Stunning the Crowd

Chapter 4

The staff responsible for the Imperial Palace omega coming-of-age gala were mostly young betas.

Every omega guest invited to the ceremony was accompanied throughout by a dedicated beta staff member.

On the day the guest list was finalized, Aili received the information on the omega guest she would be hosting.

Unlike the other omegas turning eighteen that year, the guest assigned to her, Ye Nanxun, was nineteen.

At first, she thought there had been a mistake. After checking with her supervisor, she learned that the guest had missed the Imperial Palace coming-of-age ceremony the previous year due to illness.

The omega in the photograph had already been stunning, but when she saw him in person, Aili was once again shocked by his beauty.

The photo gave no indication that this young, elegant omega was so tall.

The white and sapphire-blue ceremonial attire shimmered with lavish brilliance beneath the night sky, yet on the tall, straight-backed omega, its radiance was thoroughly eclipsed by his own beauty and nobility.

It was not just the magnificent outfit. Every light in the room seemed to fade into blurry patches of color.

Only the omega standing before her remained crisp and luminous.

The impact of confronting such beauty head-on made her head spin, but fortunately, Aili was a sufficiently professional Imperial Palace employee.

She quickly composed herself and offered the omega a gentle, warm, polite smile. "Hello, Mr. Ye. My name is Aili, and I'll be responsible for hosting you throughout today's ceremony. If you need anything, just let me know. It's too cold outside, so let's go in first!"

"Okay, Aili. Thank you."

As they walked inside, Aili introduced the ceremony's upcoming schedule to Ye Nanxun.

Ye Nanxun did not speak much, but he softly responded after each of Aili's explanations.

"This is the program. Before the ball begins, I'll take you to where you'll perform on the piano. There's still some time before the ball starts, so you can have something to eat in the lounge."

"Thank you."

Aili suddenly smiled. "Don't be nervous. This is your evening. Enjoy tonight's food and music to the fullest."

Ye Nanxun had already done his best to hide his anxiety, yet she had still seen through him.

Feeling Aili's friendliness and kindness, Ye Nanxun's taut nerves relaxed slightly.

He nodded, a trace of warmth rising in his eyes. "I will."

The ball had yet to begin, but the guests had already taken their seats one after another.

On the platform at the upper right of the dance floor, the Royal Orchestra performed magnificent music live.

Besides the seating around the dance floor, there were also private boxes on the second floor of the hall.

The omegas participating in the coming-of-age ceremony had not yet appeared. While drinking and chatting, most guests occasionally glanced toward the second-floor boxes.

The second-floor boxes were not necessarily occupied, but anyone seated within them was undoubtedly among those standing at the peak of Dream City's pyramid of power and wealth.

Ji Yunqi lowered his head to check the watch on his wrist. "Why hasn't His Majesty arrived yet? The ball is about to begin."

Song Ren, who was pouring wine, said, "Those omegas are too young. His Majesty probably can't bring himself to make a move."

Zhu Yucheng sat beside a refined, scholarly alpha. As he attentively poured fruit juice, he pointed toward the performance stage below. "Teacher Jiang, once the orchestra leaves and the ball begins, any omega who didn't sign up to dance will perform music there."

Most omegas usually chose to dance. Those who disliked dancing or did not have a partner they fancied could choose to perform onstage instead.

However, the performance stage was located in the upper right corner of the dance floor. It was out of the way and far less conspicuous than the dance floor.

No one had chosen to perform during the previous three Imperial Palace omega coming-of-age ceremonies. This year, only one omega would take the stage to accompany the dancers.

Just as Zhu Yucheng finished speaking, waves of applause rose from below, and the orchestra members gradually left the stage.

Jiang Yuenian watched the performance stage intently. The orchestra conductor performing today was one of his students. After the omega performed a piece, the orchestra would return to the stage.

He had mainly come at his student's invitation. As for the omega's solo performance at the ceremony, Jiang Yuenian had not expected much.

The hall darkened. On the accompaniment stage, a tall figure could vaguely be seen, standing straight and walking steadily to the piano before taking a seat.

Ji Yunqi raised his voice. With one hand braced against his right knee, he leaned forward slightly and stared at the blurry figure onstage. "That height is rare among omegas. His spiritual power level couldn't be SS, could it?"

"An SS-level omega?" Song Ren paused with his wineglass at his lips. "There is one SS-level omega turning eighteen this year, but he isn't as tall as that person."

"Could there be a second SS-level omega coming of age this year?" Zhu Yucheng raised an eyebrow. "How come I never heard about him?"

On the performance stage, a beam of light shone on Ye Nanxun from diagonally behind him.

At the same moment, his long fingers gently pressed down on the keys.

Amid the soothing, graceful piano music, young omegas linked arm in arm with their dance partners emerged from behind the doors and walked one after another toward the dance floor in the center of the hall, beneath the lights and applause.

Applause rang through the hall, but the people in the second-floor boxes were not watching the young omegas dancing gracefully below.

"So beautiful." Watching Ye Nanxun play the piano, Jiang Yuenian suddenly remarked.

Zhu Yucheng, who had been gazing at Teacher Jiang's profile in rapture, instantly furrowed his brow. Deeply displeased, he shot a hostile glare in Ye Nanxun's direction.

"What's so beautiful about... all right, he is a little bit beautiful. But Teacher Jiang, how could you praise someone else's beauty right in front of your husband?" Zhu Yucheng's jealousy flared up.

Jiang Yuenian glanced at the alpha reeking of jealousy beside him and laughed. "I meant his piano playing was beautiful."

"Since Teacher Jiang praised him personally, this omega's piano skills must be quite impressive," Song Ren said.

"Not only does he play beautifully, he really is beautiful too." Ji Yunqi raised his hand and swiped through the air, and a light screen appeared before them.

Ye Nanxun, nineteen years old.

Male, SS-level omega.

"Ye Nanxun? That name is unfamiliar." Zhu Yucheng said. "I never expected Dream City to have an SS-level omega hidden so deeply. But why is he nineteen?"

When the piece ended, Ye Nanxun stood and bowed in thanks.

Seeing several people carrying roses approaching him, Ye Nanxun turned without hesitation and left the hall with Aili, who had been waiting nearby.

In the lounge, the young omega who had just played the piano onstage sat quietly on the sofa, holding a cup of warm water.

"These are all flowers sent by guests. They really want to meet you, but it's fine if you don't want to see them. I'll handle it for you."

Aili had brought in quite a few flowers from outside. He had only played a single piano piece at the ball, yet the young omega seated before the piano had drawn so much attention.

Among those who sent flowers were not only alphas, but also omegas and betas.

Human appreciation for beauty and music had never been limited by gender.

His hands clasped around the cup, desperately suppressing their faint trembling. Ye Nanxun returned her a small smile. "Mm, thank you for the trouble, Aili."

Aili gladly replied, "Then I'll head out. Contact me if you need anything. If you don't want to stay in the hall, you can also take a walk in the garden."