How could one even begin to describe the atmosphere at this moment?

Lu Jingdu’s slow body roll— subtle yet suggestive— teased without being crude, seductive without being blatant. Whether it was the wave of his arms, the sway of his shoulders back and forth, or the rhythmic motion of his hips, every move struck that perfect balance.

Multicolored lights shimmered dreamily over his figure, and the flirtatious, devil-may-care smile playing on his lips flickered in and out of the shadows.

It was just…

Enticing.

Utterly and irresistibly enticing.

Some of the guests looked utterly stunned.

And the livestream audience? They were equally dumbfounded.

A moment passed before the viewers snapped out of it and flooded the screen with comments.

【Help me! I can’t handle this anymore!】

【Someone save me!】

【My tears are trickling from the corners of my mouth right now.】

【Slurp slurp. I’m losing it.】

【So this is what the movie king is like when he sheds his cold exterior— bold and utterly captivating.】

【Honestly, I never saw what the hype was about before. But now? I get it. I really get it.】

【I’ve never seen Lu Jingdu like this before!】

【Turns out, the only thing more attractive than aloof Lu Jingdu is a fiery, seductive Lu Jingdu.】

【The only one who can outshine Lu Jingdu is Lu Jingdu himself.】

Pei Yi had just returned from the restroom and hadn’t seen the two people on the dance floor under the twin beams of shifting rainbow lights. He grinned as he called out to Liu Shuyi, “Shuyi, let’s go dance!”

Pei Xin looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he stayed quiet. He didn’t want to boost others’ morale while undermining their own. Sure, Lu Jingdu was impressive, but were he and his brother really any worse?

Liu Shuyi took a deep breath when she heard the invitation. She set down her wine glass, ready to decline outright— but Pei Yi didn’t even give her the chance.

Before she knew it, he had pulled her toward the dance floor.

The music blared louder and louder. Liu Shuyi had to raise her voice to be heard, “Pei Yi, I don’t want to dance!” She shouted, trying to wrench her hand from his grip.

Pei Yi smiled brightly and enthusiastically, shouting back, “Why not? Dancing is so fun! You used to love it!”

Liu Shuyi was livid. Used to was used to! Now was now!

Unfortunately, Pei Yi couldn’t hear her thoughts. He was already dancing with wild abandon.

He tossed his head, his whole body radiating commitment.

After a bit, he turned and shouted again, “Come on, Shuyi! Join me!”

He started jumping even higher, trying to spark some energy in Liu Shuyi.

He raised his arms and twisted his waist dramatically.

【Honestly, it’s not like Pei Yi dances badly. It’s just…… yeah, comparisons are brutal.】

【I don’t know why, but I really want to laugh. I can’t— I have to hold it in!】

【Pei Yi’s moves are fine, really. But…… his competition is just too strong.】

【I hate to say it, but Pei Yi got absolutely crushed by the movie king. Worst part? He doesn’t even realize it.】

【I’m dying of laughter over here, haha.】

【Dead. HAHAHA.】

Pei Yi truly had no idea that the movie king— who had never danced in front of outsiders— had chosen today to make his debut.

Even more so, he didn’t realize that some people just had a natural gift. Just a few glances at others dancing, and they could go from novice to master.

Liu Shuyi’s eyes turned red with frustration, her whole body trembling slightly.

In all her years, this was the first time she truly understood what it meant to be humiliated.

Lu Jingdu danced masterfully, while Pei Yi looked like a clown.

She used to take pride in having both Pei Xin and Pei Yi as her admirers. But today…… she just wanted to pretend she didn’t know Pei Yi.

Shen Yueyue coughed awkwardly. “So…… shall we go dance too?”

Xi Rui covered her mouth with a giggle. “Of course! Why not?”

Didn’t they see? Lu Jingdu’s attention was all on Ning Xiaoyu.

They were all just background extras to this visual feast.

Who knew when they’d get a chance like this again? If they didn’t savor this moment up close, wouldn’t it be a waste?

