“I watched him fall with my own eyes. I couldn’t hold on to him… Xiao Ma’s gone…”
The pain in He Chu San’s heart outweighed his shock. His chest ached bitterly as he pulled Xia Liu Yi into his arms. Xia Liu Yi buried his face against his shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably, collapsing completely. His best brother was dead. Xiao Ma—the one who had always trailed behind him, grinning, flattering him, and cracking jokes—was dead. Xia Liu Yi had thought he was strong enough to endure everything in silence. He had thought he had long since grown numb to separation and death. Yet the moment he saw the tears in his own palm, he finally understood his own weakness. He was not the “Blood Asura” who had walked through storms of blood and remained unmoved by everything around him. He was only an ordinary man. He could laugh and cry. He could grieve, and he could be afraid.
Still weeping, he wrapped his arms around He Chu San with all his strength. He Chu San was one of the few sources of warmth left in his life, someone he absolutely could not afford to lose again. He Chu San gently stroked his shoulders and back, pressing soft kisses against his tear-damp hair and temples as he stayed beside him in tender silence.
…
Night had fallen deep by the time He Chu San drove onto the mountain road leading back to the little temple. Xia Liu Yi sat in the passenger seat with reddened eyes, staring blankly ahead without saying a word.
He Chu San did not ask how Xiao Ma had died. Apart from comforting Xia Liu Yi, he said nothing else. He knew that all Xia Liu Yi needed at that moment was his embrace; any further questions would merely carve another fresh scar into a heart already covered in wounds. Yet He Chu San’s own heart felt as though a blade had ripped open a bloody gash. Xiao Ma was dead. Qin Hao had been gravely injured. Xia Liu Yi’s wounds were serious too. And then there was Xiao Yu, whom none of them would mention at all. He could faintly make out the shape of a brutal battle—a battle fierce enough that Xia Liu Yi, who had only just pledged his life to He Chu San, had abandoned him to go there himself; a battle that had unexpectedly claimed Xiao Ma’s life. Why? For money? For fame?
No. Neither made sense. He Chu San knew Xia Liu Yi far too well. Xia Liu Yi was not someone consumed by greed, nor would he willingly pay such a terrible price merely for a deal with a drug lord. He thought of Qin Hao’s face, which resembled Azure Dragon far too closely. He thought of the night Xia Liu Yi received a phone call and suddenly left him, of the combat training Xia Liu Yi had abruptly begun after moving back into the village house, of Xiao Yu openly appearing in Hong Kong despite the sensitivity of her identity, and of her strange, ambiguous reaction when she saw the photographs of Azure Dragon and Xiao Man in Azure Dragon’s villa… One scattered clue after another assembled itself into a broken puzzle. He still could not see the whole picture, but a chilling suspicion had begun to take shape. In truth, he did not even need the clues. His intuition alone would have led him to the same conclusion.
For money? For fame? No. For love. For vengeance. There was only one matter, only one person, capable of making Xia Liu Yi lose control like this, disregard the cost, and throw everything away.
—For Azure Dragon. He Chu San’s eyes began to sting. He turned his head and glanced at Xia Liu Yi, then forcibly suppressed the complicated emotions boiling inside him. Without revealing a thing, he looked back toward the road and concentrated on driving.
…
The mess of cups and plates in the rear courtyard had already been completely cleared away by the diligent monks. Apart from a faint smell of alcohol lingering in the air, not a trace remained. He Chu San brought Xia Liu Yi back to his little room, helped him undress, wiped him down with a warm towel, and changed his medicated dressing and bandages before preparing to return to the room where he was staying. Xia Liu Yi suddenly reached out and caught the back of his shirt at the waist.
“What is it?”
“…”
Xia Liu Yi said nothing. He merely stared at the fingers gripping He Chu San’s shirt.
He Chu San pulled over the stool beside the bed. “I’ll stay here with you. I’ll leave after you fall asleep…”
The word leave vanished when Xia Liu Yi gave him a fierce tug. He Chu San toppled onto Xia Liu Yi and could only climb onto the bed with him, though he continued worrying aloud, “The bed is too small. I might press on your injuries… Mmph.” Xia Liu Yi slapped a hand over his mouth.
