Fei Fei sighed in resignation as she heard Elena's determined response. She knew there was no point in arguing further with her, for once Elena had made up her mind, no one could change it.
She's so stubborn!
"By the way, did you get the idea from Ethan's* drama? I didn't expect that you watched his drama," Fei Fei casually remarked as she settled back on the sofa, holding her tea cup.
Elena, who was in the middle of picking up her bag, turned to Fei Fei with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "Of course not! Why would I watch that kid's drama?!" Elena retorted, rolling her eyes.
Ethan, her younger brother by three years, was a popular actor-idol in South Korea. Although she had heard his songs a few times, she never bothered to watch any of his dramas or movies.
She watched it once, but it felt strange to see her goofy brother pretending to be someone else, and it made her cringe.
"One of his famous dramas also involves a marriage contract," Fei Fei explained, recalling the popular drama that had captured the audience's attention a few years back. Talking about the marriage contract reminded her of that drama.
"You know, in the end, they fall in love and get married for real in the drama," Fei Fei playfully teased, trying to provoke Elena on purpose.
Elena immediately snorted when she heard that. The expression on her face looks like she just heard something ridiculous.
Elena snorted dismissively at the comparison. "You really think my life will play out like some drama?" she retorted. "Of course not! This is real life, not some silly drama," Elena replied, feeling annoyed at the thought.
How could her secretary liken her life to a stupid drama!
"Why not?" Fei Fei insisted, unwilling to back down from teasing Elena. "You are a beautiful woman, and this Yuchen guy is handsome. Who knows, you two might end up falling in love and getting married for real~" Fei Fei continued, sporting a mischievous smile.
"Hah!" Elena snorted, dismissing the idea. "You know that will never happen!" she declared with certainty.
She then turned to Han who was still in the room.
"Han, draft the contract again and add a condition that if either of us falls in love, that person must pay 1 million dollars to the other party," Elena said, clearly agitated.
She really didn't have time to think about the conditions of falling in love because she was sure she wouldn't fall in love with that desperate man.
However, how can her secretary think like that?
Fei Fei chuckled at Elena's reaction. She had never expected her friend to take such an extreme step, while Han looked surprised.
"I'm not proposing to do that, Elena," Han stated in a professional tone. "Having such conditions in the contract might encourage the other party to try and make you fall in love, just to claim the money," he explained further.
"Of course I know that you won't fall in love, but it's better if we avoid such clauses. Determining emotions like love in court later, in case of a lawsuit, would be challenging," he added before Elena could protest.
Elena snorted, realizing that she might have been too hasty with her demands this time. Han had a point, and she didn't want to complicate things unnecessarily.
"Hahaha, I didn't know you would be this upset. How about betting with me?" asked Fei Fei with a mischievous grin. "If you end up falling in love, give me a whole month of vacation."
As Elena's super busy secretary, a month off was what Fei Fei wanted the most. She doesn't even need money anymore because her salary is already decent.
Elena snorted again, finding Fei Fei's suggestion amusing.
"Okay, deal. But if my contractual marriage is completed, and I don't fall in love with him at all, you'll have to remain as my secretary for one month after your wedding," Elena countered with a playful smile.
Fei Fei had once mentioned that she might leave her job to focus on her family once she got married and became a mother. At first, Elena was taken aback by the idea, but she eventually agreed.
"Alright, it's a deal~" replied Fei Fei with a smile, accepting the bet they had just made.
Watching the two women with their playful banter, Han shook his head, amused by their childish behavior. But, perhaps it was this very camaraderie that had kept their friendship strong for over a decade.
***
Yuchen glanced at the name of the café in front of him, then double-checked his cellphone screen to ensure he had come to the right place. He then immediately walked inside.
Upon entering the cafe, Yuchen immediately noticed the tranquil atmosphere, with only a few patrons scattered around, as it was still only 4 in the afternoon. He scanned the room, seemingly searching for someone specific until his eyes settled on a table outside, where that familiar person sat—the one he had met at the hotel yesterday.
A woman with long, flowing hair sat there, one leg folded elegantly, engrossed in her cellphone, her fingers dancing nimbly on the screen as she typed away.
"Sorry I'm late," Yuchen apologized as he took a seat in front of her.
To be honest, he wasn't too late at all. There were still roughly two minutes before their appointment, but seeing Elena patiently waiting for him tugged at his conscience, compelling him to apologize.
After all, he was currently portraying a character who was desperate for money. To stay in character, he knew he had to come across as approachable and self-aware, especially in front of a woman who was going to give him a lot of money
Elena's composure momentarily faltered at the unexpected voice, causing her to flinch slightly as she swiftly raised her head. Her face displayed a hint of surprise when she finally laid eyes on Yuchen. Thankfully, the sunglasses she wore shielded her emotions, concealing the shock from the man before her.
"Oh, you're here," Elena replied, her tone curt. "Why don't you order something first? I can cover it if you don't have any money," she added nonchalantly, diverting her attention back to her cellphone and resuming what she was doing.
Yuchen immediately stood up when he heard that and ordered his drink and cake as he didn't see Elena ordering a cake. Of course the man immediately paid for it himself.
Upon his return to the table with their beverages and dessert, something caught the corner of Yuchen's eye. At the ten o'clock position, near the building, he spotted a figure lurking in the shadows, appearing rather suspicious. He couldn't help but keep an eye on the person, but Elena swiftly drew his attention back
"You can take a look at this first," Elena said suddenly as she pushed a brown envelope on the table, making Yuchen immediately sit back and try to ignore the person.
Without saying anything, Yuchen immediately took the brown envelope and opened it. His eyes widened at the sight of the word "Contract"
As Yuchen swiftly read through the contract's contents, he still couldn't ignore the person who seemed to be hiding and suspicious.
***
Notes:
Ethan is character from my other novel called: "Superstar Husband & Genius Wife". You can check it, it is completed xD