My name is Levi, and I work in anime.

The large Yukinoshita ignored her sister's gaze and sat down next to her, saying, "I just looked around and didn't find anyone from the Hiratsuka family attending. That's probably why our attempt to sneak in an invitation failed."

"Why aren't you over there with your friends? What are you doing here looking for me?"

"What a cold attitude! My sister is so heartbroken~"

"Oh."

"Many outstanding young men have come today, all sons of wealthy tycoons or high-ranking officials and politicians!"

"Oh."

"They're all outstanding. If you don't like any of them, there are also important figures from the underworld who can do magic and have superpowers~"

"Oh."

"So all my friends went out to promote themselves, and nobody paid any attention to me."

"Oh...ah?" For the first time, Yukino's face showed a look of surprise.

"In essence, these banquets are nothing more than a platform for people with needs to promote their families, bodies, or other things."

The eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family lamented, "So-called friends are nothing more than people of similar age who talk together. But here, they become competitors."

Yes, behind her, Yukino Yukinoshita clearly saw her sister's so-called "friends." Everyone was polite to each other, but everyone was also hostile to each other.

Sweet words masking a treacherous heart; two-faced and treacherous—that's all there is to it.

Everyone spoke sweetly, as if coated with honey, about their "best friends," but in their hearts, they all saw others as rivals or stepping stones.

In the eyes of ordinary people, they would all be considered young ladies from wealthy families. But in this kind of setting, they have no right to be reserved at all, and they try their best to display their feminine charm, hoping to climb the ladder to a higher social class.

I'm afraid it's about being a secret lover, or a weapon, or something else entirely.

To put it in a very unladylike way:

"Like a bunch of sluts, right?"

Having noticed Yukino's expression beforehand, Haruno preemptively offered her assessment.

Chapter 25 Yukinoshita stopped thinking.

Do you spend every day with these guys?

Under the snow, the little girl looked at her older sister with a mixture of pity and surprise.

“What’s wrong with that? After all, they also have to shoulder the mission of revitalizing their own families.” At this point, the large Yukinoshita’s tone remained calm and breezy: “That’s just how it is. It’s already incredibly difficult to stand firm in the currents of the world, let alone go any further. It’s harder than climbing to heaven.”

As the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family, I received the same kind of upbringing.

She never managed to say those words.

Because there is no male heir, the future of the Yukinoshita family will be more dangerous than that of others if a suitable help cannot be found. The burden of revitalizing the family rests on his shoulders.

Normally, I should have been like my friends, showcasing myself to the talented young people at the event, waiting for the right offer. But now…

She doesn't want to go.

Why is this happening? Am I waiting for something? Opportunities like this are rare indeed!

Are you an adult who still expecting miracles and magic, things that only happen in dreams?

At that moment, a low, noisy sound suddenly arose in the venue, where people had been gathered in small groups. At the same time, the band, which had been waiting for a long time, began to play, the doors opened, and the head of the major collector family, as the host, personally greeted them at the door.

At this moment, the true VIP of this banquet finally made his appearance.

……

Opening the car door and stepping onto the hand-woven red cashmere carpet, Levi linked arms with Arcueid and headed towards the banquet venue.

It must be admitted that while the foolish vampire is a bit naive, his face is undeniably classy. Especially after Levi repeatedly warned him not to speak unless absolutely necessary, this guy seemed to understand his meaning. After adopting the attitude a True Ancestor often displays towards humans, his overall demeanor reached a new level.

It's not contempt, nor indifference, but utter indifference—the look of a higher life form watching a group of ephemeral mayflies putting on a farcical show before it, after experiencing numerous dynastic rises and falls and species extinctions.

Furthermore, by using magic to lengthen her hair, she appeared even more extraordinary and looked down upon all living beings.

"You look great with long hair, why did you choose to have short hair?" Before getting off the bus, the boy couldn't help but ask.

"Because growing long hair is too troublesome, it requires frequent maintenance." Arcueid's superior aura vanished the moment she opened her mouth: "Besides, my hair often gets pressed against my head when I sleep, so I cut it all off. I can only keep this length for now."

I don’t know if it’s true or false.

Recalling the previous conversation, the boy stood a distance from the door without moving forward, waiting for the host to come out and take him inside.

Whether it was the other so-called distinguished guests around them, or the rare VIPs from the underworld, they were all merely tools to highlight the true superiors. Except for those with leg problems, everyone consciously stood up to avoid making any unnecessary noise.

"Please continue, everyone. Don't worry too much about me." Li Wei looked around and saw that everyone bowed their heads and stepped back to show respect.

"I'm here today no different from any of you, just a guest attending Yusei's engagement ceremony." To show intimacy, a more intimate form of address was used.