He Chu San smiled helplessly against his palm, thinking that Xia Liu Yi resembled a big cat that had become terribly clingy after finally being tamed—but that was something he absolutely did not dare say aloud. He quickly stripped off his shirt and trousers, found a position that would not press against Xia Liu Yi’s wounds, and gathered him into his arms. Their two bodies practically became one as they squeezed together on the narrow, old single iron bed and fell asleep.
…
Xia Liu Yi dreamed of Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma was running through the mountain forest with strong, agile strides and a relaxed expression. He had not fallen. He had escaped. That was good. Then Xia Liu Yi dreamed of Xiao Man. Xiao Man sat among a field of baby’s-breath flowers beneath a sky full of stars, singing as she braided her own hair, as happy and carefree as a child who knew nothing of the ugliness of the world. Then he saw Azure Dragon. Azure Dragon sat alone on the balcony of the villa, silently smoking beneath the moonlight, his profile steady and composed. Xia Liu Yi was still a teenager. He carried a camera over and tried to secretly take a photograph, only to be caught. Azure Dragon held the cigarette between his fingers and turned to look at him, smiling with equal parts indulgence and helplessness.
But Xia Liu Yi could not smile back. He saw the blood staining Azure Dragon’s abdomen. He saw the two Azure Dragon blades buried deeply in his body. Blood seeped from the corner of Azure Dragon’s mouth, staining his smile red. Countless ghostly arms suddenly emerged from the air, tearing at Azure Dragon and dragging him over the edge. Xia Liu Yi screamed and tried to chase after him, but his hoarse throat seemed incapable of producing any sound. He thrashed desperately, yet his body seemed frozen in place, unable to move even an inch. Agonizing pain tore through his chest until he gradually could no longer breathe. Like a piece of deadwood, he collapsed to the ground, wailing soundlessly and struggling feebly…
His eyes flew open!
In the darkness, all he could hear was his own ragged breathing. Only after several gasping breaths did he realize that his face was buried against He Chu San’s chest and that the sweat on his forehead had already dampened He Chu San’s skin.
He lifted his head somewhat awkwardly and discovered that He Chu San was awake as well, watching him in the dimness.
He Chu San reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Nightmare?” he asked softly.
Xia Liu Yi’s breathing had not yet settled. Grief and fear still seemed to cling to him in the cool, damp air. He caught He Chu San’s hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the ring on his finger. Then he leaned closer and kissed the slight crease between He Chu San’s brows. He Chu San laced their fingers together, exerted a little force, and turned over, pressing Xia Liu Yi beneath him as he looked down at him.
He Chu San’s gaze was quiet, with grief hidden beneath it. After watching Xia Liu Yi for a moment, he suddenly lowered his head and gently kissed his lips. Xia Liu Yi returned the kiss with frantic urgency and anxiety. They kissed fiercely while twisting slightly against each other, their bodies rubbing together. Xia Liu Yi quickly became aroused. He reached down, instinctively wanting to press their heated lengths together and stroke them both, only to find a soft, soundly sleeping He Chu Si.
He gave He Chu San a puzzled look. He Chu San’s lips curved slightly in a tired smile. “I’m too tired today… I’ll take care of you.”
He lowered himself beneath the blanket, tugged down Xia Liu Yi’s underwear, and took him into his warm mouth. Xia Liu Yi closed his eyes in pleasure and tipped his head back with a soft sigh before raising an arm to cover his face.
…
Xia Liu Yi improved day by day. In the mornings, he could get up early and sit in the courtyard watching He Chu San practice tai chi. By late morning, he had enough strength to go out with him for walks along the field embankments. After lunch, he could even squat beside the water bucket and help He Chu San wash a few bowls. Straightforward A’Nan once tried to step forward and help, only for sharp-eyed, quick-handed A’Mao to drag him away. Couldn’t he see that Boss and Sister-in-law were showing off their affection?!
