Calling Anna’s Parents
Tuesday, continued…
Hou Yi guided Anna upstairs toward the second floor of the apartment. “Tomorrow, I’ll arrange a full tour for you, but for now, knowing where the lounge and our suite are will help you get oriented. There are three guest rooms and children’s rooms, along with our suite, which takes up about half the second floor. Eventually, we’ll purchase a villa as our permanent home. This place will serve as our retreat when we don’t feel like returning to the villa.”
As they walked, Anna could feel the weight of the staff’s attention. It was as if their eyes were all on them, and she could sense the undercurrent of curiosity from the people around them. They paused outside a set of double doors, where Hou Yi placed his thumb on a pad, unlocking the door. As he turned the handle and opened it, Anna barely had a chance to step through before Hou Yi swept her up into his arms once again, carrying her over the threshold.
“Yi, you didn’t need to do this again,” Anna protested with a laugh, though there was a slight squeal of surprise in her voice.
He placed her down gently, firmly shutting the door behind them.
“Anna, calm down,” Hou Yi said, his voice soothing. “We were observed by the staff, peeking around corners and watching us. I was just being romantic for their benefit. You know how they talk, and I don’t want them gossiping.”
Anna folded her arms, a bit miffed. “I don’t like it, Yi. You knew it angered me the first time, and yet you did it again. You have no respect for me.”
In a fit of frustration, Anna grabbed the nearest object— a book—and threw it at him.
Hou Yi winced slightly but remained calm. “Anna, please. As I said, the only reason I did that was to give them an image of us that they’d accept. But if it really bothers you, I won’t do it again.”
Before Anna could respond, a knock sounded at the door.
“Young Master, Young Madam, sorry to interrupt, but I forgot to arrange champagne in the suite for you. I have it now,” came Butler Ge’s voice from the other side.
Hou Yi quickly sprang into action. “Wait a moment,” he called out. He removed his jacket, letting it fall to the floor near the door, and loosened his tie. Then, he moved toward Anna, slipping her jacket off and un-tucking her shirt from her pants. He messed up her hair, all the while aware of the staff outside. Anna, catching on, did the same, quickly disheveling his shirt and hair. They both worked fast, ensuring that when the staff entered, there would be no doubt that they had been interrupted during a private moment.
When Hou Yi opened the door, Anna buried her head against his chest.
“Come in,” Hou Yi said casually, as if nothing was amiss.
Butler Ge, along with two maids, entered the suite, while three more staff members stood outside, peering in. They froze in surprise at the scene before them, but instead of questioning what was happening, they chose to accept the vision they were presented with—an intimate, somewhat disheveled scene.
Hou Yi, not missing a beat, spoke authoritatively. “Hurry up and get out of here. We were busy.”
“Apologies, Young Master, Young Madam,” came a chorus of voices. “We’ll leave you alone.”
The staff quickly filed out of the room, and the door closed behind them.
Once they were alone, Anna pulled away from Hou Yi, her expression mixed with exasperation and a touch of humor. “You are so lucky we had that interruption, otherwise…”
“Don’t threaten me, wife,” Hou Yi replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. “When you threw that book, I’m sure everyone heard it. I had to act fast and create an image that would explain everything. How else would you have explained the situation to the staff?”
Anna huffed, crossing her arms. “Well, I’m not as quick on my feet with these things as you are.”
Hou Yi’s expression softened. “Let’s not argue. We’ve got something more important to focus on. We need to call your parents and tell them about our marriage. After that, we’ll go to my parents and tell them face-to-face.”
He moved to his jacket and handed Anna his mobile phone. “Use mine. The fixed line can be tapped, so it’s safer this way.”
As Anna took the phone, Hou Yi busied himself opening the champagne. He poured two glasses, handing one to her with a small smile. “We can’t put this off any longer. Dial your parents, put them on speaker, so we can tell them what happened.”
He studied her for a moment, his voice quiet but firm. “And don’t worry about how they react. It won’t affect us.”
Anna took a deep breath, her fingers trembling slightly as she dialed her parents’ number. She pressed the phone to her ear and waited for the call to connect, feeling the weight of the moment settling in.
