The Rhode Hotel restaurant was dim and quiet, the kind of establishment that understood privacy as a service.

Dia An was already seated when Liuxian arrived. She was composed, well dressed, and looked exactly like what she was, a woman from a good family who had been told she was going to marry Liu Liuxian and had arranged her expectations accordingly.

She looked up when he approached, her expression brightening pleasantly.

Liuxian sat down.

"Dia An. Thank you for agreeing to meet."

"Of course." she said. "I’ve been waiting for this conversation for a while."

"I know." he said. "I apologize for how long it took."

A server appeared, poured water, and disappeared without a word.

Dia An looked at him directly. "Did you call me here to settle me? I waited for you at the civil affairs bureau for five hours that day." she said.

"My apologies." Liuxian said. "I’ll compensate you for that.."

She was quiet for a moment. Something in her expression shifted, not hurt exactly, but the recalibration of someone confirming what they had already suspected.

"Is it the person from the gala?" she said.

Liuxian looked at her. "Yes."

She nodded slowly. She picked up her water glass and held it without drinking.

"It can’t be helped then." she said.

"I should have addressed it sooner. I didn’t handle it well and I apologize for that sincerely."

She looked at him for a long moment.

"Are you happy?" she said.

The question was genuine enough that it caught him slightly off guard.

He thought about life with Guiying. It has been pleasant and lately he’s been getting the feeling to dote on Guiying more.

It might not be love but right now Guiying was getting all his attention.

"Yes.." he said, after a moment.

Dia An looked at him for a moment longer.

Then something in her expression settled, not warmly, but with the quiet dignity of a woman who had decided to take the situation at face value and move forward from it.

"Then there’s nothing more to discuss." she said.

"I’ll speak to both families personally." Liuxian said. "You won’t have to manage any of that."

She nodded.

They ordered dinner.

Then ate with the careful politeness of two people who had nothing against each other and simply had nothing to do with each other.

The conversation stayed in neutral territory, industry, mutual connections, the kind of talk that filled a table without requiring anything real from either of them.

When it was over Liuxian walked her to her car.

"Dia An." he said, before she got in.

She looked at him.

"You’ll be fine." he said simply.

She looked at him for a moment. Then she smiled, small and genuine, the first real one of the evening.

"I know," she said. "So will you."

Her car pulled away.

Liuxian stood on the pavement outside the Rhode Hotel, his hands in his pockets, the city moving around him in its late evening rhythm.

Then he thought about the fact that he had told Moying to come home today.

And Guiying was already home.

He got into his car rather quickly.

"Zhang Wei." he said. "Drive faster."

Zhang Wei drove faster.

His fingers tapped the sit pleasantly, his day was considerably good, he liked the feeling of closing of loose ends.

"Zhang Wei, what do you think Moying would do to Guiying when he meets him?"

Zhang Wei tapped the steering wheel, in thought.

"Depends. But shouldn’t the question be what would the master do when he finds young master Moying?"

Liuxian sighed,he should have told butler Wang to prepare ahead of time.

He gazed at the looming city, Guiying and Moying were around this same age. Crazy to say he married his brother’s age mate.

He checked the time, a little passed nine.

Guiying wouldn’t be sleeping by now but he had certainly had dinner.

He had no doubt that Moying had eaten as well.

After several stops and turns, they finally made it into Golden Willow district, the most elite estate in the country.

And Liuxian owned house 16 which was the most high end house in the block.

Liuxian didn’t need Zhang Wei to opened the door for him. He swung his leg out one after the other and grab his briefcase.

"Drive yourself home. Be here tomorrow at seven sharp."

Zhang Wei nodded and bowed "Got it boss. Thank you for your generosity.."

Liuxian nodded and waved him off.

Butler Wang opened the door before he got to the door.

"Welcome back, Master."

Liuxian nodded and strolled in, though Butler Wang stretched out his hands to receive his briefcase, Liuxian made no move to hand it to him.

Instead he asked him what Guying and Moying were doing.

"They’ve had an initial scuffle but they seemed to have settle and had a pleasant dinner with each other. Then they retired for the night."

Liuxian nodded and asked Butler Wang to retire for the night as well that he would take care of himself.

Butler Wang nodded and left.

Liuxian loosened his tie and headed up the stairs and straight to Guiying’s room.

When he entered the room, he caught Guiying mid movement applying his skincare.

"You’re back.."

Liuxian nodded and began walking towards him but Guiying stretched his hand, shaking his finger. "Reek of pheromones that aren’t my own, is this why you said I shouldn’t wait up? Are you cheating on me?"

Liuxian sniffed his shirt, the last person he met was Dia An, thus must be her pheromones.

"I’m not cheating on you. Before we met I had an arranged marriage, I had to settle the other party, this must be her pheromones. We didn’t do anything except have dinner."

Guiying only answered him after he had finished his night routine.

"Well I don’t like it. Don’t come near until you’ve gotten rid of it.."

-_-

"Are you jealous?" Liuxian chuckled and took a step closer, he kept walking until he and Guiying were face to face or rather face to chest.

"Why don’t you help me get rid of it? Replace her pheromones with yours.."

-_-!!