At the center of the dance floor, the lights shimmered and shifted.
Lin Yu Han rested one hand on Tang Wulin's shoulder while he gently held the other. At first, Tang Wulin was rather stiff. Despite his excellent physical coordination, he was a complete novice at this kind of intimate interaction between a boy and a girl.
"Relax. Your body is too stiff."
Lin Yu Han reminded him softly, her clear voice carrying an unquestionable confidence. "Follow my rhythm. Don't think about the movements. Feel the metal... no, I mean, feel the rhythm of the music."
Tang Wulin took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
In that instant, he seemed to treat the dance steps before him as a special kind of forging. The beat of the music was the rhythm of a Forging Hammer striking, while Lin Yu Han's guidance was the grain of flowing metal.
One step, two steps, a turn, forward and back.
Gradually, Tang Wulin's body loosened. The incredible control he normally used to wield his Thousand Refinement Heavy Silver Hammer was now channeled entirely into precise footwork.
To Lin Yu Han's surprise, the boy who had seemed so awkward a moment ago suddenly became a different person. His movements grew fluid and graceful. Every turn was perfectly timed, and every guiding motion carried a sense of strength, yet was gentle enough to put her at ease.
They danced across the floor, his golden hanfu intertwining with her pale blue gown like a flowing painting.
The guests around them had been whispering, but their murmurs soon faded, replaced by looks of wonder.
"They dance so well..."
"Who's that boy? I don't recognize him."
Amid all this admiration, however, one group wore particularly remarkable expressions. In fact, they looked as though they had seen a ghost.