Ji Xie immediately turned around at the call and bent down, motioning for Li Xian to climb onto his back. Once he felt arms circle his neck, he hooked both hands under Li Xian's legs and straightened again.
The resistance of the swamp made the movement more strenuous than usual, but it was hardly a challenge for Ji Xie. He easily settled Li Xian against his back.
"What's wrong?"
He turned his head to ask Li Xian on his back.
Li Xian did not answer immediately. Instead, he rested his forehead against Ji Xie's shoulder and stayed silent for a long while. Only after the Honey Shadow covering his legs below the knees slowly flowed back into the swamp did the inexplicable emotion in his heart ease a little.
Ji Xie did not press him, either, simply standing there and waiting for a while.
"Nothing."
Li Xian answered once he felt he could more or less control his tone.
"Touching this stuff puts you in a bad mood."
That thought had been so inexplicable that Li Xian was too embarrassed to voice it. He avoided describing the specific emotion that had just flashed through his mind, summarizing what had happened in broader terms instead, then asked:
"Hasn't it affected you?"
Ji Xie shook his head.
The swamp beneath his feet had not felt remotely threatening, nor had he experienced any of this supposed emotional influence. Otherwise, he should have noticed something wrong sooner.
Li Xian rested against Ji Xie's shoulder and thought for a while. As for why Honey Shadow would have no effect on Ji Xie... going by the theory Lin Shiming had offered-
"There's probably a species barrier between you and it."
"?"
"Couldn't it just be that your husband is exceptionally strong?"
As Ji Xie spoke, he