Tuesday, continued …
As soon as he has picked Anna up, she looked at him and then buried her head in his chest as she felt embarrassed given this was the third time today, he had this. She whispered loud enough for Hou Yi to hear "Yi, this is getting so embarrassing."
"Sweetheart, you do not need to be embarrassed." By this time, he had entered the front door and carefully put Anna down on her feet and took her hand in his. "Mother, Father, is everyone around?"
"Hou Yi, you better have a good explanation for this behaviour. The family are gathered in the formal lounge, so you better come with us immediately." Stated Hou Jang, and both he and Du AnLing turned and walked to a door just up the corridor from where they were.
Anna, turned to Hou Yi, and said "Yi, why do I get the feeling that we are about to be children told off by their elders."
"Because that is what is about to happen. My parents, grandparents and aunt, your in-laws, will tell us off. That will include me carrying you over the threshold, and us marrying without them being present." With that Hou Yi took Anna's arm and escorted her through the door that his parents had good through.
As soon as they were inside the door "Hou Yi, shut the door. You better then give us all an explanation for your behaviour that we just witnessed and explain who this woman is. We thought you were marrying Yang Lin today, and have been waiting to welcome her into the family," demanded Hou Jang.
Hou Yi turned and shut the door, and then escorted her to an empty couch. Once they had both sat down on the couch, they glanced at the people assembled before them. Hou Yi, took Anna's hand in his before lifting it to his lips and giving it a brief kiss, before dropping it back down but keeping hold of it as a means for comfort.
"Well Hou Yi, we are waiting. You better explain yourself," Hou Jang demanded again.
Looking at each of the others in the room, Hou Yi, again raised Anna's hand to his lips, kisses it and lowers it. Anna, using her thumb, commences stroking his hand. Hou Yi then starts to speak "Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Aunt. There is a simple explanation for what you have seen. I simply was carrying my bride over the threshold of the family home."
Before he could say anything else, there were five different voices, all saying "Bride. When did you get married? Why were we not there?", in different tones, some joyful, some in surprise, and one completely stunned at what was said.
Hou Yi paused for a few seconds, to let the news settle in to everyone. "Grandfather, Father, you demanded that I present my bride to you by tonight. The punishment for not doing so was that you were willing to hand Hou Enterprises to the Lu Family."
"The other side of the agreement was, if I complied, I would guarantee all of you an ongoing income from the company for life, but neither of you would be involved in it for the rest of your life, unless I asked you. Yang Lin was never a real marriage prospect, but she had agreed if I had not found the woman, I loved, to marry to marry me today to protect the company."
"I met my Anna six months ago, and in that time, I have spent the time talking to her. She was in a relationship at the time we met, and I knew I wanted to marry her. She made the decision to end that relationship a few days ago, and due to what her former partner did today, we seized the opportunity today to marry."
"As to no one from the family being here as Anna's family could not travel from Australia, we decided to keep it simple, and have the issuing of the marriage certificate filmed, and then give everyone a copy."
The other five people in the room, looked at each other, as to determine who would be their spokesperson, to question Hou Yi and Anna about what had happened. With a nod of heads, it appeared that Hou Jang was elected the group's spokesperson.