The wedding was, naturally, a complete fabrication. Xia Liu Yi had spent a month in a state of agonizing anxiety. On the visiting day at the end of the month, He Chu San returned. This time, he did not wear those gold-rimmed glasses; he was dressed in a casual shirt, his hair soft and fluffy, with his bangs resting gently against his forehead. His tender and tranquil features remained exactly as they had been in the past—except that he kept his eyes lowered, refusing to look at Xia Liu Yi.
Xia Liu Yi cautiously reached out to touch his hand, but He Chu San pulled it back.
“He Chu San, I am sorry. I have wronged you.”
He Chu San replied coldly, “We agreed to be together for a lifetime. Even if you are in here, we are still together. What right do you have to break up with me? What right do you have to refuse to see me? It has been over four years—one thousand four hundred and eighty-two days. You truly have a heart of stone.”
“You should not have waited for me, you…”
“Whether I wait for you is my business!” He Chu San looked up and interrupted him, his sharp gaze piercing directly into the other man’s eyes. “What right do you have to make decisions for me? Do you think you are so noble, Xia Liu Yi? Deciding the feelings of others and imagining their happiness—is that not exactly what you did to Azure Dragon back then?!”
Xia Liu Yi’s face turned instantly pale, and he froze on the spot. Realizing his slip of the tongue, He Chu San reached out and grabbed his hand instead. “I am sorry! I should not have said that. That… that was Azure Dragon’s own choice. It was not something you could force; he was the one who chose to let go.”
“No, you are right,” Xia Liu Yi said blankly. “I am a bastard. I should not have treated you this way. I have wasted these four years; I have failed you.”
He tightly cupped He Chu San’s hands, pressing them against his trembling chest. Then, he rose slightly and, filled with apology and devotion, kissed He Chu San.
He Chu San returned the kiss with ten times the intensity. Their lips and tongues intertwined with audible passion. Gradually, Xia Liu Yi knelt upon the table, embracing the standing He Chu San.
A heavy cough came from outside the door, signaling them to exercise some restraint; after all, the surveillance cameras were still recording.
Reluctantly, Xia Liu Yi let go of He Chu San and sat back in his seat. His neck bore fresh teeth marks from He Chu San’s bite, with beads of blood seeping from the wound—it was impossible for there to be no resentment, as He Chu San had been so fierce it felt as though he wanted to physically consume him.
“Whether you wait for me is your freedom,” Xia Liu Yi said softly, looking into his eyes. “I will never speak the foolish words of breaking up again. However, if there comes a day when you no longer wish to wait, then…”
Facing He Chu San’s sharp gaze, his lips quivered for a moment before his expression suddenly shifted into one of fierce determination. “Freedom, my ass! You little bastard! If you dare to live with anyone else, I will skin you alive once I get out!”
He Chu San licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled. “That is the Brother Liu Yi I know.” He fished out that glittering large diamond ring and held his hand out to Xia Liu Yi. “Put it on for me, my husband.”
……
A few days later, on July 1st, Hong Kong returned to the motherland. Xia Liu Yi, along with his fellow inmates, crowded around a small television in the plaza to watch the flag-raising ceremony. From then on, He Chu San visited the prison every month. Frequently, he would write letters so sentimental they made one’s heart melt. Every time Xia Liu Yi read them, he was filled with insatiable desire, often hiding under his quilt at midnight to find self-relief.
He Xiao Xin would sometimes accompany her older brother to visit her “sister-in-law”. In 1999, she married a foreigner and gave birth to a small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed daughter. The one-year-old toddler was held up by her uncle, and through the glass of the newly renovated visiting room, she saw her other uncle for the first time. She was so delighted her eyes squinted into slits, and she promptly urinated all over her uncle.
The calendar pages continued to turn, one by one, until they reached the 21st century. The prison built new cell blocks, which were no longer collective dormitories for dozens of people. Xia Liu Yi was assigned a single room, providing a more convenient space for self-relief; his pillow was stuffed with letters and photos from his husband. In 2002, Big Scarhead completed his sentence and was released. Xia Liu Yi was the only member of the Xiao Qi Hall left in prison. However, he still had his old companion, Old Limping Sha. The two former bosses bickered daily—one showing off his granddaughter while the other flaunted his love life—passing year after year in noisy companionship.
