The Cannon Fodder Became the Empire's Beloved Omega - Chapter 43

Unable to resist the surrounding chatter, Yu Ruan also opened his email.

A bolded headline immediately jumped out at him: [Official Notice: The opening dance participant will be selected via lottery and will make an appearance alongside the banquet’s guest of honor.] ??

Opening dance? Appearing alongside the banquet’s guest of honor?

Translated, didn’t that mean, the opening dance would be with Ye Yizhou?

No wonder everyone was so excited.

Yu Ruan closed the message, his heart uneasy. It seemed the lottery was open to all attendees everyone had a chance. But with his skill level, if he were actually chosen to dance on stage, he’d most likely end up embarrassing both himself and his partner.

He really, really hoped he wouldn’t be picked.

The people around him had already launched into animated discussions:

“Is the news for real? This year’s Stellar Gala is really pulling out all the stops!” “To think we might get to dance with Ye Yizhou. I never would’ve dared to dream of it. How lucky would the chosen one be?” “Hey, isn’t it said that the Regent is incredibly shrewd and hard to get along with?” “It’s just a dance, not a marriage proposal. Why overthink it?”

After buzzing with excitement for a while, they finally remembered Yu Ruan was nearby. Rumor had it he’d been personally brought back from the resource planet by Ye Yizhou himself, so their relationship was probably quite close. Unable to hold back their curiosity, they asked, “Won’t you share your thoughts, Your Highness? Even a little hint would help!”

“Yeah, yeah, what’s the Regent really like? Give us some insider info, Your Highness!” “Wow, my heart’s pounding. I’m so nervous!” “Right, please don’t let it be me.”

Yu Ruan stared at them blankly. Before he could respond, a female voice chimed in, “Speaking of which, isn’t Your Highness also on the candidate list?”

He nodded reflexively.

“That’s perfect!” Her eyes lit up, sparkling as she exclaimed, “Even though I have terrible luck, I’ll bless you to be chosen, Your Highness! Someone as gentle, kind, and understanding as you would be the perfect match for a tall, handsome, and imposing figure like the Regent! Ugh, it’s just too perfect to imagine!”

“…?” Yu Ruan struggled to grasp the meaning behind her words. Unfortunately, after pondering for a long time, he still couldn’t decipher the intent of her last sentence.

But he understood the first part well enough she was wishing for him to be selected in the lottery and dance the opening dance with Ye Yizhou.

What kind of cruel fate was that?!

Yu Ruan quickly shook his head. “No, no, really, that’s not necessary. Thank you for your kindness, but I’m a terrible dancer. It’s better if I’m not chosen. I hope one of you gets picked instead, I’m sure you will!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the hall lights suddenly dimmed.

A familiar figure appeared not far away, poised and handsome. A half-mask of bright silver obscured his brow, and he wore an impeccably tailored pure black formal suit that emphasized his tall, straight posture, making him appear even more noble and extraordinary.

Instantly, a wave of hushed murmurs swept through the crowd.

Seemingly oblivious, the man wore a faint smile as he reached toward the table at the center of the hall and pressed the lottery button.

Just then, Yu Ruan received a message.

He opened his inbox and was surprised to find it was from Gu Yu. Puzzled, he read the brief text, which said in a calm tone, “What’s your number?”

After the opening dance came the random partner selection segment. Yu Ruan hesitated for a moment before typing on the screen: 【Number 001.】

After a brief thought, he couldn’t resist adding: 【What about you?】

Pressing the send button, Yu Ruan watched the small envelope icon slide away with a “ding,” indicating the message had been delivered. An inexplicable nervousness washed over him.

Although the earlier misunderstanding had made him too embarrassed to stand before Gu Yu again, at this moment, he inexplicably hoped that the person he would be paired with was the other.

A few seconds later, the communication indicator light blinked. Yu Ruan answered and heard the other’s voice echoing in his ear: “I’m number 9…”

Before he could finish, a string of numbers suddenly appeared on the distant screen. A familiar, deep voice spread through the microphone as Ye Yizhou said with a hint of amusement, “Hmm… Student Number 001, it’s an honor to share a dance with you?”

“…” Yu Ruan froze.

As if the surrounding crowd wasn’t making things awkward enough, they chimed in with regret: “Ah! Why is it Number 001? What a shame!” “Wah, I still wanted to dance with His Highness the Regent! So frustrating!” “Ahh, who’s this lucky person? Come out and let us admire you!”

Hearing the sudden silence on the other end of the call, Yu Ruan felt utterly flustered.

He tentatively asked, “Gu Yu?”

“Where are you?” the other interrupted briskly. “I’ll come find you.”

Yu Ruan glanced around and answered honestly, “By the central pillar, the one on the west side.”

“Wait for me.”

Before Yu Ruan could reply, the call ended abruptly. He stood there in a daze, unsure whether to step forward obediently or stay put and wait for Gu Yu to arrive.

“Is Student Number 001 here?” Seeing no one step forward, the host immediately came out and repeated the question, “If you’re present, could you please come forward?”

Yu Ruan hesitated, about to step out, when a faint scent of lime drifted over. His nose twitched slightly as someone grabbed his wrist and whispered, “Wait.”

He looked over. “What’s wrong?”

“Give me your number tag,” Gu Yu said, his eyes lowered, his expression hidden beneath the dark silver mask. “I’ll exchange mine with yours.”

Yu Ruan blinked in confusion.

