Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 132 The Ball (Part 2)

"Miss Ji Ye, you've really found a great dance partner."

Sato Ayana looked at Akizuki Makoto's handsome face with envy in her voice.

Compared to Makoto Akizuki, their dance partners paled in comparison.

Whether it's appearance, talent, or even temperament, they were completely outmatched.

Only in terms of family background could their dance partners compare to Qiuyue Cheng, but Qiuyue Cheng was the man Ji Yexue had her eye on, and for someone from an ordinary family to accompany her to the ball must mean he had gained the approval of the elders in the Ji family.

As everyone knows, the Himeya family is the most prestigious family in the island nation. They have always had strict family rules and pay great attention to etiquette and decorum. Therefore, they would never allow someone of unknown origin or without recognition to accompany their heir to a gathering of the younger generation.

"of course."

Ji Yexue smiled and nodded, saying without any politeness, "My man is naturally the best. He is not only talented, but also skilled in both literature and martial arts. Even my grandfather approves of him."

"Really? Is it true? That person actually approved of it?"

In an instant, the second-generation members gathered around Ji Yexue were in an uproar.

They had seen Ji Yelongjun before, so they naturally knew just how terrifying that seemingly elderly man was.

Their fathers also held Himeya Ryusuke in high esteem, after all, he was the man who ruled the island nation for half a century.

Not only in terms of economy, but also in terms of power, they are almost at the pinnacle of the island nation, with more than half of the politicians and members of parliament obeying the orders of the Himeya family.

"That's an exaggeration. I just sparred with my grandfather in swordsmanship."

Akizuki scratched his head, not understanding why these people were so astonished.

In his opinion, Himeya Ryushun wasn't that terrifying, so why did he show fear at the mere mention of his name?
"Akizuki-kun, how did you do that?"

"At once……"

After thinking for a moment, Akizuki Makoto replied, "I sparred with Grandpa in swordsmanship, didn't I?"

Even without sparring with Himeya Ryushun, Himeya Ryushun already held Akizuki Makoto in high regard.
It was only that courage to defy him for Ji Yexue, and Qiu Yuecheng's unwavering perseverance, that made Ji Yelongjun completely accept him, feeling that he was not only excellent in every aspect, but also worthy of respect for his character.

"To spar with that sage?"

"So brave! If I were facing Miss Ji Ye's grandfather, I probably wouldn't even have the courage to make a move."

"Yes, it felt terrifying. Its imposing presence was just like that of a lion in a zoo."

The group of second-generation members looked at Akizuki Makoto with awe, unsure whether to call him brave or reckless.

"So... the two of you are indeed dating? After all, you've both gained the approval of Miss Himeya's family, and you seem to know each other quite well."

Just as everyone was praising and admiring Akizuki Makoto, Sato Ayana suddenly asked a question that surprised them all.

"We are not dating."

Qiu Yuecheng immediately shook his head in denial, fearing that Ji Yexue might make a decision on her own.

Although Ji Yexue was dissatisfied with this, she still maintained a smile on the surface.

"Yes, we're not dating anymore..."

Ji Yexue paused halfway through her sentence, then continued, "However, I like Cheng and have been pursuing him, but unfortunately his defenses are too solid, which is really a headache."

She openly admitted that she liked Akizuki Makoto, which was not something to be ashamed of.

After all, Akizuki Makoto is definitely a top-tier partner, someone you can be very proud of.

"..."

"..."

When Ji Yexue admitted that she liked Qiuyue Cheng and was even pursuing him, everyone present looked at Qiuyue Cheng with a strange expression.

Originally, being recognized by Ji Yelongjun was already shocking enough for them.

But Ji Yexue's pursuit of him is even more unbelievable.

Ji Yexue is a well-known aloof and unattainable beauty, always appearing cold and superior to everyone.

Many second-generation rich kids wanted to pursue her, but they couldn't even be friends with her, let alone date her.

It's completely unimaginable that Ji Yexue would fall in love with someone, let alone pursue that person.

Moreover, despite Ji Yexue's persistent pursuit, Qiu Yuecheng has yet to agree, leaving them puzzled about his thoughts.

In their eyes, Ji Yexue was also a perfect woman who combined beauty and talent. Whether it was in her studies, sports, or various hobbies, she was an outstanding genius.

