The cheerful yet serene atmosphere continued as Old Xiong gave an opening speech. Then next was entertainment. A group of professional cultural dancers danced gracefully. Musicians played wonderfully.
Some CEOs brought their own kin to perform. Until it became a competition to please the Old Xiong.
After a certain owner of a big shipping company representative performed their magical traditional dance, Xiong De (third uncle) nodded at Xiong Wuyue to act her play.
Xiong Wuyue gracefully stand up and walked to the platform and curtsied to Old Xiong.
"Xiong Wuyue, greeted grandfather and may the gods blessed the Xiong Empire for generations to come. "
"En." Old Xiong said. He looked at his beautiful granddaughter from his 2nd brother. Even he did not have a good relationship to his younger brother, he did not hold grudges to his descendants. He treated them equally like his first granddaughter, as long as no one crossed his bottom line for them- that was to shame their surname Xiong, he would treat them nicely.
"Grandfather, Wuyue'er wants to present a blessing of gift for the fortune of the Xiong Empire. May it please you and the holders who lead the Xiong Empire to it's mightiness and glory it is receiving nowadays. "
"En." The share holders who were now elders were pleased of what they heard. This humble girl did not forget them unlike those who perform earlier from the other companies, only giving praise at the Old Xiong who sat at the center.
After receiving their consent, Xiong Wuyue clapped her small hands. Girls in teens wearing yellow and purple dresses (hanfu) with same design and decorations walked in and joined her in the platform. The girls were all pretty but it cannot compare to Xiong Wuyue's seductive and alluring beauty. They brought a red robe with a phoenix embroidered in it and draped it at Xiong Wuyue's shoulder.
She walked in the center and positioned herself. While the girls in yellow hanfus surrounded her and the purple ones surrounded the yellow girls. From above, they made one yellow circle with outer purple circle and in the center, a one red dot - that was Xiong Wuyue. The purple ones bowed their foreheads on the floor, the yellow one kneeled, looking up while raising their hands towards the girl in red in the center like they were worshipping her. Xiong Wuyue was standing , her jade arms were aligned 180° and her fingers were curved.
(A/n: her hands like these 👌)
She looked around seductively and while catching a glimpse of Xiong Zhi who was sitting beside Old Xiong, her eyes flashed with challenge and arrogance. When her eyes found Linfeng in the corner, she smiled seductively and her entire being become alluring.
No one knows where a group of men beside the platform appeared wearing green robes holding musical instruments. When the man holding two bamboo stick hit the two stick three times, the man holding a dizi (bamboo flute) started his solo.
At the same time. The purple girls who were kowtowing to the floor slightly moved. They were still kneeling but there hands moved like waves with their upper body. Xiong Wuyue in the center also moved, her aligned arms enclosed her body slowly. She slowly kneel while also swinging her head with her upper body rhythmically with the purple girls. Watching from afar, the guests could see their movements gracefully and some wealthy people who loved traditional music gasped in awe. In the opening, they could understand what was Xiong Wuyue's performing.
"It is *the small bird turned into a Phoenix !" An old woman said in awe.
The guest who heard the old woman's exclamation stared at Xiong Wuyue with admiration.
They knew who the old woman was. She was a traditional music expert and also a friend of Old Xiong. It was said that a third of share holders of Xiong Empire were friends of this old woman. In other words, this old woman background was extraordinary.
No matter how many times they planned to be connected with this old woman for their business prospect they could not get her attention. It was also rumored that this old woman was very strict and a snob. So, making her exclaimed in pleasant surprise made the guests admired and envy Xiong Wuyue who managed to catch her attention.
Some share holders and elders who were sitting nearby to this old woman, heard it. Questions and murmurs came up until it reached to the first row.
One elder, who were a share holder and also a friend of Old Xiong who also sitting at the front row together with the Old Xiong said in pleasant voice.
"What a good granddaughter you have Old Xiong! She has a good taste! Choosing this musical dance piece to perform in front of us. She is clearly telling us how the Xiong Empire from scratch become a magnificent one! An intelligent granddaughter indeed!"
Some guests and elders nodded while the others kept quiet.
Even though some agreed they did not shown it outside. They were still in guard because the Young miss of Xiong is here. Who knows if the two granddaughters would collide in the future? This was not the time to side either of them.
