"Is this a lot, or what?!"
Barto glanced away, nonchalantly lifting the crate and standing up.
To keep from falling, Gu Ning instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to his back. Barto, in turn, pretended not to see the Crystal Stones in her hand as he carried the crate of them over and set it on the living room's wooden table.
Neither of them spoke, and so a silent battle of wills began.
The little fox, with the little human still on his back, walked around the room and found a toolbox. He rummaged inside for a hammer and some nails, grabbed a wooden plank, and began nailing the broken crate back together.
He'd only swung the hammer twice when Gu Ning released her grip—both the arms around his neck and the legs around his waist—and went limp, as if she were about to plummet to the floor.