"Aki, Akizuki-kun is really unpredictable."

In the end, the group of second-generation rich kids could only laugh awkwardly and change the subject, chatting about family matters and wisely not delving further into the relationship between Akizuki Makoto and Hime Yuki.

After that, the siblings from the Six Senses Group, the organizers of the ball and second only to the Ji Ye family, also came to greet Ji Yexue.

Ji Yexue seemed to have a good relationship with them; at least when chatting, she wasn't as cold or arrogant as she was with others.

Furthermore, Ji Yexue brought Qiu Yuecheng to sit at a table with them for dinner, chatting about topics that Qiu Yuecheng couldn't understand—basically family matters and old stories that only they could comprehend.

Akizuki Makoto was happy to have some free time, so he quietly ate his meal alongside him.

I must say, the food here is quite delicious, and there's a wide variety, including Chinese, Western, and Japanese cuisine.

“…That’s about enough.”

Looking at Qiu Yuecheng, who had been eating and drinking voraciously ever since he sat down at the table, Ji Yexue couldn't help but whisper, "We're going to dance later, why are you eating so much?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yuecheng raised his head, looked at Ji Yexue, and said with a slight puzzlement, "How can I have the energy to dance if I don't eat my fill?"

He was already hungry, so how could he possibly resist all that delicious food?

Besides, what he said wasn't entirely unreasonable; how can you dance if you're not full?
"Haha, Miss Xue, your dance partner is really interesting."

Liu Shiming laughed. He was one of the organizers and the second son of the Liu Shi Group.

"...It's alright, eat up."

After a moment of silence, Ji Yexue waved her hand, signaling Qiuyue Cheng to continue eating.

What she really meant was that she wanted Akizuki Makoto to say something, instead of being a silent sullen person who just kept eating without saying a word.

Moreover, Akizuki Makoto's eating manners were also quite unrefined.

He would divide a palm-sized steak into four pieces and eat it one bite at a time, while others would eat it slowly in small pieces.

While this way of eating is normally fine, their banquet had many complicated etiquette rules, one of which was not to eat in large bites.

But considering that she had told Qiuyue Cheng before that there was no need to worry about etiquette and that he should just do what he wanted, Ji Yexue couldn't blame him for anything. Qiuyue Cheng put down his cutlery, took a sip of the water beside him, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and said with lingering relish, "Never mind, I'm already half full."

"After eating, let's go exercise. It's just in time for the dance to officially start."

After saying this, Ji Yexue bid farewell to the Six Senses siblings: "Then we'll take our leave first. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The six siblings nodded and watched as they walked hand in hand into the center of the venue.

At this moment, the bright yellow lights in the room slowly dimmed.

As the soft waltz music began, the atmosphere in the venue instantly took on a romantic and ambiguous feel.

Many had already started jumping up, embracing each other, their bodies pressed close together, their steps leisurely and graceful, as if they were flirting.

"please."

Although it's not good to exercise right after a meal, Akizuki Makoto still extended a hand to Himeyasuki, inviting her to dance.

"Please give me more advice."

Ji Yexue smiled and placed her hand in Qiu Yuecheng's palm, which he then grasped.

Immediately afterwards, Akizuki Makoto used his other hand to climb up her slender waist, embraced her back, and began to dance a waltz in a posture that was almost like holding her in his arms.

Ji Yexue, keeping pace with his steps, tilted her chin slightly, looked into his deep and affectionate eyes, and said softly, "You can put your arm around my waist, that way we'll be closer and you won't easily step on me."

"A gentleman puts his arm around the back, a lover puts his arm around the waist, you can't be unaware of that, can you?"

Qiu Yuecheng remained unmoved, clearly defining the boundaries of their relationship and refusing to cross them.

Ji Yexue pouted and complained, "Why are you so exceptionally polite in matters like this?"

"Sorry, I learned waltz as a side effect because I had specifically studied it."

"I don't mean to blame you. Just like I said, just be yourself, and no one will dare to say anything bad about you."

Akizuki Makoto did not respond to Ji Yexue's words. He was indeed still not used to this kind of banquet and did not want to learn these complicated etiquettes.

