Chapter 22 Stunning the Audience
The dinner ended unhappily.
Ye Manrou's face turned pale and then flushed, but she still had to maintain the dignity of a lady from a prestigious family. Her smile was more unsightly than a cry.
She forced herself to see the two elders of the Lu family off, the resentment in her eyes almost solidifying into a tangible form.
Tonight, she was thoroughly humiliated and bullied. How could she possibly swallow this insult?
Beside her, Liu Sisi, who hadn't said much, suddenly darted around, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Sister Manrou, are you just letting her get away with this? She's an outsider, what gives her the right?"
Zhao Linlin was so angry that she stomped her feet: "Exactly! What a piece of trash! So what if her family fell from power? She's acting like a queen! Disgusting!"
Liu Sisi gently patted Ye Manrou's hand, a shrewd glint in her eyes: "Sister Manrou, it's not worth getting angry with someone like that. There's a dance in our compound's auditorium tonight, why don't we... take her to see it?"
She lowered her voice, her tone seductive: "No matter how eloquent she is, coming from a merchant family in Shanghai, reeking of money, she might only know how to use an abacus at best. How could she possibly understand such refined art? I don't believe she does!"
Yes! A dance!
Ye Manrou is the undisputed dance queen of the compound! She has studied ballet since childhood, and her figure and temperament are unmatched.
In terms of eloquence, she might lose.
But in terms of talent, elegance, and true aristocratic demeanor, what does Su Wantang have to compare with her?
"Let's go!" Ye Manrou suddenly stood up, abandoning her arrogant demeanor, and turned her gaze once again to Su Wantang, who was about to leave with Lu Jingyan.
"Wantang, don't be in such a hurry to leave." Ye Manrou's voice rose, carrying an undeniable enthusiasm. "There's a dance party in the courtyard auditorium tonight, all young people. Want to come and have some fun?"
Zhao Linlin immediately jumped in to chime in, her voice so loud she seemed afraid no one would hear her: "Yes, yes! Wan Tang, you're from Shanghai, you've probably never seen a dance in Beijing before, have you? It's so lively!"
The purpose of this group's coordinated attack is obvious.
Su Wantang sneered inwardly.
Unable to win the power struggles within the household, they resort to talent contests? That's a really old-fashioned tactic.
Lu Jingyan frowned, about to refuse.
Su Wantang pressed his hand down and gave Ye Manrou a sweet smile: "Okay, let's go and broaden our horizons."
She wanted to see what other tricks these people could pull.
The auditorium in the compound was brightly lit.
A huge ceiling fan rotated slowly overhead, and an old-fashioned gramophone in the corner was playing a soothing waltz.
The young officers wore crisp military uniforms, while the girls changed into the most fashionable dresses. They gathered in twos and threes, and the air was filled with the scent of face cream and youthful hormones.
As soon as Ye Manrou appeared, she immediately became the focus of the entire event.
She changed into a pure white dress, the hem swaying like a proud white swan.
"Manrou is here!"
"Manrou looks beautiful tonight!"
Surrounded by the crowd, she smiled reservedly, but her gaze was like a hook, fixed on Su Wantang.
A young, handsome officer stepped forward and made a standard invitation gesture to her.
Ye Manrou gracefully placed her hand on his, and the two glided onto the dance floor.
Her dance was indeed impeccable; every spin, every step, was as precise as if measured with a ruler. Coupled with her haughty expression, it certainly drew cheers from the audience.
As the song ended, Ye Manrou bowed slightly amidst applause, then looked defiantly at Su Wantang in the corner.
Those eyes seemed to say: Do you see that? This is where I should be standing.
Upon receiving the signal, Zhao Linlin immediately shouted at the top of her lungs, "Hey, what's the point of just watching Sister Manrou dance? Let Brother Jingyan's wife do one too!"
She deliberately emphasized the words "wife".
Liu Sisi, feigning concern, advised, "Linlin, don't stir things up. Wan Tang just arrived, she might... not know how."
"No way?" A young man with a buzz cut chuckled. "I heard Shanghai is the most fashionable place. How could someone not even know how to ballroom dance? Are you just bragging?"
A multitude of gazes, a mixture of curiosity, ill intent, and a desire to see the spectacle, all turned toward Su Wantang.
The entire auditorium fell silent.
Everyone was waiting to see how she would make a fool of herself.
Lu Jingyan's face was so cold it could chill you to the bone. He took Su Wantang's hand and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."
