The wedding was held in a small seaside garden, surrounded by lush green trees and blooming flowers, while the tranquil ocean surface shimmered with dappled light.
On the way there, Xia Liu Yi hurriedly changed into a suit inside the car. The moment he stepped out, he was engulfed by cheers. Inside the venue, light and melodious music played; a red carpet stretched toward a floral arch at the far end of the garden. Rows of small white chairs lined both sides, filled with attending guests. As he walked forward, the path was flanked by blessings and familiar smiling faces.
Still unaccustomed to the freedom of open air and the press of a crowd, Xia Liu Yi felt distinctly uneasy—he had thought this would be a small, private ceremony. Before he could gather his thoughts, He Chu San stuffed a bouquet of roses into his arms and pulled him onto the red carpet.
He spotted Cui Dong Dong and Xiao Luo, Big Scarhead and Xiao He, Xiao Ma and… Xiao Yu??? Why was she dressed in men’s clothing? And where was her chest?
Next came a number of old subordinates from years past—A’Nan, A’Mao, Black Chicken, Tiger Head, Snake Sister, and many other brothers and sisters. Everyone shouted excitedly, “Boss!!” Then, as if by tacit agreement, they glanced nervously toward the other side of the red carpet and hastily corrected themselves, “Mr. Xia, congratulations, congratulations…”
There were far fewer people on He Chu San’s side. Xia Liu Yi turned his head and saw the smiling Kevin and Qin Hao—Qin Hao???
Then came the grinning Lu Guang Ming and the stern-faced Xie Jia Hua—why were they here too??? And why had the brothers been looking at Xie Jia Hua earlier???
After that were several men and women with the air of business elites—likely He Chu San’s friends. Then came Xin Xin and her blonde, blue-eyed husband. She held the hand of a six- or seven-year-old girl with golden curls, a small flower crown on her head, dressed in a snow-white puffed dress, with a pair of fluffy angel wings on her back.
“SAM—!” The little girl spotted He Chu San from afar and fluttered her tiny wings as she ran onto the red carpet, calling out her uncle’s English name with cheerful boldness. He Chu San smiled and crouched down to catch her in his arms. The little angel wrapped her arms around his neck contentedly, but when she looked up and saw Xia Liu Yi, she suddenly grew shy and buried her face into He Chu San’s shoulder.
“He’s your Uncle-in-Law, call him Uncle-in-Law,” He Chu San teased.
The little angel kept her face buried, shaking her head of golden curls, too bashful to speak. Xia Liu Yi, still stiff and awkward from suddenly being surrounded by a crowd, remained silent in embarrassment. Fortunately, Xin Xin stepped in to liven things up, tugging He Chu San to his feet without ceremony. “Aiya, Big Brother and Sister-in-Law! Don’t just stand there! Dad’s about to blow his top!”
She hurriedly pushed them toward the ceremonial platform at the end of the red carpet. Standing there was Mr. He, his face stern. The moment they stepped up, he immediately raised his cane and began striking He Chu San in a flurry.
“You useless brat, dawdling around! Everyone’s been waiting for you!”
“Dad, stop hitting me! Your son is getting married today!” He Chu San dodged across the stage, protecting his hairstyle.
“Didn’t you already get married?” Mr. He snapped. “You’re just piggybacking on your old man’s wedding luck!”
“That was a private vow for life; this is a public declaration to the world,” He Chu San argued confidently.
Mr. He glared at him fiercely, then swung his cane toward Xia Liu Yi. “Xia Liu Yi!”
Xia Liu Yi had been standing aside watching He Chu San get beaten. If it were anyone else laying hands on He Chu San, he would have already strangled them—but under Mr. He’s overwhelming authority, he didn’t dare utter a word. Hearing his name, he quickly responded, “Old Mr. He.”
“Will you behave yourself from now on?!”
The former Boss Xia nodded vigorously. “I will, I will.”
Mr. He struck him sharply on the backside with the cane! “That’s for making my son wait fourteen years! Will you ever make him wait again?!”
Xia Liu Yi didn’t even dare rub his backside. “I won’t, I won’t.”
