The words "becoming a god" were like a fishbone lodged in Ge Duo's throat—she could neither swallow it nor spit it out.
After living for so many years, when had she ever been left behind by anyone?
But this time, she truly had been left behind. Not by people her own age, but by a group of little girls.
Eva looked at the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma in Ge Duo's hand, its juices crushed out and running everywhere. She did not rush her, merely sat there quietly, that ever-present lazy smile at the corner of her lips, as though waiting for a cup of tea to steep.
"Guess why the gods favor them?" Eva finally asked, her tone light, as if she were discussing something that had nothing to do with her.
"In terms of talent, you, me, and those little girls are no different. In terms of temperament, the two of us combined could teach every one of them a class in scheming and intrigue. Yet they were chosen, not us."
Ge Duo did not respond. She casually tossed the ruined ganoderma into the basket of medicinal scraps beside her, then pulled a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and leisurely wiped her fingers.
Of course, she knew what Eva was going to say next, but she did not want to take the bait. Responding would mean admitting that she cared, and caring was what Ge Duo was worst at.
Eva did not care whether she answered. She continued on her own, her tone as calm as if she were stating a truth that had long been proven time and again.
"There's only one reason—youth. Gods like the young too. Lia, Melida, Cinderella—they're all young. But we're different. We came into this world in our complete forms, and now we're no