Chapter 193
The next morning, both of them woke up early. Ren Yi ran a few laps around Gong Yingxian’s garden and returned just in time for breakfast.FQXwbmCCAzkoJxRPzHNGQHJOidRzwL
cQRPqzcvQhYYYwZSeeing Gong Yingxian, Ren Yi’s eyes lit up.wYRhbCwqAIEDtkhEpYeCvIEaUmgXHq
ZtSJlsGrAfIweAnHe was already dressed—wearing a suit on top and covered with a blanket below. Due to his leg injury, he couldn’t wear tight pants, but even in this patient-like appearance, he looked serious, composed, and dignified, making it hard for anyone to associate him with weakness. His hair was styled with gel just like when he was at work, leaving only a bit of bangs. His complexion was no longer as pale as in the previous days; there was a hint of color, and his eyes were no longer vacant and dull. In their glances, there was sharpness, depth, and wisdom.uagSLzSBQrdjEKAPNlBtUnGyTJRxmH
JikSIQtRRAFqiZcWhen Gong Yingxian saw Ren Yi, before the smile reached his lips, his hand was already reaching out to him.PuEmBCkHxrsmWcDaUHIizoLDnvmLUb
HqLdSOSQSEdhbusRen Yi naturally took his hand.NKxozBXsxdWpMDZQKEjaxCtvdOdYKg
IVAJKmzvsAnmuvYUncle Sheng watched them with a smile, even a bit self-satisfied.DahMzMRtSmFZtfbdEQIRZRyPZdBqnO
YLPRHpSDHpXoaGzRen Yi had felt a bit awkward before; he thought Uncle Sheng was unaware of their relationship. He didn’t expect him to have such keen insight, having already noticed it without Qiu Yan’s reminder, so Ren Yi felt at ease.zQkTuKNNoFZSwdtpuHfEoeIEqwEtPr
dlGjKALbTwzoIYl“Did you run a few laps?”pusQfjVFHKjkKXaMugFanNnAYVgXfT
bChaUfteSVtYgvl“About ten, I lost count.” As the weather warmed up, Ren Yi instinctively lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. They ran every day in the squad, and wiping sweat like this was common, so he momentarily forgot that this action wasn’t very elegant.xygksTbWnZPfBAoBRvQdPTLbDicQDd
nYgjFZLydcSVyGGUncle Sheng turned to get him a towel.rSwrdcLNiJUKvguLyamRlRSPfVuACj
vrkBlIoMNLPFqVqGong Yingxian, sitting in his wheelchair, was at eye level with Ren Yi’s lower back. He watched as the shimmering beads of sweat trickled down from Ren Yi’s shoulder blades, flowing over his firm, honey-colored waistline, like a shallow stream winding through a valley, or like water moistening a wall. They meandered down, some rushing with urgency while others flowed slowly, but in the end, they all converged at the lowest point—a valley formed by the proud rise of his buttocks.tAuhBsZjaxqxAtSbsKFYQRjBKYgYGU
ziKEqIBRsvzfsTS“……”bThosNyldEqwOJdIfXFNusFHgKKcPo
PNYLgnmvshGrQvx“Captain Ren, you should use the towel to wipe off.” Uncle Sheng quickly returned.lyCilfIOtwIhpuFbBJlGXnFtQTZvEM
ctGzBuDwsyrdITMRen Yi thanked him and took the towel.SHJLUVWxeknEocAKWHhKLtiebODoZZ
BqcZaYnSfzhMjjHUncle Sheng looked at Gong Yingxian with concern: “Young Master, are you feeling hot too? Why not take off the suit? Your face is all red.”DewTpvHDrmnRJRCXzLozvutFDlfaCl
IiONXniqPmfVFyf“I’m not hot.” Gong Yingxian almost angrily pulled off Ren Yi’s sports T-shirt, “With so many people bustling about, why are you lifting clothes?” He had many servants at home, most of whom were women; how many inappropriate images could that conjure up! He didn’t want anyone to see or think about Ren Yi’s… any appearance.wRTERYxXppKUmxaHvmFcPquQqFAiTo
