Xiao Wenliu grabbed Tie Ci’s arm, saying, “Brother Ye, Brother Ye, I’ll dance with you. Later we’ll find a chance to step on that woman’s feet!”

Tie Ci didn’t dare pull her into the center, saying, “You just watch from here, don’t run around.” She then pulled Dan Shuang up.

Dan Shuang seemed momentarily flustered.

Tie Ci rarely saw her show such an expression. Her peripheral vision unconsciously drifted to Dan Shuang’s side, where she saw Tall Guy apparently quickly withdrawing his hand.

What was this about…

Just now… was that fellow trying to grab Dan Shuang’s hand, or wanting to pull Dan Shuang to dance?

Tie Ci immediately felt displeased.

Her fine cabbage in the field – it was normal for pigs to covet it, but thinking they could just casually dig it up was unacceptable!

While pulling Dan Shuang toward the dance floor, she said, “Hey, following me all these years, you’ve seen quite a bit. Don’t be easily deceived by someone.”

Dan Shuang said sternly, “He wishes!”

Tie Ci: “He, he who? You’re already taking your seat by number?”

Dan Shuang immediately became uncomfortable, and after a long pause squeezed out, “Master is such a hero – turning men into cut-sleeves, turning women into lilies. I dare not say I’m not far behind, but I certainly won’t be easily conquered!”

“What kind of heroism is that? Be softer, girl. Dating doesn’t require submission and compromise, but it doesn’t require murderous intent either.” Tie Ci flicked her wrist, “You just don’t easily pay attention to him. People from my Ruixiang Palace won’t be married off unless they pass five trials and slay six generals. Come, dance. Let him see your breathtakingly beautiful dance moves, then let him yearn tragically and hopelessly.”

Dan Shuang spun around following her gesture, rarely blushing, “What marry not marry. There’s no such thing.”

Tie Ci smiled and embraced her waist.

The two had learned ballroom dancing from their master. During their conversation, they unconsciously began performing it. Most of those dancing by the bonfire were paired up, but they were all dancing randomly – nothing like the fluid beauty of ballroom dancing. Even though Tie Ci was playing the plain-looking Erdan, the elegant grace she exuded with every gesture still drew constant glances.

Miss Pingzong obviously noticed too, stopped to observe for a while. Being clever herself, she followed along for a few steps, learned it, and began dancing with the cook.

The cook was obviously also clever and could follow the dance steps, but not smoothly – he kept stepping on Miss Pingzong’s feet.

Miss Pingzong kept getting stepped on but was unwilling to let go of the cook. She just kept twitching while dancing, like having cramps.

Later, unable to bear it anymore, every time the cook was about to step on her, she would lift him up.

Cook: “…”

Tie Ci gracefully danced with Dan Shuang to their side when Tie Ci suddenly said, “Change partners.” With a push and pull, she had already pushed Dan Shuang to Pingzong and taken back the cook herself.

Both of them spun around, suddenly finding different people in front of them – the whole sequence flowing like water.

Dan Shuang was fine, having grown up with Tie Ci after all. She just coldly looked down at Pingzong.

But Pingzong was already stunned, staring straight ahead, not yet understanding how the person had changed.

Over there, the cook looked delighted, grabbing Tie Ci and happily swinging in a circle, spinning three zhang away in an instant.

“I knew you’d come save me,” he said. “How could you bear to let me dance with that female weasel?”

Tie Ci looked at him steadily, smiled benevolently, then suddenly thrust her arm.

This time the cook was thrown into the boat captain’s arms.

Boat captain: “…”

With this turn, Tie Ci spun in front of Tall Guy, who had somehow been pulled into the center as well.

Tall Guy saw her like seeing a fierce beast, quickly grabbing someone nearby to take his place.

That person turned out to be Shorty, who had been happily dancing paired with Tall Guy. Opening his eyes to see the person in front of him, he trembled with fright, then squatted down holding his leg with a bitter face – cramp.

At this moment, Dan Shuang spun back over.

Pingzong finally reacted and spun her away. Dan Shuang naturally refused, and the two grabbed each other’s arms, wrestling like bulls in the center for a while. Dan Shuang was finally slightly inferior and got thrown out.

Dan Shuang spun out huffily, looking for her Crown Princess. As she turned her head, she saw Tall Guy standing in front of her.

Tall Guy looked at her, she looked at Tall Guy. Tall Guy slightly raised his hand. Dan Shuang was still angry at this moment, and in a moment of heated emotion, blurted out, “Go step on her foot and make her fall out, then I’ll dance with you.”

Tall Guy snorted, “Who wants to dance with you?”

Dan Shuang’s gaze turned cold.

But Tall Guy had already danced over. At this time, Pingzong was looking for where the cook had spun to, when unexpectedly a tall figure loomed over, grabbed her and spun, stepping on her feet while spinning. Before Pingzong could react, she had already been stepped on seven or eight times.

Stepped on until Pingzong couldn’t bear it anymore, she raised her hand and threw Tall Guy away.

Tall Guy landed right in front of Dan Shuang. The two looked at each other for a long moment, then Tall Guy tilted his head, “How was the stepping?”

