Rong Xuanyu genuinely treasured this kind of stubborn child—all sharp words on the surface but soft-hearted underneath.
She raised her hand to her lips and let out a few tactical coughs, so as not to embarrass him and make things hard to smooth over.
Jiang Buli turned aside and secretly pressed a hand to his restless heart, feeling as though his palm against his chest was scorching hot.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. An unfamiliar emotion drifted sluggishly through the confined space, strangely viscous, stirring up restless confusion.
Suddenly, a discordant voice cut in abruptly, shattering the delicate atmosphere in an instant.
"Jiang Buli!"
Xu Weiyan stormed out from the center of the dance floor, her steps swift and furious, paying no heed whatsoever to the flustered male Omega trailing helplessly behind her.
Her expression was haughty and contemptuous. The moment she laid eyes on Rong Xuanyu, she sized her up with blatant rudeness, her temper flaring like a mad dog whose bone had been snatched away:
"Your taste is getting worse and worse. What kind of trash do you keep around yourself these days?" As she spoke, she shot Rong Xuanyu a meaningful sidelong glance.
"…" Rong Xuanyu.
Girl, I get it—you're the white moonlight and you're all that. But does the condescending lecture really need to be this thick?
Then Xu Weiyan continued: "Seeing how you've sunk this low, I suppose I wouldn't mind dancing with you. At least it saves you from being so shallow that you drag any stray cat or dog back to your den."
Rong Xuanyu sighed inwardly, resigned to the fact that there would be no dancing tonight. After all, she was just a prop in this drama.
The female Alpha's pupils drifted unfocused, her mind wandering off to who-knows-where at any given moment. Out of nowhere, she locked eyes with the pretty Omega standing behind Xu Weiyan. She blinked, then instinctively pressed her lips together in a small smile.
The Omega, who had been secretly stealing glances at her all along, immediately flushed crimson. The pristine hem of his clothes was twisted into wrinkled mess by his nervous fingers. When his timid gaze came back around, his eyes were shimmering with moisture—so beautiful it was hard to look away.
Rong Xuanyu, catching the boy's sudden furtive energy: "…"
Huh? What kind of reaction is that?
Rong Xuanyu paused, unsure what expression she should be making.
But then the Omega actually stepped forward, shoving past the blabbering Xu Weiyan, and addressed Jiang Buli with a blush spreading across his face:
"Young Master Jiang, I am Yuan Chunlai, representative of the Alota Star System. I heard you really like Xu Weiyan, so I won't fight you for her…"
"Could you give this female Alpha to me instead?"
Wait wait wait! Rong Xuanyu was caught between laughter and tears at this sudden turn of events, half-wondering if her ears were playing tricks on her.
Sensing the cold stare from beside her, she felt somewhat helpless and didn't think she had that much charm.
She'd spent years in the no-CP department, and no one had ever shown interest in her before.
Did kids these days need to use props just to fight over someone's affections? Rong Xuanyu firmly believed there was no way the Omega could actually like her.
Before Jiang Buli could answer, the self-important Xu Weiyan exploded first, her face twisted with rage, showing none of her usual elegance.
"Yuan Chunlai! Don't forget—you're the one who shamelessly came crawling to me first!"
"Shamelessly crawling? Then why didn't you reject me when you knew? If it weren't for your family's connections, who would bother playing house with you every day?"
"Damn you! You damned Omega!"
…
Amidst the bickering, the kidney-deficient, blood-depleted Xu Weiyan suddenly collapsed like a pile of mud and fainted.
Yuan Chunlai, as the Alota representative, was clearly no brainless fool either. There were too many children of nobles in this private booth—if he wanted to open up trade routes in Shangjing, he couldn't afford to leave a bad impression.
Remembering his mission, he scrambled to defend himself and naturally had no time to spare for Rong Xuanyu, his momentary crush.
One thing at a time—even if he was smitten, he still needed to play the long game, right?
The crowd of onlookers pressed in layer upon layer, clogging the open space at the center of the dance floor until it was packed tight.
Rong Xuanyu broke into a cold sweat. Suddenly sensing a pulling force at her palm, she instinctively looked down.
