Xia Liu Yi used his weakened right hand to loop his tie around the water pipe rack by the window. Clenching the end of the tie between his teeth, he used it in place of his right hand to hold himself steady, lifting his foot to climb up another step. At last, his left hand reached the windowsill, and with great effort he hauled half his body up. He let out a heavy gasp, then forced his right hand to scrape and tug until the window creaked open. With a final push of both legs, he thrust his upper body inside.
The window was narrow; he got stuck there, wriggling awkwardly for quite a while before finally tumbling into the room. His face and hair were coated in dust, his clothes filthy beyond recognition. Sweat streamed down his forehead, mingling with grime and stinging his eyes, blurring his vision. He wiped his face in a fluster, then staggered to his feet and peered into the darkness.
In the faint moonlight, he saw a pair of wide-open eyes—
He Chu San was leaning against the headboard, clutching a large pillow, his entire body seemingly frozen as he stared blankly at him.
Xia Liu Yi strode forward in one great step, wanting to embrace him, yet not daring to—as though He Chu San were a porcelain doll that would shatter at a touch. Standing helplessly by the bed, he looked at that pale, gaunt face, opened his mouth to speak—yet tears fell first.
“I knew it,” he choked out. He rubbed his filthy hands hard against his clothes before finally daring to gently touch He Chu San’s face. “I knew it…”
—He had known all along. It was never that He Chu San was merely “inconvenient,” nor that his injuries were “not serious.” It was because he feared Xia Liu Yi would see him in such a weak, broken state… and blame himself even more, grieve even more.
He Chu San threw aside the pillow and, with effort, wrapped his arms around him. Only then did Xia Liu Yi dare to return the embrace, cautiously holding him, burying his face into He Chu San’s shoulder as he struggled to suppress his sobs. He Chu San stroked his hair, yet he too could not steady his voice, speaking in broken fragments, “Y-you… don’t cry, I’m fine… You… how did you get here… I’m fine, I…”
Xia Liu Yi suddenly pulled back, cupping his face, his voice trembling with urgency. “Listen to me, A’San. I’ve got the car ready, brought a private doctor, and arranged a boat for tonight. Come with me—we’ll leave now.”
He Chu San was startled. “Leave… to where?”
“Anywhere! I was a fool, a bastard! I don’t want revenge anymore—I don’t want anything! Just come with me, alright?”
“…What about Father?”
“We’ll take Father, and Mother, and Xin Xin too. All of us together. We’ll leave Hong Kong—go abroad.”
He Chu San stared at him blankly, then couldn’t help but continue along his words, almost unconsciously. “We’ll buy a big house and live together. On weekends, we’ll drive to the lakeside, build a wooden cabin in the forest, raise a big dog…”
Xia Liu Yi nodded fervently, his eyes brimming with pleading and hope. “Yes, yes, yes…”
Tears welled in He Chu San’s eyes as he smiled. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a soft glow over Xia Liu Yi’s figure. The dream of last night and the reality of this night intertwined in a strange harmony—like layers of mist parted beneath the moon’s shadow. Two parallel lines that should never meet, two utterly different worlds—yet now, two souls freed from the shackles of flesh entwined together, their hearts in perfect accord.
In that moment, his heart was filled with an incomparable peace.
Smiling, he wiped the moisture from Xia Liu Yi’s eyes, leaned forward, and gently kissed his trembling lips.
“You foolish Brother Liu Yi.”
—With these words of yours… what are blades and flames to me?
Still smiling, he caressed Xia Liu Yi’s face. “I won’t leave. One day in the future, I promise you—we will live like that. But not now.”
Xia Liu Yi clasped his hand tightly, opening his mouth in sorrow and helplessness, yet unable to speak. He knew his words had been foolish. He knew He Chu San would not go with him. And yet, he had still prepared everything in frantic desperation, clinging to the faintest sliver of hope as he asked. These past days, he had been consumed by fear—so much so that he teetered on the brink of losing control, on the verge of collapse. Countless times, he had nearly led men with guns to storm the place, to seize He Chu San back from Master Qiao by sheer force. He could not bear to leave him in this perilous hell for even a second longer!
