Fate truly was unfair. They had both injured their heads, yet He Chu San had to wear a full “Indian A’San” bandage wrap while Xia Liu Yi only needed a single bandage strip. When he came to inspect the set the next day, the bandage even had the crookedly written character “Xia” on it. He Chu San thought it looked idiotic, but all the underlings exclaimed in unison, “Boss Liu Yi! Stylish!”
Xia Liu Yi sat cross-legged atop a table, skillfully spearing fish paste siu mai with his left hand. Unable to hold back, he rolled his eyes at He Chu San.
“What are you staring at?!”
He Chu San stared at his rice-dumpling-wrapped right hand and mummy-wrapped arm, swallowed nervously, and dared to ask, “Does it hurt?”
“What do you think?! Want me to chop your hand off so you can test it yourself?! What kind of bullshit question is that?!”
“How’s your sister?”
Xia Liu Yi paused mid-motion, his expression cooling.
“‘Sister-in-law,’ how is she?” He Chu San immediately corrected himself.
Xia Liu Yi speared another siu mai but still did not answer.
He Chu San swallowed again and cautiously observed his expression. Judging that although Xia Liu Yi was unhappy, the chance of suddenly exploding and beating him up was fairly low, he boldly continued, “Thank you for yesterday.”
“Kid,” Xia Liu Yi finally spoke, looking extremely impatient.
He Chu San widened his eyes, waiting for the next sentence.
“Don’t flatter yourself. Since you’re working for me, that makes you one of my underlings. Taking care of my brothers is what I’m supposed to do. Once you finish writing this script, we won’t have a damn thing to do with each other anymore. Even if you die on the roadside, I won’t spare you a glance. So shut the hell up right now! Say one more useless sentence and I’ll rip your tongue out!”
“……”
He Chu San’s sincere gratitude had gone straight down the drain.
A villain was still a villain. Saving your life would not magically turn him into a good person—such a simple truth, and only now did He Chu San finally understand it.
So he stopped talking and gloomily lowered his head to continue scribbling dialogue.
The beautiful heroine was tied atop a platform, crying to the hero fighting below in a bloody battle: “Stop fighting! Is this really worth it for me?” The hero coughed blood and declared, “For you, anything is worth it.”
Bullshit. You think he likes you? He just likes fighting! —He Chu San silently cursed for the first time in his life.
Forgive him. As a pure blank sheet of paper, after spending several weeks immersed in this filthy hellhole, he had truly fallen somewhat from grace.
……
After Xia Xiao Man’s outburst on set that day, she rested at home for a week without returning. She sounded alright over the phone, but Xia Liu Yi still worried. So one day he carved out half a day of free time, left the Gaau Lung Walled City, and specially went to visit her at Boss Azure Dragon’s seaside villa.
Xia Xiao Man had not expected him to come. She wore no makeup and drifted about in a transparent nightgown with a gloomy air, looking as though the sea breeze could blow her away at any moment.
“Where’s Eldest?” Xia Liu Yi asked.
“He went out,” Xia Xiao Man said softly, leaning against her younger brother’s back with vacant eyes. “He never comes home.”
“Eldest is busy.” Xia Liu Yi patted her arm.
“And you? You’re busy too. You never come see me either.”
Xia Liu Yi patted her again. “Didn’t I come now? Whenever you want to see me, just call me. I’ll come immediately.”
Using the excuse of going to the bathroom, he slipped outside and quietly stopped the butler.
“Has Madam been taking her medicine lately?”
“She has, Boss Liu Yi.”
“She really took it? She didn’t throw it away?”
“No. Madam has been very obedient about taking medicine recently.”
When he returned, Xia Xiao Man was ghostlike, leaning over the windowsill with arms spread and toes lifted like a frail white swan.
“You went to ask them about my medicine?” she said. “I’ve really been taking it properly.”
Xia Liu Yi hugged her.
“I really have been taking it obediently.” Xia Xiao Man leaned against him, tilting her head up while playing with his eyelashes. “I’m actually fine. I’m just upset. Upset that you all keep forcing medicine on me. Upset that all of you think I’m crazy. Upset that you never come. Upset that he…”
Her expression suddenly changed drastically as she burst into loud sobs.
“Wuuu… A’Liu! Tell me honestly! Does he have someone outside?! Wuuu… What’s wrong with me? What did I do wrong? Why does he like someone else…”
Xia Liu Yi gently patted her back. “There’s no one else outside. He really is just busy.”
