Chapter 24: May I Have This Dance?

All afternoon, apart from getting her measurements taken, Xu Yueyao had been following Ms. Shi Man, learning etiquette. Only now did she realize why so many so-called socialite schools and heiress training programs existed—there was so much to learn. Wearing high heels, she practiced walking repeatedly, even learned how to eat properly, and took dance lessons. Looking at herself in the mirror by the end of the afternoon, she confidently felt like she had been completely transformed.

That evening, when Zhan Rongxuan arrived, Xu Yueyao was still standing before the mirror, holding in her stomach, straightening her back, and working on her posture and swan-like neck. Seeing her, Zhan Rongxuan was so startled that he almost twisted his neck.

“Why didn’t you make a sound when you came in? You scared me!” Xu Yueyao complained playfully, rubbing her neck.

“I came to check on your injury. What are you doing?” Zhan Rongxuan asked, puzzled.

Xu Yueyao’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she pulled him to sit on the sofa. She sat properly, legs together, hands resting on her lap, back straight, and said in a soft voice, “Rongxuan, my injuries are completely healed now. Thank you for your concern.” After speaking, she gently nodded at him with a slight smile.

Zhan Rongxuan looked at her. She was wearing a light purple short jumpsuit, likely for convenience in applying medicine. Her figure was slender and graceful, her long legs straight and delicate. Her skin was fair and flawless, soft as silk. Her face was exquisitely beautiful—eyebrows like crescent moons, eyes bright as stars, a petite yet well-defined nose, and lips as red as cherries. Every movement she made carried an air of elegance and composure.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Zhan Rongxuan averted his gaze. “Just talk normally.”

Xu Yueyao thought about the dance lesson she had earlier that afternoon. She figured she could use this opportunity to practice with him and build some chemistry. Standing up, she played some music, then gave a slight bow, extending her right hand. “May I have this dance?”

Seeing that Zhan Rongxuan remained motionless, she directly grabbed his hand and pulled him up. “Come on, practice with me.”

She placed one hand on his shoulder while silently counting beats in her head, reminding herself not to step on him. Zhan Rongxuan gently held her waist. The two were very close—he could clearly feel her breath, hear his own heartbeat, and catch the faint fragrance of her scent. Zhan Rongxuan subtly turned his head to the side.

As they danced, their movements became more synchronized. Xu Yueyao hadn’t stepped on his feet once. Thinking about how clumsy she had been earlier that afternoon, she felt like a genius. It was a pity that her teacher wasn’t there to witness her improvement.

Overjoyed, she looked up and asked, “Wasn’t my dancing great?” But she was caught off guard, locking eyes with Zhan Rongxuan’s deep, intense gaze. His eyes were dark and bright, carrying an irresistible allure—like an abyss pulling her in, making her forget everything around her.

Zhan Rongxuan lowered his gaze to look at her. Her eyes seemed to hold countless stars, shimmering brilliantly. Her soft black hair cascaded down her back, and her slightly parted lips were full and moist, subtly curved as if inviting him to explore her world. In this moment, she exuded both endless temptation and pure charm.

Amidst the heightened tension, Zhan Rongxuan suddenly averted his gaze, surrendering. He released his hand from her waist and said in a low voice, “It’s getting late. I should go.”

Xu Yueyao lowered her head and nodded vigorously. Only after hearing the door close behind him did she dare to look up. She waved her hands in front of her face, taking deep breaths—it felt so hot and stuffy. Glancing at the air conditioner, she quickly grabbed the remote and lowered the temperature a few degrees. Then, collapsing onto the sofa, she completely abandoned the etiquette she had learned today, letting her mind go blank.

Meanwhile, sitting in his car, Zhan Rongxuan instructed, “Take me back to Liyuan.”

“Yes, young master.”

Zhan Rongxuan unbuttoned three buttons of his shirt in a row and took off his jacket. Just as he was about to casually toss it aside, he suddenly paused. He realized that his jacket still carried the scent of Xu Yueyao. Instead of throwing it, he placed it beside him, his brows slightly furrowed. He felt like he had just stepped into unfamiliar territory. He didn’t like this feeling—but he didn’t dislike it either…

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The next day, Xu Yueyao decided to go back to school. She didn’t want to stay at home anymore. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror, she sighed and carefully applied makeup. Looking at her reflection again, she reminded herself once more—Xu Yueyao, stay away from love. Don’t ever get involved.

When she arrived at school—

“Yueyao!”

Hearing someone call her name, she turned around and saw Zhang Beilu. She seemed to have returned to her old self.

“Yueyao, are you alright now?” Zhang Beilu asked while scanning her up and down.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Xu Yueyao linked arms with her, and the two walked into the classroom together.

“What kind of heartless person would do this?” Xia Nuannuan’s voice rang out angrily as she looked around the class.

“Yeah, who would do something like this?”

“Did anyone check the security cameras?”

“The security guard said the cameras here have been broken for days.”

“Zhiyi, don’t be sad. I’ll help you find out who did this.” Xia Nuannuan comforted An Zhiyi, who was crying.

Xu Yueyao pushed through the crowd and saw that An Zhiyi’s locker had been completely vandalized—her dance costume was cut to shreds, her books were torn apart, and everything she owned was ruined beyond recognition.

Xu Yueyao was stunned. This scene… It was exactly like a part of the book. In the original story, the one who had done this was her—Xu Yueyao. But she hadn’t done anything. So why was the story still playing out as written? Who was it? Who had taken her place?

“Xu Yueyao, was it you?” Xia Nuannuan’s voice rang out loudly, suspicion in her tone.

Hearing her name, An Zhiyi looked up at her, her tear-streaked face delicate and pitiful.

“Don’t bark like a mad dog, accusing people randomly. I wasn’t even here yesterday. Don’t you know that?” Xu Yueyao thought to herself, Thank goodness I wasn’t here yesterday, or even I would’ve doubted myself. Without giving them any more attention, she walked to her seat and sat down. Zhang Beilu followed and sat next to her.

Another student spoke up, “Yeah, Xu Yueyao wasn’t even here yesterday. Let’s just clean this up first.”

Xu Yueyao glanced around, trying to figure out who the culprit was. Her gaze suddenly locked onto Gao Yuyan, who panicked and quickly looked away. Xu Yueyao shook her head—it wasn’t her. Gao Yuyan always acted openly; she wouldn’t do something like this in secret.

Turning to Zhang Beilu beside her, she saw that she was happily humming a tune with her earphones in. Sensing Xu Yueyao’s gaze, Zhang Beilu removed an earphone and smiled. “Yueyao, what’s wrong?”

Was it you, Zhang Beilu? Xu Yueyao stared at her but ultimately said nothing. She shook her head. “Nothing.”

As Zhang Beilu put her earphones back in and continued humming, Xu Yueyao felt conflicted. If it really was her, she couldn’t just let her continue doing this. But how should she talk to her about it? Would she even listen? Xu Yueyao didn’t know where to start.