Blazing Armor

Ren Yi placed the prepared dishes on the table one by one and even opened a bottle of red wine.

Gong Yingxian sat in his chair, arms crossed, staring at the food that was completely different from his usual eating habits, unsure of how to react.

Ren Yi sat across from Gong Yingxian. “There’s nothing here that you’re avoiding, right?”

Gong Yingxian shook his head and was about to say something when Ren Yi stopped him with a quick “Hey”: “I know you don’t like hot food, but you do eat warm food, right? You can wait for these dishes to cool down a bit before eating. Don’t just reject them because some are still steaming.”

Gong Yingxian stared at him. “Why didn’t you serve the food separately?”

Ren Yi sighed, got up, and went to the kitchen to fetch a few more plates, splitting all the dishes into two portions. As he did so, he muttered under his breath, “Acting all picky.”

Gong Yingxian was amused by Ren Yi’s expression. “For me to sit at this tiny table, this close to you, eating such poorly presented food, I’m really not being that picky.”

“Well, thank you, Your Highness,” Ren Yi responded.

“What did you just call me?” Gong Yingxian raised his voice.

“Your Majesty,” Ren Yi teased. “The food may not look fancy, but it should taste good. Give it a try.”

Gong Yingxian picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of the cold-tossed chrysanthemum greens, and put them in his mouth. The dish had a light vinegar flavor with a bit of chili, making it quite refreshing.

Ren Yi’s eyes lit up as he eagerly asked, “How is it?”

Gong Yingxian nodded. “Not bad.”

Ren Yi smiled. “I don’t cook often, but even just following a random recipe, I can make something decent. Just can’t help being smart.” As he spoke, he placed a bowl of winter melon fishball soup beside Gong Yingxian.

Gong Yingxian leaned in slightly and sniffed. “It’s hot.”

“Try the potato and beef, that one’s not hot.”

Gong Yingxian picked up a piece of beef, cautiously licking it with the tip of his tongue before putting it in his mouth.

Ren Yi chuckled. “Have you ever considered that overcoming your fear of fire could start with eating hot food?”

“My therapist suggested that,” Gong Yingxian said, “but I don’t think what I eat matters.”

“Of course, it matters. You don’t eat hot food because you dislike high temperatures or because subconsciously, you associate it with fire, right?”

Gong Yingxian remained silent.

“Overcoming your fear of things related to fire could help you overcome your fear of fire itself. That’s logical, right?”

Gong Yingxian snorted. “You’re really going all out just to get me to eat your cooking.”

Ren Yi burst out laughing. “I just want you to experience the taste of life. Some things are meant to be enjoyed hot, like this soup.”

Gong Yingxian glanced at the winter melon soup, hesitating.

“Do me a favor and try it? It won’t burn you.”

Gong Yingxian coughed lightly. “Since I’m a guest in your home today, I’ll humor you.”

“Go ahead,” Ren Yi urged, his face full of expectation.

Gong Yingxian gracefully picked up the bowl, stirred it with a spoon, and blew on it gently to cool it down.

Ren Yi suddenly thought of Miao Miao. Sometimes, when the meat just came out of the pot and was too hot, Miao Miao would squat by the bowl, patiently waiting for it to cool. At this moment, Gong Yingxian looked exactly like Miao Miao waiting for the meat to cool, and the thought made Ren Yi chuckle.

Gong Yingxian glared at him.

Ren Yi raised his hands in mock surrender.

Gong Yingxian scooped up a spoonful of soup, took a deep breath, and carefully sipped it.

“How is it?” Ren Yi asked excitedly.

Gong Yingxian paused for a moment. “It’s… fine.” He couldn’t even remember the last time he had eaten something this hot. After his family’s tragedy, he had been sent to America, and between his aversion to high temperatures and the influence of Western cuisine, he had stopped eating anything hot. He had almost forgotten how a warm bowl of soup could taste so good.

Ren Yi felt his heart racing, not just because Gong Yingxian ate hot food, but because Gong Yingxian was willing to change, even if just a little, for him. At least this meant that he mattered to this person, right? He said happily, “If you like it, have more. These fishballs are from Wenzhou, made by one of our team members’ families.”

Ren Yi tapped his fingers on the wine bottle. “Shall we have a drink?”

Gong Yingxian hesitated. “Alcohol makes people lose control. I don’t like losing control.”

“You’ve been through a lot today. You’re exhausted. A bit of wine will help you forget everything and get a good night’s sleep.”

Gong Yingxian scoffed lightly. “It’ll also make it hard to wake up tomorrow, which means I’ll be late.”

Ren Yi laughed. “You really hold a grudge, don’t you?”

Gong Yingxian tilted his chin slightly. “Pour me a glass then. What kind of wine is this?”