In 2006, the prison underwent institutional reform, establishing new computer and technical rooms. Prisoners could use their spare time to learn skills and earn academic degrees online so they could quickly adapt to society and earn an honest living after release. Xia Liu Yi joined in the excitement and enrolled in an English class, stuttering through his vocabulary with a dictionary every day. Old Limping Sha turned sixty that year; his hair had gone completely white, and he had no interest in studying. He would spend his days with a cigarette in his mouth, singing tunes in a raspy voice to interfere with Brother Xia’s progress.
On June 1st of that year, Xia Liu Yi received his customary hand-drawn cake birthday card. He held the card up to He Chu San through the glass and spoke into the microphone, “Mr. He, can you draw it gooder? Go find a drawing teacher; you haven’t improved at all after all these years!”
Elio’s notes: Xia Liu Yi asked in English.
“It is ‘can you draw it better’,” He Chu San corrected. “I am busy to death every day; I have no time to learn drawing.”
“Then you still have time for bodybuilding?” Xia Liu Yi looked at the solid arms beneath his shirt.
“Of course I have to work out. I will be 45 by the time you get out; how can I manage without exercising? You still owe me the standing carry position.”
“I will be 48 when I get out. Can you stop tormenting me?”
“Don’t be afraid. A gay man at forty is in his prime. Did you use the face masks I sent you a while ago?”
“Too gay! I threw them away!”
“You dare! Go pick them up and put them on!”
……
Xia Liu Yi left the visiting room and walked happily back to the basketball court. The decades-old court had recently been renovated with fresh paint. Under the scorching sun, there was a strong scent of burnt lacquer. Old Limping Sha sat in the shade with a cigarette, his wrinkled face watching a few new young punks getting into a group fight in the center of the yard.
Xia Liu Yi sat down beside him, flipped open his dictionary, and muttered as he searched, “be… better…”
“Look at them, still having the strength to fight after work,” Old Limping Sha remarked, looking at the young men brawling under the sun. “Just like when we were young. Such good physical strength!”
“There is no ‘we’,” Xia Liu Yi said. “I am still very young. Do you understand what it means for a gay man at forty to be in his prime?”
“Yes, yes. You’re just waiting to go out so your husband can make flowers bloom in your backside.”
“Fuck you.”
“Stuff your lungs.
As they cursed back and forth, the group of brawling kids chased each other right in front of them. Xia Liu Yi and Old Limping Sha didn’t bother moving, lazily watching the show. One of the boys accidentally tripped over Xia Liu Yi’s long legs; he scrambled up, cursing, and prepared to strike Xia Liu Yi, but before his fist could swing, he was pulled away by several of his peers.
“Don’t mess with him, don’t mess with him. He was the famous ‘Twin-Blade Blood Asura’ from the underworld over a decade ago. He killed over twenty people alone in a bathhouse back then…” The warnings drifted away in the wind.
Old Limping Sha blew out a puff of smoke and laughed. “What a load of bullshit! The rumors get more ridiculous every time! I remember you being chased by Shrimp Skin until you were terrified. If it weren’t for that kid who looked like Azure Dragon, you would have died long ago!”
“You were tied up nearby with your bare ass showing. You have the nerve to talk about me?”
“Ai-ya, I’m old!” Old Limping Sha sighed, thumping his aching knees. “Even my butt is sagging!”
Xia Liu Yi solemnly closed his dictionary, deciding he would go back and do another hundred squats tonight—and perhaps apply some of that expensive face mask to his backside.
……
That night, Xia Liu Yi was lying on his small bed in the single room, pressing his forehead against his husband’s photo, giving himself a massage. Suddenly, he was startled by a piercing siren! His firm gluteal muscles locked around his fingers! He struggled under the quilt, and Old Limping Sha shouted from next door, “Xiao Liu Yi! Xiao Liu Yi! Get up!”
