Rules of Engagement

Chapter 2 Experience

As Elsa was thinking, she turned around to the small hall. There were only six tables present, and a waiter who was assigned to take the people inside for dinner. After all, since the hall was only booked tomorrow, the business could still run today.

"Excuse me, can I cancel a room reservation?" Elsa asked once she walked over to the reception table.

"What's the date?" the receptionist asked politely.

"The one for tonight," she answered apologetically. Her parents were supposed to be here tonight. She lived in the staff dormitory of her company, which wasn't convenient for them so she booked a place here. However, since they said that they'd come a day late, the room would just be a waste of resources.

"I'm sorry, Miss. It's almost noon now, so the hundred percent refund isn't available." There was a pause. "If you really want the refund, I could get you 50% only."

Elsa took a deep breath. Well, there was no point in canceling it now. Plus, she also heard how there was a free breakfast buffet aligned with the room. There were also unlimited supplies of American mashed potatoes and waffles, a favorite of Jane Liang and Little Bun.

She smiled at the thought as she dialed the number. "Jane, are you on duty tonight?"

"No. The flu a few days ago was just rampant, so I got a few days off for my work during the week, just in time for your wedding. Why? Got some plans for your bachelorette party?" Her teasing voice went in the line.

"That's exactly what I'm here for."

Jane Liang burst out laughing. "I know you so well. So, which restaurant?"novelbin

"Actually, since my parents are coming tomorrow and the hotel room I booked for them are available now, I was wondering you and Little Bun would want to stay the night? Plus, they serve waffles!"

"You know just what we want!" Jane Liang waved her hands up in the air. She and Little Bun had always loved waffles. "Is Uncle Johnson alright?"

"He's okay, but he still needs to take the traditional medicine every day. Since my Mom thinks it's unlucky to take medicine before the wedding, she postponed their arrival till tomorrow."

Once she got everything settled, Elsa decided to buy some more clothes for the wedding tomorrow. Given that she was a journalist for the society pages, she needed clothes that were convenient and comfortable to walk around as well as formal enough just in case an interview were to pop up on her schedule. Therefore she only had business suits, pajamas, and a few more evening gowns.

She had bought an improved edition of the traditional cheongsam for the wedding ceremony tomorrow night, a mix of the traditional one and a long dress. It was knitted intricately with all the high-class embroideries, which looked extremely beautiful. However, she had nothing to wear for the holiday tomorrow night.

Greenwood had thought that it was too troublesome to go to a honeymoon and she agreed. However, even if she were at home, she still needed to wear something else.

The money for the new clothes was given to her by her parents. No matter how much she had rejected, they directly transferred twenty thousand to her account, requiring her to buy some new outfits for Greenwood and herself. It was customary for the bride's parents to pay for the wedding outfits of the new couple. When Greenwood heard about it, he laughed out loud and picked his tuxedo, waiting for her to pay.

To cover the 10,000, she used her own card, not her parent's cash.

The cheongsam she had chosen for herself was cheaper – costing 800, but it still looked really nice.

As she walked out of the gates of the hotel, two tall men passed by her. Due to their height, it was difficult to look up and see who they were, so she just simply ignored them. As they left, she saw a lone card lying on the ground. When she picked it up to take a closer look, she realized that it was a room card.

"What?" She looked around, only to see that the two were gone.

On second thought, it would be safer to hand it over to the front desk. She was about to turn back when somebody called her.

"Elsa, you're here!" Greenwood approached her. "I didn't expect that you'd arrive so early."

"I wanted to buy a few more clothes. Since you were in a meeting, I didn't tell you." She noticed that Greenwood seemed a little unhappy when he heard about her little shopping escapade. He was a frugal man, a trait that she knew when she dated him. "Only for the wedding," she added.

"No, I didn't mean that. If you dress up beautifully, it's for me to enjoy, right?" Greenwood quickly responded, beaming at her.