“You’re lying to me.” Xia Xiao Man choked harder on her tears. “I don’t blame you. I know you don’t want me to be sad, so you’re helping him lie to me… If there’s nobody outside, then why doesn’t he love me…”
“You know what, A’Liu?” She suddenly lifted her head, her face full of mystery, her gaze hollow and dazed as she tightly gripped Xia Liu Yi’s arm. “He hardly ever hugs me. And when he does, I watch him carefully. He’s thinking about someone else! The look on his face is definitely him thinking about someone else! He has to think about another person just to hold me! Tell me who that bitch is! That fox spirit! What does she have that’s better than me?! What exactly did I do wrong…”
“Sis…” Xia Liu Yi stopped her spiral, pressing her face into his chest. He sighed as he stroked her hair. “Sis, you’re really overthinking things. You’re tired. Sleep for a while. I’ll stay here with you. I won’t go anywhere until Eldest comes back, alright?”
……
Late that night, Xia Xiao Man curled tightly beneath her blanket and finally fell asleep. Xia Liu Yi quietly slipped out of the room, gently closed the door behind him, and went downstairs to smoke in the living room.
The roar of a car engine sounded outside. Soon after, Azure Dragon entered accompanied by several bodyguards.
Seeing Xia Liu Yi there, surprise flickered briefly through Azure Dragon’s eyes. Calmly, he waved a hand and the bodyguards dispersed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I heard you got injured?”
Xia Liu Yi looked up at him, scratching his hair with his bandaged hand, but said nothing.
Azure Dragon did not mind. Calmly, he removed his suit jacket and draped it over Xia Liu Yi’s shoulders.
“It’s late. Don’t go back tonight. Sleep in the guest room.”
Wrapped in the jacket still warm with Azure Dragon’s body heat, Xia Liu Yi silently took two more drags from his cigarette before asking:
“Eldest… can you treat her a little better?”
Azure Dragon paused slightly. “I’ve done my best.”
“You haven’t,” Xia Liu Yi said irritably, slamming the cigarette butt onto the coffee table with a smack. “Look at what she’s become now!”
Two bodyguards rushed in instantly from the doorway, staring warily at Xia Liu Yi.
Azure Dragon calmly waved them away again.
Sitting down beside Xia Liu Yi, he said, “I’ve already given her the best life possible. Whatever she wants, I give her. Everything a woman could need—she already has it.”
“That’s not what a woman needs! You know that perfectly well! Can’t you sincerely—”
“I can’t,” Azure Dragon said.
“You…” Xia Liu Yi suddenly clenched his fist tightly.
Azure Dragon merely looked at him in silence.
Xia Liu Yi’s heart filled with bitterness and shame. Unable to meet his eyes, he lowered his head and took a harsh drag of smoke.
“…Can you at least spend more time with her?”
Azure Dragon stood up. “It’s too late. Go sleep. A’Hao, prepare the guest room.”
Xia Liu Yi hurried after him and grabbed his arm.
“I’m only asking for this one thing! Spend more time with her! Can you do that?!”
Azure Dragon stopped walking expressionlessly. After a long while, he sighed. His expression softened back into its usual calm gentleness as he turned and rubbed Xia Liu Yi’s hair.
“As long as it’s something Eldest can do, when have I ever refused you? I’ll spend more time with her. Alright now, go sleep.”
Then he gently pried Xia Liu Yi’s hand away.
……
He Chu San sat neatly at the table, gripping his pen while writing diligently. Right beside his notebook was Xia Liu Yi’s backside tightly wrapped in denim jeans. If he lifted his eyes, he could also see Xia Liu Yi’s lean and powerful waist.
Xia Liu Yi did not notice He Chu San’s wandering gaze. He was watching Xia Xiao Man with a smile at the corners of his lips, listening to her chatter.
Xia Xiao Man had returned to filming. Today’s scene involved a romantic rooftop date beneath the stars with the male lead, so she was dressed beautifully like a flower. Her smile was flowerlike too as she clung softly to Xia Liu Yi.
“He took me to Repulse Bay for Western food yesterday.”
“Was it fun?”
“Yes.”
“What did you eat?”
“Steak.”
Listening to this utterly meaningless conversation, He Chu San found the siblings far too intimate. What normal brother and sister hugged and clung to each other like this? If anything, Xia Liu Yi looked more like an older brother spoiling his little sister.
He lowered his head and wrote several more lines. Yet before long, his thoughts wandered again and his gaze drifted toward the side of his notebook—
Toward Xia Liu Yi’s butt.
