Blazing Armor

Ren Yi forced a smile to lighten the mood. “Then… how about tonight? We originally agreed to do it after the New Year, anyway.”nDnkAbHeuNEGpFswloqYPZqXJLYKqy

gGGhYYSWBhwcrme

Gong Yingxian hesitated briefly. “Alright, tonight. I’ll send someone to pick you up.”URAnJXtnrqAiwoEYBGLcskBtnYXvru

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“No need. I’ll drive myself. I remember the way to your place.”MlGPXOiminWSiEijCLaImhakrgBeiN

blSOFdqdMqmrInS

“No,” Gong Yingxian said firmly, gathering his documents. “I told you before—don’t act alone.” He walked a couple of steps, then stopped, adding, “Bring Miao Miao along.”WJLziVCHfVnfXhkivznjDSSdrTHQRS

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Ren Yi was taken aback, feeling a small, sweet warmth rise in his heart.uCzfBCYLyeiLbeLJNdzCxGubXGdwBP

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After Gong Yingxian left, Ren Yi collected his complicated emotions, preparing to leave. But just as he opened the door, he found Qiu Yan waiting outside, appearing to have been there specifically for him.GDWhUNgkyFEMWEtzdGspXRLdWfzrTc

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“Captain Qiu?” Ren Yi looked at her, confused.eBtZysPozDXsRTKykUwxfbvUkYvYUH

myWYjPuGRKCXXsH

Qiu Yan stepped forward, backing him into the room. “Let’s talk.”KgHIkvPQacMNxjjefmBBXFIojtEjyv

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Ren Yi had no choice but to step back.nkaZSpHIutpPupfsqNHhSUrfdJXgYP

GUtNPRMGkKxhCFG

Qiu Yan shut the door behind her and leaned against the desk, getting straight to the point. “What’s going on between you and Yingxian?”TYhbLyBCQYgrnLwLlFKgauConQxPPD

SGANBWGCusBpzyJ

Ren Yi was reluctant to discuss personal matters, especially regarding his feelings, with a woman—it was too embarrassing. But since Qiu Yan had clearly noticed, there was no point in hiding it. He muttered, “He found out about my orientation… and… got mad.”nWqtucEYxNkAKHoTOgBnHSkcqCkuDV

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“Got mad” was a seriously understated way of putting it.sjmQvBXwshGLOQAakLGbIysWIcGSoF

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Qiu Yan sighed softly. “I warned you—he’s been through a lot of rough experiences.”IFsZIXezFpsPOKvdvfrswISdbqmaJu

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“I know, so I…” Ren Yi ruffled his hair, “never intended to tell him.”iWMvziGZyzDqeUaMieROlzSDTyUHrJ

dSlhAdprPaBocts

“Then how did he…” Qiu Yan thought of something. “Last night, that young actor—who is he to you?”GagJmsNMdnLihmHVuAvrecQfFsCdpi

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Ren Yi dodged, saying only, “A friend.”RVixheTYPUZGlnSVKuByQyRvFdZuEk

sxTiERQjNctyrgs

“Boyfriend, or just a hookup?” Qiu Yan’s tone turned a bit harsh.xxVUOTTpBPjefdWXpjYUTLqoXgxVvp

kVqQZYJDfBfeNKu

“…I haven’t reached out to him for a long time. Ever since I…” Ren Yi found it harder and harder to speak. In the past, he never saw this as a matter of right or wrong, but when he heard the word “disgusting” coming from Gong Yingxian’s own mouth, and saw the anger in his eyes, he felt as if he had committed a crime, filled with an overwhelming sense of shame.uySuAVLFOjGLWbYtTjdZantJcARobQ

pjxMJDCaCxoVCxy

If anyone—anyone but Gong Yingxian—had called him disgusting, told him he was abnormal, or said anything else harsh, he would have confidently fired back. He wasn’t proud of his orientation, but he wasn’t ashamed of it either; it was just a part of him, and he didn’t care what others thought—or at least, he had always thought he didn’t care. Only now did he realize that those “others” did not include Gong Yingxian.oOnvIlxinBkYdAhwwPSyvejqeNlOWO

