Chapter 2

His eyes went cold. "You know perfectly well I despise weak, helpless women like you."

"A useless thing like you should just pack your bags and leave the mountain. People like you were never meant for the sect anyway."

His little followers jumped in at once.

"Exactly! An empty-spirit-root waste like you shouldn't be holding up our senior brother!"

"He's already made plans with Senior Sister Daisy for the Star Festival! There's no way he'd ever go out with you, so give it up!"

"Do you really not know your own place? An empty spirit root like you, daring to dream about our senior brother?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Go take a good long look in the mirror!"

"Our second senior sister and our senior brother are the ones made for each other!"

Even the spirit beast at Aidan Blake's side rolled its eyes at me.

Never in the Celestial Court had I suffered an insult like this.

The old Lauren Flores wouldn't have talked back, but that didn't mean I would let them trample me.

Furious, I dragged myself up off the ground.

"Aidan Blake, you spend my spirit stones, you use my family's resources, and you still dare to look down on me like this?"

"The robe you're wearing, your sword, your artifacts, which one of them did I not buy with my own spirit stones?"

"You look so upright and noble, but inside you're a hundred times more poisonous than the deadliest pill!"

Hearing all this from someone who had never once argued back, Aidan Blake froze for a moment.

When he came to, he couldn't stop his eyes from sweeping over the things he wore.

"Utter nonsense!" he snapped back, flustered.

"Everything on me I bought myself! It has nothing to do with you!"

"Your Flores family may be one of the wealthiest around, but my Blake family is no worse!"

I planted both hands on my hips. "You say you bought it yourself? Where's the proof? Where are the receipts?"

"You don't have any. But I do, every last one!"

I was almost grateful the original owner had been so lovesick.

She had kept the receipts for everything she gave Aidan Blake.

For no other reason than to see her beloved wearing the things she'd bought for him.

"Aidan!"

A figure in pink came running eagerly to Aidan Blake's side.

She looped her arm gently through his.

"Aidan, the Star Festival's limited river outing is about to open. Let's hurry over."

"They say this year's festival has limited Star Festival stardew. Drink it and your cultivation grows, and it'll make the two of us even more in tune with each other!"

Facing her, Aidan Blake's eyes turned noticeably softer.

"Daisy, this new outfit of yours is lovely today."

With Daisy Harding, he had nothing to say about hating being touched.

Daisy Harding's face flushed faintly, and she gave a soft, coy smile.

"It's because... you chose it so well."

The fellow disciples around them all praised what a fine match they made.

I cut straight through their little moment.

"Hey! Aidan Blake, we're not done here! What Star Festival date are you talking about?"

"Everything on you was paid for with my spirit stones! If you won't honor the betrothal, then strip off every single thing I bought and give it back!"

Only then did Daisy Harding notice me standing off to the side.

She looked baffled. "Junior Sister Lauren, what do you mean by this?"

"Why would Aidan take gifts from you at random? Don't go pinning false charges on him."

Aidan Blake ignored me outright.

"Daisy, there's no point arguing right and wrong with someone like her. It's a waste of time."

He flicked a finger.

A sword floated up in front of them.

Aidan Blake wrapped an arm gently around Daisy Harding's waist.

"Daisy, let's go."

Paying no attention to me at all, the two of them rode the sword away into the distance.