Page 44 of He Is My Bride

“And the next look is what you will wear to the reunion dinner.” Anne took out a hangar, holding a black qipao in black twill with red trim. The cut was classy with short sleeves and mid-thigh length, but at the back, there was a generous cutout that would show off the back.

“And I’m supposed to eat in that?”

“Why do you always have to have such sassy comments!”

“I mean, look how cinched it is, I can’t eat a single dumpling and still fit into that!”

“It’s made to your measures, and trust me: it will fit. It’s a genuine creation and not a costume, so it’s actually comfortable. Just don’t gorge yourself like usual.”

“What else are you supposed to do at a banquet?”

“Look pretty?”

Li Ying groaned. It was gorgeous though. “Can I try it on?” Li Ying got up and started undressing. They were at the back of Anne’s office, and they had long been past the point where they cared if Li Ying stripped down to his undies.

“That was the idea, so I can finish it.”

Li Ying stared at her. “ You made this? ”

“I’m not just a stylist. I learned both to design and sew clothes at the fashion institute, although this is design by Huang Xiang.”

“What, really?!” Li Ying tossed off his shirt and went to get his hands on the dress.

“We exchanged a few messages, and as I wanted to have a unique qipao for you for the New Year’s but lacked a design, I asked if he had anything for my client, Li Ying.”

You might remember her from the Antai alumni party , Anne had messaged Huang Xiang.

Yes, she was indeed an unforgettable lady, and everyone in Shanghai is still talking about her. I would be honored to design something for her for the Wu family reunion dinner , Huang Xiang had answered.

“Of course, we were working on a tight schedule with Lunar New Year just around the corner, but he had something in his portfolio that he could adjust according to my wishes, and I worked off his design.”

“He got paid for that, right?”

“Of course. Ultimately it’s Sir Hanjun who pays him, because he’s still paying me to dress you .”

“That’s amazing! I’m excited to wear something made by my two best friends!” Li Ying may have exaggerated, but it was true that Huang Xiang had been the most interesting person at the party, and he wouldn’t mind getting to know him better.

He tried the qipao on, and Anne scrutinized her work all over, placing a few pins here and there to mark where she had yet to take it in.

“I will get this done well before you leave, don’t worry. But I’m going to want this back, because Huang Xiang and I made a deal that I would present this at a fashion event, along with a few other of his designs that I’m going to make, on his behalf.”

“So is he trying to become a professional designer in New York? ”

“Seems like he’s willing to try. Everything is only in its conceptual stage, but he’s got the designs, I’ve got the execution and a budding clientele.”

“I hope you two succeed! I will give your work the best possible debut in Shanghai! And you know, Mrs. Qian is dealing out those small business loans, she could help you get started.”

“I thought about that, but as I said, it’s all in the early stages, barely more than a dream. Also, Huang Xiang asked to get pictures of you in this, so we’re having a photo shoot for him once it’s done.”

Anne was not going to join Li Ying this time, trusting that he had now earned his wings and would manage on his own.

Still, she told him he could call her anytime, and she gave him a huge spreadsheet complete with photos and sketches, illustrating each look he should wear for specific types of events, not only what to wear but how to accessorize, what kind of makeup and hair to do.

There were several options for casual luncheons and daily wear, fancy dinners, cocktail parties, and, of course, this look for the very important Wu reunion dinner.

Anne insisted she would still pack for Li Ying, not trusting him enough to let him handle it, and she sent with him some new items she had procured.

Although he was still in good hands even with Anne remaining in New York, Li Ying would miss her company.

—

Li Ying had had to work long shifts at the hospital to get his hours while taking a whole week free on the excuse of ‘visiting family for Chinese New Year.’ As such, he wasn’t keen on the idea of spending up to twenty-four hours in transit there and back when he knew a jet could do it in fifteen, so he didn’t turn down Hanjun’s offer to send a jet to pick him up.

I’ve just personally killed off the planet , he thought during takeoff. But this is just so much more convenient, I’m sorry !

He had dressed for comfort for the flight this time, sporting an oversized college shirt, joggers, and his black bunny-eared flats.

From this morning on, he was once more to become a full-time woman, so he had light makeup on and his hair up in a messy bun with a black velvet ribbon.

He had also happily put his engagement ring back on his finger.

Li Ying thought himself cute, having made his taxi driver wait while making flirty and silly faces in the mirror.

He took selfies for Hanjun and Anne too, and Hanjun responded to the pictures with a whole of two hearts; that man was totally out of control!

Clearly Li Ying hadn’t fallen out of practice.

He’d gone out with Anne and Amy a few times in full getup, so he still knew how to girl.

He would shower and do a full glow-up before landing, because if Anne caught his picture in a newspaper in anything less than a celebrity look, she would surely fly in just to smack him and then take over.

Li Ying followed the in-flight routine set up by him and Anne: a three-course meal, followed by a movie, hot cocoa, and sleep.

He missed the crazy airplane sex, but he would see Hanjun very soon, and then he would not let him out of bed for the rest of the day.

Li Ying was so happy their reunion was now but hours away, after having counted weeks, then days, and finally hours.

He was so excited he almost couldn’t fall asleep, but eventually he managed.

He woke up groggy, drool stains on the pillow, and his silken eye-mask askew. The stewardess brewed him a strong coffee, and by its power, Li Ying made himself presentable.

After landing, Li Ying was taken to the terminal in a black car, joined by a familiar bodyguard. The moment the doors to the arrivals hall slid open, Li Ying saw him:

“Hanjun!”

