Chapter 62: The Ice and the Storm
The grand ballroom pulsed with an unspoken energy. The glittering chandeliers reflected the calculated elegance of the elite, but none could compare to the silent dominance of the Leng twins.
As Qingxue and Qiuhan danced, the air seemed to shift—subtle but undeniable. Their movements were synchronized, effortless, as if they had been born to rule the floor. They neither faltered nor hesitated, each step executed with perfection that could only be instinctual.
The twins had always been a force of nature.
But tonight, they were untouchable.
The contrast between them was striking. Qingxue's silver-blue eyes remained cool, her delicate features unreadable, while Qiuhan's sharp gaze carried an edge of warning. The way he led—calm, composed, yet undeniably protective—left no room for misinterpretation.
He was not just dancing with his sister.
He was making a statement to everyone watching.
She is mine to protect. Do not overstep.
The music swelled, and Qingxue moved with him effortlessly, her expression unreadable. She knew what this meant—what her brother was silently declaring. Yet she did not stop him. Because in the end, Qiuhan was the only one she trusted implicitly.
The surrounding whispers grew louder, the watching guests unsure whether to admire or fear them.
"They're only ten, yet they command the room like royalty…"
"This isn't just talent. This is power."
"Even the heirs of the Gu and Li families were brushed aside… How terrifying."
The murmurs did not affect the twins in the slightest. They had never concerned themselves with the opinions of others.
However, others were far from unaffected.
Gu Zeyan's expression remained unreadable, but there was an undeniable flicker of something in his golden eyes. Interest? Challenge? Frustration? It was hard to tell. But one thing was certain—Leng Qingxue had done what no one else had ever managed.
She had ignored him.
Completely.
Li Shen, meanwhile, watched with amusement, his sharp gaze trailing after the twins with something resembling intrigue. Unlike Gu Zeyan, he did not seem frustrated. If anything, he was entertained.
"Now this," he murmured, sipping his wine lazily, "is getting interesting."
But the one most affected was Ruolan.
Her grip on her dress tightened, her carefully constructed expression barely holding together. She had thought tonight would be a chance to overshadow Qingxue, to finally make Gu Zeyan look at her instead.
Instead, she had been rendered invisible.
All eyes were on Qingxue—no, not just Qingxue, but the Leng twins as a unit. A force of nature no one could touch.
Ruolan's breath hitched.
This wasn't just admiration anymore.
This was fear.
For the first time, the realization struck her—she wasn't competing against a mere pretty face. She was competing against someone who had never considered her a threat to begin with.
And that was the most infuriating part.
The dance ended with a final, precise movement, and Qiuhan released Qingxue's hand as if closing a book. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting second, there was something unspoken between them—acknowledgment, understanding.
Then, without sparing another glance at the room, they turned and left the floor.
It was over.
Yet the lingering weight of their presence remained, like a storm that had passed but left destruction in its wake.
And in that moment, one undeniable truth settled over the crowd.
Leng Qingxue and Leng Qiuhan were not just prodigies.
They were the storm itself.