When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 465: So In Love!

Chapter 465: So In Love!

Shen Nianzu instinctively snapped his head to the source of the commotion, only to lock eyes with Jin Jiuchi’s whose features were twisted in a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Gasping softly, Shen Nianzu’s immediate reaction was to distance himself from Noir, but he stopped himself in time before he could make a move. Wait a minute, why would he act like... like he had been caught cheating? It’s not like he had done anything wrong, for God’s sake; he was just exchanging information with Noir! Don’t tell him that Jin Jiuchi would be so unreasonable as to be jealous over such a trivial matter!

"What’s the ruckus all about?!" The King demanded with a displeased look.

"Forgive the disturbance, Your Majesty!" The guard swiftly dropped to one knee, bowing his head low. "This lady here... she didn’t bring a mouse, but she still insisted on entering! We were just—"

"It’s alright," Noir interjected calmly. "Let him in."

At his command, the guards complied with a respectful bow and withdrew from the ballroom, leaving Jin Jiuchi – this gigantic 1.9-meters and muscular lady – alone. As soon as Jin Jiuchi took his first step into the ballroom, the atmosphere shifted ever so subtly. Everyone couldn’t seem to tear their eyes off him for some unknown reason.

The NPCs found themselves mesmerized and spellbound. "Who’s that?" was the question they asked the most.

"I have never seen such a stunning lady before."

"Where did she get that dress from? It’s absolutely gorgeous...!"

"Wow, I’d like to invite her for a dance!"

On the contrary, the players were utterly dumbfounded.

"W–Wait a minute, my eyes are not playing a trick on me, right?" Six stammered as she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, yet the scene in front of her remained unchanged. "That person... is supposed to be Cinderella?"

Grapefruit nearly choked on his wine. "But he... he is..."

He is a man!

No matter from which angle one inspected it, he looked like a man through and through regardless of how beautiful or elegant his dress was. This could only mean one thing: Cinderella was a player as well!

As Jin Jiuchi stormed into the ballroom, people subconsciously parted ways for him, either due to his aggressively large build or the fierce intensity in his eyes. From the start to the end, however, his gaze remained locked on Shen Nianzu and Noir in the center of the dance floor, causing Shen Nianzu’s heart to skip a beat.

No way, don’t tell him...

Jin Jiuchi wouldn’t have intended to ask him for a dance, would he? He wouldn’t be so stupid as to act out of character in front of hundreds of NPCs and the evil Queen, right?? But knowing Jin Jiuchi’s devil-may-care temperament, that sounded like the exact thing he would do!

Upon reaching them, Jin Jiuchi immediately blurted out, "Sister Rosie—"

Shen Nianzu’s mind spun rapidly in that split second, prompting him to interject before Jin Jiuchi could finish his sentence. His instinct as an Elite player was screaming at him that he must not allow Jin Jiuchi to speak further! "Your gown looks stunning," he remarked, stepping back while shooting a warning glare at Jin Jiuchi. "It pains me to admit it, but you look way better than me tonight."

"Nonsense—"

"What? You want to dance with His Highness as well?"

"I want to dance—"

"Well, I’ve got my turn so I guess I should retreat for now?"

Jin Jiuchi’s complexion oscillated between red and blue at being interrupted again and again. Reaching the peak of his frustration, he glowered, "I said, I want to dance with—"

"—me?" Noir seamlessly inserted himself between them before forcibly grabbing Jin Jiuchi’s hand. Each word he spoke seemed to have been forced out through gritted teeth as though it physically pained him to voice them aloud. "It will be. Such an honor."

Shen Nianzu shot him a grateful look before turning away, intending to retreat into a corner where he would be able to observe everything clearly as his role was done here, but how could Jin Jiuchi let him leave just like that? They had a very important thing to do! Nian’er had promised him a dance!

But alas, before he could call after Shen Nianzu, Noir pinched the back of his hand hard, eliciting a surprised yelp from him. Fortunately, the sound was drowned out by the music that started just in time.

"What the hell, dude? I ain’t got time for you." Jin Jiuchi remarked with a disdainful click of his tongue. He tried to shake Noir’s hand off to no avail, as the man had a death grip on him. "Can you read the room and get lost?"

The veins on Noir’s forehead throbbed and he looked as if he was contemplating whether he should murder Jin Jiuchi right there and then, only to be restrained by an extremely thin string of reason. "Shut up," he gritted out. "Do you think I want to dance with a big ass woman like you?"

"Then don’t!" Jin Jiuchi yelled angrily and stomped on Noir’s foot with the sharp edge of his heel. He didn’t do it on purpose, of course.

Noir’s jaws ticked and he retaliated by stepping on Jin Jiuchi’s other foot, causing the latter’s eyes to widen in anger. As they locked eyes, the tension between them intensified to a feverish height. The scent of gunpowder seemed to hang in the air, while an electric charge crackled between the lines of their eye contact.

Almost in unison, the two of them began to step on each other’s feet, their movements full of hostility as they exchanged glares brimming with murderous intent.

To the spectators, however, it looked as though the two of them were engaged in a passionate dance, their bodies circling and twisting around each other, causing Jin Jiuchi’s skirt to flare out like a blossoming black flower. Even the music took on a heavy, dramatic tone, amplifying the intensity of their performance.

"Oh my..." a certain young lady blushed, hiding her face with her hands. "I had thought that Lady Rosie was the perfect match for His Highness, but this lady... she is on a whole different level."

"You’re absolutely right," another agreed. "I have never seen such an intimate and emotional dance before!"

"Goodness, the two of them must be so in love!"

One was a high-level player, while the other was a nightmare creature; both possessed sharp hearing that allowed them to pick up the whispers and murmurs around. They locked eyes with each other before turning away at the same time, mimicking a gagging motion.

"Hey!" Jin Jiuchi exclaimed, affronted. "I’m the one who should be insulted here, okay?! I’m supposed to be dancing with Nian’er right now!"

"Shut up," Noir deadpanned, already drained of energy. "Don’t talk to me, or I’m going to hurl."

Jin Jiuchi scoffed in mockery, "Ha! Who’s talking to whom, dumbass?"

As a result of their shenanigans, Noir inadvertently stepped on the hem of Jin Jiuchi’s gown, causing the latter to lose his balance.

"Woah, woah, woah—!" Jin Jiuchi cried out in surprise as he began to tilt backward, and he instinctively reached out to grab Noir to steady himself. But alas, he had totally underestimated his weight and coupled with the heft of the cumbersome dress, Noir was also in danger of being pulled down with him!

In the corner of the ballroom, Shen Nianzu covered his eyes by reflex, unable to bring himself to watch the scene of disaster. However, the cries of shock from spectators seemed a little different than he expected. Instead of alarm and horror, they sounded... excited?

Intrigued, Shen Nianzu cautiously peeked out through the gap between his fingers, only to see that... Noir had successfully stuck his leg out in the nick of time to regain his balance, catching Jin Jiuchi by the waist at the same time! But as a result, the two of them ended up in a classical pose of a prince catching his falling princess...

It was a scene fraught with tension and ambiguity.

Shen Nianzu: "..."

Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Hold it in, Shen Nianzu. You must not burst into laughter.

Due to Jin Jiuchi’s current posture, the hem of his skirt rose slightly, revealing the pair of glass slippers adorning his feet. The King, who had been sitting motionlessly on his throne, abruptly sprang up as though he had been greatly stimulated.

"You..." His voice crackled with urgency. "Where did you acquire them from?!"