Still, while women often competed with each other in secret, none had ever publicly driven their rivals away like this.
Hong Ning had humiliated them.
Naturally, they would resent her for it.
Duan Fei raised his wine cup to them. “Go for now. In a few days, I will—”
Hong Ning interrupted.
“He won’t be looking for you again.”
For a moment, even Duan Fei was caught off guard.
The two women could no longer hold back their reactions.
The one who had suggested "offering herself" let out a soft chuckle, her tone gentle but laced with amusement.
“Sister, isn’t it a bit too early to say such things?”
Hong Ning replied leisurely, “I was merely speaking my thoughts. Whether or not it’s accepted still depends on Young Master Duan.”
Both women turned to look at Duan Fei.
He smiled, his eyes briefly flickering with an unreadable emotion.
“Of course, I agree.”
Perhaps she was mistaken, but for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of light in his usually melancholic gaze.
Duan Fei stifled a laugh. “I never expected my beauty to be so formidable. In that case, take care of yourselves. No need to wait for me anymore.”
He spoke with such ease that the two women naturally didn’t take it to heart. With cold smiles, they turned and left.
To have a known flirt like Duan Fei promise fidelity—she had only said it out of frustration, a reaction to his teasing.
She had expected nothing more than a mocking remark about her overstepping her bounds.
Yet he had agreed so easily.
Whether or not he truly meant it, he had dismissed the women without hesitation.
From the moment she made the demand to the moment it was fulfilled, the entire exchange had lasted no more than the time it took to finish a cup of tea.
Hong Ning had yet to fully process what had happened when a cup of wine was pressed to her lips.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.
Duan Fei didn’t force her. His brows and eyes carried nothing but amusement.
“Now it’s just the two of us. My beauty is still not satisfied?”
She had spoken in jest, yet he had turned it into reality.
Hong Ning hesitated, staring at the wine cup.
Seeing her reluctance, Duan Fei set the cup back onto the table without a hint of displeasure.
“If you don’t wish to, then leave.”
Hong Ning took the cup and drank it dry.
Duan Fei raised an eyebrow, surprised. “So you truly intend to stay with me?”
Hong Ning set the empty cup back down, her tone indifferent.
“Young Master Duan has asked twice—do you doubt my sincerity?”
Whether intentional or not, Duan Fei refilled the same cup with wine and took a slow sip, his voice carrying a teasing undertone.
“This concerns your future. What exactly is so good about me?”
Hong Ning lowered her gaze, smiling faintly.
“Young Master Duan is young and successful, possessing both wealth and status—he has everything. What woman would find that unsatisfactory?”
Duan Fei leaned against the embroidered cushions, laughing softly. “Well said. And what do I lack?”
Yet beneath the depths of his dark eyes, there was the faintest trace of disappointment.
With a sigh, he added, “I don’t mind taking in another person. But even if you’ve driven those two away, there will always be others. You may not be able to keep me. Think carefully—don’t regret it later.”
The words “in the future” left an unexpected emptiness in her heart.
Hong Ning silently mocked herself and replied with quiet decisiveness.
“I have nowhere else to go. Having a place to stay is enough—how could I dare hope to keep Young Master Duan?”
For a single woman seeking a place to belong, her answer was reasonable enough.
Duan Fei studied her for a long moment before reaching out to gently touch her face.
For once, he didn’t tease. His voice softened slightly.
“At the very least, you’ve managed to keep me tonight.”
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