I LOVE "The Man Under the Suit"!

C'mon guys, I would LOVE to see at least a version of the White Orchid ball that goes along the lines Framework set up.

I could imagine one way the "friendship" between Clark and Luthor including is Luthor seeing Lois as "just another reporter" even after her direct approach at the Ball because of Clark's surprising ability with languages. As a result he decides to "Play a long game" with Kent and Lois, setting them up to be a romantic interest to one another in the hopes that he receives a new reporting team after the fall of the Planet (which he might have had on a "list" of places that would fall to make space for LNN and it's related reporting bodies.)

CLARK: No. I'm just worried I'm a jinx.
JONATHAN: A jinx?
CLARK: Yeah. Let's face it, ever since she's known me, Lois's been kidnapped, frozen, pushed off buildings, almost stabbed, poisoned, buried alive and who knows what else, and it's all because of me.
-"Contact" (You're not her jinx, you're her blessing.)