From the moment Tang Wulin stepped into the hall, Lin Yuhan had been completely enraptured. She couldn"t keep her eyes off his das.h.i.+ng figure. He had everything she wanted in a man and was so charming to her that she had cast away all her reservations and taken the initiative to invite him to dance. While it was normal to harbor a crush on someone, Lin Yuhan was woefully inexperienced in such matters. All she knew was that she wanted to get closer to Tang Wulin. She was confident that she was just as pretty as Gu Yue and also shared an interest in blacksmithing with him. She was certain she had a good shot.
It was at that point that the music, which had been lingering in the background, took center-stage. Just as Sima Lanxiao planned, the song changed. The banquet had begun with a series of slower songs, but this next song had a lively, thumping beat. It started off low but soon swelled with intensity, pa.s.sion, and excitement. This was exactly what was needed to change the mood and encourage the two delegations to have fun with each other.
Gu Yue pulled Tang Wulin onto the dance floor. Just as Tang Wulin was about to speak, Gu Yue stopped and whirled around to face him with sharp eyes.
“Gu Yue, I—”
Right at that moment, the music went into full swing. It drowned out whatever Tang Wulin was saying, and before he could try and repeat himself, Gu Yue took action. She grabbed his right hand and placed it on her waist, then raised his left hand high. Back straight, she craned her neck and took off, leading them into a tempestuous whirlwind of a dance.
Gu Yue"s silver dress billowed outward as they spun, blossoming like a flower. Tang Wulin caught a glimpse of her legs as it did and saw that she wore skin-tight capri pants. The sight of it consumed his thoughts, his mind whirling as he wondered when she had the time to put them on. Then his eyes turned to her face. Gone was her cold mask of indifference. Wild pa.s.sion blazed in its place.
Something stirred within Tang Wulin. His heart trembled. His blood boiled. He gave into the whirlwind.
Tang Wulin and Gu Yue"s dance attracted the attention of everyone around them. They were a storm on the dancefloor, spinning back and forth to the music, until suddenly, Gu Yue stopped. Tang Wulin stopped with her, and she jumped off his thigh to soar into the air only to float back down like a leaf. She lighted upon his shoulder, spun in place, and became still staring back at all the onlookers. At that moment, they had every set of eyes in the hall on them.
Gu Yue flipped in place, falling forward only to catch herself and hang upside down from Tang Wulin"s shoulders. With the grace of a snake she slid around his body and down to the ground in one smooth motion, and they were back in their original dancing positions. She then leaned backward, her body angling so far it seemed as though it would break from the strain. The motion pulled Tang Wulin along as her hands were hooked around his neck. Just when it seemed like she would touch the ground, she kicked her feet into the air and wrapped her legs around Tang Wulin"s neck.
This mesmerizing performance moved in complete sync with the music, each of Gu Yue"s acrobatic movements matching the thumping beat. Not once did Tang Wulin"s hand leave her waist.
“Throw me,” Gu Yue whispered in his ear.
Without another thought, Tang Wulin gripped her waist tight and flung her up. Gu Yue soared upward, traveling nearly thirty meters into the air to nearly touch the ceiling of the hall. She spun the entire time, contorting her body to perform miraculous aerial acrobatics. Then, as her rise slowly transition back into a fall, her dress caught the air around it and transformed into a blooming silver flower.
The other dancers had long since stopped to pay full attention to this spectacle.
As Gu Yue fell toward him, Tang Wulin reached out and wrapped his hand around her waist, catching her and setting her back on the ground in one smooth motion. Gu Yue didn"t stop there, however, immediately grabbing his hand and twirling around him.
All Tang Wulin could do was react to Gu Yue as she led him with pulls and subtle physical cues, but still he matched her perfectly. From beginning to end he was staring into her eyes. At first he had been bewildered. Then he was amazed. Everything she did aroused excitement within him, gave birth to a blazing pa.s.sion.