With a huff, Mr. He lowered his cane. “Hmph! You’d better not!” Then he waved grandly. “Music off! Let’s begin!”
The light background music stopped abruptly. The guests all rose from their seats along both sides of the red carpet. Mr. He took the microphone from Xin Xin and began officiating in a strong, resonant voice.
“Distinguished guests, family, and friends, welcome to the wedding of Mr. He Chu San and Mr. Xia Liu Yi. I originally wanted to host a grand banquet, but my son wouldn’t allow it—said it would scare my old neighbors, who are all advanced in age with weak hearts…”
The guests burst into laughter. Mr. He waved a hand. “I’m not joking. It’s already the year 2007, but many people’s thinking is still stuck in the last century. They believe that two men or two women cannot marry. For my son’s wedding, my wife and I sought many officiants. We looked for a priest—he said my son isn’t religious and that the Bible opposes homosexuality; we went to the marriage registry—they said they couldn’t issue a legal marriage certificate; we sought a lawyer—he said even if we signed a marriage contract, it would be legally invalid. No one could officiate my son’s marriage. So I thought—then I’ll do it myself!”
He took He Chu San and Xia Liu Yi’s hands, and declared solemnly to the audience: “Now I announce: Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon, my wife and I, everyone present here, and love itself—bear witness that these two are joined as husbands.”
He turned to his son. “He Chu San, are you willing to accept this man, Xia Liu Yi, as your husband, never to part, for a lifetime?”
“I am willing,” He Chu San replied.
Mr. He turned to Xia Liu Yi. “Xia Liu Yi, are you willing to accept this man, He Chu San, as your husband, never to part, for a lifetime—never to bully him, neglect him, fail him, argue with him, and absolutely never hit him—or his father will smash your head open! You must care for him attentively—fan him when it’s hot, remind him to wear more when it’s cold…”
He Chu San coughed lightly, signaling his father that it was enough.
Mr. He reluctantly wrapped up, “I’ll add more later. Are you willing?”
Unable to hold back a smile, Xia Liu Yi nodded. “I am willing.”
“Good. You may exchange rings.” Mr. He waved grandly.
Xin Xin’s little daughter fluttered up the stage with her angel wings, giggling as she presented a box of rings, inside which was also a necklace. He Chu San first threaded the large diamond ring from his left ring finger onto the necklace and put it around his neck, freeing his finger before extending his hand toward Xia Liu Yi.
Xia Liu Yi placed the new ring on his finger. He Chu San did the same for him, murmuring softly as he did, “If you lose this one again, I…”
“Your dad will smash my head,” Xia Liu Yi finished with a laugh.
He Chu San chuckled. “Dad wouldn’t bear to hit you—he only has one Daughter-in-Law.”
“Enough!” Mr. He said. “If you want to be mushy, do it at home. Everyone’s waiting.”
Following the long line of Xia Liu Yi’s fingers, He Chu San slid the ring fully into place. “All set.”
“All set!” Mr. He declared. “Those under ten, cover your eyes!”
Standing beside the stage, Xin Xin’s little daughter sighed regretfully and covered her eyes.
“Now you may kiss your husbands!”
Smiling, He Chu San reached out his hand toward Xia Liu Yi. Xia Liu Yi, far less reserved, cupped his head and lunged forward, planting a fierce kiss on him!
The crowd’s cheers and applause startled a flock of birds from the forest, sending them soaring toward the vast blue sea.
……
One kiss completed. Mr. He waved his hand and shouted, “The ceremony is complete!” then clutched his aching back and hurried off the stage to rest.
He Chu San was filled with tenderness, yet before he could even say a word to Xia Liu Yi, Xia Liu Yi’s old band of brothers and sisters swarmed up like a tide. Cheering, they dragged their Boss off the stage and directly lifted him up, tossing him into the air!
“Long live Boss!”
“Boss is finally out!”
“Hahahaha!”
Meanwhile, He Chu San was pulled away by Cui Dong Dong, who approached with a glass of champagne. “Director He, Director He, come, come—help introduce me to your colleagues. Ask them to donate to our welfare home. I’ll make bronze busts of them and place them at the entrance.”
