Chapter 127

Everyone looked at Xuanyuan Mo with envious eyes. No wonder a man as cold as an iceberg was melted. Being deeply loved by such a girl must be a happy thing!

Xuanyuan Mo had become dumbfounded, and at this moment his mind was completely occupied by Duanmu Xi’s confession that her Snow deserved the best treatment in the world.

No one had ever said this to him. His world had always been full of sarcasm, such as saying he was a half-demon, demon or wolf demon. No one had done this for him. There were just endless chases and assassinations. And initially, Xuanyuan Mo thought he did not care, he didn’t realize until today that he also longed for a world with warmth and tenderness. And Duanmu Xi was the only one who gave him this feeling. And she was also like the only ray of sunshine that melted his cold life.

Xuanyuan Lie was also shocked by Duanmu Xi’s words. He didn’t expect that Duanmu Xi would agree to compete in dance for his son. After all, she would be an empress in the future. A future empress was willing to dance in front of everyone! If he were her, he could not do that. Was his love not deep enough? Or did Duanmu Xi love his son too much?

A touch of pain flashed in Xuanyuan Hao’s black eyes. Did Duanmu Xi already love Xuanyuan Mo so deeply that she would like to disregard her identity?

Even Xiahou Shan, who proposed the dance, also showed a surprised expression, staring at Duanmu Xi with an incredulous look. Duanmu Xi agreed! Xiahou Shan had thought Duanmu Xi would definitely refuse. After all, no crown princess would be willing to dance in public like a dancer. Unexpectedly, Duanmu Xi agreed to her challenge for the sake of Xuanyuan Mo!

Duanmu Xi didn’t pay attention to everyone’s astonished gazes. Instead, she just stood up and looked at Xuanyuan Lie on the high platform, saying with a slight bow, “Forgive me, Your Majesty. May I use the Huwei Hall as a place for the dance competition?”

“Crown Princess, please feel free to do so.” Xuanyuan Lie looked at Duanmu Xi with softer eyes, perhaps because she said she loved Snow, or because she said her Snow deserved the best treatment in the world.

Duanmu Xi bowed slightly again when she heard Xuanyuan Lie’s words, “Thank you, Your Majesty. We shouldn’t get you involved in this matter. However, since we are about to dance in the Huwei Hall. May I ask you to be a witness for us?”

Xuanyuan Lie frowned in embarrassment, “I am fine with that, but I wonder whether Princess of Xuanwu would mind.”

After hearing this, everyone looked at Xiahou Shan simultaneously. Xiahou Shan raised her head and looked at Xuanyuan Lie, answering arrogantly, “I have no objection.”

The way Xiahou Shan replied totally spoiled Xuanyuan Lie’s impression of her, and he began thinking about rejecting Zhuge Weiming’s marriage proposal. Their Baihu Empire was not interested in such an uncultivated woman, even if she was from a noble family.

Duanmu Xi glanced at Xiahou Shan, “Good. Let’s start then. Who will dance first? ”

The instance Xiahou Shan heard Duanmu Xi’s words, she anxiously replied, “I will start first.”

Looking at how anxious Xiahou Shan was going to show off herself, Duanmu Xi smiled slightly and said, “It’s up to you.”

30 minutes later, Xiahou Shan had already taken off her golden finery and countless pieces of jewelry. Finally, she changed into a light pink dancing dress and appeared in front of the crowd again.

Just as the music started, Xiahou Shan danced to the music. Her pink dancing dress fluttered in the wind. Xiahou Shan flung her long sleeves from side to side and rotated her delicate body. During her light and dexterous dance, she covered and exposed her face with her wide sleeves, making herself more charming and moving. The crowd was fascinated by her dance for a while.

Xiahou Shan kept making eyes at Xuanyuan Mo with her charming phoenix eyes. However, Xuanyuan Mo didn’t even glance at her at all. He had been focusing on Duanmu Xi intently, carefully peeling the shrimp shells and removing the fish bones for her. His gentle and considerate look made Xuanyuan Lie, who was sitting high up on the throne, a little bit jealous.

Xiahou Shan looked at the affectionate Xuanyuan Mo and Duanmu Xi. The more she looked at them, the angrier she became. As a result, the pace of her feet was increasingly not on the beat. So, she took a deep breath and turned around slowly, no longer looking at them and focused more on her dancing. Xiahou Shan was afraid that she would have directly rushed up to separate them if she took another look.

After the dance, countless applause and admiration sounded from the people sitting below.

“She deserves to be the princess of the Xuanwu Empire, and she is really different from those ordinary dancers. And she dances really well.”

“Unexpectedly, although the character of Princess of Xuanwu is not very good, her dance is okay!”

Zhuge Weiming, who was sitting on the stage nodded secretly after watching Xiahou Shan’s dance. Finally, Xiahou Shan had merit. It seemed that Noble Consort Lian attached great importance to her daughter’s talent. However, if Noble Consort Lian could also pay attention to the etiquette of Xiahou Shan, it would be better.

Hearing the applause and approval of the crowd, a confident smile appeared on the face of Xiahou Shan. Of all her talents, she was best at dancing. And this dance today was also the most frequently practiced one. How couldn’t it be excellent? Xiahou Shan thought she would definitely win this competition. Looking provocatively at Duanmu Xi, she said, “It’s your turn.”

Duanmu Xi didn’t even look at Xiahou Shan. Instead, she stood up and bowed slightly to Xuanyuan Lie before walking to the center of the hall.

