Even though this market town is small, it still draws plenty of people. Travelers from all walks of life stop here to rest, stock up on food, and grab necessities.
Adrian Night and Lucian Vane were no exception—they both agreed to spend the night here so they’d have time to buy a carriage and prepare some dry rations.
Right now, Friends’ Haven Inn is packed with all sorts of people. It’s the only inn in town, so everyone looking for a place to stay ends up here.
Ivy Shen’s big dark eyes scanned the main hall. So this is the jianghu? Wait, are all these people snake demons?!
"Hey, ugly, what are you staring at? I’m talking to you!" Clara Night snapped, clearly annoyed at Ivy Shen’s attitude.
Her loud complaint only made more people in the inn look over. Honestly, ever since they walked in, Adrian Night and Lucian Vane had been the center of attention—especially from the women, whether they were auntie-level or fresh-faced girls. Ivy Shen just shook her head at their lovestruck stares. What a bunch of sheltered snake girls!
All those adoring looks made Clara Night feel proud. To show off her status, she kept her arm wrapped around Adrian Night’s, practically flaunting him to the whole room.
Ivy Shen wasn’t stupid or naïve. The moment the ‘octopus’ latched onto Adrian Night and started trash-talking her, she knew something was off. Was this really just a sister-brother thing? Or... did Clara Night actually have a crush on her own brother?!
"You seriously dare to go out looking like that? Aren’t you afraid you’ll scare people to death? Listen up, if you think I’ll ever recognize you as my sister-in-law, keep dreaming!" Clara Night declared bluntly.
Ivy Shen glanced at Adrian Night, but he acted as if he hadn’t heard a word Clara Night said, just kept eating with his usual icy indifference. Lucian Vane, on the other hand, curled his lips in amusement, watching the drama unfold like it was his favorite show.
Still, Ivy Shen didn’t bother arguing. Honestly, she wanted to say Clara Night was being childish—Adrian Night was basically an iceberg, and there’s no way she’d ever like him!
But to Clara Night, Ivy Shen’s silence was pure provocation. In her mind, Ivy only ignored her because of her current status. Ha, laughable! Clara Night had always gotten whatever she wanted since she was a kid, and no one knew just how much she loved her brother. She’d rather stay single forever just to keep him by her side. But now—her precious brother had married this hideous freak? Why should Ivy get him? Adrian Night was hers, and she’d never let anyone take him away!
So Clara Night snorted and sneered, "Heard you’ve been an orphan since you were little? Oh, no wonder you’re so rude—never had anyone to teach you manners. And what was it, you were raised by some old man, right? Ha, figures you act like a wild child. Even with money, you’ll never be a proper lady!"
Hearing this, Ivy Shen’s eating slowed, her face turning cold. Anyone who knew her would recognize this as the warning sign before a storm.
"So you’re a fool, huh? And you’ve got a messed-up tail, right? For normal people, that’s basically a disability. Hm, do you think your weird tail is something you inherited from your parents?" Clara Night frowned, then added, "Maybe your parents were monsters, huh?!"
At those words, Ivy Shen gracefully set down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and flashed a look of pure contempt. "Clara Night, right? Congrats—you’ve finally managed to piss me off!" With that, her smile vanished. She shot out her hand, and in front of the stunned crowd, slapped Clara Night hard across the face. The crack echoed through the hall.