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Chapter 3 Some Ground Rules

Adrian looked at Shelley's spaghetti. It was simple seafood spaghetti with mushrooms and shrimp, looking surprisingly good.

It should be tasty!

Shelly saw him staring straight at her spaghetti, and half-formed words died in her throat.

After hesitating for a moment, she handed over the spaghetti and said, "Do you want some?"

"Okay."

Shelley froze. She was just trying to be nice and didn't expect Adrian to agree so readily.

After taking two bites, Adrian seemed to remember something and asked, "You are not going to eat something?"

Shelley was speechless.

She wanted to eat, but he snatched it away.

"I had no idea that you didn't have dinner. So I just cooked one. It's okay. I'll just make more."

"Okay." Adrian continued eating spaghetti.

"That's it?" thought Shelley.

She suddenly felt she couldn't keep up with Adrian.

Shelley thought he was indifferent, but he was a man of his word, which impressed Shelley.

She thought Adrian was a gentleman, but he was so cold that he would make Shelley mad.

"Forget it." Shelley shook her head. She turned and went into the kitchen to make another meal for herself.

Adrian looked at her angry back with meaningful emotions in his eyes.

Ten minutes later, Shelley came out with another plate of spaghetti. Adrian had finished his.

He even ate them all.

Adrian had to admit that Shelley was a good cook.

It was ordinary seafood spaghetti, but it looked and tasted so amazing.

"Is it enough? There is more of it in the kitchen." She intentionally cooked a little more.

Adrian glanced at her and said, "It's not advisable to eat too much at night."

After speaking, he got up and went into the kitchen with the plate.

When Shelley thought Adrian would just put down the dishes, he sat opposite her holding a plate of spaghetti.

Shelley was choked. What was that?

"Take your time. No one will take your food away."

Shelley got nothing to say.

It suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of chewing and swallowing.

Shelley raised her eyes quietly and glanced at Adrian, who was eating elegantly.

When he came home, he had taken off his black overcoat and changed into a light-colored sweater and black trousers. He had light skin and sharp features. When Adrian was quiet, he looked like a gentle and elegant nobleman. His eyes were sharp when he looked at people.

He had a house and a car. Although they weren't fancy, his excellent appearance made up for a lot of things.

But he didn't have a girlfriend.

Shelley suddenly became curious about Adrian.

She blurted out a question, "Mr. Layton... Oh, no. Adrian, what do you do? Where are your parents? Getting married is such a big deal. Don't you need to tell them?"

Her questions finally came!

Adrian raised his eyes and stared at Shelley.

Compared with the sharp eyes before, he was staring at Shelley as if he could see her through, which made her a little overwhelmed.

She even began to wonder if she had asked some questions that she shouldn't have asked.

So Shelley backed off, "You don't have to answer."

She felt that since they would live as a normal couple, they should have a basic understanding of each other.

But now it seemed that Adrian didn't want to.

"I have nothing to hide," Adrian lowered his eyes and said, "I work in the marketing department of Universe Inc. My mother died when I was young, and my father died too. I only have my grandma. But for some reason, I don't want her to know about my marriage for the time being."

Shelley didn't notice Adrian's attitude when he said his mother and father had died. She was full of guilt and annoyance that she had asked questions that she shouldn't have asked.

She didn't expect that his background was more miserable than hers.

Shelley was an orphan and had never experienced how happy she was with her parents around. But Adrian lost it after having it, so he must feel more pain than Shelley.

"Sorry, I didn't know..."

Adrian didn't listen to her at all. He swallowed the last mouthful of spaghetti and wiped his mouth gracefully with a tissue.

"I think we should set some ground rules."

Shelley felt like being stabbed by his sudden indifference, feeling a little uncomfortable.

But when Shelley thought that she had said something she shouldn't have said first, her discomfort was instantly eliminated.

"Please go ahead," Shelley put down the fork and put on a posture of listening attentively.

"First, I wish to keep our marriage a secret. Of course, I will do all the duties of a husband, but I hope you will not interfere too much in my life.

"Second, I can't live a normal married life with you for the time being. I mean... in that way. I hope you can understand. But, as a man, I don't want my wife to betray me. Understand?"

He wasn't an animal and couldn't be in heat with an unfamiliar woman with unknown intentions.

Similarly, as a man, he didn't want to be cuckolded.

Shelley immediately understood and nodded.

She blinked and asked, "What about the last one?"

Seeing her unchanged expression, Adrian frowned slightly.

"Third, if you have any request, I will try my best to meet it as long as it is not excessive."

As the superior, Adrian was good at dealing with a carrot-and-stick situation.

After making two excessive demands, he was going to be soft with her.

It was a test for Shelley.

However, Shelley's face was still, and she even looked like she agreed with him in saying that.

"The first two things you mentioned are exactly what I want to talk to you about. I agree. We don't have any emotional basis and even barely know each other. We just met twice... No, three times. Doing this is good for both of us." She smiled, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her chest.

After a pause, she added, "But I don't have any demands. If I have to make any demands... Can you go see visit with me if you are available tomorrow?"

At first, when Adrian saw that Shelley looked like she didn't want to have anything to do with him, he suspected he had overthought and wronged her.

But when she asked him to see someone with her, Adrian's calm face suddenly became colder than before.

Sure enough...

Her tricks were more sophisticated than he had thought.

She retreated to advance. If it were someone else, he or she would be fooled.

Adrian said indifferently, "Sorry, I have an important client to meet tomorrow. I'm afraid I can't accompany you."

Shelley's disappointment was obvious.

But she didn't say much. She forced a smile and said, "It's okay. That might work another time."

"Grandma, please give me a little more time!" Shelley thought.

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