Page 12 of He Is My Bride

“I’m still me, though, you know?” Li Ying said.

“I guess I’m still a man inside, but now that I think about it, I’ve never really cared when I was teased for being ‘girly’ as a kid.

Amy and I used to play dress-up, and sometimes someone made fun of me for that, but it never bothered me.

I don’t think I care whether the world sees me as a man or a woman. ”

What mattered to Li Ying was that Hanjun still saw him for who he was, regardless of how he dressed, and loved him for that.

Li Ying needed to marry that man, no matter the cost. If the cost was to pretend he was a woman, that was nothing to him.

Save for the stress over this whole plan working out—and the blisters.

However, Li Ying couldn’t help but be sad that he couldn’t tell his family anything about this, least of all the truth about his relationship with Hanjun.

It would be worth it though, to be able to marry the one man who had ever made Li Ying feel truly loved.

It had to be worth it, Li Ying thought. Still, he would have to figure out what to tell the Qians.

“Looks like I don’t have to worry too much about letting you out there on your own,” Anne said. “That choker is really nice with that outfit, by the way. Good choice.”

“Thanks, girl! ”

Li Ying tapped his nail on the table. He wished he had longer nails to do so with. Some gel tips would be very good for tapping. “When do we go to the salon?” he asked.

“‘We?’ I gave you the name of the place, just book an appointment. I’ve let them know you’re my customer and who to bill.”

“We could go together. I could treat you.”

Anne was quiet, fidgeting with her spoon. The waiter brought Li Ying his coffee and toast, giving him his best customer service smile, but as Li Ying smiled up at him, something changed in the man’s eyes, and his pupils dilated.

“Thanks,” Li Ying spoke, still in his feminine voice but in a lower, breathy, velvety purr.

Anne stared, amazed. Once the waiter had gone again, she said, “You haven’t changed at all. You have gone through a complete transformation, but you’re still the same shameless flirt inside. You have just gained more weapons in your arsenal. ”

Li Ying winked at her and sipped his coffee. “No one’s safe anymore.”

Anne sighed. She stirred her latte. “Li Ying, you are my customer now, but do you think we are still friends as well? We have known each other for a long time…”

“Don’t be silly, of course we are friends! And I’m going to treat you as a friend to some nails, if you want.”

Anne’s lips spread into a smile. “Okay, let’s go together.”

They sat in comfortable silence for the moment.

“What are your plans for Christmas, by the way?” Li Ying asked after a while.

“Spending it with family, as usual,” Anne said. “Why?”

“I understand Christmas with family is more important than work, so feel free to turn this down, but how would you feel about coming to Shanghai with us?”

Anne looked at him firmly. “On what terms?”

“Work. I talked with Hanjun about it. I’d just feel more secure having someone who’s in the know with me, to help me out, because I can’t…

Anne, I can’t botch this, okay, and I need your help.

” Li Ying reached across the table and took Anne’s hand.

“I’m asking as a friend, but Hanjun will pay you whatever you two would agree on, including accommodation, meals, everything.

And you would fly in with us on a private jet. ”

Li Ying couldn’t believe he was saying something like that so casually. As if it were just his normal life, to fly around in jets.

“I turned Hanjun down on his offer to send us back on a jet though, so we would be flying back in first class.” Oh woe.

It wasn’t the first or the second time Anne had had that dumbfounded expression on her face during these past weeks. “Is this all settled on?” she asked.

“As long as the whole plan doesn’t fold: yes. Hanjun still hasn’t told his family he would be bringing his ‘girlfriend’ over, but since the plan seems to be coming together pretty well if I do say so myself, I think we can break the news to them soon.”

Anne thought about it, chewing on her lip, letting Li Ying hold her hand. After considering it carefully, she answered:

“I think my family will understand if I’m not home for Christmas. I think they would be happy that their daughter has a chance to pursue her dreams and accept such a huge gig, to go to Shanghai with her exclusive client.”

“You haven’t told them who it is, right?”

