The wedding was held in a small seaside garden surrounded by shady green trees and clusters of brilliant flowers. Mottled light shimmered across the tranquil sea.
On the way there, Xia Liu Yi hurriedly changed into a suit inside the car. The moment he stepped out, cheers surrounded him. Light, melodious music played throughout the venue. A red carpet led toward a flower-covered arch and ceremonial platform at the far end of the garden, with rows of small white chairs arranged on either side and filled with guests. As he walked along, blessings and familiar smiling faces greeted him from both sides.
Xia Liu Yi was still deeply unaccustomed to the air of freedom and the crowded gathering—he had thought this would be a small, private wedding with very few people. Still dazed and disoriented, he found He Chu San pressing a bouquet of roses into his arms and leading him onto the red carpet.
He saw Cui Dong Dong and Xiao Luo, Big Scarhead and Xiao He, Xiao Ma and… Xiao Yu??? Why was Xiao Yu wearing men’s clothing? Where had his chest gone?
Next came several of his former subordinates: A’Nan, A’Mao, Black Chicken, Tiger Head, Snake Girl, and a large group of other brothers and sisters. Everyone excitedly shouted, “Boss!” Then, as though sharing the same thought, they glanced guiltily toward the other side of the red carpet and hastily corrected themselves. “Mr. Xia! Congratulations, congratulations…”
There were relatively fewer people on He Chu San’s side. Xia Liu Yi turned his head and saw the smiling Kevin and Qin Hao—Qin Hao???
Next came the grinning Lu Guang Ming and the stern-faced Xie Jia Hua—why were those two here as well??? Had all the brothers been looking at Xie Jia Hua just now???
After them were several men and women who radiated the air of elite business professionals. They were presumably He Chu San’s friends. Then came Xin Xin and her blond, blue-eyed husband. Xin Xin was also holding the hand of a little girl around six or seven years old. The girl had golden curls, a small floral crown on her head, and a snow-white puffed dress, with a pair of fluffy angel wings strapped to her back.
“Sam!” The little girl spotted He Chu San from a distance and fluttered her little wings as she charged onto the red carpet, openly calling out her uncle’s English name. Smiling, He Chu San crouched and caught her in his arms. The little angel happily wrapped her arms around her uncle’s neck, but when she raised her head and saw Xia Liu Yi, she suddenly became shy and buried her small face against He Chu San’s shoulder.
“He’s your uncle-in-law. Call him Uncle-in-law,” He Chu San teased her.
Still hiding her face, the little angel shook her head full of gleaming golden curls and refused to speak out of bashfulness. Xia Liu Yi remained tense and awkward after being so abruptly surrounded by people and stood there without saying a word. Fortunately, Xin Xin came forward to enliven the atmosphere. Without allowing any argument, she pulled He Chu San upright. “Aiya, Brother, Sister-in-law! Stop standing around like fools! Dad is about to lose his temper!”
She hurriedly pushed the two of them toward the ceremonial platform at the end of the red carpet. Father He stood onstage with a stern expression. The moment they climbed up, he raised his walking stick and began wildly swatting He Chu San. “You dawdling little bastard! Everyone has been waiting for you!”
“Dad, stop hitting me! Your son is getting married today!” He Chu San fled around the platform while protecting his hairstyle.
“Weren’t you already married long ago?” Father He said angrily. “You even piggybacked on your old man’s wedding to steal some of his good fortune!”
“That time, we pledged ourselves privately. This time, we’re announcing it to the world,” He Chu San argued with perfect conviction.
Father He glared fiercely at him, then turned the head of his walking stick. “Xia Liu Yi!”
Xia Liu Yi had been standing to the side watching He Chu San get beaten. Had anyone else dared lay a hand on He Chu San, he would already have rushed forward and grabbed them by the throat. Yet beneath Father He’s formidable authority, he did not dare utter a sound. Hearing his name, he hurriedly answered, “Mr. He.”
“Are you going to behave properly from now on?!”
Former Boss Xia hurriedly nodded. “I will, I will.”
With magnificent force, Father He swung the walking stick and struck him across the backside! “That is for making my son wait fourteen years! Will you ever dare make him wait again?!”
Xia Liu Yi did not even dare rub his backside. “No, I won’t.”
Father He lowered his walking stick indignantly. “Hmph! You wouldn’t dare!” Then he waved his hand grandly. “Turn off the music! Let’s begin!”
The cheerful background music stopped abruptly. All the guests rose from the seats lining both sides of the red carpet. Father He accepted the microphone Xin Xin handed him and began officiating in a loud, vigorous voice.
