Chapter 130 - Advances
Lu Yin Ze had just finished dancing with Young Miss of Tang and his friend, Song Xuantin.
Since he was done with this responsibility he went back to his table.
It took him a long time to go back to his table since guest after guest would meet him halfway and would greet him. Some people even start a small conversation with him. Since he wants them to have a good impression of him and to establish himself in the empire he mingled with them.
So with patience, he greeted them back and politely respond to their conversation. However, the more he stays in that certain circle, the more people would gather and the crowd would get bigger. It was still overwhelming for him so he excused himself when he saw that.
He finally reached his table and drank a couple of sips. He found it more comfortable when he has his own space.
He looked at the front were some couples were dancing. Song Xuantin and Gu Zhen were nowhere. He couldn't spot Xiong Zhi too. Young Miss Tang and First Young Master Guan Guri were chatting while dancing.
"Second Young Master..." A middle-aged man greeted him and strike a conversation. Lu Yin Ze recognized him as he got introduced by his grandfather. Behind the middle-aged man were some people from the empire. Lu Yin Ze greeted them too and start to have a conversation with them.
After a while, they began to gather some crowd again. Lu Yin Ze feeling a bit suffocated and dizzy by the people's question after question, excused himself and began to distance. He seriously needs to take a breather after some time.
He went behind the fountain where there was no people.
Lu Yin Ze takes a deep breath. He inhaled the relaxing fragrance of the garden. As his eyes were close to feel the breeze and to hear the rushing of the water a voice interrupted this serene moment,
"The luxury garden is really nice isn't it?" A sweet voice makes Lu Yin Ze opened his eyes.
Xiong Wuyue smiles sweetly.
"You're here, Young miss- " Lu Yin Ze forgot her name but he knows she was a cousin of Xiong Zhi. Since he doesn't know how to address her he called in the most formal way possible.
"--Xiong."
Xiong Wuyue did not notice it. She took a step nearer to him and copied what Lu Yin Ze did earlier.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Inhaling the scent of the garden and feeling the breeze. She opened her eyes with a smile on her pretty face.
Then she looked to Lu Yin Ze and prepared to give him a gaze that any man could fall.
However, when she turned to him, Lu Yin Ze was not looking at her. His eyes were ahead.
Seeing that Lu Yin Ze did not even look at her made Xiong Wuyue embarrassed.
She coughed to get his attention.
Lu Yin Ze looked at her.
"You are making me uncomfortable by calling me the Young Miss of Xiong. There is only a Young Miss of Xiong, that's my cousin, Xiong Zhi. You can call me by my name. Wuyue is fine."
Lu Yin Ze just stayed silent and did not comment. Regarding calling each other by their first name was a bit sensitive to every person. But this cousin of Xiong Zhi did not thinks so. Lu Yin Ze did not judge her and stay silent. He just politely smiles.
"The Luxury garden is so big. I bet you like to stroll more rather than meet the crowd?" Xiong Wuyue started a conversation and to give Lu Yin Ze a suggestion to stroll in the garden with her.
"I'm just taking a breather." Lu Yin Ze said the truth.
He planned to go back to the crowd anyway. He just needs to calm his mind from time to time.
"Oh." Again, Xiong Wuyue's suggestion was ignored.
'Or maybe, he is clueless?'
The more Xiong Wuyue looks at his beautiful innocent face the more she was convinced that Lu Yin Ze doesn't get her hints. So she tried more.
"Second young master, you are really good at dancing. My cousin and Young Miss Tang are really lucky to have one dance with you." Xiong Wuyue fluttered her eyelashes to act cuter. Any man would be daze seeing her flirt like this and would take the hint and initiative to dance with her.
However, Lu Yin Ze unintentionally or not ignored her hints and shook his head.
"I'm the one who is lucky to dance with them."
Xiong Wuyue pretty faces cracked. Since hinting doesn't work she tried a more open technique.
"I see. Actually, I'm wondering if the second young master could guide me on some steps? " Xiong Wuyue showed her bashful and hopeful face. She's like a cute shy girl trying to encourage herself to ask this.