Everyone was a little surprised. Would Crown Princess of Zhuque dance in this white dress rather than changing into dancing clothes?

After Duanmu Xi took the stage, Xuanyuan Mo took out a guqin (an ancient musical instrument) from the storage ring and gently plucked at the strings twice. And it immediately made a buzzing sound as if it was enjoying his touch.

Xuanyuan Lie almost got up from his chair when he saw the guqin. Lyuqi! It’s Lyuqi! It’s Yan’s Lyuqi!

Guo Hui’er and Zhou Manyun had a flash of gloom in their eyes at the same time. Unexpectedly, after 16 years, this guqin would appear in the Huwei Hall again.

Most of the ministers of the Baihu Empire knew Lyuqi, which had been given to Noble Consort Xue by their emperor. Unfortunately, since Noble Consort Xue committed suicide by imperial order, the famous Lyuqi disappeared. No one expected that it had always been kept by Prince Zhan. Why would Prince Zhan take out Lyuqi at this moment? Did he want to accompany Crown Princess of Zhuque on the guqin?

Seemingly to confirm everyone’s thoughts, Xuanyuan Mo looked at Duanmu Xi in the center of the hall and slightly nodded. And then his slender and graceful fingers flicked the strings in a free-flowing way, and a string of melodious guqin sounds flowed out with his fingertips. It actually turned out to be a piece of familiar music called “Courtship”.

The sound of the guqin was melodious and lingering as if he were confessing his infinite love.

With a pure face and in white clothes, as well as having jet-black hair, the beautiful girl in white was dancing in the center of the hall like an orchid in the empty valley. Her hands, which were as smooth as jade, tactfully lingered. Her skirt fluttered, just like streams of light flying.

From time to time, the girl raised her wrists and lowered her eyebrows, and sometimes lightly extended her hands. She danced with light steps just like swallows stooping down in a nest, and flew high like a night terror of a magpie bird. Duanmu Xi was like a flower seen through the fog, hazy and ethereal, flashing with beautiful colors, but so unreachable.

Duanmu Xi’s elegant and charming dancing postures, her unintentionally enchanting movements as well as her graceful figure were so fascinating that the audience almost forgot to breathe.

The sound of the guqin was still lingering, and everyone did not know whether they were intoxicated by the lingering sound of the guqin, or was captured by the stunning dance.

Xuanyuan Lie was completely immersed in the memories of the past at this moment. The woman he loved also had played guqin and danced for him in the same way. How happy they were at that time!

Xuanyuan Hao had been completely immersed in Duanmu Xi’s stunning dance at this time. Duanmu Xi seemed to be an inexhaustible treasure and would give him infinite surprises at any time. How could he let go of such a mysterious girl?

Zhuge Weiming also had shock and obsession in his eyes. He squinted slightly. For such a star-like dazzling girl, even if he couldn’t get her, he definitely wouldn’t allow the Baihu Empire to get her.

Lian Zhengyu’s dark green eyes were also staring at Duanmu Xi in the center of the hall. How beautiful she was! Even the most beautiful words in the world were not able to describe her beauty!

Lian Zhengyu finally understood why he would have the exciting, complex, and sour emotions flowing out of his heart whenever he saw her. That was love. Lian Zhengyu liked Duanmu Xi! He loved her!

When did Lian Zhengyu start to have feelings for her? Since she said she only knew Lian Zhengyu at the inn in the small town? Since she floated down from mid-air at the Qinglong Empire? The moment she fell off the cliff? The moment she killed a porcupine at the Spiritual Beast Forest? Or perhaps earlier?

Xiahou Shan’s bright and beautiful face was completely distorted by jealousy at this time. She stared at Duanmu Xi in the center of the hall, with her dark eyes full of jealousy and resentment.

The dance stopped with the end of the music. Duanmu Xi graciously bowed to Xuanyuan Lie on the high platform, and then returned to Xuanyuan Mo’s side in a graceful manner.

With a wave of Xuanyuan Mo’s sleeve, Lyuqi disappeared. Xuanyuan Mo took out a snow-white brocade handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the sweat off Duanmu Xi’s forehead.

Duanmu Xi was indeed tired, leaning on Xuanyuan Mo lazily, giving him all the weight of her body. It was been so long that she couldn’t remember when she danced last time.

“Your Majesty, please make your judgment. Who dances better, me and Duanmu Xi?”

Xiahou Shan’s voice was full of pride. After she finished the dance just now, everyone sitting below had applauded and praised her. In contrast, no one applauded when Duanmu Xi finished her dance. Obviously, Xiahou Shan thought a judgment wouldn’t be necessary and that she must be the winner.

Everyone was still immersed in the dance and the sound of the guqin though the performance had been over. They didn’t come to their senses until Xiahou Shan talked shrilly.

Suddenly, thunderous applause broke out in the hall, accompanied by endless words of astonishment and praises!

“Crown Princess of Zhuque danced so well that I feel as if I were in heaven rather than in the mortal world.”

“Crown Princess of Zhuque danced really well. And there is a world of difference between her and Princess of Xuanwu. Princess of Xuanwu can’t compare with her at all!”

“Prince Zhan’s played ‘Courtship’ very well. Prince Zhan and Crown Princess of Zhuque are simply a match made in heaven.”

When Xiahou Shan heard these words, her face darkened with anger at once. Damn it! How dared they say Duanmu Xi danced better? They were simply people with no taste.

Xuanyuan Lie also recovered from his memories. Hearing the thunderous applause, even if he didn’t watch the dance of Duanmu Xi, he knew that she must have danced better.