Blazing Armor

After a whole morning of on-site investigation, everyone was exhausted and hungry. They packed up their tools and went downstairs one after another.

After waking up, Qi Xiao had called Ren Yi, but Ren Yi hadn’t had a chance to answer. Now, while heading downstairs, Ren Yi replied to a few of his messages, like: “Had important work, left early this morning, borrowed your clothes, etc.”

At the bottom of the stairs, Ren Yi put his phone away and looked at Gong Yingxian. “Are you heading back to the precinct? Let me know if you get any updates.”

Gong Yingxian gave Ren Yi a once-over, his expression far from friendly.

“What now?” Ren Yi followed his gaze to his own clothes, suddenly feeling a little guilty.

“Whose clothes are these?”

Ren Yi was surprised. “Uh, how did you tell?”

“You can’t afford this brand with your salary,” Gong Yingxian said bluntly.

“Is it that expensive?” Ren Yi looked down at the T-shirt again. Wasn’t it just a white shirt with some designs? “All my clothes smell like alcohol and cigarettes, so I borrowed a friend’s. Otherwise, if I showed up in front of you, you’d start nagging again.” He usually wore his training uniform most of the year, so he had very few casual clothes, mostly from Uniqlo.

“You stayed overnight at your friend’s house,” Gong Yingxian deliberately emphasized the word “friend,” staring at Ren Yi with burning eyes.

“Yeah.” Ren Yi felt a bit uncomfortable under Gong Yingxian’s gaze. He wasn’t going to tell Gong Yingxian the true nature of his relationship with Qi Xiao. It wasn’t that he was hiding it on purpose—it was just such a private matter that there was no need to bring it up. Only Fu Kai and Qu Yangbo knew, and Gao Ge probably had guessed but never brought it up.

Gong Yingxian’s face visibly darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“I admit I was late, and I’ve apologized for it.” Ren Yi had been watching Gong Yingxian’s attitude all morning. While he was at fault, it wasn’t that big of a deal, was it? “What more do you want?”

“I don’t need your apology.” Gong Yingxian turned and was about to get into the car.

“Damn, you’re so—” Ren Yi’s phone suddenly rang. He looked down and saw it was Qi Xiao. After leaving without a word and borrowing his clothes, Ren Yi felt too embarrassed to ignore the call, so he answered it. “Hello, Qi Xiao.”

Gong Yingxian froze mid-step.

“Yeah, still in the Wanyuan District. The lockdown will be lifted tomorrow, so I have to be here today. Sorry about that… mm-hmm.” Ren Yi kept talking while glancing furtively at Gong Yingxian.

Gong Yingxian turned slightly, pretending to check his phone.

Lowering his voice unconsciously, Ren Yi said, “I still need to go home tonight. I’ve washed your clothes; I’ll mail them to you… yeah, okay, bye.”

After hanging up, Ren Yi was just about to say something when Gong Yingxian spoke first. “Captain Ren, I need your assistance with something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you have plans tonight?” Gong Yingxian stared straight at Ren Yi, his tone cold. “Or are you going to drink and spend the night at your friend’s again?”

“I plan to head home tonight, nothing much going on.” Ren Yi frowned. “Why?”

Gong Yingxian’s tone softened slightly. “Do you remember Zhou Chuan?”

“Of course.” Zhou Chuan was the programmer they had caught at the Fourth Perspective crime scene, the one making money by livestreaming the burned-out ruins on the dark web. “He got off too easy with just 48 hours of administrative detention.”

“This time, when the fire broke out at the Wanyuan District, I had someone keep an eye on him. I have a feeling we might be able to dig something out through him.”

“You don’t really think the fire at Wanyuan District is related to the dark web, do you?”

“Not exactly. It’s just that after Zhou Chuan’s camera and computer were confiscated last time, he bought new ones. He’s desperate to make money, so he’s likely to start up again. I’ve always wanted to track down those Chinese users logging into ‘Seraphim’—they’re all potential arsonists.”

Ren Yi was surprised. “You know he bought new equipment? How long have you been watching him? Does your department support you on this?”

Gong Yingxian shook his head. “Without solid evidence, the department won’t allocate resources to investigate him. But a colleague in the cybercrime division is interested in the case and helped me track some of Zhou Chuan’s recent activities. After the fire, I had my driver follow him. The goal is to catch him in the act before he destroys his livestream setup.”

“Will Zhou Chuan act tonight?”

“The site will be cleared tomorrow, so if he’s going to make a move, it has to be tonight. My driver needs a shift change.” Gong Yingxian looked at Ren Yi. “Coming?”

Ren Yi shrugged. “Sure, let’s go.” He was as curious about Zhou Chuan and the dark web as Gong Yingxian was.

Gong Yingxian tossed the keys to Ren Yi.

Once inside the car, Ren Yi checked the time. “Let’s grab some food first. I haven’t eaten anything since morning.”

“The trunk…”

“I’m not eating your grass.”

Gong Yingxian shot him a sideways glance. “There’s plenty of meat.”

“It’s too bland.” Ren Yi sighed. “Can we stop at a convenience store so I can buy something?”

“Can you stop eating that junk all the time?” Gong Yingxian frowned. “Especially not in my car.”

“You’re such a spoiled brat. I’m the one eating it, but you’re the one grossed out about it being in your car.” Ren Yi rolled his eyes so hard they almost disappeared into the back of his head. “Have you never been punched in your life?”

Gong Yingxian smirked coldly. “At least, I’ve never lost a fight.”

