Normalcy

"First and foremost, I would like to thank you for accepting my proposal"

She nodded in response allowing him the space to continue

"I'd like us to discuss the terms and basic rules we'll adhere to"

She leaned over subtly relaxing and more engaged, she was grateful he was skipping small talk, it was something she was rather opposed to,

He continued "You'll be moving into my place, It's spacious enough so we won't be tripping over each other, we'll have separate bedrooms. We'll also be making public appearances as a couple, but in private, we can maintain our own lives. Absolute honesty and respect are non-negotiable. You'll also get to choose if you want to join the syndicate, but that's for later."

"That's acceptable. What else?"

"We'll keep the household responsibilities simple, you won't need to worry about the laundry or the dishes, unless, you find it oddly therapeutic. Now onto our public appearances, we'll need to attend events together; dinners, galas, and company functions. We'll play the happy couple, hand-holding, the occasional peck on the cheek. Think of it as a role in a long-running play "

She nodded, she had never expressed feelings with other males apart from her brother, but she figured she could handle it.

"Also one more thing, I also wanted to make you aware that I have a son"

She was mildly shocked by his confession, but before she could respond, their food arrived.

Their appetizers consisted of two plates of Ricetta Carpaccio di Manzo. For the primi piatti*, Liling had ordered Linguine ai Frutti di Mare, while Li Hao had opted for Pappardelle al Cinghiale. For dessert, they enjoyed a platter of Cannoli Siciliani and Sfogliatella **.

They temporarily paused their conversation to eat.

She took the time to mull over all he had said while she savoured the taste and quality of the food. Doing that she made a mental note to bring her brother here once he was discharged.

They polished off their food and continued savouring the wine allowing its complex flavors to unfold on their palates.

Liling then began on her terms,

"First this will only move forward considering you fulfil your first promise, we also have to establish a time frame for our partnership, I propose 3 years, which seems reasonable. Then we need to agree on what to say once we part ways"

"My promise stands, and we'll keep it simple, our separation was amicable, but unfortunately, our relationship didn't work out. That's all the information they need. Also, let's make it 4 years."

"Fine. Finally, a contract. I want everything we've agreed on in writing. There'll be no room for misunderstandings."

"Of course, I'll have my legal team draft the contract, and you'll get to review it before we sign anything."

A small smile graced her lips.

He mirrored her calm demeanour as he raised his glass for a toast, saying, "Here's to our successful partnership."

She clinked her glass with his in agreement, enjoying the pleasant, delicate 'clink' that echoed through the room. She savoured the harmonious sound, which mirrored the harmony of their agreement.

Just like that, she had sealed her future.

*****************************

~Li Corporation

 Liling glanced at the lazily floating clouds. It was already Friday afternoon. 

She had signed the contract with him two days ago and had spent the last two evenings packing her stuff.

Not having seen Li Hao for the past two days, she felt like her life had once again adopted the normalcy she was used to, 

The only thing that hadn't returned to normalcy was the stares she would receive anytime she left her office. She couldn't even start to imagine the types of rumours that were already starting to go around.

Even her self-appointed gossip queen- Shen Ru, had refused to tell her anything.

With an exasperated sigh, she pushed aside her thoughts and continued with her work,

She was finalizing the number of resources for their fashion subsidiary company- Silk & Spice for the remaining upcoming months,

She heard Shen Ru start to groan, she could already guess what time of the day it was,

"You know you can just go without me", At 12:47, the number of people at the cafeteria would be too much for her comfort, she would rather avoid the crowd altogether.

"Nooooooo, I don't want toooo" Shen Ru groaned dramatically lying on the couch acting like her entire world was about to collapse,

A faint knock put an end to her complaints and they both stared at each other as if to make sure they had both heard the knock, before staring back at the door

Shen Ru got up to open the door, and soon Liling was staring down at two large light brown eyes.

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*Primi Piatti- First course 

** You guys are free to google the dishes and see what they look like, I tried my best to make sure their Italian restaurant experience would be as authentic as possible

Tnx for reading :)