"Your Highness, I'm so scared."
Ye Yunxi blinked her watery, almond-shaped eyes and said pitifully.
"Are you trying to provoke me?"
Turning her back to everyone, Qian Renxue warned Ye Yunxi furiously.
This little vixen just kept provoking her.
"Your Highness, I'm not. Besides, I'm just a frail woman. You have two Titled Douluo protecting you. If you want to vent your anger, you'll only be bullying a weak woman like me."
Ye Yunxi lowered her head pitifully and dabbed at the tears she'd squeezed out.
The guests nearby only saw Ye Yunxi looking pitiful in front of Qian Renxue.
"Is His Highness bullying the Imperial Concubine?"
"Think about it. The Imperial Concubine isn't even that old, and His Highness is so mature and composed. She'd never be a match for him."
"Keep your voice down. Don't let His Highness hear you."
The guests murmured among themselves. The Soul Masters and Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, felt an inexplicable urge to protect her.
"Imperial Concubine, you really know how to play your part. You've been putting on an act this whole time."
Qian Renxue angrily grabbed Ye Yunxi's hand.
"Your Highness, I haven't, really! Please let go. You're hurting me."
Ye Yunxi writhed wildly, trying to break free of Qian Renxue's grip.
"Fine, fine. What a fine Imperial Concubine. I'll remember this."
Qian Renxue seethed inwardly. She was the one who'd been wronged, wasn't she? Why were all these guests taking the Imperial Concubine's side?
She released Ye Yunxi's hand, glanced at the people dancing in the center of the banquet, then turned back to her.
"Can you dance?"
"No, no." Ye Yunxi turned her face aside and answered pitifully.
[ Ding! Main quest triggered: Fox Dance Enchants the City, Bewitches All Living Beings ]
[ Quest requirements: Perform the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox Martial Soul in the center of the banquet dance floor. Enchant all the guests with peerless dance moves and outshine the Moonlight Pavilion. ]
[ Quest benefit: Dance mastery talent has been granted to the host. Top-tier Fox Spin Dance mastered completely. ]
[ Completion reward: Soul Power breaks through to level 60, Soul Emperor. Nine-Tailed Sky Fox skill "Fox Shadow Lost Track" fully unlocked. Enchanting aura permanently enhanced! ]
The system's cold voice faded.
With mist glistening in her peach-blossom eyes, Ye Yunxi glanced at the guests around her from the corner of her eye. She just wanted to find someone to help her avoid this miserable dance. She'd rather die than dance pressed close to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue wasn't about to let her slack off. Seeing how desperately she tried to avoid it only stoked her anger. Her grip tightened sharply around Ye Yunxi's wrist, and, ignoring her struggles, she dragged her straight onto the dance floor in the center of the banquet.
The music began just then, lilting and melodious, and every guest's gaze turned toward them.
Qian Renxue leaned close to her ear and warned her.
"I'll teach you. You're going to dance today, whether you can or not!"
As she spoke, she raised a hand to put it around Ye Yunxi's waist and lead the steps.
But the moment her fingertips touched Ye Yunxi's slender waist—
Ye Yunxi lightly tapped the floor with her toes and spun gracefully. The dance mastery granted by the system clicked into place at once.
Her smoky-pink gauze skirt spun into layers of soft, shimmering light, and she seized the lead.
Her steps flowed like water, her toes skimming the floor as if treading on lotus petals. Her waist was supple as a willow, and every turn, raised hand, and bend was exquisitely graceful.
She brought the seductive Fox Spin Dance to the height of perfection. Gauzy sleeves fluttered around her wrists as she swayed like a Nine-Tailed Sky Fox bending among the flowers—more skilled by far than even the finest dancers in Heaven Dou.
Qian Renxue froze completely. Ye Yunxi swept her along in the dance, Qian Renxue's palm against the warmth of her waist. She had become the one being led, with not the slightest say in the steps.
She tried to force the rhythm back, but Ye Yunxi slipped away with an easy spin. Her jade hand rested lightly on Qian Renxue's shoulder, gentle yet impossible to resist. Their figures drew close, then drifted apart, their steps interweaving in a heart-stirring dance.
At that moment, a pale-pink glow quietly spread around Ye Yunxi. The Nine-Tailed Sky Fox Martial Soul appeared behind her, its nine fluffy, luminous-white tails unfurling and fluttering, their tips adorned with rippling crimson Fox Flame. The Martial Soul's aura carried the essence of supreme enchantment, silently spreading through the entire hall.
Her peach-blossom eyes glistened, her lashes trembled, and when she looked back, she smiled faintly. Her allure was innate, bewitching to the bone.
The guests lost themselves in an instant, their breaths catching.
Everyone's heart raced beyond their control. Their eyes clung to that smoky-pink figure, their souls trembling. They didn't even notice the music anymore.
"Is she really just an ordinary woman? She's a born vixen!"
Ning Fengzhi's eyes brimmed with amazement.
If only he'd been the first to discover her.
Watching Ye Yunxi dance beside her, graceful and alluring beyond compare, Qian Renxue was utterly dumbfounded.
The warmth of her waist still lingered on her fingertips. Only one thought roiled through her mind.
She was just a woman from some remote mountain village, with no master or sect, and her Soul Power was sealed by Qian Renxue. How could she know such a top-tier courtly Fox Spin Dance? How could she dance with such captivating sensuality and impeccable technique?
Just how many secrets was this little vixen hiding?
As the music swelled, Ye Yunxi lightly tapped Qian Renxue's instep, spun close to her chest, and brushed her fox tail over Qian Renxue's arm.
Her peach-blossom eyes curved in a sly, sultry smile. Her lips parted, and her voice, soft and sweet with a hint of teasing, reached Qian Renxue alone.
"Your Highness, do you still think I can't dance?"
[ Ding! Quest completed perfectly! Soul Power officially unlocked to level 60, Soul Emperor! All rewards have been issued! ]
A warm current of Soul Power flowed into Ye Yunxi's body.
Ye Yunxi was thoroughly satisfied. Her steps never faltered as she continued to dance gracefully, commanding the splendor of the entire hall and reducing Qian Renxue to a mere partner.
As their feet tapped through the steps, Ye Yunxi brought her lips close to Qian Renxue's ear.
"Your Highness, satisfied?"
The sudden words snapped Qian Renxue out of her daze. She looked at Ye Yunxi's alluring smile, and her cheeks flushed.
She held her ground, but still answered.
"It was all right."
"All right? Your Highness is hard to satisfy."
Such a tsundere!
Ye Yunxi smiled faintly. She'd already completed the quest, so all that remained was to bring the banquet to an end.
As time passed, only Qian Renxue and Ye Yunxi remained dancing. They continued until the music stopped.
Ye Yunxi lightly set down her jade feet and released Qian Renxue's hand, standing perfectly poised in the center of the floor.
She performed a noble's curtsy and blinked her peach-blossom eyes.
"Thank you all for watching."
A burst of enthusiastic applause followed.
"As expected of the Imperial Concubine."
"Would the Imperial Concubine do me the honor of visiting my restaurant?"
"Imperial Concubine, there's an animal at my place that can do a backflip. Care to come and see?"
One invitation followed another.
Ye Yunxi smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness. I'm grateful, but I have to return with His Highness. Otherwise, he'll punish me when we get back to the Crown Prince's Mansion."
Qian Renxue was dumbfounded.
What did she mean, she'd been bullying her? Ye Yunxi had brought this on herself.