Nie Xiaoqian looked closely.
A little girl of six or seven sat there, seemingly even younger than Xin Shijiu-Mei, her small body curled up in the shadow of a hall pillar.
The girl wore a blue-green dress, with fragrant herbs and green vines twined around her. Her head hung slightly, her tender white hands clasped tightly around her knees. Bare little feet, white as snow, peeked out beneath her dress, while cloudlike black hair fell in disarray, hiding most of her face.
The pitiful sight reminded Nie Xiaoqian of how she used to sulk in a corner of her room after quarreling with her parents as a child.
She stole a glance at the others. Everyone seemed to be ignoring the girl. Suddenly, the spirit fruit in her mouth no longer tasted sweet. Holding the half-eaten fruit, she hesitated to speak.
How could anyone present miss that look on her face? Xin Shiniang glanced at her and asked with a smile, "What is it, Xiaoqian?"
"Hm?"
Nie Xiaoqian swallowed the fruit. Unable to hold back, she pointed cautiously toward the girl. "Sister Xin, shouldn't we do something about that child?"
"Child?" Xin Shiniang gave a startled laugh.
Nie Xiaoqian had no idea what she had said wrong and looked at her helplessly. Xin Shiniang's gaze settled on the girl in the corner, her expression turning strange.
"She's no child!" Xin Shiniang said, her voice heavy with mixed feelings. "She's a goddess!"
A goddess?
Could a goddess really look like that?
Nie Xiaoqian jumped in fright. The fruit slipped from her hand and landed on her plate with a crisp clatter. She hurriedly stood to apologize. "Forgive me, young master. I was rude!"
As she spoke, her slender body trembled. If Xin Shiniang was telling the truth, even a goddess had