With the light traffic having just the two of them in the elevator, there was a moment of silence. But looking at their image on the reflective surface of the door, Alex turned to Leyna with a smile.
"I didn't tell you earlier, but you are looking radiant today, sis."
Before Leyna could say anything, he added, very naturally, and in a smooth but deliberately lowered voice:
"As always."
Leyna looked at him, searching his face for a moment, before accepting the compliment with a smile she tried to keep calm:
"Thank you. But sweet-talking really won't lead anywhere, Alex."
Far from being discouraged by those words, Alex raised an eyebrow with an innocent look of inquiry.
"Really? Not even enough for taking another entrance? We have not had lunch with just the two of us for a while, have we?"
"I knew you were after something."
Looking at the knowing smile in the greyish-blue eyes, Alex exhaled and turned away.
"Alright, pretend I said nothing apart from complimenting you."
"Then I will pretend I heard nothing."
"Still, you are looking radiant, sis."
The comment came offhandedly, and even as a simple repeat of the previous words, it had Leyna struggling to keep her lips from curling up too high. Schooling her expression, she replied calmly:
"Thank you, Alex."
Alex inwardly sighed. Never believe those who said that compliments would not lead you anywhere. Even if they couldn't conquer minds, they could conquer hearts. Just that, it was not enough in this case, not if the conquered heart had the brain leading it in another direction considered more beneficial, or necessary.
It was simpler at parties. There, whether men or women, both of them had a common goal, and communication just led to everyone taking the expected path so long as both sides found each other agreeable.
*Ding*
Looking up, the display above the door had the digit of their destination emphasized in the simple background. With no way to resist, and no way to smoothly talk his way through, Alex took the first step out of the elevator.
The ground floor was even more crowded than the uppermost floor, and the traffic more dynamic. Leyna looked at the large space in the middle of the floor, and looked up. The empty space was not just two-dimensional, as it went up all the way with no obstacle, revealing the bright sky far above.
But the empty space felt too deliberate, especially with what seemed like preparations to fill it lightly visible at the center.
Leyna turned to Alex and asked, her ponytail swinging to the rhythm of her movement:
"What will be there?"
Alex looked at her with incomprehension, then signaled with his chin toward the depth of the ground floor:
"There is a model of the mall there, we can see it later. Or we can wait to see its final form together after some time."
Seeing Alex shrug, Leyna smiled, and didn't ask further. She changed the subject:
"The one who designed the mall really likes playing with crystals and light, don't you think so?"
The mall, seen from outside, had the appearance of a gem, with a crystalline surface that shone under the light of the sun. That made it visible from afar, like an attractive landmark, but without looking irritating to the eyes, as if it was absorbing the surplus of light that would have turned it glaring. And the most amazing was the deeply masculine rugged look that the design of the mall had made it keep despite the kind of feminine gem-like appearance. It was like a work of art mixing concrete, glass, and crystal. And it was still incomplete.
No wonder many were attracted to it, and even Leyna was curious. But her question still made her receive the same look that said that Alex was still not comprehending why she was asking him those questions. So, though he didn't shrug his shoulders again, he lightly turned his head away and replied casually:
"Maybe. At least, it is beautiful."
Leyna smiled, but didn't glance at Alex, already knowing she would see nothing much on his face. She simply continued looking around as she calmly nodded:
"Indeed. It is indeed beautiful."
"But not as beautiful as you, sis."
Leyna paused, then her smile widened, before Alex suddenly changed the subject:
"So, when are you thinking of getting yourself a partner, sis? You can't just be living for work, can you? Even Mom does not agree to that, she just wants you to realize that on your own."
Turning to glance at her, he continued:
"We both know she is a driven woman, but she has had three sons throughout her life, and she also has daughters, even though none are of her own blood. She would not want you to lead a lonely life centered around work only. Man or woman, everyone's value has always been multifaceted, with more than one way to realize it."
Leyna wasn't taken by surprise this time. However, she simply pretended not to hear most of what Alex said and raised an eyebrow at him to ask with amusement in her tone:
"Are you afraid that I will become an old spinster? You could just marry me then, couldn't you? Or you don't think much of an old woman like me."
Alex took in the amusement in the greyish-blue eyes, then raised his head dramatically:
"How could I!? You are such an amazing woman, sis, which man would not want to have you for himself? If only we had not been siblings for so long already, making me unable to decide whether to feel joy or pain. I can only cry at the joke from fate, sigh~"
As Alex lamented, his face full of pity, Leyna covered her mouth and let out a small laugh. But even as she laughed, her eyes wavered, a deep-seated pain glistening behind the amusement as she thought about the scars Alex was hiding, and not just beneath his clothes. The contrast between his smile, bright and full of life, and the lifelessness inside, was too heartwrenching.
She turned her head away and started to take controlled breaths to calm herself. In the ensuing silence that finally let in the noise from the surroundings, one looked in front, leading the way, while the other focused on the shops and stores on the side.
Stepping through the wide entrance, Alex stopped after catching sight of a very recognizable car on the other side. Leyna took a deep breath, and didn't glance at the car after regaining her bearings. She instead looked at Alex, and asked with a soft smile, an affectionate look in her eyes:
"Now, can you tell me what you are hiding? In less than ten minutes, you have brought up my marriage twice already."