He was just there to help out, and after tonight he would have no further contact with anyone at the ball, so he didn't care about their opinions or thoughts.

"How was the dance? Was it fun?"

Seeing that Qiu Yuecheng remained silent, Ji Yexue took the initiative to start a conversation, seemingly unwilling to let the silence fester.

She deliberately moved closer to Akizuki Makoto's body, almost leaning against him.

Akizuki Makoto caught a sweet scent emanating from Hime Yuki, like the fragrance of her hair mixed with a faint perfume.

Whenever Ji Yexue spoke, her moist breath would always brush against his face.

The enchanting, ever-changing lights and the soft waltz music create an incredibly alluring and sensual atmosphere.

The most important moment of the ball was this moment, and only at this moment did Akizuki Makoto feel quite good.

"...I guess it's somewhat interesting."

Feeling the enchanting and ambiguous atmosphere, and the warmth and softness on the back of his hand, as well as the sensation caused by their bodies touching, Akizuki Makoto couldn't help but become somewhat distracted.

"Will you be able to come to these parties with me again in the future?"

Ji Yexue asked softly, and Qiu Yuecheng clearly saw a glimmer of hope in the beautiful eyes that met his.

"……talk later."

Whether it was because of the damned atmosphere that made it impossible to refuse, or for some other reason, Akizuki Makoto did not reject Himeyasuki's request.

This made Ji Yexue laugh immediately, and her excited emotions made her dance steps suddenly become passionate and open.

She took the initiative to lead Akizuki Makoto in a dance on the dance floor of the venue. It was no longer a waltz, but a tango full of ambiguity and tenderness.

Akizuki Makoto couldn't help but say, "Hey, don't suddenly change the dance! I can't keep up!"

"Don't worry, tango isn't like life, there's no such thing as a wrong step, just dance to your heart's content!"

Ji Yexue smiled happily, her heart overflowing with joy that made her unable to contain her excitement.

Through dance, she fully released a side of herself that had been suppressed for so long.

Those in the arena noticed this fierce duo, who resembled wolves among sheep, and they all stopped and retreated.

At this moment, Ji Yexue and Qiu Yuecheng were undoubtedly the focus of attention. Not only did they attract everyone's attention, but even the lights in the center of the arena focused on them, shining on them as they danced.

Although Akizuki Makoto made many mistakes and couldn't keep up with Hime Yuki's pace, as Hime Yuki said, tango is not like life, so it doesn't matter if you make mistakes.

When the song ended, Ji Yexue reluctantly stopped dancing.

"Ha ha…"

She was breathing heavily, and the soft strands of hair at her temples were stuck together by sweat, clinging to her face and adding a unique beauty to her appearance.

Akizuki Makoto was also panting. Although he was in good physical condition, he had exhausted himself with such intense dancing.

"Clap clap clap!!!"

Just as the two of them were panting, gazing at each other in silence, their eyes meeting, a strange and wonderful feeling welled up in their hearts, and then thunderous applause erupted in the hall.

Everyone spontaneously applauded and cheered for them, asking them to dance one more time.

Can I jump again?

Ji Yexue raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, clearly still wanting more.

"We just finished warming up, didn't we?"

Akizuki Makoto laughed, raised Himeyasu's hand, and began to dance gracefully to the prelude of the music.

Before he knew it, his hand had moved from Ji Yexue's straight back to her slender, delicate waist.

The distance between them changed from about a hand's width to being close together, even like lovers, constantly whispering sweet nothings to each other.

That's what tango is all about: passionate and unrestrained, with bold physical movements that don't come across as erotic, but rather perfectly capture the ambiguity and tenderness.

Afterwards, the two danced for an unknown amount of time until they were both exhausted. Then, they took each other's arms, bowed to the people who were clapping and cheering for them, and retreated to the rest area deep inside the venue.

For Ji Yexue, tonight was an unforgettable night. She had never felt such high and uncontrollable emotions before, only on the night she first invited Qiuyue Cheng to her home and confessed her feelings to him.

Even after sitting down in the rest area, Ji Yexue's heart was still pounding, and the palpitation even made her feel a slight pain.

She didn't hate this feeling; on the contrary, she found it addictive because it was proof that she deeply loved Akizuki Makoto.

(End of this chapter)