"Don't rush."
Su Wantang grasped his hand in return, her voice calm.
Amidst everyone's pessimistic gazes, she released Lu Jingyan and walked alone, leisurely, towards the gramophone in the corner.
Everyone was stunned.
What is she trying to do?
Su Wantang's slender fingers were seen rummaging through the pile of records.
She pulled out a black vinyl record and put it on the record player.
"Sizzle—"
After a crackling sound, the soothing waltz on the dance floor came to an abrupt halt.
Instead, a melody full of strong rhythm, with a touch of wildness and passion!
The drumbeats were rapid, the piano music was passionate, and the music seemed to carry a scorching current, instantly striking the hearts of everyone present.
It's tango!
Tango is more unrestrained, more intense, and more difficult to master than the waltz!
"Has she gone mad?" Zhao Linlin exclaimed.
Ye Manrou's pupils also contracted sharply.
Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Su Wantang turned around, stepped to the beat of the loud drums, and walked step by step to Lu Jingyan.
She stopped, bowed slightly to the tall man, and extended her right hand.
A perfectly standard gesture a woman uses to invite a man.
The entire auditorium was completely silent.
Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
This woman not only wants to dance, but also wants to dance the tango, and even... actively invites Lu Jingyan?!
That legendary, cold-faced Yama who is said to be indifferent to women and capable of freezing people to death?!
Lu Jingyan was also stunned.
He looked at the petite woman before him; her eyes sparkled with a hint of cunning, and a hint of... a burning flame he had never seen before.
Then, to everyone's disbelief, he took her outstretched hand.
A large hand holding a small hand, the warm touch travels through the skin and straight to the heart.
"Will it?" Su Wantang tilted her head up and whispered in his ear.
“Teach me.” The man’s voice was low and hoarse.
The next second, he suddenly pulled her into his arms and slid into the dance floor with her.
If Ye Manrou's waltz is like a lake under the moonlight, calm and elegant.
The tango between Su Wantang and Lu Jingyan was like a volcano erupting at midnight, full of power, conquest, and ultimate allure!
Su Wantang's body was so supple it seemed boneless; every twist of her waist, every toss of her head, exuded a deadly sensuality. Her eyes, no longer cold and aloof, burned with fire as she stared intently at Lu Jingyan.
Lu Jingyan, with his calm and steady demeanor, became the perfect foil for her.
He doesn't need complicated dance steps; he just needs to stand there and, with his powerful strength and control, catch all her exuberance and passion.
She advances, he retreats.
She spun, he lifted.
With a powerful backbend, Su Wantang's back was almost touching the ground, her long black hair cascading down like a waterfall, drawing a breathtaking arc.
Lu Jingyan's hand rested steadily on her waist, his arm muscles bulging, exuding a masculine strength.
Their bodies were sometimes close enough to feel each other's breath; sometimes they were apart, yet they were held together by an invisible tension.
That's not dancing.
It was a war, a flirtation, a resonance of souls in full view of everyone.
The entire auditorium was deathly silent.
Everyone was stunned.
The young officers stared wide-eyed, forgetting to breathe. Their gazes shifted from initial amusement to astonishment, and then to... fervent admiration and a hint of unspoken longing.
Is this woman... a fairy?!
"Smack!"
The music abruptly stopped on the final, powerful note.
Su Wantang was supported by Lu Jingyan with one hand, striking a perfect finishing pose.
quiet.
A deathly silence.
One second, two seconds...
"Whoa—!!!!"
The applause was ten or even a hundred times more enthusiastic than when it was given to Ye Manrou, and it exploded like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down!
"That's amazing!"
"My God! That dance was absolutely amazing!"
"This isn't dancing, this is killing us!"
Ye Manrou's hand holding the wine glass trembled uncontrollably, and she was completely unaware that the wine had spilled.
Her proudest skills and most confident areas were utterly crushed in front of Su Wantang.
Zhao Linlin and Liu Sisi stood there with their mouths open, unable to utter a single word, their faces burning with embarrassment.
Amidst thunderous applause, Su Wantang straightened up, intimately took Lu Jingyan's arm, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"I forgot to tell you."
"My mother was once a dance queen in Shanghai."
"So, what she left me wasn't just tea."
After saying that, she gave Ye Manrou a bright and radiant smile.
You little punk, trying to play palace intrigue with me?
You're still too inexperienced.
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