Page 8 of He Is My Bride

In the coming weeks, Li Ying committed himself to his transformation. Turns out it wasn’t ‘just some clothes.’

Aside from learning to do his makeup and hair according to the tutorials Anne sent him, another major point of concern for Li Ying’s passing was voice training. When it came to his voice, he would only need to slip up once, and people would figure him out.

Li Ying signed up for vocal coaching to learn to use his feminine voice better and more consistently, meeting with the coach weekly and practicing every day.

He already knew how to talk nasally like a spoiled girl and how to use feminine talking patterns. He’d picked it up while playing with his sister and her friends as a child, and he’d used this skill throughout his life to joke around. And, of course, when he flirted with Hanjun.

As for his general mannerisms, Li Ying had never considered the idea of being a tomboy, but he’d been called an effeminate man before, so why couldn’t he pass for a ‘boyish’ woman as well?

Although Li Ying suspected the traditional ideal for a bride would be the cute and meek type, humble and deferential to her husband.

He should tone himself down, shouldn’t he? He knew he could be a handful .

Anne also gave Li Ying an order—it sure didn’t feel like a suggestion—to go to a specific cosmetologist. The cosmetologist was a middle-aged woman who had been expecting him, and while Li Ying didn’t know what Anne had told her, she didn’t need to ask him many questions. Only one:

“Do you smoke?”

“Ye—”

“Honey, stop, unless you want to give us way more business in the future.”

“…Right.” Li Ying had wanted to break the habit for a while but hadn’t made an effort so far. Suppose this was a sign. No more bad boy Li Ying, only nice girl Li Ying.

The lady gave him a full skin analysis and went on to recommend a bunch of treatments to him.

“I have to stop you right there,” Li Ying said. “What would be the price for all of this?”

“For you, dear, everything is already being covered, including the analysis.”

“By whom?”

“I was told your boyfriend is covering? Oh no, I hope I didn’t just ruin a surprise?”

Li Ying stared blankly. Hanjun was paying for all of this? No doubt he could pay it, but Li Ying thought it was a bit much, so he fought to pin down what treatments would benefit him the most, and settled on booking a simple facial, to the great disappointment of the cosmetologist.

Believing it all had to have a purpose, Li Ying bought whatever products the lady pushed on him. He was to use some of them daily, some every three days, and so on. Why was this so complicated, Li Ying thought.

He started using the products anyway, finding that he spent way more time in the bathroom. As much as Hanjun, in fact. They synced up their routines, and now Li Ying fully appreciated the concept of the double vanity.

Li Ying had thought Hanjun’s obsession with skincare was just him keeping up an image, but maybe it truly was the secret to his criminally good looks, he wondered. The guy looked like an idol with his perfect skin, striking jawline, and chiseled cheekbones. It was unfair.

Not that Li Ying thought himself bad-looking. Li Ying had been told enough times he was a looker to not have to worry, but someone like Hanjun was hard to match. Li Ying’s features were softer, though by no means could he be mistaken for a woman without the aid of cosmetics.

It also helped to trick the eye that Li Ying had grown out his hair, not having cut it since his teenage goth phase.

Unlike Li Ying, Hanjun kept his hair neatly and professionally cut.

The man was always clean-shaven, always smelled good, and got his shirts ironed and his collars starched.

Li Ying liked to wear sweatpants and tees. How’d he score like this?

It’s love!

—

Next time Li Ying saw Anne face-to-face, she had told him to meet her at her office in downtown Brooklyn.

“It’s like I really have a real personal stylist!” Li Ying enthused while making liberal use of the coffeemaker in the small but chic office.

“I am a real personal stylist,” Anne grumbled and sat in the other red Panton chair facing Li Ying.

“I know, but you know I was just asking for a friendly favor. A huge favor, I know, but aren’t I paying you?”

“You aren’t, actually.”

“ …Oh. Damn, I’m sorry, I meant to bring that up last Saturday: I would of course compensate for your time, but you know I’m on a budget, so could you consider giving me a discount?”

Anne quirked her brow. “Li Ying, you’re so full of it. Sit down.”

Once Li Ying had sat down with his caramel macchiato, Anne continued:

“Wu Hanjun is paying for everything. And aren’t you living in his house? A very nice house…”

“Anne,” Li Ying spoke in a quiet, deceptively sweet tone, “what are you implying?”

She got flustered and hurried to assure him, “Nothing! But do you mean to tell me you live together with that man and you don’t know? ”

“Know what? I know he’s loaded, and if you’re accusing me of being his sugar baby, I don’t appreciate that. I didn’t even know he was paying you, that’s why I offered.”

