Chapter 1153 - 832: Dancing Together

Chapter 1153: Chapter 832: Dancing Together

The Star Lord’s elegant thin lips held a faint smile as he spoke unhurriedly, "The grand prize is a blank card. You can write your wish on it, and I will help you realize it."

The audience erupted in an uproar.

Everyone chattered excitedly, probing the people around them, wanting to know who had drawn the grand prize, yet no one stepped forward.

The Star Lord’s gaze passed through the crowd, sweeping toward a certain direction. His voice was low and rich, "Congratulations to the winner. Please come up on stage."

The instant his words fell, the spotlight on the stage swung toward the back rows.

Everyone turned their heads in shock. In an inconspicuous corner, a woman in a black dress seemed equally bewildered as she stared at the blank card in her hand, as if she hadn’t expected this to fall on her.

Zhang Fei and those few nitpicking suitors were dumbfounded.

How could this lowly Beast Clan member, who crawled out from who knows what godforsaken corner, be this lucky and actually get drawn by her?!!

Zhang Fei was even more consumed with jealousy. Why wasn’t she the one who drew the grand prize? Her gaze practically wished she could tear Shen Tang to pieces!

Countless eyes filled with envy and resentment fell on Shen Tang, instantly making her feel an enormous pressure.

She could only brace herself and walk onto the stage.

The Star Lord bent down like a gentleman, taking her right hand and dropping a kiss on it. "What a fortunate lady. May I have the honor of inviting you to dance with me?"

What?

The contestants below the stage were even more stunned.

The Star Lord actually invited a strange female to dance?!

Had they heard that wrong!

There were quite a few contestants below who had already cleared special-grade missions before; this wasn’t their first time attending the celebration ball, yet such a thing had never happened.

Zhang Fei and the others’ faces went from green to black, unsightly to the extreme. What right did this female have? How could she not only draw the grand prize, but also receive such treatment!

Even Shen Tang was at a loss, having no idea what he was up to.

The man seemed to see her confusion and gently explained, "There is another attached invitation to this impromptu grand prize. If the one who draws it is a female, she will become my leading lady for tonight and dance a song with me."

"May this beautiful lady be willing to grant me the honor?"

Countless scorching gazes fixed on them. For someone as noble as the Star Lord to personally invite a female—what an honor! So many females wanted this and couldn’t get it!

Under such an overly fervent atmosphere, Shen Tang was pushed onto the rack like a duck driven to the shelves. She could only slightly bend in a curtsey and smile. "It’s my honor."

Graceful music slowly flowed out. As the rhythm of the ball grew more stirring, pairs of men and women spun elegantly across the dance floor, accompanied by soft laughter, the atmosphere beautiful as a fairy tale.

The tall, straight man held Shen Tang’s slender waist, taking her hand and leading her to spin with the music, her skirt hem lifting in a soft arc.

The man’s voice fell by her ear, laced with a certain meaningful amusement. "My leading lady, I’ve finally waited for you."

The two were so close that his low voice and searing breath swept past, making her ear go tingly and numb.

Shen Tang’s heart gave a slight tremor. She had gotten that invitation a long time ago, but at the time she had no idea what it was for and had just tossed it into her Space to gather dust.

So, he had been waiting for her all this time?

"You are a very special existence, different from everyone else."

Shen Tang looked up at him.

The silver-white exquisite mask covered half of the man’s face; she could only see his sharp, clean jawline and the elegant curve of his thin lips. Those amber eyes, washed in the light of the ball, were like fine wine steeped in alcohol, intoxicating and hazy.

She opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something.

The man extended a long finger to rest against her lips, letting out a soft shushing sound. "Whatever you want to say, let’s wait until the ball is over. You and I have plenty of time."

The spotlight fell on the two of them, and many people’s gazes, overt and covert, were all fixed in this direction.

Shen Tang pressed her lips together and swallowed back her words, knowing that it seemed she had to finish this dance.

She cast away her distracting thoughts and devoted herself to the ball.

The man gently guided her. "Come, follow my steps. We will be the most in-sync partners at this ball."

The beautiful skirt swirled and fluttered, drawing a watery arc in the air.