“Distinguished guests, friends, and family, welcome to the wedding of Mr. He Chu San and Mr. Xia Liu Yi. I originally wanted to hold an enormous banquet, but my son refused. He said it would frighten all my old neighbors. They’re getting on in years, and their hearts aren’t very strong…”
The guests erupted in laughter. Father He waved a hand. “Old He isn’t joking. It is now 2007, but many people’s thinking is still trapped in the previous century. They believe that two men or two women cannot marry. For my son’s wedding, my wife and I approached many people to officiate. We went to a priest, but the priest said my son wasn’t religious and that the Bible opposed homosexuality. We went to the marriage registry, but they said they could not issue my son a legal marriage certificate. We went to a lawyer, but the lawyer said that even if they signed a contract establishing a marriage, it would have no legal validity. Since nobody was willing to officiate my son’s wedding, I thought, then I’ll do it myself!”
He took He Chu San’s and Xia Liu Yi’s hands and solemnly addressed the guests below. “I now declare that heaven and earth, the sun and moon, my wife and I, everyone present here, and love itself shall bear witness to the marriage of these two husbands.”
He asked his son, “He Chu San, are you willing to accept Xia Liu Yi as your husband, never leaving or abandoning him from this day forward, for your entire lives?”
“I am,” He Chu San said.
Father He then turned toward Xia Liu Yi. “Xia Liu Yi, are you willing to accept He Chu San as your husband, never leaving or abandoning him for your entire lives; never bullying him, neglecting him, disappointing him, or arguing with him; and especially never hitting him, or his father will smash your head open? You must also care for him attentively, fan him when the weather is hot, remind him to wear more clothes when it grows cold…”
He Chu San coughed softly, signaling that his father had probably said enough.
Father He reluctantly concluded, “I’ll add the rest later. Are you willing?”
Unable to suppress his smile, Xia Liu Yi nodded. “I am.”
“Very well. You may exchange rings.” Father He waved his hand grandly.
Xin Xin’s young daughter ran onto the platform with her angel wings fluttering, smiling as she presented a box containing two matching rings and a necklace. He Chu San first removed the large diamond ring from the ring finger of his left hand, threaded it onto the necklace, and placed it around his neck, thereby making room on his finger. Only then did he extend his hand toward Xia Liu Yi.
Xia Liu Yi slid the new ring onto his finger. He Chu San placed the other ring on Xia Liu Yi’s hand, murmuring as he did so, “If you lose this one too, I’ll…”
“Your dad will smash my head open,” Xia Liu Yi finished with a smile.
He Chu San smiled as well. “Dad could never bear to hit you. You’re his only daughter-in-law.”
“That’s enough!” Father He said. “Go home if you want to whisper sweet nonsense. Everyone is waiting.”
Following the length of Xia Liu Yi’s slender finger, He Chu San pushed the ring firmly into place. “Done.”
“Done!” Father He announced. “Everyone under ten, cover your eyes!”
Xin Xin’s daughter, who was standing beside the ceremonial platform, sighed regretfully and covered her eyes.
“You may now kiss your husbands!”
Smiling, He Chu San reached out toward Xia Liu Yi. Xia Liu Yi was nowhere near as restrained. He directly cupped He Chu San’s head and plunged into a fierce kiss!
The guests’ cheers and applause startled a flock of birds from the trees, sending them flying toward the blue sea.
When the kiss finally ended, Father He waved his hands and shouted, “The ceremony is complete! The ceremony is complete!” Then he rubbed his aching lower back and hurried down from the platform to rest. He Chu San’s heart was full of emotion, but before he could say a single word to Xia Liu Yi, Xia Liu Yi’s former brothers and sisters swarmed forward. Cheering, they dragged their boss off the platform, hoisted him into the air, and threw him toward the sky!
“Long live the Boss!” “The Boss is finally out!” “Hahahahaha!”
Meanwhile, Cui Dong Dong approached with a glass of champagne and dragged He Chu San away. “Mr. He, Mr. He! Come, come, introduce me to those colleagues of yours. Ask them to donate to our welfare home. I’ll make bronze busts of them and display them at the entrance.”
The brothers tossed their boss into the air several times, even tearing off a few of his buttons. Yet unlike in the old days, Xia Liu Yi did not scowl or curse. He merely smiled and allowed them to fool around. His brothers and sisters chattered worriedly around him. “The Boss has gotten thinner!”
“The Boss was never fat!”