Jiang Buli was looking at her too. The spinning disco ball cast garish, mottled light in every direction, yet it couldn't dim the clarity in his eyes or the jade-like refinement of his features.
A flicker of surprise passed through the female Alpha's gaze.
So… we've been holding hands this whole time?
Rong Xuanyu instinctively wrapped her fingers around the boy's wrist, chilled by the night breeze, and couldn't resist a teasing jab: "Well, looks like this dance is off the table—"
The female Alpha wore a black jacket, one hand in her pocket, looking every bit the rogue and scoundrel, completely unaware that she was the cause of this whole commotion.
Call her dense—yet her movements were as practiced and considerate as any seasoned flirt, often leaving people flustered and red-faced.
Call her emotionally intelligent—yet she loved watching drama unfold, stirring up trouble left and right, making people gnash their teeth in frustration.
In the end, it was always one person's private chaos.
This feeling—of being clear-headed yet unable to stop oneself from sinking in—was not pleasant.
As if remembering something, the boy's obedient, beautiful expression shifted in an instant. He took a long stride, pulled his hand free, and turned to leave.
"Hey hey hey?" Rong Xuanyu was caught completely off guard. She instinctively grabbed his forearm and blinked with wide, innocent eyes.
"Why aren't you happy?" Her eyes were clear as a bottomless pool, devoid of any personal desire, carrying only simple confusion—and naturally, no joy either.
Jiang Buli gritted his teeth, his displeasure growing.
What was this situation supposed to mean? He wasn't so starved for affection that he'd keep throwing himself at someone just to be humiliated.
"Let go."
His voice was low and heavy, like a small beast exhausted and lost to the point of collapse, wanting nothing more than to pull away and lick its wounds alone, futilely bristling with spikes in the face of the unknown.
The Female Alpha didn't react, but she did loosen her grip. Jiang Buli twisted his wrist free with a single turn.
The warmth on his arm faded away thread by thread. The young man paused, hastily shut his eyes, and turned to leave.
That's it, he thought.
Head down, he walked out of the corridor, where the sound of pattering rain drifted in from outside.
The fresh air that hit his face was clean, cold, and stern, laced with the chill of late autumn—a world apart from the faint strains of music behind him.
Standing under the eaves, Jiang Buli gulped down a lungful of wind sharp as a blade, and only then did his emotions settle.
Sensing the regret he could barely suppress in his chest, he reminded himself again: "Isn't it the best choice to just stay the same as before?"
Of course, the evening breeze gave him no answer, and neither did this late-autumn night rain.
Jiang Buli stared fixedly at the murky sky for a few seconds, then plunged headfirst into the pouring rain.
The moment he charged in, he regretted it. It was freezing—like a basin of cold water dumped from head to toe, and the last trace of warmth on his elbow was gone.
Damn it!
Jiang Buli genuinely thought he was an idiot. Wasn't this just asking for trouble?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but blame that oblivious Female Alpha. It was all her fault—if not for her, why would he do something this stupid, like his brain had burned out?
That's what he told himself, but he still ran toward the parking garage without looking back, refusing to turn around until he hit a wall.
He even idly thought he should have brought the driver along, completely ignoring the sound of rapid footsteps closing in behind him.
Suddenly, an iron-clamp grip seized his waist, his knees were hooked and lifted, his feet left the ground—startled, Jiang Buli threw his arms around the newcomer's neck.
Looking up, the Female Alpha's clear, slender phoenix eyes met his gaze. Her nose was high and straight, her brow-tips slanting sharply into her temples, her presence imposing when she wasn't smiling.
Jiang Buli clutched her collar, his heart skipping a beat, flushing red as he struggled to get down.
"Hey, who said you could princess—…carry me like this? P-Put me down."
There it was again—that look of blustering bravado masking his timidity.
But this time, the Female Alpha didn't immediately coax him. Instead, she frowned at him disapprovingly, a warning in her eyes.
Jiang Buli froze for a moment, then, surprisingly, settled down. He buried his face into the crook of Rong Xuanyu's neck, only the one bright-red ear tip betraying his inner turmoil.
