Unlike when he was single, if the married Meng Peisheng were to attend a party with another woman, rumors about their impending divorce would probably spread within a night.
By then, it would definitely be quite a spectacle.
Seeing that she didn’t respond much, Meng Peisheng continued, “It’s fine to learn a little; Xici is at home and can teach you.”
“Oh…?” Sang Miao froze for a moment. You want Meng Xici to teach me?
The dance at the party, the waltz?
Meng Xici was teaching her how to dance Sang Miao couldn’t even imagine that scene.
Meng Peisheng said lightly, “Anyway, he has nothing to do at home.”
It’s better than him always burying himself in studies.
Meng Xici: “?”
Who said I have nothing to do?
“Well, that’s settled. Let’s go back and have dinner.”
Meng Peisheng glanced at Sang Miao and said softly, “Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold, dressing so lightly?”
Once Meng Peisheng had walked a few meters away, Sang Miao turned her head to look at Meng Xici.
The two of them exchanged a glance, both somewhat confused.
Did he just arrange this for them?
…
Sang Miao normally wouldn’t wake up this early if there was nothing to do.
She spent most of the morning sleeping and didn’t go downstairs until it was almost lunchtime.
When they had lunch, it was the first time Meng Xici had seen her.
after hesitating for a while, he decided to speak first and asked Sang Miao, “The dance… when do you want to start learning?”
Suddenly feeling the weight of responsibility, he inexplicably felt a sense of urgency.
Today was Monday, but the person across from him seemed in no rush at all.
Sang Miao paused for a moment, sighed softly, and reluctantly accepted the reality.
After all, she would have to learn it eventually, whether early or late.
“Fine, after lunch, let’s start.”
After resting for a while post-lunch, they both wandered around the house looking for a suitable place, first needing an open space.
After a quick look around, they ended up on the second floor, near a large window not far from Sang Miao’s room.
There was a piano there, and beside it was a small living room.
The area was spacious, and there were not too many decorations, so it wouldn’t be easy to bump into anything.
Sang Miao surveyed the space and found a spot in the middle to stand.
“Alright, let’s do this. How do we start?”
Meng Xici: “…”
Why does she look so fearless?
Sang Miao wasn’t unfamiliar with the steps; she was somewhat clear on the basic movements and etiquette, but she hadn’t practiced much.
So, she opened her arms and waited for Meng Xici.
Meng Xici paused, then stood in front of her to correct her.
“Your elbow needs to be a little lower. Start by placing your left hand on your upper arm.”
He gave her a rough indication of where his arm should be, and he also demonstrated the pose so that she could have a reference.
But there was no direct contact.
Sang Miao suddenly thought, if Meng Xici became a teacher, he would definitely be a responsible and disciplined one.
Sang Miao also decided to be a good student, following his instructions to perfect the movements.
Once ready, Meng Xici thought for a moment about the next step and asked, “How about you try following my steps? Remember the sequence.”
Sang Miao nodded and slowly moved a few steps after him. However, the two of them looked a bit awkward.
They were facing each other, but their hands weren’t connected, leaving them suspended in midair.
After Meng Xici led her through a small section of the dance, Sang Miao shook her arms, which had been raised for a while.
“This is really tiring. It’s not that easy to practice.”
The young man remained silent for a long time, then awkwardly said, “You should place your hand on mine.”
Sang Miao felt that his words were really forced and reluctant.
Well, at this age, maybe a boy would be uncomfortable touching the opposite sex.
Perhaps he’d even be awkward about physical contact with his own mother.
So, she confirmed with him, “Okay, but don’t be shy, alright?”
“……!” Meng Xidi, who had managed to remain calm until now, was fuming with anger, “If you make me teach you again, I’ll ask my dad to personally teach you.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll keep quiet.”
Sang Miao quickly stopped, holding back her laughter and trying to calm him down, “I’m being serious.”
Despite the fact that Sang Miao was older, she didn’t feel uncomfortable around the young man.
She naturally and gently extended her left hand first, lightly placing it on his upper arm.
Then, her right hand reached out, “You should hold my wrist here.”
Sang Miao raised her hand to signal him.
Half of her palm was tucked into her sweater sleeve, leaving only half of her fingers exposed.
Meng Xidi pressed his lips together, placing his hand as she instructed, awkwardly forming a hand-holding posture.