So small. So firm. So round… I really want to lift it up and beat it twice!
He Chu San was horrified by this sudden violent thought of his own and hurriedly shook his head before continuing to write furiously.
……
Half a month later, the movie finally wrapped, and He Chu San regained his freedom. Several thugs packaged him up and dumped him back near the alley by his home. Before leaving, one thug viciously called after him and handed him a thick paper envelope.
“Boss Liu Yi gave you your writing fee.”
Panting heavily, He Chu San ran home and spread the contents across his bed. Counting beneath weak candlelight, he discovered a full twenty thousand dollars!
Enough for an entire year of living expenses for both him and his father!
He Chu San could hardly believe it. Stuffing the money back into the envelope, he hugged his schoolbag and rolled around twice on the bed.
Then suddenly stopped.
This money came from the mafia. Selling white powder, running gambling dens, opening nightclubs, murder, arson… He had worked for gangsters and accepted so much money. Was he really any different from the workers in the powder stalls on Bright Street within the Walled City?
His father had raised him telling him never to get entangled with organized crime. And his mother… according to his father, had died because of gangsters.
The wildly beating heart in He Chu San’s chest suddenly turned cold.
Curled up on the bed, he stared blankly for a while before climbing down and rummaging through old boxes until he found the little iron tin where he used to store childhood certificates and awards. He crumpled the envelope slightly and shoved it inside.
He had missed an entire month of classes and even several quizzes, nearly resulting in repeating the year. Yet when he removed his shirt in the office and revealed the scattered scars across his chest and arms, even the dean could not help sighing, telling him to recover peacefully and catch up on his studies soon.
The dean knew this outstanding student came from the Gaau Lung Walled City. He must have suffered some injustice he could not speak of. But the Gaau Lung Walled City was infamous as a black zone. Calling the police was useless—the corrupt cops outside and the gang bosses inside were all connected already. One police inspector was even sworn brothers with a gang boss.
Besides, He Chu San’s name was hanging boldly across the promotional poster for Xiao Qi Film Company’s new movie:
Screenwriter He Chu San!
Fortunately his dentist father preferred Cantonese opera and newspapers over these modern entertainments. Otherwise he probably would have died of rage on the spot.
He Chu San returned to his ordinary little life. Every day he carried his little schoolbag to school and self-study sessions, then hurried home through dark alleys by evening.
The only difference was that three nights a week plus weekends, he worked at Uncle Hua’s ice café next street over to earn tuition money while also learning tai chi from him.
Uncle Hua had fled from the Mainland during the 1960s and claimed to be a fourth-generation inheritor of Yang-style tai chi. He Chu San’s body was weak by nature and even worse after years of poor health. After studying for one or two months, he still could not smoothly complete even half a form. Yet practicing horse stance for an hour every morning and slowly stretching arms and legs truly did strengthen his body and calm his mind.
While He Chu San’s life remained peaceful, Xia Liu Yi’s side was flourishing spectacularly.
After sweeping through several Sha Family Gang establishments previously, he opened a luxurious nightclub in Mong Kok. Every night the place overflowed with singing, dancing, and every type of snake and rat gathering together. Once firmly established, he obtained Azure Dragon’s approval and began planning several large discos to serve as retail points for their own white powder, determined to make the already filthy entertainment industry even filthier.
……
One day, Xia Liu Yi hosted several police inspectors for dinner in a private room at his nightclub. The room overflowed with pretty women and endless toasts. Just as the celebration reached its height, Xiao Ma came rolling in hurriedly.
After apologizing to the inspectors with a gesture, Xia Liu Yi followed Xiao Ma into the hallway.
“Boss Liu Yi, Boss Xu brought people.”
Expressionlessly, Xia Liu Yi crushed out his cigarette. Before he could respond, loud commotion erupted from the far end of the corridor. A large group stormed over, with several of Xia Liu Yi’s security men blocking the way up front. After only a few exchanged words, one security guard suddenly flew backward and crashed at Xia Liu Yi’s feet.
“Boss Xu,” Xia Liu Yi said to the suited man who had kicked him.
The man possessed sharp hawk-like eyes. At first glance he looked refined and dignified, yet his entire body radiated a sinister wolf-like aura.
“Xiao Liu, this is your fault,” Xu Ying said while pulling out a cigarette. A subordinate immediately lit it for him. “Inviting Inspector Hua to dinner without inviting me too?”
