Su Yi heard the sound and before he even looked up, he saw Liz's long legs appear before him, a compelling visual that cut through the crowded room. As the Captain of the cheerleading squad, Liz's figure and looks were universally considered top-tier. She carried herself with an air of powerful, graceful beauty, amplified by the energy of the party.
"Invite me to dance?" Su Yi asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. He noted the perilous geometry of the situation. Betty and Mary Jane were right beside him, and he was acutely aware that Gwen and Hanna had just returned from the backyard and were standing a short distance away, watching.
At this moment, inviting him to dance was not merely a casual gesture; it was a public declaration, practically a request for maximum dramatic exposure.
But refusing Liz didn't seem right, either. Liz was the organizer and the Mistress of the party. As a guest, it would be inappropriate, even rude, to cause the host to lose face, especially after the immense effort she had put into the evening. A refusal would only draw more attention and create unnecessary social friction.
Without much hesitation, Su Yi chose to agree. The diplomatic path was acceptance; the relationship explanations could be handled later, privately, with his existing Hong Yan.
"It's my honor, Liz."
Su Yi still didn't have a clear picture of Liz's intentions—he couldn't simply assume she harbored romantic feelings based on a dance invitation alone—but Betty's stunned gaze just moments ago, and Liz's decision to bypass all other available boys to single him out, made his internal sensors flash red. Something was definitely off.
He took Liz's hand, and the two moved onto the floor. The sight of Su Yi dancing with Liz attracted immediate and intense attention. Liz, the popular cheerleading Captain, was renowned; Su Yi, the brilliant, calm, and charming transfer student, was equally famous.
The murmurs swelled around them: everyone remembered that only minutes earlier, Liz had definitively rejected Peter Parker's invitation to dance.
The contrast was stark: the host had spurned a heartfelt invitation from a long-time admirer only to immediately turn around and invite the most magnetic boy in the school. The social dynamics were complex, instantly putting Su Yi in the role of the unintended interceptor once more.
While dancing, Liz wasted no time, actively initiating a conversation that confirmed Su Yi's suspicions.
"Su, your relationship with Betty seems pretty good, too," she commented, her eyes fixed on his.
"It's alright. She has a very good relationship with Gwen, too. We often drink coffee together," Su Yi replied smoothly, attempting to downplay the intimacy.
Liz continued to press, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. "You know, I'm not talking about drinking coffee, Su. I'm talking about a more intimate relationship—the kind the whole school whispers about, even if they can't quite believe it."
Seeing Liz so certain, as if she had already conducted a thorough investigation, Su Yi knew concealment was pointless. The cat was out of the bag, and his reputation as a charming polymath had clearly preceded him. He decided to probe her motivations.
"Indeed. Why do you ask this, Liz? Is it just academic curiosity about the peculiar dynamics of my life?"
Liz didn't answer directly but continued her inquiry, her eyes drifting toward the edges of the room where Gwen and Mary Jane stood. "Your relationship with Gwen, and Mary Jane... and I even saw you with the new girl, Hanna, earlier."
Su Yi, certain that Liz had no intention of exposing the information publicly but rather seemed to be gathering data for herself, decided to confirm the full breadth of his situation, leaving no ambiguity.
"Yes, they all are. They are all my Hong Yan, and I treat them with complete sincerity." As Su Yi spoke, his arm, resting lightly on Liz's waist, accidentally—or perhaps deliberately—slipped a fraction lower to the side.
Liz noticed Su Yi's movement but didn't stop him. Instead, she offered him a look—a piercing, knowing glance that was full of complex emotion.
"They're all right there, Su. Aren't you afraid of being discovered?" she challenged, her voice low.
"Discovered what?" Su Yi pretended ignorance, then countered with his own question. "Then, Liz, why are you asking these questions, and more importantly, why are you dancing with me right now, especially after what just happened with Peter?"
