Chapter 129: Thinking of Leaving?

Who is this guy?

"Senior Brother Lu, you saw that man, didn't you?" Liang Feifan leaned in and whispered to Lu Mao. "He is the dance partner Shen Meng brought with her... and it is highly likely that he is her boyfriend."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Mao’s expression turned icy cold in an instant. His eyes, sharp as cold arrows, shot toward Ling Qiu.

*So that’s why Shen Meng refused me before...*

*She had a boyfriend, did she?*

*Heh.*

*Don't panic.*

*Not even a little bit.*

*Interesting.*

After a brief moment of coldness, a sinister smile crept across Lu Mao’s face. He sized Ling Qiu up from a distance. Based on his attire, it was obvious that he was no child of a wealthy family. On the contrary, he was likely just a piece-of-trash, penniless student. He had heard of too many such pathetic university romances, and every one of them ended in tragedy. Young women in their student days were too naive and inexperienced; they often thought that having love was enough.

But love meant nothing! In the face of cold, hard reality, so-called affection was as fragile as a bubble—no, it was utterly worthless!

"Senior Brother Lu, how should we deal with this brat? Just give the word, and I..." Liang Feifan volunteered.

Lu Mao waved his hand coldly, looking entirely composed. "No need to rush. A pauper like this isn't worth going out of our way to target. Let everyone do their own thing. When I feel like dancing later, I’ll just go and invite Shen Meng. It’s as simple as that."

Hm?

Liang Feifan and Liu Xing exchanged glances and suddenly realized the truth.

That’s right!

Was this pathetic, penniless kid even worth mentioning in front of Senior Brother Lu? No! Whoever Senior Brother Lu wanted to dance with, he would dance with. Whoever dared to stand in his way would die!

Seeing that most of the guests had arrived, Lu Mao stepped onto the stage and tapped the microphone. "Welcome, everyone. I organized this gathering for two reasons. First, I hope you all can exchange ideas and that the seniors can guide the juniors. Second, I hope you can find new connections—whether they be good friends, business partners, or... someone you hold dear."

As soon as he finished, the crowd broke into applause and cheers; Lu Mao was quite popular.

"This drink is for all of you. By the way, we have ten minutes left until the main event of the evening. Hurry and find your dance partners. We will crown the most beautiful Dance Queen of the night, and the lady who wins will receive this item in my hand."

As he spoke, Lu Mao took a small box from his pocket and produced a gemstone necklace. The crowd stared, mouths agape! The women, in particular, had their eyes glued to it.

"Ah?!"

"Is... is that..."

"Isn't that the 'Midnight Heart' gemstone necklace that was just auctioned off at a high price?"

"My god! That 'Midnight Heart' necklace... it’s worth 1.1 million!"

"Damn... incredible! As expected of Senior Brother Lu, young master Lu! So wealthy and generous!"

Lu Mao was very satisfied with the crowd's reaction, but his gaze fell upon Shen Meng, who sat in the corner looking a bit too modest and quiet. "That’s right. This gemstone necklace is called 'Midnight Heart,' worth 1.11 million. Only the most beautiful and fortunate lady tonight will be worthy of wearing it!"

He paused, flashing a smile he deemed incredibly dashing. "And I shall personally place this 'Midnight Heart' upon our Dance Queen!"

*Kyaaah!!!*

Below the stage, a chorus of infatuated, frantic screams erupted from the women! Their eyes twinkled like stars. These screams made the men standing next to them feel somewhat awkward, for they knew that Lu Mao’s stunt was destined to make every other man present look like mere window dressing. He was the one and only protagonist.

...

The "ball" began. Whether they knew how to dance or not, the crowd began swaying on the dance floor.

Ling Qiu and Shen Meng sat in the corner.

"Ling Qiu... I'm sorry, I don't know how to dance," Shen Meng said, her face flushing.

Ling Qiu smiled. "It's alright, I don't know how either. Let's just sit here and chat; it's quite nice."

"Mm!"

Shen Meng felt that as long as she was with Ling Qiu, even sitting in a daze for a day and a night would be wonderful.

At that moment, however, Shen Meng was completely unaware that a man with malicious intent was making his way through the crowd toward them. It was none other than Lu Mao, followed by Liang Feifan and Liu Xing, along with their respective dates.

"Shen Meng, thank you for gracing us with your presence." Lu Mao strode over, wearing a silver suit and a tie, his hair slicked back. He wore a slight, lopsided smile, meant to convey his charm.

Shen Meng nodded politely upon seeing him. "Thank you for the invitation, Senior Brother Lu."

Having been told about his intentions by Wang Qian earlier, Shen Meng did not wish to engage with him further.

Lu Mao smiled slightly. "In truth, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that tonight's ball was organized for you."

As he said this, many women nearby turned their heads, including several of Shen Meng’s classmates and roommates. They all looked at Shen Meng with envy. They didn't understand—Shen Meng looked so ordinary, so why did Senior Brother Lu have his eye on her and want her as his dance partner?

*Perhaps,* they thought, *Senior Brother Lu is just tired of fine dining and occasionally wants to try some cheap street food!*

"Shen Meng, why aren't you thanking Senior Brother Lu yet?" Wang Qian, also feeling envious, urged her.

Shen Meng remained unmoved, keeping her tone as polite as possible. "You flatter me, Senior Brother Lu, I..."

Before she could finish, Lu Mao stepped forward, looking at her with an expression he believed to be profound and sincere. "No, I am not exaggerating. Oh, I know, perhaps you feel that I am too far out of your reach, that the difference in our status is too great... but this difference in status is not the distance between us. From the moment I first saw you, I felt a connection. That is why I chose you to be my partner. Please, do not feel inferior."

With a confident smile, Lu Mao extended a hand with the poise of a gentleman. "Beautiful Ms. Shen Meng, would you do me the honor of a dance?"

*Wow!*

*My god!*

*So dashing!*

*His posture is so charming!*

*He has such gentlemanly manners... and his words are sweet as honey!*

Even if his looks were a bit... no, no, he was incredibly handsome, and he had the word "rich" written all over his face! How could he not be handsome?

Every woman present, including Wang Qian, was filled with uncontrollable envy, jealousy, and hatred toward Shen Meng. At this rate, the title of Dance Queen was surely hers, wasn't it? This ugly duckling from a poor family was about to fly up to the branches and become a phoenix!

Under the gaze of everyone in the room, Lu Mao’s smile grew even more confident.

But...

To everyone's surprise, Shen Meng suddenly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Senior Brother Lu, I cannot accept your invitation."

*What?!*

The entire room erupted in shock! Even Lu Mao, who had been feigning gentlemanly grace, stiffened, his brows twitching involuntarily.

"May I ask... why?"

To maintain his composure, Lu Mao forced a smile and asked.

"Because..."

Shen Meng wanted to say that Ling Qiu was her partner, but she hesitated. She remembered Wang Qian’s words and feared that if she spoke up, it would bring trouble to Ling Qiu.

However, at that very moment, Ling Qiu, who had been sitting to the side with his legs crossed, sipping juice, finally spoke.

He swept a glance at Lu Mao and said dismissively, "Because I am her dance partner for the night. Lu Mao, is it? Go play somewhere else. Don't disturb us."