It was a magnificent looking bull with a sleek black hide and a pair of large, ivory horns protruding from the top of its head. The creature had a bulky lizard-like tail swinging behind him which identified the beast as some sort of chimera. On its hooves were lightning sparks as it galloped in the air.
After the bull landed in front of the pair, it hung its head low and uttered a deep rumbling sound.
Xiong Mei lifted Li Meirong with obvious ease, setting her on top of the mount's broad back. While doing so, she lowered her head and brought it closer to the nape of Li Meirong's neck, sniffing her.
When Li Meirong felt a ticklish sensation on the back of her neck, she immediately shied away, "You… what are you doing?!"
Xiong Mei snickered in response, "Nothing." She said and retreated, "You stink real bad! Go shower!"
Li Meirong's cheeks heated up. She grumbled, "I know I reek, but who told you to smell me?!"
Hearing her response had only seemed to have made the bright-eyed girl look amused, which caused Li Meirong to become more agitated. 'This girl is so strange! She is almost as frustrating as Zhu Qingyue!'
Xiong Mei stepped back and said, "Hey, I followed your rules. Nobody said sniffing isn't allowed! Anyhow, this is Tiny, one of my spirit beasts. He will take you back to your home. I'll see you tomorrow…"
"Wait! You still haven't explained what happened to me!" Li Meirong turned back and stared accusingly at Xiong Mei. Her ink black eyes met the girl's aqua coloured pair.
The corner of Xiong Mei's lips curved up into a mysterious smile as she answered with a wink, "I'll tell you the next time we meet. Don't miss me too much, alright?"
She slapped the bull's backside, and it immediately flew away with Li Meirong on top.
'Who's going to miss you?! I barely even know you!" Li Meirong silently fumed. She felt grateful for Xiong Mei's help, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unusual about the girl. Like a smiling clown, it was difficult to tell what the person actually felt underneath the pretense.
Li Meirong's figure was gradually concealed behind the clouds.
On the ground, Xiong Mei leaned against the pillar, her arms tightly folded across her chest in a flamboyant pose. As she smirked, her cyan blue eyes glimmered and her round pupils shifted into long, narrow slits.
"She smells rather sweet." Her voice was but a gentle whisper.