With that in mind, Xi Rui waved her arms enthusiastically and joined the dance floor.

The other guests followed suit, one after another.

Everyone dove into the party spirit. As long as you weren’t the one feeling awkward, the awkward one would always be someone else!

And just then, Lu Jingdu truly found his rhythm.

If earlier, the atmosphere had been a blend of flirtation and restraint, then now, it was turned all the way up.

Every sway of Lu Jingdu’s hips was timed to perfection. Every motion and every sultry glance overflowed with sensuality and allure.

The innocence of youth and the boldness of adulthood collided perfectly in that moment.

If gazes could speak, then Ning Xiaoyu would’ve heard him brazenly seducing her with every look.

His striking platinum hair made him the undeniable center of attention on the dance floor.

Even the bar owner forgot how to mix drinks, standing frozen as he stared at the scene.

“Dang.”

He, a grown man, found himself blushing and short of breath just looking at that platinum-haired figure. Who could possibly resist this?!

The love system had been screaming in a cracked voice ever since it started.

〖Aaaah! CPU temperature overload!

Not good. My chips are literally about to explode! I’m gonna explode!

Aaaaah, Girl, he’s seducing you! He’s seducing youuu!〗

Despite the love system being one glitch away from passing out, its host, aside from a brief flutter of emotion at the start, quickly returned to her usual calm.

That moment of heart-thumping? Entirely natural.

Most girls would’ve crumbled under Lu Jingdu’s explosive charm— the blatant confidence, the unapologetic sexiness, and the wildfire of desire he unleashed, like a universe exploding in male pheromones. Who could resist?

Unfortunately, after witnessing Ning Zhen’s nearly tragic fate, though Ning Xiaoyu hadn’t encased her heart in cement, she still found it hard to let herself fall.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t feel.

But her survival instincts forced her to suppress that flicker of emotion.

When she finally averted her gaze, focusing instead on an empty corner of the room, the love system, unwilling to give up, issued another mission.

〖Girl, you only live once, so why not love and hate without restraint? You’re not Ning Zhen. You’ll never become him. And you certainly won’t share his fate.

If you never try, how will you ever know if he could be the one?

Right now, you can:

A. Get closer to the movie king and dance with him intimately.

B. Place your hand on his shoulder and boldly join in the wave.

C. Turn into a little cat and perform a cute cat dance.〗

The alcohol that Ning Xiaoyu had just drunk was slowly taking effect.

A faint flush spread across her fair cheeks, giving her a slightly tipsy appearance.

Fortunately, though the alcohol was getting to her head, she still retained a sliver of rationality.

She still remembered the formula etched in her mind.

Movie King = Trouble

Attractive Movie King = Super Trouble

If the former movie king had once been a problem, then the now vastly more charming one could only bring her even more trouble.

For example, his waves and waves of admirers.

With what remained of her sober mind, Ning Xiaoyu made her choice.

Option c.

────ρя


On the other side, Ning Yuwei finally managed to shake off the cameraman and quickly caught up to Zhang Xue.

She grabbed her mother’s arm, disbelief written all over her face. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

Today, Zhang Xue looked nothing like her usual elegant and polished self.

Not long ago, she had still looked like a stunning beauty in her early twenties, full of charm and allure. But today, her well-maintained face seemed to have aged significantly, looking closer to someone in her forties.

She looked haggard, her complexion dull, as if she hadn’t slept well the night before.

A wave of unease stirred in Ning Yuwei’s heart. “Mom, what happened? Where’s the driver? Where is he? I’ll tell him to take you home now.”

Zhang Xue could only let out a bitter laugh.

Driver?

What driver?

That man had even frozen her bank card. Naturally, the driver assigned to her had been withdrawn as well.

She had always known how that man treated his two ex-wives. But she had believed that such a day would never come for her.

So even when Shen Ke had been ruthless toward his previous wives, she had felt nothing but security.

Because the last thing she wanted was to see Shen Ke entangled with either of his exes.

She never thought that one day, she would become one of them.

