Chapter 5: Let’s Leave Them For Awhile

Lillie Bai barely reacted to the words that had just left Ethan Li's mouth.

Future wife?

Did this insufferable man just call her his future wife?

Her grip on her phone tightened slightly. Of all the people in the world, it had to be him. The one man she despised.

With an expression as unreadable as ever, she tapped send on her phone. The contract was now in the hands of her lawyer—a contract that laid out her terms for this unfortunate arrangement. Ethan Li would sign it, whether he liked it or not.

Not sparing him a glance, she calmly addressed his parents.

"Good evening, Mr. Li, Madam Li."

Ethan frowned. Not even an ounce of acknowledgment?

"Oh please," he drawled, his smirk never wavering. "Call me Ethan. 'Mr. Li' makes me sound like my father."

Lillie didn't even pretend to hear him. Instead, her gaze turned to his parents, her voice coolly professional.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Lilliana Theodora Bai. You may call me Lillie."

Senior Li let out a hearty laugh as he shook her hand. "If it isn't the guest of honor! My, how you've grown into a fine young woman. I'm Li Yefeng, and this is my lovely wife—"

"Han Rushi," Madam Li interjected smoothly. Her smile was warm, her eyes sharp. "And please, call me 'Mother.' We're going to be family soon, after all."

Lillie smiled politely, but internally, she disagreed. This was a contract, not a family bond.

Meanwhile, Ethan leaned back in his chair, watching her with an unreadable gaze. He knew she wanted nothing to do with him, but that only made this more amusing.

Across the room, Alexander Bai chuckled, shaking hands with his old friend. "Yefeng, my friend! It's been too long."

"Indeed! The last time we met, we were still college boys. Then suddenly, you transferred overseas. And now, look at you, married to a stunning Frenchwoman."

"Oh yes," Mr. Bai mused, glancing at his wife with a rare softness. "Leaving was difficult, but meeting her was the best decision of my life."

Mrs. Bai smiled gracefully. "Good evening, Mr. Li. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Her French accent was like music.

"The pleasure is mine," Senior Li said, gallantly taking her hand and pressing a light kiss to it.

"Ahem." Madam Li's glare was instant.

Senior Li coughed. "It was just a formality, my dear. You know, cultural respect."

Madam Li rolled her eyes but smiled warmly at Mrs. Bai.

"Lastly, this is my youngest son," Mr. Bai said, glancing at the teenager beside him—who had yet to look up from his tablet.

"Gabriel."

His name was spoken with authority, but Gabriel merely sighed, his fingers tapping on the screen without pause.

"Gabriel," his father repeated, voice edged with warning.

With a dramatic eye roll, the boy muttered, "Gabriel Bai." Then, without another word, he went back to his game.

Senior Li laughed. "Ah, don't worry about it. Teenagers. We were no different at that age, were we?"

"Oh! By the way, this is my daughter. Sweetie, why don't you introduce yourself?"

The bubbly girl practically bounced forward, her phoenix eyes shining with excitement.

"Hi! I'm Li Yifei, 16 years old, and one of Goddess Lillie's biggest fans!"

Lillie blinked.

What?

Li Yifei gasped dramatically, realization dawning on her.

"Wait. WAIT. I just remembered—you're marrying my brother. That means you'll be my sister-in-law!"

Lillie remained blank-faced.

Li Yifei clasped her hands together. "Sister-in-law! What did I do in my past life to be this blessed?!"

Lillie resisted the urge to sigh.

'So she's a fan. A gamer, I assume,' she mused. How is she related to that man?

Li Yifei's eyes sparkled. "The new WPE game is amazing! Well, all of them are, but this one? Masterpiece. I started playing as soon as it dropped!"

Lillie nodded slightly. "I appreciate the support. If you encounter any issues, feel free to report them directly to me."

Li Yifei's jaw dropped. "DIRECTLY?! Oh my god, I just hit the jackpot!"

Lillie nearly took a step back when Li Yifei almost latched onto her.

"Alright, that's enough, dear," Senior Li said, chuckling as he pried his daughter off of Lillie. "Let's give them some privacy."

Lillie barely had time to react before their parents excused themselves, leaving her alone with Ethan.

The moment the door clicked shut, waiters entered, setting down their lavish meal. The soft melody of classical music played in the background, the scent of expensive wine filling the air.

Lillie took a sip, savoring the rich taste. If there was one thing she enjoyed, it was a good wine.

When she finally set her glass down, she locked eyes with Ethan, who sat across from her with all the arrogance of a king on his throne.

Her voice was cool, clipped. "Mr. Li, I assume you've been made aware of our current predicament?"

Ethan smirked, swirling his wine lazily. "As a matter of fact, Mrs. Li, I have."

Lillie's fingers twitched.

"Your manners, Mr. Li. We are not married yet. Address me formally."

Ethan's smirk deepened. "Oh? Calling you Mrs. Li isn't formal enough for you?"

Her tone was as sharp as glass. "On the contrary. It sounds foul to my ears."

Ethan chuckled, finally setting his glass down. He leaned forward, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Well," he murmured, "I hope you get used to it, Lillie Bai."

His voice dropped just slightly, the challenge clear.

"Because soon, the whole world will be calling you that—for the rest of your life."