He Chu San took the earliest flight the following morning and arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. After leaving the airport, he rented a car and hired a driver who could also serve as his guide, then traveled west into Nakhon Pathom Province.
Author’s Notes: Thailand is divided into seventy-six provinces, with districts, subdistricts, and villages beneath them. Nakhon Pathom is one such province and borders Bangkok to the east.
The car passed noisy markets and incense-wreathed pagodas, crossed a landscape of green rivers and fields, and drove beside endless pomelo orchards without pausing. Like an arrow propelled by unbearable urgency, it sped through the calm and peaceful ancient Buddhist kingdom. Elderly farmers trimming trees beside the road paused their work and turned their weathered, darkened faces to watch quietly as the car disappeared into the distance.
The vehicle entered the provincial capital. The driver stopped to ask for directions before continuing toward the outskirts, finally arriving before a Chinese Guanyin temple.
The temple was small, consisting of only several single-story buildings. Its front courtyard was open, neat, and plain. A young novice monk waited at the entrance holding a broom. He exchanged a Buddhist greeting with He Chu San before guiding him through the temple hall and into the monks’ quarters in the rear courtyard.
A’Nan and A’Mao were playing cards in the courtyard with a bespectacled middle-aged man. When He Chu San entered, they all rose, greeting him while quickly clearing a path toward a small room at the rear of the courtyard. He Chu San did not slow down. He nodded hastily in acknowledgment and went directly toward the room.
When he opened the door, he saw Xia Liu Yi reclining against the wall on a narrow bed, his head tilted slightly as he slept.
He Chu San’s hurried footsteps stopped. He reached back and gently closed the door, then approached the bed without making a sound.
Holding his breath, he quietly examined Xia Liu Yi. Xia Liu Yi was naked from the waist up, with bandages wrapped from his chest to his abdomen. Numerous scratches left by plants, earth, and stones remained across his shoulders and arms. He had lost so much weight that his cheeks had hollowed. His lips were dry, and an unnatural flush covered his haggard face. He had apparently shaved hastily the previous night, leaving a small cut upon his chin. He looked like a poplar tree that had just survived a violent sandstorm—still upright, but covered in wounds.
He Chu San stood beside the bed as motionless as wood, looking at Xia Liu Yi for a long time without daring to touch him for fear of waking him. Yet inside his heart, a river of molten lava seemed to flow painfully through every vein in his body.
Eventually, he regained awareness and looked around the room.
The cramped room was poorly ventilated, with only one small, tightly closed window. The brick walls were covered in plain whitewash. Apart from a single iron-framed bed, the room contained almost nothing except several stools. A kettle and a cup rested upon one of them. Beside the head of the bed stood a rusty metal pole supporting two bags of intravenous fluid, which flowed through a tube into the back of Xia Liu Yi’s hand.
He’s staying in such a miserable place. He’s badly injured, and he seems to have a fever. He Chu San bent down cautiously and lightly touched his lips to Xia Liu Yi’s forehead. Sure enough, it was warm, explaining the unnatural redness of his face.
This ignorant, greedy, suicidal gangster. Is living a safe, respectable life truly so difficult for him? What could possibly be worth risking his life? Did he never consider what would happen to me if something happened to him?
His eyes grew wet and painful. A tear fell upon Xia Liu Yi’s forehead and awakened him. Xia Liu Yi suddenly opened his eyes and looked tensely toward the doorway. Then he turned and saw He Chu San. An involuntary smile immediately appeared across his haggard face.
“You came,” he said with a hoarse laugh. The smile became wry. He helplessly raised one hand and wiped the corner of He Chu San’s eye. “Why are you crying again? Look at you. You’re such a crybaby.”
He Chu San stared at him without saying a word while tears poured continuously from his eyes. His crying made every hair on Xia Liu Yi’s body stand on end. Cupping He Chu San’s wet face, Xia Liu Yi coaxed him awkwardly. “Hey, are you going to keep crying forever? Fortunately, your Brother Liu Yi has become much more good-tempered. In the past, I would have given you a beating and made you swallow those tears.”