Shen Tang had once received the special skill Fantasy Dance Steps as a System reward; handling a ball was a piece of cake. She didn’t need the man’s deliberate guidance and slipped perfectly into the dance.

The looks in the surrounding people’s eyes shifted from initial doubt to deep amazement.

It was simply too beautiful!

The woman already had a stunning figure and bearing; her graceful dance made them all intoxicated, even forgetting their own steps. Only when they slowed half a beat and got stepped on by their partners did the sting snap them back to their senses.

Appreciation surfaced in the Star Lord’s eyes as well.

Soon, the guests around them all stopped one after another, staring dazedly in this direction.

The two moved with such tacit understanding—handsome man, beautiful woman—that everyone subconsciously felt they were very well-matched.

Zhang Fei was grinding her silver teeth hard enough to crack. What right did that female have to be this lucky, able to dance with the Star Lord and be so close to him? She was eaten up with jealousy and wished the Star Lord’s dance partner were her instead!

The male partner beside her was staring at Shen Tang, completely transfixed.

She was so furious her lungs hurt. She stomped down hard on his foot, then shoved him away and turned on her heel to leave.

Of course, Shen Tang knew nothing of this little episode, nor did she care.

After the ball ended, there were a few more activities, then the Star Lord seemed to have something to attend to and left first, and many contestants also began to file out.

A man in a black steward’s uniform walked over and said respectfully, "Honored lady, the Star Lord has invited you to see him alone."

Shen Tang followed him out and came to a place resembling a rear garden.

Many strange flowers and plants with thick, vivid colors were planted here.

If one listened carefully, even the air seemed to carry a unique fragrance, as if the scents of those flowers had blended together, lifting one’s spirits and making the body feel relaxed and comfortable. It smelled wonderful.

The Star Lord was seated on a chair beneath the pavilion, the table before him filled with delicate tea sets and appetizing refreshments.

Seeing Shen Tang approach, he made an inviting gesture. "Try the tea I brew. These flower teas are all cultivated by my own hand; others can’t taste them even if they want to."

Shen Tang sat opposite him, and without hesitation, picked up a teacup and took a sip. After savoring it, she praised, "Fragrant and refreshing, a fine cup of tea."

He chuckled. "You’re not worried I might have slipped something into the tea?"

"If the Star Lord wanted to harm me, there would be no need for such a fuss, nor for inviting me here."

The Star Lord’s expression showed satisfaction. "Not bad. I’ve always wanted to meet you, and also—"

He extended a long finger and tapped lightly in the air. Countless data-like fragments floated off Shen Tang’s body, condensing into a transparent little sphere.

"—your System."

The dog System had long since curled up in the deepest part of Shen Tang’s sea of consciousness. Hearing the Main System mention it and directly yank it out, it was so terrified it practically bristled.

If it weren’t a System, it would have already screamed, played dead, and fainted.

Shen Tang’s expression turned wary as she shielded the System behind her. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

The Star Lord smiled. "Don’t be afraid. I won’t touch it... I just really wanted to see it. After all, Systems that develop their own consciousness might not appear even once in tens of thousands."

"This is the first time I’ve seen one as well."

Shen Tang didn’t believe him. She hadn’t forgotten what those people who once hunted her had said. Those people were from the Divine Hall, but they were also acting under orders from the Main System, tasked with reclaiming her System and even declaring they would annihilate her and this traitorous System.

"You were the one who ordered them to dispose of me and my System, weren’t you? In your eyes, it’s just a failed product that broke out of your control."

The Star Lord did not deny it. "It was indeed an order I issued."

He explained, "But please don’t misunderstand—I bear no hostility toward you."

"I am a merchant. I only care about profit and do not favor any side. The grudges between buyers and sellers mean nothing to me; I only care about the transaction."

With a wave of his hand, the System once again turned into a streak of light and sank back into her body.

"When I first discovered that a System had developed self-awareness and could actually break free of my control, I was indeed surprised and wanted to reclaim it for research. But now—"

The Star Lord’s voice paused as he stared at Shen Tang, speaking with layered meaning,

"I’ve discovered something even more interesting."