Page 97 of He Is My Bride
“Who’s the lucky person?”
“I… Really can’t tell you. I’m sorry.” Li Ying felt crushed thinking that Amy would take it as him not trusting her enough. Li Ying would have trusted his sister with his life—but he couldn’t trust her with his and Hanjun’s future.
Amy turned to him. “Is it a man?”
Li Ying felt his cheeks burn up. He had to cover his face with his hands and roll to his side to hide. He was feeling butterflies all over his insides. “Yes!”
“But you can’t tell me who he is?”
“No, but yes, it’s a man. Very handsome, and…” Li Ying kicked his feet and squealed.
Amy smiled. “I’m happy for you, I hope… I mean, it looks like this man makes you very happy. Li Ying, you know we are your family and we love you no matter what, right?”
I’m sorry, Amy, but there are some things I cannot tell you.Still, even with some things having to remain secret, Li Ying’s heart felt lighter after telling Amy he was in love with a man.
“How did you meet?” Amy started asking questions Li Ying was too afraid to answer, so he said:
“Amy, I won’t be able to say more, please respect that.”
Amy seemed like she wanted to press the matter, but nodded, “Okay, but is there anything else you can tell me? What is he like?”
“Hmm.” Li Ying rubbed his hot cheeks, thinking. “Well, he’s a very passionate lover.”
Amy covered her mouth and giggled, “Okay, you can keep those details to yourself!”
Li Ying laughed with her.
They hung around for a while longer. As the hour grew late, Li Ying thought he really didn’t want to go back to his lonely apartment by himself.
“I’ll ask Uncle Qian if I can stay in my old room, I don’t feel like going home,” he said.
Uncle Qian told Li Yin he could of course stay over, he just needed to make the bed for himself.
“You’re not letting him slip back to live with us now that his benefactor has left, are you?” Mrs. Qian asked her husband while Li Ying was still well within earshot.
“What’s the harm in staying over for one night?” Uncle Qian said. “Kai stays over sometimes too.”
“Well, he’s your own son.”
“And Li Ying is my foster son,” Qian Hong said, now with more firmness.
At this point Li Ying had left the room, but stopped in the stairway where he could still hear them.
“You’re not doing that boy any favors by letting him parasitize, it’s time he finally came to his own.”
“How can you say that?” Uncle Qian lowered his voice, but Li Ying could still hear him, “We didn’t buy him a house like we bought Kai, and isn’t Amy still living at home and you’re not saying anything about that?”
“Oh, I see! You’re suggesting driving your own daughter out now, to make it fair for everyone?”
“That’s not what I said, Jenn.”
“Again, Kai is your own son. We had no obligation to even pay for Li Ying’s education, but we did. He’s already way better off than most boys with his background. He can’t expect to come and go from our house as he wants, on top of everything else we have done for him.”
“He’s just staying for one night.”
“We’ll see if it ends there. You’re toosoft, Qian Hong.”
Li Ying tiptoed on the balls of his feet up the stairs, trying to make away quietly before Mrs. Qian came out, but he heard her stepping on the stairway just as he got up to the landing. Li Ying looked back and saw Mrs. Qian’s cold eyes meet his. She said nothing, neither did he, and he turned away to go to his old room.