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The person he liked could shatter his pride with just a word, just a look.PBiMnroDiqWccKuxVuPbqMJfCYcaDe

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“So, you haven’t been in contact for a long time. Last night was just a coincidence, then?”vHDDEBKPpUhyBKNYOPIKUSkokyruLC

wXjVKBBoWzohpgJ

“It was.”ZpvXmpmGeBoMOLcbghGvGFTxOfJhCC

QIzMeysYZeCBbkH

Qiu Yan raised an eyebrow. “And another coincidence that Yingxian saw you both doing something that let him figure out your orientation?”RierrprvezzHIFjMREPqaISrVgvoDj

ksPGzVaTdYngFAj

“…It was.” Ren Yi felt cornered and a bit irritated. “Captain Qiu, I respect you, but if you keep questioning me like I’m some criminal, I’m leaving.”xQUDTvFcKAETuCJNBlfwgvHCsfFVmY

CSVnonCbhMcRXSL

Qiu Yan stood up, meeting Ren Yi’s gaze sharply. “You may think I’m overstepping, but I can’t help it. After his sister passed, I felt like I became his sister. He’s been hurt too much, more than any ordinary person could handle. He might look tall and strong, as if he can face anything, as if fire is the only thing he fears, but inside, he’s still just a kid—he never left that burning building.”UlDamBqKXNCtJpyGMsLtaTGQFqqGjq

zTHMCzuEhBitMGH

Ren Yi’s heart tightened.BhgQieBlzhifwuXvzrpUVCsFuLBtTS

fcDTLUnsFNzTNar

“Captain Ren, it’s not surprising you’re attracted to him—he’s very appealing. But he’s not someone you can casually toy with. First of all, he’s not gay. He sees you as his best friend. You’re the only person he’s opened up to over the years, the only one he trusts. What he needs is a trustworthy friend. Second, in matters of the heart, he’s completely out of his depth compared to you. Maybe, under your influence, he might mistake his dependence on you for love. He might see you as a lifeline, projecting all his need for companionship, his longing for a home, onto you. Can you handle that? Do you think he’ll be like your past mature relationships or flings, where you can part on good terms, with mutual consent? What if one day you get tired of it, or you find your personalities clash and want to break up—have you thought about the impact that leaving him would have on him?”qkejwkqRyenrUqbWTcENGjQvzltsVs

lmhRJtAbCEmAVzl

Ren Yi stared blankly at Qiu Yan. He wanted to refute her words—he wasn’t just toying around. He genuinely liked Gong Yingxian, more than he’d ever liked anyone before, enough to want to spend a lifetime together, enough to exchange life for life. But faced with Qiu Yan’s accusations, he found himself utterly speechless.tEeHnAhYUFpLApxIlFskSeqAhCvXpe

ZDboWlNUxPfXPxD

Even he began to doubt himself. Was he truly exploiting Gong Yingxian’s dependence on him? Was he selfishly trying to lead Gong Yingxian down a difficult path, one he wouldn’t have to take otherwise, all for his own desires?IpWECsZuwTdgPDnuZPAmOclFrTxABR

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There was a trace of sorrow in Qiu Yan’s expression. “Captain Ren, if you truly care for him, don’t hurt him.”MCkVOlSwMZadLutxBzCESPAyEmMRLU

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“I never want to hurt him,” Ren Yi replied bitterly. “I only want to protect him, to see him well—truly.”eYkjpZZRLWAQUhbGosPKIdgrckWPtb

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“I know you’re a good person, but even good people can inadvertently hurt others. I hope you know where to draw the line.” Qiu Yan gave him a long, meaningful look before turning to leave.SKXYtWyIITOaTosdocNDliDddQxbwI

