Part 3
Ning Yunyi’s probing goal was achieved. After watching the Crown Prince and Marshal Zong go back and forth, the Crown Prince actually let his fiancée push him to find Big Brother Ning to explain.
Once they left, Ning Yunyi kept smiling, but his expression clearly faded.
Zong Hao had a belly full of questions, but the two were indeed “not close,” so he lowered his eyes and could only watch Ning Yunyi and Yus continue to make eyes at each other.
Clearly, at home, he was the one who exchanged glances with Ning Yunyi the most. Seeing this Young Master Yus now… why did he suddenly look so unpleasant?
Ning Yunyi exchanged a look with Yus. Obviously, both saw that the Crown Prince’s actions tonight relied absolutely on his years of friendship with Marshal Zong to get him here. He didn’t force it openly, but it probably wouldn’t end so easily.
Zong Hao now represented the entire Zong family. Which aristocratic family would be willing to let go? The first to bear the brunt would have to be the Herman family.
The Herman family couldn’t interfere in politics, but marrying into the Zong family to consolidate their position in the Empire… The Prince had marital ties to the Herman family and would be happy to see it happen. This was exactly as Ning Yunyi had guessed before coming.
Sure enough, the next moment the banquet hall darkened. Suddenly, countless lights lit up overhead, blindingly bright.
Then, something overhead changed color and shone down.
Zong Hao reacted the fastest. Subconsciously thinking there was danger, he was the first to grab Ning Yunyi’s shoulder and pull him aside, quickly leaving their original position.
Ning Yunyi had already raised his hand, but realizing it was Zong Hao, he stopped. He felt his body lighten as he shifted from his spot.
At the same time, the lights in the banquet hall came back on, and a voice broadcasted: “Everyone, don’t panic, it’s safe. It’s just a little matching game for tonight’s banquet. Please stand still and don’t move.”
Hearing it was a game, the crowd wasn’t as chaotic as before and didn’t move, but they still looked around warily.
As the surroundings lit up, many people realized that the light shining on them from above had different colors. Everyone was slightly different, but there were matches.
Ning Yunyi and Zong Hao’s original positions had been red and green respectively. Because they moved together, they were now both bathed in white light.
Yus next to them was green.
Yus frowned, looking unhappily at the color on himself which was different from Ning Yunyi’s. Why am I green? I like white.
Meanwhile, the voice continued: “Obviously, everyone knows what color is on them. Now, find a lady or gentleman with the same color and invite them to dance. You cannot refuse, or you will have to accept a punishment.”
Ning Yunyi heard this and looked around. Sure enough, standing over by the Herman family were people with red beams.
Ning Yunyi suddenly looked at Yus with a strange expression. If Zong Hao hadn’t pulled him away just now, he would be green right now. Wouldn’t that be the same color as Yus?
Yus obviously realized this too. He met Ning Yunyi’s eyes, and the latter gave him an exceptionally brilliant smile: Poor Young Master, are you sure your family didn’t plan to sacrifice you to win me over?
Yus’s mood was complex. He knew the Herman family put interests first, but he didn’t expect they would even change the gender for marriage alliances.
Was this because they saw Mr. Bai’s ambiguous attitude towards me just now and simply switched methods? So the trip wasn’t in vain?
Yus smiled in anger: But now, you are white. You aren’t… going to dance with Marshal Zong, are you? That scene… surely can’t be watched, right?
Ning Yunyi’s expression froze. He looked at Zong Hao strangely: Can he dance? How about…
Before a lady with a white beam could come over, Zong Hao suddenly extended his hand to Ning Yunyi. “Mr. Bai, are you willing to cooperate?”
Ning Yunyi: “…” Actually, the best choice is Zong Hao. Otherwise, if I finish dancing and there’s some intimate contact next, this marriage alliance might have a next step even if I don’t agree.
But why did he feel so reluctant to go along with him?
“But I can’t dance. What if I’m not willing?” Ning Yunyi looked at the man before him with a faint smile, suspecting the guy would stomp his foot swollen later.
Zong Hao: “Then we accept the punishment together.”
Ning Yunyi: “…” Fine, you win.
