Rules of Engagement novel Chapter 2

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?"

"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."