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Ren Yi pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling stifled and overwhelmed.XPENyuzIQCnMOCTCORMddkosgFTqHU

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He would let go of any fantasies. Just as she’d said, he didn’t want to hurt Gong Yingxian—the one he wanted most to protect. So, he couldn’t lead him astray, couldn’t mislead him just to fulfill his own desires. He had to be what Gong Yingxian needed—a true friend, a reliable comrade.mlcSwvuEHrfYkzmSYzKwnQDRQpVErt

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Steadying his emotions, Ren Yi left the conference room to find Qu Yangbo.wDSpJdzLxyVhtCYWMybXcRterLpwiI

JgdoKwoxfcHtjBm

Qu Yangbo was chatting with an acquaintance but came over as soon as he saw Ren Yi. He scrutinized Ren’s face. “What happened? Did the testimony go smoothly?”LXyTAmLrmynROFtpAZwsnsrxutjfkv

prClGFAUPeNVRyI

“Smoothly,” Ren Yi muttered, turning his face slightly, trying futilely to prevent Qu Yangbo from studying him. Qu Yangbo had a sharp eye; it was hard to hide anything from him.HbCbeILreOKJtDRRMUjTOEjsFtzyXX

FwdHQzrAaAtBlDR

“Really? Because ‘smoothly’ isn’t exactly written on your face.” Walking side by side, Qu Yangbo continued, “I noticed something felt off between you and Dr. Gong at the venue last night. What, did you two argue?”OAwfSiVBZyCNoZfNjUsMLIVSbdEpxZ

KzhELpWaGyjRpGX

“No.” Ren Yi quickened his pace toward the parking lot, opening the car door. “Let’s just get to the squad.”jHVUKuHhAgFqRqZqXXQLLMbBWswGIb

tFgEaUoZaOatQlP

“Then what’s going on? Weren’t you two—”cdHCKVzQOEvQAKtvFeXgYqKGzAdkHl

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Ren Yi slammed the car door shut with a loud bang. “Can you just shut the fuck up already?”iEKFrNfkuhtQKeMuTuFRRWRTHxaiGx

ikfXbmhRzVrhgHQ

Silence fell, thick and heavy.JmyJQVvHxOwBZuTizCFEAsFBUDChFP

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Ren Yi leaned against the car door, breathing deeply to ease the tight ache in his chest.oZMKJEWkaOzHsYviuyaAXztkduAtha

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Qu Yangbo watched him quietly from behind.NyIQmQCuJfCPpPiSxweHtzSTbCCvTb

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After a long moment, Ren Yi turned, slumping back against the door, a look of utter defeat on his face. “Sorry.”jzAdrvBQcYTibtHPqoTQVHxVfTCMQS

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Qu Yangbo shrugged. “On a professional level, I’m your supervisor—I need to monitor your psychological state at all times. Your decisions impact not only your safety but also the safety of your fellow soldiers. On a personal level, I’m your brother, and I care about you. It’s okay to have emotions, but you’ve got to deal with them.”jZFewzgwoEKuJNOQMBxhEwIXFrEZPd

mEQbRFBlmGPKUEV

Ren Yi stared blankly at the sky, then quickly, as if resigning himself, muttered, “Gong Yingxian found out about my orientation. He said it made him feel ‘disgusted.’”MVBDNfuuQaDpKWqDBNfrRMjoVKqKrJ

MGtcFgLApkZWdjn

Qu Yangbo frowned, stepping forward to clasp Ren Yi’s shoulder. “Brother, you’ve never really faced setbacks in relationships before. I’d say you don’t even know how to pursue someone properly. Confessions are meant to be the final move when you’re certain of victory, not the opening gambit. Without enough groundwork, you’re just handing over your weakness to the other person—your odds drop too low.”vMtOfnUtYRZsQGyBhQdcELBXvQHXEW

hFSugpbRXEcgjrM

“I didn’t confess.”bzHDQLuevxzjUlGIOwZxgdYDKQegEY

dPyNpSETuAOPdSX

“What?” Qu Yangbo looked at him in surprise. “Then how did he find out?”QjQRKOsYXUgEeHyAIkNygtHesUeyqQ

