Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

"You want a beating, don't you?!" Kiana stomped on his foot with her high heel!

Anna sat to Shen Liang's right, watching the two of them playfully bickering with a smile in her eyes. There was little envy or jealousy in her eyes; instead, she seemed quite normal.

"The reason I dressed like this isn't just to steal the spotlight, it's also to show off," Kiana said with a smile.

"Demonstration?"

“This is a joint plan between Anna and me.” Kiana glanced around, then lowered her head and said furtively, “Junior brother, you’ve probably already figured it out, right? Anna doesn’t really want to get engaged. This is all too sudden, Anna wasn’t prepared at all, but to say you’re refusing… well, they’ve already come, and Anna’s parents have agreed, so to just refuse directly is a bit, well, too disrespectful.”

Shen Liang frowned.

In Shen Liang's opinion, what's the big deal about not giving face? Marriage is a personal choice. Did your parents give you face when they agreed? Did they consider your feelings when the engagement was arranged?

Give me face? Give me a damn!

But Shen Liang also knew that the reason he thought this way was because he was an orphan and didn't need to care about the opinions of his elders and relatives. But Anna was always gentle and weak; she might not be so.

"So instead of making things difficult for Anna by refusing, we might as well make things difficult for the entire Shaniat family!" Kiana said gleefully. "Anna and I have already decided that we'll slowly make Night Owl notice our ambiguous relationship."

"What are you trying to do!" Shen Liang guessed, but he didn't expect them to go this far!

"It's normal for Valkyries to develop romantic feelings for each other! I want him to know that Anna already has someone she loves! We're dressed up to show off. At his engagement party, I'll flaunt that the beauty he's been longing for is mine!" Kiana laughed heartily, then quickly covered her mouth. "Look at the lilies we're wearing, it's a clear indication! No matter how oblivious he is or how much he's in love, he'll figure it out sooner or later!"

You've really offended someone.

"So what if I offend him? I'm still the second young lady of the Shaniat family. He'll definitely think his chances of resisting are slim." Kiana grinned mischievously. "I'll force him to be disappointed in Anna, force him to annul the engagement, and that way Anna won't be in a difficult position... Aren't I clever?"

Shen Liang wanted to yell, "You're so smart, what a brainless plan!"

But thinking about it carefully, although the plan is ridiculous, it seems to have no flaws.

Anna's sexual orientation is female, so even if Night Owl is unwilling, he should know that he and Anna are just friends, and that he was simply misunderstanding things. This is better for both of them; Anna doesn't need to resist so forcefully, and Night Owl can gracefully let go of Anna's relationship with Kiana without losing face.

The annulment of the engagement can be negotiated and announced jointly. This is better than being rejected by Anna at the engagement ceremony, which would make it difficult for Anna and her parents to explain, cause Night Owl to lose his dignity, make World Serpent lose face, and make the Shaniat family feel guilty.

Although the methods are absurd, they are indeed the tactful way adults handle things.

“But I think you’re just taking advantage of Anna.” Shen Liang turned to look at the smiling, aloof girl and whispered, “Anna, let me tell you, I like all beautiful people, regardless of gender. Someone like you is also on my hunting list. Don’t fall into the tiger’s den after escaping the wolf’s den. If I dare to touch you, just call me. My phone number is xxxx. I’ll guarantee to save you from this predicament.”

Anna chuckled and playfully punched him, "Don't worry, Pandora, I'm not as stupid as Miss Pandora."

"Waaaaah, Anna, you said I'm stupid, that you don't love me anymore, that you're disappointed, that you want a divorce! You're going to marry my junior brother, you don't want to be with me anymore!" Kiana faked crying.

"Hey, senior sister, you made this decision way too fast!"

A joyful atmosphere filled the air around the sofa, and Night Owl stopped in his tracks.

Looking at Anna's genuine smile, he felt he couldn't quite fit into the atmosphere; perhaps it would be a little awkward to go in.

But it's okay, it's okay even if we never have a chance to chat.

—After the banquet, I'll have plenty of time to pour out my heart to Anna. Perhaps it's precisely because she knows she's leaving that Anna is so reluctant to part with her old friends and family; it's understandable.

Looking at the sofa, Anna subconsciously saw the boy named Pandora holding hands and chatting with his shoulders close together, and she comforted herself with that image.

