Page 70 of He Is My Bride

As soon as the month turned to June, Li Ying flew back to Shanghai with Anne, on a jet sent by the Wus, of course.

This time he had packed everything he owned; he was moving to Shanghai permanently.

Li Ying had kept himself together until now, more or less, but after the jet had taken off it was all starting to become too real, and he was freaking out.

He was taking turns bounding along the jet in joy and sitting in a foetal position, biting his knee and fretting over every possible thing.

“Calm down,” Anne ordered. “And sit normally, I can see your panties.”

“You see my panties all the time!”

“Why are you like this? You’re already married, it’s not like anything going wrong with the wedding ceremony would change that!”

“I know, but what if something goes really wrong? I’ve had dreams for months now where I trip on the aisle and my hem goes up, and everyone sees my…

Yeah. Or that I’m cutting the cake, and suddenly a hand comes out of the cake, pointing a gun at me.

I got so scared I woke up before it could shoot me, but I was so freaked out afterwards.

And once the dream had Wang Guosheng waiting for me at the end of the aisle instead of Hanjun.

When I realized, I turned around and tried to run, but you know how you can’t really run fast in your dreams?

And I knew he was right behind me, trying to catch me and… It sucks.”

“Oh, Li Ying, it’s normal to be anxious before a big event. I think once it’s all done, the dreams will stop. Everything will go just fine.”

Li Ying had to keep believing it.

—

Li Ying met with the wedding planner with Anne and Huang Xiang, whom Li Ying had asked to be their emcee for the ceremony, to go through the wedding program. For this, they visited the venue: the rooftop terrace of the Portman Ritz-Carlton, the one on the Puxi side of the river.

“And here will be erected a series of canopy tents,” the planner gestured sweepingly across the terrace’s green lawn, lined with trimmed hedges and overlooking the city with a magnificent view, “so that the ceremony may proceed in the outside setting, even if there’s a little rain.

The tents will be white, and the poles and the entire roof will be covered in red silk flowers and white drapery.

We will also hang small crystal chandeliers from the ceiling.

You will walk from here…” the planner pointed along the paved path cutting through the lawn, “to there, and there at the end of the path will be a red banner with the double happiness symbol and the family altar, framed by a large arch of real red and white flowers. There will be pillows for the bride and groom to kneel on for the bows, and a chair for the groom’s uncle.

Bestman, groomsman, and bridesmaid will stand by the side of the groom and the bride respectively, as per Western tradition.

The guests will be seated on either side of the lawn on chairs draped in red cloth, and they will be instructed to light firecrackers as the bride walks the aisle.

The band will play from the side over there. ”

“What will they play as you walk the aisle?” Huang Xiang asked Li Ying.

Li Ying grinned. “Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters.”

“We are flying in a rock cover band from America at Madam Wu’s request.”

Li Ying winked. He had decided to put his own little twist on things in the end. Like Hanjun had said, it was their wedding. His wedding.

“That’s just so you. ” Anne smiled at Li Ying.

Li Ying would then meet Hanjun at the end of the altar.

The groom, the best man, and the groomsman—that would be Hanrong and Yiyi—and the bridesmaid would have gone first, Western style, as was Li Ying’s wish, taking their places in front of the altar.

Yiyi would also act as the ringbearer, although he was older than was traditional for the role, but he had been Hanjun’s first choice.

Once they were at the altar, Hanjun and Li Ying would proceed to take the vows.

“So for the vows,” Huang Xiang looked down at his notes, “I open with this poem by Laozi.”

Li Ying nodded. “I chose that for Hanjun from Daodejing.”

“Mm, it’s good. The Wus are very traditional, so it makes perfect sense to have something to balance the novelty,” Huang Xiang said. “And then I will hold a speech—”

“Short and sweet, please,” Li Ying asked.

“Of course! Phew, I’m going to be so nervous!”

“You will do fine, Mister Huang!” Anne said.

Huang Xiang smiled at her, scratched his head with the pen he was holding for notes-taking and read on from the program: “After my speech, I will ask you to say the vows: ‘Wu Hanjun, are you willing to marry Li Ying as your wife, in sacred marriage together for life? Whether she has sickness or health, poverty or wealth, beauty or is plain, in good times and in bad, are you willing to love her, to comfort her, to respect her, and protect her?’ Sir Hanjun says ‘yes’ here then: ‘and willing to be forever loyal to her?’ ”

Li Ying nodded. “Then he says yes again, and you ask the same thing from me with the names reversed, yadda-yadda.”

