MRG Chapter 24: The First Dance

Translator: Kii

Editor: Agneya

Light’s hand held Mu Chen’s waist, and when the two of them began dancing, Mu Chen took over the female’s role.

Confronted with Mu Chen’s question, he earnestly explained, “You still have a lot of chances to choose a suitable dancing partner. This time was indeed done in a rush. I didn’t think it through.”

As they made idle conversation, the two people’s dance steps intertwined.

The band was playing a cheerful waltz. However, in the next second, the melody changed. The two people moved closer to each other as the music played, their noses nearly brushing together.

Mu Chen gazed at those amber eyes that were so close to him and the corner of his lips turned up. “That’s not what I meant. Actually, compared to finding someone else, I’d rather dance with Gege.”

“…Afterall, I won’t be comfortable dancing with a stranger.”

Light gave his words a gentle acknowledgement. Thinking of Vincent North’s lascivious look just now, he didn’t mind at all if Mu Chen danced with just him.

“But…” Mu Chen suddenly changed the subject, “As the Crown Prince, Gege should also consider himself. I can see that His Majesty is very anxious.”

Light turned stiff, and his dance steps visibly slowed down by a beat. He didn’t understand why the other party had suddenly shifted the conversation. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Oh…” The smile on Mu Chen’s lips didn’t diminish. “But I think you’ll miss a lot of chances if you always stick to me.”

“I’m an adult now and will attend social gatherings more frequently than before. I can help Gege take note of some people… What type does Gege like?”

“Someone gentle? Understanding?”

Light was momentarily stumped from Mu Chen’s successive questions…

What type of person does he like? He had really never thought about this.

Light stayed in the military all year round. The solemn and simple lifestyle there had made his quiet personality even more withdrawn. In the past, in order to deal with Jorah, he would occasionally attend one or two court banquets. Since Mu Chen came to the palace, those perfunctory social obligations were also no more.

In fact, in his youth, before Light joined the army, there were still admirers who were brave enough to come up to talk to him. However, usually after exchanging a few words, they would find him dull and boring, causing the conversation to be cut short. After spending a long time in the military, those people became even more hesitant to approach due to the oppressive aura he exuded, and any romantic thoughts they might have would instantly vanish with just one glance.

Thus, Jorah arranged partners for him. Those girls obviously felt nervous and a bit scared of him, but whether it was for the honor of the family or out of responsibility, they would still bite the bullet and strike up a conversation with him. Their words were so serious that it didn’t sound like a tone appropriate for their age. It was obvious that their speech had been meticulously revised by three or four etiquette teachers.

The primary topic would always revolve around how they would become an excellent Crown Prince’s wife—it was like writing an argumentative paper; first express one’s main point, followed by one, two, three, four, five secondary arguments.

And everytime Jorah introduced one of these girls to him, he would always say—

“She is the daughter of xx…”

“She has reached marriageable age this year…”

“She is impeccable at dealing with others, has a virtuous personality, and is excellent in every aspect…”

“What aren’t you satisfied about?”

Light had to admit that every girl that Jorah introduced to him undoubtedly had some good qualities but these had nothing to do with “liking”.

Thus, when Mu Chen asked what type of person he liked, it was hard to give a straightforward answer.

At this moment, Light seriously thought about it. If he had to say what type he liked…

Their personality shouldn’t be as dull as his, nor should they be afraid of him. It would be best if they were lively and cheerful. Although Light had never imagined what his other half would look like, a vague outline of a person with fair skin emerged in his mind.

Mhm.

He hoped they were a bit light-skinned.

Light furrowed his brows. Having considered all this…he realized that he seemed to be asking for too much.

“…or someone who looks pretty?”

A questioning voice in his ear pulled him out of his immersive thoughts.

Light suddenly snapped out of it. The pupils of his eyes reflected the other party’s delicate face that was so pale that it nearly glowed. Mu Chen’s azure blue eyes were looking straight at him.

His expression went blank for a moment.

Mu Chen took Light’s reaction as a silent affirmation to his question, crinkling his eyes. “So Gege likes good-looking people.”