He hadn’t expected the other to be so considerate. He had thought Gu Yu was already being incredibly kind by taking the time to teach him how to dance. But now, fearing that Yu Ruan might embarrass himself in public, Gu Yu was even willing to take his place and dance with Ye Yizhou.

The young master is so wonderful!

Yu Ruan was deeply moved.

However…

He hesitated before saying, “Won’t swapping number tags like this cause trouble for you?”

“I’ve asked Cheng Mu to adjust the backend data,” Gu Yu replied, stretching out his gloved hand. “Give it to me.”

Yu Ruan nodded blankly and retrieved the number tag from his pocket to hand it over.

In the distance, the host’s voice rang out again: “Student Number 001?” His brows were deeply furrowed, clearly displeased with this student who seemed either undisciplined or disrespectful.

Beside him, Ye Yizhou’s expression remained relatively calm. He seemed to have grown somewhat intrigued by this elusive Number 001, a deeper smile curling at the corners of his lips as he murmured something into his earpiece. After a moment, a look of realization crossed his face, and he suddenly glanced in Yu Ruan’s direction.

Caught off guard by his gaze, Yu Ruan froze for a moment. Before he could react, he saw Ye Yizhou striding purposefully toward him, parting the crowd and stopping just a step away.

Gu Yu, expression indifferent, took advantage of their positions to calmly slip his number tag into Yu Ruan’s pocket, seemingly oblivious to Ye Yizhou’s approach. The pure black tag, marked with “001,” was held between two fingers, faintly reflecting light and clearly displaying the number at its center.

Gu Yu lifted his eyes, his tone casual as he said, “Sorry, I was talking and didn’t notice the announcement.”

Ye Yizhou let out a low, ambiguous chuckle.

His gaze shifted, a glint of amusement in his deep gray eyes as he scanned the crowd. For a moment, Yu Ruan felt as if he had been completely seen through, a wave of guilt washing over him.

Flustered, Yu Ruan averted his eyes and said with little confidence, “Sorry.”

Gu Yu’s eyes shifted slightly, his gaze sweeping over Yu Ruan. After a moment, he said to Ye Yizhou, “Let’s begin.”

Ye Yizhou neither agreed nor disagreed. He studied Gu Yu with a hint of amusement for a few seconds before extending his hand to Yu Ruan. “Come on,” he said, pausing briefly before lowering his voice with a light laugh. “Student number 001.”

“…” So he had noticed after all.

Yu Ruan instinctively glanced at Gu Yu. As expected, Gu Yu’s sharp, defined jaw was tense, his thin lips pressed tightly together. The usual calm in his expression had mostly vanished, replaced by a chilling glint in his eyes.

Why was he so angry?

Seeing Gu Yu’s expression, Yu Ruan felt a mix of confusion and gratitude. While touched by his concern, he couldn’t help but think the reaction was a bit exaggerated.

Seemingly noticing his hesitation, Gu Yu glanced sideways, a flicker of unreadable emotion passing through his dark blue eyes. A few seconds later, he looked away and said calmly, “Go ahead.”

Ye Yizhou watched the two with a smile, raising an eyebrow slightly at Yu Ruan and gesturing with an inviting “please.”

“…” Realizing there was no way out, Yu Ruan braced himself and walked over. He placed his hand on Ye Yizhou’s fingertips and was smoothly led onto the dance floor.

“Don’t worry,” Ye Yizhou said, picking up on the Omega’s nervousness. He leaned in slightly, letting out a meaningful chuckle near Yu Ruan’s ear. “I’ll spare your dignity and not embarrass you in public.”

“…” Yu Ruan’s face flushed with embarrassment instantly.

Help, just how many people knew he was terrible at dancing?! QAQ

Noticing his reaction, Ye Yizhou seemed to find it amusing and couldn’t help but chuckle again. Taking his partner’s hand, he stepped back slightly, guiding him to the center of the dance floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu Ruan could almost sense a cold, piercing gaze from afar like ice frozen for a thousand years, chilling to the bone.

As the melodious music began, the two figures in the center of the dance floor stood under the lights and started to move.

“Interview time, how is our Young Master Gu feeling right now?”

Cheng Mu’s slightly weary voice came through the microphone. Gu Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he stood motionless, listening to him sigh. “Are you regretting it now? Not letting me rig the draw earlier. What a loss.”

Gu Yu said nothing.

His eyes were fixed on the two figures at the center of the dance floor. For the first time, he felt a surge of anger akin to having his territory invaded. Restless pheromones stirred within him, clamoring to burst forth and reclaim the person from the other’s grasp, leaving him no room to ponder Cheng Mu’s words.

This feeling was wrong.

Gu Yu pressed his lips together, turned, and walked alone into the crowd, concealing himself in a corner. A boiling heat surged through his veins. He lowered his lashes, forcibly suppressing the agitation, and silently furrowed his brow.

Wrong.

He couldn’t let this happen.

His pheromones were too aggressive. Even though everyone present was an Alpha, few could withstand them. Most would be driven to madness in an instant, collapsing and ending up in the hospital. And now, among the crowd was…

Through the sea of people, Gu Yu’s gaze drifted toward the center of the dance floor. The Omega wearing a pale golden mask appeared slightly flustered, cheeks tinged with pink. His sea-blue eyes shifted with a hint of confusion, as if searching for something in the crowd.

Suddenly, their eyes met. As if finally relieved, the other person pursed his lips slightly and offered Gu Yu a gentle smile.

It felt as if a corner of his heart had melted, softening instantly into a puddle.

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