“I’m awake!” Xia Liu Yi answered awkwardly.
“Xiao Liu Yi! What is happening outside?!”
“How should I know?!”
Billowing thick smoke drifted in from the end of the hallway. “Fire! Fire!” prisoners in distant cells screamed.
“Beep—! Beep—!!” The fire alarm rang loudly, and the system automatically unlocked the cell doors. Prisoners tentatively poked their heads out. The duty guard shouted from a distance, “What are you doing?! Go back!”
“There’s a fire! Run!!” someone shrieked. The prisoners swarmed out, knocking the guard to the ground and breaking through several iron gates toward the plaza!
Old Limping Sha hobbled over to bang on Xia Liu Yi’ss door. “Get out, fast!”
Xia Liu Yi finally managed to untangle himself and was hurriedly stuffing He Chu San’s photos and letters into a pillowcase. Old Limping Sha rushed in to pull him. “Your life is more important! Let’s go!”
“Wait! My Jade Buddha!” Xia Liu Yi searched his washbasin, quickly slipping the Jade Buddha he had removed for bathing around his neck.
“Ai-ya! You suicidal gay!” Old Limping Sha cursed. Xia Liu Yi lunged forward and stuffed the pillowcase full of letters into his arms. “Hold this!”
“Hold it for wha—” Before Old Limping Sha could finish, Xia Liu Yi bent down and hoisted him up. Xia Liu Yi slung the elderly, frail man over his shoulder like a sack and sprinted outside.
“Slow down, slow down, I’m going to vomit…” Old Limping Sha cried out on his shoulder.
“Don’t you dare vomit in my pillow!”
……
The prison’s high-voltage electricity had short-circuited and started a fire. With strong winds, a raging fire ignited in a short time. Most of the building fell into a sea of fire. Prisoners and guards ran in a chaotic mess, and the plaza was in total disarray. A group of prisoners took the opportunity to charge the main gate; the guards at the entrance roared and fired warning shots, but they were soon knocked down by the crowd. Guards on the walls wanted to fire to help, but in the darkness, they couldn’t distinguish friend from foe.
Out of breath, Xia Liu Yi set Old Limping Sha down in the plaza. As soon as Old Limping Sha landed, he hopped toward the gate. “The gate is about to be forced open!” He had only hopped twice before being yanked back by Xia Liu Yi. Old Limping Sha said anxiously, “Are you stupid? Take the chance to escape!”
“Are you stupid?! Go back and save people!” Xia Liu Yi roared.
Old Limping Sha was stunned. “Save them from where?”
Xia Liu Yi pointed at the security duty building, which was the first to catch fire and was burning the most fiercely. The raging fire was spreading along the direction of his finger.
“Are you crazy?!”
“Hold my pillow!” Xia Liu Yi had already run toward the sea of fire without looking back!
“Are you crazy?! Xia Liu Yi! Hey! Hey!!” Old Limping Sha jumped in anxiety. He looked toward the gate, where dozens of prisoners had already broken through and escaped. He still had seven or eight years left on his sentence; if he didn’t risk escaping now, he might die of old age in here! He hopped around like an ant on a hot griddle before finally sighing and chasing after Xia Liu Yi.
Out of breath, Old Limping Sha reached the entrance of the duty building. A soot-covered, coughing guard was lying by the first-floor door, having just been thrown out by Xia Liu Yi. Old Limping Sha hurriedly placed Xia Liu Yi’s precious pillow on the ground and rushed forward to drag the guard out of the smoke.
After settling the guard, Old Limping Sha looked back at the pillow and was dumbfounded—the strong wind had blown the photos and letters all over the ground, and before he could chase them, they were swept into the sky by the wind! One photo of He Chu San’s abdominal muscles drifted away like a fallen leaf…
“It’s over, it’s over, Xia Liu Yi is going to kill me!” Old Limping Sha wailed. “Forget it, forget it, I’ll pay you back with my old life!” He howled to bolster his courage and limped into the sea of fire. “Liu Yi! Where are you! Brother Bo Sha is here to save you! Aaah—!!”
