Page 77 of He Is My Bride
“Li Ying. Hello!”
“So, you’re from America?”
“That’s right. Brooklyn, New York City.”
They knew New York at least, recognition in their expressions and underlined enthusiasm in their nods to signal they were in the known; ‘right, right, New York City!’
“Are you Wu Hanjun’s ‘mystery woman,’ then?” asked a young man with a cute round face, probably Li Ying’s age. Li Ying had sat down on his left side on one of the couches surrounding a long table.
The young man was the most fashionably avant-garde person at the party, wearing his hair untraditionally long, with half of it in a top bun. He wore oversized 80’s-style glasses and a gray twill suit with a pale pink shirt. Pocket square with a colorful abstract design, tan oxfords. He looked like the creative type and stood apart from all the business majors. He wouldn’t have been out of place among Li Ying’s circle of queers back in New York.
“You haven’t been reading those attention-grabbing articles have you, Sir Xiang?” criticized an extremely comely, delicately built man who spoke haughtily in a soft accent similar to the Wus. He was dressed lavishly, still tasteful but pushing it with all the bling and champagne-colored silk vest worn over a white button-up and a matching silk tie fastened with a golden tie pin.
Sir Xiang blushed and scratched his neck awkwardly. Despite the other young man’s criticism, it spoke for itself that he understood what had been referenced. Sir Xiang’s question was probably the one on everyone’s minds, and they looked eagerly to Li Ying for his answer.
“I suppose that’s me,” Li Ying laughed. “I’m not actually all that interesting!” Li Ying winked and flashed a smile. His ‘not-actually-that-interesting’ star power pulled a flock of people to strike up conversation with him.
“Is that…?” Someone noticed the ring on Li Ying’s finger, “Has Wu Hanjun gotten engaged?!”
All conversations around the table stopped.
Li Ying smiled at Hanjun and rubbed his arm. “Hanjun proposed to me on Christmas Day. You wouldn’t guess he’s a romantic like that!”
“Congratulations!” Sir Xiang raised his glass first.
Other people followed his example, congratulating the newly betrothed and toasting.
Another round was poured. A waiter readily brought two new bottles in ice-filled buckets, and fresh snack bowls followed. Li Ying noted that not everyone, mostly some of the ladies, had smiled nor emptied their glasses during the toast, but looked at the new pair sourly. Li Ying ignored them.
“What was your name again?” Li Ying asked the queerly dressed Sir Xiang. Li Ying was more interested in him.
“Huang Xian,” the man answered.
The name rang a bell. “…Oh!” Li Ying exclaimed. “Are you one of the meat industry Huangs?”
Huang Xiang rolled his eyes, sighing in defeat. “I suppose that would be all Miss Li knows me for,” he bemoaned.
“Sir Xiang is also an avid patron of the arts and an artist in his own right,” Hanrong said.
“Sir Hanrong is exaggerating!” Huang Xiang rushed to say, though he seemed pleased that someone took notice of him.
“But your designs are very good,” insisted Hanrong, “if you decided to pursue your passion fully, perhaps you could do a collaboration with one of the brands Mister Lin has acquired?”
Huang Xiang sighed against his champagne flute again. “If only I had time from my studies. My father insists I must continue my business education in Antai, even if my grades suck.”
The haughty, pretty man who had been criticizing Huang Xiang before spoke, “Don’t go around making any such promises, Hanrong. My father is not a charity.”
“Of course not,” Hanrong saved with an unwaveringly polite smile. He was trying so hard to be nice and give everyone face, but not everyone in the room was quite so gracious.
Lin?Li Ying had recognized another name.The silk exporters and hopeful fashion moguls. Both Huang Xiang and Lin Yong must be the family heirs, then.
“Li Ying,” Hanjun brushed his thigh, “I’m getting myself tea.” He stood up and looked at Li Ying for an affirming nod before going—he didn’t want to leave him alone abruptly into a potentially overwhelming situation, but of course Li Ying was like a fish in water in sociable crowds.
“That Wu Hanjun hasn’t deviated from the Wu ways during his time in America, I see. Only they would drinkteaat a party!”
Hanrong laughed and raised his teacup to that.
“So, what does Miss Li do?” asked the eccentric Huang Xiang.
