Chapter 5 - She is my future wife
"What in hell that old man wants this time?", Li Luxian said 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.
"I don’t know myself brother", Li Yuhan 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 turned dangerous. That sweater brought back the memory of a certain someone.
"I burned it to ashes", Li Luxian said darkly.
Li Yuhan shivered. The coldness in his tone prevented Li Yuhan from further taunting him that he originally planned to do. So he simply nodded like a scared puppy.
"What are you even doing here? And what is this in your hands-Popcorn?", Li Luxian asked with strange expressions.
"Yes.", Li Yuhan said-excitement twinkling in his eyes as 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 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 Yuhan who was used to getting such looks from his brother. Li Yuhan 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 complained, disgruntled.
"Who are you calling an old man?", a serious and mildly playful voice came from outside as a man stepped into the room. He was not that old. There were 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 features from that man.
Li Luxian turned back to face his father.
"Father", he greeted his father with respect.
Meanwhile, Li Yuhan opened his popcorn pack.
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.
But suddenly Guang Li broke that environment of seriousness, raised his hand and hit his son head with a rolled newspaper.
Smack!
Li Yuhan mouth opened wide as he gaped at the scene.
That show was going to be a lot better than his expectations! He should have brought more snacks with him!
Li Luxian also stared at his father with incredulity and confusion. 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.
"What is this?", Li Guang angrily threw a newspaper on the table. It unfolded itself, spreading on the table. Its front page was clear and distinct. And a picture was even more obvious and conspicuous.
Li Luxian looked at the first page of the newspaper and his face darkened.
"Li Luxian do you understand the consequences of your actions?"
"What happened?", Li Yuhan 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?"
Li Luxian thought it was wise to keep his silence.
"Is somebody gonna tell me what’s going on?", Li Yuhan asked. It was really something serious this time. Meaning it was something more relishing 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 in our empire would get this news? Just the rumors have already caused our stock prices to fall by two percent"
Li Yuhan couldn’t tolerate his curiosity anymore so 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 to test if his senses were deceiving him. Once realizing that all his eyes and comprehension were functioning normally and this picture was indeed true, he fell down on his butt as he struggled to overcome his psychological trauma.
"Who is this girl?", Li Guang asked in his grave tune, ignoring the dramatic reaction of his second son.
Li Luxian was again silent.
Simply because he didn’t 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 Yuhan 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 mentioned any girl that’s why we came up with this arranged marriage with the Wang family. Because 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", Li Guang said.
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. So he angrily declared.
"This is it! You are getting married to Wang Huailing this Friday!"
Li Yuhan 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 asked with a smirk but his voice lacked any anger. One could even detect faint amus.e.m.e.nt in his expressions.
"Yes I’m", Li Luxian replied boldly.
"And do you have a legit reason to challenge my decision?", Li Guang asked in his serious tone.
Li Luxian understood 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’ve", Li Luxian said blankly and no one could detect a lie 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 Yuhan fell from the couch.
Did his-Dis 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 Yuhan 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 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 smirk.