Chapter 2 - All Women Are Eccentric
"I'm gonna bloody murder them." Li Luxian crunched the papers and threw them away. Files hitting the floor, scattering the pages.
He raked his hand through his inky hair in frustration. The aura surrounding him was getting darker and intimidating by the minute attaining the ability to choke one to death.
"You can't. They have hordes of security surrounding them 24 hours." Li Yuan - the young and cheeky brother - kindly reminded. His tone was cheerful, evoking a good impression in the listener's heart. But his voice could not be more irritating for Li Luxian right now. "Oh, and by the way, that sweater still looks nice on you" He suppressed his laugh.
Li Luxian glowered at his brother. "Do you really have a death wish?" The sweater was knitted by his grandmother with 'love' for him.
Given the advanced age and clumsiness, the article was poorly done. In fact, poorly done was an understatement. If not for him hiding it with his overcoat on his way to the office, he feared the employees would have lost all respect for the fearsome CEO.
Li Luxian would have never worn it, if not for the incessant nagging from his parents, Li Luxian would have eaten sand than wearing it.
So Li Yuan considered it his obligation to make fun of it. He opened his mouth to say something but the next moment, Li Luxian said. "One more word and I'll have your allowance one quartered."
Li Yuan choked, covering the taunt with a fit of coughing.
"Big brother, you are no fun." He pouted with tearing eyes.
His legs were unceremoniously folded on the table as he enjoyed his brother's misery and fretting over the supposedly momentous business association between the European group with Li corps.
Li Luxian, the rumored heir to the Li corporations, sighed and raked his hand through his inky, sleek hair. His featured-well-defined and distinct. His complexion-smooth and flawless. Every curve of his face was as if sculpted with great care. He was tall and lean. His lips stretched into a straight line.
"Why the 'tragic' face brother? You just have to get married and the issue disappears" Li Yuan cackled and made a 'puff' sound accompanied by a gesture of his hands as if performing a magic trick.
A teasing smile appeared on his lips.
"Just have to get married - easier said than done" Li Luxian slouched sown on the couches beside his brother and rubbed his temples to get rid of that headache. This business association was taking a troll on him.
Li Yuan turned to a side and faced his brother. He looked playful.
"You already have a fiance. Only you don't agree to marry her." He winked.
"I never acknowledged her as my fiance. Our engagement was practically enforced by the elders."
"I don't get it." Li Yuan asked, "Why are you being so picky? Wang Hualing has everything a man can desire for. She is beautiful. She has a good family background. She has perfect etiquette. She graduated from Howard University. She has earned countless medals to her name."
"Doesn't matter as long as she has an IQ ranging in minus."
Li Yuan:"...".
Brother, she is a Howard graduate. How can you say something like that?
Even Li Yuan thought that this was being too much!
He shook his head. Like always, Li Yuan could never understand his brother's logic.
"Whatever you say, brother, people say she is a ten out of ten for all of her attributes.."
"A straight ten out of ten to do her for a night. Not for spending the rest of your life laying handcuffed under her on the bed"
Li Yuan choked on whatever he was about to say. They were talking about his potential future sister-in-law. Was it necessary to use such evocative words?
"What do you find wrong with her?" He helplessly asked.
"She is clingy. Can't keep her hands to herself."
"Umm... Brother Li, It is considered perfectly normal to hold hands of the man you are on a date with and who is also your fiance on top of that." Li Yuan meekly objected. That was common sense. Something simple anyone should know.
"Wouldn't stop talking about herself. Has to use such a strong, irritating cologne. Had such horrible taste in dressing. She can't stop updating her status every five minutes..." Li Luxian continued to ramble a never-ending list of faults. Li Yuan almost dozed off and woke up when his brother emphasized the conclusion. "I would simply regard her as an eccentric based on the behavior"
"That's what you say about every woman" Li Yuan mumbled then yawned.
Li Luxian frowned. It made sense. He had felt that away about every woman. That could only mean one thing. "Every woman is eccentric"
Li Yuan was speechless.
Was he planning to stay a bachelor his whole life?
