After a massive sandstorm, everyone looked absolutely battered and miserable.
Clara Night felt incredibly wronged after Ivy Shen yelled at her, but thinking it over, she realized she’d insisted on coming along herself. If there was anyone to blame, it wasn’t others—it was just her own bitter pill to swallow.
“Alright, everyone, drink some water before we move on.” Ivy Shen knew that after a sandstorm, everyone’s eyes and mouths would be full of dust, but the worst was the grit in your nose—every breath dragged it into your throat, making you feel miserable. So drinking water right now was the best way to ease things.
Everyone listened to Ivy Shen and headed over to the camels to unpack their supplies. Adrian Night handed out a waterskin to each person.
“Remember to drink plenty now, and keep your waterskin on you—just in case,” Ivy’s voice sounded like a beacon for everyone right now.
At that, everyone hurried to drink up. Clara Night grabbed her water and started rinsing her mouth, then splashed some on her face, and was about to wash her hands—when Ivy Shen snatched her waterskin away and snapped, “What do you think you’re doing? Do you know where we are? Water is precious here, not something you waste on washing your face and rinsing your mouth!”
Clara Night shot Ivy a defiant glare, “Can’t you see all the dust on my face? My mouth is full of sand—I have to rinse it out, or how am I supposed to drink? I’m not some uncivilized country bumpkin.” The implication was clear: she thought Ivy was just a wild hillbilly.
Ivy Shen just gave her a frosty smile. “If you’re not thirsty, then don’t drink.” With that, she hung the waterskin back at Clara’s waist without letting her have any.
“Hey! What are you doing? I haven’t even had a drink yet!” Clara Night was so furious at Ivy Shen’s move she was practically grinding her teeth. She rushed over to snatch the waterskin from Ivy’s waist, but her clumsy skills were no match for Ivy.
“Ow!” Clara stumbled and fell face-first into the sand, swallowing another mouthful of grit. She scrambled up, pointed at Ivy Shen, and yelled, “Ivy Shen, you demoness! You did that on purpose!”
“Clara,” Adrian Night frowned and walked over to her.
“Brother, you saw it—she did it on purpose!” Clara Night immediately started whining to Adrian when he came over.
Ivy Shen marched right up to Adrian, hooked his arm, and said with deadly seriousness, “Come with me. Ignore her—and don’t you dare give her any water, or I’ll be seriously pissed.” With that, she let go and strode off ahead. She was determined to show this spoiled princess that tantrums wouldn’t get her anywhere out here.
“Xin…” Adrian looked torn—after all, Clara was his little sister!
Caleb Miles, who’d been riding on the same camel as Adrian, came over, put away his abacus, and quietly said, “Relax, Xin’s not really that ruthless. She’s just giving Clara a lesson—making her realize this isn’t a place for drama. If you secretly go against Xin’s wishes, you’ll break her heart.” The person in question might not see it, but the rest of them sure did.
“Come on, let’s go!” Lucian Vane, who understood the situation perfectly, waved at Adrian to follow Xin’s orders.
“That’s right—Xin’s wisdom is second to none. She’s doing this for your sister’s own good,” Caleb added, patting Adrian on the shoulder before heading off.
Adrian glanced at Xin leading the way up ahead, took a deep breath, and followed. That’s right—he should trust her!
“Brother, what are you doing? I haven’t had any water yet!” Clara Night had wanted to whine and tattle to her brother, but to her shock, he actually listened to that demoness and left her behind. She was so mad she could practically breathe fire.
But no matter how angry she got, the group kept moving forward. No one was stopping for her tantrum.
Time slipped away as they traveled, and soon the sky was full of stars—a breathtaking nightscape.
“Xin, have you been here before? How else did you know to bring cotton coats?” Butterfly Rogue asked, curious as he bundled up.
The rest of them felt the same. This desert was seriously weird—during the day it was so hot you wished you had an ice block to hug, but at night it was freezing, like lying on bare ice. The wild swings in temperature were almost impossible to bear.
“The desert’s always been like this, for hundreds and thousands of years,” Ivy replied coolly.
“Alright, let’s camp here.” As the sky darkened, Ivy led everyone for half a day before finally finding a spot with broken rocks. She had everyone tie up the camels, and since they’d packed plenty of charcoal, it didn’t take long to get a fire going. To her delight, there were also some dead branches around the rocks—perfect for kindling.
“Everyone stay close to the fire and don’t wander off. The desert at night is really scary,” Ivy said in a chilly, ominous tone—making it clear she wasn’t joking.
Clara Night nervously scooted closer to the fire. She was still mad at Ivy, but after everything today, she had to admit Ivy was clever—how else would she know to bring coats? Clearly, this wasn’t her first time here. Maybe Ivy really was telling the truth…
“Here, water.” Seeing Clara’s cracked lips, Ivy finally tossed her waterskin over. She’d been ruthless all afternoon, refusing to let Clara have even a sip.
The moment Clara saw water, she perked right up, popped open the waterskin, and gulped it down—her daytime composure totally gone.
Adrian Night finally let out a sigh of relief, understanding Ivy’s real motive—she wanted Clara to learn to value resources.