Forcing herself to stay composed, Zhang Xue said, “There’s no driver. I took a taxi here today.”

Ning Yuwei immediately sensed something was off.

As Zhang Xue’s daughter, she knew her mother better than anyone.

Someone so obsessed with quality of life and appearances— how could she willingly ditch her driver and hail a taxi?

Unless…… something had happened. Something she didn’t yet know about, slowly unfolding behind the scenes.

A hint of anxiety appeared on her face. “Mom, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

Zhang Xue had not intended to tell Ning Yuwei the truth. Ning Yuwei might resemble her in appearance, but she hadn’t inherited her skills.

So many years had passed, yet she still hadn’t managed to secure Lu Jingdu.

What use would it be even if she knew?

But now, Zhang Xue changed her mind.

She took a deep breath and said, “Weiwei, listen to me. Shen Ke wants a divorce.”

“Divorce?! How could that be?!”

Ning Yuwei clutched Zhang Xue’s hand tightly, her sharp nails digging into her skin. “Why is he suddenly asking for a divorce? Mom, did you do something wrong? You should go apologize to Dad!”

Zhang Xue flung her hand away. “Shen Ke is not your father! Your father is Ning Zhen!”

Ning Yuwei had been calling Shen Ke ‘Dad’ for seven years. She had long forgotten about her real father, that pathetic man from the past.

“Weiwei, go plead with your father. He’s the youngest son of the founder of Ningface. He must own some shares in the company! You’re his biological daughter. No matter what, you should be able to get a portion. With that, we wouldn’t have to worry for the rest of our lives!”

With that reminder, Ning Yuwei slowly came to her senses.

That’s right. She had a real father.

And her real father was from a better family background— and wealthier— than CEO Shen.

“But……”

Ning Yuwei bit her lip hard. “I don’t know where he is.” If she didn’t even know his whereabouts, how could she plead with him?

Zhang Xue gritted her teeth. “You don’t, but Ning Xiaoyu definitely does! She’ll visit Ning Zhen sooner or later. When she does, all you need to do is follow her— just far enough not to be noticed.”

Back when Ning Zhen was still in a coma, Ning Xiaoyu visited him every week.

Now that he was in recovery, there was no reason she would stop seeing him.

So as long as they kept a close eye on Ning Xiaoyu, they would eventually find out where Ning Zhen was staying.

Ning Yuwei clenched her fists and nodded firmly. “I understand, Mom.”

At first, she had resented getting into the same program as Ning Xiaoyu.

But now, she was simply thankful.

Good thing they were in the same show. As long as she kept a close watch, she’d soon be able to meet her real father.

────ρя


While Ning Yuwei and Zhang Xue were racking their brains for a chance to see Ning Zhen, Ning Xiaoyu was trying to recall the ‘cat dance’ through her hazy, alcohol-clouded mind.

Why had she chosen option c?

Because compared to options a and b, option c was the least likely to cause trouble.

As for options a and b……

They simply weren’t suitable for a salted fish like Ning Xiaoyu.

She had seen the cat dance before, but never danced it herself.

So she needed a bit more time to remember.

“Big Sister?”

Ning Xiaoyu: “……”

At that moment, the party music shifted again.

The cheerful, upbeat rhythm jolted Ning Xiaoyu’s memory awake.

She raised her right index finger to her lips, signaling for silence.

Lu Jingdu took half a step back, showing he would cooperate.

Then, Ning Xiaoyu clenched both hands into fists, placed them against her cheeks, and moved them slightly downward.

The signature sound that signaled mission completion hadn’t played yet.

Ning Xiaoyu then curled her fingers into claws and mimed a cat pawing gesture in slow motion.

Still no sound?

Hmm, one more then.

Still no sound?

Well, she had already done this much so quitting halfway would be unacceptable.

With the alcohol emboldening her, she did something she would never normally do.

She opened her mouth and tentatively said, “Meow?”

The next second, the sound of the mission being successful chimed.

And at the exact same time, Lu Jingdu’s low, flirtatious voice followed with, “Big Sister, you’re so cute.”