The gazes of the two young masters from noble families toward Yi Feng were filled with hostility.
How dare he treat Fairy i with such disrespect!
If not for the fact that they were in Fairy i’s presence and feared overstepping their bounds—lest they leave a poor impression on her—they would have already spoken out against Yi Feng.
After taking their seats, $2he woman had her maidservants serve them premium tea.
Not only was the tea exquisite, but the maidservants were also stunning beauties.
"Everyone, the reason I’ve invited you here today is simply because I’ve grown a bit restless, but the noise downstairs was too much, so I took the liberty of calling you up,"
the woman said apologetically.
"Fairy i, you’re too kind,"
Gu Duyun replied with a smile. "It’s an honor to play a few rounds with you."
"Indeed, if Fairy i wishes to play, you need only notify ,"
Feng Wuzong added, also wearing a smile.
However, $2he woman paid little attention to their responses.
Instead, her gaze settled on Yi Feng.
"And what about you, Young Master Yi? Would you care to entertain with a few rounds?" she asked leisurely.
"Entertainnt isn’t really my thing,"
Yi Feng said, rubbing his nose. "There are plenty of people downstairs—why not just call soone else up?"
"Oh?"
The woman’s brows lifted slightly. "Earlier, the steward ntioned that Young Master Yi was having quite the lively ti on the second floor. Why is it that when you’re here with , you’re suddenly unwilling?"
Her voice took on a coquettish tone, laced with a hint of playful pleading. "Today, you must give a proper explanation. If you don’t, don’t even think about leaving this room."
Her words sent a pang of envy straight to the hearts of Gu Duyun and Feng Wuzong.
Why was Fairy i so fixated on this nobody they’d never even heard of before?
The jealousy was unbearable!
"Fairy i, since this brother here isn’t interested, why not just let him go? I have plenty of friends on the second floor—you can call any one of them up, and I guarantee they’ll keep you entertained today," Gu Duyun suggested smoothly.
"No,"
the woman retorted with a pout, her eyes still fixed on Yi Feng. "Unless Young Master Yi gives a proper reason, I won’t let you leave."
"Well, it’s not that I don’t want to play,"
Yi Feng said, rubbing his nose again. "But if we’re going to play, there’d better be money on the line. What’s the point of playing for fun? I might as well go ho and sleep."
"Ah, so Young Master Yi needs a wager? That’s no problem at all," the woman replied, covering her mouth with a laugh, clearly delighted. "Then we’ll do as you say. Whatever way you want to play, we’ll play."
"Fine, let’s go with the high-stakes rules from the second floor,"
Yi Feng said, finally showing a hint of a smile.
"As I said, it’s all up to you, Young Master Yi,"
the woman replied with a radiant smile.
The entire interaction was between the woman and Yi Feng, leaving the two self-proclaid refined young masters as re bystanders—a fact that filled them with resentnt.
"No way."
"After finally getting the chance to et Fairy i, I can’t just sit here like a decoration."
Gu Duyun’s eyes flickered as he replayed the exchange between Yi Feng and the woman in his mind.
Of course!
Given Fairy i’s status, she’d t all sorts of distinguished figures. And with her beauty and reputation, she was undoubtedly accustod to people fawning over her and never refusing her requests. So, when faced with soone who treated her casually or even rejected her, it naturally caught her attention.
"That’s it—it has to be!"
"Damn it, Gu Duyun! You, a master of strategy and intrigue, only just realized this now? And to think this nobody managed to seize the advantage before you!"
"But it’s not too late."
"If this guy can use this thod to capture Fairy i’s attention, then so can I."
"In fact, if I first agree and then refuse, the psychological impact will be even greater."
"Push and pull—the art of playing hard to get..."
With this realization, Gu Duyun’s lips curled into a smirk.
anwhile, the others had no idea of the ntal gymnastics unfolding in his mind.
The next mont, $2u Duyun stood up.
Turning to the woman, he clasped his hands and said, "My apologies, Fairy i. While I would love to keep you company, I’ve just rembered an urgent matter I must attend to. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay and entertain you further."
Fairy i, who had been speaking with Yi Feng, glanced over at Gu Duyun’s words.
"Young Master Gu, is this matter so urgent that it can’t wait? Perhaps you could set it aside for now and deal with it later?"
the woman couldn’t help but ask.
Seeing this, $2u Duyun’s heart leaped with joy.
Just as he’d thought—even an ethereal beauty like Fairy i had a touch of human nature. The more you doted on her, the less she cared. But if you ignored or rejected her, she’d take notice.
Case in point: Fairy i, who had been focused on Yi Feng just monts ago, was now showing concern for him.
This thod was clearly effective.
Since it worked, he had to commit to it. If he stayed and played, it would be no different from before.
Not only that, but he needed to be even firr.
Confident that he’d cracked the code to the woman’s psychology, Gu Duyun raised his chin slightly and said with deliberate resolve, "No, I’m afraid not. A promise is a promise. As a man of honor, my word is my bond. If I’ve committed to sothing, I must see it through."
Gu Duyun believed his words struck the perfect balance.
First, he’d made his stance clear.
Second, he’d subtly crafted an image of himself as a principled and dependable man.
If his predictions were correct, Fairy i should now regard him in a new light.
Tsk.
Outwardly, he remained composed, but inwardly, he smirked, eagerly awaiting Fairy i’s response.
However, $2eality did not go as planned.
Fairy i’s reply left Gu Duyun frozen in place, utterly humiliated.
"Is that so..."
the woman said indifferently. "In that case, Young Master Gu, you may go. I’ll simply invite soone else from the second floor."
With that, her gaze drifted back to Yi Feng.
Clearly, $2er attention remained entirely fixed on him.
Gu Duyun’s confident expression instantly crumbled, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably.
Wh-what just happened?
Shouldn’t she have insisted he stay?
Why was she dismissing him outright?
Now, Gu Duyun was caught in a dilemma.
Did he actually want to leave? Of course not—he’d jumped at this rare opportunity to spend ti with her.
But with Fairy i’s response, he was stuck. Leaving would be a loss, but staying after his declaration would make him look foolish. He stood there, utterly at a loss.
"Hmm? Young Master Gu, didn’t you say you had matters to attend to? Why are you still here?"
the woman asked softly, her beautiful eyes lifting to et his.
"Uh..."
Gu Duyun’s lips twitched as he forced out an awkward reply. "Upon further reflection, I realized that leaving now would spoil Fairy i’s mood, so... so..."
"You're overthinking it, Young Master Gu. This is rely a bit of amusent—nothing to spoil the mood over. If you leave, I can simply call for soone else," Fairy i said indifferently.
Gu Duyun's expression grew even more awkward.
So, he was just an expendable presence, after all...
"It would be too much trouble for Fairy i to summon another. I... I’ll stay and keep everyone company," Gu Duyun stamred, forcing a smile.
"But didn’t you just say, Young Master Gu, that as a man of honor, you must keep your word once given? That integrity is paramount?" Fairy i’s gaze lingered on him, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Well... occasionally, breaking a promise once in a while shouldn’t matter..."
Gu Duyun stumbled over his words, abandoning any pretense of strategy. Right now, all he cared about was staying. Without another thought, he gritted his teeth and sat back down.
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