“I’m not accusing you of that! I just can’t fathom the level of cluelessness going on here. Do you know who your boyfriend is?”

Li Ying blinked. “He’s my Junjun!”

Anne sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “He gave me his card, and I did a search on him. Okay, you know where he works at least, right?”

“He’s been doing a secondment in Measumed.”

“Which is an affiliate company of…?” Anne led on, peering at Li Ying’s face: nothing. Just an empty stare and an innocent blink.

“I don’t know?” Li Ying said. “Hanjun doesn’t talk much about his work. It sounds kind of boring, honestly, but obviously it pays.”

“It’s an affiliate of Wu Pharma.”

It took a second for Li Ying to let that sink in. Suddenly his eyes widened. “Wu…?”

“And they…” Anne opened his phone and showed Li Ying a Chinese financial news site with a formal family picture of two gentlemen and a young boy .

The boy was surely no older than seven, but the serious child bore such a clear resemblance to Hanjun that there was no mistake that it was him. Behind him stood two men; one was older, or perhaps just tired, very tired, and the other one looked stern. There was a headline:

‘Wu Yiling to step down from Wu Pharma ,’ and a lead:

‘Board elects his brother, former company CEO Wu Yiheng, as chairman of the multi-billion-yuan family business. ‘My brother’s son will carry on the company’s future when I retire,’ Wu Yiheng comments.’

“…Are one of the highest-revenue pharmaceutical companies in China,” Anne concluded. “Did you read that? ‘Multi-billion !’ Li Ying, your husband is an heir to an empire! ”

Li Ying wasn’t sure what to make of that. “Huh.” He casually sipped his coffee. “Funny, he never mentioned that.”

“Really, Li Ying? Really? And you never did a search on him?”

“I’m not a stalker! I knew he’s well-off, but I wasn’t dating him because of his money, or obsessing over how much exactly he’s worth.”

“Oh my god, and you let me take him to a fast fashion store?!” Anne rolled up an issue of Vogue from the coffee table between them and half-heartedly whacked Li Ying over the head with it.

“I’m sorry, Anne, I didn’t know it was that big of a deal! Damn, when did you become so fierce? Be careful with my face, I can’t marry if you ruin my beautiful face!”

“Speaking of your face, did you go to the cosmetologist like I told you?”

“Yes, yes, I have a routine.”

“Good, please follow it. Now, because I just got an ultra-high-net-worth individual as my customer—”

“You’re welcome.” Li Ying grinned, but had to duck away from another Vogue assault.

“As I was saying: I am committed to my task and have spent the entire week finding clothes you could wear when you go to Shanghai without getting laughed out of the country. It’s also my future career on the line here, you know, and I’m not wasting this opportunity.

And I won’t let you waste it either, so you better do everything exactly as I tell you to, or we’re both screwed! ”

Li Ying pretended to cower before her.

“Li Ying,” Anne spoke, now gently, “you want to marry Sir Hanjun, right?”

“Yes!” Li Ying looked up and brought his hands together. “Please, Anne, kind, beautiful, wise Anne, wave your magic wand and make it so that I can marry my prince!”

“Are you thinking of pumpkins and mice and glass slippers?”

Li Ying looked dreamy-eyed and was grinning like a fool as he nodded enthusiastically.

“Well, forget the glass slippers, you’re going to wear Louboutin. And we have to get you up on those four-point-five inches walking like a nice kitty before December. Let me take you to the back.”

Why does it sound like she’s bringing me to slaughter?

Over the following hour, Li Ying tried on clothes, shoes, and bags to match. The brand names flashing before his eyes were all high-end, although some of them he’d never heard of before. He feared to guess how much they cost.

Anne buzzed around him, taking pictures, notes, and occasionally sliding the measuring tape off her shoulders to measure this or that.

“I guess you don’t own all these?” Li Ying asked while eyeing the racks of clothes.

“I will return what we don’t want and bill Sir Hanjun for what we keep.

I could only source so much within a week, but don’t worry, I’ve put everything else on the back burner, and I’m focusing on building my network to get you everything you need within the next few months.

” Anne looked at Li Ying between her notes-taking.

“It did feel very good to walk into all the shops along Fifth Avenue and say I’m shopping for an exclusive client. ”

“Did you look as smug then as you do now?” Li Ying grinned, and Anne blushed and scoffed, turning back to her notes. She was obviously pleased.

—