“But it seems there’s a lot of beauties around Gege. I’m afraid they will have to be as beautiful as a fairy to make Gege fall for them.”

As they conversed, the music reached its most exciting climax. Along with the resonance of the strings, the men hugged their female partners and bent down.

Light held Mu Chen’s waist and leaned over, reverting to his usual calm tone. “I don’t care much…about appearance.”

“That’s true.” Mu Chen chuckled softly. “After all, I’m not that bad-looking either.”

Light froze in his steps, then—

“Takkk…”

There was a strange feeling on the sole of his shoes.

“Gege, you stepped on my feet.”

“Sorry…”

Light knitted his brows, trying to focus his attention back on the rhythm of the music, but the person in front of him didn’t seem to want to end the topic.

Mu Chen pondered for a moment, then asked, “Or rather, Gege likes girls who are cute?”

Cute…

Hearing this word, a figure unconsciously emerged in Light’s mind.

The cutest thing he had ever come into contact with was the merman when he was little. Back then, Mu Chen’s soft cheek still had some baby fat. He always liked to smile at him, then throw himself in his arms while calling him “Gege.”

The cute and clingy little merman from his memories slowly overlapped with the tall and striking young man in front of him. Light saw the other person’s gaze land on him.

“Gege, if you don’t tell me, how can I keep an eye out for you?”

Light sighed, then said in a somewhat helpless and indulgent tone, “You don’t have to worry about this matter.”

The melodious chords played the winding high notes, and as the musical piece reached its finale, the two people’s footsteps drew closer once again.

Light could clearly feel the grip of the hand intertwined with his fingers suddenly tighten a bit. Under the light and shadow, Mu Chen’s gaze seemed to have changed, and those always-smiling blue eyes now carried a deeper, sharper light.

“But as your little brother, I naturally care about what kind of person my future sister-in-law is.”

As the last note fell, warm applause from all around broke the tense atmosphere.

The opening dance had ended.

……

After the dance segment had ended, as the banquet’s main character, Mu Chen naturally became the focus of the whole audience. Almost all the guests present wanted to chat with him. Out of social etiquette, he would usually greet the other party with a smile.

As a result, the wine glass in Mu Chen’s hand would immediately become empty as soon as it was filled.

He had a good alcohol tolerance, so he wouldn’t really get drunk. However, owing to his light complexion, his face would easily flush.

Halfway through the banquet, when Light noticed him again among the crowd, Mu Chen’s cheeks were already flushed with a blush as radiant as the evening glow. He was still holding the wine glass, taking a sip after exchanging a few words with someone. He looked like a drunken merman who could easily be coaxed away with a few casual words.

Looking at the other party’s lips gradually turning red due to the liquid in the glass, Light furrowed his brows slightly. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to walk toward Mu Chen.

He didn’t know why, even though the other party was already an adult, he couldn’t refrain from worrying.

When he went over, Mu Chen was chatting with Field Marshal John Natt and his wife.

The Marshal’s wife was fond of the youth in front of her, and it just so happened that their son Xavier was the same age as Mu Chen, so the topic shifted to their child. “Tsk, I don’t know where Xavier ran off to. He’s only one month older than you. When he was a child, he went to the same elementary school as you, do you remember?”

Although he didn’t entirely remember who this “Xavier” was, Mu Chen still smiled at the Marshal’s wife. “That’s quite a coincidence indeed.”

“It really is! You should have applied to university this year, too…”

Halfway through speaking, the Marshal’s wife’s voice suddenly went quiet. Her gaze went past Mu Chen, her expression slightly changed. She bowed in greeting with John Natt. “Your Highness.”

Light slightly nodded at them, indicating that they didn’t need to be polite.

Mu Chen’s wine glass was already held up to his lips. When he saw Light, he stopped what he was doing and called out “Gege.”

The Marshal’s wife could tell that Light came over to talk to Mu Chen, so she took her husband’s hand, then said while smiling, “Today’s banquet is very enjoyable. You see, my son is so busy having fun that he is nowhere to be found. His father and I should go look for him. It’s really worrying…”

After speaking, she slightly lowered her head and smiled at the both of them. “Your Highness, I wish you a happy birthday.”

