"Are You Still Addicted?" Book One (Addicted Fanfiction)

"The Grand Scheme."

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.