Finally, Lu Yin Ze got the hint.
He looked at the bashful Xiong Wuyue.
Lu Yin Ze hasn't experienced much in this circle. So he had no idea how to properly reject someone's initiative.
Dancing might just be a simple action and part of the event with no meaning. But that depends on who you are dancing. He could dance with Xiong Zhi and the Young Miss of Tang since they are both in the heir's line. Dancing with them would not make people talk bad about them. However, if he dances with other girls lower than his status, people might start wondering why he did such actions.
He really doesn't care if the rumors were about him. He was a Lu, it would not really affect him that much. But the other party might be in trouble. He danced with Song Xuantin as his third dance partner. But people saw the clear reason was that Song Xuantin was a friend from school.
However, he doesn't have any connection to Xiong Wuyue. Xiong Wuyue might be from the legendary family Xiong. So he is. But Xiong Wuyue was only from the second branch. Especially right now, they are in the dim part and someone might misunderstand them.
Lu Yin Ze's reaction was clearly showing his hesitation.
Xiong Wuyue bit her lips. Then she put her fingers under her eye, wiping unshed tears.
"Oh. I'm deeply sorry. I put the second young master Lu in a difficult situation. I'm only a person from the second branch. Silly me for asking such a ridiculous request. I'm just too used to cousin's kind treatment to me. I forget the unsaid rule in status. Forgive me." Xiong Wuyue pitifully bowed. She slowly turned away and slowly took a step forward.
Lu Yin Ze was silent. He was torn. It seems like he hurt Xiong Zhi's cousin. As the girl said before him, Xiong Zhi and this cousin did not put boundaries on their relationship. It would be bad to treat his friend's dear cousin this way. So Lu Yin Ze finally called out to Xiong Wuyue.
"Hold on, Miss. "
Xiong Wuyue slowly turned around. There are tears in her eyes.
Lu Yin Ze felt bad. It seems like he made a girl cry. What's more? It was his friend's dear cousin.
"I'm not prejudiced about status. We just need to observe some of the unsaid rules to not cause you trouble. If you like I can guide you a step or two." Lu Yin Ze said with a light smile. He was gentle and kind.
Xiong Wuyue's pitiful face lit up instantly. Afraid that Lu Yin Ze would take it back she said immediately said,
"You promised!"
Lu Yin Ze politely bowed and offer her a hand.
Xiong Wuyue with shy face accepted it.
The two then start to slow dance. They have a polite distance like every other couple who were dancing.
Lu Yin Ze was focused on really guiding Xiong Wuyue through the steps. As he was dancing, his silver eyes have deep thoughts. Now that he thinks about it. This girl's move was graceful and flexible. Like an experienced dancer. Sometimes, it was the girl who leads him to some steps. Lu Yin Ze couldn't help but wonder, was she sincerely asking him to guide her some steps? Or was it another scheme? Lu Yin Ze hopes it was the former one. What he hated the most was scheming. He had schemed for his entire life. He was not kind to those who scheme. Lu Yin Ze doesn't want to think that this dear cousin of his friend would have that kind of heart.
Xiong Wuyue was showing how flexible her move was.
'See? I'm a better dancer than that s.l.u.tty Xiong Zhi.'
Xiong Wuyue greedily stared at the handsome face close to her. The more she looked the more she thought how handsome he is and how worthy he was to be her man.
Xiong Wuyue then moves her hands to his neck. Like what Xiong Zhi did earlier. A more intimate action. But Lu Yin Ze caught her hands. He let her go instantly and he took a step back to distance himself to her.
"I think we are done. You have flexible moves and you have a talent for dancing. There's really no need for me to teach you.". Lu Yin Ze politely said.
Xiong Wuyue was dumbfounded. She was never rejected when she tried to seduce a man. It was her first time to be rejected outright!
"If there 's nothing more, I have to go." Lu Yin Ze politely bowed. He left Xiong Wuyue who staring dumbly at his back and went deeper to the garden. He needed fresh air. And this time he wants to be alone.
In the distance, a man was watching the two 's interactions. The man's dark eyes bore to Lu Yin Ze's back.
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