Page 25 of He Is My Bride
Anne headed back to the bar with Li Ying’s new shoes and accessories.
She was relieved Li Ying had better options fresh off the shelf, because if she let her client wear sneakers while being proposed to in a fancy restaurant, she might as well end her career now.
Anne was almost sure of Hanjun’s intentions: Christmas was, after all, a popular day for romance in China, and now that Hanjun’s choice of restaurant had proved to be many calibers fancier than originally thought, Anne just had a feeling.
Back at the bar, she gave Li Ying the McQueens to change into.
Li Ying subtly switched out his sneakers for the heels under the table. His feet were already in pain, but Anne was right, he couldn’t enter a formal restaurant setting in anything less, and besides, Li Ying really, really liked his new shoes.
Anne leaned to whisper to him: “Let’s go to the ladies’ room.”
Li Ying blinked in surprise, but followed her.
Inside the washroom, Anne made sure they were alone before taking out the choker and hurrying to put it on Li Ying.
“Anne?” Li Ying sensed her electrified air.
“Do you know what this could mean?” Over Li Ying’s shoulder, Anne could see him blink in confusion in the vanity mirror. “Hanjun might propose to you tonight.”
First Li Ying’s eyes widened, then he chuckled nervously, almost losing his feminine voice. After clearing his throat he said:
“What makes you think that?”
“Well, it’s Christmas Eve, super romantic, and then there’s the fancy restaurant…”
“No way. He reserved it on a whim because I was making a fuss about having nothing special for Christmas.”
“Okay, maybe, but the signs are in the air. Just don’t freak out if he goes on one knee.”
Li Ying snorted in laughter. “Hanjun, doing grand, romantic gestures in public? I just won’t believe it until I see it.” Would he?
“Fix your lipstick, and let’s go,” Anne ordered.
They returned, Li Ying now all glammed up, and Hanjun was obviously pleased to see him collared with the diamonds he’d just bought him.
It had become time to part ways. Li Ying insisted on hugging Xinyu, and Yiyi as well, as he wished them a merry Christmas, and they received their hugs with reddened cheeks. While Anne was hugging Li Ying, she whispered to him:
“Good luck.”
It’s not gonna happen, Li Ying thought. Unless…?
Hanjun and Li Ying went to the restaurant beyond the bar. The place was European-style with French cuisine, all white table linens and chandeliers, but also modern twists, such as the kitchen being behind a glass wall so that patrons could watch the cooks at work.
They were seated and their drink orders taken—champagne all the way.
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment while reading the menus.
Li Ying couldn’t focus on the menu though, it was too French and he was tired, and now getting nervous about a possible proposal too.
The occasion had all the elements of a dream proposal, but Li Ying found himself uncomfortable.
Am I being ungrateful?
Hanjun might finally be going all out for him with grand, romantic gestures, and now it wasn’t what Li Ying wanted after all?
But Li Ying thought he wouldn’t have wanted to say ‘yes’ in a voice that wasn’t really his own. It bothered him enough that he had to speak up:
“It’s been a long day, huh?”
Hanjun looked up at him. “Tired?”
“Yeah. To be honest, I would have been fine with some hot pot.” He chuckled, crossing his ankles under the table and bouncing his foot, taking tiny sips.
Hanjun could see Li Ying was uncomfortable. He worried, but perhaps Li Ying was, in fact, just tired. Hanjun decided to see to Li Ying’s comfort, it was the most important thing, after all.
“We can go get hot pot,” Hanjun said.
“No. You went through such trouble getting us a table here, and we already sat down. Wouldn’t it be weird if we just left without eating?”
“…We could just get starters and mains?” Hanjun suggested.
Hanjun feared that they would devolve into arguing over little things again.
He could see this was the point where they typically lost communication: Li Ying was trying too hard not to appear ungrateful, not to be a nuisance, and while he was neither of those things to Hanjun, it was difficult to find the words that would reassure Li Ying when he was feeling insecure.
It’s like Li Ying didn’t dare believe Hanjun, and the more Hanjun insisted, the more Li Ying felt like he was being a bother.
“Is that okay?” Li Ying asked, and the meek way he looked at Hanjun made the man’s heart ache.
“Mm, it’s okay.” Hanjun’s voice was gentle, reassuring. “Should I order for you?” he asked when he saw the waitress approaching .
“No way, you’ll just order me rabbit food,” Li Ying said, his spunk back.
Hanjun smiled. Crisis averted.
Li Ying ordered the soup and a rare steak, while Hanjun opted for the catch of the day. Everything was, of course, excellent, and Li Ying felt better after sinking his teeth into a good ribeye along with a glass of well-paired red.