A dark figure trailing sparks leaped out of the fire, knocking him to the ground! “My butt!!” Old Limping Sha rolled on the ground, screaming.
The figure stumbled back a few steps before stabilizing, shaking a burning quilt off his body. Old Limping Sha looked closely—it was Xia Liu Yi, his face blackened by soot!
Panting heavily, Xia Liu Yi placed a man he was carrying on the ground. The unconscious man’s head lolled to the side, allowing Old Limping Sha to see his face—it was the Warden who was on duty that night.
……
In April 2007, due to his significant performance during the prison fire and his positive progress over the years, Xia Liu Yi was granted a three-year sentence reduction and was released on parole in May of that year. Old Limping Sha also received a two-year reduction due to his role in the rescue; because of his good behavior and old age, he was allowed to serve his sentence outside prison.
In May in Hong Kong, the sea breeze was gentle, and the early summer sun was warm and brilliant. The 42-year-old Xia Liu Yi held a new English dictionary, looking free and easy as he strode out of the prison gates.
He Chu San was dressed in an elegant white suit, waiting alone outside. He had driven a Lamborghini, and he leaned against the car with his hands in his pockets. The sea breeze blew through his soft bangs, his gentle and handsome face unchanged from the past. He smiled as he watched Xia Liu Yi walk toward him and gallantly opened the car door.
Xia Liu Yi was not quite satisfied. Frowning as he got into the car, he asked, “Where is Xiao Ma? Where is Dong Dong? Did those two bastards leave me to go out and have fun?”
“They are waiting for us at the seaside,” He Chu San said, picking up a bouquet of red roses from the back seat and stuffing them into Xia Liu Yi’s arms.
“What are they doing at the seaside?”
He Chu San leaned in and kissed him. “Arranging our wedding.”
Xia Liu Yi grabbed him before he could sit back in the driver’s seat and kissed him hungrily. The two of them began a shameless tryst in the front seat. He Chu San’s suit jacket was soon torn off by Xia Liu Yi, and Xia Liu Yi’s T-shirt was pulled up, revealing a tight, trembling abdomen. Suddenly, a ringtone sounded.
“What is that?” Xia Liu Yi, eyes full of lust, asked breathlessly.
“A cell phone.”
“Ugh… don’t answer…”
“It’s Father calling.”
Xia Liu Yi sat up with a long face, obediently waiting for He Chu San to answer. He Chu San pressed the call button, and the vigorous roar of Mr. He came through, “Why haven’t you two brats arrived yet?! Is Xia Liu Yi being slutty again?! Tell him to put his pants on and get over here!”
“……” Xia Liu Yi silently helped his “son” pull up his zipper.
“Yes, yes, yes, we will be there immediately,” He Chu San coaxed into the phone. Hanging up, he took a bite of Xia Liu Yi’s flushed face. “Let’s go walk the red carpet first. I’ll eat you tonight. Tonight, I want the standing carry position.”
“How are you still thinking about that!”
“Not just that; I’ve developed many new positions over the years. We can try them slowly after the wedding.”
“……”
The car drove along the winding mountain road. Outside the window, the vegetation was lush, and in the distance, the blue sky met the sea. Xia Liu Yi reached out and grabbed He Chu San’s left hand, which wore the ring. Their fingers intertwined, holding on firmly.
From now on, they would never be parted.
……
The End of “Chu San’s Liu Yi Children’s Day”
……
Epilogue:
“Who did you develop those new positions with over the years?”
“Cough… I had a life-sized silicone doll made in your image.”
“What? What doll? A ragdoll?”
“You’ll know when you see it.”
“Why are you smiling so lewdly… what did you do to it…”
“Hahahaha!”
Elio’s Notes: We’re finally done with the main story line! Thank you so much for reading our translation. We’ll start with the side stories tomorrow. I sneaked a peak and found there are actually around 50 short chapters. We’re looking into getting these done in less than a week. See you all tomorrow! ヽ(^o^)’
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