"Why did they have to add the requirement of the President being married to the terms of the condition?"
Li Luxian skimmed through the contents of the contract. This contract with that European venturers was crucial to Li corporations. But they had suddenly put the condition of the President being married?
"This is ridiculous."
Could it be because of the intervention from the Wang family? So that they could get their daughter married soon?
Because until now, Li Luxian had been delaying the wedding being adamant he didn't agree to it. Besides, the Wang family had some business connections in Europe. "Ths is possible."
"Maturity they say here." Li Yuan carelessly flipped through some files.
Things like files and office bored him to no end. He was a carefree soul who lived for the sole purpose of throwing away huge sums of money his brother and Li corporation created.
And also to play pranks on his brother and his cousin, of course!
"Ridiculous. Why one has to be married to be mature. Am I not mature enough by supporting this mega-corporation alone? On the contrary, the one who gets married in the first place is immature." Li Luxian harrumphed like an angry child.
Li Yuan: "..."
His brother was indeed not getting married anytime soon.
Not in this lifetime perhaps.
Li Yuan could only pity Wang Hualing.
Suddenly, Li Yuan recalled why he came here in the first place. His lips curled up into a smile. "Oh, and by the way, father had sent me to tell you that Wang family is coming tomorrow to discuss the marriage date with you."
Li Luxian was not happy to get this new piece of information. His handsome face turned to a particularly ugly expression that could scare anyone to death in the vicinity of ten meters.
Li Yuan's smile widened.
"And he also said that you must not miss it under any circumstance. He has already postponed all the meetings for tomorrow" Li Yuan's voice getting more and more excited.
Damn! Li Yuan had himself come to tell the news to his brother instead of the servants to witness that priceless look unfolding on his serious brother's face.
Li Yuan tried his best to stay invisible but in the end, accidentally a slight chuckle escaped his lips as was taking out his phone to take a shot.
Li Luxian glared at him and literally picked him up and kicked him out of his office.
Li Luxian took out his cigarette and placed it between his those thin lips. After a while, he puffed out thick white smoke. That white smoke in front of that handsome face made him look like some immortal deity. Because the level of attractiveness and perfection couldn't belong to something mortal. That bewitching allure in his temperament was invincible.
With that, he was sure. It must have been Wang's family intervention that brought upon that ridiculous term.
"But I'm not getting forced by any Wang family or my father anymore." Li Luxian crushed the cigarette within his fingers. He was not a child. But a twenty-seven years old adult. He had a right to say no.
And not in this lifetime was he going to marry that eccentric woman. Nor any other woman they had forced to date him so far.
Grabbing his cell, he opened the door of his office and made his way out to get some fresh air.
"Mr. Li, are you going somewhere?" His secretary Zhang Xin asked politely once he stepped out.
"Going to have a walk down the area"
"Mr. Li let me call for the bodyguards. The media is still around the building so it won't be safe. There is a lot of paparazzi spreading in the area." Nowadays Li Luxian's marriage made quite a headline on media so they always tried to near him to have some comments on his love life.
"No need." Mr. Li said curtly - not giving his secretary any room to object.
Li Luxian walked down the pavement. There was a famous nightclub around the building under the Li family. Its fame resulted due to its association with the name of the Li family. They would hold gatherings of important businessmen every now and then.
"Of course, there is nothing stopping me from getting a man." She smiled and glanced at Fu Jianguo; something felt off. " A cold, unwavering voice entered Li Luxian's ears.
Without knowing, he looked up drawn by that voice.
A woman in red bewitched him. Her looks held both elegance and allure at the same time. Her long dark chocolate brown hair was a cascade-smooth and shining under the moonlight.
Her strong character piqued Li Luxian's interest.
Meanwhile, his phone buzzed. Distracted by the noise, he swiped the screen intending to switch it off.
It was when he heard footsteps in his direction.
He looked up.
Huh? Why was that woman walking in his direction?
"What are you doing?"
Before his thoughts could proceed any further, a hand reached and grabbed his collar and pulled him down to a dainty face and those warm juicy lips covered his mouth.