Dan Shuang’s lips curved upward, but she desperately pressed them down, saying coldly, “Not bad.”

Tall Guy: “…So?”

Dan Shuang remained cold, with a slightly helpless expression, also tilting her head.

The two tilted in opposite directions and moved several steps facing each other.

Then Tall Guy finally made up his mind, quickly placing his hand on Dan Shuang’s arm – not like preparing to dance, but more like a grappling technique.

He grappled her like this.

Dan Shuang slightly yielded, then stopped.

The two looked at each other again, then began dancing.

The details were romantic when described, but to others, these two sailors looked peculiar.

Like an ugly pair of cut-sleeves.

Only Shorty could probably see the subtlety in such details.

He had long left the crowd, serving himself oyster wine to drink. While drinking, he watched the interplay of glances and movements between the two, clicking his tongue in admiration mixed with faint worry – afraid they’d step on feet and ruin the atmosphere while dancing, afraid this good time couldn’t last, afraid that girl’s temper was too big and if she butted heads with Mu Si they’d fight every day afterward, which would be bad luck for him… Countless tangles ran through his mind, but finally he remembered the girl on his back that day, gentle yet strong, softly telling him “I don’t mind.”

Shorty’s oyster wine dripped to the ground, and he suddenly became a bit dazed.

The scene became somewhat chaotic, with everyone spinning around. Xiao Wenliu was very obedient – since Tie Ci wouldn’t let her up, she stayed put, watching and giggling.

Lan Xian’er stayed by her side, serving her congee, soup, and low-alcohol oyster wine. After several consecutive bowls, Xiao Wenliu felt her lower abdomen getting more and more bloated. Finally unable to bear it, she pulled Lan Xian’er and quietly walked toward a less crowded area.

On the dance floor, after the cook was thrown out by Tie Ci, he still wouldn’t give up. In the crowd, he inconspicuously but determinedly approached Tie Ci again. Suddenly someone turned around and grabbed his hand. He was delighted for a moment, only to discover it was a greasy sailor from the ship.

The cook threw that fellow out, spun another circle, and this time Pingzong appeared in front of him.

Pingzong looked delighted, as if she’d discovered the charm of this hide-and-seek game. The cook didn’t find it charming at all. He smiled at Pingzong, then swiftly turned his back.

But suddenly someone grabbed him. Turning his head, he saw it was Pingzong. Pingzong used force in her hands, wanting to make him spin around and return to her embrace.

But someone danced over leisurely, reached out and grabbed the cook’s other arm.

For a moment, the cook had two people front and back – Pingzong and Tie Ci each holding an arm, wrestling for control.

Tie Ci suddenly remembered a story. Two mothers fought over a child, and the judge brought a knife to cut the child in half – the real mother let go.

Now it was similar – whoever used more force, whoever didn’t feel heartache.

She didn’t feel heartache, so she didn’t let go.

Miss Pingzong felt more heartache and immediately released her grip.

The cook happily fell into Tie Ci’s embrace, not caring at all about Tie Ci’s lack of heartache.

The two embraced and gracefully spun in a circle.

However, Miss Pingzong was not someone who would swallow her anger.

She had released the man she fancied, but she wouldn’t let go of the person who dared to steal him.

Before one circle was complete here, she had already spun over there. This time raising her hand, she grabbed toward Tie Ci’s shoulder.

Her left hand’s five fingernails were snow-white and hard as solid ice, while her right hand’s five fingernails were slightly tinged with red, emanating heat before even getting close – actually left and right hands possessed completely opposing hot and cold internal energies.

Before Tie Ci could dodge, the cook suddenly turned his head, and those hot and cold claws were about to grab his face.

Pingzong hurriedly shifted her steps, her fingers sliding and stabbing into the shoulder of someone who had just turned around.

That person screamed miserably. His left shoulder instantly covered with a layer of frost-white, while his right shoulder showed five charred black holes with dried, cooked flesh around the edges and singed, curled clothing.

It was a sailor from the ship who had been dancing merrily and suddenly met disaster.

With an incident on the dance floor, the joyful dancers stopped and stared in amazement at this conflict.

Pingzong stood in the center, frowning as she looked at the sailor on the ground. She showed little regret or remorse, didn’t find it troublesome, but more surprise and dissatisfaction that things hadn’t gone smoothly. Then she simply clapped her hands, “Stop dancing!”

The boat captain hurried over, looking at the sailor’s injuries – the man was obviously ruined.

This person was his capable subordinate. Experienced hands were precious, but being on the ghost island, he dared not say anything and silently dragged the man away.

The boat owner was also in the crowd. Seeing this, he quickly retreated from the crowd and hid to one side.

Pingzong acted as if nothing had happened, announcing to everyone on her own, “I’ve taken a fancy to someone. Tonight is my wedding night.”

The islanders began cheering.

Pingzong said to the boat owner again, “Prepare the dowry gifts. Double the usual amount.”

The boat owner looked troubled but dared not refuse.

Pingzong then walked toward the cook, taking his hand, “Come on, I’ll take you to my home.”