Chapter 124 - To Dance or Not To Dance

A golden string of fate curled around Yuzu’s body. It was smoky and translucent, signifying that it represented a future that was yet to come. In a shadowed part of the balcony overlooking the ballroom floor below, Yuzu watched the string slowly solidify and take on a soft yet vibrant glow.

Soon the string would be completely solid and the future that it predicted would arrive. Of course, she could easily take the string in her two fingers and separate it from her own, thus preventing that future from taking place, but the warning from her spiritual intuition told her that doing this would bring about danger.

Attempting to move it was like holding her hand up to a flame, knowing that if she reached out and grasped it she would get burned. However unlike touching a flame she didn’t know how moving the golden thread could possibly bring about danger to her, but she didn’t want to risk it.

The future was coming, one that she dreaded and yet had no power to change.

This future was that a young man was about to ask her to dance.

By the rules of etiquette Yuzu couldn’t decline the invitation. If she did, it would certainly reflect poorly not just on her but also on Sansen Zhao and Char Char. However Yuzu had another problem - she didn’t know how to dance. Being clumsy on the dance floor was awkward and embarrassing, but was not a good enough reason to decline. She sighed softly, feeling sorry for the poor guy who was about to suffer a dance with her.

She waited for the young man’s string to solidify, giving him a good look over even before he showed up. He was a few inches taller than her, with short, wavy blond hair. He had hazel eyes, a strong chin. He was around her age, and to Yuzu’s relief his appearance was not particularly offensive to her. He wore a black tailored suit and bow tie. The coat was unbuttoned with a light grey vest over a white collared shirt.

“Good evening, miss.” The young man approached her respectfully, “May I have the pleasure to dance with you?”

Save the pretense. Yuzu muttered inwardly. I already know the Master of the Floor asked you to ask me. Outwardly she stopped leaning against the railing as her lips thinned into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “Please.”

The young man smiled gently as he bowed and held out his hand for her. She received it and he gently kissed her gloved hand before releasing it and gestured toward the staircase. This was the customary way of inviting a lady to a dance, and to his credit the young man was neither too cold nor too warm to her.

“May I ask your name?”

“Yuzu Xing.” Yuzu replied, following up with the standard, “And yours?”

“Reynold Warren, although please call me Rey.” He said.

“Rey, I am flattered by your invitation but I feel must warn you that I haven’t danced…”

“Tonight?”

“… ever.” Yuzu said with a sympathetic look at him, as if she was politely warning him away from a bad situation. Being unable to dance was a sorry excuse, certainly not one a well-bred member of high society could use, but it was borderline acceptable. It wasn’t like Yuzu would see him again so she didn’t care about looking rude or even incompetent in front of him. Perhaps if she sold her hesitation to dance well enough he’d get the hint and escape what was likely going to be an embarrassing encounter for both of them.

“Well, miss Yuzu, I must also warn you that I’m not much of a dancer myself.” He laughed. Rather than look worried he seemed to relax at Yuzu’s admission.

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead, it’ll be fun.”

Yuzu had a strained smile on her face as she nodded to him. What a gentleman, so bound by duty he couldn’t take a hint when it was shoved in his face. Though outwardly he remained composed, she was certain he was cursing his bad luck of being forced to dance with her. They chatted as they walked down the stairs.

“Are you here with someone tonight?” Rey asked.

“I am a guest of Char Char Zhao.” Yuzu said, casually dropping the name of her friend, indicating that Yuzu was nobody important.

“Oh, I’ve met her once.” He smiled, “She’s… interesting, isn’t she?”

Yuzu raised an eyebrow, “Interesting?”

“Ah, I don’t mean anything bad by it.” He said while looking away, “Are you close to her?”

“Not really.” Yuzu said.

At the bottom of the steps Rey took Yuzu’s hand and led the way onto the ballroom floor. Yuzu couldn’t hide the frown on her face any longer as she passed by all the couples that had just finished dancing. She contemplated one last time about moving the fate strings away.

A cheerful voice snapped Yuzu out of her thoughts.

“Oh, Yuzu!” Char Char called, quickly walking over as she held her dress up to keep herself from tripping on it. It looked a bit silly, something one would expect a child to do, not the teenage granddaughter of the host. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to get away to find you.”

“It’s fine.” Yuzu wasn’t bothered.

“Ah-” Char Char glanced at Rey, who was clearly Yuzu’s partner for the next dance, “I didn’t know you two knew each other!”

“We don’t.” “We just met.”

Yuzu and Rey shared a brief glance at each other after replying simultaneously.

“We just became acquainted.” Rey smiled, bowing gently to Char Char.

Char Char’s reaction to Rey’s response was so subtle that Yuzu only noticed it because she’d known Char Char for years. It was a mix of confusion and... annoyance?

