Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

As dusk streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, all the lights in the hall were already on.

Oil lamps, wind lamps, and flower lamps—light of various colors—hanged down from the ceiling, filling the entire room.

Two long tables were joined together and piled high with food: roast meat, stew, bread, and fruit platters.

The cake was placed in the center, topped with five layers of cream and icing flowers, shimmering in the candlelight.

Everyone had arrived; all of Lin Yu's women, except Holly who had gone to her grandmother's, were there.

Arya was standing on the left side of the long table, wearing a light blue dress, her hair braided and hanging down in front of her chest, with a light-colored ribbon tied to the end of the braid.

Bell was beside her, his deep red coat had a lower neckline than usual, revealing his silver-clad breasts, and his belt was tightly cinched at his waist, accentuating his figure.

Cecilia stood a little further away, having changed into a dark gray long dress, and had her hair combed back and tied up with a wooden hairpin.

Vera leaned against a pillar by the window, her dark green cheongsam gleaming in the twilight, a sliver of her black stockings peeking out from the slit in the skirt.

Lilia and Sena had already squeezed into the group of maids, and bursts of laughter drifted over from that direction.

Mia, Papi, and Treya stood on the makeshift wooden platform in the center of the hall.

They changed into their performance costumes, and Papi's blue skirt shimmered softly under the lights.

Mia's red top was fitted very well, while Treya's white shirt was tied with a dark blue scarf.

The three of them stood together, waiting for Lin Yu's instructions.

Lin Yu stood at the end of the long table, twirling the wine glass in his hand between his fingers.

He raised his other hand and tapped the table twice.

The hall fell silent.

"There are two things to do tonight," Lin Yu said with a smile.

"First, welcome to our three guests who have come from afar. Tonight's performance is a gift they have given to the manor."

Applause erupted, with Lilia clapping the loudest, followed by Sena, and then the maids.

"Second." Lin Yu's gaze swept around:

"Today is another day of joyful gathering, and it will always be like this in the future."

No one spoke, but all eyes were on Lin Yu.

Arya's lips curved into a smile, Bell's ears turned red for a moment, and Vera raised her glass and waved it at him.

Papi's flute music rose from the wooden platform, clear and crisp, carrying a hint of the cool night breeze, and swirled around the hall.

Mia's tail swayed to the melody, its dark red scales shimmering under the light. She raised her arm, which slid down from her head and brushed against the hem of her skirt along her waist.

Treya's sword drew a silver arc in the air, each time she drew back her sword precisely during a break in the flute music.

The hall fell silent, and everyone's eyes were on the wooden platform.

After the applause subsided, Papi's flute music resumed.

This time she switched to a slightly faster tune, with a melody that had a lively rhythm, like someone lightly stepping on a stone slab.

Mia moved to the rhythm, her tail tip touching the surface of the wooden platform, landing perfectly on the beat each time.

Her arms traced a smooth arc in the air, and as her body leaned to the side, the fabric of her red top slid down her waist, revealing a small section where the scales met her skin.

Treya's swordsmanship was synchronized with the rhythm, and this time her movements were even faster than before, the blade flashing intermittent silver lines in the light.

As he sheathed the sword, he twisted his wrist, the tip pointing towards the ground, perfectly positioned on the last note.

There was a moment of silence in the hall, then applause rang out again.

Lilia peeked halfway out from the group of maids, raising both hands above her head and clapping the loudest.

Sena followed her, and the maids followed behind.

Liuli Chun stood by the table, holding a folded napkin in her hand, and patted it a few times as well.

Before the applause had completely subsided, Vera spoke.

She leaned against a pillar by the window, twirling the glass of wine in her hand, the rim of the glass gleaming under the lamplight.

Her gaze shifted from the wooden platform to Lin Yu:

"It's not fair to just let the guests perform, shouldn't our handsome and kind Mr. Lin Yu (my husband~) also show off his skills?"