“Got it.”

“Then will proceed the traditional part of bowing before heaven and earth, the parents, and finally, the groom and bride will bow to each other. Then the veil will be lifted, followed by a kiss, once again returning to Western tradition.” The wedding planner went through her notes.

“At this point, the guitarist will be playing a…”

“Electric guitar solo of ‘Here Comes the Bride!’” Li Ying supplicated.

“Yes, and then the bride throws the bouquet while the crowd cheers.”

“And Hanjun will not remove my garter belt with his teeth…” Li Ying had been disappointed when Hanjun had refused to partake in that particular tradition.

“Then the couple proceeds to the ballroom while the crowd throws rice, the guests then follow to be seated for a nine-course banquet while a string quartet plays.” The wedding planner proceeded through the program draft, “Speeches and toasting. After the banquet, the crowd will watch the couple cut the wedding cake. The cakes will be eight-tier red velvet cakes with white frosting, decorated with sugar pearls and red marzipan flowers with gold leaf decorations making up the stems and leaves. Here’s a picture of the prototype sent by the bakery.

” The planner showed them a picture, and the cake was, of course, just as gorgeous as it sounded.

“After coffee and tea comes the first dance to the song ‘So This is Love’ from Cinderella, performed live by a guest duo and accompanied by the string quartet. After a few ballroom dances, there will be a third band who will play party music with the singers for the rest of the evening, when there will be serviced bars open and various entertainment.”

Li Ying nodded, satisfied. “Everything sounds good. I’m happy with the plan. ”

“Excellent! We will rehearse your parts with you and the groom separately the day before though, so that everything will be perfect on your big day.”

—

The day before the wedding, before the dress rehearsals, Hanjun and Li Ying were still living their daily life, with Li Ying making lunch while Hanjun browsed apartments on his laptop, but the air of excitement was almost unbearable.

“I’m so fucking nervous,” Li Ying said as he stirred the soup. Borscht, Grandma Wu-style.

“Everything will be alright,” Hanjun said tonelessly.

“I can tell you’re shitting your pants.”

Under his cool facade Hanjun was indeed just as, if not more, nervous than Li Ying was.

“I didn’t say I’m not nervous. I said everything will be fine.”

“Don’t sass, or I’ll put chili oil in your borscht.” Li Ying teased.

“Yes, wife.”

Li Ying chuckled. “I’m so happy, but I can’t stop worrying about everything, you know?”

“About the wedding?” Hanjun asked with dread.

“And what comes after.”

Hanjun swallowed. “Everything will be…” I have to do more than keep saying that empty phrase!

“Hm?”

“What do you worry about ‘after?’”

Li Ying absent-mindedly kept stirring the pot.

“Well, there’s much to do while finding a house, moving in…

I’m thinking about the little Hanjuns in the fertility clinic freezer, and finding a proper surrogate for them.

And my residency. It will be a challenge to keep passing as a woman every day for twelve-hour shifts in a hectic environment where there’s barely enough time to take a piss as it is.

I’m thinking it might be safer to actually just become a housewife. ”

Hanjun’s heart sank, and his fears raised their head. “You said you are sure about this.”

“I know what I said!”

Silence. Only borscht bubbled quietly on the stove.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so angry, I’m just on the edge,” Li Ying said. Never mind Hanjun’s accusatory tone. Are you mad at me?

Hanjun felt terrible. “Mm.” Are we already falling apart because of me? Because of my selfishness? “I don’t want you to have to give up your dreams of becoming a doctor.”

Li Ying chuckled, but there was no joy in his voice.

“It is what it is, dear. I’m compromising our secret or compromising my work, and I couldn’t do that with a good conscience when lives are at stake.

I’m thinking that becoming a family doctor might be the best solution after all.

I could also start practicing right away, no need to pursue further education.

” Okay, now I’m just being passive-aggressive .

Li Ying realized. I can’t be this bitter already, a day before our wedding!

I don’t want to marry with such a heavy heart!

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so pissy about it. ”