The music played softly, and his dance skills impressed her even more. Under his lead, she twirled gracefully, her waist swaying, her dress flowing, her hair flying. In gentle movements, she resembled a budding flower; in swift moments, their bodies merged, sliding and spinning. The lights cast sparkling fragments upon them. Their coordination was perfect and harmonious, their dance magnificent, earning applause from the venue.
This feeling was too familiar, momentarily immersing her in past memories.
Lowering her eyes to conceal her emotions, she balanced her inner turbulence, the distancing smile returning to her lips.
“President Di, you’re not here specifically because of the garden incident, are you?”
Di Xihuang was slightly stunned. Moments ago, she had been observing him warily, her eyes reflecting intoxication and infatuation, like being lost in a beautiful memory. But that moment passed quickly as she masked her emotions again.
He was impressed to see a woman remain so pure in a world full of money and desire. He had encountered many women who compromised their integrity for wealth and power, but Di was different. The only other woman he had seen with such clarity of spirit he had destroyed, and she was irreplaceable.
He doubted such purity could exist anymore. The woman before him appeared seductive, and he suspected her purity was a facade. He wanted to conquer her, to strip away her dignity and expose her true self.
A cruel smile crept across his thin lips, causing her to shudder as memories of their past encounters flashed before her. She instinctively wanted to escape, but his hand on her waist held her in place.
“President Ou,” he said, his voice low, “how can you leave your dance partner midway?”
“President Di, this is surely not just about inviting me to dance,” a faint smile on her face. “If it’s about what happened in the garden earlier, you can rest assured, I, Ou Xueman, am not a gossip. Besides, with your reputation, President Di, another scandalous story is just another page in your romantic history.”
The depth in his eyes had receded, replaced by playful mockery. “President Ou knows me so well. What an honor. Are you also one of my past romantic encounters? Do we already know each other?”
