As Xu Zeng, Xu Hu Zhe, and Bai Mo made their way back to town together, the silence between them gradually morphed into something more.
Xu Zeng, still mostly silent, couldn't help but feel genuine happiness as he watched Bai Mo and Xu Hu Zhe banter back and forth about the most common tree they'd seen so far and whether Bai Mo had gotten any better at walking after such a long distance.
Their playful bickering brought a smile to his face, a warmth he hadn't known he needed as a constant. This feeling had surfaced more than once that day, and he continued to revel in the comfort it brought him.
The two with more "energy" even started to playfully argue about why they were the perfect match for Xu Zeng. Each presented their case with a different level of flair.
Bai Mo had become some sort of energetic fox, bouncing around—at least with his words, his body was clearly tired—exaggeratedly gesturing with a slightly dramatic flair.