vsIDHzsKDmfaBRORen Yi was completely unaware of what Gong Yingxian was thinking, but he realized that this was indeed not elegant, especially in front of someone as particular about appearances as Gong Yingxian. He smiled awkwardly: “You eat first, I’ll go take a shower and change.”OPHaYDQxjoGeFrYdWRKkXIgMYfgqiB
zdRrBJWpJwubbvcWhile Uncle Sheng was cutting sandwiches for Gong Yingxian, he said, “Young Master, can Captain Ren live here from now on?”PjbfxNAkeLxmKJVygTxfEtbvVijpyI
xXXmaIgLbGKUjqJ“That won’t work; it’s too remote here.”xgYUcAhYGqIWkVbEvajmiDTcIuQMux
cFdIjIgUdnFXiigUncle Sheng looked a bit disappointed: “Our chef is going to be bored.”pJlCGGPZUOFWeLRkCcWKLPgbquTrpO
nWridimPvjSoSCz“Huh?”BlvQkqGHqDObxOLrOaktKEzvKLoifG
nRITGDyXTfuGawb“Paying more is one thing, but they also want to showcase their skills. With Captain Ren here, they would be motivated to whip up delicious dishes, and you just…”MAptiOOtcFBWklhKJPrVDLZKgDGcEg
aUTOYqlgOZDpFHFGong Yingxian glanced at his sandwich. He had been eating it for over a decade and suddenly felt it was a bit dull. He said, “Then I’ll have porridge today, just like Ren Yi.”sfKKtwaGlgkStHWSibvcBcdgfyVOiO
obQwyNsyynkeKna“Ah?” Uncle Sheng was stunned.olXqEmsFItMATIjLKJsIgJxOTmlqee
xjLqHKosEYQCgXq“From now on, I want to eat hot food, no, warm food, not too hot, just starting with warm.”WnpvATSTqlOIBieKnEeZpVUMQBWIeG
SUvuRLWfBEJHMZwUncle Sheng exclaimed in delight: “Really!”AFIMGHKhdsWDZoNCbPNEbLFqdAxGag
aGNXKQJfNdltTnsGong Yingxian didn’t tell Uncle Sheng that under his coaxing, he had even tried hot pot and instant noodles—things he used to shun. Although they were all cooled down, he no longer rejected food cooked with fire as much, because Ren Yi liked it, and what Ren Yi liked was mostly not wrong.BIBKQGakdcCFydEBceUjflbJBMxMaK
QCKoGMKyNVFCFIVBefore long, Ren Yi came out looking refreshed, sat opposite Gong Yingxian, smiled at him, and started eating breakfast.UcDUIvreJBoPZxUYweeeQazffPcAMP
XzoXDJHUNEhUHpyMorning, sunshine, lover, breakfast.fBQbHibMLTnantOJEpZCQmuZTIyFKV
CFoUlycjCxgrAXQIt felt as if they had always been like this, as if from now on, they would always be like this.lqLpMVLuzfSfGJYMsCgVcbuGxVyNME
cnOgeXeEKAirzMfAfter finishing their meal, Ren Yi took Gong Yingxian to the Hongwu Substation.PdYOoYCVJbRGclkIUDuqQDSTDsvngr
sglHgYLbjXHBXPcOn the way, he teased, “Wow, don’t you think we look like an old married couple? I’m driving you to work in the morning.”toMxjnmKuAzXsIecyHKPSIkzyRzHQk
DhhmgoZoWNNMLWw“Yes.” Gong Yingxian, thinking about what Uncle Sheng had said in the morning, was just looking for a topic to bring up, so he smoothly added, “If you move into my house, it would be even more like it.”miySZbUxdqFNgMSarSOGPxrgvDtZvv
yLuMGbrNWHafhffRen Yi was taken aback: “Are you inviting me to move into your house?”QvxZRNdldLvoKYFiLyWoRctEgSqCMA
uUFnoJJyUSychye“Yes.” Gong Yingxian looked at him, “You can’t come when you’re on duty or studying, but you can come during your days off.”yhQSZBiKWSAsuuCWgtqrOxYzhABZXn
jwmcUMAXjrfLplI“Then it’s closer to my house. My house is near both my squad and your substation.”qpAzZDhRjHPdwJAtGYqjAlVSUcGXWo
XFaNhJNGRixRHSBGong Yingxian pouted, seemingly unable to refute.hyBxoqcsrfyNWfrjTfaxISDfYcEdXw