Although his right hand was placed on her waist, it barely touched her clothes.
The two of them stood some distance apart, both looking down at their feet.
“Let’s start over,” Meng Xidi began to count the beats, then slowly led her through a complete dance step.
“…Sorry.”
This was Sang Miao apologizing after stepping on his foot.
“Ah, sorry.”
This was her apologizing again for stepping on his foot.
Meng Xidi straightened his stiff back, “…
This might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Except for the first day when they were still unfamiliar with the steps and kept stepping on each other’s feet, things started to go more smoothly.
Meng Xidi wasn’t as stiff anymore, and he didn’t act like he was afraid of touching her.
She wasn’t a virus, after all.
After three days of practice, Sang Miao had become much smoother with the whole set of movements.
She was only there to make up the numbers anyway.
However, Meng Xidi wasn’t about to let her off easily.
At least, she wasn’t at the level where he thought his dad’s task was complete, but at least it was acceptable…
Sang Miao had no idea what level he considered acceptable.
Anyway, under his pressure, she had to practice a few more times, which made her movements a little more refined.
On the day of the cocktail party, the representatives of several high-end brands brought over some gowns for her.
Sang Miao: “Ok, fine, it’s time to choose a dress.”
Silk chiffon, diamonds, pearls, and dresses of various materials were arranged by color, from light to dark.
There were form-fitting ones, dresses with large skirts, strapless ones, and sleeveless ones.
an array of styles that almost filled her room.
The brand representatives were explaining how to choose.
Unlike the ready-to-wear collection from before, these formal evening gowns were high-end, and some of them hadn’t even been showcased yet.
They were exclusively made for VIP clients.
Even celebrities couldn’t borrow them, so they were truly unique.
She didn’t get overwhelmed by the choice, though, and immediately picked a little black dress from the collection.
Shao Ying, impressed by her good eye, specially introduced it to her, “This piece is the only custom-made dress from D.Serein this season.
The brand hasn’t released it on the runway yet, but they sent it directly to us.
It’s very stylish.”
Sang Miao had some knowledge in this area since “she” had worked at a fashion magazine.
D.Serein was the most difficult high-end brand to borrow from in the entertainment industry.
Only the top actresses wore it, and rarely in the current season.
The reason D.Serein was so popular among female celebrities’ fans was simple: it had high prestige, and the designs were fashion-forward.
Shao Ying continued, “These dresses have all been adjusted to your size.
You can choose one to wear for tomorrow’s event, and the rest will be sent to the closet.”
Sang Miao: “?”
These are all for me?
Weren’t I supposed to choose?
She looked at Shao Ying in confusion, and Shao Ying smiled and confirmed.
Sang Miao almost felt a little pain in her heart, but the next second, she realized well, it wasn’t her money, so it didn’t matter.
As for the shoes, someone had been considerate enough to make sure all the ones sent were not particularly high heels.
Otherwise, trying to dance in high heels would have been a disaster.
Meng Peisheng returned not too early or too late.
He came back around dinnertime, but at least it wasn’t late at night.
He didn’t go directly to his room but walked towards Sang Miao’s room.
Standing at the door, Meng Peisheng knocked lightly but didn’t hear a response.
Just as he was about to knock again, a faint meow came from the corner of the small living room.
Following the sound, he walked a few steps.
On the light gray sofa in the living room, a slender figure was holding a large silver-gray Maine Coon cat.
Sang Miao was, as expected, playing with the cat.
This room was close to her bedroom, and it was spacious with a floor-to-ceiling window that allowed a view of the distant scenery below.
It was rarely used, so it had almost become her and the cat’s exclusive space.
She wasn’t worried about cat fur getting on the couch or carpet since the housekeeper kept everything clean on a regular schedule.
When Sang Miao heard the sound, she looked up and saw that Meng Peisheng seemed to have specifically come to find her.
She patted the cat’s back to signal it to jump down, but the cat ignored her.
She then asked him, “Are you looking for me?”
“Yes,” Meng Peisheng took a few steps closer and asked in a calm voice, “Are the clothes I sent over this afternoon suitable?”
Was he really asking about this?
Sang Miao was a bit surprised but nodded, “They look great.
I picked a black dress.”
The lights around were dim, with a warm, soft glow that muted the distance between them.
