Page 180 of He Is My Bride

“I will pay off both of your fines.” Wu Yiheng put down the cup. “You could come back.”

“And Li Ying?” Hanjun poured tea on the clay rooster.

“No. He won’t be in trouble with the law, but I won’t allow him to be anywhere near the Wus.”

“Mm. We are staying here. This is my life now.”

Wu Yiheng stared into his tea. “I knew what your answer would be.” He drank. “At least come and visit? Your grandmother wants to see the child, but she’s too frail to travel already.”

“And Li Ying?” Hanjun asked again, calmly, and his eyes were focused on the tea rooster as he held the cup to his lips. It was so cute, with its beak open and eyes closed as if to drink the tea offered, or to give a kiss.

“No.”

“Then I won’t come, and neither will our child.”

“Hanjun!”

“Will you tell me thatI’mbeing cruel?” Hanjun stared his uncle in the eyes, unwavering.

Wu Yiheng didn’t know what to say. But Hanjun poured him more tea, and he drank.

“Is Wang Yan alright?” Hanjun asked.

“She and her… girlfriend are okay. I have paid her fines, and she can reapply for her medical license in a few years.”

Hanjun nodded. Good.

“Wang Guosheng got considerably larger fines, and two years’ imprisonment.”

“Wang Guosheng is in prison?”

Wu Yiheng scoffed. “Public surveillance. He’s as good as free. The Wangs have suffered a great publicity loss, but they are not defeated. Some even think Wang Guosheng did the right thing in seeking to expose Li Ying and your scam to marry illegally as a male couple. However, the majority of people believe the story we have rigidly enforced: that you are heterosexual who unknowingly fell for a man dressing up as a woman, but agreed to marry him since he had told you he would change his sex, but that the process hadn’t been started yet before you sought to get your marriage certificate.”

“Has this story helpedthe company?”

“It has. You understand why Li Ying couldn’t show his face publicly in Shanghai: he’s the scapegoat, he has to be. While you are not entirely innocent yourself, you are ultimately seen as the victim.”

Hanjun noticed he had closed his hand into a tight fist on his lap, but forced himself to take a deep breath and let it go. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of them anymore. “Good.” Hanjun poured them more tea. “Have you thought about the future of Wu Pharma?”

“So, youdoconcern yourself with the fate of the company after all?”

“Of course I do.” Hanjun tried very hard not to be provoked by his uncle’s sassing.

Wu Yiheng sipped tea before saying, “I’m making Hanrong the company heir, and I’m looking to invest in A-Yi as well. He has expressed interest in working for the company once he has graduated from college. He could be a potential future vice president when Hanrong is made the CEO, and the CEO after Hanrong if he proves fit of the chairman’s position.”

“I approve. A-Yi has much to learn, and his personality is loud and straightforward. However, he’s emotionally intelligent, and once he grows in confidence and finesse, he will be very persuasive. I hope you would see that charisma, such as cousins Hanrong and A-Yi possess, can sometimes be stronger than other forms of authority.”

Wu Yiheng stroked his chin. He had to admit his younger nephew was perceptive and understanding of human nature. Indispensable skills for a leader. What a waste, he thought.

“I appreciate your insight,” Wu Yiheng said. “Once he has been employed, I will send him here to work with our affiliate for a while, same as you, to help his professional growth. Look after him, make sure he learns our way of doing business.”

“I will gladly instruct A-Yi if you send him here.”

“Wang Xinyu has also shown interest in working for Wu Pharma. The two of them interned with us together a couple of years ago, buthim I won’t employ. He would simply act as the hand of his grandfather.”

“I disagree,” Hanjun said immediately.

“Explain,” Wu Yiheng demanded, still stroking his chin.