“The Boss has gotten darker!”
“The Boss was never fair!”
“The Boss is still as handsome as ever! Forever eighteen!”
“Exactly, exactly!”
Looking at their vivid smiles, unchanged after more than a decade, Xia Liu Yi smiled too. “How could I remain eighteen forever? I’m old now—forty-two. Big Scarhead, I remember you’re the same age as Xiao Ma. You’re forty this year?”
“That’s right, Boss.”
“Has your child started secondary school?”
“Last year. Thanks to Mr. He writing to a member of the school board, the child got into a good secondary school.”
“A’Nan, our golden bachelor. Are you married?”
“Cough…”
“Hahaha! Him? He got married last month. Found himself a wealthy woman whose son is already in his teens.”
“Hey! Yong Yi and I truly love each other!”
“Congratulations, A’Nan. I trust your character and judgment. You’ll certainly be very happy together. Snake Girl, are you still running an advertising company?”
“Yes, Boss. All the carriage advertisements along the entire East Rail Line belong to me now. Do you want to buy a few spaces to announce your marriage?”
The group happily crowded around their boss, chattering without end. Xiao Ma squeezed through them carrying a large tray filled with various drinks. “Hey! You little brats, take your drinks! There are all sorts of refreshments over there, along with roast suckling pig. Go eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves. You’ll have plenty of time to make a fuss around the Boss from now on! The Boss belongs to me right now!”
Xia Liu Yi repeatedly thanked everyone for making the special journey and ensured that he had embraced each of his brothers and sisters. Only then did he allow his number-one subordinate to openly steal him away. Delighted, Xiao Ma dragged him aside. “Boss, Boss! Come see who this is. Haven’t you two gone a long time without meeting?”
“Xiao Yu?”
Susin grinned and gave him a tremendous hug, then planted an exaggerated smacking kiss on his cheek. “Everyone calls me Susin now.”
“When did you…” Xia Liu Yi gestured toward his chest.
“I had surgery ages ago,” Susin said cheerfully. “Didn’t Xiao Ma tell you?”
Xia Liu Yi had only heard Xiao Ma say that Susin had retired five years earlier after helping Interpol dismantle another international criminal organization and now worked as an instructor at a local boxing gym. After Xia Liu Yi chatted with Susin for a few more moments, Xiao Ma pushed a glass of alcohol into Susin’s hand and chased him away. “All right, get lost. I need to discuss serious business with the Boss.”
Susin rolled his eyes, then scanned the crowd and spotted Qin Hao speaking with Kevin in the distance. “Little Azure Dragon!” he called before happily running off.
“If you dare flirt with another man, you’re dead tonight!” Xiao Ma shouted after him. Susin responded by raising his middle finger.
“Damn it, he worries me to death. He’s already that old, but he still flirts everywhere and can’t tear his eyes away whenever he sees a handsome man,” Xiao Ma complained to Xia Liu Yi. “He lies to people every day and claims he’s only twenty-five.”
Xia Liu Yi laughed. “He does look young. That little demon—you’re impressive for being able to handle him. All right, what did you want to tell me?”
Xiao Ma was extremely unaccustomed to Xia Liu Yi’s pleasant and amiable manner. “Boss, I think spending so long in prison turned you into a Bodhisattva. You look so benevolent now. You haven’t stopped smiling all day.”
Xia Liu Yi swung his enormous palm and smacked him across the head. “I got out of prison and got married today. Shouldn’t I be smiling?!”
“The Boss’s slap has lost none of its former glory,” Xiao Ma praised while covering his reddened forehead. He led Xia Liu Yi to a nearby table and chairs, sat down, and placed a briefcase on the table.
“What is this?” Xia Liu Yi asked suspiciously.
Xiao Ma pulled a thick stack of documents and a bag of company seals from the briefcase. He glanced back at Xie Jia Hua, then secretly opened the bottom of the case and showed Xia Liu Yi the dagger from the Dragon Head Staff hidden inside.
“Boss, after you went inside, you entrusted me with the management of our parent company and placed all your shares under my care. Throughout these years, I have led the brothers in running legitimate businesses and worked honestly and steadily without taking a single wrong step. Although our hall still exists, it is merely a place where the brothers honor Guan Gong and maintain their bonds. We haven’t been gangsters for many years. Now that you’re out, I can finally return everything to its rightful owner.”
Elio’s Notes: Guan Gong (关公) – The deified form of the historical general Guan Yu, revered as a symbol of loyalty, courage, righteousness, and brotherhood. His image is commonly honored by martial artists, businesspeople, police officers, and underworld societies.