My temper has grown much worse, He Chu San thought. I really want to beat you mercilessly, imprison you, and lock you inside an impossibly tall tower. There would be no long hair and no prince arriving on horseback to save you—only me, the old sorcerer who beats you three times every day.
The more he thought, the more resentment entered his heart, and his gaze toward Xia Liu Yi became vicious. Xia Liu Yi was unsettled by the sight of him looking both tearful and savagely violent. He suspected that He Chu San had been overstimulated and was on the verge of losing his mind. Xia Liu Yi wanted to pull him into his arms and soothe him, but his chest was injured. He could neither embrace him nor leave him alone, so he could only stroke his face and watch him cry.
After crying for a while, He Chu San stopped on his own. He wiped his face and asked nasally, “Are you thirsty? Have you eaten lunch?”
The change of subject was so abrupt that Xia Liu Yi failed to react and answered instinctively, “Thirsty. No…”
He Chu San stood, poured him a cup of water, and held it to his lips for several mouthfuls. Then he turned and left to find A’Nan and A’Mao and arrange food for the Boss.
…
When Xia Liu Yi rolled down the steep slope, he struck a large rock and lost consciousness. The sudden torrential rain obstructed the police search and allowed him to escape. After that rainy night, he and Qin Hao hid deep within the mountains. To avoid capture, they sheltered in caves, crossed rivers and fields, and struggled onward in wretched condition for nearly two days before finally reaching the Chinese temple. Azure Dragon had donated money to build it more than ten years earlier, leaving it as a temporary refuge in Thailand. The abbot was also well acquainted with Xia Liu Yi. He quickly took in Xia Liu Yi and Qin Hao after they collapsed outside the temple, then followed Xia Liu Yi’s instructions and called Cui Dong Dong. A’Nan, A’Mao, and the private doctor who had remained on standby in Bangkok were summoned there.
They could not use a proper hospital without risking discovery by the police. The private doctor brought medicine from Hong Kong and purchased more through the black market, turning the small temple into an underground clinic. Bullets had severely grazed Qin Hao’s leg and shoulder, and he still slept through most days. Xia Liu Yi had fractured his ribs and developed pneumonia from an infection. During the first several days, he too remained almost constantly unconscious. Even after his condition improved, breathing caused unbearable stabbing pain, his voice remained hoarse and weak, and he could walk only a few steps. Anyone hearing him speak would immediately know that something was wrong, so how could he dare call He Chu San? He could only ask Cui Dong Dong to conceal everything, intending to delay for several days until he improved enough to contact He Chu San. Who could have expected He Chu San to storm the executive office? Cui Dong Dong called and painstakingly advised the Boss: there was no fooling him, so he might as well confess. That troublesome man of his was about to set the whole operation on fire.
Xia Liu Yi knew that he could not conceal the truth. Even if he somehow deceived He Chu San now, the Boss’s wife would interrogate him rigorously once he returned to Hong Kong. More importantly, the situation could no longer be dismissed. He Chu San had become desperate enough to threaten to end their relationship. With no alternative, Xia Liu Yi revealed his current location.
He had expected He Chu San to create an enormous scene or, at the very least, interrogate him. Yet after crying when they first met, He Chu San neither questioned nor threw another tantrum at the Boss. He simply assumed his position as the Boss’s wife and calmly began directing the bodyguards and doctor while arranging every aspect of Xia Liu Yi’s food, clothing, accommodation, and medical care.
He dismissed the driver hired at the airport and drove the rental car himself. Taking the novice monk as his guide and interpreter, he visited a nearby market and returned with a car filled with vegetables, fruit, eggs, and meat. He built an outdoor stove beyond the temple walls and personally cooked nutritious porridge for the two patients, stewed meat for the bodyguards and doctor, and prepared tea snacks for the monks. After learning Thai from the novice monk for several days, he could even drive into the city alone and return with changes of clothing, towels, washbasins, a small folding table, and a compact wardrobe.
