The weather in Thailand was humid. It had a nice breeze blowing, so it made it bearable. Traffic wasn't so bad and it didn't take them too long to arrive at the palace. There were so many people from all over the world there, so many different faces, colors of skin, races. Quite a few women stood in line holding umbrellas to shade them from the sun. Gu Hai spotted a man selling some and purchased one for everyone.
"Thank you," Ying Yue gushed, taking the umbrella with eager hands. The heat had hit her like a heat wave and she felt very thirsty all of a sudden. Standing in the line made her wonder if she would be able to get through the rest of the day.
Jiang Yifei opened her umbrella immediately. It shielded her eyes from the hot sun and she was grateful.
Yang Meng also breathed a sigh of relief as he wiped his forehead with a rag. The humidity was high and he felt his insides start to bake. "I need water," he said, pouting his bottom lip at You Qi.
You Qi headed off to find some bottled water for the group without a word. You Qi made it back with two bags full of water before it was Gu Hai's turn in line. There was so many people walking about and taking pictures and videos that he pulled out his phone and snapped a few of his own. He wore a hat and big black sun shades, hoping that none of his fans in Thailand would notice him. So far, so good.
Gu Hai puchased the tickets at the temple's entrance. They were five hundred baht. He looked at the money and thought that it looked very pretty in his hands. He wiped his own forehead and went to meet everyone else. He had informed everyone to dress properly if they wanted to get into the palace. If you wore shorts, tank-tops, flip-flops, tight pants, or anything too revealing, you would be turned away from entering the establishment, no questions asked! Even though you could buy clothing to cover yourselves up and enter, Gu Hai's group was mindful of what was appropriate.
Bai LuoYin grabbed a handful of the free brochures and handed them out to everyone. He opened his own and looked at the map. "Let's start with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha," he suggested.
Everyone nodded and followed Bai LuoYin as he stuck close to Gu Hai like the good husband that he was. Walking towards their destination, Ying Yue was hypnotized by how cute the little bonsai trees were. They were cut to perfection.
When they arrived, You Qi read the sign nearby. "It's called, Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram," he said.
"That's quite a mouthful!" Jiang Yifei said, her eyes wide. She attempted to repeat the name but got tongue tied.
"It's also called, Wat Phra Kaew," Bai LuoYin chimed in.
Walking up to the temple, a tour guide was heard speaking to a group of people. He gestured towards two imposing statues that were facing the temple. "These are the Yaksha, which are guardian demons. The one on your left with the green face is, Intarachit. The one on the right with the red face is called, Suryapop. There are six pairs of these Yaksha surrounding the temple. Their role is to protect the Emerald Buddha from evil spirits," he said proudly.
"Suryapop," Jiang Yifei repeated under her breath. She turned to look at Wang Wei, who stood behind her looking up the statue's towering silhouette. Once his eyes moved down the statue, he caught her eyes and held her gaze. He smiled and she smiled back at him. He was her own version of the Yaksha.
When they entered the temple, they were all left speechless from its raw beauty and design. Next, they took their shoes off and placed them on shoe racks that were lined up along one wall. They entered the Phra Ubosot, which was the most holy of all temples in Thailand. There were people praying and lighting incense farther inside the main floor, so they respected their privacy and continued to just observe the culture.
You Qi was about to snap a picture, but remembered that he saw a sign outside that said, no pictures and videos inside the temple.
Ying Yue was overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all. There was so much shining and glittering in every direction that she turned.
Bai LuoYin took in the golden images, deities, guardians, and altars that filled the back of the room. High up near the ceiling, just below the sparkling chandeliers, his eyes spotted a small green object. It was bedecked in gold and sat on a golden pedestal. He tugged on Gu Hai's sleeve to get his attention.
Gu Hai followed his wife's gaze to the Emerald Buddha and without realizing what he was doing, grabbed Bai LuoYin's hand in his own. The warmth that he felt in his hands matched the warmth in his heart as he gazed up at Thailand's most sacred relic. He closed his eyes and prayed.
Bai LuoYin turned to look upon Gu Hai's face. There were so many people around them that no one noticed them holding hands, not even their own friends. He studied his husband's face for a few seconds and knew what Gu Hai was praying for. He was praying for him and their two babies. He knew Gu Hai wouldn't pray for himself, so he turned his head, closed his own eyes, and prayed for the love of his life as well as their babies.
When they exited the temple, it was a task trying to find their shoes again.
"Hey, isn't that Kuan Im?" asked Yang Meng, pointing across from where they stood.
"The chinese goddess of mercy?" asked You Qi.
