Page 16 of He Is My Bride
“Love,” Li Ying said, “youdefinitelyjust made it sound like it’s going to be something illegal.”
Hanjun said nothing.
“So what if you bribe some doctor to say I’ve got the most fertile child-bearing womb in all of China? I bet it happens.” Li Ying watched Hanjun’s face turn an ever-deeper shade of pink.
“What Hanjun can’t bribe is his family,” Li Ying went on, “so it’s up to me to act like a good girl and win them over. I don’t know about the ‘good’ part, but I was hoping you could help with the ‘girl’ part, because we’re gonna have to nail it to make this work.”
Anne was rubbing the bridge of her nose with both hands. “Oh my god…”
“So,” Li Ying grinned, “what do you think?”
“I feel like I’m about to become an accomplice to a heist.”
“Yeah? Isn’t that cool!”
—
Anne came over to their condo to give Li Ying a crash course in makeup artistry. She deemed they’d have ways to go until Li Ying could reliably do his ‘no-makeup makeup’ for everyday and a proper evening look, and do it all in a way that accentuated the feminine features of his face. Anne proposed she’d come and help Li Ying every week leading up to their December departure to Shanghai.
“I will give you homework in between, so practice doing your looks and the hairstyles I show you, and send me pictures.”
“Will you grade them?”
“Yes.”
“Sheesh.”
“Pay attention to the eyeliner; what girls spend years perfecting, you have to learn in four months.” Anne guided while curling Li Ying’s hair, fluffing it up in between to create a voluminous, high ponytail. “You’re lucky you’ve let your hair grow long. We just have to trim your bangs. I have a hairstylist I can recommend, I’ll make sureshe knows what you need. Also, we have to pluck your brows. And you have to get yourself waxed right before you leave, do your legs, arms, pits, anywhere else you need.”
Hanjun was drinking tea in the kitchen and staring off into the distance. He hadn’t realized justhowmuch he had asked of Li Ying when he had proposed this plan, but his boyfriend seemed eager to take on the challenge.
“Got it, boss,” Li Ying acknowledged. “Hey, Hanjun, do you want me to get a Brazilian? Do you want me smooth like a little girl?”
“…No.”
“Oh, and a good manicure,” Anne added. “A friend of mine has a salon, she can give you classic French nails. That’s a very ‘marriageable’ look.”
“I didn’t know my nails were getting married. Say, this will all cost a pretty penny, is it really so expensive to be a girl?”
Anne smiled sweetly. “Oh, Li Ying.” She finished his hairdo with a spritz of spray. “You’re ready. Now try on the clothes.”
Li Ying went to change in the bedroom while Anne sat on the couch to wait.
“Miss Lü,” Hanjun said, walking up to her and offering her his card, “please, send me an invoice, and I will compensate fairly for your time today, and for any time you will be spending advising Li Ying in the future. Consider us your clients.”
Anne accepted the card, bemused, but she couldn’t refuse such a formally presented offer, not even to be polite.
Hanjun sat down next to her, waiting for the runway show to begin.
The bedroom door opened, and Li Ying strutted out in the first look: a white mid-thigh knit dress with a turtleneck and long sleeves. It sat close to the body, and Li Ying’s waist was well accentuated in it.
“Ooh!” Anne clasped her hands together. “I like it. That would go well with some ankle booties. Definitely a daytime look for fall.”
“You think so?” Li Ying twirled around, beaming.
With his hair done like that and in their practiced evening look with blush, smoky eyes, mascara, and powder rose lipstick, he could have passed as a tall, athletically framed woman. Although he was skinny with long, slender limbs and a narrow waist, he also had narrow hips, which emphasized the width of his shoulders. And of course, his chest was flat as a board.
“Do you like it, Hanjun?” Li Ying kept turning around so Hanjun could see all sides of him.
