Dance the First Dance with Me

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Imperial Palace's central square was already bustling.

The musicians played a lively tune, the singers' voices were bright and full of vitality, and the lights made the cloud-covered night sky seem like daytime.

In the palace directly ahead of the square, two people walked one behind the other through an unusually quiet corridor.

One side of the corridor was lined with windows. Their soundproofing was excellent, reducing the ear-splitting music beyond the glass to something muffled and distant.

Looking through the clear window, Ye Nanxun glanced at the sculpture standing in the middle of the square.

He quickly turned back, and the alpha walking ahead of him came into view.

The living, breathing Yan Beiyou was less than a meter in front of him.

The alpha was in the prime of his life, long since stripped of any youthful immaturity. His back was broad and his legs long; even from behind, he exuded the mature charm of a top-tier alpha.

Yan Beiyou's pace was steady and unhurried, his hands swinging naturally at his sides.

The fingers concealed within his sleeves were distinctly jointed and naturally curved.

"Your Majesty."

An unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded beside him. Ye Nanxun paused, realizing that he had been staring at the alpha's back the entire time.

Without noticing, they had reached the end of the corridor.

Yan Beiyou stopped and began speaking with several staff members who had appeared at the end of the hall.

Ye Nanxun neither followed him nor paid attention to their conversation.

Standing by the window, his hearing and vision briefly detached from his body, passing through the glass and across space to borrow the hearing and sight of a tiny Mushroom Spore.

The tiny Mushroom Spore clung to Xu Wenyan, clearly catching the conversation between Xu Wenyan and Zhou Zhixia.

It also saw the intense, burning desire in Xu Wenyan's eyes as he raised his head to look at the Emperor's statue.

"Xiaoxun."

The voice that fell beside his ear seemed separated by a layer of water, drifting from far away.

Quickly pulling back his senses, Ye Nanxun blinked rapidly. Through the spotless glass window, he saw the tall alpha who had somehow come to stand beside him.

Compared with other people's Companion Beasts, his was difficult to detect. Mushroom Spores were as tiny as grains of salt; amid falling snow in winter, they could blend in with the flakes, impossible for anyone to notice.

Xu Wenyan had not discovered it, nor had Ji Yunqi, who had briefly stayed near Xu Wenyan.

But what about Yan Beiyou?

Right beneath Yan Beiyou's nose, while the alpha had been talking to others, he had briefly used his Mushroom Spore as a camera to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation.

Would Yan Beiyou notice?

His heartbeat suddenly sped up. Ye Nanxun felt like a child who had secretly done something bad.

Keeping his expression calm, he turned around. "Your Majesty."

His gaze landed on the alpha's high nose bridge. He appeared to be looking directly at him, but was actually avoiding eye contact.

Yan Beiyou's tone was no different from before. "Can you dance?"

Ye Nanxun's gaze shot upward, colliding with the alpha's deep yet tranquil black eyes. His lashes trembled slightly.

He nodded. "I can."

A gentle smile surfaced in those dark, profound eyes. Yan Beiyou turned to one of his subordinates and said, "All right. Make the arrangements."

Ye Nanxun was completely confused. He had been focused on eavesdropping on Xu Wenyan's conversation and had no idea what Yan Beiyou had just discussed with the subordinate beside him.

Nor did he understand why Yan Beiyou had asked whether he could dance.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As the subordinate spoke, he swiftly glanced at the tall, cool omega by the window. Even years of professional discipline could not suppress the shock in his eyes.

The several staff members at the end of the corridor went downstairs one after another, leaving only Yan Beiyou and Ye Nanxun in the quiet hallway.

Yan Beiyou raised a hand to grasp the stair railing beside him. "Every year, they ask me whether I need someone to dance an opening dance with before the banquet begins."

In the past, Ye Nanxun had watched the New Year's Eve gala broadcast with his parents in front of the television almost every year. Occasionally, he paid serious attention to the performances, but most of the time, he simply treated the broadcast as lively background noise.

He did not remember seeing Yan Beiyou dance with anyone else.

Nor did he remember whether Yan Beiyou had personally attended the New Year's Eve banquet.

Maybe he had. Maybe he had not.

If not for a Mushroom Egg, he would barely have remembered what Yan Beiyou looked like.

Ye Nanxun quietly watched the alpha, waiting for him to continue.

His pale green eyes were as clear as a pool of water.

Yan Beiyou said, "It was the same this year. They just asked whether I needed to dance the opening dance, and you heard my answer."

Yes, Ye Nanxun had heard it.

Yan Beiyou had said: All right. Make the arrangements.

With his hands hanging at his sides, his thumb lightly tapped against his index finger. Ye Nanxun slowly lowered his gaze and said evenly, "I heard you. Your Majesty, go ahead and attend to your business."

There was not much time left before the banquet began.

Ye Nanxun had exchanged contact information with Song Ren that afternoon. Though he might disturb him, at this lively New Year's Eve banquet filled with people everywhere—

Besides Yan Beiyou, Song Ren was the only person Ye Nanxun knew.

If Song Ren was too busy, that was fine. He only needed a quiet corner where no one would disturb him.

Ye Nanxun had even begun thinking about what to do afterward.

He could watch the performances on his phone while video-calling his parents at home.

As for Xu Wenyan...

The look in Xu Wenyan's eyes as he gazed up at the statue of the galactic Emperor carried an almost crazed determination to possess what he wanted.

Ye Nanxun's expression turned cold.

After being reborn, was Xu Wenyan no longer satisfied with people like He Yiming and had now set his sights on Yan Beiyou?

Yan Beiyou sighed softly, his voice carrying faint, nearly imperceptible helplessness. "Xiaoxun."

Ye Nanxun looked puzzled.

"I instructed them to arrange an opening dance. You'll dance with me."

His lips parted and closed. After a second or two, Ye Nanxun hesitantly asked, "Me?"

Yan Beiyou chuckled. "You aren't planning to refuse me, are you?"

Ye Nanxun had indeed instinctively wanted to refuse.

But then Xu Wenyan's determined gaze flashed through his mind.

He did not know why it made him feel angry.

Or perhaps there were other reasons.

Ye Nanxun shook his head. "I'm just a little nervous."

More than a little.

At the thought of dancing with Yan Beiyou under the gaze of countless billions—

Ye Nanxun felt as though anxiety had seized him by the throat, and he was about to suffocate.

His face went pale almost instantly.

Releasing the railing beneath his hand, Yan Beiyou took a few steps closer to the young man. "Don't be nervous. It's all right if you don't agree."

The alpha's voice was deep and gentle, like a cello playing in the night, easing some of his tension.

Ye Nanxun pressed his lips together, and his complexion improved somewhat.

He looked at the alpha. Though his lashes fluttered unconsciously, his gaze was earnest. "Your Majesty, it's my first time dancing in public. I might not do very well."

Yan Beiyou smiled. "It's all right. It's my first time too."