……
The Boss was tossed several rounds in succession; even his buttons were torn off. Yet unlike in the past, he did not scowl or curse—he simply laughed and let them have their fun. The brothers and sisters chattered around him with concern:
“Boss has gotten thinner!”
“Boss was never fat!”
“Boss got darker!”
“Boss was never fair!”
“Boss is still as handsome, forever eighteen!”
“Yes, yes!”
Looking at their lively smiles that had not changed in over a decade, Xia Liu Yi smiled as well. “How could anyone stay eighteen forever? I’m old now—forty-two. Big Scarhead, if I remember right, you’re the same age as Xiao Ma, right? Forty this year?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Your child’s in middle school now?”
“Started last year. Thanks to Mr. He writing to the school board, he got into a good school.”
“A’Nan, golden bachelor, married yet?”
“Ahem…”
“Haha, he just got married last month—married a rich lady. Her son’s already a teenager!”
“Hey, Yong Yi and I are true love!”
“Congratulations, A’Nan. I trust your character and judgment—you’ll be very happy. Snake Sister, still running the advertising company?”
“Yes, Boss. Now all the train cars on the East Rail Line carry my ads. Want to buy a few to announce your marriage?”
The crowd gathered around him joyfully, chattering without end. Xiao Ma squeezed in carrying a large tray of drinks. “Hey! You lot, grab your drinks! There are pastries and roast suckling pig over there—go eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves! There’ll be plenty of time later to catch up with Boss. Right now, Boss is mine!”
Xia Liu Yi thanked everyone repeatedly, making sure to hug each and every one of them. Only then was he openly “kidnapped” by his number-one subordinate. Xiao Ma gleefully dragged him aside. “Boss, Boss, come look—see who this is. Long time no see, right?”
“Xiao Yu?”
Susin grinned and gave him a big hug, even planting an exaggerated “mwah!” on his cheek. “I go by Susin now.”
“When did you…” Xia Liu Yi gestured toward his chest.
“Had the surgery ages ago,” Susin said cheerfully. “Xiao Ma didn’t tell you?”
Xia Liu Yi had only heard that five years ago, after helping Interpol dismantle another transnational syndicate, Xiao Ma had retired and was now working as a coach at a local boxing gym. He chatted a bit more with Susin, but Xiao Ma shoved a drink into Susin’s hand and shooed him away. “Alright, go on—I need to discuss serious business with Boss.”
Susin rolled his eyes, then scanned the crowd and spotted Qin Hao, who was talking with Kevin in the distance. “Little Azure Dragon!” he called, running off happily.
“If you dare flirt with men, you’re dead tonight!” Xiao Ma shouted after him. Susin responded with a middle finger.
“Damn, he gives me headaches—at his age, still flirting everywhere. Can’t take his eyes off a handsome guy,” Xiao Ma complained to Xia Liu Yi. “He even lies, telling people he’s only twenty-five.”
Xia Liu Yi laughed. “He does look young, that little demon. And you’re the only one who can handle him. Alright, what did you want to tell me?”
Xiao Ma found his gentle tone extremely unfamiliar. “Boss… I’ve noticed that after being in prison so long, you’ve turned almost like a Bodhisattva—kind and benevolent. You haven’t stopped smiling today.”
Xia Liu Yi swung his large hand—smack!—and slapped him on the head. “I just got out of prison and got married today—shouldn’t I be smiling?!”
“The elegance of Boss’s slap is as impressive as ever,” Xiao Ma said admiringly, rubbing his reddened forehead. He pulled Xia Liu Yi to a table and set a briefcase on it.
“What’s this?” Xia Liu Yi asked.
Xiao Ma pulled out a thick stack of documents and a bag of seals. Glancing back at Xie Jia Hua, he quietly opened the bottom compartment to show Xia Liu Yi the Dragon Head Staff Dagger inside.
“Boss, after you went in, you entrusted me with managing the company and all your shares. All these years, I’ve led the brothers into legitimate business, doing things properly, without stepping out of line. Our Hall still exist, but only as places to worship Lord Guan and maintain bonds—we haven’t been triad members for many years. Now that you’re back, it’s time to return everything to its rightful owner.”
