Page 21 of He Is My Bride
Hanjun’s face was overcome by a shadow of melancholy. “Father hasn’t been involved much since…”
Li Ying waited patiently until Hanjun could finish:
“Since he had to retire.” Hanjun looked away, finding it took a toll on him to talk about this. “It’s not public knowledge, but he’s been in poor health. He left Uncle Yiheng to raise me, since I was six, and will surely refer to him in any matter regarding me. Including decisions about my marriage.”
“Your father is sick?”
Hanjun swallowed, his expression stiff. He’d refuse to talk about his father or mother whenever Li Ying had asked, so Li Ying hadn’t pressed the matter. He understood all too well that family could be a complicated topic. Although Li Ying had freely talked of his own past, he didn’t expect everyone to be so open about their wounds. He noted how Hanjun couldn’t even begin to address the topic of his mother. It was a missing piece, but Li Ying thought this puzzle wasn’t for him to put together until Hanjun was ready to help him do it.
“Mental health,” was all Hanjun finally managed to say on the matter.
Li Ying caressed his cheek. “Thank you for telling me. It also helps me avoid asking any thoughtless questions once I meet your family.”
Hanjun nodded. After a moment’s silence, he said, “Don’t worry, you are the one I want to marry, and I think uncle will come around to the idea, eventually.” He kissed Li Ying’s temple.
“Hanjun, Anne told me your family actually owns the business you work for and that it’s… kinda big.”
Hanjun remained quiet, weighing his words before saying, “That is my family’s legacy. My uncle’s and father’s, and their father’s before them.”
“‘Of over three hundred years?’”
“The Wus used to make traditional Chinese medicine as far back as the 18th century, and Wu Pharma was established in the early 1900s by my great-grandfather, who wanted to develop Western medicine alongside it. I am to continue as the head of the company, and it’s imperative that I continue the line as well. That’s why they must believe I’m marrying a woman.”
“Don’t you have, like, a cousin or something?”
Hanjun once more weighed his words before speaking, “The family situation is… complicated. I have cousins on both sides of the family: the Wus and the Wangs. My second cousin from my father’s side, Wu Hanrong, currently works for the company as well. While Uncle Yiheng approves of him, he’s hesitant to make him inherit the chairman position. That leaves me as the only Wu in our generation who is old enough to inherit in the coming years.”
“You’ve mentioned Cousin Hanrong before. Didn’t you two get along well?”
“Mm, Hanrong and I were raised together. We are as close as brothers. I think he would be a good fit to lead, but there was a reason my grandfather bought out their side of the family years ago. Up until then, the two lines of Wu had held equal power, but there were differences in vision. Uncle Yiheng still fears they might not be fit to lead, and he believes Cousin Hanrong is too soft to be the next chairman. I had begun to think he had no choice but to take a chance on him, but now when I see you working so hard for the plan, I believe everyone can be satisfied. Even Uncle Yiheng.”
“Mm, I’m workingsohard…” Li Ying mewled in his nasal voice and climbed on Hanjun’s lap to snuggle. “Just tell me one thing.” He kissed Hanjun’s neck.
“Hm?” Hanjun’s hands rose to Li Ying’s waist, and he craned his neck to welcome Li Ying’s kisses on it.
“I’m not upset, butwhydidn’t you tell me about your family’s business? It just seems like a big thing to omit, considering we’ve been together for so long.”
Hanjun’s breath stayed shallow even when Li Ying stopped teasing him. Li Ying watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed.
“I didn’t want to scare you,” Hanjun said.
“What’s that?” Li Ying chuckled. “You thought I would be scared of your money?”
“Rather the status that comes with it, the expectations of my family. And I didn’t want you to think differently about me. I’m sorry I kept things from you, I know it was selfish, but I was afraid of losing you, especially over something as unimportant as money.”
Li Ying thought Hanjun truly was filthy rich if he could afford to say money was unimportant. But Li Ying wouldn’t fault him for it; neither of them had chosen the circumstances of their birth.
“Hanjun,” Li Ying spoke, “I would still gladly move to a simple country home with you if it meant we could be together. I fell foryou,not for your money, and that hasn’t changed. As for the rest…” Li Ying’s hands held Hanjun’s face, fingers burying into his towel-dry hair. “I’m happy we found a solution.” His lips edged Hanjun’s mouth.
Hanjun claimed that kiss before Li Ying could.
Once they parted, Li Ying asked, “So, your family is, like, really,reallyrich? Like, society? Yachts and private jets?”
“‘To understand the limitation of things, desire them.’Laozi,” Hanjun quoted.
“Yeah, but youhavethem?”
“Most things of that nature are in the names of our Wang cousins. We Wus have what we need to live comfortably.”
