The Agreste Mansion's garden, usually as quiet as an art gallery, had now completely transformed into a sea of revelry filled with youthful hormones and electronic music.
One by one, colorful The Bubbler descended gently to the ground, like ripe fruit.
With a soft 'pop,' the bubble walls dissipated, and the students trapped inside, displaying various expressions, once again found their feet on solid ground.
Jaden and his companions' bubble was among the first to land.
When that tough yet soft membrane disappeared, the crowded and intimate sensation also vanished.
"We've landed," Jaden said softly.
Rose and Juleka, standing beside him, both showed a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of disappointment in their eyes.
Deep down, they even wished that the floating journey, tightly intertwined in the air, could have lasted a little longer, a little more.
But reality, after all, was reality.
With a touch of reluctance, they let go of Jaden's clothes or arm, which they had been holding tightly.
Rose was alright; she merely stepped back half a pace, her radiant smile still gracing her face, though it now held a few more inexpressible, complex emotions than before.
Juleka, on the other hand, instantly recoiled behind Rose like a vampire scorched by sunlight, re-enveloping herself with her long bangs and silence.
But her slightly reddened earlobes, as if dyed by the afterglow, silently spoke of her still unsettled, violently pounding heart.
However, before the atmosphere between the three could ferment into more ambiguity, gazes filled with gunpowder, almost substantial, shot from all directions, precisely targeting them.
Jaden keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the garden... was a bit off.
Chloé and Sabrina were standing under a decorative cypress tree not far away.
Chloé stood with her arms crossed over her chest, chin slightly raised, staring intently at Rose and Juleka by Jaden's side with a scrutinizing, possessive gaze, as if they were two thieves daring to covet her exclusive toy.
Sabrina, as always, stood behind her like a little minion, echoing her aura.
On the other side, Alya and Mylène, who had just emerged from a bubble, looked at Rose and Juleka with an even more direct gaze, full of accusations of "betrayal."
Their eyes seemed to say: "Oh, you two! You talked about being allies, but then you secretly ran ahead!"
Alya appeared more "professional"; she didn't look directly over, but instead pulled Marinette, hiding among the crowd nearby, lowering her voice for the final "pre-battle pep talk."
"Marinette! Listen! This is the last and best chance! See? They're all isolated now! I'll find a way to create an opportunity for you! You! You absolutely must step up! Understand?!"
"Mmm... mmm!" Marinette nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick, her big blue eyes filled with nervousness, anticipation, and a hint of... desperate determination.
The air, thick with the smell of gunpowder and almost solid with the atmosphere of a shura-field, made the four boys—Nathan and Marc, who had just landed, and Kim and Max, who had been waiting there—instantly feel that something was amiss.
They exchanged knowing glances synchronously.
In their eyes, there was no concern for their classmate being dark transformed, nor anticipation for the party; there was only one emotion—excitement.
"Oh, wow! There's a good show to watch!"
This familiar feeling, reminiscent of yesterday's gossip session at the hotel, reappeared.
The four boys tacitly gathered, forming a small "field observation group."
At this moment, the "minor matter" of why Nino was dark transformed had been completely thrown to the back of their minds.
Their only concern now was who would win this multi-party "love offensive and defensive battle" centered around Jaden.
"I bet on the Rose and Juleka combo!" Kim lowered his voice, like a professional gambler, placing his first wager. "They have the first-move advantage, and it's a home game!"
"Insufficient data, I cannot make a judgment yet," Max pushed up his glasses. "However, Chloé's aggressiveness and proactiveness are at the highest values among all samples. I don't rule out the possibility of her taking unconventional means to forcefully break the deadlock."
"I... I think Marinette... seems to have a chance too," Nathan said softly, looking at the flustered blue-haired girl being lectured by Alya in the distance, expressing his opinion.
Marc silently nodded in agreement.
As for their parents being taken up into the sky? They weren't too worried.
In their view, although Nino was dark transformed, his nature wasn't bad, and he wouldn't go too far.
