Page 154 of He Is My Bride

“And tell me if you need help hiding Wang Yan’s body.”

“Nonsense.” Hanjun started the car. “I made her destroy the samples. Wang Guosheng suspects you’re a man, and had sent her to confirm and gather evidence so that he could oust you.”

“…Well, shit. Turns out it’s as we feared, and that’s what Wang Guosheng was insinuating to me during the New Year. But he’s not certain then? I mean,howcould he be? At least he has no proof, if he had to send Wang Yan to collect it.”

“Mm.”

“Though isn’t it still going to look suspicious that you had Wang Yan destroy anything that could be used to gather evidence?”

“Yes. But whether she suspects anything is irrelevant: she will write you the certificate, and she will tell anyone that may ask that you are a woman, regardless of what she thinks.”

“I’m sure you took care of that. Still, Wang Guosheng’s game is getting dangerous.”

Hanjun nodded grimly.

“We let this one be, okay, Hanjun? As we have nothing to hide, yes?”

Hanjun nodded again.

“But certainly we may wonder aloud, with other key people present, about the happycoincidencethat a relative of Wang Guosheng’s had been at the clinic! And I must say that it’s quite unusual for a busy resident surgeon to be doing that kind of work. We put some pressure back in Wang Guosheng’s corner, make everyone else wonder what’s his deal, pestering his cousin and his poor wife. They should ask themselves: does he have some ulterior motives?”

A nod.

Li Ying smiled. “Then any weird accusations from Wang Guosheng will simply look like poor attempts at smearing your reputation out of jealousy. And without proof, that’s all it’s going to be.”

Hanjun nodded yet again. Obedient Shanghai husband.

“Good.” Li Ying patted his thigh. “No other tricks. No threats, no scares. Clever moves, to take away his believability. Cut his claws.”

“Alright.” Hanjun understood.

Li Ying smiled.I can play this game just fine, Uncle Yiheng.

—

The health certificate came in the mail a couple of days later, as promised. It should have been faster, considering there was nothing to run through the lab, but Li Ying and Hanjun appreciated how it was more believable with a slight delay between the appointment and the doctor’s signature.

“That’s it, right? This is all we need?” Li Ying asked Hanjun as he slipped the paper in the sleeve containing all their marriage paperwork, marked by Li Ying with glittery heart stickers. There were also their couple photos that were to be attached to the wedding certificate: they had dressed up smart for the studio, with Li Ying in a sleeveless black dress that contrasted well with the solid red backdrop they had chosen, and Hanjun in a simple black suit. These were barely less formal than passport photos, with both of them smiling, and Li Ying hugging Hanjun’s arm while keeping his face forward. The other photos were similar, with slightly different poses. Li Ying smiled while looking at the pictures.

“We are such a cute couple. By heavens, it’s going to be official soon.”

“Mm. This is everything we need.”

Their appointment with the municipal office would be at the end of the week.

“We’ll be married by the time I’m back in New York! Hanjun…”

Li Ying hugged him, jumping up and down in excitement, when out of nowhere tears welled in his eyes. Li Ying sobbed.

“Li Ying?”

“I… It’s so stupid! Hanjun, I’m scared!”

Hanjun held him. “It’s going to be alright.”I’m so sorry, love. What else can I say to make you less scared?

“Sometimes I just doubt whether I can really do this.”

Hanjun was quiet. What was the alternative? Hanjun shut down when thinking of the possibility that Li Ying might call off the wedding and decide to stay back in America after all. Or worse: leave him. For someone whom he could marry openly, someone who didn’t need to hide his spouse’s identity and isolate him from his family with all the secrecy.