One afternoon, He Chu San drove Xia Liu Yi into the city market to buy some daily necessities. On the way back, he stopped beside a small roadside stall and bought two bottles of some unidentified bright-green soda, along with a map of Thailand and another of Bangkok.
“Where do you want to go?” Xia Liu Yi asked as he opened his soda. “I know Bangkok well.”
“Once you’re feeling better, why don’t we travel around Thailand while we’re here?” He Chu San eagerly studied the recommended sightseeing routes printed on the back of the map. “We haven’t even had a honeymoon yet.”
Xia Liu Yi sprayed green soda all over the map and coughed for ages. “Cough, cough… Had a what?”
“Honeymoon.”
“When exactly did I marry you?” Wasn’t that just a proposal?!
“The proposal counts as the wedding.”
“…” We exchanged rings in a dingy storage room at a rundown restaurant and had sex twice like we were sneaking around, and that counts as getting married?!
Seeing the Boss’s face twist with disdain, Best Actor He immediately looked terribly aggrieved. His mouth drooped as he began his performance. “You mean you don’t want to marry—”
Xia Liu Yi hurriedly shoved the soda bottle against his mouth and called CUT on the performance. “Enough, enough! Hurry up and decide where you want to go! I’ll go on your honeymoon with you!”
…
On that chaotic night deep in the mountains, everyone who knew Xia Liu Yi’s identity and appearance—Golden Maitreya, his sons, and their closest men—had died. For reasons unknown, Jade Guanyin had not mentioned Xia Liu Yi at all in the information she provided to Interpol before the operation, while the police pursuing them through the darkness and confusion had seen only the backs of Xia Liu Yi and Qin Hao. Therefore, after evading the police search and the checks on injured patients at hospitals, Xia Liu Yi could once again swagger openly through the streets as an overseas tourist with an impeccable identity.
Several days later, he and He Chu San packed their luggage, abandoned Qin Hao, the doctor, and all the bodyguards at the little temple, and drove away together. Thus began their elopement—no, their honeymoon.
They traveled east from Nakhon Pathom back to Bangkok, toured the glittering palace buildings, paid their respects to the solemn Reclining Buddha, rode elephants, got massages, drank all kinds of freshly squeezed juices from roadside stalls, and ate sweet-and-savory mango sticky rice, enormous grilled lobsters with claws spread wide, grilled bananas skewered neatly in rows like an entire family wiped out together, glistening roasted pork trotters, honey-glazed meatball skewers, crisp and refreshing rose apples, and fresh durian whose “fragrance” carried for miles. There was durian ice cream, durian candy, durian pastries, durian porridge, and roasted durian, until both men smelled of durian from the roots of their hair to the tips of their toes. At night, they sat in bars listening to singers croon songs whose names they did not know…
Several days later, they left Bangkok and headed north. Their first stop was Ayutthaya, the ruined ancient city filled with crumbling walls. From there, they traveled through Sing Buri and Sukhothai, lingering for several days before arriving in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Naturally, they ate, drank, and amused themselves the entire way. They stayed several more days in peaceful, pleasant Chiang Mai to rest and recover, then returned south to Bangkok before heading southeast until they reached the beaches of Pattaya.
After more than ten days of traveling, Xia Liu Yi had tanned considerably and eaten enough to round out his face again. The sickly pallor and hollow cheeks had finally disappeared, and he no longer resembled the pale, listless beauty who had once slumped crookedly against his bed. Every day he wore sunglasses, a tank top, and shorts, displaying firm, sexy, sun-browned shoulders and arms, a broad chest, long legs, and a pert ass securely wrapped beneath his shorts. He enthusiastically wandered through markets and ancient cities, speaking Thai even more fluently than many locals, and his rakish, shamelessly seductive air attracted the attention of quite a few young women along the road. Thai girls tended to be petite and adorable, with rosy faces and sweet smiles, and their shy, coquettish glances toward Xia Liu Yi repeatedly terrified He Chu San. He wanted nothing more than to throw a burlap sack over Xia Liu Yi’s head and carry him straight back to the hotel.
