Blazing Armor

Ren Yi and Qi Xiao first went to grab something to eat and watch a movie. It was already late at night when they finally called a few friends and headed to their usual bar for a gathering.GIbfEBCpdajQrFhxsginhTZDyeqlmC

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Actually, Ren Yi quite enjoyed drinking. Although he didn’t indulge in it, while on duty, they were strictly prohibited from drinking. So on rare days off, naturally, he wanted to relax and unwind.GJxcSmYSTFpTwjhpWURDICcBPrDcQh

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It wasn’t until the middle of the night that the group began to gradually disperse. Ren Yi had drunk quite a bit, but he could still walk steadily. Qi Xiao, on the other hand, was swaying and hanging off him.yIeFqyEkynPtnJdLfqzGYfzVHWTzvb

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When they reached the car, Ren Yi freed one hand to take out his phone. “Hold on, let me call for a designated driver.”AbXZFeZZDzmvsrirPVwwKFXDftcFQw

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Qi Xiao hugged Ren Yi’s neck, lifting his head and pressing his warm lips against Ren Yi’s, giving him a soft kiss.GqTeYFZQrlzaAKBIJiVcbxVhOKbgnz

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Ren Yi wrapped his arm around Qi Xiao’s waist, muttering, “Alright, alright, let’s get home first.”UIyXNuiueAoEwlNaKDEkRspedMttXt

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Qi Xiao stared at Ren Yi with hazy eyes, whispering, “Bro, you’re so good, really so good.”PSbOOiNJPVCyZFdboSaaXoRFaKcLfB

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“Yeah, I know,” Ren Yi chuckled. “What’s up with you?”IWOPCMHGntAYQqCpQwORFwYBvnRBVe

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“Honestly… I really want to be serious with you,” Qi Xiao slurred drunkenly. “But I feel like, right now… I’m nothing. Not popular, no money, I don’t even have the right to date.”WtsBOhdICAaswGBUSaGDAPtNpeQijW

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Ren Yi comforted him, “You’re only 23, what’s the rush? You’ll definitely make it big.” He placed the order for a designated driver and waited for them to arrive.MDkoRMViTGeIfuqVRtndEehSpjbMGA

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“Those kids nowadays, they get into the entertainment industry when they’re barely teens,” Qi Xiao rubbed his cheek against Ren Yi’s face. “Like that one who just flirted with you, he must have been 18 or 19. Are you… are you going to be stolen by someone younger?”xRDrPLEPgIOnojzvzRxaAbEpNlFhIq

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“Stop talking nonsense,” Ren Yi laughed helplessly. “I’ll take you home for a good night’s sleep.”BHjmhqFsKyCdBmqNpeZrBYfOgRfxkB

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“Why… why don’t you date anyone?”WHobWBDUNcrCwJYTZWbOCdPBJgrqfF

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“I don’t have time.”RNzcGuqrYZFDeqNWGiyWIuUWuVDSWK

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Qi Xiao giggled foolishly, looking at Ren Yi. “How about… we give it a shot?”lEBAQLibdFWNoEjZrCkiNCJFCKRuDj

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Ren Yi ruffled Qi Xiao’s hair gently and said, “Let’s talk when you’re sober.” It’s not that Ren Yi didn’t want to be in a relationship, but he knew their differences in background, aspirations, and values were too great, and a relationship between them would probably be doomed.oLWcEUKRilyNuiGdBXUarpwzZvgZzX

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Qi Xiao clung to Ren Yi’s waist, his whole body draped over him, burying his face in Ren Yi’s chest, nuzzling like a well-behaved cat.FesmuBpdrOQNwnZqelMUYlrBWVeHKu

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After a while, the designated driver arrived. Ren Yi got Qi Xiao into the car and found that he had already fallen asleep.ydDCdruxkZbRnOiNPxIcPqAEBkCWxF

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He instructed the driver to head to Qi Xiao’s place.IWzXjlllxSChExmxFcnCVPZhmNGzoY

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—-qBiMIEGrcQbrDuGFPpnnsuBHunGURI

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At dawn, Ren Yi was woken by the sound of his phone ringing. Half-awake, he fumbled for the phone on the bedside table, pressed it to his ear, and groggily said, “Hello?”MwYBzHnAzBAkdyKXKVOwYeYGmakOtt

