Chapter 5 - She Is My Future Wife
"What in hell that old man wants this time?" Li Luxian was annoyed as he paced up and down the room waiting for his father. Unlike the other day when he was wearing a sweater, now he was wearing a formal custom made black designer suit that was worth millions. That attire manifested his charm and power and made him look like someone one would keep in his dangerous people list.
Ever since that day, he had taken good care of what he wore.
"I don't know myself brother" Li Yuan's playful voice was heard as he settled heavily on the couch. His favorite spot. "Between where is that beautiful sweater you were wearing yesterday?" He taunted.
Li Luxian eyes burned with something. That sweater brought back the memory of a certain someone. "I burned it to ashes," He said darkly.
Li Yuan shivered. The dangerous coldness in his tone prevented Li Yuan from further taunting him that he originally planned to do. What happened to brother now? Ah, so scary! He simply nodded like a scared puppy and hid into the couch.
Li Luxian sighed. "What are you even doing here? And what is this in your hands-Popcorn?" Li Luxian had strange expressions on his face.
"These are buttered popcorns." Li Yuan's excitement was twinkling in his eyes. He adjusted the popcorn pack on his lap and got himself ready for the big show. "I just know that father was very angry so I concluded it must be something big brother Li has done this time. So I came with the appropriate preparation to appreciate the drama."
Li Luxian glared at his stupid brother. That glare was so intense and menacing that it could give one involuntary shudder. But it was unavailing on his brother Li Yuan who was used to getting such looks from his brother. Li Yuan grinned cheekily at his brother. Li Luxian felt an urge to kick his ass but he suppressed his desire and chose to ignore that idiot for a brother for now.
He just wanted to get over with his father as soon as possible. There were so many meetings appending.
"Does that old man not know that I had to postpone so many meetings just for him suddenly calling me?" He continued to complain looking disgruntled.
"Who are you calling an old man?" A serious yet mildly playful voice came from outside. A middle-aged man stepped into the room. He didn't look old; there were only a few streaks of white in his hair. A firm and bulky build up as the man still looked handsome for his age. He had an air of authority and severity around him.
One could tell that Li Luxian had inherited his exceptional aura from that man.
Li Luxian turned back to face his father and bowed with respect. "Father" He greeted.
Meanwhile, Li Yuan opened his popcorn pack. "It is going to get started. I wondered if I brought enough snacks. Last time, I had to leave amidst to get more snacks and missed the best moments!"
Guang Li gave an impression of grave seriousness and one could not help but feel suffocated in his overbearing presence. One would be mindful of his every movement in front of that man and be in his best behavior.
However, suddenly that middle-aged serious-looking man broke that environment of seriousness, raised his hand, and hit the back of his son's head with a rolled newspaper.
Smack!
Li Yuan's mouth gaped at the scenes with wide eyes. "This is getting a lot better than I expected! I definitely would have brought more snacks with me!" He regretfully exclaimed.
Li Luxian stared at his father with incredulity. His eyes were full of confusion. "Father?" If it was someone else who had dared to disrespect him in that manner, seven generations of his families would have been wiped by him.
"Don't make such an innocent face!" Li Guang angrily threw a newspaper on the table. It unfolded itself, spreading on the table. On the front page, there was a photo that was clear and distinct.
Li Luxian glanced at the first page of the newspaper and his face darkened.
"Silence? Is this what you have in your defense? Li Luxian do you understand the consequences of your actions?"
"What happened?" Li Yuan asked-his curiosity prickling him like a terrible itch at someplace where a hand couldn't reach to relieve it.
Li Luxian was quiet as he stared at the picture on the front page of the newspaper with cold intensity as if intending to burn it with his glare. It looked like any moment he was going to shoot a laser light through his eyes like those superheroes and bore two holes in the newspaper by the way he was glaring at it.
"Do you understand how many critical contracts we have with Wang family with loose conditions?"
Silence. At moments like this, silence is the best policy.
"Is somebody gonna tell me what's going on?" Li Yuan was impatient. It seemed like it was really something serious this time. Meaning it was something more enjoyable for him!
