After strolling around Soto City for a while, Leo figured it was about time and left the city, heading towards Rekdo Academy.
As soon as they got outside, the little fox became extremely lively. Even though it was night, it jumped right off his shoulder, scurrying around here and there, and before long, its body was covered in flowers and grass. It was having a blast.
"Hey, little guy, look at you. You're all dirty. You're not allowed on the bed tonight," Leo said with a smile, teasing the overjoyed little fox.
The little fox, which had been having a great time, immediately drooped like a wilted flower when it heard its master's words. It shook its body vigorously, trying to get rid of the flowers and grass, but couldn't. It was so anxious that it spun around in circles.
"Ha - ha, just kidding," Leo burst out laughing when he saw the anxious little fox. Then he said, "I'll wash you clean later."
Upon hearing this, the little fox immediately regained its energy and bounced around Leo, looking as cute as can be.
The human and the pet played all the way. Just as they were about to reach Rekdo Academy, the little fox running in front suddenly stopped and pricked up its two sharp ears.
"Woo - woo, I'm not a little witch. I'm not a little witch..." A sobbing voice reached Leo's ears.
Following the sound, Leo saw that it was Ava, the eldest daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, sitting on the grass in front of Rekdo Academy, crying her eyes out.
The moment he saw Ava, Leo felt his head pounding. How could he have forgotten this young miss? He should have come back later. It would be so awkward to go over now!
When the little fox saw Ava, it instantly bared its teeth and looked furious. It also kept looking back at its master, clearly remembering what had happened this afternoon.
The commotion from the little fox naturally caught the attention of Ava, who was crying with her head buried in her knees. She subconsciously looked up.
Seeing Leo and the little fox, Ava was slightly taken aback. Then she quickly wiped the tears from her face and turned her head away.
Since Ava had already seen him, Leo couldn't retreat. He had to take the little fox and walk towards the academy gate.
Just as Leo was about to pass Ava and enter with the little fox, suddenly Ava called out, "Leo."
"Hmm? What's up?" Leo stopped and turned around to ask.
Looking at Leo's indifferent face, Ava felt a lump in her throat. Remembering the words others had said to her before, her tears started to flow silently again.
Leo was at his wit's end when he saw this. He thought, young miss, if you want to cry, cry after I leave. What's the deal with crying in front of me now? People will think I'm bullying you.
"I say, young miss, if you have something to ask, just ask. If not, I'm leaving," Leo said helplessly, really unable to stand a little girl crying in front of him. As he spoke, he made a gesture to turn around and leave, making it clear that if she didn't speak up, he would go in.
Seeing that Leo was really about to leave, Ava became anxious and quickly asked, "Leo, am I really that annoying?"
In the sect, those kids of her age were either overly respectful and timid when they saw her or kept their distance. Every time she wanted to play with them, they were all too cautious to enjoy themselves.
If that was all, it wouldn't be so bad. But she often heard others talking about her behind her back, speaking ill of her. Some even said that she bullied others because of her status and called her a witch.
That's why she ran away from the sect secretly. She thought she could make some close friends after coming out, but she was hit with disappointment everywhere.
For a moment, feelings of loneliness, helplessness, loss, and pain all rushed into her heart.
Especially this afternoon, the words Leo said made her wonder. If she didn't have the sect's backing and wasn't the princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, would she really be just a useless person, someone who couldn't even dream of having friends, as Leo had said?
"If you still act as you did before, only doing things according to your own preferences, being arrogant, and never considering others' feelings, then no one will like you."
"You know, in this world, if you want to be respected and recognized by others, you have to learn to respect others first. Otherwise, even if you're the daughter of a big sect, no one will truly want to be friends with you."
As the dean of the Spirit Hall Academy, Leo, who was responsible for educating students, naturally felt obliged to give Ava, who was now in a state of confusion, the right guidance.
Besides, this little girl was not bad at heart. She was just spoiled by her family elders since she was a child.
"If you want to be respected by others, you have to respect others first..." Ava muttered to herself for a while. Then, as if she had suddenly understood something, she lunged forward and hugged Leo tightly. "Thank you, Leo."
"What the hell?!" Leo's eyes widened as he looked at Ava, who had suddenly rushed over and hugged him. He spread his hands, not knowing where to put them.
Are all the girls on the Evans Continent this bold? Can't they be a little more reserved? Leo couldn't help but think of his apprentice. She was always like this too.
Actually, being hugged wasn't a big deal. Letting the little girl have her moment wasn't a loss. But unfortunately, at this moment, a sound of footsteps came from behind.
Leo turned around and saw Aria with a face as cold as frost. Oh, no. Now, it would be impossible to clear up this misunderstanding even if he had a hundred mouths.
Do you think it's over? It got even worse. Oscar, who was worried about Ava and afraid that she might do something stupid, hadn't left. Unexpectedly, he saw this scene and his heart was completely broken!
"Hey, beauty, if you want to thank me, don't do it like this. People will get the wrong idea," Leo said reluctantly, having no choice but to speak up.
"Ah!" Only then did Ava come to her senses. When she saw Aria in front and Oscar in the distance, her face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato. She quickly let go of Leo and ran towards her dormitory alone, leaving Leo standing there, completely dumbfounded.
"Ahem, that was really a misunderstanding. Do you believe me?" Leo explained weakly.
"Zhi - zhi," The little fox nodded beside him. To be fair, this little guy was really loyal.
Just now, when it saw Ava rush into its master's arms, it was so angry that it jumped up and down, almost biting Ava. Now, seeing that its master was about to be misunderstood, it immediately turned around to help.
Aria snorted coldly and walked straight in the direction Ava had gone without looking back. She had come out of the dormitory to look for Ava because she was worried that Ava hadn't returned so late. Who knew she would run into such a "spectacular" scene.
Watching Aria leave without looking back, Leo felt both funny and frustrated. Then he shouted at Oscar, "Oscar, do you believe me?"
Oscar was in no mood to listen to his explanation. He was so devastated that he walked unsteadily towards his dormitory like a walking corpse.
Leo looked up to the sky and sighed. What the hell did I do to deserve this!