GefagsJKaMobHDG

“Not worth explaining. It was an accident.” Ren Yi gave a bitter smile. “I had to tell him I already had a boyfriend and that I only saw him as a friend. Otherwise, we couldn’t even be friends.”EGYpaeTjwyrXYdrExugmSiROeWaofn

TAadmwfaRhZasVz

“You’re in this deep already. Why not just tell the truth instead of bottling it up?”qvqabcWSlUGZbHuyxumRvKRNWWfiQd

bvvmYamGCAvYXbZ

“What good would that do? Just to feel better about myself?”uqaKPTaYiaBndABbOreemvSURWmUCS

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“It might make things a little easier on you.”PHZyxDSEBvSpKDHrNRFdbmOIuseigp

LJbTAAsltAnrRXT

“I don’t care about that,” Ren Yi said calmly. “I only care about him. At least this way, we can still have some connection—that’s enough.”qwJIhKBXoROVUuUPYKQyYgxgqNNzRi

rtdGQZnWLJEbkhF

“Enough?”qYMqMLoKtuVGLzHJHCbGcAAceBdQqt

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Ren Yi turned around, reopened the car door, and looked at Qu Yangbo, his gaze steady and resolute. “Liking someone doesn’t mean you have to be together. Just knowing he’s doing well is enough for me.”zwzZnqgiOUpfKIGLPyfpKYxKSKLkLC

xFReXNhIaoUJNkQ

Qu Yangbo stared for a long time before finally shaking his head in helpless resignation.KhONnWYgaZGJXQtuvcJJgphbnICEDk

NHpPWRAmymcVjBt

When they arrived at the squad, they spent the entire afternoon in meetings, mostly discussing the current threats facing Phoenix Team and Ren Yi himself, as well as coordinating efforts with the police to capture Zi Yan and other members of the X cult as soon as possible.CHSqreRtFSileqaqsIqaBZCjttFQIT

ImVVWUIHaWRhPAv

After the meeting, Ren Yi told Qu Yangbo to head back first. He went to the squad’s fire investigation department on his own, wanting to look into the history of fire investigations. Eighteen years ago, there hadn’t been a dedicated fire investigation department—it was handled by the police, but the consultants they brought in were all fire safety experts. Here, he hoped to learn what methods and tools were primarily used in fire investigations back then.rQehRDRvRhrOasAtOQGiBriazmkXWs

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Several seasoned members in the fire investigation division were either former subordinates of his father or had known him at some point. Most were stationed there due to various reasons—be it physical limitations, family concerns, or lack of formal education—which had prevented them from advancing further.LHGxSJEploRxqsHWBneoDMjhfCeguJ

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Since the division offers limited room for growth, it’s often short-staffed, with the upper management continuously recruiting and training new personnel.ezVRmtoMsrLvsbFcqXIKHzacxevILe

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Ren Yi exchanged greetings with a few familiar faces and came across Zhang Wen, who had previously assisted him in an investigation.GlpxrAkfzoWLMHphqfgpwAyanuSCNA

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An older investigator, upon understanding Ren Yi’s purpose, asked curiously why he was interested in this area. Ren Yi deflected the question smoothly.cREVWjAVnFejsZlVeZAGIWBMyWmrBN

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In the end, the senior investigator had Zhang Wen take Ren Yi to the archive room and storage, where old records and some retired equipment were stored.RyYHZQHQQVeSFKSVdNYLEcdVtOFDtt

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Zhang Wen was visibly pleased to see Ren Yi. “Captain Ren, everyone in the team is talking about how you’ve helped the police solve a bunch of cases.”qwLMSnlltdVrSWtAFweuTrfGzEgrZo