Li Ying noted there had been no ring in the champagne glass, nor was there one hidden in his food, not that Li Ying expected those kinds of tricks to be Hanjun’s style at all.
Li Ying hoped Hanjun had gotten the idea, if he’d even made any such plans: not tonight, not here.
Hanjun himself seemed calm and content now, Li Ying thought.
“It looks even better on you now,” Hanjun said, looking at Li Ying’s choker.
Li Ying blushed and carefully drew his fingers over what he knew to be hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of rocks over his windpipe. “I can’t believe I’m wearing something like this.”
Hanjun looked at him, not sure what he meant, and Li Ying felt like he owed him an explanation.
“It’s gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t… I mean, who deserves these?”
“They’re just rocks.” Hanjun’s fingertips touched Li Ying’s hand. Suddenly he felt like he was on fire: Li Ying was so beautiful in that choker. “You deserve so much more than rocks, but I want you to have them anyway,” Hanjun said.
This man is too much . Li Ying was feeling it too. “Let’s pay the bill and go. I want to hold you.”
Hanjun caught the waitress with his gaze, asked her for the bill, and she promptly brought it on a silver tray. Hanjun checked the bill as he always did, and put his card on the tray to be brought for charging .
“Sorry,” Li Ying said, “I’m being kind of lame. I know I’m the one who spurred you on to reserve a nice restaurant, but it’s just been a busy day.”
“It’s alright.” Hanjun kept caressing Li Ying’s hand.
Such a light touch, but it was making Li Ying burn up and yearn . They hadn’t been able to be private since this afternoon. It had been six whole hours, simply unthinkable.
The waitress returned, looking awkward as she told Hanjun:
“I’m sorry, sir, your card keeps getting rejected. Do you perhaps have another card?”
Li Ying’s belly sank. Had Hanjun used up all the money on his account? But Hanjun calmly opened his wallet, and Li Ying saw a whole row of gold, platinum and black cards inside. The man simply whipped out the next card and handed it to the waitress, and Li Ying felt stupid.
“There.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Filthy Wu.
They drove home, and Li Ying took his heels off already in the lobby, carrying them to the elevator while Hanjun got his shopping bags from the concierge. They didn’t talk on the way up, but once Hanjun’s home door closed behind them, Hanjun dropped the bags and grabbed Li Ying into his embrace.
“Kiss me,” Li Ying spoke, finally able to drop his feminine voice.
Hanjun obliged, kissing Li Ying’s lips and gently prying them open with his tongue.
Li Ying’s mouth gave no resistance, and soon Hanjun got rewarded with Li Ying’s moans.
Hanjun’s hands caressed up Li Ying’s jeweled neck, holding gently around it and feeling the rows of diamonds against his fingertips.
Li Ying tensed and shivered in excitement.
The little sound escaping Li Ying caused Hanjun to grunt and gently bite Li Ying’s lip, which elicited more sweet noises from the man .
“Hanjun…” Li Ying’s whisper had a pleading note.
Hanjun’s other hand closed fully around Li Ying’s neck, over the choker, the other holding the back of Li Ying’s head, holding him still.
Li Ying could feel the twenty-three carats press against his neck.
He trusted Hanjun completely and let him do what he wanted.
It was a rush, unexpected but not unwelcome.
It was over almost too soon when Hanjun’s hold loosened.
Hanjun leaned in to nibble his teeth into Li Ying’s neck, sucking, biting.
“Ah! Mmnh…!” Li Ying was wriggling, his body burning up, wanting it already.
“New necklace for Li Ying,” Hanjun murmured darkly, and kept sucking and biting around the man’s neck.
“Hanjun, take me to bed. I can’t… anymore…” Li Ying whined.
Hanjun thought he couldn’t anymore, either.
Hanjun scooped Li Ying up princess-style and almost ran to the bedroom.
He threw Li Ying on the bed and was on him like a beast, rolling up his hem and pulling down his stockings while proceeding to take his mouth to Li Ying’s neck.
Li Ying squirmed and kept whimpering weakly, trying to push his hips up against Hanjun, his body begging for his.
Hanjun took his fingers inside Li Ying and found the man was almost ready for him, loose from their ‘meeting’ at the office earlier.
“Yes, yes, yes—! More!” Li Ying begged without reservation.
And still Hanjun teased Li Ying until he was almost crying out in despair. Hanjun removed the rest of Li Ying’s clothes, except for the diamond choker, and entered him.
Li Ying didn’t last long against Hanjun’s ravenous hips. He soon came, with his cock rubbing between his and Hanjun’s bellies. But Hanjun kept him awake until midnight, making love to him again and again, like he would never tire.