However, just as this invisible war among the girls was about to erupt, a powerful electronic music, full of rhythm, suddenly blared from the speakers in the center of the garden!
"Hey! Everybody! Let the party started!"
Everyone looked up to see The Bubbler make a dashing leap, landing directly at the DJ booth, which had been hastily prepared by the servants like a professional stage.
He put on his headphones, his hands skillfully sweeping and rubbing the turntables—
"Boom—!"
A deafening electronic dance track, full of intense rhythm, exploded like a bomb, instantly engulfing the entire garden!
The powerful bass vibrated everyone's hearts, making them pound "thump-thump-thump" in time with the beat.
The Bubbler, like a true party king, raised his hands and cheered to everyone, "To the beat of the music! Let's all sway!"
Then he picked up the microphone and added in an improvised, threatening rap tone:
"Annoying adults went to the sky,
A free party is today!
Sway with my rhythm,
Don't let worries catch you!
If anyone dares to disobey,
Let the bubbles send them flying!"
This threatening (yet strangely catchy) rap made all the students present exchange glances.
Then, everyone had no choice but to go with the flow, starting to sway their bodies somewhat awkwardly to the powerful music beat.
After all, no one wanted to be sent up to the sky to accompany those "annoying adults."
Adrien, as the nominal "protagonist" of the party, looked at the chaotic scene of everyone dancing in the garden, a complex expression of both helplessness and excitement on his face, and joined the swaying crowd.
However, amidst this seemingly chaotic swaying, a carefully planned "position shift" was quietly and systematically underway.
Jaden noticed that with the flow and swaying of the crowd, the "formation" around him was undergoing a peculiar change.
As Jaden turned half a circle to the rhythm of the music, about to say something to Rose beside him, Alya and Mylène, like two nimble butterflies,
dancing exaggerated steps, "accidentally" and precisely inserted themselves between him, Rose, and Juleka, forcibly separating the three.
Chloé saw her chance, a glint in her eye, and was about to push her way towards Jaden, but another figure blocked her path.
It was Alya.
"Yo, Chloé, pretty good dance moves," Alya said with a provocative smile, dancing while subtly and firmly blocking Chloé's path with her body.
She even managed to hold back Sabrina, preventing her from providing support.
And in this flash of lightning, due to the movement of the crowd and the changing dance steps, Jaden's position unconsciously began to shift.
Then, when he stood still again, he found that, at some point, he had "coincidentally" ended up standing next to Marinette.
Less than half a person's distance separated the two... On the other side, Adrien, swaying with the flow, looked at the scene before him, full of undercurrents, and then at the few boys nearby who were clearly not focused on dancing, still winking and gesturing to place bets, and finally couldn't hold back.
Although... he also enjoyed this lively party atmosphere, as a responsible friend, he still had to find out what was going on with his friends.
While maintaining his swaying, he quietly "drifted" towards the four of them.
As he got closer, he indeed heard betting sounds like "I'm betting on Marinette" and "I'm betting on Rose," which left him utterly confused.
"Max, Kim," Adrien leaned in close to them, lowering his voice, and asked softly, "What exactly is going on? Why did Nino suddenly dark transform? My call just ended not long ago, it couldn't... it couldn't really be because my father wouldn't let me out, could it?"
Adrien's words made the four boys, who were intensely discussing "odds," temporarily put aside their betting thoughts.
Nathan and Marc also quickly looked at the "insiders" of the event—Kim and Max.
Kim and Max exchanged glances, then, in concise language, they explained the situation to Adrien, taking turns speaking.
"Ah, it's a long story, but actually very short."
Kim scratched his head with a look of exasperation, "Originally, after you hung up, nothing was wrong. Nino was disappointed, but we all advised him that there would be another chance."
"But," Max took over, "I don't know what got into him, but he suddenly said no! He said if it's like this today, what about Adrien's birthday! I'm going to help him! And then, right after he said that, before he walked a few steps, we saw an Akuma Butterfly fly over."