The man stood there waiting, dressed in a black turtleneck and a gray blazer. Li Ying ran into his open arms and threw himself at him carelessly. Hanjun caught him, closing him in his tight embrace .

“Hi…”

Li Ying seized his face and kissed him haphazardly, and Hanjun answered. They were distantly aware of the snap of a camera, and their bodyguards moved in to ask the reporter to please step back. The lovers didn’t care. Hanjun parted their lips first, speaking against Li Ying’s:

“Let’s go home.”

“Mm!” Li Ying nodded, batting away tears simply because he was so happy. He wiped the corner of his eye carefully and replaced his wide sunglasses, not wanting the press to prey on his tears.

Li Ying glued himself to Hanjun while he held his arm around him and led him out to the parking lot.

“How was your flight?” Hanjun asked.

“Not bumpy enough. How are you? Were you at work today?”

“Mm. Off tomorrow.”

“I wish I could have you all to myself, but I’m excited for the dinner, of course.”

There was Hanjun’s white Bentley. Out of the passenger’s seat jumped Wang Xinyu.

“Hello, Big Sister Li!”

“A-Yu! Hi!”

Xinyu hurried to open the back door for Li Ying, but he was so happy to see the boy that instead of getting straight in the car, he caught him in a hug.

Xinyu awkwardly hugged him back, still not knowing how he should have responded to the gesture, but he was very happy that Li Ying was back.

Li Ying noted Xinyu was wearing the watch Hanjun had given him.

“Me too, I want a hug from big sister too!” Wu Yiyi shot out of the driver’s seat and ran around the car. Laughing, Li Ying took him into a hug in turn, and Yiyi was bold enough to hug him back tightly .

“Hi A-Yi, nice to see you too! Have you guys been good?” Li Ying grinned and looked from one bright-eyed boy to the other.

“Yeah, we’re back to school now though, and it’s been so boring…” Yiyi started babbling, but Xinyu softly interrupted him:

“Yiyi, I think we can tell Big Sister Li on the way.”

“Uh, yeah. Come! Wu Hanjun let me drive his car to pick you up, it’s a super nice car, I’ll show you…”

Li Ying didn’t spoil his fun by telling he knew this Bentley very well already and just got in. In the back, he sat on the middle seat just so he could stay skin-on-skin with Hanjun as much as possible.

They drove off, and Li Ying asked Yiyi and Xinyu about school, and they told him what they had been up to for the past month.

“I turned eighteen three days ago!” Xinyu said.

“Well, look who’s a big boy! Did you start driving school yet?”

“I will start next week.”

“Hey, hey…” Li Ying leaned past the front seats to talk conspiratorially to Xinyu, “I can give you some private lessons at night in some empty parking lot, how’s that?”

“No,” Hanjun forbade and pulled Li Ying back by the neck.

“Why not?”

“Not allowed.”

“Hmph.” Li Ying scrunched his face at Hanjun, and the boys snickered; it was so funny when someone dared tease the indomitable Wu Hanjun!

Hanjun seemed to be just as, if not more touch starved than Li Ying, having held his arm around him all the while and now grabbed his thigh, lifting it over his lap while they drove to the highway.

“Hanjun, the kids…!”

“We’re not kids!” the kids exclaimed together.

“They’re not kids,” Hanjun said and came to kiss Li Ying’s neck.

Li Ying blushed furiously. Can’t you wait until we’re home?

! “Naughty!” he nagged in a nasal tone while still trying to sound angry, which only urged Hanjun to suck on his skin, making Li Ying swallow his moans because he didn’t want to be lewd in front of the boys.

Okay, A-Yu was also eighteen by now, but come on, Li Ying thought.

“A-Yi! Eyes on the road!” Li Ying ordered while Hanjun stroked his thigh and kept sucking his neck—Li Ying’s skin was criminally unmarked after Hanjun hadn’t gotten his teeth on him for over a month.

Yiyi moved his eyes from the rearview window back ahead, blushing. Xinyu turned his head as well, and they awkwardly—and inspiredly—kept listening to the backseaters the whole way to the French Concession:

“Hanjun, don’t... don’t put your hand there! No, don’t you dare, you little—Ouch! Hanjun! ”

After an extended make-out session in the backseat, the bite-marked, kissed-ou,t and messy-haired Li Ying could barely say ‘see you at the reunion dinner!’ to the boys before Hanjun all but dragged him through the lobby to the elevator.

There Hanjun immediately lifted Li Ying up against the wall and took his hands under his skirt, all the way this time, and groped his ass with both hands so that Li Ying knew he bruised.

Li Ying moaned liberally, letting his feminine voice fail just a little now that they were alone.

Hanjun was tearing his shirt off already in the corridor, and by the time they managed to get themselves through the door, they were a mess of teeth and tongues, nails and grasping hands full of hair.

Somehow they made it to the bed, by then already naked, having left a trail of clothes behind them.

Their rampage lasted the whole noon, then well into the afternoon, and they only stopped to eat the food they ordered.

They might have dozed off early in the evening, after which they showered together. They washed each other’s bodies, nothing short of worshipping them now that they finally managed to take a step back and see where hands and mouths had left loving bruises .

“Your skin should not be without,” Hanjun said while caressing the bruised bite marks he had left around Li Ying’s nipples in droves.

“Mm, I always want to carry them…” Li Ying said while holding his hands on Hanjun’s over his chest, not resisting their movement but encouraging it.

By the evening they were sore and satisfied, yet still wanting ever more of each other, so they made slow, sweet love again until slipping into sleep, with Hanjun still inside Li Ying.