Chapter 223 Dancing with Mom

Fortunately, World Serpent had a lot to deal with at this engagement party. Night Owl strolled through the crowd, chatting and laughing with the bigwigs of various families and forces, occasionally glancing at Anna with a gentle and focused look in his eyes.

Many people witnessed this scene. Night Owl was handsome, tall, and a high-ranking officer in World Serpent—in short, a rare "tall, rich, and handsome" man in the transcendental realm. Although he wasn't a dazzling celebrity, it was already quite an achievement for a man to stand out in the transcendental realm, which was dominated by women.

Such an outstanding person is so devoted, with his eyes only for his partner. Many people are quite envious of Anna, the bride at this wedding banquet.

Shen Liang was mainly eating.

Despite maintaining his elegant and innocent image as a handsome young man, he didn't say he couldn't eat. The buffet prepared by the Shaniat family this time was quite lavish, with Australian lobsters split open and piled up on the long table, and fresh foie gras and black truffles served lavishly, even the wine was a fine 1968 vintage dry white wine from Haut-Brion Winery.

Although Shen Liang didn't particularly like these kinds of foods—he had a strong stomach for Chinese food—this meal was at least more varied in flavor than the pork knuckle and pickled cabbage he'd been eating these past few days. And since he wasn't a newcomer who needed to be so sociable, he ate his meal single-mindedly, holding his white porcelain plate.

Moreover, he was accompanied by several beautiful women who appeared to be five to twenty years older than him. The reason for saying "appeared" was that Shen Liang didn't know the actual age of the Valkyries who possessed the ability to preserve their youth. While these older women ate, they would refill his food, then cup their faces in their hands and watch him continue with a smile.

This made him feel like he was being fed.

But feeding him is fine. Although it's a little awkward to be watched while eating, the older women only occasionally pinch his cheek or feed him a spoonful of egg tart because of Maria's cold gaze. They suppressed their other thoughts and didn't go so far as to touch him inappropriately.

Fortunately, the banquet ended quickly. Suddenly, the huge curtain of the recital hall was drawn back, and a symphony orchestra made up of people in black tailcoats slowly rose from the dance floor. Each member of the orchestra was elegant and carried a violin or cello. The bright lights suddenly changed to a soft twilight hue, and the clear opening bell rang.

The guests all looked up. Shen Liang put down the porcelain plate and saw elegant men adorned with roses and beautiful women in flowing skirts descending the stairs, the golden hall bustling with people. The symphony orchestra, hired by the Shaniat family at great expense, was said to be the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Britain, and at this moment they were playing an elegant symphony.

The atmosphere inside the venue changed.

"Is Pandora going to dance with her sister?" an elegant woman asked with a smile. "Is it the right time? Or does little Pandora already have a dance partner?"

"Dancing?" Shen Liang was taken aback, then understood and shook his head. "I can't dance."

How could he, a Chinese and half-Siberian, possibly understand the etiquette of such a Western aristocratic banquet? Besides, he wasn't particularly interested in dancing. After declining several girls' invitations, he returned to his seat. But before he could even pick up his drink, he saw Night Owl stride over.

Night Owl, dressed in a white suit, stood ramrod straight, his dark eyes gleaming with a gentle light like that of a spring field in full bloom. He held a bouquet of red roses in his right hand.

"Anna," he said, handing her the flowers with a warm smile, "these are for you."

"Thank you." This was the second thing Anna said to him.

Anna took the roses and handed them to Shen Liang, who looked completely bewildered. After a moment's thought, she handed the roses to Kiana, who was chewing on candy with a playful expression.

Night Owl's smile widened. He glanced at his watch. "The ball is about to begin, Anna. May I invite you to dance with me?"

He extended his right hand.

Anna's expression was slightly gloomy, but before she could speak, someone suddenly wrapped their arms around her waist from behind.

Night Owl and Anna were both taken aback.

"No way." Kiana gave Night Owl a provocative smile, then blew her chewing gum out of the air. "Night Owl, I'm afraid Anna's first dance can't be handed to you so soon. Please understand, my sister and I will go ahead first."

She put her arm around Anna's waist and gracefully entered the dance floor in her high heels, her back view radiating smugness.

