A Stand-in Bride

Chapter 36

Zhan

My heart is pounding as I walk into the highly exclusive jewelry store that Yibo asked me to meet him at. In all the years that he and I have bought jewelry for Cheng Xiao together, he never once bought anything for her here, not even when she pleaded with him, which I know she did. This isn’t the kind of store that just anyone can buy from, no matter how much money you have. Their designs are iconic and they’re all handcrafted.

“Mrs. Wang,” the owner of the store greets me, his head bowed. “It’s an honor to have you here today.”

“Mr. Nie, the honor is all mine,” I reply, surpised.

He shakes his head bashfully, as though he’s genuinely happy to have me here and it leaves me feeling flustered. Throughout my career I’ve become accustomed to having nearly anything I could possibly want, yet this is one of the few things that has always been out of reach for me.

“Zhan.” I look up at the sound of Yibo’s voice and smile when he holds his hand out for me. He entwines our fingers and pulls me into him, his eyes on mine. The way he looks at me reminds me of this morning. Just as Cheng Xiao managed to shake my confidence, he stepped in and restored it, showing me how much he wants me. Even if what we’ve got is nothing more than passion, it’s still a start. It’s more than I had just a few weeks ago.

“Let’s pick you a ring.”

“Please follow me, Mr. and Mrs. Wang.” Mr. Nie leads us to a desk, where he’s got several designs laid out for us. “Do you have anything in mind?”

I glance at Yibo nervously as we sit down but he merely smiles and reaches for my hand, entwining our fingers before he brings our joined hands to his lips. “Anything you want Zhan. There is no budget. I just want you to have a ring you’ll wear with pride.” He looks at Mr. Nie then. “My only request is that you engrave my name on the inside of my wife’s ring.”

My heart skips a beat as heat rushes to my cheeks. He has no idea how many of my dreams he’s fulfilling today. I hesitate for a moment before I take out my tablet. “I drew something,” I admit. “But I’m not sure if it’d be possible to create this.”

Mr. Nie smiles as he takes my tablet from me. “We can definitely make this Mrs. Wang. It’ll be a shared-prong eternity band with a trellis design. What kind of carat weight were you thinking of?”

Yibo tenses and straightens his back, his grip on my hand tightening. “I need it to be visible from across the room,” he says, his expression unyielding. “Would ten carats be okay? Perhaps fifteen.”

My eyes widen and I turn toward him. “Are you insane? That’s far too much.”

Yibo looks at me and shakes his head. “You’re a Wang. You’re my wife. Nothing is too much.”

Mr. Nie smiles at me reassuringly. “Because this is an eternity ring, there will be several diamonds on your ring with a combined total weight of ten carats. I will ensure that the end result looks classy Mrs. Wang. I understand your worries but please rest assured. The final result will be breathtaking and befitting your stature.”

I nod hesitantly, worried for a reason I can’t quite identify. I suppose I’m scared to truly step into my role as Mrs. Wang. I’m scared that this thing that appears to be growing between Yibo and me will fall apart. I’m scared my heart will end up shattered and trampled.

“What’s wrong?” Yibo asks, his voice soft.

My eyes drop to his simple platinum wedding ring. He hasn’t taken it off since the day we got married and that should fill me with relief, but all it does is heighten my anxiety. It’s the ring Cheng Xiao chose for him.

“Can I pick a new ring for you too?” The words leave my lips before I even realize what I’m saying and shame soon follows. I don’t want to be petty and jealous but I can’t help myself. I don’t want anything related to our marriage to be tied to her, yet how could it ever be so when she’s the very reason we got married at all?

Yibo looks at his ring and pulls his hand out of mine. For a moment, I’m certain he’ll reject my request but then he takes off his ring and places it on the table. “Of course,” he says simply. “Choose whatever you’d like.”

I smile nervously as I grab my tablet and scroll to a different design before showing it to Mr. Nie. “I want a plain, wide yellow gold band for Yibo, with a very subtle bunny engraving.”

He grins at me and nods. “A bunny’s face, I assume?”

I nod, my cheeks burning. Yibo chuckles as he wraps his arm around my shoulder, his touch tender. “I like it.” He turns toward Mr. Nie then. “I want my rings within two weeks and I only want the very best stones you can find for my wife.”

My eyes widen and I tap his foot with mine. Has he lost his mind? Does he have any idea how long the waiting list for any of Mr. Nie’s designs is? It’s an honor to be here at all, yet here he is, about to get us kicked out.

“Certainly Mr. Wang. I will personally deliver them to your home.”

What? I try my hardest to keep the shock off my face but the way Yibo smirks lets me know I failed.

“Let’s go home,” he tells me, offering me his hand. I take it and Mr. Nie walks us out, repeatedly thanking us for putting our trust in him.

“You okay?” Yibo asks as he leads me to his car. I nod and he holds the door open for me, a frown on his face. Yibo waits until I’m seated before he rushes around the car. I’ve seen him do this for Cheng Xiao countless times and it always made me feel so envious as I sat in the backseat, watching the two of them together. I always hoped to have him to myself one day, yet now that he’s legally mine, it all feels so empty. It feels like I’m on borrowed time. I’m trying so hard not to lose faith but I can’t get my conversation with Cheng Xiao out of my head.

“Zhan,” Yibo says, turning toward me. He leans over me and grabs my seatbelt, his face so close to mine that a simple turn of my head would have my lips brushing over his. If he really was mine, that’s exactly what I’d do. I’d bury my hands in his hair and I’d kiss him so hard he’d be dying to get us to the privacy of our home. But he isn’t mine. Not truly. “You’ve been quiet since we walked out baby. What’s wrong?”

I look up at him unsure of what to say. “Moment of honesty? I feel guilty,” I tell him. “I’m scared of feeling even a single moment of happiness with you because I can’t help but fear that it’ll all be ripped away from me. Sometimes, I feel like I’m on borrowed time and though I try to fight that feeling, I can’t always escape it.”

I avert my gaze and inhale shakily. “I just want what any other woman would want Yibo. I want a happy marriage of my own. I don’t want to deprive myself of anything I desire yet I can’t take what I want without hurting others, without—”

Yibo leans in and kisses me, cutting me off roughly as his lips take mine with an urgency I didn’t expect. A soft moan escapes my lips and his hand threads through my hair, his grip tight as he forces my lips open. The way he kisses me leaves me breathless and needy for more. More of the way he’s making me feel, more of the way he’s taking away every single doubt, even if it’s just for a moment.

He pulls away and drops his forehead against mine, his breathing as ragged as mine is. “Fuck everyone else Zhan. You’re my wife. It’s my honor and duty to make sure all your needs are met, whatever they might be — I don’t care if it’s the interior of our home, our wedding rings or the way we interact with each other. If you want it to change, it’ll change. We didn’t start off right but allow me to make amends baby. This is new to me too but I don’t do things half-heartedly. I’m a Wang, Xiao Zhan, and you know as well as I do that marriage means something in the Wang family. The moment I married you, I became yours. Maybe my heart isn’t quite there yet and maybe it never will be but everything else is yours. Only yours. So take what you want. Ask for anything you want. If it’s within my power, I’ll give it to you.”

“Even if what I’m asking for is your body? Your devotion? Passion? What if what I want is everything that used to be hers?”

He smiles as he caresses my cheek with the back of his fingers. “I’m yours,” he repeats. “And there’s nothing I’d rather do than make you mine in return.”