SnHttdBDSUPfOlrRen Yi pinched his face: “Let’s go to both places, okay? If there’s time, we can go to your house. If you’re tired from working overtime and come home too late, you can come to my house, okay?”jDhcgXMhGRCfIczTSrsGYOMzYDqPtk
AHLlUpiyPOGvTLHGong Yingxian smiled: “Okay.”MOyThNRiPBagrsucihUGxPnMOAkuhM
toCCRyCBcNhwxBN—YhwfFevKzLrMyaEFFVwFOPldRoSBRb
zVUyjDsyotybbakWhen they arrived at the substation, Gong Yingxian changed to a cold and stern expression. When his colleagues saw him, they didn’t dare to greet him.VVpCIfaGmxdmxnQHLDrXgGOrRcIGvT
LgGrsczIdCEWBPxQiu Yan walked over and stopped in front of them, leaning down with both hands on the wheelchair, looking at Gong Yingxian with a faint smile in his eyes: “All good?”ohmpJAGGnsvTrGdLCITFWEmVJZCWOq
QKBTbaluphLweuB“All good.” Gong Yingxian pressed his lips together, his hands secretly forming fists.HbJHMEIaypqmxffFQEJpjNfDUsmVhs
VbbDcEpwopRoMuGThis statement was double-edged, asking both if he was physically well and if he was mentally prepared.UbDUelwfvXlqfcoIDGckwQOSHBrziu
tuxgwZMHgXfsQAN“Then get ready to face the challenge.” Qiu Yan’s tone was strange, mixed with helplessness, sarcasm, gloom, and heaviness.zpTGgEJeozFCbKSAsWziKhtJrnXmKN
nuyIjYGBbvJmvDc“Let’s see Zhang Wen first.” Gong Yingxian looked up at Ren Yi, “You’re coming too, right?”BeZEaRBxjVBQlLSLCnNpotuAsLQzsK
PwZngjQrjTaASnz“Of course.”HPbaMaZtxDCgFbGSKxwYfYDETmcYok
MidrJMosmBLENqdThe three of them sat in the interrogation room waiting. Gong Yingxian lowered his head, flipping through Zhang Wen’s file. He should have read it many times, yet he still looked at it earnestly, not just passing the time.inENtGydlVwFArjviBHTZwGDcEbmYf
LufbnhsxxXaPqAsAfter a while, the police brought Zhang Wen in.idbnXotzdXudRnETOKvjwZKKHHlMem
GFoibzglPNTxdjMZhang Wen had his hair cut short in detention but still wore glasses. His demeanor was still lethargic; he was short and thin, never daring to meet anyone’s eyes directly.jDtBwlXOPsoUIXfcYcZNUUHzUCFBBm
sURntZJTpgWSvkwRen Yi had previously thought this was all Zhang Wen’s disguise. After all, he looked nothing like the person on his ID, just somewhat similar, relying on his appearance to pass off. He had to cover his face with bangs, keep his head down, and try to minimize his presence. Now it seemed that perhaps this was just his original character?JZdQYNwwCUObXqdSIEBRunApEZbdhb
BjwHrdSzhYoCHsGWhen Zhang Wen saw Ren Yi, he froze for a moment, then quickly lowered his head, his eyelashes trembling nervously.CXLvXPEFIDXNZjZkrvOWfdBmntvbpf
kIWCKHmzRJaIxijRen Yi held back from speaking. What could he say? He wasn’t a police officer, and this wasn’t a place for him to vent his hatred and accusations. He was afraid that if he spoke, it would affect their interrogation, so he just glared at Zhang Wen, remaining silent.csTzMmiDrSWovXfJhVMefImqbjSRtG
OrCxwrIfFFyEMnkZhang Wen sat down, his hands cuffed to the table, his head drooping.njcshlQbZUoOTcmWmZEJTxjjcWJDPw
VWuXAJwKrsmReGP“How’s life in the detention center?” Gong Yingxian asked calmly.iVlLkgBwLvDTfrTlxjoaZHNxKTlLqI
NMNCmGxtEDVOIEjRen Yi was a bit surprised; he knew Gong Yingxian usually got straight to the point in interrogations and wouldn’t engage in small talk.WPssLqZbNqBqKLUhoqJYVYGexMEdiy
irhQpRjTYGzyZPgAfter a while, Zhang Wen quietly said, “I heard life in prison is better, better than here.”WvMwTXupxADdkuknxmeBiQZgtppNzT
