When the last note of the music fell, the two of them released their hands at the same time and stepped back politely.
The applause around him was a little warmer than before.
Na'er sat on the sofa next to him with juice in his hand. He tilted his head and looked at the two people on the dance floor. He used a straw to stir the ice cubes that had mostly melted in the cup. He turned to Xu Xiaoyan and said, "They kept talking while they were dancing. It's so strange."
"We were talking about the laboratory." Xiao Mu explained.
The time was getting late, the applause had settled, and Sima Lanxiao stood on the stage again with a golden envelope in his hand.
He opened the letter very slowly, which aroused the appetite of the whole audience.
"After the primary election and the general voting, tonight's selection results are already in my hands." He unfolded the letter and glanced across the audience, smiling with a deliberate pause that heightened the atmosphere. "The best dance combination - Xiao Mu, Xu Xiaoyan. That opening dance made the judges collectively put down their wine glasses, and they deserved it."
The chasing light hit the two people. Xu Xiaoyan stood up, and the moon-white skirt glowed with starlight under the light. She took Xiao Mu's hand, and Xiao Mu stood up with her, and the two walked onto the stage side by side.
"The most handsome man--Xiao Mu." Sima Lanxiao laughed when he read out the second name. "This gentleman is on stage for the second time tonight. It seems that the judges have a very unified aesthetic."
"The most beautiful lady--Na'er. Come on, little beauty, please come on stage."
Na'er put down the juice cup in her hand, jumped up from the sofa, her silver-white short skirt sparkling under the light. She trotted to the stage, and when she took the certificate, she smiled so hard that her eyes turned into two crescents. She stood on tiptoes and leaned towards the microphone. "Thank you everyone!"
Sima Lanxiao cleared her throat and unfolded the last part of the letter. "Finally, the best dressed lady--Gu Yue. Judges' comments: She stood out among the gorgeous costumes in the venue with her minimalist style. The dark purple long skirt is paired with a single crescent moon pendant, and her sense of proportion is impeccable."
Gu Yue stood up from her seat, walked onto the stage calmly, and took the prize. She stood in front of the microphone and was silent for a second, and then said two words: "Thank you."
Crisp and neat, exactly the same as her temperament in a dress.
When the four people returned to their seats, Luo Qinghan came over with a wine glass and put another glass of champagne into Xiao Mu's hand. He looked at the two trophies in Xiao Mu's arms, and a smile that was not too cold appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Fortunately, Star Luo Empire and Federation were selected separately."
When the dance ended, the band was clearing away the music stand, and the waiters shuttled through the increasingly empty hall carrying empty cups and plates.
Xiao Mu Pushed open the side door of the banquet hall, and the sea breeze hit him head-on. It was salty, slightly cool, and had the unique clearness of the deep sea. It instantly blew away the smell of champagne and perfume from his hair and clothes. He took a deep breath and felt that the residual alcohol smell in his lungs was diluted by the sea breeze. Then his right arm was held tightly by a pair of hands.
Na'er's whole body almost hung on his arm. Her silver-white short skirt was fluttering gently in the night wind, and she had a thin blanket on her shoulders that she didn't know where. She walked crookedly on high heels, and she put most of her weight on Xiao Mu.
She raised her face and made a small gap with her thumb and index finger, "Just a little bit. It's sweet, like juice."
"Na'er Why did you drink so much?" Xiao Mu looked down at her, "You have a lot of energy. How many drinks have you had?"
Na'er blinked and raised her little finger to show him - indicating a drink. Xiao Mu stared at her finger for a while, and she silently raised her ring finger as well.
"Two glasses."
Xu Xiaoyan walked out from behind him, holding a pair of silver high heels in her hand, stepping barefoot on the deck, her skirt rustling in the sea breeze. She walked up to Na'er, tilted her head and looked at her red cheeks. "Why does this Na'er drink everything?"
Gu Yue walked at the end, wearing a dark windbreaker outside the dress, and holding the glass of orange juice brought out from the banquet hall in his hand.
When she passed by Na'er, she raised her hand to help her gather the thin blanket that was about to slip off her shoulders, and then continued walking forward, her steps as steady as usual.
They stepped onto the deck, and the giant ship cut through the deep black sea. The billowing white foam at the stern shone like crushed silver in the moonlight. The low-frequency roar of the engine came from the soles of their feet, regular and steady, like the heartbeat of the ship.
There were no clouds overhead, the Milky Way flowed from the bow to the stern, and the stars were as dense as if someone had poured a whole bag of diamonds on the black velvet.
Na'er held Xiao Mu's arm and was quiet for a moment. The sea breeze blew her broken hair to her face, but she didn't brush it away and just rubbed her face against his sleeve.
"Brother."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Na'er rubbed her face against his sleeve again, her voice was much softer than usual, as if it was half blown away by the sea breeze, "I just want to call you."
Xiao Mu didn't speak. Na'er didn't wait for his answer. Her breathing gradually became even and long, and the fingers holding his cuffs loosened one by one. The sea breeze blew over, and her hair was blown to her face, but she didn't rub it away this time.
Xu Xiaoyan leaned on the railing of the ship, watching this scene. She came over, put the pair of silver high heels in her hand gently at Xiao Mu's feet, then reached out to pull up the thin blanket on Na'er's shoulders to cover her exposed shoulders.
"She fell asleep."
"I know."
Gu Yue had already reached the cabin door and looked back, "Go back, it's easy to catch a cold on the deck."
"Got it."
Xiao Mu bent down, put one hand through Na'er's knees, and held her back with the other hand, hugging her up. She was very light, curled up in his arms like a baby bird with silver-white wings, her forehead pressed against his chest, and the hot air, slightly drunk with sweet wine, seeped into his skin through the thin fabric of the dress.
The corridor was very quiet, with only the dull sound of his leather shoes on the carpet and the slight rustle of Xu Xiaoyan walking barefoot. Na'er's room was next to Xiao Mu's room, so he opened the door of Na'er's room directly.
The cabin was very dark, and the moonlight filtered in from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony, dyeing the sheets silvery white. Xiao Mu gently placed her on the bed, her head sank into the pillow, and the silver-white skirt spread out on the sheets.
"Brother... don't leave me!" She shouted again in her sleep, her lips moved, and then she became quiet.
Xiao Mu did not leave immediately. He stood by the bed and looked at her for a long time, and finally reached out to push the strands of hair from her forehead behind her ears.
Then he turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door gently.
Xu Xiaoyan leaned against the corridor wall and waited for him.
"How's it going?"
"Sleeping soundly." Xiao Mu smiled lightly.
Xu Xiaoyan looked up at him, without saying anything, just stretched out his hand, took his hand, and walked back to the room together.