Ren Yi snorted, thinking Gong Yingxian was full of it, but then remembered how strong he was when he grabbed him the last time, and how he barely broke a sweat climbing to the 22nd floor. Suddenly, Ren Yi wasn’t so sure.

“Dr. Gong, I’m doing you a favor right now. When someone helps you, it’s not okay to be so picky. You get that, right?”

Gong Yingxian was silent for a moment. “I’ll have Butler Sheng send some food over.”

Ren Yi’s eyes lit up. “That works! Your family’s chef is amazing. Honestly, having them cook for you is a waste of their talent.”

“I pay them a lot of money; no one’s being mistreated.”

Zhou Chuan lived in a different district, closer to Gong Yingxian’s home. When they arrived, Steward Sheng was already there.

The driver was surprised by Gong Yingxian’s presence. “Young master, why did you come? We can handle it.”

“You’re tired, go back and rest.”

“No, we’re not tired. We’ve been taking turns sleeping.”

“You *are* tired.” Gong Yingxian emphasized, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Go back now.”

The two were confused but obediently left.

Steward Sheng then took out two large food baskets from the car. When he saw Ren Yi, his face lit up with a smile. “Captain Ren! Long time no see. Why haven’t you come by lately?”

“Haha, work’s been keeping me busy,” Ren Yi replied. “Thanks for the snacks you sent to the team last time. We devoured all of them.”

Steward Sheng beamed. “I’m glad you liked them. I’ll bring more next time.”

Ren Yi quickly waved his hand. “No need, really, don’t trouble yourself.”

“Young master, this is yours.” Steward Sheng handed one of the food baskets to Gong Yingxian. “Don’t eat the food you brought. Have something fresh.”

“Alright.”

“Captain Ren, this one’s for you. Young master mentioned you like crayfish, but that takes a lot of work, so we didn’t have time. We made something else instead.” He handed the other basket to Ren Yi.

“Thank you, you’re too kind.” Ren Yi took the basket, which felt quite heavy. He shot a glance at Gong Yingxian with a smile. “Really? You even remember what I like to eat.”

Gong Yingxian gave a soft snort. “Hot, high-calorie foods. I remember because I have a good memory, not because I want to.”

“Honestly, I’m not picky with food. It’s just with my training, I need high-calorie stuff to keep up my stamina.”

“I’m not criticizing your diet. Just saying, as long as you get enough protein, you’ll have plenty of energy.”

“I know, but good taste matters too.”

Steward Sheng laughed. “Captain Ren, young master’s eating habits are… unconventional. You enjoy your meal; we all know what’s tasty.”

Gong Yingxian glared at Steward Sheng.

“You all focus on your work, then. I’ll head back. Captain Ren, come by again when you have time.”

After Steward Sheng left, Ren Yi opened the food basket. “Wow, this is quite the spread.”

Gong Yingxian placed a pair of binoculars on the window of the driver’s seat. “The third green iron gate ahead, that’s Zhou Chuan’s building.”

“Got it.” Ren Yi spread out a tablecloth, lowered the window, and picked up some ribs to eat. “How many times have I eaten in your car now?”

“Probably not the last time.” Gong Yingxian also started his lunch.

“Mhm,” Ren Yi nodded. “Getting you to go to a restaurant is like pulling teeth. It’s fine, eating in the car is fine. When we’re out on duty, we’ve eaten in far worse conditions. Having air conditioning is already a luxury.”

Gong Yingxian stared out the windshield, hesitated, then asked, “Is eating out together a necessary social etiquette between friends?”

“Huh?” Ren Yi was taken aback, pausing to think. “Yeah, isn’t it normal for friends to treat each other to meals? Even if you’re not friends, in China, what don’t we do over a meal? Business, family visits, holidays, celebrations—you name it. I remember when Captain Song was around, he said you never ate with them. Honestly, you…” Ren Yi swallowed his words, barely stopping himself from saying “antisocial,” and quickly added, “But, but we understand you.”

Gong Yingxian narrowed his eyes slightly. “So drinking together, spending the night at each other’s place—that’s also part of the social etiquette between friends?”

Ren Yi almost choked on his food.

Gong Yingxian turned his head to look at him.

Ren Yi managed to swallow his food with difficulty. “What… what exactly are you fixating on?”

“I’m discussing the definition of friendship with you,” Gong Yingxian said flatly. “You’re the one who brought up being friends.”

“Yes… but it doesn’t have to be so…” Ren Yi fumbled for words, unable to find the right way to describe the bizarre conversation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Making friends is casual. There aren’t any set rules, and there’s no checklist for what makes someone a friend.”

Gong Yingxian was getting frustrated. “No rules, no definition—then how can you call someone a friend? I hate this vague, half-baked nonsense.”

“Two people getting along, that’s what makes them friends.” Ren Yi was now just as confused by Gong Yingxian’s line of questioning.

“Do we get along?” Gong Yingxian shot back.

Ren Yi paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. “We get along sometimes and annoy the hell out of each other other times.”

“So, getting along isn’t a requirement.”

Ren Yi groaned, feeling a headache coming on. “Can you just let this go? I really don’t know how to answer you.”

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath, his face darkening. “Then answer me this. Why is *that guy* from yesterday your ‘friend,’ but I’m just someone you ‘work with’?”

Ren Yi blinked at Gong Yingxian, caught off guard.

Gong Yingxian stared coldly back at him.

Suddenly, Ren Yi burst into laughter.

The more Ren Yi laughed, the darker Gong Yingxian’s expression became, until finally, he snapped, “Get out of the car.”

Ren Yi struggled to contain his laughter. “Don’t kick me out! Haha, Dr. Gong, are you… jealous?”