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The other side paused for a moment. “Why are you still sleeping at this hour?”hpbXlcCzrPkqauhcVjIhgLKaHkgNqC

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Gong Yingxian’s cold voice hit Ren Yi like a bucket of cold water, jolting him awake. He struggled to open his eyes. “W-what time is it?” he asked, then glanced at his phone screen. It was almost nine.wpdQrpUUxXowtkVbPQgMKKNFesVEZa

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“You’ve been drinking,” Gong Yingxian’s voice clearly showed some displeasure.qamAgdAIjOYaMXSIbPPuNRhAFQtXIX

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“Yeah, I drank with some friends pretty late last night.” Ren Yi sat up. “I haven’t slept in this late for a long time… What’s up?”truWGMnmOBzBgRLEtijYJUIYeSADUc

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“Forget it.” Gong Yingxian abruptly hung up.aexMOOzSzPYoJFzwWAYnPJiobMldEI

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Ren Yi listened to the busy signal on the other end, stunned for a while. When he finally came to, he remembered that they had agreed yesterday to visit Wanyuan District again. The fire scene couldn’t stay sealed off for too long as it would disrupt the residents’ normal lives—this wasn’t like a bar. Their time was limited.fCGzxbVUuhdTBfmLRvqltgZKlhnBFO

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He really drank too much last night and completely forgot about it.YQwYhAXsjeXRdqBgorfdcxGLxXJzUX

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Ren Yi knocked on his own head a few times as he climbed off the sofa and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.QUkvCowhvvJfHnpIAzjKnxmPIuWbhZ

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He had spent the night at Qi Xiao’s place. After getting Qi Xiao into bed, Ren Yi had been so exhausted that he didn’t even bother moving. He just collapsed onto the bed and passed out. Now that he had woken up, his body ached, his head was spinning, and he felt nauseous—a classic hangover.ttBmNRFwxHXQNFxGQfYWgvgOaDJyQT

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After taking a shower, Ren Yi found that Qi Xiao was still fast asleep. He rummaged through the wardrobe and picked out a relatively plain T-shirt and jeans from the pile of trendy clothes. He wasn’t much shorter than Qi Xiao, so the size would do.IkJrzgZtFDgSfGjEPakBAXOGgfrPHU

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After changing, Ren Yi left a note for Qi Xiao saying he had something to take care of and headed out, grabbing his keys as he left.PctvMPAWiYMVeqUCVXedvrhIrJgvmk

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It was rush hour, and Ren Yi found himself stuck in traffic on the Third Ring Road. Annoyed, he stared at the endless line of cars in front of him. He grabbed his phone and sent a message to Gong Yingxian: “A bit stuck in traffic. I’ll be there soon.”eKCZSTKMxFvSJTKDophqDMuXVLIGdB

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While on the road, Ren Yi received a call from Zhang Wen. The lab results were in—the sample they had sent in for testing was indeed gasoline. Ren Yi told Zhang Wen to come back to the site; they needed to search for more clues that could lead them to the arsonist.NLVdyOOHnygtVbkzvbOecOtRbQvCpU

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What should have been a quick 10-kilometer drive ended up taking over 40 minutes. When Ren Yi arrived at the entrance of the Wanyuan neighborhood, he spotted Gong Yingxian’s car and sighed in relief—thankfully, he was still there.jNRbFjwqSrVTGdfjQjcEyZfNiVMtTP

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Ren Yi made his way upstairs and found Gong Yingxian and several police officers at the scene.cVgGCwaxqpDcfyaSnipBTPEvFQIlVP

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When Gong Yingxian saw him, he merely gave a quick glance before turning away. His masked face revealed only a pair of beautiful eyes, concealing a multitude of emotions.JGoiSHmDEPVKQTXENOHaeURqKCRwPF

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Ren Yi walked over. “The fire investigation lab confirmed that gasoline was used as an accelerant outside apartment 2209. It was arson.”VzPJNnsNOUkmSIQvgJaexNWvAelTzV

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“Yeah, I already know,” Gong Yingxian replied.OsGiRZobkjlRfiOCcZgyHBEFRVvIER

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“I reckon the arsonist was one of the neighbors on this floor.” Ren Yi glanced around. “There are twelve households in total. Someone died in 2211, and a few others were injured, some lightly, some severely. Maybe the arsonist ended up getting caught in their own fire.”WiazqYwiODOXshsKLAbCoIiaNOQBmi

