Chapter 100

As the melodious piano music played, Meng Xiaowen, dressed in a white evening gown, slowly descended the curved staircase on the second floor.

Meng Xiaowen was undoubtedly a beauty. Her exposed shoulders, highlighted by the white dress, were flawless. Anyone with slightly less fair skin would not have been able to wear such a shoulder-exposing white dress without looking too dark.

Her hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching her waist. The stark contrast between the black and white colors created a strong visual impact. Every casual flick of her hair during the dance was enough to make one's heart skip a beat, making her seem extraordinarily beautiful and ethereal.

Her father greeted her as she walked down the stairs. Meng Xiaowen naturally took her father's arm and followed him onto the stage in the hall.

Ding Ning was seeing Meng Xiaowen's father for the first time. The man with the gold-rimmed glasses was very graceful, clearly a person of high status. He was also very refined, and Meng Xiaowen's good genes must have been inherited from her father.

As the piano music gradually came to a stop, the Meng family father and daughter stood on the stage.

Meng Xiaowen's father approached the microphone, gently pressing his palms down to quiet the audience, and the applause ceased.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to my daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. I am Meng Guodong..."

Meng Guodong gave a speech, saying a lot. Ding Ning was listening when he suddenly received a text message on his phone.

Ding Ning took it out and saw that it was from San Yan.

"I know about the gold case. Someone is looking for me, Brother Ding, you should be careful too."

The text was short but conveyed important information.

If Ding Ning didn't know about the gold case, he might have been confused, but now he understood. San Yan was in danger, and he himself might be in trouble.

He quietly put the phone back, maintaining a calm expression. The fact that San Yan could still send a text meant he was still safe. He would find him after this was over.

At this moment, Meng Guodong had finished speaking, and the dancing began.

Dancing was a must at such occasions. Meng Xiaowen also expressed her gratitude to her parents for raising her, and the first dance was with her father.

Inside the hall, men and women in red and green attire danced gracefully, creating a scene of peace and joy. Ding Ning didn't want to dance and sat back in the corner, thinking about how to find San Yan later.

Jin Mingshun also didn't go down to dance but stood there the whole time. Several female classmates invited him, but he politely declined with a smile.

Ding Ning noticed that Yue Ge'er also didn't dance.

The first dance ended, and now it was time for free invitations. Jin Mingshun, who had been standing, finally stood up and walked towards Meng Xiaowen with a smile.

After finishing her dance with her father, Meng Xiaowen also walked over. Jin Mingshun's smile grew wider, and he almost reached out his hand.

However, Meng Xiaowen passed by him and came directly to Ding Ning's side: "Ding Ning, can I invite you to dance?"

Ding Ning looked around and said, "Of course."

He had to give her this face.

Taking Meng Xiaowen's hand and supporting her slender waist, the two danced gracefully to the music.

Ding Ning didn't know how to dance, but as a cultivator, he could do anything, even something as simple as dancing. After a few steps, he became incredibly proficient.

There were definitely many people in the hall paying attention to them.

Jin Mingshun awkwardly withdrew his hand and muttered to himself, "I was too careless, but it's not too late. There's still a chance."

Meng Guodong, puzzled, watched Meng Xiaowen and Ding Ning dance and casually asked someone nearby, "Is this Xiaowen's classmate?"

Meng Xiaowen's brother, Meng Xiaosong, blinked, a bit hesitant. He felt that Ding Ning might be the person who sold the talismans, as his bodyguard had taken a photo of him, but he didn't look quite the same, being much thinner.

His bodyguard, however, had a better eye. After a while, he said to Meng Xiaosong, "Young Master, this is the person who sold the talismans. He defeated me, so I won't be wrong."

"Oh! It's really him!"

Meng Xiaosong's eyes lit up, and he immediately told his father about it.

Meng Guodong's eyes also brightened. "Great, we've been looking for him for so long, and it turns out he's Xiaowen's classmate. This is wonderful. Have Xiaowen invite him over; your grandfather has wanted to meet this person for a long time."

