Page 19 of He Is My Bride

Hanjun had to return to work the next day, as Christmas wasn’t a public holiday in China. While Li Ying knew this, he’d somehow hoped Hanjun would have taken the day off anyway.

“What am I going to do the whole day, spend Christmas Eve all alone?” Li Ying whined, still in bed and clinging to Hanjun’s boxers, almost pulling them down as the man was trying to get up.

“We can go buy gifts together after work,” Hanjun said with half of his cheeks out.

“Christmas in a mall…”

“I can reserve a nice restaurant, if you want.”

“M-hm, better.”

“Let go now.”

“No. I’m keeping these, to remember Hanjun by.”

“Ridiculous.” Hanjun looked tenderly upon the man hanging from his underwear. “Would you like a tour of the office?”

Li Ying looked up. Office, mall, it sounded like the lamest holiday ever, but Li Ying was actually excited to see where Hanjun worked. “Yes! But no way I’m getting up yet. ”

“I will arrange for someone to show you around. Send me a message when you’re ready to be picked up, and I’ll send a company car.”

“Kiss.”

Hanjun leaned down to give him a good smooch, and only then was he released.

Li Ying snoozed for a couple more hours before getting up to brew himself coffee. He was wearing one of Hanjun’s gym t-shirts and the pink pajama shorts, the closest thing to boxers he had with him and what he’d been sleeping in. He called Anne to consult her on the day’s plan:

“Good morning, pretty! Hey, I’m visiting Hanjun’s office today and I need an outfit, can you come over?”

“Got it, I’ll head over in a bit. Um, Li Ying?”

” ’Sup? ” Li Ying sipped from his cup.

“Have you seen the newspapers?”

Li Ying froze with the cup over his lips before putting it down, swallowing. “What newspapers?”

“A local daily newspaper. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad, but I thought you should know. Wait, I’ll be there shortly and show you then.”

Anne was sent up by the concierge, and she came in holding a folded-up newspaper and a tabloid.

“I saw this in a kiosk on the way as well.” She handed the papers to Li Ying.

The local news had been opened to a page of the financial news section with a title: ‘Wu Pharma heir returns from the United States .’ There was a picture of Hanjun from the waist up, looking absolutely killer in a suit, and attached to his arm was another total babe, although most of their face was covered by large Gucci sunglasses.

“From the airport.” Li Ying recognized .

“Look, here.” Anne pointed to a snippet of text she’d encircled and underlined in ballpoint pen:

‘[...]arrived in Pudong International Airport on Saturday with his travel companion.’

“Okay, nice and neutral.”

But Anne pulled out the tabloid and placed it on top: they were the front page, with a full-body shot of them walking through the airport.

Li Ying was captured mid-stride and his legs seemed to go on forever.

He looked like a model, a star, and it was odd seeing himself like that while he remembered how he’d felt like a baby giraffe on those heels, hounded by hyenas with cameras.

“I’m a total hottie,” Li Ying said, then read the title:

‘Who is billionaire Wu Hanjun’s beautiful companion?’

Li Ying was equally amused and horrified by the title, so his first reaction was to laugh.

“Do you want me to read the article first?” Anne offered.

“No-no-no, I can’t wait to see where this goes. Let’s read it together.”

They sat down and read the two-pager, most of which was the same picture as on the cover and another one of Li Ying, being helped into the BMW by Hanjun who had been cropped from the picture.

This one showed an enticing slice of Li Ying’s thighs between his skirt hem and his knee-high boots as Li Ying sat daintily on the edge of the seat before he’d swung his legs inside, as Anne had taught him: knees always together to avoid showing anything inappropriate.

Now Li Ying truly understood the importance of this lesson, realizing those ravenous cameras would have loved to get right under his skirt and sell the voyeuristic masses the sight of his panties.

Li Ying felt terrible for having ever ogled at celebrities who had ended up in such press.

The story itself was based on speculating about the ‘mystery woman’s’ identity and hyping Hanjun up.

After all, why should the audience care, well, because Hanjun was rich and bound for even more wealth as the heir of Wu Pharma, extremely good-looking, and assumed long-time bachelor who had kept his life highly private so far—as Li Ying knew he would have preferred to.

After building Hanjun up as a total dreamboat, the story proceeded to briefly mention his time working in the States, and made a sensation of how he’d returned on Saturday on a private jet with an ‘ unknown, very beautiful woman .’

‘We don’t know this woman’s nationality […] so far we can only speculate on the nature of their relationship […] could this be Wu Hanjun’s girlfriend? […] What everyone must be thinking is what is this mysterious woman’s relationship to the future head of Wu Pharma.’