The head of the large collection was clearly pleased with this, his face beaming with pride.

Being late for a banquet or overshadowing the host are both impolite behaviors, but as mentioned before, those in positions of authority treat others with the utmost respect even in ways that would normally be considered disrespectful. Therefore, no one present felt anything was amiss; on the contrary, they thought it was incredibly polite and approachable.

It's truly overwhelming.

"Hello, Mr. Daizo." He first gave a brief greeting to the host, and then turned his gaze to the familiar androgynous pretty boy: "Today is a joyous day, congratulations, Yusei."

"Ah... Hello, Mr. Li Wei."

The androgynous boy, who had competed with other boys in kindergarten to see who could pee the farthest, instinctively wanted to use his usual nickname. However, his fiancée pinched him, reminding him that this was a formal occasion and he couldn't be too casual.

"It is an honor to have you attend my son's engagement ceremony." The head of the Daizo family smiled very happily.

"You're too kind, Mr. Daizo."

Li Wei answered with a slightly reserved air, and then pulled out a box from somewhere and handed it to the protagonist of the day: "This is a gift for you. I wish you a long and happy life together."

Inside were two golden apples, cultivated from seeds left to him by "Mr. Merlin" before he left. While they wouldn't grant him immortality as legend had it, they certainly could prolong his life and slow down aging.

With limited stock, Li Wei rarely gave any away.

"Is this your fiancée?" The boy shifted his gaze to the silver-haired girl next to his childhood friend. "What a beautiful lady. When did you meet her?"

"Uh..." For some reason, Daizo Yusei looked a little embarrassed.

Compared to him, his fiancée was much more assertive, silently handing him a photograph. It showed two beautiful young women embracing, the one in the maid outfit looking particularly familiar.

Li Wei: "...Hmm."

Li Wei: "...Huh!?"

Should we praise Yusei for his good looks, or marvel at how skillfully you two have gotten together?

Unfortunately, if it weren't for the fact that there weren't many occasions, the boy would probably have already asked his childhood friend to wear a maid outfit for him to see.

Realizing that a group of people shouldn't be at the entrance, the head of the Dazang family, who was the host, stood beside the boy and guided him into the venue like a trailblazer.

The very center of the dance floor remained empty; it was a private domain reserved for VIPs, aside from the couple who were the main guests of the day. Everyone discreetly avoided it, as if some kind of magic repelled others. According to etiquette, besides Arcueid, who had brought her, Levi could freely choose other girls to dance with.

"As promised, I attended the dance. I'm a little late, I hope you don't mind." The boy's tone was a little mischievous: "Should I call you Haruno-neechan?"

Yukinoshita remained completely silent. Like a doll, she was pulled up by the boy and led to the center of the dance floor.

The dancers' moves were terrible, or rather, they couldn't perform at all. Being half a beat behind was common, and stepping on boys' feet was a frequent occurrence; it was utterly embarrassing.

Normally, such inappropriate behavior in high society would have earned a scolding from the mother, but this time it didn't.

Her mother—the enormous Yukinoshita—was equally at a loss in silence.

PS: Thanks to Ordinary People Are Awesome, Xingxing Se [censored] Se La Tiao, Thanks to Heaven Knows What Name to Choose, Mo [censored] Ran No Ying, Chaoge City, Sanan, zome, Worthless Otaku, and Unrequited Love for Huangquan's Blade~

Chapter 26 On the Impact of Hakuhime on the Underworld

Clumsy, stiff, slow-moving, and slow-reacting – that’s Li Wei’s assessment of Yukinoshita Haruno’s dancing skills.

Originally, she was just a mediocre person, and it was only through the tutelage of Scáthach and Skadi that she had become passable. In the words of the Ice Queen, she was barely able to perform at the Ball of the Gods, which was not a shameful level.

But compared to Yukinoshita's performance, the boy's was simply superb.

The girl, whose spirit had been severely shaken from the very beginning, was completely stiff and unable to think clearly. She could only muster a fraction of the dance skills she had learned since childhood. In the boy's hands, she was like a poorly made puppet, only able to move forward with guidance.

If Skadi were to see this performance, she would most likely give comments such as, "Your spins are weak, your leg lifts are clumsy, your footwork is loose, your reactions are slow, and none of your movements are decent."

Similarly, the fact that such appalling dance skills could receive the highest level of favor made the other girls in the seats, who considered themselves far superior to her, even more indignant. They had an impulse to rush up and throw Hino aside with a "waaaaagh!" and take her place.

The "friendship" that Yukinoshita had cultivated with these people through her charming and tactful personality has been almost completely lost.

The more mature individuals stared in astonishment at the girl they had never seen before on stage, then ordered their subordinates to search for information, secretly whispering and discussing the Yukinoshita family's lackey.