“Don’t insult me, of course not! Discretion is key. Besides, it will only sound more impressive when I say I can’t disclose who my employer is.” Anne’s grin grew from ear to ear once Li Ying answered her smile in kind, and soon they were giggling together again.

“I never knew you were so ambitious!” Li Ying said.

“I just really want to make it as a stylist, to help people, to find their voice and help them express themselves.”

“And getting to sashay into the swankiest stores like you’re on a mission from God?”

Anne rolled her eyes.

They finished their lunch. When it was time to get their bill, the waiter had left his number on Li Ying’s.

“Looks like it worked,” Anne said.

“Of course it worked.” Li Ying tossed his ponytail. He didn’t take the number, of course, he was a kept man, but he left a hefty tip as consolation. Seems like their first test was a success.

But would they convince the Wus and the Shanghai elite?

—

While Li Ying was having an outing with Anne, back at their apartment, Hanjun’s personal phone rang. Hanjun’s heart constricted when he saw the name on the screen: Wu Yiheng.

“Hello, uncle,” Hanjun answered the phone .

“Hello Hanjun, I hope it’s not a bad time for you? It should be six in the afternoon over there.”

“Not a bad time.” Hanjun stood up from the dining table where he’d been working on his laptop.

“I wanted to ask you something. About your discretionary account expenses.”

So, he still keeps tabs on my accounts, Hanjun thought resentfully. “Has something raised your concern?”

“I simply have a question: do you have a girlfriend?”

“…Yes.”

A silence hung on the line for seconds. Hanjun thought he could hear his own racing heartbeat, fearfully anticipating what his uncle would say next.

“You met her in America?” Wu Yiheng asked.

“Mm. She’s American-born Chinese—”

“How long—”

“—we have been dating for almost two years.” Hanjun determinedly finished his sentence, refusing to let his uncle speak over him this time. “We are living together.”

Another silence, until Wu Yiheng said:

“You go to America, and within a year you have finally found yourself a girl you like.”

Hanjun couldn’t tell if his uncle thought it was a good or a bad thing. He said nothing.

“Seems like she likes to spend your money,” Wu Yiheng said.

Hanjun’s grip tightened around the phone. He forced his voice to remain calm and impassioned, “If you look at the dates of these particular transactions, you will find that they have started only a few months ago. As I said, we have been dating for almost two years.”

“I saw the dates. What changed?”

“Uncle,” Hanjun spoke most politely, “I’m going to bring her to Shanghai with me on the twenty-second. I’d like for you, Cousin Hanrong and Grandmother Linming to meet her.”

Silence again. Wu Yiheng could be heard sighing on the other end. “If you are this serious about her, I will arrange time for tea.”

“I am serious.” Hanjun sounded like it.

Wu Yiheng weighed his words carefully, “Hanjun, I’m happy you have found someone you like. I wish you would have picked a mainland woman, but if she’s otherwise suitable, I look forward to meeting her. What is her name?”

“Li Ying.”

“Hmm. Very well, then, I will see you in December. Hanging up.”

Hanjun let Wu Yiheng hang up first. That could have gone worse, he thought.

Wu Yiheng might try to make a search on the name ‘Li Ying,’ but he didn’t know the exact characters with which it was written.

Even if he did, he wouldn’t find anything, Hanjun had checked: there were several people on the internet with that name, both men and women, and Li Ying’s digital footprint was small enough that Hanjun had failed to find anything at all.

Qian Hong, being the founder of a cybersecurity company, had guarded his family’s information well.

However, Li Ying couldn’t be a ghost, and he and Hanjun had been thinking about what they could tell the Wus about his background and what they should omit.

They couldn’t tell the Qians who Li Ying was married to, nor could they mention the Qians to the Wus, not by name. Otherwise, they ran the risk of Wu Yiheng reaching out to them and finding out the truth. That would have ruined everything.

Although Hanjun was sorry for Li Ying’s unfortunate circumstances, they provided a blessing in disguise: with the Qians having never officially adopted Li Ying, he could tell the Wus that his foster family wasn’t involved in his life now that he was a legal adult.

While this was a good plan, Li Ying had been depressed when he and Hanjun had discussed it.