Gu Yue"s dance was simply dazzling. Her beautiful figure, slender legs, and slim waist charmed everyone present. Although she did not possess the appeal of a mature woman, she was bursting with the energy of youth. Her whirlwind of a dance was both graceful and grand. She was a fairy frolicking around Tang Wulin in perfect harmony with the music.
Then, right as the song came to an end, she spun into Tang Wulin"s embrace, nestling her head in his chest. She slowly looked up at him to reveal a faint smile. Not a trace of her previous bitterness could be found. As she gazed at him, she placed a tender hand on his cheek.
The two stared into each other"s eyes with heart-melting warmth.
Then the moment was over, and Gu Yue slowly pulled away from Tang Wulin. Her gaze lingered on his face. Then she turned to face their audience. As soon as she did, a resounding applause erupted throughout the entire banquet hall. Whistles and cheers quickly joined the cacophony as room bubbled over with excitement.
Gu Yue turned to Tang Wulin and adjusted his bow tie, then leaned in close and whispered, “If you want to learn how to dance, I"m more than capable of teaching you. The next time you dance with another girl, I"ll…”
“You"ll what?” Tang Wulin asked, placing his hands on his waist.
Gu Yue eyes met his with unwavering resolve. A smile formed on her lips.
“I"ll break her legs.”
Tang Wulin stared at her in stunned silence.
Gu Yue grabbed his hand and led him off the dance floor back to their friends like a proud peac.o.c.k.
Xu Xiaoyan ran up to them as they approached. “Wow! Big Sis Yue, you"re too cool!” She jumped at Gu Yue and hugged her. “Teach me how to dance too! You"ll teach me, right?”
Gu Yue smiled and nodded.
Yuanen Yehui stared at Tang Wulin with a strange expression. “Gu Yue was right. Some people need to be kept on a tight leash.”
“d.a.m.n right!” Xie Xie chimed in. “Some people are just too spoiled!”
Tang Wulin raised an eyebrow. “Don"t you think dancing is beautiful, Xie Xie? If a man can dance well, they"ll definitely attract countless girls.”
Xie Xie was taken aback by the idea, and he cast a furtive glance at Yuanen Yehui. He remembered how entranced she had been as she watched Tang Wulin and Gu Yue dance, the trace of envy that had flickered in her eyes. He turned back to Tang Wulin and said, “What are you getting at? Are you volunteering to teach me? You don"t seem to be much of a dancer yourself.”
“Psh. Practice makes perfect,” Tang Wulin replied. “If you don"t give it a try, how are you ever going to learn? Besides, you"re an agility-type! I"m sure you"ll pick it up quickly. Come on, I"ll teach you.”
“Isn"t it kinda weird for two guys to dance with each other?” Xie Xie asked. He seemed hesitant, but he still walked over to Tang Wulin. Will learning to dance earn me some points with Yuanen?
Tang Wulin grabbed Xie Xie by the shoulder and led him onto the dance floor.
Xu Xiaoyan glanced at Gu Yue curiously. “What"s Captain up to? Does he actually like dancing that much?”
“No,” Gu Yue said softly. “I think he"s acting like this because of what I told him just now. I said that if he dances with anyone else, I"ll break their legs.”
“Oh.” Xu Xiaoyan"s eyes went wide as saucers. “Captain"s just too much! How can he be so two-faced? I feel sorry for Xie Xie.”
Yuanen Yehui shook her head helplessly. She couldn"t help but laugh at the situation.
In the end, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie didn"t dance together because the contests began. Tang Wulin was picked as Douluo"s candidate for best-dressed gentleman, prince of the ball, and best dance couple alongside Gu Yue. He won the nominations immediately. For the last one, although his dance skills were nothing to talk about, he had been Gu Yue"s dance partner and she was phenomenal!
Surprisingly enough, despite having hid in a corner the entire time, Wu Zhangkong was also nominated for best-dressed man and prince of the ball. Never did Tang Wulin imagine he would be directly competing with his teacher.
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