Those who took the above actions were all members of the World of the Globe, excluding Arcueid's table.

Taking into account Arcueid's foolish vampire nature, the boy had specifically reminded Yusei beforehand to reserve a spot for her as a member of the Otherworld. However, for some reason, when Arcueid returned to her seat after her dance, the once-crowded table was now empty except for a handful of people—or rather, not people.

It wasn't just this table; the entire surrounding area was like this.

The others either suddenly pulled out their phones and pretended to have an emergency, then rudely slipped away; or they changed their clothes and disguised themselves as ordinary humans, refusing to come back; some, unprepared, simply ran to the dance floor to dance and didn't return; and some even pretended to faint and were carried away by the maids.

All of the above were either quick-witted or fast runners; the rest who hadn't run were pinned down and dared not move.

Compared to the bustling atmosphere of other areas, this place seemed to have been muted.

"How strange, it was quite lively just now, why is it so quiet all of a sudden?"

Arcueid, dressed in a pure white tuxedo, uttered this remark and turned to the pink-haired man sitting to her left: "You're a local, right? Do you have any clues?"

"I...I don't know!" The pink-haired girl named Akashiya Moka shook her head pitifully, looking like a bullied little animal.

I should have known better than to eat the snacks on the table. Now I can't leave even if I want to. What if the other person gets angry if I get up and leave?

At first, when she saw that guy was with Li Wei, she felt a sense of dissatisfaction and jealousy. She really wanted to get angry and explode—so what if you're blond! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you're good-looking or blond?

But in reality, once this guy sat down next to me, it was as if some innate bloodline suppressed me, and my body became unexpectedly obedient and docile, as if I were being suppressed by some higher life form.

Just as Pavlov's dog would drool reflexively, my own body would reflexively obey this blond-haired man.

"What's going on?!" Akashiya Moka exclaimed in surprise, "Why is my body... so terrified of this blond guy—no, it's not just fear, there's something else too—in short, I just can't resist this guy's orders!"

Thinking of this, Pink Hair felt terrified: "Isn't this the end?! What if she's a pervert and forces me to stand by the bed like a fleshy screen to watch her and Li Wei [beep] as part of a sex play?"

At the same time, he turned his pleading gaze to Reiri Kamura across the table, signaling to his friend that he could lend a hand and share his burden.

Unfortunately, this beautiful girl with long, straight black hair, who was also a vampire, stared at the table the whole time, her posture exactly like a poor student afraid of being called on by the teacher in class, her expression clearly saying, "This table is just too much!"

Why are you just watching?! Didn't we agree to be friends for life and work together to win over Li Wei? Have you betrayed us too?

It wasn't just Kamura Reiri; all her other "plastic sisters" were either staring at the ceiling counting spots or sitting there meditating, focusing on their noses, mouths, and minds.

With this in mind, Akashiya Moka could only pin her hopes on the area next door, where a group of exorcists, shrine maidens, and onmyoji were sitting.

While it is indeed a bit strange for an oddity to seek help from these people, there is no other way at this point.

It turned out that the strongest group didn't show up, and the group that did arrive didn't seem to be in much better shape than they were.

The only one who looked decent was... I think his name was Isayama Yomi or something, but he didn't look at me once the whole time, he just kept staring at Li Wei. Was he really that good-looking?!

Okay, it is indeed good-looking, and she likes to watch it too.

I often download high-definition photos and erotic stories from the college's internal forum, sometimes dozens at a time, to take home and use. My room is often filled with the scent of youth when I wake up in the morning.

"That, that..."

Seeing Arcueid's clueless expression, Akashiya Moeka timidly raised her hand: "Excuse me..."

"Is something wrong?"

"—No, no, absolutely not!" Meeting Arcueid's gaze, the pink-haired girl felt her soul tremble and almost burst into tears.

It was at this moment that the savior appeared.

Having just finished dancing with Yukino, Li Wei, feeling somewhat overbearing, appeared before them.

“Looks like I made a mistake; I shouldn’t have let you sit here.” With that, Li Wei uttered a voice that sounded like heavenly music to Akashiya Moeka’s ears: “Let’s switch seats.”

"Why leave? I'm feeling pretty good." The silly vampire was a little surprised: "The locals are very polite, not a single person speaks loudly, everyone is quiet."

"If you stay any longer, Moka will be scared to death by you."

Reaching out to grab Arcueid, Levi prepared to end his wrong choice.

Upon hearing such a sound, half of the venue seemed to come alive, letting out a silent sigh of relief, and the previously tense atmosphere vanished.

"Great! Li Wei, you're so handsome!"

A certain pink-haired vampire, who was being suppressed, looked at the boy with teary eyes, wishing she could offer herself to him on the spot.