Edward Morgan didn’t realize his gaze had softened. He continued, “But I need James Walker.”

James Walker loosened his grip on his sword, and then heard Edward Morgan say, “I met James Walker when we were both nobodies. I trust no one in this world, only James Walker.”

“Respected one…”

James Walker’s words were cut off as a woman in a thin white dress, holding a pipa, walked up to the second floor and began to sing while playing her instrument.

Edward Morgan: “……”

James Walker: “……”

This woman was none other than Grace Cooper. The two were used to seeing her dressed provocatively, so they were truly unaccustomed to this pitiful, delicate version of Grace Cooper, who looked like a trembling white lotus in the wind.

There were quite a few guests seated on the second floor. Grace Cooper was a teahouse songstress; after finishing her song, she began selling flowers.

She took the path of self-reliance—she didn’t charge for singing, but after each performance, she would sell flowers. The income from selling flowers had to be split seventy-thirty with the teahouse owner: seventy for the owner, thirty for her. It was as pitiful as could be.

Edward Morgan held a ten-tael silver ingot in his palm and casually tossed it into Grace Cooper’s flower basket. Grace Cooper carried the basket over to Edward Morgan, speaking softly, “Sir, I am not selling songs, but flowers. A basket of flowers is only ten coins; there’s no need for so much money.”

At her feet were ten baskets of flowers. After selling them all and splitting the money with the owner, she was left with only thirty coins for herself. She’d have to save up for half a month just to afford a bite of meat; the rest of the time, she’d be stuck eating plain buns.

Edward Morgan didn’t look at Grace Cooper, but shot a sidelong glance at James Walker, sending a message: “Call me big brother.”

James Walker looked as if he were dreaming. Following the script Edward Morgan had given him, he recited his lines emotionlessly: “Respe—my big brother told you to take it, so take it. Don’t fail to appreciate his kindness.”

As soon as the words “big brother” left his mouth, the tips of James Walker’s ears turned bright red.

“Thank you both for your kindness, but I shouldn’t accept silver. I really can’t take it,” Grace Cooper said, her slender, cold fingers picking the silver out of the basket and placing it on their table, giving a polite bow.

By rights, Edward Morgan should have tossed the silver into Grace Cooper’s collar and said, “If you take it out in public, I’ll take it back,” making her cry helplessly in the teahouse. But he really wasn’t good at such things, and James Walker had no interest in them either. The two could only drink their tea in silence, ignoring Grace Cooper.

Seeing their lack of response, Grace Cooper grew anxious. If they didn’t humiliate her, how was she supposed to continue the act? She had already arranged for her subordinates to play their parts, but when she heard the respected one was coming to watch, she ordered them to stand by and left the main act for him.

She thought all men had this kind of bad habit, and that acting out such a scene would be enjoyable. Who would have thought the respected one wasn’t that kind of person at all, and had no interest in bullying the weak.

Wasn’t he a demonic cultivator? Wouldn’t it be better to do something a demonic cultivator should do?

Grace Cooper saw that William Carter and Lily Harris had already arrived downstairs at the teahouse. The audience was here, but the stage wasn’t set—what was she to do? She anxiously blinked at the respected one, her beautiful eyes fluttering so much it was as if they’d fall out.

“You do it,” Edward Morgan secretly transmitted to James Walker.

He decided that from now on, he’d give James Walker more things to do, so he wouldn’t keep acting like, “If the respected one doesn’t need me, I might as well die.”

James Walker recalled the script Grace Cooper had given him. Hearing the respected one’s order, he looked blankly at the beautiful Grace Cooper. Was he supposed to pull open Grace Cooper’s clothes and stuff the silver into her chest? And in front of the respected one?

He was extremely conflicted, but it was the respected one’s command!

“Do as you see fit. You don’t need to follow Grace Cooper’s plan,” Edward Morgan sensed James Walker’s difficulty and sent a message.

With permission, James Walker immediately relaxed. He said coldly and indifferently, “Since you don’t appreciate kindness, don’t blame me for being rude.”

With that, he grabbed Grace Cooper with one hand and threw her off the second floor, landing her right at the feet of William Carter and Lily Harris.

Grace Cooper: “……”

William Carter saw a figure fall from above and wanted to help, but with Lily Harris beside him—and having just quarreled with her over the matter of Junior Sister Liu from the Shangqing Sect—he didn’t want to upset her. Seeing that the falling figure was a woman whose face he couldn’t see, he didn’t intervene.

Instead, Lily Harris saw someone fall from the second floor and leapt forward to save her. Grace Cooper’s plan was shattered to pieces. No matter what, she couldn’t let Lily Harris be the one to save her. If anyone was going to, it should be William Carter—and right in front of Lily Harris, so he’d be seen embracing another woman!

So Grace Cooper steeled herself, gathered her true energy to accelerate, and managed to land just as Lily Harris was about to touch the hem of her clothes. She even secretly used her energy to injure herself, faking a serious injury from the fall.

Lily Harris only managed to grab a piece of white fabric, and saw the frail woman hit the ground hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

She landed, half-kneeling in front of the woman, helping her up with concern. “Miss, are you all right?”

When the woman turned her face, it turned out to be someone she knew. Lily Harris exclaimed, “Miss Shu?”

Only then did William Carter arrive, belatedly. Seeing it was the pitiful woman he’d saved a few days ago—and still feeling a bit of fondness for her—he regretted not saving her in time.

Grace Cooper, now using the alias Lillian Cooper, was half-embraced by Lily Harris. A tear fell in her heart. It wasn’t supposed to be like this!