Elsa smiled. He placed a hand on her shoulders. "Let's go inside and have a drink. I have something to tell you."

She froze when his fingers slid down her arms. Elsa was still unaccustomed to being held by him. A part of her wanted to push him away, but it'd be too impolite. Plus, it would seem weird.

Ron Qin burst into laughter at the sight as he slung an arm around Soren Wang's shoulders. "Look at that awkward couple. They look terribly mismatched. I think it's time we find you a perfect match. Isn't that a great idea?"

Soren Wang followed his gaze only to see the woman who he had met just this morning. She ordered a cup of coffee while the man in front of her ordered a glass of water. Her hand was being held by the man in front of her, and Soren could sense the uncomfortableness on her stance.

He then turned away.

"Hey, Soren, don't be like that. Let's go to the Food and Beverages Department and you can write me up a report, what do you say? I don't want anything to happen with my wedding with Coco in three months, so I was hoping you'd come with me to inspect."

"Let's go to the F&B Department." Soren took the lead.

Once they went out of the F&B Department, Ron Qin finally remembered to reward Soren with a cup of coffee. While he was ordering, he got a call from Chloe Xu, his fiancee, so he excused himself.

Unintentionally, they were sitting at a table right in front of Greenwood and Elsa, so Soren could get a better look at them. The cafe was very quiet, with only the sound of the piano echoing throughout the room. However, Soren could hear their voices, even if they were talking in low whispers.

"Get married", "the wedding ceremony of tomorrow night", "my parents can't arrive until tomorrow", "ask for a leave for the wedding", "can't cancel the hotel room"...

These were the words Soren started to piece together as they continued to speak.

He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at their conversation so he walked over to the balcony to gather from fresh air.

He didn't notice that Greenwood had also followed him out. Greenwood paid no attention to the man with him on the balcony as his eyes were only focused on Elsa's movements.

"Yes, Mom, I'm talking to her. It's a pretty large issue, okay? Can I just break it to her gradually? How do you think she'll bear it?" There was pure reluctance in Greenwood's voice.

Soren raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested in what he had to say.

"Plus, you secretly took her health report. She has difficulty in getting pregnant. It's not that she can't. She already told me of this, so I don't think it's appropriate that I'll call it off just for a simple matter."

The other line was literally screaming into Greenwood's ear. Even Soren could hear the lecture coming off the other end of the line. It seemed that it was an issue that they continually talked about. Greenwood took the phone far away from his ear, scrunching his eyebrows. "Fine. I'll tell her, okay? I'll ask the headmaster's daughter tomorrow."

After he hung up, Greenwood hesitated. Elsa was a suitable wife. She had a high degree and a good- paying job. Plus, her family were of good background. His mother, however, just had to discover of her health report. He had waited for several days to break the news with her, but he was afraid that if he did, he would not find another suitable woman. Plus, he was planning on bedding her just before the marriage.

With the wedding date fast approaching, it was getting harder and harder to break the news when she already prepared so much. He paced around the balcony before walking in.

However, even then, he still hadn't broken the news. They continued to lounge around and laugh.

Seeing the scene, Soren couldn't help but frown.

Greenwood still couldn't muster up the courage. "Let's go get some lunch. I heard that there's a new restaurant with good beef rice noodles."

Elsa nodded. There were lunch menus in the cafe but they were just too expensive. She stood up. "I'll go to the restroom first."

"Go ahead. I'll wait for you here." He smiled placidly.

Elsa took her bag and walked into the restroom. The room card she had picked up was now on the table. At the same time, Greenwood couldn't help but place it in the pocket of his shirt.

'I can just tell her tonight in bed?' He shrugged. Women were always much easier to coax at night,

plus maybe then, he'd be able to take advantage of it. Besides, Elsa was already twenty-seven. He didn't believe that she never had any experience beforehand. However, even then, it was incredibly difficult for him to ask her to be physical with him.

With that, the man sat back, having a plan of his own.