Blazing Armor

“Exchanging… arson?” Ren Yi looked incredulous.

“Exchange murder refers to two people agreeing to kill someone the other wants dead. This way, they have a perfect alibi, and it’s hard for the police to trace the motive,” Gong Yingxian explained, looking at Tan Haochun. “The post you found on the forum, is it domestic?”

Tan Haochun nodded and opened a webpage. “Here it is. It’s in English, but the location is mentioned in the post’s title, and it says Tianqi.”

“From three months ago,” Ren Yi said, looking at the date. “That’s it? Just a rough city location, no other details?”

“They don’t dare reveal too much information. They write the location, and whoever’s interested reaches out privately.”

“Aren’t they worried about law enforcement baiting them?”

“I messaged one of them. He asked me a lot of questions, like how I felt about fire, why I wanted to do this, what my purchase history on the site was, and how I could prove I wasn’t a cop. He even wanted me to provide ID. Of course, I ignored him, so he stopped responding,” Tan Haochun explained. “It’s a process of mutual probing. No one knows who they’re really talking to, so both sides take risks. I have no idea if this poster ever found someone to exchange arson with. Since it’s in Tianqi, I was concerned. I even tried to hack into his private messages, but they were empty—probably deleted.”

“Can you track the poster’s IP?”

Tan Haochun sighed. “It’s too difficult. Like I said before, the dark web constantly changes virtual IPs to protect user privacy. To trace someone’s IP, I’d have to be in the same live chatroom with them and need plenty of time.”

“But we don’t have a specific target right now,” Ren Yi added.

“Exactly. But the higher-ups have agreed to investigate the site, and I’ll have colleagues assisting me. We’ll keep trying.”

Gong Yingxian mused, “I’ll use this exchange-arson idea to bluff Zhou Chuan. Maybe we’ll get something unexpected. Now that he’s involved in criminal activity, he might be willing to talk.”

Tan Haochun glanced at the Seraph website, then at them, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

“What’s wrong?”

“Dr. Gong, Captain Ren, you both need to be careful. Maybe they won’t dare harass you, but having your private info leaked to a bunch of perverts and criminals is terrifying.”

Gong Yingxian nodded. “I’m counting on you all to give me more clues to capture them.”

The two left the office in silence, their faces dark with concern.

Just as Tan Haochun said, having your private information exposed to a group of psychopaths and criminals is unsettling for anyone.

Especially when their “bounty” had already reached over 200,000 yuan. That’s not a small amount. Who’s to say some desperate soul wouldn’t risk everything?

“Afraid of a thief stealing from you? No, what’s worse is when the thief’s got their eyes on you. This situation, where they’re in the dark while we’re in the light, is truly nerve-wracking.”

Gong Yingxian suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Ren Yi, who was walking behind him, to bump into his broad back.

“What the hell, why did you suddenly—”

“It’s my fault,” Gong Yingxian turned around, staring intently at Ren Yi, his expression unusually serious.

“…What’s going on with you?” Ren Yi asked, confused.

“I forgot about that computer. I should have realized it, but the moment I see fire, my mind just blanks.” Gong Yingxian bit his lip. “You shouldn’t have gotten dragged into this with me.”

Ren Yi took a deep breath, forcing a casual smile. “Oh, I thought you finally grew a conscience and were going to apologize for falsely accusing me of hitting on underage kids a few months ago.”

“Be serious,” Gong Yingxian growled.

“I am serious,” Ren Yi chuckled. “Stop overthinking it. This isn’t your fault. We just ran into bad people. We’ll catch them together, no big deal.”

Gong Yingxian gazed deeply at Ren Yi.

“I don’t really believe they’d dare do anything to us. Even if they did, I’m not scared,” Ren Yi shrugged. “I’m not afraid of fire, so what’s a few psychos?”

Gong Yingxian stared into Ren Yi’s clear, bright eyes. They were like a pure spring—honest and sincere, making it hard not to believe every word he said. It was as if everything that came out of this man’s mouth was straight from the heart, without the slightest hint of falsehood.

Not wanting Gong Yingxian to continue blaming himself, Ren Yi decided to change the subject. He discreetly opened his pocket a bit. “Wow, Miaomiao’s sleeping so soundly. Look.”

Gong Yingxian couldn’t help but lean in, glancing down at the little kitten curled up inside. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Did you really come all the way to the station just to show me your cat?”

“Not really,” Ren Yi sighed softly. “Had a rough call this morning. Felt like I needed to get out for a bit.”

“What happened?”

“A 20-year-old boy got pinned under several tons of shelving. Both legs need to be amputated,” Ren Yi pursed his lips. “He was still conscious, kept begging me to save him, begging me not to cut off his legs…”

Ren Yi’s face filled with sadness and frustration.

Gong Yingxian’s voice unconsciously softened. “You did your best.” He paused for a moment, then added, “You always do your best.”

Ren Yi forced a smile. “At least he survived.” He had to try his best; only by doing so could he eventually forgive himself after witnessing so many tragedies.

An unfamiliar wave of emotion surged in Gong Yingxian’s chest. Before he realized it, he blurted out, “Come home with me.”

Ren Yi froze. “Huh?”

Gong Yingxian swallowed, quickly clarifying. “I just… I think the next few days will be really busy. Might not have time later. No time like the present, right? Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?”

Ren Yi scratched his head, a goofy grin spreading across his face. “Sure, sure, but isn’t it a bit late? Are we having a midnight snack or what?”