"Okay, but Dad, look at Xiaowen. She seems to like this Ding Ning quite a bit?"

Meng Guodong frowned slightly. As someone with experience, he could see things more clearly. After dancing with her father, Xiaowen immediately ran to find Ding Ning. Although there wasn't a big problem yet, there were signs of something developing.

Meng Xiaosong continued, "Dad, regardless of what Ding Ning is like, you know that the Jin family has put a lot of effort into Xiaowen's coming-of-age ceremony. Old Jin has already designated Xiaowen as his future daughter-in-law and has talked to you about it many times."

Meng Guodong frowned even more. If Meng Xiaowen really had feelings for Ding Ning, this would be a difficult situation. Jin Mingshun's affection for Xiaowen was no secret, and the old man hadn't said anything about it. Plus, Meng Xiaowen herself had said she didn't want to date so early, so the matter had been put on hold.

For today's event, the Jin family had specially cleared the Blue Night early. Although it was for Meng Xiaowen's coming-of-age ceremony, everyone knew it was also a preparation for an alliance with the Meng family.

The Jin family was one of the top families in Haibin, with a political background. The head of the Jin family was the current Deputy Secretary of the Haibin Municipal Committee and was likely to advance this year. If he became the Secretary, he would be a key figure in the central government.

Meng Guodong was originally happy about this, but now, if Meng Xiaowen had feelings for Ding Ning, it would be hard to explain to the Jin family.

"You stay here and watch. I'll go see your grandfather."

Saying this, Meng Guodong headed straight for the second floor. The old man was there today but didn't want to appear in the crowd. He just wanted to see his granddaughter grow up.

Meng Xiaosong also realized the seriousness of the situation and remained silent, thinking, "Sis, you need to be careful."

Ding Ning and Meng Xiaowen danced, holding her soft, delicate hand. He didn't have many thoughts. Meng Xiaowen was beautiful, but as a cultivator, his path was destined to be different from that of ordinary people. He didn't want to get entangled with any woman.

Meng Xiaowen, however, was quite happy. At the end of the dance, she said to Ding Ning, "Thank you for the gift you gave me. I've been wearing it all along."

"I'm glad you like it."

Ding Ning smiled and let go of her hand, preparing to leave the dance floor.

At this moment, Jin Mingshun, who had been standing nearby, walked over to Meng Xiaowen and said, "Xiaowen, can we dance a song?"

Meng Xiaowen glanced at Jin Mingshun, then at Ding Ning, and waved her hand. "No, I'm a bit tired. I won't dance today."

Meng Xiaowen returned to her family, and Jin Mingshun's face turned sour.

He had already come out, and it would be too embarrassing to go back now. He looked around and walked towards Yue Ge'er, who was standing aside.

He had noticed this girl for a long time. She was young and very beautiful, almost on par with Meng Xiaowen. He had always wanted to dance with Meng Xiaowen and didn't have the heart to invite her, but now that Meng Xiaowen wasn't dancing, it was fine to invite her.

He slowly walked towards Yue Ge'er and extended his hand. "Beautiful lady, can we dance a song together?"

"No, I think I've found a dance partner."

Yue Ge'er refused straightforwardly, walking past Jin Mingshun and heading towards Ding Ning, who was about to leave the dance floor.

"Sir, do you have time now? Can you teach me how to dance?"

Ding Ning smiled wryly. Yue Ge'er's tone was slightly sour, was she upset that he didn't dance the first song with her?

"My pleasure."

Ding Ning took Yue Ge'er's hand and entered the dance floor again.

Jin Mingshun felt like finding a hole to crawl into. This was the first time in his life he had experienced such consecutive failures, and he had never been so embarrassed.

His youthful composure was not deep enough. Jin Mingshun, with a green face, walked out of the dance floor, ignoring the two women who wanted to invite him. He found someone and said, "Find out where this country bumpkin came from. I want him to be humiliated in public today!"

Ding Ning, who was dancing with Yue Ge'er, heard Jin Mingshun's words with his sensitive hearing.

A cold smile appeared on his lips. If that's how it was, let's see who ends up humiliated.