Rey’s expression was polite, yet there was just the slightest bit of tension in his smile that confirmed Yuzu’s feelings - There was something deeper going on between the two. Some shared history.

Char Char looked at Yuzu inquisitively, as if to ask ‘why are you dancing with him?’

To which Yuzu replied with the tiniest shrug and gesture with her eyes. ‘It’s not like I want to.’

Char Char looked highly amused. She was about to add a comment when a dark haired young man stepped up in front of them and bowed directly to Char Char, “Miss Zhao, do you have a partner for the next dance?”

“Hmm?” Char Char looked up and down the young man as a spark of recognition lit up her eyes. “Oh, you’re Viscount Cheng’s son, Elliot, right?”

“Yes, you are dazzling tonight, Miss Zhao.” Elliot’s voice was rich and deep as he held out his hand to her.

“Ah, thank you.” Char Char said with a practiced smile, “Oh, I just finished a dance, but I don’t have a partner for this next one.”

Her eyes lit up as she looked at Yuzu, “You should have told me you were going to dance! It would have been fun to dance together!”

“It was a last minute thing.” Yuzu said.

“Well, come find me if you’re going to dance again.”

“I’m not planning to...” Yuzu’s eyes flickered towards the Viscount’s son, who was standing awkwardly next to them. Char Char paid him no mind, having seemingly forgotten about his presence.

Wait, did she just miss this guy’s invitation to dance? Yuzu came to a realization.

Elliot also seemed to realize this as he awkwardly cleared his throat, getting Char Char’s attention.

“Miss Zhao- May I- I mean, given that you don’t have partner for this next song, may I accompany you?”

“Why? Are you hungry? I’m just going to the refreshments hall.” Char Char frowned, evidently not interested in Elliot’s company. Her eyes lit up as she turned towards Yuzu once more, “Oh, Yuzu, I asked grandpa to put out some peach shrimp just for you. Did you have any yet?”

“I didn’t see any.” Yuzu smiled back awkwardly, trying to avoid Elliot’s gaze, “Maybe they didn’t put any out yet.”

“If I see some I’ll save some for you. After your dance come find me!” Char Char smiled.

While Char Char was talking Elliot was still trying to talk to her on the side.

“What I mean is-“ Elliot’s face grew redder as he became increasingly more flustered at Char Char’s obliviousness. His voice became smaller and smaller as he seemed to want to shrivel away. “Would you be my partner for this dance?”

“Oh, they’re about to start the dance.” Char Char looked around, seeing a number of people looking at her, “I’d better get off the floor. Have fun!”

She cheerfully sauntered off while Elliot remained awkwardly standing around. His face was a deep red that reached up to his ears. A number of people started whispering amongst each other after Char Char’s departure.

“How rude! She didn’t even reject the poor boy properly.”

“Oh, Viscount Cheng is not going to like how his son was embarrassed.”

“Is it his son who was embarrassed? Who taught that girl her manners? I would be ashamed if I was related to her.”

“To refuse a dance like that shows a lack of good upbringing, I agree.”

“Did she really refuse, though? It seemed like she didn’t understand that he was asking her to dance. And when he asked properly at the end he was so quiet I barely heard him.”

“Even if it was on purpose, she was clearly far above his class. It is his fault for not understanding the difference in their status. Did you see how he meekly retreated afterwards? It proves he knew he was in the wrong.”

“That was Sansen Zhao’s granddaughter, yes? She is a lovely one. I hear she is a prodigy on the violin.”

“I hear Viscount Cheng has been struggling in the trade business as of late, but Sansen Zhao is flourishing.”

“If that’s the case, I understand the girl’s reaction. Men should know their place as much as ladies.”

“No, even still, she could have been more polite...”

Yuzu felt increasingly annoyed as she listened to the chatter around her. Char Char’s actions were clearly inappropriate and against the social norms, and yet from the sound of things many of the observers actually agreed with Char Char and supported her. Rather than Char Char being slandered by the gossip, it was the boy who was blamed for shooting out of his league.

Above all what annoyed Yuzu the most was that she was unable to get out of the same predicament which Char Char so easily escaped. Like the people around her had said, Char Char was the daughter of a distinguished personality in high society, so it was natural that she received some amount of leeway for her actions. Yuzu on the other hand was a nobody.

“Dancers, please take your positions.” An announcement came across the floor.

The chatter quieted down as the couples faced each other and prepared for the start of the music. Yuzu had a sour look on her face but forcefully wiped it off as she turned towards her partner.

Though she was terribly annoyed she couldn’t hold the situation against Rey. After all, he was only doing what he was told.

One dance. Yuzu muttered inwardly to console herself. I’ll just make it through one dance and then find a room to hole up in.

Oblivious to Yuzu’s moodiness, or perhaps in spite of it, Rey smiled warmly and held his hand out to her, “Shall we?”

Yuzu could only force herself to smile politely as she accepted his hand, “Please.”