Lin Yu turned his head to look at her.

Vera's lips curved slightly, and her finger paused on the rim of the glass, as if waiting for his answer.

Lin Yu didn't reply immediately, but glanced at her, his lips moved slightly, and he silently uttered a few words:

"You'd better put on a good show for me tonight too."

Vera's ears turned red for a moment.

She raised her glass, using the rim to obscure half her face, her gaze falling on his face from above the rim, her lips moving silently:

"Who told you to manipulate me so many times last night and then make me apologize?"

Her ears turned even redder, but she didn't lower her chin or change the way she held her wine glass.

Lin Yu didn't reply. He stood up from the long table and walked to the front of the wooden platform.

He nodded slightly to Papi and the others on the stage. They stopped what they were doing, stepped back a few paces to the side of the stage, and made room for each other in the middle.

Lin Yu stood in the center of the wooden platform and snapped his fingers.

Then another layer of light appeared in the hall.

It wasn't the warm yellow light of a candle or oil lamp, but a paler, more translucent silvery-white, like moonlight gathered in the palm of your hand and then released.

Light spilled from his fingertips, first as tiny particles, floating in mid-air like a swarm of scattered fireflies.

Then the particles began to gather, rotate, and leave curved silver trails in the air.

Lin Yu flicked his finger slightly, and the silver trails suddenly lit up, then scattered like a school of startled fish, exploding in all directions.

The silvery light exploded, turning into gold, blue, light purple, and pale pink, spreading out like fireworks under the dome of the hall and swirling down like flower petals.

Just before it touches the top of a person's head, it turns into even finer specks of light, like a light drizzle that won't wet clothes.

The entire hall was filled with those lights.

A layer of fine, shimmering light fell on the maids' skirts, like a handful of scattered stars.

Lilia reached out to catch it, and the light slipped through her fingers, leaving a very faint silver mark on her palm.

Sena tilted her head back, her lips slightly parted.

Arya sat at the table, her gaze fixed on the points of light, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Belle didn't look up; her gaze was fixed on Lin Yu, whose outline was gilded with a faint gold by the light.

It is exceptionally attractive.

Sure enough, no matter how many times I look at my man, he is always so handsome, dashing, and charming.

For a moment, Bell even started to write poetry.

After the light spots faded, the light in the hall returned to a warm yellow.

Lin Yu lowered his hand, closed his five fingers together, and pulled it back slightly.

He bowed slightly to the audience, one hand on his waist, his movements unhurried and his posture upright, as if he were taking a bow.

"This is dedicated to all the beautiful ladies." After saying this, Lin Yu straightened up, glanced at the women around the table, and then stepped down from the wooden platform.

The applause rang out again.

This time it was even more crowded than before; some people were laughing, and some were tapping the table with their fingertips.

Lin Yu did not return to his original seat, but instead walked around the table, went back from the other side of the long table, and sat down between Arya and Bell.

As soon as he sat down, hands reached out from both sides.

Without warning, without hesitation.

Arya's fingertips touched his waist, and Bell's palm pressed against the outside of his thighs, before both reaching towards the same spot.

The movements carried a silent, tacit understanding.

Lin Yu didn't move; his gaze remained fixed on the wooden platform, as if he were still waiting for the next performance.

Papi's flute music started again, a little lighter than before.

Mia's tail had started wagging again, and Treya's sword was drawn once more.

The maids remained enthusiastic.

Lilia had somehow climbed onto the chair and was sitting cross-legged, resting her elbows on her knees and supporting her chin.

Sena sat on the floor next to her, her skirt spread out, holding a half-eaten cookie in her hand.

Luna stood by the table, replacing her napkin with a wine glass.

It was completely dark outside the window, and the light in the hall seemed to keep the night out.

The performance on the wooden platform continued. Lin Yu sat at the table, each of his hands doing their own thing, and neither of them looked up at the other.

......