He Chu San carried the wardrobe into the corner and neatly folded the newly purchased clothes inside. He positioned the small table beside Xia Liu Yi’s bed, placed a clean white porcelain vase upon it, arranged several fresh flowers, and attached handmade red paper decorations to the polished window. Once he set the steaming meal upon the table, he had somehow begun living a cozy domestic life with the Boss in a foreign country.
At noon that day, Xia Liu Yi sat crookedly on the edge of the bed with an intravenous line attached, eating from the small table while watching He Chu San bustle continuously around him. First, He Chu San answered a call and instructed employees at his own company regarding a recent futures transaction. Then Xia Liu Yi heard him outside discussing the approaching Lunar New Year’s Eve with the abbot. The temple would conduct ceremonies during the day, while He Chu San would prepare a large vegetarian feast that evening. Xia Liu Yi chewed the same mouthful of rice for a long time as an extremely complicated emotion rose within him. He could not tell whether it was sentiment, gratitude, guilt, or bewilderment.
He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and touched the photograph taken from Golden Maitreya, thinking of the unfamiliar yet faintly recognizable third man. Xia Liu Yi knew that the man had participated in the death of Azure Dragon’s father and might very well have participated in Azure Dragon’s death as well. Xia Liu Yi needed to return to Hong Kong and investigate the truth. His path of vengeance had not ended. There would still be killing, bloodshed, and transactions that could never see daylight. The “legitimate life” He Chu San longed for might remain impossibly distant. Xia Liu Yi would still have to conceal matters from him and might even… see He Chu San silently crying again.
He Chu San smiled and sat across from him. “What are you thinking about? Why are you daydreaming while eating?”
Xia Liu Yi coughed to conceal his thoughts and hurriedly swallowed the rice he had been chewing for so long.
“Are you a child? You even let rice fall out of your mouth.” He Chu San’s eyes sparkled with amusement. He reached over, removed a grain of rice from Xia Liu Yi’s chin, lifted the finger to his own lips, and licked it away while watching him.
Xia Liu Yi’s face turned bright red. He slapped down his bowl, wanting to curse He Chu San for being disgustingly sentimental but unable to force the words from his mouth. He resentfully picked up the bowl again and buried his head in his meal. He Chu San now occupied the softest place in his heart, and Xia Liu Yi could not bear to harm even a single hair upon him.
…
The day before Lunar New Year’s Eve, He Chu San caught a flight back to Hong Kong. He offered Father He and Mother Wu his New Year greetings in advance, falsely claiming that he would leave on an overseas business trip the following day. He entrusted Xin Xin with accompanying their parents on New Year’s Eve and visiting relatives and friends. Father He now had a wife and daughter and could enjoy a peaceful old age, allowing He Chu San to feel less guilty about his absence. He sincerely appreciated and cared for Mother Wu and Xin Xin, accompanying them shopping for an entire afternoon and even trying to buy each of them an expensive mink coat. Xin Xin shrieked with delight, but Mother Wu was so frightened that she repeatedly waved her hands. Despite Xin Xin’s disappointed sighs, Mother Wu forced He Chu San to return the coats and preferred that he purchase ordinary New Year goods and health supplements instead.
That evening, He Chu San ate at his parents’ home, secretly gave Xin Xin a large red envelope, then carried a bag of New Year goods to Cui Dong Dong’s house to offer greetings and apologize humbly. He had infuriated Cui Dong Dong so thoroughly that she sent Xiao Luo to block him at the door and refused to see him. She relayed only one message: “You lousy homo—once you’ve got a man, you forget everyone else.”
Defeated, He Chu San walked miserably toward the lift, only for Xiao Luo to call him back. Xiao Luo handed him a large box of handmade cupcakes. “Sister Dong asked me to make these. She said to take them to the Boss and the others as a New Year gift. Oh, and she said everyone else can eat them, but you’re not allowed even one bite.”
