Nangong Yehen looked at her with a faint, ambiguous smile. "I don't rely on women."
"We could form a marriage alliance. That way, the Casey Group would expand even further."
"How is that any different from relying on a woman?" Nangong Yehen said unhurriedly.
"You'll need a wife sooner or later," Dirui Yingxue said, gazing at him.
Among all the nobles, he was the man who caught her eye.
A man of both power and charm—Dirui Yingxue wanted to possess him!
"My wife won't be Princess Yingxue," Nangong Yehen said, showing her no courtesy.
"What if I insist on marrying you?" Dirui Yingxue stared straight at him.
Nangong Yehen gave a cold laugh. "I can refuse."
"I'm beautiful and come from a good family. Why would you refuse me?" Dirui Yingxue looked at him, her tone tinged with arrogance.
"No reason." Nangong Yehen tilted his head back and downed the red wine in one gulp.
Hearing this, Chu Lingzhi felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
She pursed her lips, having thought he might say he already had a wife.
Back in the hall, that's how he'd introduced her to Ye Xi.
Dirui Yingxue watched his bobbing Adam's apple, her interest in him growing even stronger.
Beneath her thick lashes, her shrewd eyes flickered with a hint of sly amusement.
Suddenly, she spoke with a seductive and confident tone: "Master Nangong, tell me your criteria for a partner. I'll become the woman you like."
"Beautiful, kind, passionate, strong, not willful, not shrewish."
"..." Dirui Yingxue's lips, coated in bold red lipstick, parted slightly in shock.
She stared at Nangong Yehen in disbelief. "You're a heartless, ruthless man by nature."
"So... my woman can't be ruthless."
"If you just like me, I'll sign a cooperation contract with you right away," Dirui Yingxue said, not believing his words.
Someone like Nangong Yehen would fall for a kind, delicate woman?
Nangong Yehen glanced at his watch, noting that ten minutes had passed, and smiled elegantly. "Princess Yingxue, the ten minutes are up."
Was that all she wanted his ten minutes for—to talk about useless things?
Dirui Yingxue gritted her teeth. "Aren't you afraid my father will threaten you?"
Nangong Yehen looked at her with a faint, ambiguous smile, but his gaze was as cold as ice. "Anyone who threatens me dies."
He hated being threatened more than anything.
Dirui Yingxue sneered dismissively. Nangong Yehen was certainly powerful.
But combined, her Dirui family and her cousin's influence and wealth far surpassed his.
Playing the long game, Dirui Yingxue wasn't in a rush to force a marriage alliance.
"This conversation has been very unpleasant. I hope next time we talk, it'll be more enjoyable."
Dirui Yingxue smiled, then walked gracefully toward the hall in her high heels, her steps elegant and swaying.
As she passed Chu Lingzhi, she slowed down, eyeing her sharply.
Who was this woman? Why did seeing her make her feel so unsettled?
Nangong Yehen turned and spotted Chu Lingzhi.
He paused slightly, his brow lifting.
Chu Lingzhi looked at him. Why was he raising his brow so high?
Was he unhappy to see her?
She hadn't interrupted their conversation.
"Looking for me?" Nangong Yehen walked over, his gaze deep.
"...No, I was heading to the restroom."
This corridor led to the restroom, so the excuse was reasonable.
"Is that so?" Nangong Yehen smirked. "Going now?"