Chapter 2581: Chapter 802: The Duties of the Clans (Part 2)

"Tonight, you’re the queen, in every sense of the word."

Vivian handed a cup of rosemary wine to Jiang Yu with a hint of admiration on her face, complimenting, "...With Su Shijun not around, you’re the biggest news at this Shanglin Garden Spring Hunt."

"Do you have to mention her name in front of me?" With no one else around, Jiang Yu felt less inhibited as she took the cup of wine from the witch in the pink robe, her tone carrying a tinge of helplessness. She couldn’t understand how this person, who she’d clearly just snubbed, had come right back to her.

Wasn’t she looking for a refreshing drink because chatting with them earlier was so exhausting?

Thinking of this, she looked around nervously, relieved to find only the person buzzing around her like a bee.

Vivian pretended not to notice the reluctance on Jiang Yu’s face, clasping her hands in a praying gesture, her voice pleading, "Lend me your dance partner for a while... just one dance! Merlin Above, for the sake of giving you Princess Elsa’s Ice Wand when I was three!"

"That was just a toy! And it wasn’t a gift; I won it in a bet!"

Jiang Yu puffed out her cheeks, seemingly wanting to breathe out dragon fire to incinerate this shameless person in front of her, but in the end, realized she wasn’t a Fire Dragon. She could only lower her head in annoyance, swirling the pale green liquid in her cup, carefully discerning it for any laxatives before raising her gaze again, "...Besides, if you want to dance, just ask him directly. Why talk to me?"

"I can tell, if you don’t nod, he wouldn’t dare touch even a mare’s hoof." The witch in the pink robe looked at her with a bit of snark in her tone.

Jiang Yu’s lips curled slightly.

Then immediately smoothed out.

"Where’s Anna?"

She was asking about Vivian’s dance partner, the round-faced witch from the Wenture Family.

"Oh, the boy from Anik’s family asked her for a dance." The witch in pink casually nodded toward the dance floor and persistently raised a finger, "...Just one dance! I won’t dance more... and I won’t say a word to him... I can also help you divert some fire! Whether it’s from Qingqiu or the gossip tabloids!"

Hearing her request, the refusal that was about to spill from Jiang Yu’s lips twirled around her tongue, not immediately spoken. To cover her hesitation, she lifted her cup again, taking a small sip of the pale green liquid inside.

Although commonly used in herbal medicine for calming, dispelling wind, and relieving spasms, in the field of Mysticism, rosemary is known for its protective and purifying effects. Wine made from it not only refreshes but also alleviates a wizard’s fatigue.

With just a small sip, Jiang Yu felt invigorated.

Her thoughts became much clearer.

Vivian’s words reminded her.

Just from that little brown horse that appeared inexplicably on the dance floor, Jiang Yu realized her oversight. Her original intention was merely to bring Zheng Qing to Shanglin Garden to make a presence—partly to subtly inform her family elders, lest they randomly matchmake; also to remind that Big Fox on Buji Island that she wasn’t a pushover.

But Zheng Qing’s blundering fall by Crescent Lake.

Had drawn all the attention and curiosity of those Elder Wizards on Centimeter Mountain.

Before today, they might have heard Zheng Qing’s name in public, but mostly connected with Su Daxu’s gossip, not worth mentioning.

After today, those Elder Wizards who truly begin to notice Zheng Qing’s strength and fame would surely be willing to spend more effort and resources gathering more information about him.

A vague sense of unease and urgency rose in Jiang Yu’s heart.

"Why does it have to be him?" Her fingers anxiously tangled around the cup as she cast a glance at her childhood playmate, slightly emphasizing her tone: "With your O’Brien surname, you could easily ask to dance with Uncle Zhang Zhi!"

"Of course I’m going to dance with Lei Zhe," Vivian seemed to realize the possibility of success was growing, her tone becoming more eager, "Besides Lei Zhe and Zheng Qing, Michael, Adam, Zhao Qiao, Nicholas, Sima Yi, and so on, if I have the chance, I’m going to dance with all of them."

"You’re casting a wide net?" For some reason, the pressure on Jiang Yu’s heart lightened a bit.

"No, I’m completing a mission."

Vivian waved her raised finger in front of the witch’s face, letting out a small sigh, "Not everyone is as favored by the Elderly Ancestor as you, beautiful and academically excellent... Someone like me with no real prospects, the best outcome is to follow my family’s arrangements, marry a promising Warlock, and have a few kids... If any of them have good talent, then thank heavens, life is perfect."

The words were filled with disappointment for the future, an indifferent view of worldly affairs.

But for some reason, Jiang Yu found the future Vivian described strangely alluring.

Confusion and sentiment collided, and the two fell into silence, as lively music resonated faintly from the dance floor nearby, mixed with the laughter of young warlocks and witches, and the rhythmic tapping of dance steps on the floor.

Slender beams of soft light descended from the ceiling, intertwining and swirling, gently spiraling around the two young witches, silently blooming into bright flames like blossoming flowers, as if urging them not to waste this wonderful night.

"Thirty jade coins."

After draining the last of her rosemary wine, Jiang Yu made her decision, looking at Vivian, calmly naming a slightly exaggerated figure, emphasizing, "No credit, no installment payments... but I can accept payment in Magic Potion, Alchemy Materials, or gemstones of equivalent value. And you can only have one dance."

Vivian stared at her, wide-eyed.

It took a while for her to snap out of it.

"Thirty jade coins? Why don’t you just rob me?" she exclaimed, stomping her foot, appearing both agitated and frustrated, "I don’t even get thirty jade coins for monthly allowance..."

"The turquoise and sapphire necklace around your neck is from Shepherdess’s Sunny Ocean series, just released last month, if I’m not mistaken, the retail price is twenty-seven jade coins." Jiang Yu glanced at the witch’s neck, then sniffed lightly, giving a soft snort, "And the perfume you’re wearing today, is by the famous perfumer Linjinghua..."

Before she could finish, Vivian raised her hands, gritting her teeth, "Twenty-five jade coins! Not a bit more! The old folks only asked me to get to know your little lover, they didn’t ask me to pull him into bed..."

"Thirty jade coins."

Jiang Yu interrupted the witch’s nonsense with drooping eyelids, firmly, without a hint of negotiation room, "If you don’t have cash, you can leave your jewelry box as collateral, I don’t mind buying back at fifty percent off... That’s my final offer."