He Chu San booked a detached seaside villa in Pattaya. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows lay the blue sea, while the backyard had a private swimming pool. He intended to hide Boss Xia away like a treasured beauty in a golden house so the two of them could shut themselves inside and spend several uninterrupted days together. Xia Liu Yi, however, complained that the private pool was too petty. His bandages had only just been removed, but because he felt he could move freely again, he eagerly insisted on going out to make waves at sea. He Chu San was not a strong swimmer and had even worse balance. On the first day, he accompanied Xia Liu Yi on a dive, stepped directly on a piece of coral, and cut the bottom of his foot. By the time he returned to shore, it was already red, swollen, and inflamed. The next day, he could only sit on the beach with his foot bandaged, hiding beneath a huge parasol and looking thoroughly gay as he slathered on sunscreen while watching Boss Xia skim and tumble across the water on a surfboard. Several busty, fair-skinned Western women onshore laughed, pointed toward Xia Liu Yi, and praised him. Gay He watched with jealousy souring his heart, thinking that Xia Liu Yi had already gone from making waves in Hong Kong to making waves in the Gulf of Thailand. One more trip to Hawaii and he could make waves across the entire Pacific.
That evening, He Chu San wanted to order a seafood feast at the villa, open a bottle of red wine, light several candles, and have a romantic dinner. Xia Liu Yi insisted on dragging him to a noisy night-market seafood stall instead. Surrounded by bustling crowds, singing, and dancing, they ordered an enormous table filled with shrimp, crab, clams, and fish, accompanied by tom yum soup and pineapple seafood rice.
“What do we need romance for?” Xia Liu Yi asked disdainfully while peeling a curry crab with greasy fingers. He sucked one finger clean. “That villa is empty and gloomy. It’s much livelier out here! Oh, right. Come here. I’ll light you a ‘romantic’ candle.”
He grabbed a handful of tissues and carelessly wiped his hands, then rummaged through the backpack containing the treasures he had bought at the market that day and produced a white, dick-shaped candle. He flicked his lighter with a click!, lit it, and planted it in front of He Chu San. “Romantic enough for you? Durian scented!”
“…” He Chu San.
Xia Liu Yi proudly pulled another treasure from his bag, this time a yellow, dick-shaped bar of soap. He waved it triumphantly. “And this one’s mango scented! We can use it in the shower tonight. Heh!”
“…” He Chu San wanted nothing more than to go home, kneel at Father He’s feet, cling to his legs, and silently weep. Your unfilial son has failed you. What kind of bizarre daughter-in-law have I found for you?!
After eating and drinking their fill, the two walked shoulder to shoulder along the beachfront road to digest their meal. The road ahead was crowded because a ladyboy show was about to begin admitting ticket holders. He Chu San asked Xia Liu Yi whether he wanted to go watch. Xia Liu Yi immediately shook his head. Thinking of ladyboys reminded him of Jade Guanyin, and Jade Guanyin reminded him of Xiao Ma, sending a stab of pain through his heart.
Seeing his expression change, He Chu San tactfully switched topics. “Why don’t we get tattoos over there?”
Xia Liu Yi followed his gesture and saw a roadside shop offering temporary painted tattoos.
“They’re only painted on,” Xia Liu Yi said. “Girls like those.”
“That’s exactly why I want the painted kind.” He Chu San pushed him toward the shop. “If I got a real tattoo and my dad saw it, he’d break my legs.”
“Your dad raised you like a daughter,” Xia Liu Yi mocked. “Let go of me. I’m not going.”
“Come on. Let’s get matching couple tattoos.”
“I said no! Let go!”
…
Five minutes later, Boss Xia sat inside the tattoo shop looking as though life had lost all meaning. Besides the two of them, there were two teenage girls letting the artists paint sinuous, gorgeous floral patterns around their wrists and ankles. They occasionally sent curious, amused glances toward Xia Liu Yi and He Chu San. Xia Liu Yi’s face looked green. He Chu San, meanwhile, enthusiastically took a thick stack of design books and photographs from the artist. “Look! Lots of men get them too. See, some people get this kind of sun design. You could get a golden pagoda, or a lotus… I want this elephant.”
