Page 43 of He Is My Bride
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, andassumed 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, straplesscrop 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’mexecutive.”
“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.
