First lesson for a troublemaker: before sh*t could hit the fan, always take control of the situation. By moving the fan, the sh*t would fly past it, as simple as that.
Leyna rolled her eyes at Alex, though she had smile on her lips.
Alex threw a glare at the two who were stifling their laughter while trying to minimize their presence, before his face flipped again, and he happily led Leyna outside.
Instead of looking like a couple, the two looked like real siblings, with the older sister coming to spend the lunch break with her younger brother. For once, Alex didn't let his gaze wander around. As they walked through the crowd on the last floor of the mall, he glared at all the eyes which went too far in their appreciation of the figure beside him.
It was only in the elevator that he returned his focus to the woman beside him, and he smiled at her:
"I don't think I told you before, but you are radiant today, sis."
Never trust those who said that compliments would lead you nowhere. Leyna glared at Alex, but with a smile in her eyes. Unconsciously, the last vestiges of Alex-induced frustrations her expression had been holding melted away:
"Sweet-talking me will not lead you anywhere."
Alex nodded with a smile:
"Of course, I know."
Leyna turned to face the reflective panel of the door of the elevator while pursing her lips. After a moment, she found it necessary to add something more:
"I won't put in any good words with your mother for you either."
Alex nodded readily, and using his left hand, held the hand in the crook of his right elbow tightly:
"That goes without saying. Sis, I know you love me, and any scolding, any harsh word, is only for my own good. I can't thank you enough for loving me, so don't worry, I understand."
Leyna forced herself to stop her smile from spreading on her face, feeling that she had not wasted her love and affection.
*Ding*
At that moment, the elevator arrived at the ground floor, and the two left, leaving behind a few hearts awed at the skillful tongue that diffused the bomb called elder sister before it could even trigger.
The floor was even more crowded than a market, but with the wide space, it did not feel congested at all. Leyna looked at the giant glass tower in the middle of the floor, especially at the soft multicolored light it sprinkled around, and commented:
"The one who designed the mall really likes playing with light, using a crystal facade outside and building a glass tower inside."
Alex retorted with a soft smile:
"But it is beautiful, isn't it?"
Leyna glanced at him, but he displayed no peculiar reaction. She retracted her gaze, and nodded:
"You are right, it is indeed beautiful."
"But not as beautiful as you. So, tell me, sis, when are you getting married?"
Leyna raised an eyebrow at Alex. If she had been any less composed, she would have choked on her own saliva from the jump in subject.
"Are you afraid I will become an old leftover woman? Or do you want to marry me?"
Alex sighed dramatically:
"Sigh, I would love to, really, but we have been siblings for too long, and it is difficult to change that. Really, sigh…"
Alex shook his head, his expression full of lamentation and regret.
Leyna laughed. She looked at him with a soft smile, her expression softening with an affectionate glow. She carressed her face, and spoke softly:
"I believe you, and believe me when I say that I would have loved to heal your heart myself, so that you can forget about what happened ten years ago. Unfortunately, it seems we can only be siblings in this life, so try to take care of yourself to not make me worry too much."
Alex stopped being playful. His expression turned quiet, and he turned his eyes away to focus on the crowd moving around, rather than look at Leyna, as if to avoid the subject she had brought up.
Leyna's smile softened further, as she felt sorry for the younger man. Arriving outside, she took a deep breath and schooled her expression, before she changed the subject once she felt her smile was back to normal:
"Alright, now tell me why, in less than ten minutes, you have brought up my marriage twice. There must be a reason."
Alex's eyes rolled around in their sockets, and he gave an answer typical of him, but which was certainly not the one Leyna was waiting for:
"Oh, really? Did I?"
Leyna rolled her eyes. But before she could bring up her authority as an elder sister, Alex's eyes lit up. She only managed to slap him on the arm before he made his escape, running to the exit he had found after letting go of her hand.
She chuckled, and shook her head, before she also went to the car parked not far in front.
She got in and sat on the driver seat just in time to see through the rearview mirror Alex pulling his lips away from Grace's cheek and smiling widely:
"Mom, how did you know I miss you?"
Grace looked at her son with her deep green like two calm lakes, and calmly replied:
"Since you miss me, why did you visit me? Is the freedom outside that attractive?"
Alex immediately went to paste himself against his mother, taking her hand in his as he displayed all the affection a son could hold for his mother, and smiled at her:
"Of course not, mom. I just fear that if I spend too much time with you, I will start finding the girls outside tasteless and without any charm, because compared to you, there are really not many who can hold a candle."
Alex looked at his mother with the sincerest eyes of a loving son, melting the calm layer of ice on her face.
Grace gave her son a deep look, then turned away with a slight headshake and a wisp of a smile.
"Let's go."
She spoke to Leyna while looking at her through the rearview mirror, and the latter nodded:
"Yes, madam."