"Max and Kim originally wanted to warn him," Marc's voice came from Max's pocket, with a hint of electronic synthesized helplessness, "but that Akuma Butterfly, with a 'whoosh,' landed on the bubble wand he had just bought from a street vendor, intending to play with it..."
"And then," Kim spread his hands, "we were first 'taken hostage' by him and brought here."
Adrien was stunned after hearing this.
"It... it was that simple?"
"It was that simple."
"But, let's not talk about those things now," Kim patted Adrien's shoulder. "Come on, don't think so much, just enjoy the party first! This is specially prepared for you by Nino!"
"But... won't anything go wrong?" Adrien was still a bit uneasy.
"Don't worry!" Kim said carelessly, "Nino always knows his limits."
"However, according to the Hawk Moth's will and the probability model analysis of past Akumatized Person losing control," Max said calmly, "there's a certain probability that he will lose control. What happens if he loses control?"
"Even if he loses control, it's no big deal," Kim said nonchalantly. "Isn't that just perfect? Paris, doesn't it still have Ladybug and Cat Noir?"
Kim's optimistic, half-joking, half-serious remark provided a perfect way out of the tense standoff.
"That's right!" Nathan also clapped his hands as if enlightened.
"What are we worrying about for nothing here? Anyway, if the sky falls, the taller ones... no, the superheroes will hold it up!"
"According to the data records of Ladybug and Cat Noir in handling past Akumatized Person incidents, their win rate is as high as 99.8%," Max calmly pushed up his glasses, giving the final conclusion in his characteristic, data-supported tone. "Therefore, our most rational choice now is to enjoy this unique party experience provided by Nino for Adrien."
Adrien looked at the silver-white ring on his right ring finger.
The ring showed no reaction—no flickering, no heat. This meant that Ladybug had not yet contacted him.
Perhaps... things really weren't too bad yet?
He looked at the bustling, hormone-filled garden before him, at the familiar faces of his friends swaying to the music.
His heart, long suppressed by his father, finally succumbed to the desire for freedom and happiness.
"Yes," he took a deep breath, a genuine, brilliant smile spreading across his face, "Then... what are we waiting for? Let's go together!"
With that, he turned first and rejoined the festive dance floor.
Kim, Max, Nathan, and Marc exchanged smiles and joined in.
The four members of the "battlefield observation group" temporarily put aside their mission of gossiping and began to truly enjoy this hard-won carnival, free from adult supervision... Meanwhile, at the other end of the dance floor, when Jaden and Marinette "coincidentally" found themselves together in this chaotic yet coincidental "position transfer," the air seemed to thicken.
"Um... I..."
Marinette's face was so red it looked like it was about to drip blood.
Her big blue eyes darted around like a startled fawn, afraid to meet Jaden's gaze.
Alya's earlier whispered instruction, "You have to show some spirit," echoed like a mantra in her mind.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Alya had risked everything to create for her!
But... but what should she do? Should she invite him to dance? That... that was too embarrassing!
Seeing her adorable, flustered, and nervous demeanor, with even her fingertips trembling slightly, Jaden smiled gently.
He didn't feel awkward; instead, he found the girl in front of him genuinely endearing.
"Well then,"
He extended his hand to Marinette, actively and gracefully, a smile on his face like the warm spring sun, enough to melt away all tension.
"Would you like to dance with me?"
Marinette felt her brain, in that instant, explode into a brilliant display of fireworks.
Almost instinctively, she gently and tremblingly placed her slightly sweaty hand into Jaden's large, warm palm.
The moment his fingers gently closed, enveloping her hand, Marinette felt herself float.
It wasn't the weightlessness of being carried by a The Bubbler; rather, it was a light, ethereal feeling, like her soul had left her body, as if she were treading on clouds.
She forgot everything around her, forgot the intense, fiery glances... In her world, there was only the gentle smile of the young man before her and the incredibly reassuring warmth emanating from his palm.