Xia Liu Yi pushed aside the subordinate’s hand and personally lit Xu Ying’s cigarette instead, his apologetic attitude extremely proper.
“Boss Xu, I figured you were too busy. Besides, Inspector Hua only came to visit our nightclub and happened to stay for a simple meal.”
Xu Ying smiled. “A simple meal.”
Pushing past Xia Liu Yi, he entered the room laughing loudly.
“Long time no see, Inspector Hua! Oh, Inspector Liu is here too! And this must be… ah! Newly promoted Inspector Xu! Hahaha! Pleasure to meet you!”
The inspectors inside were all longtime acquaintances of his, so none showed displeasure at his sudden intrusion. After several polite toasts, Xu Ying said:
“Inspector Hua seems in good spirits! Why haven’t you visited my place recently?”
Inspector Hua, himself an old fox, bit down on the cigar Xu Ying handed him and tilted his head for the light before laughing.
“Xu Ying, now you’re talking like a stranger. It’s all Boss Azure Dragon’s territory anyway. Wherever I sit is the same, isn’t it?”
Xu Ying burst into laughter. “Well said, Inspector Hua! It’s all our Xiao Qi Hall territory. Sit wherever you like! Come, Inspector Hua, let me toast you! Hahaha!”
As the men inside drank and laughed together, Xia Liu Yi remained outside calmly finishing a cigarette. Then he called Xiao Ma over.
“How did Xu Ying know I invited Inspector Hua? How many people did you inform when delivering invitations?”
“Uh…” Xiao Ma hesitated. “Could it have been the brothers present today? Everyone saw Inspector Hua come in.”
“No. Xu Ying arrived too fast. He definitely prepared in advance. One of the people from yesterday was Xu Ying’s spy. Go investigate.”
“Yes.”
After warmly socializing with the inspectors, Xu Ying successfully transformed Xia Liu Yi’s dinner invitation into Deputy Hall Master Xu’s junior, Xia Xiao Liu, hosting the gathering under orders—firmly reinforcing Xu Ying’s status as second-in-command within Xiao Qi Hall. After asserting his authority, he claimed to have business elsewhere, toasted everyone once each, and swaggered away.
Xia Liu Yi calmly saw him off before casually returning inside to fill the empty seat.
“Inspectors, tonight we should not only drink happily, but play happily too! I’ve reserved rooms at Sandalwood Pavilion for everyone. Shall we go enjoy ourselves after dinner?”
……
Sandalwood Pavilion was a luxury business club owned by Xiao Qi Hall in Kowloon Tong, closed to the general public and accessible only to members. Membership gold cards were personally issued by chief steward Cui Dong Dong. Most members entered by card, though a select few entered simply by showing their face.
Xia Liu Yi did not even need to show his face. Cui Dong Dong had already arranged for people to greet him at the entrance. A crowd escorted the inspectors inside while the madam approached flirtatiously. More than a dozen famous hostesses lined up seductively for selection.
After respectfully escorting the inspectors into private rooms, Xia Liu Yi turned to Cui Dong Dong.
“Xu Ying stepped into my territory today.”
Cui Dong Dong let out an “Oh?” while taking the cigarette Xia Liu Yi handed over. Both tilted their heads to light up as they walked shoulder to shoulder toward the office.
A subordinate opened the door for them before closing it behind them from outside. The two sat facing one another on opposite sofas, smoking across the coffee table.
“I suspect there are Xu Ying’s people among my men,” Xia Liu Yi said. “You’re close to me too, so be careful of him. I can’t tolerate him anymore. I want to find an opportunity to openly turn against him.”
Cui Dong Dong was in their twenties, wearing sunglasses and sporting a slicked-back hairstyle like Xiao Ma’s. At first glance they looked like another capable gang boss, though their lips were unusually red, creating a faint sense of discordance.
Exhaling smoke, Cui Dong Dong removed the sunglasses, revealing sharp yet slightly delicate features. Then they leaned back against the sofa with hands behind their head, shirt hanging slightly open to expose the chest binding wrapped across their torso—
Turns out Cui Dong Dong was a woman.
“What’s Azure Dragon’s attitude?” she asked, her naturally husky low voice impossible to distinguish as male or female.
Xia Liu Yi exhaled smoke. “Eldest wants to suppress him too. Otherwise he wouldn’t have put me in charge of the nightclub.”
“Not necessarily,” Cui Dong Dong replied. “Azure Dragon gives you everything. Maybe he’s just spoiling you.”
