The air that was stagnant suddenly shifted. A moment later, Zhao Li Xin returned, his silhouette cutting through the dim light. Girsha stirred, feathers rustling weakly as his massive head lifted.
His emerald eyes blinked open, and then widened in disbelief.
In Zhao Li Xin's grip, dangling by the collar like a wayward chick, was a child.
"Who… is that?" Girsha's voice was hoarse, but laced with astonishment.
The boy looked up at him, eyes sparkling like twin stars. Then, his face split into the widest grin imaginable. "Zhao Papa!"
Zhao Li Xin's gaze turned sharp, his lips thinning into a grim line. But the child, oblivious to the growing tension, kicked his legs with wild excitement, chanting again and again, "Zhao Papa! Zhao Papa!"
A dry laugh rumbled in Girsha's chest. "You'd better have a good explanation for Lory…"
