1. Emperor’s Dance
“Fireworks!” Nono stopped suddenly and exclaimed.
Those were the fireworks in the sky above the mountain, like meteors shooting backwards, cutting through the sky. They were the seeds of flowers, blooming wantonly in the darkness, purple dandelions like the sun, falling green spider plants, roses woven together with red and gold, white dahlias… Lu Mingfei had never seen anyone set off fireworks so extravagantly, throwing hundreds of fireworks into the sky in a short moment, turning the night sky into a flower basket.
Lu Mingfei had never seen such a beautiful face. Under the illumination of the fireworks, Nono’s profile was glowing with a faint light and there were thin traces of tears.
“Why am I dancing with you?”
“Probably because you don’t have the courage to invite those pretty girls.”
“Then why don’t you, as a senior brother who is so upright, have the courage?”
“They are too childish to be bullied…” Finkel said with pretended regret.
Lu Mingfei and Finger held each other while dancing a tango beside the dance floor… Their forceful head-throwing moves were quite impressive, and their eyes held a fierce glint, like two weasels fighting over an egg.
Around them, the boys wore black formal attire, and the girls wore white gowns. The boys had their hair slicked back elegantly with olive-scented pomade, while the girls had their hair styled meticulously, their luxurious curls carrying a variety of perfumes.
The polished black dress shoes of the boys and the white high-heeled dance shoes of the girls stepped on the glossy parquet floor, which reflected the large crystal chandelier. Occasionally, the swirling skirts blocked the chandelier’s light.
Why they were dancing in the first place was a long story… It all began when Nono dragged the “little thief” Lu Mingfei and the innocent bystander Finger straight to Amber Hall’s entrance, where Caesar, dressed in white, stood applauding them. Caesar’s icy blue eyes were filled with a cold light, and the six ministers of the Student Union stood neatly behind him, like an army of one hundred thousand elite soldiers.
“You’re right on time.” Caesar glanced at his Patek Philippe watch, giving a faint smile.
“I have classes in the afternoon, so I took a shortcut.” Nono walked up.
Caesar gently placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a cheek kiss that was both utterly pretentious and perfectly elegant. “You look very pretty in that outfit. I haven’t seen you wear it before.”
“I bought it when I accompanied Professor Guderian on a business trip to China,” Nono shrugged. “You can’t expect to have seen all my clothes. I still have the black robe and mask I wore to get candy on Halloween. Want to see it?”
“If you came to knock on my door in that outfit, I’d definitely give you candy,” Caesar said elegantly, taking Nono’s hand and leading her into the hall like an emperor.
He didn’t glance at anyone else throughout the whole process. His gaze seemed to cut through the air like a blade whenever it swept over others. When Lu Mingfei and Finger finished whispering and looked up, they found only the two of them left at the entrance. It was quite awkward for both Lu Mingfei, who had gathered the courage to shake Caesar’s hand, and Finger, who had been through eight years as his senior.
“Is this some kind of power play?” Finger wondered.
“Aren’t we supposed to be men of pride?” Lu Mingfei said, turning around. “If he doesn’t give us face, we won’t give him face either! We’ll just turn around and leave!”
“Don’t! Brother, in times like these, you’ve got to stand your ground!” Finger pulled him back, giving a thumbs-up and encouraging his junior like an older brother, pushing his shoulder. “Go in! You were invited, so what are you afraid of?”
Lu Mingfei stood his ground, tightly gripping Finger’s thumb. “Senior Brother, I believe in you! I, Lu Mingfei, am also a true man, just as good as you, Finger! We’ll go in together!”
“Let’s go! I, Finger, as the oldest student here, the one who fell to the unprecedented ‘F’ rank without quitting, am I going to be afraid of Caesar?”
The Student Union officer responsible for checking guests watched as Lu Mingfei and Finger entered Amber Hall side by side, holding hands, their eyes locked like an intensely passionate couple dancing a tango, moving sideways into the hall.
The sumptuous buffet soon made these roommates feel that their courage had not been wasted. Finger quickly estimated the number of people in Amber Hall, while Lu Mingfei counted the number of lobsters, arriving at an important conclusion: this was primarily a social event centered around eating. The generous host had prepared an Australian lobster for each guest—those red giants lay on the ice, their backs open, revealing their glistening white flesh. With their guard down, Finger and Lu Mingfei started wielding their knives and forks with an almost predatory ferocity.