Chapter 37 The Art Of War

Ruolan's breath was steady, her expression composed, but beneath her carefully crafted exterior, her mind was working furiously. This was the moment. If she wanted to turn the tide in her favor, she had to act now.

She glanced at Li Shen, who still seemed mildly amused by Qingxue's silent claim over his drink. That small, insignificant moment—it meant everything.

No man tolerated such casual familiarity unless he had already accepted it.

And Ruolan refused to accept that.

For years, she had positioned herself as the ideal choice—the one who truly understood how these power games worked, the one who could stand beside him as an equal. Qingxue? She wasn't even trying. She simply existed, and everything fell into place for her.

But if there was one thing Ruolan had learned, it was that no one was untouchable.

With that in mind, she exhaled softly, allowing a small, almost hesitant smile to grace her lips. "Qingxue," she said, her voice carrying just the right amount of friendly warmth, "you and Li Shen seem rather close."

Qingxue arched a delicate brow, but before she could respond, Ruolan continued, her gaze flickering toward Li Shen with just the faintest trace of something softer. "It's rare for him to let anyone act so freely around him. I wonder… does this mean there's something special between you two?"

It was a simple sentence, innocent on the surface, but in a setting like this—where reputation was everything—it was a carefully placed spark in a room full of silent flames.

She expected Qingxue to brush it off with her usual indifference, but what she didn't anticipate was the way Li Shen leaned slightly forward, resting an arm on the back of the couch, his golden eyes glinting with interest.

"Why?" His voice was lazy, teasing. "Would you be jealous?"

Ruolan's heart stopped for a fraction of a second.

The way he said it, as if he had already assumed his position next to Qingxue was untouchable—

It was infuriating.

She let out a soft laugh, masking the irritation twisting in her chest. "You flatter yourself too much, Li Shen."

Qingxue, meanwhile, remained completely unfazed. She set the now-empty glass down with a quiet clink, meeting Ruolan's gaze without the slightest flicker of emotion. "What are you hoping to hear, Ruolan?"

There was no sharpness to her tone, no outright hostility. But that was what made it worse.

She wasn't even taking the bait.

Ruolan forced a small smile, lifting her own drink—something refined and expensive, meant to match her cultivated image. "Nothing at all," she murmured. "I was simply curious."

"Curiosity is dangerous," Qiuhan interjected smoothly, his silver-blue eyes gleaming in the dim light. He had been quiet all this time, merely observing, but now, as he shifted slightly, Ruolan felt the weight of his presence pressing down on her.

She stiffened.

"Don't you agree, Ruolan?" Qiuhan continued, his voice deceptively light. "You never know when it might lead you into trouble."

A warning.

The air grew heavier. Those nearby had subtly turned their attention toward the conversation, sensing the undercurrents of tension beneath the polite words.

Ruolan knew she was at a disadvantage. The twins were untouchable in ways she hadn't accounted for, and with Qiuhan's presence reinforcing Qingxue's position, any further push would only make her look desperate.

So, she did what she did best—she adapted.

Letting out a soft chuckle, she set her glass down. "You're right," she conceded easily. "I suppose I should be more careful with my words."

And with that, she excused herself gracefully, retreating before she could lose more ground.

But as she walked away, her mind was already racing.

This wasn't over.

It had only just begun.