Liz slightly raised her head, meeting Su Yi's gaze directly. Su Yi found her eyes full of intense, tempting heat, a raw magnetism that went beyond mere admiration. It was a clear invitation, a hunger he recognized from the initial stages of his relationships with Mary Jane and Betty.
"Hiss…"
Could it be that Betty's suspicion was true? Is my charm truly that powerful that it works without effort? Su Yi was genuinely perplexed. He was absolutely sure that he had never flirted with Liz, prioritizing the existing relationships he had actively sought out. He had only spoken to her minimally, focusing on small talk or academic discussions.
Peter, this, I really can't be blamed for cutting in. She's just giving herself away, publicly, without provocation.
Facing a beauty who was offering herself so openly, Su Yi knew he couldn't turn away. Liz finally provided the fundamental answer to his internal confusion, cutting straight to the chase.
"Could it be that I'm much worse than Gwen and the others?" she asked, the question laced with competitive desire, yet revealing a deeper insecurity.
Su Yi didn't need to scrutinize Liz. He knew her status. "Liz, you are certainly beautiful, and very hot. This is recognized by all the boys in school. You are the most popular girl here, arguably."
Liz replied, her voice firm. "Of course, it's not just about proving I'm beautiful. It's because you are excellent, Su. I was attracted to you. You are confident, smart, and you have that powerful aura—you're the only person who doesn't seem to care about the social ladder, yet you stand above it. When I look at you, I see someone who can solve any problem. I want to be around that."
With the other party being so incredibly proactive and giving him the exact rationalization he needed, what more could Su Yi say? He simply accepted the reality.
"Oh, damn it, how could I have almost missed such a hot beauty?"
The song ended, and with it, the highly scrutinized dance.
"Thank you, Su, for dancing this dance with me," Liz said, her hand lingering in his for a significant moment.
"It's my honor to dance with a beauty like you, Liz," Su Yi replied, maintaining his easy public charm.
Su Yi barely had a moment to rest before Gwen immediately pulled him aside, her super hearing having caught every hushed word and subtle inflection.
"I saw it all, Su Yi. Your hand. It was out of line," Gwen stated, her voice low and laced with a mix of frustration and resignation.
"Maybe my hand just slipped due to the dynamic physics of the spin?" Su Yi offered weakly.
"And what about your conversation? The one about who your 'Hong Yan' are?"
It seemed Gwen had heard the entire, private interrogation and the acceptance of the situation. Having a girlfriend with superpowers indeed had its downsides.
"Then you should have heard too, Gwen. I wasn't the one who initiated it. She was asking me, and I was simply answering honestly about the structure of my life," Su Yi retorted.
"But you didn't refuse her. Not the dance, not the implied invitation, not the other thing."
Su Yi looked Gwen straight in the eye. "Gwen, if you were a man, could you refuse Liz when she asks you to dance, knowing she's the host and that rejecting her would cause a scene? And if a beauty is attracted to my fundamental nature, am I supposed to suddenly become un-charming just to maintain a status quo?"
Gwen shook her head, the argument lost before it began. She had thought she only gained one sister in Hanna tonight, but she didn't expect to gain another in Liz, the hottest and most socially visible girl in their class. Now, all the top beauties in the class were undeniably within Su Yi's grasp.
"You explain it to Mary Jane and Betty yourself," Gwen instructed, rubbing her temples. "And you better handle Hanna when we get home. Liz, you're on your own."
Mary Jane approached next, her eyes wide with hurt. "Su, is it true? Is what everyone is whispering true? That you… that you have a thing with Betty and Hanna now? And now Liz?"
Su Yi knew Mary Jane was the most emotionally vulnerable of the group and needed the most careful handling. He led her away from the fading crowd, pulling her into a secluded corner of the dining room.
"Mary Jane, look at me," he said, taking both her hands. "The gossips are right about the people I care about. But they are completely wrong about the reasons. I am not collecting trophies, Mary Jane. I am building a future with people I genuinely love and admire. I did not pursue Liz. She pursued me. She was attracted to the man I am, the man who is already devoted to you."
