Chapter 3: Three Rules of Agreement

"Let's talk about the details tomorrow, okay? I'm really sleepy."

Gu Lanxi couldn't help but yawn again.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, making her look like a pitiful little puppy.

However, at this critical moment, Lu Nanting had no intention of softening his heart.

Being sleepy was exactly what he wanted!

Otherwise, when she was full of energy, she could be as mischievous as a monkey, and he wouldn't be able to take advantage of her at all.

"What if you run away in the middle of the night? What if you wake up and refuse to acknowledge this? You could just find some excuse, say you're too busy to get away, or even worse, cut up your ID card. Even if you wanted to replace it, it would take days."

The man frowned, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the back of his chair, eyeing her sideways as if her character were truly despicable.

Gu Lanxi was so angry she almost laughed!

She stood up, braced her hands on the desk, leaned forward, and glared fiercely at the person opposite her

"Big brother! You need real-name verification for everything these days, where could I possibly run to? And 'refuse to acknowledge it when I wake up'—am I that kind of person?"

Lu Nanting coughed lightly, sat up straight, placed his hands on the table, interlaced his fingers, and chuckled.

Seeing her frown and look displeased, he suddenly looked up at her, opened his mouth slightly, and said something Gu Lanxi would never have expected.

"Don't call me 'big brother.' If you really have to call me something, you can call me 'brother,' 'Brother Lu,' 'Brother Nanting'... Hey? Domestic violence is not allowed!"

Seeing her face turn red with rage, ready to climb over the table to beat him, Lu Nanting jumped up immediately.

He didn't bolt for the door, but instead, relying on his height and long legs, he circled around the tea table.

"Didn't you set up a cold and aloof persona? If people saw you like this, I should really record it! Let your fans see! You'd lose your reputation in a heartbeat, believe it or not?"

Having known each other for many years, it was rare to see her show such raw emotion. Lu Nanting wasn't afraid; in fact, he was quite happy.

See? She was different toward him after all.

"Who doesn't know what those personas are all about? I'm just afraid of trouble. Besides, are you the same as everyone else? If I didn't speak my mind in front of you, if I didn't say what I was thinking, would you know that I like you, want to marry you, and want to be with you forever? Love needs to be expressed. Come on, baby, bravely say what's on your mind..."

Gu Lanxi's face flushed deep red. She braced one hand on the table, gave a light leap, and pounced on him.

"Shut up right now!"

Lu Nanting took two steps back, his back hitting the wall with a thud.

Sweat trickled down his temples, sliding past his cheeks and his Adam's apple, leaving darker marks on his black crew-neck T-shirt.

A faint scent of body odor and perfume intertwined, becoming a unique fragrance that could evoke endless memories.

Lu Nanting spread his arms and pulled her directly into his embrace.

Time is a wonderful thing.

The human brain is also quite magical.

Everything is changing, but memories seem to never fade.

The thin boy from back then had grown taller, his shoulders broader, his muscles thicker, but that thumping warmth and sense of security were exactly the same as they had been years ago.

Gu Lanxi sniffled, let go of his shoulders, and let out a long sigh.

"I won't go back on my word, really. Don't be like this, okay?"

"Not okay..."

The person who had been happily teasing her just a moment ago suddenly had his voice drop.

He held her tightly, bent down slightly, and rested his fluffy head on her shoulder.

After a long while, Gu Lanxi felt a warmth on her shoulder, and the arms holding her tightened once more.

"Gu Lanxi, can you like me a little more? Just a little bit is fine."

His words carried the dampness of a humid spring, making her feel suffocated.

Her heart tightened slowly, and her nose stung, making her feel sad without knowing what to do.

It was just like the first time she went to his concert years ago, hearing him stand on stage, head bowed, humming

"The person I like doesn't respond,

Like shouting into a deep, ancient well.

Even if I scream until my voice breaks,

I can't stir up a single ripple..."

She raised her hands, wanting to hug his waist, but ultimately changed direction, placing them on his chest and gently pushing him back.

A moment later, Gu Lanxi blinked, regained her composure, looked up slightly, and stared earnestly into his wet, large eyes

"Let's draft a prenuptial agreement, hmm?"

Seeing that she was no longer sleepy and didn't seem to be joking, Lu Nanting looked away in embarrassment and quickly replied with a low "Hmm."

Gu Lanxi had always been emotionally stable. Even though she was two months younger than him, she always seemed like an older sister in front of him.

The two went to the study. Gu Lanxi opened her laptop and quickly downloaded a prenuptial agreement template.

"Marriage is no small matter. To avoid all sorts of future trouble, let's make a gentleman's agreement—three chapters of rules, okay? I'll state my requirements first, and if there's anything you're unhappy with, we can discuss and modify it."

Understanding her concerns and knowing that her agreement to marry wasn't just empty talk, Lu Nanting sat on the sofa by the window, picked up an orange pumpkin pillow, and squeezed it unconsciously while softly saying "Hmm."

With both in agreement, Gu Lanxi didn't waste time, and soon the keyboard was clattering away.

While she was editing, Lu Nanting looked around the study's layout.

This apartment had the same layout as the one upstairs—five rooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms. The renovation hadn't changed much, but the decor was very different from his home.

Besides the master bedroom with a large walk-in closet, there was a guest room, a study, a gym, and a tea room.

Gu Lanxi loved reading. She had told him before that if she ever had her own place, she had to have a big study.

The study needed floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on all four walls, light green, with arched cabinet doors, filled with all her favorite books.

The computer desk should be in the middle of the room, with a comfortable chair.

By the window, there should be a chaise longue or a sofa for reading while half-reclining.