Compared to getting his foot stomped or an unknown punishment, he’d rather choose the former.
Yus watched the two with an unreadable expression: Marshal Zong’s attitude isn’t right. Did he really take a fancy to Mr. Bai?
Surely Marshal Zong, with his immense wealth, hasn’t also set his sights on those few stores? Absolutely impossible.
Eliminating all impossibilities, only one remains: Marshal Zong has stayed unmarried all this time because, emotionally, he also likes men?
Because of the so-called punishment, men and women with the same beams quickly chose partners nearby and prepared to dance.
Just dancing one song meant nothing to them, who had attended many banquets.
Ning Yunyi looked at Zong Hao’s open palm and placed his hand on it with a strange expression.
As the intro began, Ning Yunyi suddenly spoke to Yus, whose face was getting even weirder: “Ten seconds left. Where’s your partner? Or does the Young Master want to accept the punishment?”
Yus was stunned: “…” I forgot to find a partner just to watch Mr. Bai’s joke.
He looked around, but it was too late. To avoid punishment, almost everyone was paired up.
Yus went numb. Just then, a figure rushed over and placed a hand on Yus’s shoulder at the last second. “Hehe, Young Master, you don’t mind us partnering up, right? I really couldn’t find anyone.”
Just kidding. This is obviously a trap. If the punishment later is really something inappropriate, well, I’m the Marshal’s adjutant. I don’t need face, but my Marshal does.
Yus’s expression froze: This is even worse than Mr. Bai.
Ning Yunyi initially thought Zong Hao would step on his feet, but after a turn, his feet were unharmed.
Ning Yunyi felt complicated. “I heard before that Marshal Zong rejects this kind of banquet. I thought the Marshal wasn’t good at this.”
Zong Hao had been keeping his nerves tight, watching the pair behind Ning Yunyi. Hearing this, he looked down. “Hmm?”
Just as he lowered his head, Ning Yunyi looked up. There was a hiss sound—his forehead was bumped by Zong Hao’s mask.
Great. Injury achieved.
Just not the foot, but the forehead.
Zong Hao wanted to stop and check his condition, but Ning Yunyi stopped him. “Finish the dance first.” He didn’t want the punishment.
Zong Hao looked apologetically at Ning Yunyi’s reddening forehead and explained guiltily, “It’s my first time dancing. I was afraid of stepping on you, so I’ve been learning from the couple behind you just now…”
Ning Yunyi: “That works out. I was learning from following you.”
Fortunately, he had a foundation from his first life. He quickly understood the beat and learned it after a few glances.
But he hadn’t expected to still get bumped.
The dance finally ended, and the lights came back on. Before Ning Yunyi could attend to his forehead, he was startled by Yus’s gloomy and fierce expression next to him.
Opposite him, Ichi looked guilty, apologizing repeatedly in a low voice.
Ning Yunyi was puzzled. Then he saw Yus hiss softly in anger, then limp away silently.
Comparing the two, getting bumped once really wasn’t much.
Zong Hao felt complicated, looking worriedly at Ning Yunyi’s forehead. “How about I find a healer for you?”
Ning Yunyi glanced at him. “No need. It’s just a small injury.” I have to pretend I’m not a healer. It’s quite rare that the other side is pretending not to know I can heal.
Thinking of the other’s healing ability, Zong Hao dropped the subject.
Soon, the host came on stage smiling, asking two people who hadn’t found partners to accept punishment: say a romantic line to each other.
Ning Yunyi and Zong Hao exchanged a glance: Truly mean.
Especially since the ones who didn’t find partners were two men. They stammered for a long time, unable to bring themselves to say it. When the host laughed and said they could switch to kissing each other, the two immediately settled it quickly.
Compared to the psychological shadow of a sentence versus a kiss, the former was nothing.
The banquet continued with two more small games, all meant to promote feelings. Because Ning Yunyi and Zong Hao planned to stick together tonight, they didn’t give anyone else an opportunity.
The banquet was nearing its end.
However, during the final segment, Ning Yunyi, who was standing in the shadows, suddenly caught a glimpse of figures that shouldn’t be there and frowned.
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