His voice sounded warmer now, “How’s the dancing going?”
Sang Miao was a bit displeased with this man, who had left the difficult task to her and had vanished without a trace.
She answered nonchalantly, “Well, of course I know how to do it.”
Tomorrow was the cocktail party, and he was only asking now?
Wasn’t it too late?
Did he not care about embarrassing himself?
She thought about it and then asked, “What if I didn’t learn it?”
His voice was low and lazy as he answered, “If you can’t learn it, then don’t dance.”
Sang Miao: “?”
Wait, wasn’t she just wasting her time?
After all that, it was this casual?
Wow, she was a bit frustrated!
“Since you’ve learned it,” Meng Peisheng noticed she was starting to get upset and quickly changed the subject, “Shall we check the results?”
Sang Miao: “…” Ha.
Fine, let him experience the hard work of Meng Xidi on the first day.
Meng Peisheng slightly curled his lips and made a gesture inviting her.
Sang Miao put the cat down.
Yoyo, seeming to understand that they were about to do something important, no longer clung to her but instead walked over to the piano, lying down lazily in a comfortable spot, wagging its tail slowly.
The moonlight streamed in through the window, casting silver light across the room.
The only area in the room not bathed in warm light was the one under the cold, quiet moonlight, creating a tranquil space.
Meng Peisheng walked up to her.
In his black suit, he looked dignified and reserved, almost like he was at a formal dance.
He made a graceful gesture of invitation, his eyes lightly resting on her.
Sang Miao took a deep breath and placed her hand on his.
Facing a young man, she was able to focus without distraction, but in front of a mature man with an alluring appearance and remarkable presence, even if it wasn’t emotionally involved, physical contact made her feel slightly uneasy.
This was a skill she knew, and she didn’t mind admitting it.
Meng Peisheng had seen her handle a gun, steady and powerful, as if she could easily hit her target.
But now, the hand resting on his was cool and soft.
It was much smaller than his.
He lowered his gaze, asking softly, “Is this okay?”
Sang Miao didn’t look up, just giving a soft hum in response.
The past few days of practice had been a completely different experience.
Meng Xidi always had to be careful around her, unable to fully let go.
But the man in front of her was much taller than Meng Xidi and didn’t have the same awkwardness.
His movements were natural and strong, taking the lead from the very start, confidently controlling the entire dance.
Sang Miao, a beginner, was completely swept up in his rhythm.
There was no music, but each step seemed to be in sync with the beat.
She didn’t know what would happen if she stepped on his foot again, but as they moved halfway through the dance, she pretended to lose her balance.
Just as she was about to step on his foot, his movement led her smoothly, avoiding it without leaving a trace.
Sang Miao: “…”
This wasn’t fair; her slippers were definitely affecting her performance.
She didn’t give up, patiently waiting for the right moment.
Soon, she found another opportunity.
As she was about to switch her step, he seemed to predict her move, guiding her gently, lifting her off the ground.
She almost spun in mid-air.
Sang Miao: “…”
He had definitely practiced.
If it weren’t for the fact that the man in front of her didn’t seem threatening, she would have instinctively tried to strike him earlier.
She looked up, but the shadows from the backlight hid his expression.
She only heard his soft reminder: “Focus.”
A fleeting smile flashed in his eyes, and without making a big deal of it, he adjusted the pace back to normal, slowing down the movements.
By the piano’s right leg, Yoyo sat seriously, its eyes following their movements, watching the two figures dance in intricate patterns.
It didn’t understand what they were doing or why the humans weren’t playing with it, but instinctively, it didn’t interrupt.
Without music, they didn’t know how long they had danced.
Neither of them stopped until they heard a slight sound from the stairs.
Both paused, and Sang Miao withdrew her hand, looking towards the stairs.
On the stairs leading to the third floor, Meng Xidi was standing still, blinking in confusion as if lost for words, “I…”
He had momentarily forgotten why he had come down, and hastily made up an excuse, his voice showing an unusual hint of panic, “…I came down to find something to eat.”
Meng Peisheng, in a gentlemanly manner, released the hand that had been lightly resting on Sang Miao’s waist, speaking with casual indifference, “There’s nothing to eat in the kitchen.
I’ll make something.
I haven’t had dinner, so let’s eat together.”
Meng Xidi: “…”
Couldn’t he skip the meal?!