"And this news is already circulating in the international media. Do you realize what's going to happen once our overseas business partners who are eagerly awaiting for conflict to arise in our empire would get this news? Just the rumors have already caused our stock prices to fall by two percent. Guess what would happen once the photo reaches them?"
Li Yuan couldn't tolerate his curiosity anymore. He threw away his popcorns and scurried to the table. Once his eyes landed on the picture on the front page of the newspaper, he let out a shrill scream.
A woman!
Kissing his brother!
Lips to lips!
That was surreal!
He grabbed the newspaper and stared at it closely. "Someone tell me, is it what it seems to me? Could it be my eyes are deceiving me? Maybe my mind is not functioning well? I didn't have a nice sleep last night. Maybe, if I stare at it for long enough, it would disappear." So he continued to stare at the newspaper for a long time but the photo didn't disappear. He fell down on his butt as he struggled to overcome his psychological trauma.
"Who is this girl?" Li Guang finally asked in his grave tune, ignoring the dramatic reaction of his stupid second son.
Li Luxian was again silent.
Simply because he didn't even know what to even say.
If he was to tell his father that it was a random woman who grabbed him, kissed him and then disregarded him calling him a bumpkin, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
He was sure that once knowing it that old man would mock him to death. Let's just not talk about Li Yuan's reaction.
"Have I ever stopped you from dating the girl you like? I've explicitly made it clear to you that whatever girl you chose would have your mother and my total support. But you still hadn't even brought any girl. You know very well that's why we have come up with this arranged marriage with the Wang family. You also know that you are the eldest son of the Li family and must get married to run the family name and heritage. Now as we are already in the arrangement, we can't just simply break this engagement."
His lecture followed that relentless silence from Li Luxian.
Li Guang was getting annoyed by the silent treatment from his son. Li Luxian was not even bothering to explain himself to him. Li Guang angrily declared.
"This is it! You are getting married to Wang Huailing this Friday!"
Li Yuan was flabbergasted at the sudden twist of the plot. He walked back to couches, grabbed his discarded popcorns, and took a seat like a good audience.
The drama was only getting started!
"Father I'm not going to marry Wang Huailing" Li Luxian finally opened his mouth to say these words.
"Are you challenging my decision son?" Li Guang smiled but his voice lacked any anger. One could even detect faint amusement in his expressions.
"Yes, I am." Li Luxian matched his father's eyes.
"And do you have a legit reason to challenge my decision?" Li Guang raised an eyebrow.
Li Luxian knew what his father meant by saying this. He took a deep breath. He knew that if he didn't give that old man a reason, he would tie him up and serve him to that eccentric woman on a platter to take advantage of him as she wished.
"Yes I have," Li Luxian said blankly and no one could detect hesitation in his monotonous voice, "This woman is my lover. I've been dating her for the last few months. Because of her family status we've kept it a secret. She is also the woman I intend to marry and I've already proposed to her. So, father, I'm not going to marry anyone else than her."
Li Yuan fell from the couch.
D-Did his brother just say marry?
Didn't he say not just yesterday that he wouldn't be marrying anyone? What about that Million Yuan bet Li Yuan had placed with his cousin, Li Quang, on Li Luxian not getting married in this lifetime? He had confidently made that bet after his brother revealed his intentions to stay a bachelor to him!
Elder brother, stick with your words!
Li Guang looked suspicious. "What you are saying is true?"
"Yes, father. So you should better call off the engagement" Saying this as his final statement he walked out of the room. Once outside, his cold face broke.
It was so difficult to maintain that blank face in front of that scrutinizing old man!
Li Luxian took out the phone and dialed his secretary number.
"Mr. Li about the news..." Secretary Zhang Xin had just gotten news of the scandal. It was his duty to dispel any such scandals.
"Find out about the girl's identity in an hour!"
Secretary Zhang Xin's skull went numb.
How could he found out about her in just an hour when the whole media still hadn't gotten a clue about her in the whole night!
But anyway he acquiesced. Mainly because Li Luxian sounded tense.
"Mr. Li, may I know who she is? I mean..."
"She is my future wife" Li Luxian replied with a foxy smile.