Xia Liu Yi did not reach out to accept anything. He merely smiled. “I remember that I originally owned sixty percent of the parent company. The remaining forty percent was divided equally among Uncle Yuan, Elder Ge, Uncle Qiu, and Prince Duan, each holding ten percent. After Uncle Qiu and Uncle Yuan died, I bought their shares back from their heirs. Altogether, I owned eighty percent.”
“That’s right. Elder Ge died two years ago, and Prince Duan returned to the countryside to retire. I bought their shares back, so the remaining twenty percent is now under my name,” Xiao Ma said.
Xia Liu Yi patted his shoulder. “Chairman Ma’s businesses have prospered throughout these years, and you’ve accumulated a considerable fortune. I presume you have enough money to purchase my eighty percent in one payment. Have the company valued when you return, ask the lawyers to prepare the documents, and I’ll visit the company to sign them in a few days.”
Xiao Ma stared at him in astonishment. “Boss, what nonsense are you saying?! Absolutely not! The company clearly belongs to you! Wouldn’t heaven strike me dead if I did something like that?!”
Xia Liu Yi smiled. “Apart from fighting and killing, I haven’t known how to do anything throughout half my life. Without Dong Dong’s help in the past, who knows what sort of mess the company would have become? Now you can manage everything on your own. You’re shrewder and more capable than I am, so I can safely entrust all the brothers and sisters to you. I haven’t been a boss for many years. It’s time for me to retire.”
Xiao Ma said anxiously, “But Boss, if you don’t do this, what will you do?”
“I haven’t decided.” Xia Liu Yi tilted his head and thought. “Perhaps I’ll open a fruit shop and sell durians. I’ll open whenever I’m in a good mood and close whenever I’m not. A’San is busy with work. If I start running a business too, we won’t have any time together. I’d rather spend more time being a househusband.”
Xiao Ma’s eyes widened. No matter how hard he tried, he could not connect his boss with the image of a househusband. “Boss, are you serious?!”
“Truer than pearls.” Xia Liu Yi stood and pushed the briefcase back toward him. “All right. We brothers can talk again another time. We have a long future ahead of us. I need to find your sister-in-law. I still owe him a boxed lunch tonight. He kept nagging about it the entire way here.”
Xiao Ma’s mouth dropped open into a perfect circle. “You’re still cooking for him tonight?!”
Xia Liu Yi rubbed his face and smiled rather bashfully. “That’s right. I’m going home to ‘make’ him his boxed lunch.”
The moment Xia Liu Yi left prison, he had not even managed to drink a mouthful of water before being rushed here to get married. He understood that He Chu San had been impatient. After waiting more than ten years, he could not bear to wait another minute or second. Xia Liu Yi had been dazed and awkward when he first arrived, but now that he had regained his senses, he tried to recover the feeling of being a free man. He walked into the crowd and first greeted Xie Jia Hua and Lu Guang Ming.
“I heard Inspector Xie is a superintendent now?”
“Deputy superintendent,” Xie Jia Hua replied.
“Congratulations on the promotion. Thank you both for coming today.”
With a stern expression, Xie Jia Hua shook his hand and said sincerely, “Congratulations, Xia Liu Yi. You’ve changed considerably.”
“If you told me now that you were going to Lamma Island to farm, I would believe you.”
Xia Liu Yi burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Are you saying that I’m old now and have the air of an elderly farmer, Inspector Xie?”
“You have the air of someone withdrawing from the world to live in the countryside. What do you plan to do next?”
“Hahaha. I’m considering exactly that—retiring to the countryside, growing crops, and selling durians.”
Lu Guang Ming also shook his hand and smiled. “Congratulations, Mr. Xia. San San suffered terribly while waiting for you. You had better ‘reward’ him properly tonight. We need to return to an investigation, so we’ll leave first. Come to our home for dinner with San San next time.”
Xia Liu Yi said goodbye to them, then squeezed into the group surrounding He Chu San—which mainly consisted of the boastful Cui Dong Dong and several businesspeople. He linked his arm through his husband’s. “Hello, everyone. My apologies, but I need to borrow my husband. Dong Dong, we’ll catch up another time.”
Cui Dong Dong saw him in the prison visiting room every so often and had no patience for reminiscing with him. She hurriedly waved him away. “Bye, bye, bye! Mr. Huang, Mr. Dong, meeting two great philanthropists like you truly makes me regret that we didn’t meet sooner…”