On Lamma Island, nestled halfway up a mountain in a secluded spot, stood a solitary village house. Before it lay a small courtyard filled with birdsong and blooming flowers, while behind it stretched a vast expanse of vegetable fields.
Xia Liu Yi had retreated here with Xiao Ma, accompanied by Cui Dong Dong and Xiao Luo. They had settled in for a week, diligently following He Chu San’s instruction to “take good care of yourself.” He had transformed himself into a diligent and simple farmer, embodying the essence of hard work.
When the weather was inclement, he stayed home, tending to the fields and harvesting vegetables. On sunny days, he ventured out to sea, engaging in fishing. All three meals were self-sufficient, and he personally cooked, washed clothes, and meticulously cleaned the house, both inside and out.
However, the extent of his mishaps was best left unspoken. The number of pots he had ruined and the clothes he had scrubbed to pieces were simply too many to recount. Broken brooms and mops could be counted by the dozen. The vegetable patch behind the house had been so severely damaged that it resembled a chewed-up mess. At night, Xiao Ma would discreetly bring vegetables from the market and replant them, restoring the patch’s appearance.
The small house had two floors. Cui Dong Dong and Xiao Luo resided upstairs, while downstairs lived Big Boss Xia, Xiao Ma, and several bodyguards. Every day, they collaborated to teach the Boss how to perform household chores and prevent him from devising new and disastrous methods. From morning until night, chaos reigned, much like chickens and dogs thrown into a frenzy.
One day, the Lady Boss reached her breaking point. Rolling up her sleeves, she confronted the Boss. The Boss stood there with his hands in his pockets, exuding a calm demeanor. He wore the same spring-breeze smile as Consultant He and adopted an attitude of “no matter how you strike, I will not strike back. I have resolved to be a kind and gentle elder brother who cares for his family.”
The Lady Boss shuddered, goosebumps rising on her arms, and fled the room immediately.
“Possessed, absolutely possessed! That Sammy boy is a demon at taming husbands—terrifying!” Cui Dong Dong rushed back to Xiao Luo’s side, clutching her chest in worry.
Xiao Luo reclined on a lounge chair on the second-floor balcony, basking in the sun while leisurely knitting a small scarf. “Isn’t it wonderful? I feel like A’San is teaching him, ‘Even when I’m not around, you should still live well.’ It’s just that he’s learned it a bit… off.”
“But with Sammy boy alone over there—won’t anything happen to him?” Cui Dong Dong asked anxiously.
“He’ll be fine. He’s clever. Besides, who told him to fall for that sort of thing? He deserves it,” Xiao Luo said without lifting her head, her eyes fixed on her knitting needles. “Please drink that bowl of sweet soup for me.”
Cui Dong Dong glanced over. On the small table beside the sofa sat a bowl of dark brown iced sweet soup that had clearly been there for quite some time—the ice had almost melted away. She was hungry anyway. Picking it up, she asked casually, “A’Nan bought it? Sesame paste?” She took a big gulp.
“Boss made it. Almond milk.”
“Cough—cough—cough—! Did he poison this?! Is this even fit for human consumption?!”
“You have to finish it. He’s taking care of my health—he made it specially early this morning.”
“I’d rather you just shoot me dead…”
……
That afternoon, around four or five, as the sun began to set, Boss Xia wore a straw hat, a sleeveless shirt, and loose shorts, squatting in the field and enthusiastically pulling up radishes.
Cui Dong Dong had been suffering from stomach trouble for days and appeared utterly drained. She lounged in a hanging chair nearby, sipping hot lemon tea. Watching him pull out radishes one after another with great vigor, she lazily yawned and took out a cigarette pack.
She placed a cigarette between her lips, lit it, and gave an “ah” before tossing the pack and matches toward Xia Liu Yi. Without lifting his head, he caught them with one hand and casually tossed them back.
“What’s that for?” Cui Dong Dong asked.
“I quit.”
“Sammy boy isn’t even here—who are you putting on a show for? A’Nan won’t tell on you, right, A’Nan?”
A’Nan, squatting nearby with a basket collecting radishes, immediately shook his head vigorously. “No, I won’t.”
“I’m really quitting.” Xia Liu Yi grunted as he pulled out another small radish. Seeing its size, he attempted to dig the soil and replant it.
“Hey, don’t! I like the small ones—they’re tender!” Cui Dong Dong instructed.
Xia Liu Yi didn’t argue. He brushed off the dirt and dropped the radish into A’Nan’s basket.
“Tsk tsk,” Cui Dong Dong shook her head. “With this sudden change in behavior, anyone unfamiliar with you would assume you’ve become a vegetarian and started worshipping Buddha. Let me clarify—I’m not eating your noodles tonight.”
“Tonight, we’re having braised radish with beef brisket.”
“You’re cooking?”
“Xiao Ma.”
“Good, good!” Cui Dong Dong patted her chest in relief. “If I hadn’t had one more meal, I would have been poisoned to death.”
“……” Xia Liu Yi continued working without losing his temper. Cui Dong Dong, emboldened, was about to tease him further when Xiao Ma rushed out, covering his mobile phone.
“Boss! Qiao the Second actually called—he wants to have dinner with you tonight!”
Without raising his head, Xia Liu Yi replied calmly, “Tell him to get lost.”
“I did—told him to get as far away as possible. He asked if you’re interested in joining his boxing arena business, splitting forty-sixty—not the Macau one, his current one.”
“I’m not interested. Get lost.”
Xiao Ma relayed the message into the phone. A rustling response came from the other end.
