Page 9 of He Is My Bride
“Hm?” Hanjun was running water into a vase.
“Is my ass dirty?”
Hanjun turned to stare at Li Ying blankly, and the water overflowed. What was he on about this time, Hanjun wondered. “No?”
“Hanjun, the water. I was just wondering if this all-liquid diet has a reason?” Li Ying was grinning, but Hanjun just frowned at him while pouring excess water from the vase. “Come on, I was joking, your soups are fine!”
“Hmph.” Hanjun turned to put the peonies in the vase and carefully set them on the windowsill.
“Really, it wasn’t a jab at your cooking, you have gotten really good! This borscht is super delicious.” To make a point, Li Ying stuffed his face with more sweet and sour vegetables.
He had to give it to Hanjun: the man had learned a lot during the year they had lived together. Li Ying couldn’t believe Hanjun had never cooked for himself before they moved in together. Li Ying supposed he’d always have someone prepare his meals growing up, since it had been painfully obvious Hanjun had never as much as boiled instant noodles until Li Ying had taught him.
“Does your uncle cook?”Li Ying had asked Hanjun, knowing he had grown up in his uncle’s house.
“No.”
Guess not, the man had to be a hustling businessman like Hanjun, being able to buy a home for his nephew from Manhattan prime real estate, so the uncle probably didn’t have time for domestic tasks.
Li Ying had remembered Hanjun mentioning his grandmother living with them, so he had just assumed the grandmother must have been the cook in the Wu household as well: Li Ying himself had learned from ‘Grandma’ Qian, his foster father’s mother.
“But eating out every day is expensive,”Li Ying had said when Hanjun had admitted he didn’t know how to cook.“I will teach you, then we can take turns.”
Li Ying had made good on his promise: he had taken Hanjun to a nearby grocer and showed him what to buy—had he never even had to run to the store for his folks, Li Ying had wondered—and then they had cooked together.
Hanjun was such a perfectionist and hadn’t been happy with his first results in the kitchen, but he had persevered. Now he looked so proud when he could finally present his boyfriend with a perfect home-cooked meal. He had totally become househusband material, Li Ying thought.
Now, if he would only learn how to clean a house properly: before Li Ying had insisted he could tidy up as needed, the man used to have a maid visit him daily. Li Ying had thought it frivolous. It wasn’t that hard to swing a mop now and then, he had insisted. Hanjun had obviously been a spoiled child growing up, but Li Ying didn’t hold it against him.
It was obvious Hanjun could afford these comforts. He was well-paid and his family obviously had wealth, but Li Ying thought it prudent to save up for the future: you never knew if you were suddenly laid off or there was sickness in the family. Those things could put a strain on one’s finances.
Li Ying finished his borscht and went for seconds, having worked up an appetite in the emergency room.
“How was your day?” Li Ying asked.
“I had a call with my uncle.”
“Oh? How is he?” Li Ying perked up. Hanjun talked so little about his family, and therefore Li Ying expected the news to be either very good or very bad. He put the dishes in the washer and joined Hanjun on the couch, pulling his knees up as he curled up beside him.
Hanjun looked at Li Ying with an unreadable face. “My secondment in New York will terminate in December.”
“…Oh.” Li Ying knew Hanjun had been working for his company’s affiliate in New York temporarily at his employer’s behest, but he hadn’t thought… Well, hehadthought, but resolved to hoping, “Can’t you stay? Ask for a permanent position here?”
“Not possible,” Hanjun said with finality which felt like a punch to Li Ying.
“So, what? You’re just leaving?” Li Ying felt empty.
“I have to go back, at least for now.”
Hanjun could tell Li Ying was shocked by the sudden news, and regretted not having brought up the possibility of him leaving earlier. It seemed like they both had been living in denial of the inevitable.
“Didn’t you want to visit Shanghai?” Hanjun asked.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t console me much if I only get to keep you until December! What do you mean ‘for now?’ When would you be coming back?” Li Ying’s world was threatening to fall apart just like that. “If this is your way of conveniently dumping me, why wait?”
Hanjun stared at him, dumbfounded. “I don’t—”
“I’m sorry if I’m too clingy. Sorry if I bother you all the time, but you could at least be honest if you didn’t want to be with me anymore!”