After bidding farewell to the Natt couple, Light took Mu Chen to a relatively deserted and secluded corner.

The young man in front of him had his eyelashes slightly drooping, and even the corners of his eyes were tinged with red. Because he had drunk a lot of wine, his originally light-colored thin lips had a rosy luster. His entire person looked like a luminous piece of liquor-filled chocolate. If broken open, you’d probably get a whiff of alcohol.

Light glanced at the wine glass in the other party’s hand, his brows furrowed. “Drink less.”

Mu Chen pursed his lips. “I didn’t drink much.”

Light touched the other party’s cheek with the back of his hand, feeling a hot sensation.

He unconsciously furrowed his brow—he’s burning up this much…

Yet it’s not much?

Just as Light opened his mouth to speak, he suddenly felt a burning hot sensation on his wrist.

Mu Chen held Light’s palm, caressing the other person’s fingers, allowing Light to put his palm against his other cheek. He tilted his head slightly, the long hair falling on one side covering the backs of their hands, causing an itchy feeling.

Mu Chen blinked, asking him in a coquettish tone, ‘Is it hot?”

Feeling the warm and soft sensation on his palm, Light fingers suddenly withdrew, and as if the special switch of a pump was turned on, his pulse beat violently again and again. His thin lips were pressed into a line, and he stiffly squeezed out a word—

“Hot.”

“Then I won’t drink anymore.” Mu Chen let go of Light’s hand and smiled at him like an obedient child, then he put the wine glass onto the tray of a passing waiter.

Although he agreed to stop drinking, Light saw that his cheeks were still red and estimated that the dizziness would not go away for a while. Furthermore, in his impression, this was the first time the merman drank so much alcohol. Light was a bit worried that Mu Chen wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

“I’m fine…just a bit dizzy.” Even though Mu Chen was now sober enough to complete three mechanical theory exams, the words he said sounded aggrieved and pitiful. Coupled with his rosy face at the moment, there was no sense of disobedience.

“I’ll go wash my face to sober up, Gege.”

“Okay.” Light looked at him, reminding him worriedly, “If you feel unwell, let me know.”

……

In the spacious restroom.

The man standing in front of the mirror had a sober and calm look in his eyes, with a conspicuous smile. Mu Chen curled the corner of his lips and wiped away the excess water droplets that dripped along his jawline with a tissue.

Gege’s reaction was much cuter than he had expected, like a tight net with all kinds of principles written on it. He would only verbally say “no” but actually had no idea on how to refuse him.

Mu Chen gathered his scattered long hair into a low ponytail behind his head, then schooled his face back into his usual gentle yet deceptive expression.

Bang!

There was a harsh sound of glass hitting against the table, and a stumbling figure barged in.

The other party’s entire body lay against the wall crookedly, a few strands of black hair scattered on his forehead. He was struggling to open his drooping eyelids—he looked quite drunk.

Mu Chen coldly swept a glance at the man and was about to leave; he had no intention of meddling in other people’s business.

Noticing Mu Chen’s blurry figure walking toward him from the corner of his eyes, Xavier’s elbow, which was supporting the table, suddenly slipped, and he almost stumbled and fell into the sink.

That was the defensive stance one took when they were about to get beaten up.

The atmosphere turned silent for a moment, and the anticipated pain didn’t come. Xavier cautiously lowered his arm, only to see Mu Chen’s face bathed in the bright light, radiating a soft, almost blurry whiteness. His gaze carried a hint of confusion as he looked at Xavier.

A buzzing sound resounded in his ears, and the aftermath of the liquor surged up at this moment. Before him, the boy’s stunning visage turned into four enigmatic shadows, momentarily blinding him.

Xavier’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The alcohol definitely numbed his brain to a certain extent, including the fear of Mu Chen engraved in his bones.

The vision in front of Xavier gave him a headache, and he realized that he had to do something.

He had to confront his nightmare!