But some guests shamelessly glanced at Xiong Zhi. To watch the young miss reaction to this 2nd grade miss of Xiong who were now the center of attention.
Xiong Zhi was aware of their stares. But she still has her expressionless face. Inside she was calm. What is their to react for? For her it was boring.
The musical play continued. The small bird turned into a phoenix is a musical play without words. It showcased the musical instruments and dance movements to portray the play to the audience. Hence, it was one of the top ten difficult dance play. Not only it was accompanied with difficult music piece but dance moves were extremely difficult as well. Especially to the dancer who were dancing as the bird who turned into a phoenix.
After the dizi solo, the man who had the bamboo stick started drumming, the men who were holding the pipa started strumming and plucking slowly.
In the platform, Xiong Wuyue was spinning in her knees. She was like a frightened bird who were afraid to raise her head as the story said.
The dance continue as the story goes. The small bird turned into a phoenix was a story about the small bird who were mocked by everyone because of her small stature, common appearance, and also her timid nature.
In the stage the yellow girls started moving, they stand up in chorus and pointed at the small bird mockingly. After a beat of the drum their movement change and turned back from the red bird and faced the purple girls. Their gesture were like they were the one who were receiving the praise from the purple girls. Every beat of the drum , the yellow girls moved.
The story continue as the yellow girls danced and the red bird was left in the center without attention.
The story was the small bird was not noticed by the world and only watched the other beautiful birds to receive praises of the world. While they flew with graciousness and haughtiness like dominating the world, the small bird flew with caution. Afraid that some big and pretty birds would bully her.
It was the same in the stage, the yellow girls were dancing and spinning gracefully. However, Xiong Wuyue was only dancing with small movements. It was graceful yet when she want to move and spin like the yellow girls she will enclosed her body and continue to dance in small movements again. She was afraid to dance like them. She was intimidated. A bird who was afraid to fly higher and fly together with other birds.
The guests and the elders were very pleased. Some were even pitying the small bird, and give Xiong Wuyue a thumbs up in their hearts. In the future, they will treat this girl well!
Xiong De was studying every elders reactions. He was satisfied by the outcome. He looked at her daughter in the stage. His lucky star was his daughter indeed! Their position in the elders hearts were becoming higher! That was their goal! To leave a good impression!
The slow music was accompanied then by Xiao (kind of flute). The other instruments stopped. Only the sound of the Xiao could be heard.
In the stage, while the sad tone of Xiao sounded. The yellow dancers and purple dancers stopped their movements. Only Xiong Wuyue was dancing. She was dancing gracefully and as the second passed her dance become more big and freely.
The small bird was expressing her feelings and her dreams. She wanted to fly freely without care in the world, without the mocked eyes of the other birds.
Then the drums sounded.
Slow at first then fast. Fast like someone was running. The yellow girls on the stage followed the beat of the drums. But this time, they were surrounding the red small bird. Spinning, leaping, and their yellow bright dress were mocking and insulting the small bird.
The small bird who dared to dream? To dream to fly together with them? To fly freely and higher than them? What a guts!
The pipa also sounded very fast. Every pluck was fast accompanying the fast beat of the music.
In the stage, the yellow dresses and purple one's were dancing fiercely, spinning fast, leaping high. Their dresses were like a wave. A hurricane.
The small bird in the center was also dancing very fast. Like she was running, looking for an escape from the torture of yellow and the purple birds.
This was the trial of the small bird.
The tribulation.
Then the music stopped. The dizi sounded again. A very high note.
At the same time, the dancers stopped. In the middle, Xiong Wuyue leaped high together with the high notes. Her body was arc like a bow, her hands were stretched like a wings. Her red dress looked like feathers.
The audience felt their hearts skipped a beat. They looked at Xiong Wuyue who was like a flying bird, who won the constant struggle among the birds.
When she landed at the platform. The other instrument accompanied the dizi sounded, this time it was slower beat than earlier.
In the stage, the yellow and purple dancers flew away from the small bird. Like a force they were brought away. In the center, the small bird continued to dance. It was the time for the small bird to shine.
The melody was smooth now, accompanying Xiong Wuyue in every graceful moves.
She jumped high, spin , raised her legs, every difficult dance move she executed. The guests were awed.
They gaped at Xiong Wuyue's flexible moves.
Xiong Zhi who were watching raised her eyebrow.
' Looks like today's battle will be tough.'