Chapter 46: Wanting the Dream / Dancing In the Palace
Shen Zhuo did not go out of his way to find a second gift.
Instead, he followed An step by step to understand the entire manor.
Just as Shen Zhuo had expected, all the arrangements in the manor were to his liking.
From the room decorations, the overall style, to the color matching of the curtains and the design of the candle holders.
Has Du Xun understood him so well all these years?
What was equally puzzling to him was that the manor had a name.
It was called Baimeng (Hundred Dreams).
It did not sound like the names of other manors, with their serenity or majesty.
An smiled at Shen Zhuo, “Perhaps the master had a hundred dreams before longing for your arrival here.”
Shen Zhuo paused slightly, his fingertips gently caressing the railing of the spiral staircase.
Under the light, the jade railing emitted a cool glow.
His heart was burning hot.
“Would the mistress like to visit the flower house?”
An saw the young master take a deep breath and close his eyes. When he opened them again, a smile blossomed on his face.
For a moment, the heavens and earth seemed to tilt.
Even An was slightly dazed.
People always maintain the most instinctive appreciation for beautiful things.
The young master smiled and said, “Okay.”
The greenhouse flower house maintained a constant temperature year-round. With special techniques, the flowers could bloom perpetually.
Inside, the various fresh flowers were colorful and dazzling.
An led Shen Zhuo to a glass house within the greenhouse.
“The mistress can go in and have a look.”
The glass door opened, and Shen Zhuo immediately caught the scent of his own pheromones.
The young master raised his head, and his gaze was met by an entire wall of Night Blooming Cereus.
The delicate, drooping petals cascaded down like a snowy white peacock waterfall.
A cold, lingering fragrance wafted over.
It was his Night Blooming Cereus – the lotus.
“It’s just a pity that the lotus’s blooming time is too short,” An said from outside the door, “The master has researched for a long time, and can only make it bloom for three days.”
Everyone knew that the Night blooming Cereus bloomed at night, and its flowering period was only a moment.
Being able to make it bloom for three days was already an unexpected surprise.
Suddenly, Shen Zhuo noticed a small plant hidden among the lotus flowers.
He approached and chuckled softly.
It was a pot of rosemary, only as big as a palm.
Concealed at the bottom of the lotus stand, it was quite inconspicuous.
Shen Zhuo picked up the rosemary and placed it next to the most beautiful lotus bloom.
“This is more fitting,” the young master murmured.
The three-day lotus was the second gift.
Shen Zhuo planned to wait for Du Xun to return, then look for the third gift together.
“Will he attend the Palace Dance Celebration in three days?”
Shen Zhuo had been in the flower house for a long time, and An had been accompanying him at the door for a long time.
An lowered his head, “If the master can make it back in time.”
“The master has also prepared a dress for you. You can go and select it when you have time.”
Shen Zhuo nodded, “Then let’s go take a look now.”
The dress was kept in the wardrobe next to the master bedroom on the fifth floor.
The young master Shen also had a large wardrobe at the General’s Mansion, all the clothes and accessories bought by Jiang Yuening.
The wardrobe here seemed even bigger than the one at the General’s Mansion.
From nightgowns to suits and formal dresses, each one was custom-made for Shen Zhuo.
Under An’s guidance, Shen Zhuo came to a small wardrobe.
Though called small, it was as big as a wall.
“These are the specially customized formal dresses for important occasions.”
An opened the door, and Shen Zhuo saw three mannequins wearing different styles of formal dresses.
A black and red suit, a white and gold gown, and a blue and white tailcoat.
The fabric and craftsmanship of these dresses were more exquisite than the others.
“I’ll take this one,” Shen Zhuo pointed to the white and gold set.
This dress was more in line with the theme of the ball.
The design was not overly complicated, cold and elegant.
There were no accessories, yet it was as beautiful as a work of art.
“The master said you would probably choose this one.”
An smiled, opening a drawer behind the wardrobe door, which was filled with various accessories in dazzling colors.
“Your taste is excellent,” An approved, “This matching will definitely be outstanding.”
“But these three formal dresses have another function besides being luxurious.”
An opened the lapel of the dress, and Shen Zhuo saw a hidden world within.
The sleeves and inner chest had small sharp weapons, and there was a gun holster at the waist, all with discreet designs.
“The other side also has antidotes, antitoxins, and suppressants, all prepared by the master.”
Shen Zhuo was not experiencing this for the first time, sensing Du Xun’s attentiveness.
This man’s kindness to him was like allowing a fragile flower to grow its own thorns.
He would not restrict the flower’s growth, but always be thoughtful.
Shen Zhuo looked at the dress, his eyelashes trembling.
Under the indoor lighting, the dress was exquisitely beautiful, like a gradually blooming lotus.
Shen Zhuo did not know how to describe the feeling in his heart.
From the moment he stepped into Baimeng, the calm lake surface had been ruffled by the warm wind.
He knew.
He missed Du Xun.
In the following two days, Shen Zhuo almost spent the entire time sleeping.
He had not slept well during the school entrance exam, and the subsequent tests had also kept him up late.
It was not until the day of the Palace Dance Celebration.
The invited guests were all wealthy merchants and nobles.
Although it was a celebration in memory of the former Queen, the Queen had particularly loved dancing when she was alive.
Therefore, the Queen had not made the celebration dull.
Instead, it had become an annual event eagerly anticipated by the upper class society, hoping to receive an invitation.
“I heard that it’s Shen General’s son attending this time. I wonder what will happen if he bumps into the Second Prince.”
“Shen Young Master doesn’t have a boyfriend yet, right? I wonder if I have a chance to talk to him…”
“Are the things the Second Princess Consort said really false? Can we get the truth today?”
