Page 26 of He Is My Bride
Anne thought about it, chewing on her lip, letting Li Ying hold her hand. After considering it carefully, she answered:
“I think my family will understand if I’m not home for Christmas. I think they would be happy that their daughter has a chance to pursue her dreams and accept such a huge gig, to go to Shanghai with her exclusive client.”
“You haven’t told them who it is, right?”
“Don’t insult me, of course not! Discretion is key. Besides, it will only sound more impressive when I say I can’t disclose who my employer is.” Anne’s grin grew from ear to ear once Li Ying answered her smile in kind, and soon they were giggling together again.
“I never knew you were so ambitious!” Li Ying said.
“I just really want to make it as a stylist, to help people, to find their voice and help them express themselves.”
“And getting to sashay into the swankiest stores like you’re on a mission from God?”
Anne rolled her eyes.
They finished their lunch. When it was time to get their bill, the waiter had left his number on Li Ying’s.
“Looks like it worked,” Anne said.
“Of course it worked.” Li Ying tossed his ponytail. He didn’t take the number, of course, he was a kept man, but he left a hefty tip as consolation. Seems like their first test was a success.
But would they convince the Wus and the Shanghai elite?
—
While Li Ying was having an outing with Anne, back at their apartment, Hanjun’s personal phone rang. Hanjun’s heart constricted when he saw the name on the screen: Wu Yiheng.
“Hello, uncle,” Hanjun answered the phone.
“Hello Hanjun, I hope it’s not a bad time for you? It should be six in the afternoon over there.”
“Not a bad time.” Hanjun stood up from the dining table where he’d been working on his laptop.
“I wanted to ask you something. About your discretionary account expenses.”
So, he still keeps tabs on my accounts,Hanjun thought resentfully. “Has something raised your concern?”
“I simply have a question: do you have a girlfriend?”
“…Yes.”
A silence hung on the line for seconds. Hanjun thought he could hear his own racing heartbeat, fearfully anticipating what his uncle would say next.
“You met her in America?” Wu Yiheng asked.
“Mm. She’s American-born Chinese—”
“How long—”
“—we have been dating for almost two years.” Hanjun determinedly finished his sentence, refusing to let his uncle speak over him this time. “We are living together.”
Another silence, until Wu Yiheng said:
“You go to America, and within a year you have finally found yourself a girl you like.”
Hanjun couldn’t tell if his uncle thought it was a good or a bad thing. He said nothing.
“Seems like she likes to spend your money,” Wu Yiheng said.