“Brother Liu Yi was right. You cannot offend women,” He Chu San reflected the next morning aboard his flight to Thailand. As he thought, he opened the box and secretly ate three cupcakes in one sitting before carefully rearranging the remainder so that no flaw could be detected.
That evening, the cupcakes were pushed into a corner of the large round table by the abundance of dishes. The table stood in the rear courtyard. Several monks sat along one side, while a group of underworld figures who had taken over the temple occupied the other. With bandages still wrapped across his upper body, the bare-chested Boss sat before the table with the bespectacled private doctor and the bodyguards. They raised winecups, shouted through finger-guessing drinking games, poured alcohol into Qin Hao’s cup now that he could finally leave his bed, and transformed a perfectly respectable vegetarian New Year’s Eve dinner into deafening chaos.
He Chu San sat between the abbot and the young novice. From time to time, he poured tea and served food to the monks while expressing both gratitude and apologies. Occasionally, he also had to rescue the novice by emptying the alcohol that the gangsters laughingly poured into his bowl and tried to force him to taste. Throughout the past several days, the abbot had been unable to determine He Chu San’s exact role. He resembled the Boss’s personal caretaker, another Boss in his own right, and perhaps even the Boss’s boss. Although clearly different from the others, he blended among them without the slightest friction. The abbot felt both curious and impressed but refrained from asking intrusive questions.
After several rounds of wine and numerous dishes, He Chu San put down his chopsticks and nodded apologetically to the abbot. He crossed to the opposite side of the table and first rescued the wounded Qin Hao from the drunken men who had nearly overwhelmed him, supporting him back to his room. Then he returned, forcibly pulled the tipsy Boss away from the table, and cast a mild glance at A’Nan and A’Mao when they attempted to follow and offer more wine. Both men shrank their necks in fright and obediently sat down again.
“Little bastard, I hadn’t finished the drinking game,” Xia Liu Yi grumbled under his breath while He Chu San dragged him toward the room. “I’m the Boss. Show me some respect.”
“I’ve already shown you plenty,” He Chu San replied. “Drink any more, and I’ll carry you back in front of everyone.”
Xia Liu Yi retaliated by pinching his backside. He Chu San glanced toward the table and, seeing that no one was watching, suddenly bent, hoisted the Boss over his shoulder, slapped his backside, and carried him into the room despite his silent struggles before tossing him onto the bed.
Xia Liu Yi’s face turned crimson. He sprang up and prepared to fight him. He Chu San opened the wardrobe, threw him a coat, and smiled until his eyes curved. “Put it on, Boss. I’m taking you outside to set off fireworks.”
He helped Xia Liu Yi dress, tucked two bottles of unknown local drinks under his arm, and secretly led him around the people in the rear courtyard. They reached the car outside the temple, and He Chu San drove confidently toward a nearby mountain road.
Xia Liu Yi slouched lazily in the front passenger seat, holding a cardboard box filled with fireworks and drinks while looking outside. He Chu San glanced toward him while driving and found the scene strangely familiar. Around the same time the previous year, had Xia Liu Yi not driven him out late at night to set off fireworks? Their positions had now completely reversed, and the thought amused him.
“What are you laughing at?” Xia Liu Yi understood the sound of his breathing without even turning around.
“This is the third Lunar New Year’s Eve we’ve spent together,” He Chu San said with a smile.
Xia Liu Yi gave an indifferent grunt and continued looking outside, although the tips of his ears reddened slightly. He Chu San loved the way he pretended indifference despite being deeply moved and repeatedly glanced toward him with a smile. Unable to tolerate it any longer, Xia Liu Yi finally turned and pressed his face toward the road ahead. “Watch where you’re driving!”
…
He Chu San had already investigated the route and scouted the location. After following the winding mountain road, he parked in an open area halfway up the slope. They had to continue on foot. Carrying the box ahead, he repeatedly warned the slowly trailing Xia Liu Yi.
“Brother Liu Yi, there’s a hole here.”
“Watch your step. There’s a stone.”
“There’s a root here…”
“Shut up,” Xia Liu Yi said. “Your Brother Liu Yi isn’t lame or blind.”