hndTUNCwuooYHfe“So you’re looking forward to the trial, to get into prison sooner, and you think, anyway, you won’t be sentenced for too long, right?”PEOHKoqektBVKJDmdQvEzbVhsDQVwt
MlmtaUebERtomcTZhang Wen remained silent.OdQBglrnqaWyxhvScUggFXbCqJDHvB
HYzgppTBpVLovQT“How long do you think you’ll be sentenced?” Gong Yingxian asked again.YzVehBukQuROMcpxQGmemWfOGEljGe
cvyDcUoEpeLwOVD“I don’t know.” Zhang Wen defended himself, “I turned myself in.”atRCpkehTmUdMRYQLZdbgkzBwYiYSo
kiPGubESgweLRKK“Right, you turned yourself in and provided a lot of clues, so you can get a reduced sentence. Plus, you say you haven’t killed anyone, you just impersonated someone else, stole some public documents, leaked some information for the organization. If that’s true, it seems you really won’t be sentenced for too long.”QpijLNVQAxjgrzdiejkdsISPbGWXao
SKvhAhifjQYaeNJZhang Wen nodded: “I haven’t harmed anyone. The bomb at my house wasn’t set by me.”KLGJnqcwyjXlPoTEanGZNNxBhfFBdg
UPtqrxaZstaVbxi“Why did you help Purple Flame?”uCAUUrMGRYagbYbWqcMOisnOSRvVOl
ziPKTkDtPtxgNIC“He…” Zhang Wen’s eyelashes fluttered. In fact, he was quite handsome; if not for his humble demeanor, he could clean up well and become a good-looking guy, “He sees me.”UKsVXgaxStqFtxuaHyRtWCHxLqljCG
ZmQjkHRfyharmOf“……”uocDBMSQQmyXkPCGlrgOFlBjQgCgJU
VBrhSFqMEZDTIim“Others can’t see me, but he can. Everyone thinks I can’t do anything, but he thinks I can.”qpOJsIoFpaAHyuTquVNWjkgdZglhSa
HUjoEGyLAYzeaTwQiu Yan stood by with his arms crossed, expressionless: “So, it’s to repay Purple Flame for recognizing your talent.”UBFHTTIYaiExjwipscBUQXtaKkbeQk
uIDBwoszTGdxeEg“…He also paid me.” Zhang Wen said quietly, “I don’t plan to stay in Beijing forever. I’m not suited to work with others; I want to save some money.”lOnMhyMLXSjvaEXuTxoWLYRHsQLEZe
ZcHfQsoSSsuomvW“Money, yes, we did find abnormal sources of funds in your account. Where did the real Zhang Wen go? He Xiu Yu.”cZWJETmpZofhwIbjdgJVJAXGqIzUBi
ypxWoCIOCDXjvJqThe fake Zhang Wen, also known as He Xiu Yu, shook his head: “I don’t know. Purple Flame gave me this identity; I didn’t ask about anything else.”BAbUeMLAzbPPBKqINIgGLZNnHunBsc
QTtlJKgskVvBlOH“Why do you keep using Zhang Wen’s account to get this money instead of your own? Aren’t you afraid of being discovered? You wouldn’t have money to escape.”kJwezHsSiEZTNLFlbsjgpZRgnNXSsH
hsjSGlUlcLyYnjF“I’m afraid of being discovered if I use my own account.”gdEzLnNQRSVTnWuxtvjaPuycbBntyA
wJTSWnlYyWMBpXt“Really?”FjALWPdPQLnDDRfPeGOweiuNkWevZs
WVUUwsOIzVtikbGHe Xiu Yu nodded weakly: “If I impersonate Zhang Wen, I can’t use my original identity; I’m afraid of being exposed.”prJLujAIzsIEoBCTfNZLIjbRJbjXwV
zAGuYXuetcIQGCy“Then why don’t you transfer this money? Aren’t you very concerned about it?”uLZtHrvcLMQhqkTcuqCIYVKBUyBDjY
GULNGLQjXrhPIUt“Transferring would leave traces; I’m more cautious.”nWHgJgEwXeoPHGjBPAGCkwhvarbBYG
SwqHuQTJBGsxLqcGong Yingxian pointed at the file: “You grew up in an orphanage.”PApgzqhOnJmsjrYIUtnZYibNGaZjXA
PvQmWRmRtaJtJRcHe Xiu Yu remained silent.fsRBQCjReneNSmDOroNOUnKYKLhunR
zqVzwGOtPvAIjpN“The orphanage caught fire when you were 14, killing 12 people. Were you involved?”IqAEyBftRYatKtLearfOPsOPQncyYJ
ygpjsFCKsUYEbYM“No.” He Xiu Yu stared blankly at Gong Yingxian.zBIOQlCeKrEiWbnPVNgEnCfOMYjLYc
