Page 27 of He Is My Bride
Hanjun’s grip tightened around the phone. He forced his voice to remain calm and impassioned, “If you look at the dates of these particular transactions, you will find that they have started only a few months ago. As I said, we have been dating for almost two years.”
“I saw the dates. What changed?”
“Uncle,” Hanjun spoke most politely, “I’m going to bring her to Shanghai with me on the twenty-second. I’d like for you, Cousin Hanrong and Grandmother Linmingto meet her.”
Silence again. Wu Yiheng could be heard sighing on the other end. “If you are this serious about her, I will arrange time for tea.”
“I am serious.” Hanjun sounded like it.
Wu Yiheng weighed his words carefully, “Hanjun, I’m happy you have found someone you like. I wish you would have picked a mainland woman, but if she’s otherwise suitable, I look forward to meeting her. What is her name?”
“Li Ying.”
“Hmm. Very well, then, I will see you in December. Hanging up.”
Hanjun let Wu Yiheng hang up first. That could have gone worse, he thought.
Wu Yiheng might try to make a search on the name ‘Li Ying,’ but he didn’t know the exact characters with which it was written. Even if he did, he wouldn’t find anything, Hanjun had checked: there were several people on the internet with that name, both men and women, and Li Ying’s digital footprint was small enough that Hanjun had failed to find anything at all. Qian Hong, being the founder of a cybersecurity company, had guarded his family’s information well.
However, Li Ying couldn’t be a ghost, and he and Hanjun had been thinking about what they could tell the Wus about his background and what they should omit.
They couldn’t tell the Qians who Li Ying was married to, nor could they mention the Qians to the Wus, not by name. Otherwise, they ran the risk of Wu Yiheng reaching out to them and finding out the truth. That would have ruined everything.
Although Hanjun was sorry for Li Ying’s unfortunate circumstances, they provided a blessing in disguise: with the Qians having never officially adopted Li Ying, he could tell the Wus that his foster family wasn’t involved in his life now that he was a legal adult. While this was a good plan, Li Ying had been depressed when he and Hanjun had discussed it.
Li Ying had experienced abandonment early in his life, and having Mrs. Qian always making him feel like he wasn’t welcome at theQians’ made it worse. Hanjun understood it hurt Li Ying to be made to feel like an outsider to the family he desperately wanted to belong to. But in the end, Li Ying had had to agree it was the perfect excuse to keep the Qians out of the way, to say they weren’t involved with him.
Hanjun heard the door:
“I’m home!”
“Welcome home.”
The coldness that had seeped into the corners vanished instantly when Li Ying entered the room, filling it with his lively, warm presence. Hanjun smiled.
He saw Li Ying step out of the hallway in his full getup.
“Hey—Oh, hello!” Li Ying struck a pose when he noticed Hanjun standing right there, staring.
Li Ying put a hand on his hip, carrying his sandals in the other hand. He was speaking in his normal voice now:
“Guess what?” He slung the sandals over his shoulder and tossed his hair, looking pleased with himself. “It went super well. A cute waiter even left me his number.”
Hanjun’s eyes darkened.
“Yeah, he totally had the hots for me,” Li Ying added fuel to the fire. He liked it when Hanjun had that look in his eyes.
Hanjun just stood there staring, Wu Yiheng’s surly voice all but forgotten. Li Ying strutted to him and stood not an inch away from touching Hanjun, looking up at him. Now that Li Ying didn’t have his crazy heels on, he was shorter instead of nearly equal height. Hanjun’s heart raced in his chest.
“This vixen is getting popular around town, what is my boyfriendgonna do about—Mm!” Li Ying dropped the Choos.
Hanjun grabbed Li Ying’s waist and let his hands wander from there: over, under his pants, grasping for flesh and making Li Ying moan into his mouth.
“Youlook good.” Hanjun hissed with his teeth on Li Ying’s lips and bit down, making the other man cry out in delight.
Li Ying’s hands were scratching down Hanjun’s back, trying to tear off his shirt. “Aah, Han—!”
Hanjun grabbed Li Ying’s arm and pulled the dazed man into the bedroom.