Next to it, a potted plant—a horse-tail tree, a monstera... anything, she wasn't picky.

The windows should have light, pale green sheer curtains; when the breeze blew, it would feel just like a vibrant spring.

The room shouldn't face west because it would be too hot in the summer, and she liked to spend time in the study...

The things she had once said with such longing had all become reality.

She was indeed not the type of person to say one thing and do another.

Lu Nanting was curious about what her "three chapters of rules" were, so he walked behind the desk and leaned over to look.

Prenuptial asset notarization, separate income and debts after marriage—he had expected this, and Lu Nanting had no objections.

No socializing with each other's relatives and friends for now, and neither party was responsible for the other's social life—this was also fine.

After all, both were from large families; dealing with them was exhausting, and when the relationship wasn't deep enough, it was easy for things to go wrong.

But this...

"Husband and wife not living together after marriage? No, I don't agree! And this 'secret marriage' clause, I don't agree to that either! You're not someone to be ashamed of! I'm open and aboveboard, why do you want to be so sneaky? Or do you think I'm not presentable?"

Gu Lanxi stopped typing.

"Go bring a chair in here. Let's discuss it point by point before we write it down."

That would save her some trouble.

His words were interrupted, but Lu Nanting wasn't angry. He said "Okay" and zoomed out.

When he brought the chair in and sat down, he started fussing at the computer again

"I don't intend to have a 'contract marriage' with you. I don't mind that you aren't ready for further physical intimacy yet—after all, everything takes time—but I cannot accept not living together. Think about it: you're already very busy and will be joining a film crew next week, and I'm busy too. I still have over sixty shows left on my world tour. We won't be home much anyway. Relationships need to be nurtured, right?"

They were both young. Living under the same roof, it was inevitable that sparks would fly.

Things like that happened in film crews all the time. Gu Lanxi had seen too much of it; she had no confidence in herself, and not much in him either.

She didn't want things to become uncontrollable.

Seeing her lower her head and stay silent, Lu Nanting snorted: "If there's no difference between being married and not being married, why get married at all? Are you just playing with me? Or do you think I'm some kind of old pervert who can't control his lower half?"

Gu Lanxi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're not that old, though."

Then she silently made the change.

They could live in the same apartment, but in separate rooms.

Lu Nanting looked it over and expressed his approval.

It was good for nurturing their relationship while maintaining enough private space.

"As for the secret marriage, that's not realistic either."

Lu Nanting reminded her: "Don't you hold over 5% of the shares in several listed companies? Diluting equity isn't that easy, and short-term selling is prone to trouble. Besides, high-quality assets are never enough; it would be a pity to sell them easily. Within three days of marriage, you have to report it to the securities regulatory agency and notify the listed companies to issue an announcement. You can't hide it even if you want to."

"It's not mandatory if there's no change in equity after marriage."

"But that's irresponsible to shareholders and other investors. I advise you to follow the law. Don't glare at me! The most I'll promise is not to volunteer your name. If someone is capable enough to find out, don't blame me!"

"Got it, got it. Any objections to the rest?"

Gu Lanxi pointed to the last clause regarding marital fidelity.

"I don't accept open marriages, and I don't accept any behavior unfaithful to the marriage. Once such a thing happens, I will immediately terminate this marriage. Do you agree?"

Lu Nanting snorted again.

"If I wanted to find someone else, I would have done it long ago. I'm not that kind of person."

"That's not necessarily true."

"Come on, why don't you arrange three assistants for me, have them guard me in shifts twenty-four hours a day, and have one squat by the bed while I sleep, just to see how 'wild' I really am!"

"Pfft! You wish!"

Seeing her smiling, Lu Nanting reached out and grabbed the mouse.

"We need to add one more clause."

Gu Lanxi didn't have time to pull her hand away, but she wasn't annoyed that he was holding it: "Add what?"

"My place is cold and empty; you probably won't like it. I'll move down here and live in the guest room. Living together will inevitably involve expenses, and I'm not a freeloader. I have to pay for living expenses."

"I thought you were going to hand over your salary card; you scared me!"

"Hey, if you're willing, I'm more than happy to."

"No thanks, just paying for living expenses is fine."

Otherwise, with his pride, living together would inevitably make him feel like he was living under someone else's roof.

Seeing her agree, Lu Nanting reached around her, typed out the last clause, and entered "500,000" before the word "RMB."

"Tsk, you're so generous, who wouldn't be tempted? Why go through all this trouble with me? What are you thinking?"

"Yeah, what am I thinking? Maybe it's the mistake of love at first sight."

The agreement was made in duplicate, and both kept a copy.

"See you at seven tomorrow. Get the materials ready. We'll go to the notary office for the prenuptial asset notarization first, then to the law firm to sign the agreement, and then straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Let's try to get it all done in one day. Can we?"

Seeing that he had everything arranged perfectly, Gu Lanxi sighed: "Okay."

"Then I'll head back. I live upstairs, on the 19th floor. Do you want to come up and see?"

"Another day. Good night, bye-bye, get out, I'm not seeing you off!"

Lu Nanting chuckled, his footsteps light; he was clearly in a great mood.

For a long while, she could still hear him humming a song in the foyer.

It was the title track from his debut album, "Gentle Lion"

"The first time we met,

You were like a gentle lion,

Stepping on the tip of my heart,

Coming before me.

Every breath,

Matches the beat of my heart.

Oh~

This must be love at first sight,

It must be..."

Gu Lanxi suddenly covered her face with both hands and slumped onto the desk.

She thought she must be crazy.

Perhaps she had been crazy for a long time.

That was the only reason she would let him have his way.