The rhythm of the music seemed to become their exclusive heartbeat.
Clumsily, yet incredibly happily, she swayed and danced with his guidance.
Each spin, each close approach, made her feel as if she was constantly sinking into the most wonderful dream.
She forgot her shyness, her nervousness, everyone and everything around her... In various corners of the party, other "battles" were fiercely underway in different ways.
Alya, the seasoned "battlefield commander," single-handedly held Chloé and Sabrina firmly at the other end of the dance floor.
"Yo, Chloé,"
Alya danced, her loud voice cutting through the noisy music,
"I didn't realize your dancing skills were so good! Want to battle?"
"Get out of my way!"
Chloé's face was practically contorted with rage.
Several times she tried to squeeze past Alya, but each time she was blocked by the other's seemingly unintentional, sweeping turn or arm swing.
In such a public setting, she couldn't really make a scene and disrupt the current atmosphere.
If she alerted the The Bubbler above, and he really sent her high into the sky, she would lose face terribly.
She could only watch helplessly as Jaden and that "bakery girl" she detested the most danced closer and closer in the center of the dance floor, becoming more and more... harmonious.
Meanwhile, Juleka and Rose were "invited" by Alix and Mylène to a corner of the garden for a friendly discussion about "alliance and betrayal."
"Confess honestly!"
Alix stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the two "runaways" before her with the tone of an interrogator.
"Why... did Jaden sit in the same The Bubbler with you two?
Didn't we agree to form a 'united front' and advance together? What's going on with you two?
Without a word, Rose, you took Juleka and 'went solo'? Did you forget about us two poor allies?"
Mylène also stood by, looking at them accusingly with her big eyes.
Juleka's face instantly turned red; she was too nervous to speak and could only look at Rose beside her for help.
Rose, however, was not at all intimidated by this "strict" interrogation.
With a perfectly innocent yet slightly embarrassed smile on her face, she explained in a naive and charming tone that made it impossible to blame her: "Oh, Alix, Mylène, you've misunderstood!
We didn't run away! The situation was so urgent then, Jaden pulled us to his side to protect us.
We... we couldn't help ourselves."
Her answer, which skillfully downplayed the situation and attributed responsibility to "hero saving the beauty," was perfect.
Mylène and Alix exchanged glances; although still somewhat suspicious, seeing Rose's utterly sincere expression and Juleka, who looked on the verge of tears, they found it hard to press further.
"Alright, we'll forgive you two this time."
Alix snorted, temporarily letting the matter go,
"But next time! You absolutely cannot run off again! Even if you do, you must take us two with you! Understand?!"
A small "internal crisis" was thus resolved by Rose's words, temporarily subsiding... The party continued under The Bubbler's passionate and wild control.
The powerful music, like an unceasing tide, washed over everyone's eardrums again and again.
However, as the initial excitement and novelty gradually faded, some discordant voices began to emerge.
The cell phones in the pockets of some students from other classes, invited by Nino, began to ring one after another.
They were calls from their parents and family members trapped in the sky.
The other end of the line was filled with worry, anxiety, and even some panic caused by being trapped at high altitudes for a long time.
Finally, a bolder boy plucked up the courage and walked up to The Bubbler, who was DJing.
"Um... The Bubbler, look... the party has been going on for so long, and everyone's had a lot of fun.
Can... can you... let our moms and dads down first?"
"What?!"
The Bubbler's movements abruptly stopped.
He slowly turned his head, his black round eyes, under the blue face, narrowed dangerously.
He looked at the boy, his smile instantly vanishing.
It was replaced by a cold, offended anger.
"What did you say?"
His voice became low and threatening, "Are you... ruining my party?"
"No... no... I just..."
"I said!"
The Bubbler suddenly raised his voice, pointing his bubble wand at the boy's face,
"Today's party, no adults! Today's party, no mention of those buzzkill things!"
Before the boy could react, Nino had already spun the bubble wand in his hand and, with a powerful swing, aimed it at him!