“Alright.”

That phrase, “Come home with me,” kept echoing in Ren Yi’s mind, lingering there long after it was said. Smiling, he said cheerfully, “Let’s go then.”

By the time they arrived at Gong’s place, it was already ten at night. The extravagant mansion was still brightly lit, and Steward Sheng was standing at the door as usual, smiling warmly.

“Mr. Sheng,” Ren Yi greeted with a smile, “Sorry for intruding again.”

“No intrusion at all, no intrusion,” Sheng replied with delight. “We’re always happy when Captain Ren visits.”

After stepping inside, Ren Yi pulled Miaomiao out from his pocket. “Mr. Sheng, could you give me some tissue or something? I think it needs to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh dear, a kitten! We have some pee pads. Xiao Li, go get one.”

“This little one is the kitten we rescued from the fire last time. It’s kind of fate, so I decided to keep it,” Ren Yi explained with a smile. “I brought it over for Dr. Gong to see, and then Dr. Gong said he’d show me his pet. What do you guys have here?”

Sheng’s expression shifted awkwardly, as if he was holding something back. “Uh…”

Gong Yingxian cut in, “Follow me.”

“Should I bring Miaomiao to play along?” Ren Yi waved the small kitten in his hand.

“Only if you want it to be eaten.”

Ren Yi froze.

Sheng quietly took the kitten from Ren Yi and whispered, “The young master’s pet is… unusual. But it’s safe, just don’t make any sudden movements.”

“What on earth is he keeping?” Ren Yi’s curiosity was fully piqued.

Gong led Ren Yi through the house and out the back door into the garden, where a large glass enclosure stood. The walls of the glass structure were equipped with movable partitions, all of which were lowered at the moment, obscuring the interior and adding to the mystery.

A creeping sense of unease rose in Ren Yi’s chest. “Dude, what exactly do you have in there?”

Gong unlocked the door with a fingerprint scan and glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow provocatively. “Scared?”

“Does it eat people?” Coming from anyone else, it would’ve been a joke, but with Gong Yingxian, Ren Yi was half-serious despite the playful tone—after all, this man was far from ordinary.

“There are safety measures inside.”

“So it *does* eat people!” Ren Yi exclaimed. “What the hell do you keep in there, a tiger?!”

Gong pushed the door open. “Why don’t you come in and see for yourself? Unless you’re too scared, of course.”

Ren Yi knew it was a challenge, but he refused to back down. Gritting his teeth, he followed Gong inside.

The interior of the glass house left Ren Yi in awe. The ceiling was fully transparent, allowing a clear view of the deep blue night sky and the twinkling stars. On either side of the room were various compartments, each one different. Some resembled jungle environments, others sandy terrains, and a few even had water features. In the middle of the room were about a dozen temperature-controlled terrariums, and at the very back, a small lab was set up, filled with jars, strange instruments, and reptile specimens.

Ren Yi’s eyes widened as he took it all in.

In the compartments and temperature-controlled enclosures, Ren Yi saw all kinds of snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and even some that looked like alien creatures. This glass house was practically a reptile zoo!

Ren Yi wasn’t afraid of reptiles, but he didn’t like them either. He had never been surrounded by so many cold-blooded creatures in his life, and the sensation made his skin crawl.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Gong Yingxian said, a hint of pride in his voice. “I’ve been collecting them for years. Now there are over a hundred species here.”

“You… you like keeping cold-blooded animals?” Ren Yi stammered.

“To be precise, they’re ectothermic animals,” Gong corrected, opening a temperature-controlled enclosure and reaching inside. When he pulled his hand out, a bright green snake was already coiled around his wrist.

Ren Yi stared at him, stiff and uncomfortable.

“The skin of a snake is cool and feels quite nice,” Gong explained. “This one is a green tree snake, a very common pet snake. It’s not venomous. Wanna touch it?”

Ren Yi quickly shook his head. “No, thanks.”

“Come on, just a little touch. It’s not going to burn you,” Gong teased, watching Ren Yi closely.

Ren Yi squinted his eyes. “I’m starting to realize you hold grudges, huh? You’re pretty petty.”

“I’m just sharing my pets with you,” Gong replied calmly. “Don’t like the green tree snake? How about a bearded dragon? It’s a beginner-friendly pet lizard.”

“No thanks. I don’t want to be a beginner.”

“They’re actually really great,” Gong said, gently toying with the little green snake in his hand. “Much simpler than people.”

Ren Yi looked around. “You built this giant glass room just for them?” He couldn’t shake the feeling that this place was a reflection of Gong Yingxian’s loneliness.

“Yeah, it’s a temperature-controlled environment.” Gong placed the green tree snake back into its enclosure. He looked at Ren Yi, hesitating for a moment before asking, “That kitten… are we raising it together?”

Ren Yi was caught off guard. “I thought you didn’t like cats.”

“We rescued it together, and we named it together,” Gong turned his face away, his gaze distant. “You insisted on associating it with me… and that’s fine. I have staff who take care of the pets, one more won’t make a difference.”

Ren Yi burst out laughing. “So, we’re raising it together. You’ve got yourself a warm-blooded pet now.”

Gong fell silent for a moment. He had never imagined himself keeping a pet with a body temperature higher than his own. But it wasn’t just that—since Ren Yi came into his life, he had broken a lot of his own rules.

Why did he keep making exceptions for this man?