The gecko spirit was startled and quickly let go, saying, "Sorry, I'm male."
"Male, huh?" Mu Anxiao murmured.
The gecko spirit then looked down at Xiao Nian and asked, "She can't see me, right?"
Mu Anxiao turned to look at the surprised Xiao Nian, then sighed and said, "She can't see you."
"Aunty, who are you talking to?"
Mu Anxiao looked down and replied, "I'm talking to a monster."
"A monster? Didn't you say there were no monsters here?" Xiao Nian, startled by Mu Anxiao's answer, looked around and asked, "Where is it? Why can't I see it?"
"I didn't want to bother him, but he insisted. Sorry, I lied to you just now." Mu Anxiao stroked Xiao Nian's head.
Xiao Nian shook her head. "It's okay."
Mu Anxiao smiled at Xiao Nian, who didn't press further or question, then looked at the gecko spirit and said, "You're a gecko, aren't you?"
"Yes, I've only been here for a month," the gecko spirit replied. He looked down at Xiao Nian and asked, "Can you tell her that I know her?"
"I can," Mu Anxiao agreed, looking down at Xiao Nian. "He says he knows you."
"But I can't see him," Xiao Nian said.
"It's better that you can't see him," Mu Anxiao said, placing a hand on Xiao Nian's head.
Xiao Nian nodded slightly and added, "Yes, but I want to see him. I don't know why, but I feel like he's helped me."
The gecko spirit looked at Xiao Nian's earnest expression and said, "Can you let her see me?"
"You can let her see you?" Mu Anxiao exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," the gecko spirit nodded.
Mu Anxiao thought for a moment and said, "You try."
"Okay," the gecko spirit agreed with a smile. He then crouched down, held Xiao Nian's arm, and said, "Tell her to close her eyes."
"Xiao Nian, close your eyes," Mu Anxiao said.
Xiao Nian frowned and asked, "Why?"
"He wants her to see him," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
Immediately, Xiao Nian obediently closed her eyes.
The gecko spirit smiled at Xiao Nian, then instantly transformed into a little boy. "This way, she might not be scared."
"You're truly thoughtful," Mu Anxiao said helplessly.
The gecko spirit smiled faintly, then closed his eyes. A faint emerald green light emanated from him, gradually enveloping Xiao Nian.
Feng Qishi said, "He's taken a liking to this child," and then frowned deeply.
"He's been waiting for someone to help him talk to Xiao Nian," Piao said.
Yan swallowed and said, "A spirit like him can only fixate on one person in his lifetime, and then use half of his demonic power to make that person see him. I didn't expect him to choose Xiao Nian."
Mu Anxiao listened to their words and mumbled, "She's still a child."
Queen Rabbit said, "The gecko spirit has only chosen Xiao Nian; he doesn't have complex human emotions."
"Your words make it sound like we've all misinterpreted," Feng Qishi said, looking at Queen Rabbit.
Queen Rabbit looked at Feng Qishi. "Do you dare say you haven't misinterpreted?"
"I..." Feng Qishi hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright, I've misinterpreted."
"I've misinterpreted too," Yan said softly.
Piao glanced at Feng Qishi and Yan without speaking.
Mu Anxiao closed her mouth.
A few minutes later... the gecko spirit opened his eyes. "Alright, you can see me now."
Hearing the gecko spirit's now less mature voice, Mu Anxiao cleared her throat.
When Xiao Nian opened her eyes and saw the gecko spirit, she smiled. "You're a child too."
The gecko spirit nodded. "Yes, I can grow up with you."
"Huh?" Xiao Nian frowned and asked, "Why do you want to grow up with me?"
Mu Anxiao looked down at the gecko spirit's directness and sighed.
"I... I consider you a friend," the gecko spirit said matter-of-factly.
"Really? Then..." Xiao Nian hesitated.
"What's wrong?" the gecko spirit asked, seeing Xiao Nian's hesitation.
"I... might... not be able to be your friend anymore," Xiao Nian said.
"Why?" the gecko spirit asked, his voice laced with a hint of disappointment.
"I might be leaving here with my mother soon. If I leave, we won't be able to see each other anymore, so to reduce the pain of parting, we can't be friends," Xiao Nian said calmly.
Mu Anxiao swallowed twice, thinking, I never imagined that Xiao Nian, at such a young age, would think so much more than I do. It's terrifying.
"This child has clearly experienced things her peers haven't," Queen Rabbit said.
Yan nodded. "Yes, it must be. I thought I was the most pitiful one, but now it seems," she said, "I'm not pitiful at all."
"If I could, I'd kill his father right now," Piao said.
Upon hearing this, Feng Qishi frowned and turned to Piao, asking, "Was it you who did it before?"
"I don't have that much idle time to concern myself with such matters," Piao said without even looking at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi pouted and shifted his gaze away from Piao.
"It was this guy," Queen Rabbit said, pointing at the gecko spirit.
"Are you sure?" Feng Qishi asked.
Queen Rabbit hesitated for a moment and said, "Not sure."
"Not sure, and you say so much," Feng Qishi scoffed and shifted his gaze back to Xiao Nian and the others.
The gecko spirit hesitated after Xiao Nian said that and then said, "I can follow you. Your mother can't see me anyway."
"If you follow me, it will be very inconvenient for me," Xiao Nian refused.
The gecko spirit was stunned.
Seeing the gecko spirit's stunned expression, Xiao Nian pursed her lips and said, "I'm sorry, I know what I said might sound harsh, but I'm truly... happy you became my friend."
"I understand now," the gecko spirit suddenly said.
"Understand what?" Xiao Nian asked.
The gecko spirit said, "I understand that what I'm doing must be causing you trouble. If that's the case, it's better if you don't see me." As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand.
Feng Qishi exclaimed, "If he does this, he'll never be able to interact with humans again."
"Monsters can't be with humans anyway," Queen Rabbit said.
Feng Qishi frowned and said, "Spirits like them can. If I'm not mistaken, this Xiao Nian has a 'yao yuan' (affinity with spirits)."
"'Yao yuan'? What are you thinking?" Mu Anxiao walked up to Feng Qishi and whispered.
Feng Qishi said earnestly, "There are very few girls with 'yao yuan' in the world; I've only met a handful."
"Feng Qishi, how long have you been here, and you're already spouting nonsense? Can you just shut up?" Mu Anxiao pointed at Feng Qishi and said.
Upon hearing this, Feng Qishi suddenly remembered that he was no longer Shen Yan from his past life. Consequently, he chuckled foolishly. "Sorry, I won't say anything more, won't say anything more." Search "An Xiao Feng Qi Shi Jie Zhong Wen Xue" on Baidu for the latest chapters, free to read first.