Chapter 81 Onset

Li Zhuo unfolded his fan and laughed, "That's right, keep going, just do as usual."

Li Zhuo smiled, observing the young man in the arena with a playful expression. The man in blue glanced at him, nodded slightly, and then, as if thinking of something, asked, "But the dance has already begun. Would you two distinguished guests like to... start watching from the beginning again?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

He shouldn't be in this room!

As soon as she finished speaking, the force on her wrist increased, and Zhuang Dongqing gritted her teeth and dared not make a sound.

Fortunately, Li Zhuo rejected the idea, saying, "No need, let's continue. It was an abrupt addition to the story, and there's no reason for us to spoil Sixth Brother and Young Master Zhuang's enjoyment because of me and the Prince, is that right?"

Zhuang Dongqing observes his nose and his heart.

Li Yang was a blockhead. Since his third brother had spoken, he turned his head and saw that Cen Yan and Zhuang Dongqing were both silent, so he nodded and instructed, "Continue."

The man in blue bowed respectfully: "Yes, distinguished guests, please wait a moment."

They continued, but to truly get the venue back up and running, they had to do so while ensuring the well-being of their esteemed guests.

Cen Yan and Li Zhuo were the only ones who sat down after entering, but behind them was a row of officials. When they sat down, the local officials naturally had no choice but to accompany them and take their seats as well.

Not far from Zhuang Dongqing's desk, the young man who had been dancing and whose face resembled a beautiful woman had risen from his kneeling position and was sitting quietly on the floor with his head down. While the table was being moved and the servant was serving tea, Zhuang Dongqing glanced at him a few times, and suddenly heard a soft voice ask, "Does Qingqing like this?"

"..."

He raised his eyes slightly, and Cen Yan smiled at him, less than an arm's length away.

His laughter was... creepy.

Zhuang Dongqing immediately shook her head, but as soon as she did, she thought of her surroundings and the dozen or so pairs of eyes around her, and her movements became less intense.

The gesture was small, but the tone was firm: "I don't like it!"

"Oh? I noticed you were watching intently, Qingqing..."

The voice was gentle, yet carried a hint of terror.

"..."

Zhuang Dongqing moved her wrist, which was being held by Cen Yan, as if she wanted to grab Cen Yan's hand back.

However, Cen Yan didn't give him a chance, holding his arm tightly so that he couldn't move.

Helpless, Zhuang Dongqing could only scratch Cen Yan through her sleeve and repeat in a low voice, "Nothing like that. I just saw that he was calm and collected, and I thought..."

Noticing his movement, Cen Yan grasped his hand under the table first. Zhuang Dongqing paused and whispered, "I imagine there are quite a few high-ranking officials and dignitaries here."

He paused for a moment.

No wonder, Cen Yan's hands were restless, reaching inside his sleeve.

Zhuang Dongqing's back trembled slightly, while Cen Yan remained calm. The two sat together, but did not lean against each other, keeping a certain distance between them. Under the table... Zhuang Dongqing grabbed Cen Yan's hand from his sleeve, her ear tips burning slightly.

It's not actually that excessive.

But having been here for more than three years, Zhuang Dongqing has gradually integrated into this era.

With so many people watching, and being so slowly and deliberately stroked with their fingertips, Zhuang Dongqing felt as if they were... having an affair.

Even when held down, Cen Yan remained motionless, his expression calm: "No?"

"..."

Mom, what kind of chaotic scene is this?

Zhuang Dongqing closed her eyes. "No, it's not."

The hand that was pressing down didn't let go.

With his hand pressed down, his fingertips flicked upwards, silently urging him on. Zhuang Dongqing looked helplessly at Cen Yan, his expression pitiful.

However, Cen Yan remained unmoved, his gaze straight ahead.

Okay, I'm really angry.

After a moment of eye contact, Cen Yan suddenly said, "Li Zhuo is looking this way, he's about to jump again."

"!"

With difficulty, Zhuang Dongqing turned her face away, and before more people noticed them, she finally let go of his hand.

The long fingers inside the sleeve traced a path up to the elbow, slowly beginning to circle.

Take a deep breath, but you can't exhale.

Cen Yan did it on purpose!

Not only on purpose, but she also reminded him, "Qingqing, it's starting."

Ugh, he doesn't want to watch!

But the boy just kept jumping around right in front of them, and Cen Yan remained calm and composed, his expression unreadable.

After a while, Zhuang Dongqing also felt uneasy. She glanced at him and muttered, "Is it pretty?"

If you're not in the right, you won't have the confidence to speak up; you just have to ask!

Cen Yan smiled, making Zhuang Dongqing feel guilty.

The mischievous fingers inside the sleeve suddenly tightened their grip on his arm, pulling him slightly closer. At the same time, the boy in front of him bent over, his body supple, and through the layers of thin gauze, one could see the muscles bulging as he exerted force.

If Cen Yan weren't here, Zhuang Dongqing would probably find it beautiful.

Cen Yan: "What kind of answer do you want to hear?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "...An irrelevant answer."

After the boy finished speaking, he took off another layer of gauze clothing. Zhuang Dongqing couldn't help but move her body, feeling slightly anxious.

Cen Yan lowered his eyes and slowly revealed a smile.

Zhuang Dongqing frowned slightly as she laughed, then Cen Yan squeezed her arm again. Cen Yan said, "Now you know how unhappy I am, right?"

"..."

Zhuang Dongqing broke down, "It's not like I wanted to come here."

Cen Yan: "You didn't want to come at all? Is Li Yang so capable that he kidnapped you to come?"

That's not it.

Zhuang Dongqing lowered her head, looking embarrassed, and said unhappily, "I don't want to watch it now!"

As they continued watching, Zhuang Dongqing felt it was necessary to carefully distinguish whether it was him or Cen Yan who was watching.

Cen Yan laughed, "Are you sure?"

"I saw another one behind... well, quite a handsome young man."

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Gritting her teeth, she exclaimed, "I'm sure!"

"OK."

"Perfect."

Cen Yan stopped.

Zhuang Dongqing: "?"

As soon as she looked up, Zhuang Dongqing saw that the boy had already taken off... very little clothing left.

At that moment, the music became faster and more urgent, and the drums began to beat.

The boy, wearing only two pieces of clothing, had one outer garment half-removed. He held a wine glass in one hand and stopped in front of Cen Yan, assuming a gesture of pouring wine and inviting Cen Yan to taste it.

Her eyes sparkled, her body moved with grace.

The music of the zither and lute ceased, and the piece remained frozen at that moment.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

The boy stopped moving, and Cen Yan reached out and took the wine glass. Zhuang Dongqing's heart skipped a beat for no reason. Before anyone could react, the wine was splashed onto the boy's face.

Cen Yan threw the wine glass away with a thud.

Slamming his hand on the table, Cen Yan stood up and shouted:

"What kind of behavior is this, so immoral and disgraceful? Guards!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the prince's personal guards rushed in, surrounding them completely. In the blink of an eye, swords and blades were drawn, instantly shattering the previous romantic atmosphere.

Cen Yan: "Who brought the Sixth Prince in?"

After asking the question, the guards dragged the official who had led Li Yang onto the pleasure boat out of his seat.

He kicked the other person in the knee, ignoring their cries, and forced them to kneel down.

Cen Yan's face was solemn, and he said coldly, "When I left the capital, His Majesty instructed me to take good care of the Sixth Prince and not let him go astray."

"I never expected things to turn out this way... Ha."

"You have bewitched and corrupted the prince; do you know your crime?!"

Zhuang Dongqing blinked, belatedly realizing that Cen Yan was about to have his outburst.