He then focused on her future, the one thing she held dear. "Nothing changes between us. Nothing diminishes. You are the star, Mary Jane. You are my future on Broadway. I will be there for your opera, and I will be there to support every dream you have. Does a single dance with a girl who is socially obligated to dance with guests change the fact that you are the most passionate, talented person in my life?"
Su Yi used every ounce of his eloquence and sincerity, pouring commitment into her immediate future. He danced with her one more time, a slow, dedicated dance that was a public and private affirmation of their bond. He then talked to Betty, who was more accepting but needed reassurance that her role as the smart, witty, and beautiful journalist was still valued.
Eventually, as the night grew late and the house lights began to come on, people were gradually choosing to leave.
Su Yi returned to the front driveway after confirming with Gwen that Mary Jane and Betty were appeased, and Hanna had been quietly collected and was waiting in the car. He noticed a familiar figure walking alone down the street, shoulders slumped, looking utterly dejected.
Little Spider Peter Parker.
Su Yi quickly rushed over, calling out to his friend. "Hey, Peter, are you alright? Heading home already?"
Peter stopped, turning with a strained, forced smile that did not reach his eyes. "I'm fine, Su. Just have to go home now. Aunt May is waiting for me."
Looking at Peter's defeated expression, Su Yi knew that Peter had definitely seen or heard something—or put two and two together using his impressive intellect. The public nature of Liz's immediate dance invitation to Su Yi after rejecting Peter was impossible to miss.
Su Yi walked up to him, his voice heavy with genuine regret. "Peter, I think we should talk for a second."
Peter forced a bitter chuckle, kicking a small stone on the pavement. "I'm fine, Su. Really. Anyway, this isn't the first time. It's normal for Liz to like you. You're better than me, more charming than me, and better at communicating with girls than me. I should have known."
"I swear, Peter, I didn't interact much with her, and I absolutely did not know Liz's thoughts before she asked me to dance," Su Yi insisted, his hand resting firmly on Peter's shoulder. "If I had known, I wouldn't have supported you in pursuing her right now. I was focused entirely on you getting the courage to talk to her."
Peter shook his head, looking up at the sky. "I believe you, Su. Honestly, I do. It's just… you're like a force of nature, man. I aim for a girl, and she either already likes you or develops a crush on you the moment she sees you talking to me. Maybe I should be in college, away from your gravitational pull. Oh, damn it, we're actually in the same school. It's unavoidable, isn't it?"
The raw disappointment in Peter's voice was palpable. Su Yi felt a profound sense of responsibility for his friend's recurring heartbreak.
"Peter, listen to me," Su Yi said, meeting his eyes earnestly. "This isn't about Liz. She is one person, and frankly, she has some complex issues going on with her family that she's avoiding. Your true path isn't here, Peter. It's bigger. You have a good heart and immense power, and you spend your nights fighting crime and helping people without a second thought. That is who you are. Liz rejected a high school boy, but a hero is waiting in the wings. You will find your true love, Peter, someone who admires the genuine hero in you, not just the cute boy in your class."
He paused, offering a final, supportive thought. "You have a superpower, Peter. I have a superpower. You are kind. You are driven. Don't let this rejection define you. Let it fuel your purpose."
Peter's strained smile finally softened into something slightly more genuine. "Thank you, Su. I have to go back now. Seriously. Aunt May will worry."
"Go get some rest, Peter. And remember what I said. Don't let a dance invitation take away the satisfaction of a night of saving Queens."
"Goodbye, Su."
"Goodbye, Peter!"
Peter turned and walked away, his shoulders still slumped, heading into the quiet New York night. He was heartbroken again, and this time, the difference was that Su Yi was not actively poaching but was simply the inevitable magnet.
Su Yi watched him go, then returned to the house. He needed to find Liz for that private chat. He needed to set the record straight on her expectations and officially, quietly, integrate his newest Hong Yan into the tapestry of his demanding life.