Night Owl's outstretched hand remained in place. He stood there, turned his head, and looked at the backs of the two sisters, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

He suppressed his dissatisfaction.

Kiana again!

Twice now, Kiana has taken away all the opportunities that were rightfully his. Despite being a girl, she always wore that provocative expression that infuriated him.

Night Owl vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but he didn't want to think about it or admit it... However, he looked at Anna and Kiana's almost identical backs, the same pure white off-shoulder floor-length dresses, the same noble and elegant little princess attire, and their skillful, almost perfectly synchronized, alternating dance steps.

This breathtaking beauty left Night Owl speechless with rage.

"No, I'm just overthinking it," Night Owl whispered.

Then he saw the aloof young man with a high black ponytail and waist-length hair in front of him. The boy was leisurely looking him over, his eyes seeming to... contain some pity and mockery.

But upon closer inspection, his eyes returned to their innocent and adorable state. Night Owl shook his head with a wry smile, realizing he had been too suspicious.

He's just a child, how could he have so many thoughts? He probably doesn't understand anything at all.

“Pandora?” Night Owl greeted.

"I won't dance with men," Shen Liang said calmly, "Brother Night Owl."

The owl then noticed that his right hand was still in a forward position, as if he were inviting the boy to dance.

He blushed slightly; it was so embarrassing. Pandora's appearance was already more exquisite than the Valkyries', and with her long hair, she looked like a little princess who preferred military attire to feminine dresses.

If Pandora really agrees to his request, the headlines on the entire supernatural side will probably be filled with headlines like "World Serpent executives are quickly turned gay by the only young master of the Shaniat family," "Pandora, the White Flower's daughter, is stunningly beautiful and captivating both men and women," and "Shaniat family embroiled in a shocking scandal! Anna's fiancé is stolen by her cousin at her wedding banquet!"

"Feel sorry."

Shen Liang now even felt a little sorry for Ye Xiao, even though it seemed a bit wishful thinking on his part. He must be feeling pretty bad about it now.

"Brother Night Owl, you're a newbie. If you don't hurry up and find a dance partner, all the girls will be taken by someone else," Shen Liang reminded him.

He wasn't ashamed to say "brother" to himself, because Night Owl was twenty-four years old, two years older than his mental age.

Hearing the clear, soft voice calling him "brother," Night Owl felt a pang of melancholy. He'd been there so long, and Anna and he hadn't even spoken a word. Kiana had infuriated him, and compared to that, Pandora was the one he found most agreeable.

He has a good personality, is polite, and is not only a genius but also not arrogant. No wonder Anna likes this younger brother so much.

Thinking it over, he quickly left to find a dance partner.

At this moment, Maria, dressed in a vibrant red dress, finished her greetings with the guests and came downstairs with a wine glass in hand. She saw Shen Liang, who looked rather bored, and was momentarily taken aback. "Why are you still here?"

Shen Liang raised his drink and clinked glasses with her, laughing, "Tango is something for aristocratic circles. How could a commoner like me possibly embarrass myself by performing it?"

“Don’t underestimate yourself. You are my son, Maria’s son, and of course you are a nobleman.” Maria stared at him for a moment with displeasure. “Where is Kiana?”

"Kiana's over there." Shen Liang gestured with his lip towards the center of the dance floor without any politeness.

Maria watched the two beautiful girls in white dresses dancing gracefully, her expression momentarily complicated, but she didn't say much. She seemed to be used to this kind of thing.

"Mom, don't you care that Kiana embarrassed Anna like this?" Shen Liang asked curiously. Maria shouldn't know about Kiana and Anna's secret.

"Love is a very irrational thing. It never cares about the relationship between two people, their gender, or their circumstances. Once it comes, no one can say for sure." Maria opened a bottle of red wine with her bare hands, poured one for Shen Liang, and drank it all in one gulp. "It's hard to say about these things unless you're involved."

"Does Mom seem to have a story to tell?" Shen Liang smiled.

Maria smiled slightly, "I haven't lived these years for nothing. I have many... untold stories, which I won't tell you now."

"Let me guess, Mom, when you saw Kiana and Anna, did it remind you of your past self?"

"You could say that."

The glamorous young lady in the red evening gown finished her drink, then stood up with a slightly flushed face, gracefully extending her small hand, clad in a gauze glove, towards Shen Liang.

"Dance with Mom."