Ran Xueyi walked to find an empty table, which was an impossible task since there were too many people inside the banquet hall despite hearing that the guests invited to the ball would be fewer than usual.
Nevertheless, Ran Xueyi didn't plan to be a loner in that place and found a table where other female guests stationed themselves.
When these female guests saw her walking towards their table, they stiffened before relaxing. They were all thinking that no matter what they do, they could not surpass the woman's beauty and they quickly gave in.
"Hello, is this table full?" Ran Xueyi asked as she stood next to the table.
The woman in a silver sequined dress shook her head, she was level-headed than others, and smiled at her. "No, you can join us if you want."
"Thank you," she said, moving forward to mingle with the others.
The woman in the silver dress was named Olivia. Unlike the others, who were still awkwardly acting and speaking to the other girls, she was very friendly and talked with Ran Xueyi as if the two had met in the past and a long-time friend.
"Where did you buy this dress? Is it designed by Emanuel, the German designer? Or was it Josephine, the French haute couture designer?"
Ran Xueyi smiled. "To tell you the truth, I don't know."
"You don't? Pray tell, why don't you know?" Olivia appeared to be surprised at her response.
Ran Xueyi honestly told her that it was her friend who forced her into that golden dress, acting like the Fairy Godmother, who magically dressed her like Cinderella.
"Honestly, I am impressed. I would love to meet and befriend this friendly fairy godmother," Olivia uttered her intentions.
Ran Xueyi, of course, wouldn't refuse. All of the guests were all hot-shots that were all at the top of their own games. It would be stupid of her to reject any offer of friendship that she could harbor in the royal ball.
The royal family was also in attendance, albeit only the royal heirs. Only the two monarchs, the King and Queen, still haven't made an appearance.
But that didn't stop everyone from getting in contact with one another. Some had already revealed their identities, taking off their masks, while some still wore it and pulled some girls in the center where a few dancing couples were hitting it off on the dance floor.
At this time, Prince Adrienne and the Earl were making their way towards them. Olivia, who seemed to be not interested in the ball earlier, finally reacted and took an elegant pose to enhance her beautiful features.
Needless to say, the other girls at their table were the same.
It was only Ran Xueyi, who showed no interest like the other girls towards these two men. Her gaze was filled with more curiosity than affection.
Prince Adrienne chuckled, "It seems that the angel is truly an angel. Us, mortals can't even rouse her interest… I wonder if someone in the ball could do that."
He continued, "Do you think she would accept if I ask her to dance with me?"
Song Yu Han, who had the identity of an Earl tonight, refused to say anything. He calmly walked beside the prince and stopped only when they arrived at the girls' table.
But before the prince could speak again, Song Yu Han, was quick to beat him this time, and asked the angel in question first, "May I have this dance?"
…
Ran Xueyi saw the two men walking towards them. Unlike everyone, who was absolutely taken by their graceful walk, she was preoccupied with her own thoughts. She just wanted to know the identity of the person who sent her an entrance to this ball and also to gather as much connection as she could get for future uses. Ran Xueyi didn't even care about what other people were doing, saying, or thinking.
She even planned to become a wallflower tonight and stand in the corner if she couldn't befriend or talk to anyone.
However, fate has clearly different thoughts.
As she was thinking, a deep, sexy, and masculine voice sounded from her right, breaking her out from her reverie.
"May I have this dance?"
Before Ran Xueyi could react, the man had already taken a hold of her hand and pulled her out there, while everyone, even the prince, who planned to take away the angel, was surprised at the turn of events.
He whisked her away just like that.
However, Ran Xueyi didn't want to dance with him or with anyone at all.
She struggled to take his big paws off her, but the more she pried his hand, the more it tightened around her like a viper ready to attack its prey.
"I… um, I don't –"
Hearing her speak, Song Yu Han could already guess that she wanted to refuse to dance with him. It warmed his heart to the fullest while thinking that she had done so for his sake, but he still didn't want to let her go.
So, before she could complete her words, he said, "Treat it as part of the payment for getting a free-entrance to this place."
"…It's you?" Ran Xueyi raised her eyes to look at him, but because he was pulling her forward, she could only see the side of his mask, his wide shoulders and back
However, due to his words, she was able to quickly guess what he meant by it.
The mystery behind the person's identity, who had sent her the invitation card, turned out to be him.
At first, Ran Xueyi thought that when she finds out who it was, she would be able to at least act amiably towards them. If it was a woman, her intention was either she was a fan of hers, for a business venture, or to become friends with her. If it was a man, he could be a fan too or he could have other intentions towards her, which Ran Xueyi would easily and directly turn down.
In any case, their intentions were something she could easily grasp.
But when it ended up to be the Earl, everything that she planned and thought previously crumbled one by one.
For one, the Earl was a mysterious and important man. Even now, she couldn't believe that he turned out to be that person. More so towards his intentions in giving her the card.
As her brows continued to gather in the center, she heard a deep chuckle from the man.
"A penny for your thoughts?"
Ran Xueyi quickly recovered and honestly asked what she had been curious about, "Why me?"
The man didn't answer until they stood in the center of the dancefloor.
With his height at almost two meters tall, he basically had to lower his head down to look at her.
Then, he said…
"Because I'm a fan."
Ran Xueyi almost thought that he was mocking her since the high-society always thought differently towards people working in the entertainment industry. However, his steel grayish eyes looked at her as if the surrounding melted away and he could only see her in front of him.
He almost looked enchanted by her…
"Do you think I would believe that?" Ran Xueyi narrowed her eyes.
The man squinted his eyes at her while saying, "You don't believe me?"
"I would even believe it If you said you stole an invitation card from the King and sent it to me because you saw me somewhere and were mesmerized by my face. But you said you're my fan… not only me, but everyone who hears it would definitely not believe it," said Ran Xueyi.
The man took her hand and gently placed it on top of his right shoulder and held the other in his hand.
A smile played on his lips as he said, "Your imagination impressed me. You have made a good suggestion. Next time, I will steal some from the King and when they catch me, I will tell them your name as the mastermind behind my actions."
Ran Xueyi was glad he was holding her hand. Had he not done so, she would probably slap him by now.
Gritting her teeth, she retorted, "I am in awe of your superb interpretation."
"Not as amazed as I am right now," said the man before he abruptly slipped his hand behind her waist and pulled her in closer. With the mask, he whispered in her ear, "But believe me, I am truly a fan of yours. Dangerously so."
Frowning, Ran Xueyi wanted to step away from him. He held her so tightly that there was no distance between their bodies. It made her uncomfortable with the thought that this man was a stranger. She really wanted to pull away from him.
But why was her heart pounding so startlingly loud?
And strangely, she didn't feel as disgusted as she thought she was when he held her. His scent even made her feel nostalgic for a moment.
Without thinking, she asked him a question, "Who are you?"
...
Poisonlily has something to say: This chapter is timed along with the other succeeding chapters so you can still read new chapters daily while I'm away.
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