Chapter 10: The First Step

Ethan lifted his gaze from the form and landed it on Gu Yanli’s face. His expression darkened instantly.

“The roster is already in the rehearsal schedule. No last-minute additions.”

Ethan’s voice carried a naked warning.

Gu Yanli’s expression didn’t change. Not even an eyelash moved.

“The disciplinary committee has the authority to approve exceptions.”

“The disciplinary office holds final review authority over the process, President.”

Gu Yanli replied coolly.

He folded the dark silver cufflink bearing the Gu family crest up a notch, exposing a lean wrist.

“The seal has been stamped. Go complete the registration.”

The whole place went dead silent.

The low murmurs in the hall vanished at once.

Even the student in charge of the music flinched and pulled his hand back. The accompaniment stopped mid-note.

Bai Qi stood alone in the center of the dance floor.

He looked down at the lecture sheet crushed in his hand.

In the third-round column, his name had been written there. Now it was crossed out without mercy.

The invalidating line was too straight.

Straight as a thin, sharp blade, it sliced away the last shreds of dignity he had left at Saint Lest.

A noble girl nearby was watching him, her eyes full of knowing sympathy.

Bai Qi tried hard to keep his usual gentle expression, but his fingernails dug into the creases of the sheet, leaving white marks that refused to smooth out.

Joey had already bent his head as low as it could go, wishing he could shrink into the cracks of the floor.

“Xu Zhou…” Joey mumbled in a voice barely a mosquito’s.

“If you dare refuse him, I’ll be picking up your body from Arden Mansion tonight.”

Gu Yanli stopped in front of Xu Zhou.

He didn’t use force the way Ethan had. With perfect gentlemanly grace, he bent down slightly, stretched out his right hand, palm upward, and offered it to Xu Zhou.

“Come.”

He looked at Xu Zhou. His pale gray eyes held no emotion, only a kind of cold control.

Under Joey’s despairing gaze, Xu Zhou stood up expressionlessly and placed his hand on top.

Gu Yanli closed his fingers around it, applying a little pressure at the fingertips, and pulled him into the dance floor.

The music started up again.

The slow waltz beat echoed through the hall.

Gu Yanli was nearly half a head taller than Xu Zhou. He stepped forward, draping Xu Zhou in his shadow.

His left hand settled on the small of Xu Zhou’s back. Through the thin shirt, the heat of his palm pressed against the base of Xu Zhou’s spine like a branding iron.

“Yesterday you dared to throw the P-18 temperature control in my face.”

Gu Yanli suddenly switched to Chinese.

He lowered his head slightly, warm breath brushing Xu Zhou’s ear. His voice was low enough for only the two of them to hear.

“And today you try to slip away using Adrian’s hand?”

Xu Zhou stepped back in step with him, soles scraping against the floor with a dull sound.

“Mr. Gu, I don’t think there’s any need for me to stay.”

“Whether there’s a need isn’t for you to decide.”

Gu Yanli’s hand on his waist tightened suddenly.

Their bodies came close in that instant, so close that Xu Zhou could smell the faint fir scent on his uniform, mixed with an overbearing sense of aggression.

Gu Yanli looked down at him from above.

“Xu Zhou, since I personally wrote your name into that room, do you really think you can walk away clean?”

His tone carried a malicious interest.

Like watching prey fall into a trap, struggling to deny any connection.

Xu Zhou looked into Gu Yanli’s eyes.

He didn’t see Bai Qi there, nor any supposed plot. He only saw a lofty boredom.

This living Buddha was just using him as a pawn to break the deadlock, or as entertainment to watch a show.

“Mr. Gu.”

Instead of being cowed by his presence like most people, Xu Zhou tilted his chin up slightly and met his gaze.

“If you dug your own hole, don’t blame others for not playing along with the show.”

A flicker of something shifted in Gu Yanli’s eyes.

Before it could spread, the accompaniment suddenly hit an accent.

Thump!

In that instant, Xu Zhou didn’t blink. Without hesitation, he stepped down with his right foot.

He was wearing the custom leather shoes issued by Saint Lest. The heels were made of stacked sheets of hard wood.

The step landed squarely on Gu Yanli’s pristine black handmade leather shoe.

The force was enormous.

The squeak of leather being crushed was audible.

Gu Yanli’s breath caught for a full second.

His perpetually still face had the faintest twitch of a frown. His back went stiff for a moment.

Xu Zhou caught the half-second of hesitation.

He didn’t give Gu Yanli a chance to react. He pulled his hand away from the warm palm.

At the same time, his waist shifted and he stepped back a good half pace, opening the distance completely.

The light in the center of the dance floor fell back between them.

Xu Zhou stopped. He reached up and smoothed the wrinkles Gu Yanli had crumpled into his uniform sleeve from being so close.

His movements were unhurried, his expression even mild.

“Sorry, Mr. Gu.”

Xu Zhou raised his eyes. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it was just enough for the eavesdropping students around him to hear clearly.

“I told you, I don’t know how to dance.”

The air around them froze.

Ethan’s gaze lingered on Gu Yanli’s shoe for half a second, then gave Xu Zhou a meaningful look.

Adrian, leaning against the platform, covered his lips with the back of his hand and let out a very quiet laugh.

As for Bai Qi.

He stared at the clear mark of dust on Gu Yanli’s shoe, frozen in place.

Gu Yanli stood where he was, looking at Xu Zhou.

“Can’t dance?” he said softly. “Then you definitely need more practice.”

“You could buy a cheaper pair of shoes.”

The cold defenses in Gu Yanli’s dark eyes had been cracked by that step, and an unexpected trace of amusement crossed his face.

“Next round, continue.”

Joey had already buried his head in his knees.

“Xu Zhou, you’re really some kind of god.”

Joey let out a small whimper.

“First black card in the whole school, first stomp on his shoe, you’ve claimed both.”

Xu Zhou didn’t bother to answer. Facing the complicated looks around him, he walked straight toward the exit of the hall.

“My foot seems sprained.” As he passed Ethan, he dropped a blank-faced excuse. “I’m requesting leave for the next rehearsal.”

Before Ethan could approve, he was already out the door.

Joey scrambled after him like a meek little wife, clutching his bag.

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