“Boss, he’s offering three gambling dens in the North Point district.”
“Get lost.”
“Boss, he asks what you want—names your terms. He also says the Old Shopkeeper has already spoken to him. As long as you don’t pursue He Chu San’s matter anymore, he’ll compensate you as much as possible.”
Xia Liu Yi pulled out another radish, rubbing the dirt between his fingers. “I want his shop on Lockhart Road.”
Xiao Ma conveyed the demand. Soon after, he said, “He agrees. Also asks if you’ll have dinner together tonight.”
“No, I’m not eating. Get lost.”
After hanging up, Xiao Ma grinned and crouched beside him, eagerly helping strip radish leaves. “That Qiao fellow is as obedient as an old dog! Haha! I wonder what kind of bewitching potion He—Mr. He fed him, to make him even give up that precious shop.”
Xia Liu Yi replied calmly, “What A’San does for him are deals worth tens of millions.”
“Ah?! Really?!”
“Fake.”
“Ah?!”
“The work is real. The business is fake.”
“Ah?”
Xiao Ma was utterly confused, yet held the “sister-in-law” in utmost admiration. He obediently lowered his head and continued working. “Boss, you went to see Mr. He before, right? Is he… badly hurt?”
Xia Liu Yi smeared a handful of dirt across his face. “Idiot. He said he owes you an apology. He’ll apologize to you in person later.”
“Ah?! But I’m the one who wronged him! I—I…” Xiao Ma panicked. “In person? When can he come out?”
“Since Qiao the Second made this call, it should be soon.”
Sure enough, just as he finished speaking, Xiao Ma’s phone rang again. He fumbled to answer, stammered in surprise, then hung up.
“Boss! Kevin said Mr. He has been transferred to another hospital—we can go visit him!”
……
He Chu San had tricked Master Qiao into transferring him to a luxurious sanatorium in the Mid-Levels wealthy district. On the surface, he praised its superior medical care, elegant environment, and wealthy clientele—claiming that a rustic upstart like Xia Liu Yi would never find such a place.
In truth, the facility belonged to a relative of Boss Xia’s personal doctor.
That very night, Boss Xia acquired a caregiver’s pass, disguised himself as a high-end nursing staff member, donned a mask, and effortlessly slipped into the sea-view recovery suite—to meet his man in secret.
As he pushed open the door, he found his man dining under Kevin’s attentive care. A napkin was tucked into his collar, and he held a spoon in his right hand, quietly waiting as Kevin served him a bowl of chicken soup.
Witnessing this harmonious scene, Xia Liu Yi felt a sudden pang in his heart.
Kevin respectfully greeted, “Mr. Xia.”
He Chu San looked up. The moment he saw him, his calm expression blossomed into a smile, as if it were just another ordinary day. “You’re here. Have you eaten?”
Xia Liu Yi couldn’t help but smile too. He nodded and walked forward, instinctively wanting to embrace him, yet hesitating for fear of disturbing his meal. It was He Chu San who reached out first. Xia Liu Yi quickly took his hand and sat by the bedside, naturally taking the bowl and spoon from Kevin.
“Thank you. I’ll do it.”
Seeing Mr. Xia personally feeding him soup, Kevin quietly stepped aside and moved to leave. But as he opened the door, he found someone lurking outside, shrinking back under the scrutiny of several bodyguards.
“Boss Ma?”
Xiao Ma nodded awkwardly and slipped inside like a mouse. He was also dressed as a caregiver, carrying two bulging bags of fruit and nutritional supplements. Before even reaching the bedside, he nervously called out:
“Uh… Mr. He—are you alright?”
“Pff—!” He Chu San sprayed a mouthful of soup all over Xia Liu Yi’s face.
“……” Xia Liu Yi.
Coughing, He Chu San hurriedly wiped his face. “Cough… cough… Brother Ma, no need to be so formal—just call me ‘A’San’…”
“……” Xiao Ma, who had never once called him “A’San” before, only ever “Hey! Kid!”
Xiao Ma, filled with guilt, bowed repeatedly, pouring out three years’ worth of apologies in one go. The “sister-in-law” felt guilty too—after all, he had used Xiao Ma’s loyalty and concern to stage his act. The two engaged in a long, awkward exchange of “no, it’s my fault.”
Meanwhile, the Boss washed his face in the bathroom and returned, holding a bowl and spoon, ready to personally feed his “wife.” Unable to bear it any longer, he frowned and let out a loud “Ahem!”
Xiao Ma jumped, hurriedly wrapping things up. “Then—A’San, take care and rest well! With Boss here, you’ll recover soon! I’ll come visit another day!”
After hastily leaving, he paused, then ran back, leaning close to Xia Liu Yi’s ear and whispering, “Boss, restrain yourself. He’s still injured—don’t be like last time when you were hospitalized and rushed to… ‘do that’…”
“Do what?!” Boss Xia’s eyes widened furiously. Xiao Ma fled in terror.
He Chu San had heard everything clearly and clutched his wound, suppressing laughter. Xia Liu Yi, after glaring at Xiao Ma’s retreating figure, turned back awkwardly. Seeing He Chu San laughing, he couldn’t help but smile sheepishly as well.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense. Eat.”
He Chu San gazed at him with smiling eyes. “I don’t want to eat this. I want to eat you.”
Xia Liu Yi set down the bowl and spoon, moved closer, cupped his face, and planted a loud kiss on his forehead.
“Alright. When you’ve recovered, you can eat however you like. Be good—eat first.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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