Yang Meng nodded.
They found their shoes and walked over to where Yang Meng had been pointing. Sure enough, there was a statue of the goddess near two cow figures. People were burning incense and making offerings to Buddha a few feet away.
"I love it here," Yang Meng said joyfully.
They continued and found two more Yaksha statues. This time, Thotsakhirithon with its green face and elephant nose, and Thotsakhiriwan, with its blue face and elephant nose. They were guarding the Na Wua Gate.
Jiang Yifei walked up to Ying Yue. She was looking at her map with great concentration. "We should go here," she said, pointing to a location on the map.
When Ying Yue read the discription, her eyes lit up and she nodded. She turned to Gu Hai and Bai LuoYin, showed them where they wanted to visit next and were off.
Near the Ho Phra Khanthararat temple, they found the elephant statues they were looking for.
"So, what do you have to do again?" asked Gu Hai.
"We have to circle the elephant three times and then rub its head," Jiang Yifei said. She went first as the rest of the group watched her movements.
Everyone took their turn around the elephant and also took pictures with one another. After, they explored the upper terrace and spotted another set of Yaksha staues. Atsakanmala, with the blue face, and Chakkrawat, with a white face. They were guarding the Koei Sadet gate.
They arrived at the Prasat Phra Dhepbidon, took in its royal beauty, the golden gilded chedi on either sides of the stone stairs and took more photos. They couldn't enter the Phra Mondop, because it wasn't open to the public. The huge library held holy scriptures that were too valuable to be touched by untrained hands. They gazed upon the model of Angkor Wat with great admiration, and the Phra Sawet Kudakhan Wihan Wot.
"This sun is a bit harsh," Ying Yue said, fanning herself with her hand.
"Let's go in there," Gu Hai said, gesturing towards a structure that encircled the temple courtyard. It was relatively shaded, and when they entered, noticed that it had a gallery.
Ying Yue and Bai LuoYin walked along the path and watched a series of vivid mural paintings on the wall. It was the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana epic. After taking a break and making sure that the women were okay, they went on ahead.
The Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang was next. The grand three level structure was built as the royal residence. It was a mix between European and Thai architechture and was very stylish to look at, especially the Thai styled roof.
Bai LuoYin and Gu Hai noticed the royal guards with their white hats and jackets that matched. Their pants were black with a red strip running down the sides and their golden buttons shined in the sun's light. They carried themselves with honor and precision, and looked very well doing so. They were very impressed.
"They look very gallant," Gu Hai said and snapped a picture. He looked over at his lover and wondered if he missed being on the military base.
Bai LuoYin nodded as he continued to watch the men march, their guns gripped tightly in their hands. For a long time he had immersed himself in work, in his career. Now, being with Gu Hai, Ying Yue, Jiang Yifei, and his other friends, he felt like he was actually living life. They were on vacation, he didn't want to think about the military. He wanted to live life. He went over to the women and asked how they were feeling, then he turned to Gu Hai and suggested they get something to eat and head back to the hotel for some rest.
Before they left, Gu Hai turned around. They were standing in the grass courtyard, which had a magnificent view of greenery. It was stunning, with the sun sitting low in colors of red, orange, yellow, and what some would argue to be purple. He grabbed Bai LuoYin's hand once more, wrapped a hand around the front of his chest, pulled him closer, and turned him to see what he saw. Wat Phra Kaew looked so beautiful to them.
Taking in the scene one last time was something that would stay in their memory banks for the rest of their lives.
Bai LuoYin leaned back and rested his head on his husband's chest. Sharing a moment like this was priceless. He turned his head to the right and caught You Qi and Yang Meng sharing a similar moment.
You Qi had wrapped his fingers around Yang Meng's own and was swinging it back and forth slowly. To take in the view and his friends being romantic had prompted him to do the same. He also turned his head to see the women looking at the same thing that they all were.
Ying Yue and Jiang Yifei hadn't seen a beautiful sunset like this one in a long time. They linked their arms together like long time girlfriends and joined the communal group in remembering the view.
Wang Wei and the other three bodyguards stood nearby in appreciation.
When they all got back to the hotel, everyone showered. Some went to bed, others ate something light or enjoyed TV. Eventually, they all fell asleep. A good night's rest was much needed.