“I’m warning you, you could have an allergic reaction,” Xia Liu Yi said. Having visited Thailand often, he knew what he was talking about. “Some girls with delicate skin get all red and swollen afterward.”
“I’m not a girl.”
“Your dad raised you like a daughter.”
“Say that again and I’ll kiss you in front of them.”
“Try it.”
The two bickered flirtatiously for quite some time. Once the artist had seen the two young female customers out, he returned to ask whether they had chosen their designs. He Chu San wanted a mild, gentle elephant head on his arm, while Xia Liu Yi grandly demanded a huge, ferocious tiger across his back.
He Chu San went first. As he watched the elephant head, symbolizing dignity and strength, gradually take shape on his arm, the little gears in his mind began clacking away. He sneaked a glance at Xia Liu Yi, who was lying lazily and unsuspectingly facedown on the tattoo bed while flipping through a magazine. He Chu San waved Xia Liu Yi’s artist over and whispered several sentences in English—offering him three times the price if he would replace the tiger on Xia Liu Yi’s back with a tabby cat.
An hour later, the conspiracy succeeded. Between He Chu San’s wildly embellished bullshit explanation and his willingness to risk his own life defending the artist, the poor man managed to survive. The mastermind himself, however, was kicked and beaten all the way back to the villa by Boss Xia. While showering, Xia Liu Yi examined himself carefully in the mirror and became even angrier.
“He A’San! Get in here! What the hell kind of leopard is this? This is obviously a cat!”
“It’s a leopard.” Crouching beside the suitcase and searching for condoms, He Chu San lied straight-faced without the slightest blush.
Xia Liu Yi threw open the bathroom door with a bang! and stormed out completely naked. Turning his back to He Chu San, he gestured furiously at the image and roared, “It’s a cat! Are you blind?!”
He Chu San stared at the long, sinuous tabby sprawled across Xia Liu Yi’s back with a haughty, disdainful expression. The cat’s pert backside rested neatly in the hollow of Xia Liu Yi’s lower back, while its tail curled around his waist. The sight was so adorable that He Chu San’s heart trembled. His shoulders began shaking as he lowered his head.
“Bastard! You still have the nerve to laugh?!” Xia Liu Yi charged over and treated him to a round of domestic violence.
He Chu San raised his arms to shield his face but could not stop laughing. Adding fuel to the fire, he held out the mango-scented dick soap. “Boss, stop hitting me. Hurry up and take your dick back into the shower.”
Xia Liu Yi grabbed him by the ear and dragged him into the bathroom too. Seizing his shoulder, he tried to shove He Chu San’s head into the double bathtub filled with water. He Chu San braced himself desperately against the side. “Murdering your own husband… Mmph, mmph…”
…
Half an hour later, He Chu San emerged smelling entirely of mango and thoroughly defeated, dragged out by Xia Liu Yi and tossed onto the large bed. Xia Liu Yi immediately climbed astride him. Reaching down, he found A’Si standing proudly at attention; after only a few casual strokes, it was already standing like a pillar to the heavens.
He Chu San tried to get up and find a condom, but Xia Liu Yi pushed him back down. Straddling him to prevent him from moving, Xia Liu Yi reached for the lubricant beside the bed, spread some over A’Si, then guided it into position and slowly lowered himself onto him.
The tight, scorching sensation of being enveloped made He Chu San’s breathing abruptly quicken. He held Xia Liu Yi by the waist to slow him down, then pushed himself upright against the bed, gathered Xia Liu Yi into his arms, and kissed the brow drawn tight with pain.
“Slow down. You’re too tight. You’re being reckless,” He Chu San murmured. “I should still put on a condom.”
Xia Liu Yi endured his trembling breaths and frowned. “I don’t like having something between us…”
The last of his words vanished into He Chu San’s mouth, along with the trembling moan that followed. He Chu San might have been the king of sweet talk, able to reel off love lines at will, but whenever Xia Liu Yi unexpectedly let slip a few simple words like this, He Chu San’s blood instantly surged and every defense he had collapsed.
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