Although Zhang Hong appeared calm and steady, his mind was in turmoil. Yu Tingyun, who had been pestering Yu Longdu daily to meet some talented young man, found herself at a loss for what to do in this sudden, almost arranged-meeting situation.
Not far away, Xia Huanao picked up a small piece of cake with his fork and crouched down to feed it to Yu Xiao Ning. Yu Xiao Ning opened her mouth and swallowed the cake. "Thank you, brother."
Xia Huanao handed the entire piece of cake to Yu Xiao Ning and then asked Shen Yu, "How is it? Any progress?"
Shen Yu shook her head. "These two are just standing there like statues."
Xia Huanao glanced over. "It's up to their fate."
While Xia Huanao’s approach was somewhat laissez-faire, Yu Longdu on the other side was more anxious. "I say, you two! What's with standing around like this!"
Meng Tianya, leaning against the wall nearby, watched Yu Longdu, who was more anxious than the protagonists. "No, you called me here just for this?"
"Of course! Yu Longdu and I planned this meticulously. Xia Huanao and his girlfriend are taking Xiao Ning aside to eat, and I came to find you so that those two would have some space."
Meng Tianya frowned. "Then why did you have to call me?"
Yu Longdu continued to stare intently at the two. "Naturally, your presence here is less conspicuous. My excuse will be more reasonable. Come on, a man should take the initiative!"
"You have the nerve to talk about others? I don't see you with a girlfriend yourself..."
...
Zhang Hong, taking the initiative, walked two steps forward and stood before Yu Tingyun, extending his hand. "Hello, my name is Zhang Hong. I'm a friend of Xia Huanao. My starter Pokémon is Snivy."
Yu Tingyun shook his hand. "I'm Yu Tingyun. My starter Pokémon is Cyndaquil..."
After saying this, they both chuckled. "I'm sorry, I was a bit nervous."
It had to be said that although they were meeting for the first time, there seemed to be fate guiding them. Their synchronicity was remarkably high, and before long, they were chatting and laughing. Shen Yu, standing nearby, nodded. "Hmm, it looks like it's working out."
Xia Huanao nodded and took a champagne flute from a waiter's tray... Wait, where did the waiter come from?
Xia Huanao turned his head and saw Yu Linglong standing nearby, dressed in a waiter's uniform.
Yu Linglong struck a pose. "How is it? Don't I look great like this?"
Xia Huanao nodded. "Indeed, this style gives you a different charm. What do you think, Xiao Yu?"
Xiao Yu turned her head. "Sister Linglong, you look beautiful."
Yu Linglong walked a couple of steps towards them and then looked at Zhang Hong and Yu Tingyun, who were still standing there. "How is it? Any progress?"
Xia Huanao pointed to the two figures now standing side-by-side. "It looks good, but I can't see clearly because they're both behind the table. If only I had a Ditto, I could send it over to take a look."
"Don't rush. Since the atmosphere between them isn't too stiff, it means there's a possibility of success. Once the dance music starts, if they dance a dance, then..."
Yu Linglong was about to say: "They'll naturally get together and start dating." but Xia Huanao interrupted her halfway. "...they'll go their separate ways and it'll be completely over..."
Yu Linglong looked at Xia Huanao. "Are you hoping for him to succeed or not? You sound like you're gloating."
Shen Yu took a piece of fruit from the table and handed it to Yu Xiao Ning, then explained on Xia Huanao's behalf, "Sister Linglong, don't blame Xia Huanao. Zhang Hong has absolutely no talent for dancing. If you were to have him play a robot, then he might have some talent."
Yu Linglong glanced at Zhang Hong. "He dares to attend a dance party like this? He's really going all out for Tingyun. But you two don't worry, Tingyun can't dance either."
Xia Huanao blinked. "This is really a case of hitting a hornet's nest. Neither of them can dance. To avoid losing face, theoretically neither would want to dance. I'm just worried now that they'll both think the other person can dance and can lead them, hoping to heat up their feelings. Wouldn't that be a joke?"
However, Xia Huanao's worries were completely unnecessary, because the two concerned individuals had already brought up their inability to dance themselves.
Zhang Hong looked at the men and women on the dance floor. "May, may I call you Tingyun?"
Yu Tingyun nodded. "Whatever you like. My friends all call me that."
"Tingyun, you don't seem to like this kind of scene very much. Then why did you come here?"
Yu Tingyun replied, "I don't really like dancing, but my brother told me that Chairman Xia would be here today. I came specifically to see Chairman Xia."
Zhang Hong subconsciously turned his head to look towards Xia Huanao. "It's for Xia Huanao."
Yu Tingyun nodded. "Yes, my goal is to be a top Contest Coordinator. I've always wanted to see the creator of Pokémon Contests. I'm very happy to have met him today. And..."
