In his life, Ni Dong has only ever done two things: save people and get let down.
Fifteen years ago, he saved a mixed-race child covered in blood and cooked him a bowl of porridge.
Three years ago, he rescued another person from a fire. That person became his boyfriend.
Then his boyfriend cheated on him.
On the day he caught them in the act, he pinned his rival to the ground and kissed him, hoping to disgust the two of them.
When the kiss ended, his rival's eyes shone startlingly bright.
“I didn't mind when you kissed me.”
From then on, another venomous snake latched onto this ordinary man.
He didn't know Ni Dong had discovered him following him long ago, or that Ni Dong had been waiting for him to speak first.
All he knew was that after he revealed his sordid past, this man would say:
“A nine-year-old child forced into that kind of situation has nothing to be ashamed of.”
Ni Dong said, “We're both sick.”
Xie Qin asked, “So what do we do?”
Ni Dong said, “We get better together, little by little.”
When he was hurt, Ni Dong would tell him, “Once you're healed, we'll go home.”
He was his fireworks.
He was his light.
Two venomous snakes, one ordinary man.
At the feet of the Bodhisattva, who lies prostrate?
(I started imagining this book many years ago, but I could never settle on the right features for the main character, Ni Dong. So he stayed with me in my mind, keeping me company as I made three meals a day for Xie Qin and watched him grow through the seasons. Then, this year, I saw two remarkable young men, and at last Ni Dong had a face. After getting to know them for three months, I began writing. Their story doesn't take up many chapters, but it's real, enduring, and steady.)