Li Ying had experienced abandonment early in his life, and having Mrs. Qian always making him feel like he wasn’t welcome at the Qians’ made it worse.

Hanjun understood it hurt Li Ying to be made to feel like an outsider to the family he desperately wanted to belong to.

But in the end, Li Ying had had to agree it was the perfect excuse to keep the Qians out of the way, to say they weren’t involved with him.

Hanjun heard the door:

“I’m home!”

“Welcome home.”

The coldness that had seeped into the corners vanished instantly when Li Ying entered the room, filling it with his lively, warm presence. Hanjun smiled.

He saw Li Ying step out of the hallway in his full getup.

“Hey—Oh, hello!” Li Ying struck a pose when he noticed Hanjun standing right there, staring.

Li Ying put a hand on his hip, carrying his sandals in the other hand. He was speaking in his normal voice now:

“Guess what?” He slung the sandals over his shoulder and tossed his hair, looking pleased with himself. “It went super well. A cute waiter even left me his number.”

Hanjun’s eyes darkened.

“Yeah, he totally had the hots for me,” Li Ying added fuel to the fire. He liked it when Hanjun had that look in his eyes.

Hanjun just stood there staring, Wu Yiheng’s surly voice all but forgotten. Li Ying strutted to him and stood not an inch away from touching Hanjun, looking up at him. Now that Li Ying didn’t have his crazy heels on, he was shorter instead of nearly equal height. Hanjun’s heart raced in his chest.

“This vixen is getting popular around town, what is my boyfriend gonna do about—Mm!” Li Ying dropped the Choos.

Hanjun grabbed Li Ying’s waist and let his hands wander from there: over, under his pants, grasping for flesh and making Li Ying moan into his mouth.

“You look good.” Hanjun hissed with his teeth on Li Ying’s lips and bit down, making the other man cry out in delight .

Li Ying’s hands were scratching down Hanjun’s back, trying to tear off his shirt. “Aah, Han — !”

Hanjun grabbed Li Ying’s arm and pulled the dazed man into the bedroom.

Hanjun laid Li Ying on the bed, and his feverish eyes landed on the choker that circled Li Ying’s throat.

“Do you like it?” Li Ying grinned cheekily, brushing his hand across the bling bow. “Thank you, Junjun, for buying it for me!”

“Hmh.” A hoarse, impatient grunt.

Hanjun took off Li Ying’s panties. He hesitated when he saw everything that was going on underneath.

“There are too many… things.”

“Ah, yeah, let me.” Li Ying carefully removed the tucking tape and released his junk from timeout. “Whew, at least I don’t have to do it like that every day.”

“Like a gift,” Hanjun said.

“Huh?” Li Ying blushed something fierce, looking up with fluttering eyes at Hanjun.

“Wrapped up for your husband.” Hanjun turned Li Ying around on his belly, hovering above the black bow that tied the halter top around his neck. Hanjun grabbed another of the fabric ribbons and pulled until the bow came loose, opening the top.

“H-Hanjun…”

Hanjun pressed a kiss on Li Ying’s neck before tossing him on his back again. The opened halter slumped off his body and revealed the strapless bra underneath. Hanjun stopped to look at the faked breasts. He didn’t mind them. He didn’t mind any of this. It was still his Li Ying, and he wanted him.

Li Ying could see it in his eyes: Hanjun truly saw him beyond the smoke and mirrors and loved him, body and soul.

I will marry you, Wu Hanjun, no matter the cost.

Hanjun’s hands traced the underwire of the bra. “How do I open this? ”

“Here.” Li Ying brought his hands behind his back and undid the clasps at the back.

Off came the bra, revealing the breast tape. Li Ying sure had enough bows and tape on him to be a little package, ready to be shipped to Shanghai for Christmas.

Hanjun carefully removed the tape. It stung Li Ying’s skin sweetly as it was peeled off, the sensation making him fidget with the bed covers and curl his toes.

Finally Li Ying was bare. Except for the choker, and that stayed on while Hanjun proceeded to stamp Li Ying’s ass enough times to send him around the world.