Seeing his worried, pitiful expression, He Chu San couldn’t resist kissing him again. “If you care about me, then take good care of yourself. Don’t make me worry. Look at the state you’re in—like some scruffy big tabby cat. How many days has it been since you washed your face? Since you shaved? You’ve been smoking again, haven’t you? Have you even been eating properly?”
Me? What do I look like?
Xia Liu Yi stood there in a daze before suddenly realizing, hastily wiping the mud from his face and then quickly cleaning He Chu San’s hand.
“The bathroom is right by the door. Go wash up, then come back and talk with me properly,” He Chu San said gently.
Xia Liu Yi didn’t even realize he was being coaxed like a cat. Obedient and dazed, he shuffled toward the bathroom. The light and the sound of running water alerted the bodyguards outside, one of them calling, “Mr. He?”
“It’s fine. I’m just washing up. No need to come in,” He Chu San replied.
……
There was a shower in the bathroom. Xia Liu Yi glanced at himself in the mirror—ragged clothes, disheveled hair, looking like a complete wretch—and the thought that he might have brought countless germs to the recovering He Chu San made him silently slap himself. He stripped without hesitation and gave himself a thorough wash from head to toe, rinsing meticulously, shaving his beard, until he felt as clean as humanly possible. Only then did he step out naked, turning his back to He Chu San as he searched for clothes in the wardrobe by the bed.
As he rummaged, he suddenly felt He Chu San’s cool hand trace over the crisscrossing old scars on his back. His movements stilled. He stood there obediently, letting him touch.
“Do these… still hurt?” He Chu San asked softly.
Xia Liu Yi shook his head. “They don’t.”
“…From when you saved Azure Dragon?” He Chu San was referring to that time in his youth, when Xia Liu Yi had wielded twin blades alone against over forty men to rescue Azure Dragon, earning the infamous title of “Black Children’s Day.”
“Yes.”
“For wounds suffered for someone you love… they don’t hurt,” He Chu San murmured.
Xia Liu Yi knew he wasn’t jealous of Azure Dragon. He was speaking of himself—comforting him. Unable to resist, Xia Liu Yi turned around and gently lifted He Chu San’s hospital gown, wanting to see his injuries—but He Chu San pressed his hand down.
“Don’t look. There are tubes… it’s not pretty,” he said.
Xia Liu Yi insisted, but He Chu San sighed. “Be good. Go put on that blue robe.”
Xia Liu Yi glanced at his pale face and let go. Right now, he was completely obedient to He Chu San.
He put on the robe. It was newly bought, the tag still attached. He Chu San had him turn around again, carefully removing the tag and even drying his hair for him—though Xia Liu Yi tried to do it himself, He Chu San refused.
At last, He Chu San looked him over with satisfaction. Though Boss Xia looked haggard, once tidied up, he was still as handsome and long-legged as ever, brimming with heroic charm—greatly pleasing to his “madam.”
“Now that’s more like it. Even if the sky collapses, you must still eat well, sleep well, and keep yourself clean. Don’t make me worry, understand?”
Xia Liu Yi nodded obediently.
At last, He Chu San had completely tamed this fierce and stubborn wildcat. Delighted, he kissed his handsome face, stamping it as his own. “Go turn off the lights. Come to bed.”
Xia Liu Yi switched off the light. He Chu San shifted slightly to the side, making room for him. In the darkness, Xia Liu Yi carefully gathered him into his arms, burying his face at the nape of his neck, rubbing against him for a long time without speaking. A thousand words weighed upon his heart, yet all he wanted was to hold him a little longer… just a little longer.
He Chu San said nothing either, resting quietly in his embrace, eyes half-closed. Xia Liu Yi thought he had fallen asleep and gently tucked the blanket around him. But suddenly, as though roused from deep relaxation, He Chu San opened his eyes, turned to look at him—and smiled.
“I keep feeling like I’m still dreaming,” he said softly, touching Xia Liu Yi’s hand. “You really came. These past few days… I’ve been dreaming of you.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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