Page 156 of He Is My Bride

“Keep driving,” he told the driver.

At the press of the button, a soundproofed partition rose between the front and the backseat. The driver took them out of the parking lot and started cruising aimlessly. Wang Guosheng crossed his hands on his lap and looked at Wang Yan:

“You issued Li Ying the health certificate. They are now married.”

“Li Ying is a woman.” Wang Yan said without hesitation. The way Wang Guosheng looked at her made her feel like he was seeing right through her, but she refused to accept such a notion. It made no sense.

“Really?”

“I could not perform the pelvic examination, Wu Hanjun hadforbidden—”

“And what didItell you? Are you a Wang or a Wu?”

“I’m adoctor.”

“Yet you failed to perform your duties and fell to corruption. How do you think the authorities responsible for your doctor’s license will take that? So, Wu Hanjun told you not to perform the pelvic examination? Don’t you find that curious?”

“When I came to work, I was told by my supervisor that Wu Hanjun had forbidden his fiancée to be touched in such a manner on cultural grounds, and that his and Li Ying’s wishes were to be respected in all circumstances.”

”‘On cultural grounds?’ And do you believe that?”

“It’s what I was told. These screenings are not my field of expertise, I was only there that day because you had told me to, I didn’t know what—”

“What about my orders were unclear to you, Wang Yan?” Wang Guosheng interrupted.

“I don’t know for certain whether Li Ying is a woman or not, but I saw no real reason to doubt that.”

“Some doctor, can’t tell male from female. You took samples of Li Ying’s blood at least, yes? Are you telling me it didn’t occur to you to run a DNA test on that, if you were too scared of Wu Hanjun to put your hands directly on his whore?”

Wang Yan didn’t say anything. Telling Wang Guosheng how Wu Hanjun had had her destroy the samples would have been as good as confirming his suspicions that Wang Yan hadn’t been loyal.

“Either you have not complied with my orders to find out the truth about Li Ying, for which you know the price, or you are lying to me. Tell me: is Li Ying a woman or a man?”

“Li Ying is a woman!”

“And do you swear this on your life?”

Wang Yan nodded. “Yes.”

“What about your girlfriend’s life?”

Wang Yan froze.

“Yes…” There was a malicious glint in the man’s eyes, but he didn’t smile. “If I were to go and find out for myself what is between Li Ying’s legs, and if I were to find a cock in there, you would have been lying to me. I would then destroy much more than your career. I can take away everything you love, Wang Yan. You donotlie to me.”

“You wouldn’t…?”

“Oh yes, yes I would, to force your hand when you don’t seem to value your career nor your own life. So tell me, Wang Yan: is Li Ying a woman… ora man?”

Chapter 33: Confession

While they waited for the auspicious day and Li Ying finished his studies, Hanjun visited him in New York as often as his increasingly responsible duties allowed.

They were both busy as ever, but just sitting around the same table while they worked felt good. Or being able to fall asleep in each other’s arms, or cook the other a meal. Hear that ‘I’m home’ and ask ‘how was your day?’ Hanjun missed those little things whenever he had to go back to Shanghai alone.

He committed to his work, his tea, and his qi gong, trying to find peace of mind between missing Li Ying and worrying about their future.

And the future worried Hanjun a great deal in those days.