Xia Liu Yi suddenly lifted his head to stare at her, coldness radiating from his eyes. Cui Dong Dong innocently shrugged.
“Just joking.”
“You need to be cautious about this,” Cui Dong Dong continued. “Xu Ying grew up with Azure Dragon. He’s followed him for twenty years and made huge contributions when Azure Dragon rose to power. He also carries considerable prestige within the gang. Until Azure Dragon clearly states his stance, Xu Ying is still the Deputy Hall Master. You cannot openly oppose him.”
“If I turn against Xu Ying, whose side would Big Mouth Cheng take?” Xia Liu Yi asked.
Big Mouth Cheng—real name Cheng Si Quan—was the current Straw Sandal of Xiao Qi Hall. Among the younger generation, although his ability, status, and fame all fell slightly behind Xia Liu Yi and Cui Dong Dong, he still controlled a significant faction.
“Big Mouth Cheng?” Cui Dong Dong shrugged again. “No news from him for days. Who knows where he died—maybe he’s actually dead.”
Xia Liu Yi smoked silently.
“Enough,” Cui Dong Dong said. “I’ll find Big Mouth Cheng and feel out his attitude for you. Don’t rush things. As long as Azure Dragon’s around, Xu Ying won’t dare touch you no matter what.”
“I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried he’ll grow too powerful and eventually move against Eldest.”
“He wouldn’t dare!” Cui Dong Dong said.
Xia Liu Yi shook his head. “Xu Ying is too selfish. We have to guard against him.”
“By the way, how’s Xiao Man lately?”
Xia Liu Yi glanced at her. “She’s alright. More stable than before.”
“One of my people brought calming incense back from Thailand. Help me take it to her.”
Xia Liu Yi merely nodded once.
“Xiao He is waiting for you. Going?”
“Yeah.”
……
Xiao He stood quietly at the entrance to the private room. When she saw Xia Liu Yi approaching with several subordinates, she lowered her head slightly in greeting. Xia Liu Yi waved the others away and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they entered the room together.
Xia Liu Yi was her regular customer—or rather, Xia Liu Yi only ever entered her room. Usually he came once or twice a month, not especially frequently, but never missing a month. Cui Dong Dong had once encouraged Xia Liu Yi to simply keep her exclusively, but Xia Liu Yi said he had made too many enemies and keeping her would only bring her harm.
They bathed separately one after another, changed clothes, and Xiao He switched on the record player beside the bed.
Then they climbed onto the bed.
—And lay side by side listening to music.
Yes. Her task was merely to lie there beside Xia Liu Yi for two hours while listening to music with him. From Audrey Hepburn’s Moon River to Dan Fogelberg’s Longer. Neither of them understood a single lyric, but that did not matter. As long as the melody sounded nice, it was enough.
She had come from the Gaau Lung Walled City herself. Back when several thugs had beaten her nearly to death, Xia Liu Yi had saved her. She was loyal to him, sensible and quiet, possessing absolutely no curiosity. She never once asked why Xia Liu Yi never touched her—whether it was because of some hidden dysfunction or because he simply had no interest in women.
Month after month, they lay together in this room, each taking what they needed. Xia Liu Yi needed her as a cover. She needed Xia Liu Yi as protection. Because of Xia Liu Yi’s relationship with her, Cui Dong Dong treated her especially well and even gave her double earnings every month.
Even so, she never told Cui Dong Dong the truth.
She never told anyone.
She intended to carry this secret into the grave.
The gentle, lingering female voice flowing from the record player slowly washed away all the exhaustion from Xia Liu Yi’s body. Stretching out his long legs and placing both arms behind his head, he let out a long breath and gradually fell asleep.
Several kilometers away, on the other side of the city within the Gaau Lung Walled City, He Chu San was also sleeping peacefully in his clothes.
He had just received last month’s wages today. At this rate, before next semester began, he should be able to save up at least half the tuition fees. As for the rest, he could only ask his father for help and borrow some more from the neighbors.
His father would not blame him.
He would use this money to study hard. He firmly believed he had chosen the best major. Once he graduated, he would earn a great deal of money and repay his father properly.
His dreams were completely different from Xia Liu Yi’s.
No open struggles or hidden battles.
No love and hatred.
No dark past or chaotic present.
No feelings that could not be spoken aloud, nor unavoidable calamities.
What he dreamed of was simply a beautiful future—
A future that was peaceful, tranquil, and clean.
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment