Chapter 26 LOYAL COMPANION

The book Gillian placed before Xina was the largest and oldest she had ever seen. She was astounded that he could lift it with ease, holding it in one hand as if it weighed nothing. The sight of the book alone made Xina feel its weight, almost as if she could sense the knowledge it held pressing down on her. Yet, it wasn't just the size that unsettled her. She quickly realized what Gillian intended. "No, don't tell me to read that!" Xina exclaimed, looking horrified as Gillian set the book down on the table in front of her, releasing a cloud of dust that made her cough uncontrollably. “Oops, sorry,” Gillian said, waving his hand to disperse the dust. Xina quickly moved away from the book, as if it could somehow harm her. The sight of all that dust made her feel suffocated—she hadn’t brought her inhaler with her, not expecting this kind of situation. “If you’re going to ask me to read that book, I won’t do it,” Xina declared firmly. Not only was she not a fan of reading, but the thic