ZvWRjabiVgDiwxU

“You deserve some credit too,” Ren Yi replied perfunctorily, not in the mood to elaborate. Instead, he asked, “How’s it going for you lately? Did you manage to transfer into a civil servant position?”ecolZkzNmdqRCKbOHWREwcHIOKsMAW

SgocKYmjlkhzSZd

“Looks promising this year. But recently, an insurance company tried to recruit me—they need fire investigators too, and the pay is way better. I’m still a bit torn.”FdjSUYMNOgwvMcNXDUJdrjvxOkuVzM

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“You’re young; no need to rush into a decision.”wQbFLkfbdibRGoBBrIqnmDOawiZNnF

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The two arrived at the archive room.nlFeeYFVVcIRaoTBSymluVWNPbhmFe

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Zhang Wen said, “These documents include the history of fire investigation. The retired equipment isn’t here, though—I can take you to see it later.”wdnqSDmTqfGgWoTXTFYFytgLjJghik

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“Alright, I’ll look at these documents first. Can I borrow them?”UJKgeqVNUtpWsGuHptozIFQJIYQgfr

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“Just inform Section Chief Meng, and you can return them in a while. Same goes for the equipment.”sCDfxhXqDuApkJdyhoAodlHkxQKHCq

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“Alright, go on with your tasks.”cHJNkXpUNrYbiAsPdmmDPZIUbcQKcF

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Ren Yi spent the entire afternoon flipping through the files, gaining insights into the investigative standards of past years. This could help him uncover gaps in the Gong family case. Over the last eighteen years, technology had advanced rapidly; many things that high-tech instruments can easily detect now were simply beyond reach back then.VAkdiPILfDJvGGbfRcrpVvTGjuMFvB

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Finally, he checked out some documents and equipment and returned to his squad.jzZdFdPpoiKPyvhuVLEzqTRRolMTLL

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Having only slept four hours since yesterday, he was utterly exhausted and went to his dorm to rest. Around eleven at night, his phone’s ringing woke him up.uObGKqvnzvJSwIfLeyfBqjDtrNpGlO

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“Hello?” Ren Yi answered, yawning.kgnvmfxTddWTSmFXptXnhSBjSjnvxy

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On the other end, Gong Yingxian’s cold yet melodious voice came through, “I’m at your squad.”wfSZwrSNjnUwVHsyOgtXZNNhFIkLcj

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Ren Yi jolted upright. “Weren’t you sending a driver?”HFARjgqvxjnfXpJIWRgSmqWjnkVKVK

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“The driver isn’t armed,” Gong Yingxian replied. “Get ready and come downstairs.”CMusoQYmANaFRJZgojArUMNaJfVaZH

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“Okay, okay.”plijzLrsjPkupOzmmLGczJgbFaGRde

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Hanging up, Ren Yi found himself much more awake. Was Gong Yingxian concerned for his safety and decided to pick him up personally?VpKfrFHMHKzmiUWKZQuXKwXkkmllXR

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On one hand, Ren Yi wanted to pull his heart away from Gong Yingxian, but he couldn’t help feeling himself sinking deeper.ItLAhkbCxoqrUcnWMJqCARAPVnZyIy

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He wasn’t some naive kid swayed by appearances. Part of his affection for Gong Yingxian stemmed from how sincerely and selflessly Gong treated him. And Ren Yi was the type who, when shown even a fraction of kindness, felt compelled to return it threefold—so he’d ended up entangling himself.SRcEqoxiFDzFUyoHfzYYYvgaHSjYlv

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He picked up Miaomiao, who was sleeping beside him, rubbed his face against its fluffy head, and murmured, “You’re the only thing left that belongs to ‘us’.”rxTlEobGJhAyQbhRLzjBbRAcSbYuBa

NIcrsaXoDAThhkc