Little did they know, Xiaoping was busy plotting. First, he contacted some of his people in Thailand, ones who did anything for money. He paid a couple of men to check into the hotel to spy on Gu Hai and his guests. If his plan was to work, he needed to know where they were at all times. Second, he ran background checks on the hotel staff members. He needed to know who he could pay off when he was ready to make his move. He found out that two male employees were having financial problems, which didn't take him too long to covert onto his side after he waved ten thousand dollars each at them. He was pleased, his plan was running smoothly so far in such a short time. He rented a house that was abandoned a few miles away and made sure that his private jet was refueled and waiting. A lot of people would ask questions while he made his move to obtain Ying Yue again, but he didn't care, every cent he spent on doing so was worth it. Now, he just needed to get her alone.
In the morning, Gu Hai treated everyone to a luxury breakfast on his balcony. With everyone gathered in the same space, he suggested that they visited Chatuchak Market. Being as it was Saturday, all the stalls at the market would be open and they would be able to enjoy the full experience.
"Another full day?" Yang Meng said, sounding as if he were complaining.
"I think we should do some shopping first, if you and You Qi want to go ahead and do something without us, go ahead," Gu Hai said as if he didn't care.
"No," Bai LuoYin objected, "we should all stick together as a group. That way it will be more fun!"
Jiang Yifei nodded from across the table. She also felt as if they should stick together.
"Fine," Yang Meng pouted his lips, then stuffed food into his mouth so that he wouldn't say another word. He had been dragged out of bed by You Qi and had wanted to sleep in a bit longer.
Gu Hai looked over at Bai LuoYin. Last night he had wanted to seek his revenge, but when his wifey's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light and looked so peaceful. He changed his plans and decided to get back at him tonight.
"I wouldn't mind some shopping," Ying Yue said. She planned on purchasing a lot of things. When she had the baby, and after she had settled down in her new apartment, she wanted to decorate it with things from all over the world. She pulled out her cellphone and pulled up information about where they were going. "This place has shopping stalls set up over thirty five acres of land!"
Jiang Yifei's eyes went wide. "That is huge," she said.
Yang Meng's feet already ached from hearing that. He stuffed an egg into his mouth and didn't speak. He felt as if he needed to be team player. If he complained again, he was scared that Gu Hai would launch something heavy at his small, but cute, head. He pouted internally and fought not to speak.
"Whatever we buy, we should just have it shipped home," You Qi suggested. This was the one thing he liked about being wealthy. Whenever he went on vacation, he would hire another private jet to take the things he bought home. He looked over at Gu Hai, who nodded in agreement.
Gu Hai turned his head to the left and spoke to Wang Wei and the other three bodyguards. "Whatever you men purchase, feel free to put it on the plane as well," he said and waited for the men to acknowledge him.
After everyone ate, they got ready, met in the lobby, and left. When they arrived at the market, Bai LuoYin grabbed a handful of maps and shared them with the group. Jiang Yiefi's nose was assaulted from the aromas of seafood and sweets. Ying Yue was in awe of all the pretty colors that surrounded her. Gu Hai grabbed Bai LuoYin's hand and lead the way.
Wang Wei moved up to Jiang Yifei nervously and held out his hand. "I'd like to escort you," he offered.
Jiang Yifei eyed his hand and without thinking about it for too long, linked her hand in his. She let him lead the way and turned towards Ying Yue quickly to make a joyful, but silent, face of excitement.
Ying Yue gave her a thumbs up as the other three boyguards led her from the back. She was so happy that Wang Wei finally made a move.
There was so many people walking about that it was hard to maneuver through the crowds. Bai LuoYin saw something that he liked at a vendor, turned to the sales clerk and asked, "Thao rai?" (How much?) He could haggle anyone to get the best price possible, but everything was already so cheap. Knowing how to speak some Thai helped, you were less likely to be ripped off. He was thankful that he knew how to say a few numbers in their language.
Gu Hai grinned. Watching his lover made him remember, again, how gifted he was at bargaining. He wondered how well Bai LuoYin was going to try and bargain tonight. Visions of the captive scene played out in his mind. Bai LuoYin tied up, helpless, begging to be let go. He had to turn his head to the side to hide the chuckle that escaped from his throat. He couldn't wait to use the clear liquid!
Ying Yue turned around to look at something and noticed that a man had been watching her. He turned his head quickly and picked up something from off of the table in front of him. She frowned. He looked up at her again and smiled. She smiled back. She had heard that the people of Thailand were very friendly and happy. She continued to check out the items on the table, not paying the man any more mind. She was unaware of his evil intentions. When she walked over to another stall, he turned his dark eyes towards her again. He pulled out his cell and sent a text message to Xiaoping. They couldn't snatch her here. Too many people, and Gu Hai stuck close by. The bodyguards that he hired were well trained also. They protected Ying Yue like highly trained professionals should. They would have to nab her when she was alone, if that ever happened.