Poor Cinderella

Snow White watched Ning Rongrong's conflicted little expression and did not pursue the topic further.

She knew that some seeds only needed to be planted gently. Too much watering might instead have the opposite effect.

She pushed a plate of snowflake crisps toward Ning Rongrong and said with a smile, "Try these. They were made by the new pastry chef. I heard they used some kind of milk from the Far North, so the flavor is quite unique."

Ning Rongrong's attention was immediately diverted. She cheered and began sampling the new pastries, quickly tossing her tiny worries to the back of her mind.

She started chattering to Snow White again about the amusing things she had heard lately, such as a newly opened shop outside the sect that sold strange and unusual Soul Tools, and how Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone had nearly argued again over who would accompany her to watch the Soul Beast show.

Most of the time, Snow White merely listened quietly, occasionally nodding or responding with a faint smile.

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the flower hall and fell over the two of them. Ning Rongrong was lively as a lark, while Snow White was quietly beautiful as a painting.

Yet in a corner Ning Rongrong could not see, Snow White's gaze held a trace of imperceptible understanding and faint expectation.

She knew that beneath this seemingly willful and spoiled girl's exterior, Ning Rongrong was not truly as indifferent to everything as she appeared.

She simply needed time, as well as a strong enough reason to ignite the potential buried beneath her comfortable life.

As for Snow White herself, she once again strengthened her resolve to become stronger. She did not want to be like she had been in the Fairy-Tale World, able only