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Gong Yingxian didn’t respond, continuing to investigate inside 2209.XfZEwBWfnsHgDKEewJRFhTMjLFHsir

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Ren Yi followed behind him and kept talking. “The arsonist probably just wanted to get back at 2209, but they didn’t expect such a huge fire.”EBmhNwkFmJDcrfPpiJiXscPOXLGBJQ

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Still, Gong Yingxian said nothing.UfsAAhuPpmgaaSPeKPcQTUWBEgxbJK

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Ren Yi, frustrated, stepped in front of him, forcing Gong Yingxian to look at him.SvQEBPINxkaOrrDoeZJCwLkvMSqDwq

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“What’s with you, Dr. Gong? Are you mad at me or something?” Ren Yi asked, puzzled.pAOTqtsCwZWJMuvrxDjufZMFSvlKQH

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Gong Yingxian coldly replied, “I don’t have time for that.”HFArYaWTcrabYjKQICmWPYbFEqGplX

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“I was just a bit late. I barely get a day off, and having a few drinks to unwind is pretty normal,” Ren Yi teased. “You don’t have to be so uptight.”BTvCQSULjdepYjxkVOOqHPktQZxlhP

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Gong Yingxian sidestepped him and headed toward the kitchen of 2209, rummaging around for something.kTGeeeIeLlYophLuZKyMcMnHjBZkmD

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“Man, seriously… What are you looking for?”ekQjUkQjtOCHavbzLOSbcDMLDsBLwI

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“The coffee machine.”bmpNibKmFXAbiYjVgkqJzuBrJuNAOQ

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“What?”ssQgQqanjqgKmPYivHRylZFUTRrOOl

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Gong Yingxian meticulously sifted through the burnt remains of the kitchen, frowning in thought for a moment before heading to the bathroom, continuing his search.gMGKbWtDLFlHQdOujqTPbesPoYGdoH

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“What are you looking for now?”kuSYZZoyrFPmDqMvdPGPkGrnEwajFz

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“An electric toothbrush.”HluYQZevulAPTIrUtQZEEPWNeaOXXF

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Ren Yi was even more confused. “What exactly are you up to?”qnBguOXYVvZsDAMnIOyfVsUECujxrQ

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“Instead of wasting time, help me look.”qDMaGaQGYiKNMIktusWGPGbZzNAvUz

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Ren Yi had no choice but to join Gong Yingxian in searching. But all they found under the collapsed bathroom cabinet was half a plastic toothbrush handle.EfSpYxLUmdWMAirUdNOdHnbGqVrYzp

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Gong Yingxian bagged the toothbrush handle as evidence.VmzYeGFSafPFEHPLJOgwxBxnSMhKly

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Ren Yi was getting annoyed. “What are you doing? At least tell me. When I assist you, I’m an open book.”EizDHDjOrjgcRHNRPyfxeBuZltnjRA

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Finally, Gong Yingxian looked at Ren Yi with a blank expression and said, “In the pile of burning trash near the door, I found items that might not belong to this household.”ETlyWFyUIdKPTZPqbfObRcfAhJJxZC

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“Like what?”JgGhwlnJjSBOqqaxGMBJROSszzdqzK

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“I observed that this family’s living standard isn’t high. They don’t have any notable modern appliances—hell, even their washing machine is an old model.” He raised the bag in his hand. “But in that trash pile, there were coffee grounds, electric toothbrush replacement heads, things like that.”ScWMNhqbUrKeATouMWNWtOmLxsnOOO

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Ren Yi’s eyes lit up. “Wow, you’re that observant? So, the trash at the door doesn’t belong to them?”QCZlKtcNSWkQdklSTMKyorOSgGARWZ

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“Part of it, yes. My colleagues have already spoken to a few neighbors, confirming what Xue Fei said. This family often piles up trash by the door, and later, maybe out of spite against their neighbors, they would let it build up for days, sometimes even one or two weeks before throwing it out.”sRyxZkiFRkwaMaXPBdNFjnGSTSobcj

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“Then why is there trash at the door that doesn’t belong to them?”TRguuRpZqAPaXpYFIdxFTKXjSTjSeT

