Page 134 of He Is My Bride

Li Ying followed the link to another video with only a hundred or so views for now, taken from the hotel lobby: beyond a small crowdthere were two guards escorting Xiuxiu out while she was covering her face with a tissue, still wearing the nitrile gloves. A police car’s lights could be seen flashing outside the doors.

Maybe, just maybe the narrative won’t turn entirely against me.Still, Li Ying feared his temper may play right into Wang Guosheng’s hands if this went the wrong way.

It was no use reading any more comments. Li Ying got up, had a wee, and re-tucked, then saw if his makeup needed touching up. The least he could do was not to look like a lunatic, but he was fine after smoothing over his windswept hair.

Li Ying tarried, not wanting to step through that door and face all the people who had just seen that video, but he had no choice. He opened the door. Thankfully Hanjun had returned and was right there, warding off a curious crowd.

“I won’t comment on tonight’s events,” he spoke, his voice or expression betraying no emotion.

“But you must have seen what happened?” someone insisted.

“Cease harassing me, or there will be actions taken.”

“No one’s meaning to harass anyone here, we are just wondering—Hey, that’s her!”

Li Ying forced a smile. “Excuse us, but we have to go.”

Li Ying came to Hanjun’s side. The man wrapped his arm around his shoulder, and together they descended the staircase back to the aft deck.

“Wait! Is it true that the other woman tried to throw real blood on you?!”

Neither looked back at the people who were still calling from behind them.

“I got us a boat,” Hanjun said and led Li Ying across the lobby and down another staircase to the lower deck. Here were the yacht’s staterooms, closed from the partygoers, but a member of the crew was there to receive them.

“This way to the boat hangar, sir.”

“Thank you.”

The yacht indeed had a garage and a boat hangar below deck, and there a small motored boat was being prepared for them. The crewmember helped them get on the boat and handed them warm blankets.

“Here, it gets cold out there. The skipper will take you where you want to go.”

“Just take us ashore, please,” Hanjun told the skipper as he and Li Ying sat down on the seat at the back.

“Can’t we cruise for a while?” Li Ying asked. It was a shame they couldn’t stay to enjoy the yacht, but a private boat trip would still be nice, he thought.

“I could give you a short tour along the waterfront?” the skipper suggested. “I just need to be back at the yacht before the charter is over.”

“Please, if that’s possible?” Li Ying asked, and it was settled.

The boat exited the hangar and they sped away from the yacht, turning back to where they had left the port. The people on the pool deck and the balcony spotted them, cheering and waving, some of them figuring out who it was aboard, pointing.

Fuck it.Li Ying waved back, almost hoping someone gotthaton camera. He was not the crazy one here, why should he be ashamed?

But Hanjun took Li Ying’s hand and gently pushed it down. “Don’t give them any more reason to talk.”