But when he was about to speak to Mu Chen, his sluggish brain went blank; he couldn’t even utter a single word.

Xavier held his temples from the headache…

Why the heck did he come here today?

Indistinct and glaring images flashed through his mind in turns. He vaguely recalled several incomplete conversations, in which the word “engagement” seemed to have been mentioned.

Ah, right, engagement…

In the next second—

Xavier raised his wine glass and gave a straightforward smile to Mu Chen. “Congrats…on getting married.”

Mu Chen suddenly stopped in his steps, his expression turning stiff.

At this moment, the attendant who had rushed over walked in on this scene. He bowed to Mu Chen awkwardly, then leaned close to Xavier’s ear. “Young Master, you’re wrong! This isn’t a wedding banquet. You’re here for a birthday banquet today.”

“Ah?” Xavier was like a deaf at the moment. He asked in a voice so loud it seemed as if he feared no one within a hundred radius could hear him, “Why aren’t they getting married?”

Noticing Mu Chen’s increasingly frigid expression, the attendant felt the cold sweat dripping down his forehead. How should he explain this?

“Ohhhh…” Before waiting for a response, Xavier pushed the attendant away while staggering. He raised the corner of his lips and said in a tone of sudden realization, “I just remembered—it’s because His Highness Light canceled the engagement.

Mu Chen’s knuckles hanging at his side clenched slightly, and he suddenly felt somewhat of an itch.

He tightly closed his thin lips, barely suppressing the urge to punch the other party, and went straight out the door. He wasn’t in a mood to bother with this drunkard deliberately provoking trouble.

“Hey, don’t leave.” Xavier suddenly reached out to grab Mu Chen’s arm, and the red wine almost splashed across the other party’s white dress shirt.

Mu Chen held the tall glass that had begun to tilt. His eyes flickered open partially, a cold, distant light reflecting in their depths, and the air pressure around him seemed to drop by several degrees.

Xavier, however, was oblivious to the tension, patting Mu Chen on the shoulder. “Don’t be angry…uh, His Highness the Crown Prince must have his reasons for canceling the engagement.”

“What reasons?”

An emotionless voice floated over his head. These were the first words Mu Chen had said to Xavier since they bumped into each other in the restroom.

“You know….mhm, it’s…” Xavier furrowed his brows, trying to straighten his big tongue and gestured animatedly with his hands. “Do you know there’s a problem at the border that hasn’t been solved yet? The Zergs may be coming, you know, those ‘squeak squeak’…”

At this point, Xavier used two fingers to simulate the appearance of the Zergs crawling on the ground. “Very disgusting Zerg aliens.”

Mu Chen furrowed his brows slightly and grabbed Xavier’s arm. His gaze coldly swept over the man’s face, seeming to be pondering upon the truth of the matter. “Where did you get this information?”

He knew that there was a problem at the border, otherwise Light wouldn’t have stayed there for two whole years. However, whenever he asked him, Light would always tell him “It’s nothing, you don’t need to worry,” or “The problem will be solved soon,” and that he was simply performing some routine tasks.

When he was younger, Light would rub his head and fool him like this. It was useless no matter how coquettishly he acted.

And right now, Mu Chen’s thoughts gradually returned from his childhood memories. Light told him that the problem at the border was already solved, which is why he came back early. But if this drunkard’s words were true…

“I’m studying at a military school, of course I know.” Xavier felt his entire body was light as a feather, and his soul seemed to have separated from his body. He wasn’t thinking when he spoke. ‘Not only do I know this, I’m also going to drive a mecha to smash them all.”

As he said this, he made a motion of firing a machine gun.

Seeing as Mu Chen was still quietly standing there, Xavier staggered back and rubbed his nose, making the wine glass shake violently.

“Umm, His Highness the Crown Prince didn’t tell you?”

“…”

“Oh, he must’ve been worried about you haha.”

“You carefully, carefully, um…carefully think about it. Isn’t it possible he canceled the engagement because he has his own difficulties? So don’t…don’t worry. Once, once the Crown Prince resolves the border issue, he’ll come to marry you.”