A colorful bubble instantly shot out from the tip of the bubble wand, enveloping the entire boy with lightning speed!
"Ah—!"
With a short gasp, the boy was also carried by the bubble, slowly ascending into the sky.
"The music must not stop!"
Nino put his headphones back on and, into the microphone, in a nearly insane, dictatorial tone,
He loudly declared to all the students on the dance floor, who were stunned by this scene,
"The swaying must not stop!"
"All those who ruin the party atmosphere, go—up—to—heaven!"
At this moment, everyone clearly realized—the situation had completely spiraled out of control.
This was no longer a party among friends.
This was a cage filled with insane rules, controlled by a dangerous supervillain whose sanity had been completely devoured by negative emotions!
And amidst this chaos, Marinette, dancing with Jaden, suddenly felt her pink crossbody bag violently and abnormally bump against her waist.
The force made her lose her footing, and her dance steps instantly became erratic.
"Hm?"
She instinctively stopped and clutched her bag.
"Sorry..."
She looked up, giving Jaden an apologetic expression,
"I... I don't feel so good, I... I want to go rest over there."
Jaden looked at her instantly pale face, nodded, and a hint of concern appeared in his eyes.
He also knew that this seemingly joyful farce was fast approaching its insane end.
Marinette, as if granted a great pardon, quickly ran to an uninhabited corner of the garden and anxiously opened her bag.
"Tikki? Is something wrong?"
"Marinette! Your classmate has completely lost control!"
Tikki's small face was filled with seriousness and anxiety,
"And... your phone! It's been ringing non-stop since just now!"
"Phone?"
Marinette only then felt a continuous, faint vibration coming from her bag.
Because the music was too loud earlier, and her mood was overly excited from dancing with Jaden, she hadn't noticed it at all!
She fumbled for her phone; the screen clearly showed more than a dozen missed calls from her mom and dad!
She quickly called them back.
"Hello? Mom? Are you and Dad alright?"
"Marinette! We're fine... fine..."
Sabine's voice came from the other end of the phone, clearly weak and trembling; evidently, being trapped at high altitudes for a long time was already taking a toll on her body.
"Are... are you okay? Sweetie?"
Hearing her mother's strained voice, Marinette's heart felt as if it had been fiercely clutched by an invisible hand.
"I'm fine! Don't worry!"
Her voice unconsciously took on a slight sob, but she still tried hard and firmly said,
"Ladybug! Ladybug, she... she will definitely come to save you! You... you just hold on a little longer!"
After hanging up the phone, all the hesitation and shyness in Marinette's big blue eyes were instantly replaced by an unprecedented, determined light.
"Sorry, Tikki."
She looked at the little kwami in front of her and said seriously,
"Now is not the time for this, get ready to transform Marinette,"
Tikki said.
Marinette looked around, quickly found a hidden corner obscured by a large bush, and prepared to transform.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the dance floor, Adrien's face, already flushed with excitement from the party, instantly turned pale.
He looked at the innocent classmate being sent into the sky, at Nino's blue face, filled with madness and obsession.
He knew he couldn't "enjoy" this any longer.
"Nino! Stop!"
He pushed through the crowd and rushed to the DJ booth, protesting loudly to The Bubbler,
"You can't do this! He's just worried about his family! Let him down now!"
However, The Bubbler was no longer listening to any advice.
"How can someone who ruins the party continue to stay here?"
He gave Adrien a cold glance, his eyes even carrying a hint of disappointment and madness, as if to say, "You don't understand me either."
After speaking, he ignored Adrien, turned back around, and cranked the music volume to maximum!
The deafening music, like a physical wall, blocked out all of Adrien's protests and pleas.
Adrien looked at Nino's mad back, and then at the classmates on the dance floor who dared not speak out, only able to continue swaying in fear.
He knew the party had to end.
A decisive glint flashed in his emerald green eyes.
He quietly slipped out of the crowd and quickly walked towards the interior of the house.