Page 130 of He Is My Bride

“Duly noted,” Huang Xiang said. He looked at Hanjun, finding the man rather unfazed by the news of his fiancée having gone feral, only looking over at him with concern.

They arrived at the port where a large luxury yacht was moored, waiting for them. Sitting on the waves, the lights from its many floor-to-ceiling windows reflected on the black water, the whole thing looked like a floating modern mansion of white-painted steel.

They exited the car and were ushered aboard along a red-carpeted gangplank.

“Welcome aboard!” said a member of the crew. “Please gather in the main deck sitting room for a security briefing.” The man saw them up to the aft deck and pointed them across the pool area, lined with sunbeds and ottomans, with colorful floating lights in the pool creating atmosphere.

They entered a lounge open to the pool deck, and from there up a flight of grand spiraling stairs to enter the main deck. There was asitting room and a sizable balcony at the aft, overlooking the pool below. Here the secret ‘party within a party’ was almost in full swing though they were still docked, with music playing and drinks going around.

They joined the crowd, and soon the music was toned down while the captain gave the guests a security briefing and the crew worked to undock the ship.

Li Ying took this moment to make doubly sure he didn’t have drops of blood on him somewhere. He hadn’t thought of preserving his dress when he had dived down with Xiuxiu, but it seemed he had remained pristine, all the way through his white fur shawl.

Good, or otherwise Hanjun would have had to pay for the fur and Anne would have done me in for real.

“Hanjun, check my back?” Li Ying whispered and turned around, and Hanjun made sure all was fine at the back.

“All good.”

“Phew.” Li Ying had begun coming down from his high. He hadn’t had enough booze yet, despite his best efforts, and so his thoughts caught up with him as well: Xiuxiu had indeed suffered humiliation in Li Ying’s hands before, but had it truly warranted this kind of an attack?

Tang Xiuxiu’s reputation might have taken a blow before, but now she had made sure it lay in shambles. She might even face some charges. Li Ying wondered whether Tang Xiuxiu was truly so much more vindictive than she was smart as to take such a risk. What had given her the incentive to act this stupid?

Had Wang Hao told her to do it, Li Ying wondered. And did she honestly believe he could protect her from the consequences?

Li Ying’s thoughts were paused when the captain wished the revelers a happy New Year and a good party night. The music was tuned back up, and everyone cheered while the yacht left the dock to cruise along the Huangpu River. Li Ying allowed his thoughts to drown under the clamor for now. He should enjoy the party.

Back on the aft deck beyond the lounge, there was a full bar and a dining area with a buffet dinner laid out, and Li Ying demanded they eat before doing anything else. The canapés hadn’t been exactly filling, and apparently there was nothing like a good fight to work up his appetite.

Li Ying loaded his plate with fried dishes while Hanjun took some salad, and the two of them and Huang Xiang went back up to sit on the balcony. There was a quiet corner available on the couch.

The models had wandered off as soon as Huang Xiang had gotten them on board, not that he seemed to care. This also suited Hanjun, who had wanted to ask Huang Xiang something away from listening ears:

“How did you know?”

“Know?” Huang Xiang blinked in confusion. “I didn’t know Xiuxiu would do something like that!”

“But you knew something was off. How?”

“Besides the fact that she had no business being there in the first place and was acting weird? I started keeping an eye on her and realized she was shadowing Li Ying.”

Li Ying shuddered to think what worse could have happened if the woman had been any more unhinged, but was grateful he had also had an angel named Huang Xiang.

“I just can’t fathom what she thought she had to gain from that,” Li Ying said.

“I don’t think we need to look far for the reasons why she did this,” Huang Xiang said. “It was obviously revenge.”

“For a broken toe and some lost face?” Li Ying doubted it. “But this will ruin her entire reputation. What’s the trade-off here? Is she stupid? ”

Huang Xiang went on, “Miss Li might not have heard the latest gossip, but Wang Hao completely cut ties to Tang Xiuxiu after the club incident, and she fell right back down the social ladder she’d worked so hard to climb. She had little reputation to lose anymore, tobe honest. But now that I started thinking about it,” Huang Xiang delicately rubbed his chin, as if pondering, “whatever,whoevergave her the means to even attempt her revenge? Wang Hao? I don’t think he had the influence to get her into the party, if not as his plus one, which she clearly wasn’t. Who else may have had a reason touseher to bully Miss Li?”

Hanjun’s face darkened. Huang Xiang noticed, and he couldn’t help the wry smirk spreading on his lips.

“I’m friends with the promoter. I recall her telling me that Wang Guosheng had requested an extra ticket only yesterday. How peculiar of his character, I thought. Oh, but what am I thinking! Why wouldhehave invited someone like Tang Xiuxiu?”

Li Ying spat down his noodles. “Motherfucker!” Spoken in thick American English.

“You really thinkhedid it?” Huang Xiang asked, suddenly surprised—or pretending, Li Ying realized: this underdog knew more than he let on. Li Ying realized he had been wise to make a friend of him.