"And what?"
"And I met you."
Zhang Hong gave a slightly goofy smile. "You know, I don't like dancing either. When they sent me the invitation a few days ago, I was surprised. But now that I think about it, maybe that surprise was a good thing."
The few people watching from a distance felt relieved seeing the two of them chatting happily. Just then, the dance music started.
Listening to the beat of the music, Zhang Hong looked at Yu Tingyun. Yu Tingyun blushed. "If you want to dance, I'm okay with it."
Zhang Hong shook his head. "No, I'll just sit here and keep you company."
While they were enjoying a peaceful moment, there was a faint hint of tension on Xia Huanao's side.
A young man, about twenty years old, walked over with his female companion. "Chairman Xia, aren't you missing out by bringing such a beautiful girlfriend and not dancing a dance?"
Xia Huanao smiled and shook his head. "No, watching all of you dance is not an unpleasant experience for me."
The man released his grip on his companion and approached Shen Yu, putting on a gentlemanly smile. "Since Chairman Xia is unwilling to dance, would this lady be willing to grant me the honor of a dance?"
Shen Yu shook her head. "No, thank you for your invitation, but I'd prefer to stay by his side."
Saying this, they looked at each other and smiled, showering everyone with affection. Seeing that neither Xia Huanao nor Shen Yu had given him any face, the man turned and left without a word.
Xia Huanao looked at the resentful retreating figure and asked Yu Linglong, "Sister Linglong, what is this fellow?"
Yu Linglong seemed to dislike him as well. "He's not just 'a fellow.' His reputation is already terrible among the trainers in Linglong City. If it weren't for his Dong family background, he wouldn't even deserve to be here."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Longdu also approached. "Xia Huanao, are you alright? Was that Dong Qianli just now? Are you okay?"
Xia Huanao nodded. "Yes, don't worry, I'm fine. But does he have any past grievances with me? This is my first time in Linglong City."
Yu Longdu spat in his direction. "That sort of person always looks for trouble, regardless of who the other person is. As long as the other person has some reputation, he wants to latch onto them and step on them to prove he's better. But he's all talk and no action; I've never heard of him succeeding at anything."
Xia Huanao nodded. "So that's how it is. Then I don't need to take him too seriously."
Yu Longdu shook his head. "No, this kid might have his eyes on you. A toad clinging to your leg can be quite disgusting. And..."
Xia Huanao looked at Yu Longdu, who seemed hesitant to speak. "What is it? Does he have any special background? Like, is Chairman Ma Lanqi his grandfather, or some ridiculous story?"
Yu Longdu shook his head. "No, not to that extent. But I heard he only has a little less than half of Minglongan blood."
Xia Huanao became slightly interested. "We've known each other for more than a day. Could this kid have a majority of Lixian blood?"
"No, his majority bloodline is from that disgusting Lixian little brother next door."
Xia Huanao waved his hand. "Then it's nothing to worry about. With his brain, if he dares to say that Pokémon Contests were his invention, the Contest Coordinators would beat him to death."
"The inferiority inherited in his bloodline might come out and be disgusting one day."
"Don't mind him. Hey? Where did Zhang Hong and the two of them go?"
Everyone followed Xia Huanao's gaze. Zhang Hong and Yu Tingyun, who should have been standing there, were nowhere to be seen.
"Don't tell me Zhang Hong was bold enough to elope with the girl? Can they even get out of Linglong City?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhang Hong's voice was heard. "I say, Boss Xia, you have to take responsibility for what you say. Am I that kind of person?"
Xia Huanao turned his head and saw Zhang Hong holding Yu Tingyun's hand. "Why did you come over?"
"My girlfriend wanted to meet you, Chairman, and I. Is that not allowed?"
Xia Huanao shook his head. "Of course, it's fine. But you two are progressing quite quickly. How long has it been, and you're already holding hands?"
Zhang Hong, happy to have a girlfriend, was starting to show a bit of recklessness. He lifted the hand he was holding Yu Tingyun's with. "We fell in love at first sight, so after I confessed, we decided to try dating. How about it? I have a girlfriend now, so I won't have to eat the dog food you and Shen Yu feed me anymore."
Seeing Zhang Hong getting a bit carried away, Xia Huanao decided to provoke him a little. "Zhang Hong, I think you're asking for trouble."
Zhang Hong said with a smile, "I'm just speaking the truth. What's wrong, got a problem with that?"
Xia Huanao walked over to Shen Yu, then looked at Zhang Hong and shook his head. "No, I just want to tell you one thing: some dog food is unavoidable, no matter how hard you try to dodge it."
With that, Xia Huanao looked at Shen Yu deeply and kissed her.