oVDJFcXPjuUPJQp“Then where did you go afterward? This period before you went to college is almost blank.”vgBOslBxxrqsXGAEzwMlmJYYWyTYnA
BdYtEycfyPgPZdE“Working, self-studying, saving tuition.”XTraGgWrqUMpucUtTvdJLpxBVAcNqr
YgsTMZyzqcfIZnd“Do you have any evidence to prove that?”kYiBXiRLvazzAldyhgebmMKFcewPiY
yBXojUfRSlpPVnt“Not much evidence; I mostly received cash while working.”LxEhOBwoKetEbHPguYZGMrgIJWvqII
BIXSPUjrzBbkDFA“You also have no traces on social media. Why? Is there anyone our age who doesn’t use social media?”GxGgcHmaWVtrYXyXpyZCQNfiruhvvU
jAZPceJQiJIgCDpHe Xiu Yu shook his head.vQOzqtMiSQTxUQPunsKfVCTGQsHZxz
VrgvJDsemObPjRdThe more Ren Yi listened, the more he felt something was off. Was Gong Yingxian’s focus on this fake Zhang Wen too intense? He thought interrogating Bai Yan and Huang Yan might yield more results. After all, this fake Zhang Wen was a low-level member of the organization who hadn’t even contacted Purple Flame, just an Orange Flame, slightly above the human bomb Red Flame. From what he had done, it was confirmed he hadn’t reached the core of the organization; he was merely an accomplice.RllTpiHsMqOllZShGjhDQzoFoasceP
umMxlKVyyOPbSxNGong Yingxian asked again: “When did you meet Purple Flame?”nshRFsqXAnEykibgkpuxIdolfvDreB
dknuXgTndEbasPP“A few years ago.”tXoXFKiMtKPyCAlKkZrbJLmhYEumjG
noXucwPGqOsBpCL“Specifically, how many years ago?”gLllggKCirCXzcsxwKDJCkGdDeWgMg
oOjiRPdpMXIXzOx“Maybe two or three years.”VKaTicPOxQkFbtplgcsPTJLnTXQIsn
vqHFgXabGSTXhAy“Then where did the high expenses before that come from? When you traveled, you stayed in high-end hotels and flew first class. At that time, you were still a student, right? You needed to work to save for tuition; how could you afford such high expenses?”joNyRxdsLjJTZkinnZSmOVGNQPLdzO
TyPPvCyhCbwfAyWHe Xiu Yu frowned: “I earned some money from working, and it wasn’t that many times. Those plane tickets and hotels didn’t cost more than twenty or thirty thousand, right? I’m not as poor as you think.”SpZlOmfzhGFvaYTTHslnsWoifzjxEX
HGNuaXuoBgURXGo“Let’s not discuss the frequency and amount for now; let’s talk about spending habits.” Qiu Yan stared at him intently, “Many of your transactions are cash transactions, which are untraceable, but hotels and flights leave traces. A person who grew up in an orphanage, dropped out of high school, and worked to save tuition for college, and is only in their early twenties, should be very frugal. Even if their financial situation improves, they wouldn’t immediately start spending extravagantly because they know money is hard-earned and shouldn’t be wasted, unless you don’t think so.”PXzrErCzrqbltBmLwvNlixBfxzJhxO
CzOlxsxoeBrSsbWHe Xiu Yu fell silent again.pUsRFFsURRrNShNlCkOHVtCDlkVLcz
SSDopuFBSyMEBRO“So, the time you met Purple Flame is much earlier than you said, isn’t it?”LUrjEpxhzobVLmhaJzEjzGHfGrHTYP
DTyztLcZgHPQgnf“Maybe, I can’t remember clearly.”BSaCityMFkzUMNhIWcETBNUDpurRDB
IeCHQToTxAgGXYNAt this point, Ren Yi had completely changed his initial impression of this person. He was hiding a secret, and it must be a very important one.BRSwlpIOSxWlCRAVcQeywBbEwRgpav
szHSuslLgFvBxoaGong Yingxian leaned forward, his eyes sharp like an eagle circling in the sky, locking onto its target, diving down, “Or are you, yourself, Purple Flame?”ngGJwkSQzBBVcFcHQKpdirIijEpbNL
sUatFopIqAlDFGRCbZnlKPpJyTwaISJqxyFqlEIGZsjQp