The mountain was not high. After following He Chu San for ten or fifteen minutes, Xia Liu Yi reached a gently sloping viewpoint. He Chu San carefully selected a flat, dry spot, removed a waterproof canvas blanket from the box, spread it across the ground, lit a mosquito coil, and respectfully invited the Boss to sit.
“Didn’t you say we were setting off fireworks?” Xia Liu Yi asked in confusion as he sat cross-legged. The narrow terrain and dense trees hardly made this an ideal location for arson.
He Chu San removed a small oil-paper package from the box and opened it carefully, revealing a handful of delicate handheld sparklers.
“…” Xia Liu Yi stared at him.
He wanted to pin He Chu San to the ground and beat his backside. Could this man stop arranging such girlish activities?
“Large fireworks would attract too much attention. What if they bring the police? Besides, this place isn’t suitable. What if we start a fire?” He Chu San explained, reading the thoughts from Xia Liu Yi’s distorted expression.
Xia Liu Yi covered his face in exasperation and refused to look at him. Then he heard He Chu San strike a match and the sparkling hiss of the firework igniting.
“Brother Liu Yi, look! It’s beautiful!” He Chu San called excitedly.
Xia Liu Yi peeked through his fingers. Purple-red sparks bloomed brilliantly, illuminating He Chu San’s dazzling smile and beautiful features. Xia Liu Yi swallowed instinctively, then turned his face away and fought his racing heart.
“You should hold one too.” He Chu San took his hand and pushed a sparkler between his fingers. “Hold it. I’ll light it for you.”
“Are you finished bothering me?” Xia Liu Yi complained. Holding the sparkler, he turned back toward him. “This is something for children.” Even while complaining, his gaze became fixed upon the colorful sparks blossoming between his fingers. He stared without blinking and unconsciously waved it from side to side.
As a child, he had watched other people play with such things from a distance, filled with envy and curiosity. Now that he finally held one himself, his reason insisted that it was nothing special, but his eyes could not move away. When he noticed He Chu San watching him with a smile, embarrassment turned to irritation. He pinched He Chu San’s cheek. “What are you smiling at? This one went out. Light another.”
The two oversized children sat cross-legged facing each other beneath the moonlit trees, happily lighting one sparkler after another. He Chu San said that they should make wishes upon the sparks. He closed his eyes and made one himself, then forced Xia Liu Yi to make one too. Xia Liu Yi accused him of having the heart of a schoolgirl and being filled with girlish sentiment. He Chu San countered that Xia Liu Yi had never dated anyone and understood nothing about romance. The embarrassed Boss became furious, pushed him onto the canvas blanket, and bit him several times. He Chu San laughed and struggled as his lips began to hurt, then took advantage when Xia Liu Yi relaxed and lunged up to bite his ear. Like two playful animals, they wrestled and bit at each other until He Chu San accidentally slammed his chin against Xia Liu Yi’s forehead. He clutched his jaw and hissed in pain, while Xia Liu Yi laughed so hard that he could not close his mouth.
It was the first time in days that Xia Liu Yi laughed without restraint, the first time he freely released the emotions buried inside him. As he laughed, a tear abruptly rolled down his cheek. Unaware of it, he continued laughing until he saw He Chu San’s surprised gaze. Only then did he instinctively wipe his face and find his hand wet.
Large tears poured from his eyes and would not stop. He smiled blankly and lowered his head to stare at his palm. The world seemed to fall suddenly silent. The wind, the insects, and He Chu San’s calling voice disappeared.
He Chu San moved closer, held Xia Liu Yi’s face in both hands, and gently kissed his trembling lips. A sob caught in Xia Liu Yi’s throat. The warmth of He Chu San’s lips and tongue gradually awakened his senses, and only after a long time did he speak quietly.
“Xiao Ma died…”
“What?” He Chu San moved his lips away, unable to hear clearly.
“Xiao Ma died,” Xia Liu Yi said through his tears. “A’San, Xiao Ma is gone.”