Chapter 1629: Chapter 1629: I Heard You Were Betrothed
No matter what you do, you must aim to be number one.
If you’re not first, it’s not considered a victory.
In the military academy, a place almost entirely dominated by men, Rui Hui, who had been outstanding since she was a child, suddenly became much more ordinary.
In fact, during her early days at the academy, she almost got expelled because she couldn’t adapt to the intense training.
Later, it was Duke who helped her through the tough times and taught her a lot of things.
Humans are naturally drawn to admire the strong, and in Rui Hui’s heart, Duke was such a figure.
But later, he left Berlin, and in the blink of an eye, it had been several years since they last met.
When they met again, it was surprising how familiar it felt, as though they had never been apart.
The two of them selected a resting spot and sat down.
“Still fond of drinking select Bordeaux?” Duke sat down on the chair, asking with gentlemanly grace.
“Yes.”
Rui Hui glanced at the servant nearby and, without hesitation, waved her hand, instructing them to prepare two glasses of select Bordeaux.
This was the Adolf family’s horse ranch. No matter what, she should take care of her guest.
“How have you been?” Duke removed his riding jacket and casually draped it over the back of the chair.
His handsome face, lightly glistening with sweat from the horse race, had droplets trickling along his chiseled contours.
His calm voice carried a trace of concern.
“I’ve been doing great. After leaving the academy, I even pursued further studies in medicine. I’m currently learning traditional Chinese medicine, but what I love most is still shooting.” Rui Hui picked up the wine and took a sip.
“I heard you had a marriage engagement.” Duke’s voice was soft, but his expression grew slightly serious.
“…”
The hand Rui Hui held her wineglass with froze for a moment, then she smiled and replied, “Yes, but it was called off. That was so long ago. Are you really bringing it up to make fun of me now, Senior?”
Thinking about that engagement made Rui Hui grind her teeth in frustration at Diwu Zexuan.
That despicable rascal—even after all this time, people still remembered it. It just showed how shocking that broken engagement was back then!
“I’m not making fun of you. I’m happy about it.” Duke’s tone finally carried a hint of urgency.
There was even a slight sense of fear that Rui Hui might misunderstand him.
Seeing Rui Hui’s stunned gaze, he realized he had lost his composure a bit.
He raised the wineglass and took a sip, managing a faint smile. “What I meant was, since we’re both single, this makes it less awkward for me to invite you to be my dance partner in a couple of days.”
“Dance partner?” Rui Hui was slightly startled, her alluring eyes fixed on Duke as though the words were familiar, but hearing them from Duke’s mouth made them seem entirely foreign.
“Yes, I recently completed a mission, and it went very smoothly. So, the family is planning to hold a celebration—just an excuse to get everyone together, really. I’d like to invite you to be my dance partner. Would you be willing?”
Duke placed his hands clasped together on the table, his face a mix of formality and tension.
It was as though he wasn’t inviting Rui Hui to dance but making a confession instead.
Even his handsome face seemed to glisten faintly with sweat.
“I…”
“Of course Rui Hui is willing.” A deep voice came from nearby, interrupting the words Rui Hui was about to say.
Queran, radiating an imposing aura, walked toward the two from the direction of the stables. When he saw Duke, he gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Following up on what had just been said, Queran explained, “Rui Hui has been abroad for a long time and hasn’t returned in years. I was just thinking she should go around and visit the various families more, to broaden her horizons. To receive an invitation from Colonel Duke is naturally a great honor, don’t you agree, Rui Hui?”