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“You’ll have to ask the killer that.”UZwnquDGfiZxwArqlGwBXIZlWwpqfv

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Ren Yi thought for a moment. “There’s surveillance downstairs, right? Any leads?”tVZLszIeZrClFaSVRcEfjhwibvQjUC

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“They just retrieved it at the precinct. My colleagues are reviewing it now,” Gong Yingxian replied. “Can you make a diagram for me of the fire’s spread? Not inside the apartment, but for the entire floor. The direction of the fire’s spread might tell us something.”aaeOqwJHCVqaUudFtpxXpGpTekdpdZ

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“Sure.”dqYJuZtlIELrOhGlnKwvmeIwGorjXY

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Gong Yingxian pulled out his iPad, brought up the building’s floor plan, and handed it to Ren Yi.MBITFTwhjoaAoIrhZYDkRjbJndaBAY

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Ren Yi took it, returned to the hallway, and based on the evidence left by the fire—burn marks on the ground, soot patterns and locations on the walls, fallen ceiling tiles—he mapped out the fire’s spread and sequence.mOKIAuOAwBGopZlgoRXtZwyiHNzqcR

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At that moment, Zhang Wen arrived and joined them in the inspection.xEVpUndCPRxIxTflSCOoKtJcWaoPzw

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When the drawing was finished, the three of them stared at the diagram in silence.PYZyUGmlDetGZmNibSvFjORhUCyiwR

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“Weird…” Ren Yi looked toward the window at the end of the hallway. “2209 is on the west side. If the fire started, it should’ve spread first toward the west side’s ventilation window. How did it end up spreading east instead? The fire on the west side spread through the ceiling.”ahETzmorPGZnmOucqhjXCQPeJOeXzT

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“How can you be sure the fire on the west spread through the ceiling?”vuVbfaqHHYUdAmycVgXjytgTpTFWSz

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Ren Yi picked up a piece of drywall. “It’s simple. If the west side fire had started on the floor, after moving up the walls, the ceiling would’ve been scorched first. When the ceiling fell, the side that hit the ground would be blackened, and it would fall onto other burning materials. But this piece of drywall…” He flipped the charred drywall over, revealing a pristine white underside. “Not only is the side that touched the ground free of soot marks, but there’s also no burned material underneath it. This proves the fire started inside the ceiling, and only after the ceiling collapsed did it set the ground on fire.”dVXQMHJrWckSfHxXKrrxUuzhbVHxqk

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“How could that be?”OkGsoaiVzCSteFvvdwIrQpKPCrLTRA

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Ren Yi shook his head. “Both sides were severely burned. When I came up to help, I only acted on the east side. The west side, being the origin point, had flames too strong for me to approach. I mistakenly assumed the west side started burning first, and the open window seemed to support that. But after examining all the evidence, it turns out the opposite is true.”LwFTekMIpRnpqVPutlCIZJjJGGqQiG

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“Why did it happen this way?”aDoyxOsGruukULhdoswZNkRItxttfy

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“Yesterday, I focused only on 2209 and didn’t examine the hallway closely,” Ren Yi said, frustrated. “I missed something. One possible explanation is that the west side window was closed at the time, which caused the fire to spread toward the east side hallway’s window.”DsmDgwFOYSZpSzIcWnPufdKMtbdOBM

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“Let’s go take another look.”YJjBPFHFUsTDHEGbGWxAMDPBKmDtlB

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The three of them walked to the western window, which had long been burned down to just its frame, with shattered glass scattered all over the floor. Judging by the current state of the frame, the window appeared to be closed, but it couldn’t be ruled out that the heat pressure might have pushed it shut.zTnDCbEvvVuUcgAZOIJnmFjjrSvrcw

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“This window is usually used for ventilation. Unless it’s winter, it’s rarely closed in the hallway,” Gong Yingxian pondered. “If the hallway reeked of trash for a long time, there’s even less chance someone would close it.”OiNrnIEgzTCTJqJcVBFLCXMCYwvRDP

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Ren Yi took a deep breath, “Someone shut it, trying to stop the fire from spreading west?”byKJdMQWOVwiXubWUxzqmJuYLJgTUF

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Both of them simultaneously turned to look down the long corridor. Among the six households on the west side, who could be the arsonist?DdlqNqOOJbrIxGQJREKoywyLQrESdq

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