Xia Liu Yi did not reach out to take it. He simply smiled. “If I remember correctly, I held 60% of the company shares, while Uncle Yuan , Elder Ge, Uncle Qiu, and Prince Duan each held 10%. Later, Uncle Qiu and Uncle Yuan passed away, and I bought their shares from their heirs. I ended up holding 80%.”
“Yes. Elder Ge passed away two years ago, and Prince Duan retired to the countryside. I bought their shares—those remaining 20% are now under my name,” Xiao Ma said.
Xia Liu Yi patted his shoulder. “Chairman Ma has prospered these years—surely you have the means to buy out my 80% in one go. Go get a valuation done, have the lawyer prepare the paperwork. I’ll come sign it in a few days.”
Xiao Ma stared in shock. “Boss, what nonsense are you talking about?! That’s impossible! The company is yours! If I did that, wouldn’t I be struck by lightning?!”
Xia Liu Yi smiled. “All I’ve done half my life is fight and kill—I don’t know business. Without Dong Dong helping back then, who knows what would’ve happened to the company. Now you can stand on your own, more capable than me. I can entrust the brothers and sisters to you with peace of mind. I haven’t been a Boss for years—now I’m retiring.”
Xiao Ma grew anxious. “But Boss, if you don’t do this, what will you do?”
“Haven’t decided,” Xia Liu Yi tilted his head in thought. “Maybe I’ll open a fruit stall, sell durians. Open when I feel like it, close when I don’t. A’San is busy with work—if I also run a business, we won’t have time together. I’d rather spend more time as a house husband.”
Xiao Ma’s eyes widened. He simply could not associate his Boss with being a house husband. “Boss… are you serious?!”
“Truer than pearls,” Xia Liu Yi said, standing up and pushing the briefcase back to him. “Alright, we’ll talk next time. There’s plenty of time ahead. I need to find your Sister-in-Law. I still owe him a lunchbox tonight—he’s been nagging me about it the whole way here.”
Elio’s notes: If I’m not mistaken, this is about the ‘standing carry position’ they’ve been talking about before which is written as 火车便当. The last two characters 便当 can also mean lunch box or bento.
Xiao Ma’s mouth fell open in an “O” shape. “You’re cooking for him tonight?!”
Xia Liu Yi rubbed his face, smiling a little shyly. “Yeah… going home to ‘make’ him a lunchbox.”
……
The moment Xia Liu Yi was released from prison, he hadn’t even had a sip of water before being rushed here to get married. He knew He Chu San had been anxious—after waiting more than a decade, he could not wait even another second. Earlier, he had felt dazed and awkward; now, he was gradually regaining the feeling of being free.
He stepped into the crowd and first greeted Xie Jia Hua and Lu Guang Ming.
“I heard you’re now a Superintendent, Inspector Xie?”
“Senior Inspector,” Xie Jia Hua corrected.
“A promotion all the same. Thank you for coming today.”
Xie Jia Hua shook his hand with a serious expression. “Congratulations, Xia Liu Yi. You’ve changed a lot.”
“Oh?”
“If you told me now you were going to Lamma Island to farm, I’d believe you.”
Xia Liu Yi burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Are you saying I’ve grown old and taken on the air of a farmer?”
“You have the air of someone retiring to the countryside. What do you plan to do next?”
“Hahaha, exactly that—retire, farm a bit, sell durians.”
Lu Guang Ming also shook his hand with a smile. “Congratulations, Mr. Xia. San San has waited for you through great hardship—you’d better ‘reward’ him well tonight. We still have a case to investigate, so we’ll take our leave. Come visit our home with San San next time.”
Xia Liu Yi bid them farewell, then squeezed into He Chu San’s circle—mainly the eloquent Cui Dong Dong and several business figures. He hooked his arm through his husband’s.
“Hello everyone. Sorry, I need to borrow my husband for a moment. Dong Dong, we’ll catch up later.”
Cui Dong Dong, who had been visiting him regularly in the prison visitation room, had no patience for reminiscing. He waved him off immediately. “Go, go, go! Mr. Huang, Mr. Dong, meeting such great philanthropists like you—what a rare pleasure…”
……
Futile Devices Scans 
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