"
Xiao Xiao smiled and asked a new question.
Little Taotie's reaction said it all.
Maybe Little Taotie didn't realize it.
Or maybe it just wouldn't admit it?
The Young Scholar might not have been special to Little Taotie, exactly, but he was certainly different from everyone else.
That was basically what special meant, wasn't it?
And also...
Little Taotie froze.
Its wandering gaze stopped.
And settled on... Lord