Tactics in a Woman’s Conquest of a Man

Serena understood the hint immediately—it was impossible to miss.

Damn!

She really wanted to kick Prince Nolan—how could he speak so carelessly? He might not care as a man, but she, as a woman, absolutely did.

But as soon as she lifted her foot, Serena realized that kicking him would give herself away. She awkwardly put her foot back down, pretending not to notice anything and keeping her head down, staring at her toes.

She was determined to play the good person to the end, to be Nolan's shield no matter what—for now. Later, she'd make sure to settle the score with him.

Hmph... Serena ground her teeth in frustration. Prince Nolan felt a chill run down his neck and silently cursed, but kept his composure. Under the intense gazes of Sean Xuan and William Wang Jinling, he naturally reached for Serena’s hand—only for her to dodge him.

Serena stepped back and bent her knee in a formal bow: "Farewell, Prince Nolan."

Her gesture was an obvious rejection. Prince Nolan's hand froze in midair; though dissatisfied, he didn’t dare provoke the little tigress further. He calmly withdrew his hand and said to Sean Xuan and William Wang Jinling, "Let’s go. We shouldn’t disturb Serena’s rest any longer."

If he was going to leave, he’d take the other two troublemakers with him.

William Wang Jinling and Sean Xuan exchanged glances, nodded to Prince Nolan, and left together—everyone felt relieved.

William Wang Jinling, feeling downcast, forced a smile at Serena, gestured for her to rest, and turned to leave—leaving her with a solitary figure in the doorway.

Sean Xuan gave Serena a worried look, but seeing her bright smile, his concern eased. He was busy tonight and truly couldn’t linger.

It was like a farcical play—grand at the start, but ending on a strange note. Serena stood where she was, watching the three men leave until their figures disappeared, then let out a bitter smile and reached up to touch the bite mark on her face…

At first, Serena hadn’t realized anything was amiss—not until Prince Nolan’s fingertips brushed across her cheek. But now, it was too late to say anything, and honestly, she didn’t want to explain.

Hesitate too long, and you only invite trouble.

This was best for all four of them. Love is between two people—she’d rejected Sean Xuan, and had insisted time and again that she and William Wang Jinling were just kindred spirits. Yet nothing hit home quite like this scene.

Serena smiled, turned back to her room—sleep was the greatest thing in the world. Whatever battles or conflicts lay ahead, and whatever those three men were fighting about, none of it concerned her.

Last night’s events seemed to be a forbidden topic. The next morning, when Serena met with Prince Nolan and William Wang Jinling, all three tacitly agreed not to mention it.

They finished breakfast quietly and moved to the flower hall. William Wang Jinling waved away the maids, brewed tea himself, and brought the first cup to Serena: "Try it."

His expression was natural, his tone gentle—just like always. Serena didn’t know if William Wang Jinling had come to terms with things or not. Either way, she’d done all she could; the rest was out of her hands. If she tried to carry everything herself, it would only exhaust her.