“Well,” Li Ying folded the tabloid away, “it could have been worse, though I would have preferred not to be making the news just by arriving. I can do way more scandalous things to write about.”

“Please don’t. And, well, you knew who you would be arriving with.”

“I just didn’t think it would be that big of a deal, Hanjun doesn’t strike me as the celebrity type.”

“The yellow press loves to make a big deal out of nothing if it involves people with money and power. But at least you look good in the pictures. I can’t believe I have made a front-page look.”

“While I’m happy your career is thriving, you still have more work to do.”

They set out to choose an outfit for Li Ying to wear to the office.

“We want to convey a sense of business smart, in respect for the environment, and to give the idea that you could be a business-savvy wife. But we don’t want anyone to actually mistake you for an office worker while you’re there,” Anne explained as she presented Li Ying his look.

It consisted of a form-fitting, black pencil miniskirt, too short to be strictly business.

Underneath, Li Ying would be wearing tan, back-seamed stockings—it was chilly outside—and over the black, strapless crop top would go a cropped blazer in gray Prince of Wales plaid, showing plenty of midriff—but not too chilly for showing some waist!

As for the rest: classic black Louboutin pumps with the trademark red sole and a brown leather bag, reminiscent of a businessman’s briefcase in its concept.

Li Ying looked at himself in the mirror once he’d donned everything. “I look like I suck dick for promotions.”

“Don’t say that!” Anne huffed.

“And I’m executive. ”

“Li Ying!”

Li Ying’s hair was once again put in a mid-high ponytail, and Anne helped him do a nude makeup with some tinted lip gloss for a fresh look.

Once he was ready sometime before noon, and Anne had gone out sightseeing, Li Ying sent Hanjun a picture message of his now ample cleavage and let him know he was ready for pickup.

Hanjun answered, letting him know his ride was coming.

He followed up after a while with a picture of his own, and Li Ying almost couldn’t believe his eyes: it was a crotch-shot, apparently taken covertly under a desk, albeit fully clothed and nothing was showing.

Hanjun had attached the picture to a message:

Meeting.

Li Ying blushed when he realized Hanjun was being naughty at work. Li Ying could easily imagine kneeling under the meeting table in front of that sight and doing something naughty indeed.

I’d be wearing this as Hanjun’s pretty little secretary. Everyone would sit around the table and know nothing while I…

He got such a rush thinking about it, his member starting to protest against the tuck. Li Ying had to cool it down though, because then the concierge called:

“Miss Li, your ride is here.”

“Just a moment!” Did I have to get myself all worked up when I just tucked ?

Li Ying headed down to the lobby in his long black woolen coat against the chilly weather, seeing as he was showing so much skin otherwise.

There was a cute boy waiting for him there, or a young man rather, but he seemed no older than, what? Eighteen? He wore a nice suit and looked like an adorable mini office worker.

“Hi, did I keep you waiting?” Li Ying clip-clopped to him, and with his heels he was slightly taller than the young man. He could tell the boy was struck by his looks, struggling to bring his eyes up to meet his, blushing ever so faintly.

“No, not at all! Hello, Miss Li, my name is Wu Yiyi, I’m an intern at Wu Pharma. Wu Hanjun has asked me to show you around today.” He briskly offered his hand, and Li Ying shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Yiyi!” Aww, what a cutie! He smiled kindly at the young man, hoping to make him feel at ease. “So, you’re a Wu? What is your relation to Hanjun?” he asked while they started walking towards a shiny black BMW SUV parked in front of the entrance.

The young man bore a notable resemblance to Hanjun—or his cousin Hanrong. Yiyi blinked, dumbfounded that anyone would call Hanjun just ‘Hanjun.’

“Wu Hanjun is my second cousin, once removed.”

“So you’re Wu Hanrong’s…?”

“Younger brother,” Yiyi confirmed.

“Ah, of course! Nice to meet you, Yiyi!”

Yiyi smiled and opened the car door for him, and Li Ying got in the backseat.

“Hello,” greeted another baby-corporate drone from the passenger’s seat, “my name is Wang Xinyu.”

“Wow, I didn’t know Hanjun sent an entire entourage! Hi, I’m Li Ying.” Li Ying held out his hand and Xinyu shook it.

Xinuy was also a very nice-looking young man and seemed more collected than poor Yiyi, but even he flustered at the sight of Li Ying .

Wait a minute, ‘Wang ?’ The other side of the family? Li Ying realized. The ones trying to take control of the family company?