Chapter 218: Choosing a Dance Partner
The manor was about three stories high.
The spiral staircase on each floor had some twenty-odd low steps. In keeping with the manor’s overall design, they were fashioned from luxurious white jade marble embedded with Energy Stones, keeping them warm in winter and cool in summer for bare feet.
The crisp tap of Ye Ming’s black leather shoes on the tiled floor echoed through the hall, drowning out the soft, bated breaths of the crowd.
His pace was slow, but the distance wasn’t great, and with his tall stature, he quickly reached the center of the main hall.
The males and married females spontaneously took a step back, leaving the young, single females exposed in the center of the floor.
Bai Rao glanced up. As the Second Prince’s fiancée, she had no intention of participating in this competition, but her mother, Mrs. Bai, gripped her hand tightly, a warning in her eyes.
In her mother’s eyes, her daughter deserved only the most outstanding male. ’Now that the Eldest Prince is back, the Second Prince pales in comparison. If the Eldest Prince takes a liking to my daughter, we can surely find a way to break off the other engagement.’
Unable to retreat and feeling her mother’s grip tighten, Bai Rao could only suppress her annoyance and remain where she stood.
Thankfully, Ye Ming walked past her without a second glance.
He passed one female after another, the hopeful expressions in their eyes turning to disappointment as they helplessly watched the Eldest Prince walk toward Lai Yilian.
The daughter of Councilman Lai Yang had also attended the Capital School for a year. Though she later transferred back to her home planet of Kabuda, she had been a well-known figure at the school—not to mention, an A-level female.
Between them stood Shi Lan, a waste female in their eyes.
On the other side was Jiang Yan, who already had two Beast Husbands.
Everyone subconsciously ruled out the other two. Ye Ming choosing Lai Yilian seemed only natural.
However, neither Councilman Lai Yang nor Lai Yilian herself, the center of attention, seemed to be thinking along those lines.
Step by step, the distance between them shortened, and soon, Ye Ming stood before Lai Yilian.
The unchosen females wore expressions of regret, while the rest of the onlookers prepared to applaud. The Monarch watched Ye Ming with a hint of satisfaction, but Ye Yan’s gaze on Lai Yilian was dark and indecipherable.
The outcome seemed clear.
Lai Yilian looked at Ye Ming in surprise. She raised an eyebrow, and just as she was about to speak, he moved past her and stopped beside Shi Lan. He extended his hand in a gentlemanly fashion, his deep, pleasant voice filled with conviction. "Lanlan, may I ask you to be my partner for the opening dance?"
Shi Lan had expected this all along, but when she saw him stop in front of Lai Yilian, her heart still skipped a beat, and an indescribable sense of panic washed over her.
Now, she lifted her gaze to his, her dark, gentle eyes filled with a touch of joy. She reached out her hand. "Yes."
Lai Yilian, who had known this was coming ever since she saw the pink diamond necklace, happily led the applause. The sound broke through the stagnant atmosphere, shattering the silence, and the stunned crowd began to clap mechanically.
The music began. Ye Ming led Shi Lan to the center of the floor as a spotlight descended, illuminating only the two of them.
Ye Ming placed a slightly nervous hand on Shi Lan’s waist, and she, just as tentatively, rested her hand on his shoulder.
’Ever since he’d invited her to be his partner, she had been secretly practicing at home the last two days to avoid embarrassing herself.’
Thankfully, it had paid off. She could just about keep up with his steps.
His broad, searing palm felt like a brand against Shi Lan’s slender waist. Ye Ming, worried she might not be proficient, had intended to slow his pace to match hers, but he was surprised to find that Lanlan was much better than he’d imagined.
He lowered his gaze, watching her. Her face was tense and her red lips were pressed together in concentration, as if she were tackling some serious academic subject. A low, pleased chuckle rumbled in his chest.
As a beginner, Shi Lan didn’t dare get distracted and make a mistake in front of so many people. She shot him a confused glance before quickly refocusing on their dance.
Ye Ming lowered his voice, murmuring softly, "Don’t worry, Lanlan. Just relax. Leave it all to me."
Shi Lan wanted to say that was easier said than done, but as she met his deep and tender, jade-green eyes, it was as if her soul had left her body, completely lost within their depths.
Her body felt lighter. Once they moved past the initial awkwardness, her feet seemed to find a rhythm of their own, guided by muscle memory. She relaxed and began to enjoy the music with Ye Ming.
The music swelled from gentle to passionate. Under the spotlight, Ye Ming in his white tailcoat and Shi Lan in her pale yellow gown spun and swayed. Her sheer, gossamer shawl traced graceful arcs in the air, occasionally brushing against Ye Ming, an intimate caress that mirrored the couple’s perfect coordination as they moved, tangled in a tender and ambiguous embrace.
"Tsk. You have to admit, they really look good together."
Lai Yilian whispered as she drew closer to Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan still had her face in her hands, reeling from the overwhelming shock.
’Just how many secrets is Lanlan keeping from me? I thought Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng were shocking enough, but now the Eldest Prince is involved too!’
’But by pulling Shi Lan into the spotlight on an occasion like this, the Eldest Prince is putting her right in the eye of the storm.’
A knot of worry formed in Jiang Yan’s stomach. Facing Lai Yilian, she was at a loss for words.
It wasn’t just Jiang Yan, her good friend, who hadn’t anticipated Ye Ming’s actions. The expressions on the faces of everyone else in the hall were a colorful sight to behold.
The males who knew of Shi Lan’s status as a waste female were ashen-faced, completely baffled as to why the Eldest Prince would choose her.
The spurned females’ expressions were thunderous, their teeth clenched as they watched the pair dance.
Bai Rao’s expression wasn’t as overt as the others; it was more one of pure surprise.
’Is the Eldest Prince, the heir apparent, also this reckless? Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng are one thing, but can he really not know about Shi Lan’s spiritual power?’
Mrs. Bai sized up Shi Lan with a critical eye. "I’ve never seen this female in high-society circles before. She certainly has some nerve."
"By the way, Ruoru, isn’t she one of your classmates? Do you know anything about her background?"
Bai Rao’s expression was complicated. But with so many people around, the walls had ears, and it wasn’t a good time to speak ill of someone. If the Eldest Prince were to overhear, he might think she was intentionally trying to stir up trouble.
She just frowned. "We’re not very close."
Mrs. Bai began to lecture her daughter unhappily. "I’ve told you before, the social circles for females are small. You should make more friends, or at the very least, learn more about everyone..."
She was about to say more when she happened to glance over and see Mr. Bai’s deathly pale face in the dim light. The sight startled her so much she nearly cried out. Cursing her bad luck, she lost all interest in speaking.
Bai Rao noticed as well and walked over to him, concerned.
Elsewhere, the Jiang, Mu, and Chang families had gathered together.
Clearly, none of them had expected this outcome either.
Jiang Xia’s father glanced at his son’s face, which was twisted with jealousy, and gave him a look that was both encouraging and sympathetic. "Ahem. Son, you’d better brace yourself. Your rivals are all incredibly powerful."
Hearing this, Mu Tangfeng—perhaps because he felt indirectly praised as one of those "powerful rivals"—suddenly found his jealous, twisted expression replaced by a look of smug satisfaction.
Mr. and Mrs. Mu, however, were simply wondering what sort of magic a waste female like Shi Lan possessed to make so many outstanding males flock to her.
Chang Liu began to doubt the rumors about Shi Lan being a waste female. She looked at her son. "Are you sure what you heard at school is true?"
Jiang Qingzai lost his confidence as well. "P-Probably. I... I just heard it from my classmates."