“I feel the Second Princess Consort just robbed Shen Young Master of his achievements, you know, the Princess Consort’s rank is not even that high.”
“…Shen Young Master? Don’t be ridiculous, he’s just a clown.”
A slightly high-pitched female voice broke the hushed murmurs.
Feng Muxi, dressed in a red mermaid-style gown, descended the spiral staircase gracefully.
As the second daughter of the Queen’s Princess Consort, she had been pampered by the Princess Consort and her brother since she was young.
After hearing that her sister-in-law had been bullied, she had already slandered Shen Zhuo for three days in front of the Emperor.
Xu Qing followed behind Feng Muxi, in a pale purple haute couture dress, her smile gentle.
He did not intend to speak up.
Or rather, it was he who had instigated Princess Muxi.
Feign unconsciousness to gain Princess Muxi’s sympathy and indignation, and then direct it to Shen Zhuo.
“He’s just an abandoned omega, no matter how good his skills, he’s still just a rough monkey.”
Feng Muxi raised her chin arrogantly, surveying the crowd:
“Is he really that good-looking? I don’t think so.”
“What’s the use of something that no one wants? Why are you all praising him so highly?”
There were a few quiet disputes from the crowd, which reached Feng Muxi’s ears.
“But Shen Young Master is an S5 omega, the only top-tier omega in the Empire.”
Feng Muxi looked at the person and sneered mockingly:
“So what? He’s a noble, but he doesn’t have any nobility, he’s rude to the Princess Consort and constantly harasses her, isn’t he just a monkey?”
The voices gradually subsided.
Everyone knew that while other wealthy and noble young ladies could be rude, they would still stop at just words.
But Feng Muxi was different.
She had once personally killed a maid.
Just because that maid said, “Princess, your necklace and dress don’t seem to match very well today.”
Feng Muxi had dragged her to the palace square in front of the gates and beaten her to death with the scabbard of a guard’s sword.
Although Feng Muxi was later punished with a month of house arrest by Feng Ming and the Queen’s Princess Consort, everyone knew –
Do not provoke Feng Muxi.
It would be fatal.
The crowd was silenced, praying that Shen Young Master would not encounter Feng Muxi.
The atmosphere had temporarily fallen into a deathly silence.
However, an attendant had come earlier to inform that the Emperor would not be present at this Palace Dance Celebration.
After Feng Muxi and Xu Qing moved to a corner to chat, the atmosphere gradually became lively again.
Of course, most were still discreetly discussing the events between Shen Zhuo and Xu Qing.
It was half an hour before the ball, and the symphony orchestra had already started playing melodious, lively music.
However, the main character everyone was talking about had still not arrived.
Just as Feng Muxi mockingly said that Shen Young Master was probably afraid to come, the doors of the banquet hall suddenly opened.
The voices around the room abruptly stopped, leaving only the flowing symphony music.
In the spotlight of all eyes, the young man slowly entered the venue.
The moment the tall, upright figure appeared under the light, everyone’s breath slowed.
The white and gold formal dress had exquisite lace embroidery on the sleeve cuffs and hem, giving the dress a flowing, ethereal effect.
The collar and sleeves were interwoven with silver threads, shimmering in the sunlight.
The waist was cinched just right, accentuating his slender figure.
The young man’s hair was pulled back, with fine braids at the temples, adorned with the six-winged eagle clan crest.
Under the broad, smooth forehead, the brows and eyes were coldly aloof.
Yet the red earrings broke the sense of detachment from the world, adding a touch of unintentional allure to the ebony eyes.
The snow-white skin glowed with a pearly luster in the sunlight.
The young man was like a fallen angel from the divine realm.
Or perhaps, a bewitching specter born from the icy glaciers of the mountains.
“Heavens… he looks even more beautiful in formal attire.”
“Who will be able to ask him for a dance later?”
“Dare you? I’ll try later, maybe Shen Young Master will agree.”
Shen Zhuo felt numerous gazes upon him, but he did not mind.
Shen Ruoyin had told him that at the Palace Dance Celebration, he just needed to eat and dance.
A servant approached him, carrying a flute of champagne.
The young man gently pinched the stem of the glass, casually swirling the golden liquid, letting it form a shimmering arc on the sides.
Shen Zhuo did not want to participate in the hollow social interactions of these people.
He looked around but did not see Ai Li’s figure.
He walked to the corner of the banquet hall, intending to wait quietly by himself.
But before he could stop, several alphas crowded around him.
“May I have this dance?”
“I know many dance styles, whatever Shen Young Master likes, I can do.”
“Please allow me to dance with you.”
Shen Zhuo was surrounded in the corner, lowering his gaze and slowly sipping the champagne as he faced the numerous hands before him.
“I’m sorry,” his voice was light, the refusal clear:
“I don’t know how to dance.”
While in the center of the banquet hall, the usually the center of attention, Feng Muxi, had to wait half a long time before a few alphas invited her to dance.
She impatiently scanned the crowd, and immediately spotted the young man surrounded by a group of alphas in the corner.
The situation was the complete opposite of what she was facing.
Xu Qing stood beside her, holding a glass of red wine, his gentle voice seemingly laced with amusement:
“Princess, it seems those alphas are more interested in Shen Zhuo.”
Feng Muxi, whose temper was already volatile, was instantly ignited by these words.
She was an imperial princess, revered above all in the Empire.
And she was also an A3 omega.
In these ten years, no one had dared to ignore her.
No one would dare to steal her spotlight.
“Shen Zhuo,” the young lady gritted her teeth.
Holding her wine glass, Feng Muxi lifted her skirt and strode towards the corner where the alphas crowded around.
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