The cheerful music grew clearer as Rong Xuanyu carried him into the lobby and gently set him down.
Neither of them spoke. Jiang Buli hung his head in silence, clearly flustered, with a faint trace of restless agitation he could barely hide.
His mind raced in a panic: Who is she? What right does she have to control me? Why should I be afraid of her? What status am I, and what status is she? I'm a top-tier Alpha—how can I let someone princess-carry me? I—
!
His chaotic thoughts came to an abrupt halt as warmth settled on the top of his head.
The Female Alpha leaned in, gently cradling his face in her hands. From just a few inches away, her tone was serious and earnest, carrying a note of gentle admonishment, like a stuffy old cadre.
"It's freezing outside. Getting soaked in the rain will make you sick, you know?"
Her warm breath clearly misted across his face, burning a thin layer of red onto his skin.
With his face held in place, Jiang Buli could only dart his pupils around to briefly relieve the suffocating, suffocating intimacy closing in on him.
"I—…of course I know. What are you—what are you doing?" he stammered, unable to form a proper sentence.
Seeing him answer obediently, the Female Alpha's expression softened. She ruffled his fluffy hair and coaxed him gently:
"I thought and thought, but I couldn't figure out why you'd be angry."
Hearing this, Jiang Buli felt a pang of guilt and embarrassment. When it came down to it, he'd just been throwing a petty tantrum and taking it out on her—he couldn't blame her for it.
Just as he was about to explain, the Female Alpha crouched down to meet his eyes, her eyes curving into a smile.
"Just now, I finally figured it out."
"You're upset because you didn't get to dance that dance, right?"
Huh? Jiang Buli stared back, stunned, his eyes wide.
It was that look again—like she was watching her own child throw a little fit, flowing with boundless calm and tolerance, every word and gesture speaking of her indulgence.
"Then—"
"Milord, may I invite you to dance with me?"
It was still an elegant bow with a hand to the shoulder. The glittering ballroom, the eaves trembling under the autumn rain—different scenes, different feelings, yet his heart leaped and pounded for her all the same, leaving Jiang Buli dizzy and breathless, his chest aching.
The ethereal music drifted out from inside. Jiang Buli awkwardly clasped her hand, and with the other, placed it on her shoulder on his own initiative.
Glide step, turn, back-and-forth brush step… The two of them hit every beat perfectly, moving in flawless sync.
Several times during the dance, Rong Xuanyu cast surprised glances his way.
She remembered that her hand on his waist hadn't been gripping that firmly.
So why were they pressed together so seamlessly, with not a sliver of space between them as they stepped and spun?
Jiang Buli's heart fluttered under her gaze, and in his panic, he fumbled his steps, stomping directly onto the Female Alpha's sneaker.
He scrambled to correct himself, but the more flustered he grew, the more mistakes he made—he was practically shuffling across the tops of her shoes.
Before long, Rong Xuanyu burst out laughing. At that moment, both his feet were planted on her sneakers, and the Female Alpha had a firm grip on his waist, refusing to let him go, determined to tease him until she'd had her fill.
Jiang Buli: "Sorry—let me down, quick."
It wasn't that Jiang Buli couldn't handle being laughed at; it was that this position was far too stimulating. Rong Xuanyu was naturally a bit taller than him, and suddenly being elevated closed that height gap entirely. They were too close—he was almost afraid she'd hear his pounding heartbeat.
What made it worse was that her two hands were firmly supporting his waist and abdomen, the heat searing through his thin hoodie like a brand.
No.
If this went on any longer, he'd give himself away!
Jiang Buli abruptly tore himself from her embrace, dashed to the ornate serving table, and without a moment's hesitation, downed an entire bottle of baijiu.
People always said that in a relationship, whoever falls serious first loses—he absolutely could not show his weakness first.
The strong liquor burned down his throat, searing Jiang Buli's organs and nerves, leaving him startlingly clear-headed in that instant.
A murky, unreadable look clouded the young man's eyes. He cast a sidelong glance, then let himself fall backward.