“No idea. A friend gave it to me.” Ren Yi poured wine for both of them. “I usually drink beer, not red wine, but if I made you drink beer…” He shook his head with a chuckle, “It just wouldn’t feel right.” He couldn’t even imagine Gong Yingxian squatting by a street stall with them, drinking beer and eating skewers.

Gong Yingxian swirled his glass lightly, bringing it to his nose for a sniff. “You should have let the wine breathe.”

“Don’t be so fussy. Just drink.” Ren Yi grabbed his glass and forced a clink with Gong Yingxian’s. “Cheers.”

Gong Yingxian took a sip, frowning slightly as he honestly remarked, “This wine isn’t good.”

Already used to Gong Yingxian’s personality, Ren Yi didn’t mind at all. “Next time, you bring the wine.”

“Alright.”

After dinner, Ren Yi started setting up to teach Gong Yingxian how to play a game.

Gong Yingxian, not accustomed to drinking, was already feeling a bit tipsy. Leaning back into the sofa, still holding his wine glass, he yawned and said, “This wine really isn’t good.”

“You’ve said that already. You’ve drunk it, and it’s in your stomach now, so what difference does it make?” Ren Yi projected the phone screen onto the TV and nudged Gong Yingxian’s shoulder. “Look at the screen. I’m going to teach you this game.”

“What game?”

“Ever played CS?”

“I don’t play games.”

Ren Yi explained, “It’s simple: you grab a weapon, shoot the enemy, and if you survive, you win.”

Gong Yingxian squinted at the screen. “…Goddess?”

Ren Yi winked. “Isn’t that name divine?”

“Why are you using that name?” Gong Yingxian stared at him in disbelief.

“I’ve told you before. It’s to balance out my five elements.”

“And what about ‘Goddess’?”

“Well, people think I’m a girl, so they let their guard down. Sometimes I can even trick them into giving me gear.”

Gong Yingxian narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t that cheating?”

“Why be so serious? The point of a game is to have fun.” Ren Yi laughed. “Watch me show you how it’s done.” He picked up a gun, and as soon as he climbed out a window, he got taken down. “…”

Gong Yingxian burst into laughter. “Did you just die?”

Ren Yi, slightly embarrassed, set down the phone and muttered, “I wasn’t in a good spot.”

Gong Yingxian handed his wine glass to Ren Yi, who took it with a barely suppressed smile. “This glass is in solemn mourning for the Goddess who lasted a whole one minute and 46 seconds.”

Ren Yi cursed, “You jerk! I just slipped up.” He clinked glasses with Gong Yingxian with a heavy hand, downing the rest of his wine.

Lying back on the sofa, Gong Yingxian felt his head spinning, his body light as a feather. This sense of carefree loss of control didn’t feel so bad after all. He spoke softly, “Eating, drinking, playing games… Is this how you all grew up?”

Ren Yi chuckled. “Most boys grew up this way, I think. What did you do when you were young?”

“Studied. Trained. Did experiments.”

Ren Yi paused, then said quietly, “That must have been lonely.”

Gong Yingxian was silent for a moment before he replied, “No.”

Ren Yi glanced over at him. From the side, Gong Yingxian’s face was as perfectly sculpted as a statue, with a faint flush on his cheeks, and his deep eyes held a hint of confusion, making Ren Yi’s heart race.

Gong Yingxian felt Ren Yi’s gaze and turned his face towards him.

Their eyes met, the alcohol clouding their vision until they gradually refocused on each other. The face before them was so familiar, yet the emotions it conveyed felt strange and inexplicably heart-stirring.

It felt like an electric shock had jolted through them, and they both quickly turned their heads away.

Ren Yi discreetly took a deep breath, grabbed the wine bottle, and poured more for both of them. With a loud voice, he said, “Come on, let’s drink.”

They clinked glasses and chatted while Ren Yi continued teaching Gong Yingxian how to play the game. At that moment, they seemed like two teenagers—free from worries, without memories or guilt, simply enjoying a carefree evening with a friend.

As the night wore on, Gong Yingxian, either drunk or exhausted, slumped over the sofa, drifting in and out of sleep. Ren Yi, slightly more sober, tapped his shoulder. “Don’t sleep here. Go to bed.”

Gong Yingxian muttered something unintelligible.

Ren Yi, struggling a bit, managed to pull Gong Yingxian off the sofa. “Hey, get up. Let’s get you to bed.”

With Gong Yingxian barely awake and leaning heavily on him, Ren Yi helped guide him towards the guest room. Despite the short distance, their drunken legs tangled, making their walk wobbly and unsteady. Finally, when the bed was in sight, Ren Yi, gritting his teeth and summoning all his strength, tried to push Gong Yingxian onto the bed. However, Gong Yingxian instinctively grabbed Ren Yi’s arm, pulling him down with him.

They both tumbled onto the bed, with Ren Yi landing on top of Gong Yingxian, their chests pressed tightly together. In that instant, half of Ren Yi’s intoxication seemed to dissipate, and he found himself frozen, barely daring to breathe.