Page 59 of He Is My Bride
“Come to bed.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to do me again like that! My body can’t take another round of you.” Regardless, Li Ying came right next to Hanjun, clinging to him like a burdock. They were quiet until something dawned on Li Ying:
“What time is it?” Li Ying grabbed his phone and checked: almost nine in the morning. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?!” Li Ying also realized it was the 25th of December. Hanjun said nothing while Li Ying stared at him. “Hanjun?”
“Later.”
“Later, right. Oh, merry Christmas!” Li Ying smooched Hanjun next to his lips. “Is it my turn to give a gift to you?”
Li Ying bounced off the bed and went to the closet where he had hidden what he’d bought the other day. He hopped back on the bed and handed the bag to Hanjun. Hanjun pulled out a medium-sized, hard package, subtly wrapped with red silk paper. Hanjun felt it was somewhat heavy.
“I can open it now?” Hanjun asked.
“Mm-m! Go ahead.” Li Ying sat on his knees on the bed, clasping his hands together in excitement while Hanjun carefully removed the wrapping to reveal a red box.
Hanjun lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a full tea set in red porcelain, with the double happiness symbols painted in gold: a wedding tea set. Hanjun stared at it, unmoving except for the bob of his Adam’s apple.
“I don’t think your bride’s family would buy this for us, so he bought it himself,” Li Ying said.
Hanjun looked at Li Ying, and he looked at Hanjun.
“It’s good you have bought this,” Hanjun said.
“Oh yeah?” Li Ying grinned.
Hanjun reached down to where his clothes lay discarded on the floor from last night. He took something small from the pocket of his jacket, and it was Li Ying’s turn to freeze. He almost didn’t believe it, even when Hanjun opened the tiny black velvet box and presented itto him: a two-carat diamond on a gold band. It was gorgeous, not too flashy, but unignorable. Hanjun wasted no time taking Li Ying’s right hand into his. He was about to just put the ring on, but Li Ying halted.
“Hanjun, the other hand. And you should ask me the question first.”
“No.”
“What?” Li Ying stared, confused. What was happening?
“Traditionally, the bride wears the ring on the right hand.”
“Oh, okay. And the question?” Li Ying couldn’t believe he had to walk Hanjun through this.
But Hanjun seemed to be struggling. He held Li Ying’s wrist tightly and looked from the ring to the finger, then up to Li Ying’s eyes. He seemed almost… scared?
“Hanjun.” Li Ying spoke softly and put his left hand on Hanjun’s. “Will you marry me?”
Looking at Li Ying’s warm smile and twinkling eyes, Hanjun almost forgot to breathe. “…Yes. Will you… marry me?” Hanjun didn’t think he would have beenthisnervous, but as always, Li Ying had helped him break through his ice by taking the first step.
“Yes!” Li Ying said. “Yes, yes Hanjun, yes!” He threw himself on Hanjun and haphazardly kissed him, his joy overflowing.
Hanjun returned the kiss but soon tore his gaze back to their hands and decisively slid the ring on Li Ying’s right middle finger—the traditional finger for an engagement ring.
They looked at it for a second before falling back onto the bed, kissing. Li Ying barely figured to rescue the tea set and put it aside before Hanjun claimed his full attention. They tangled up with each other, kissing and touching as if they would never get enough of each another. Hanjun’s phone rang, but he turned it off.
“Will you go to work?”
“Not today.”
They hardly left the bed that day.
—
Anne received a call from a strange number.
