Blazing Armor

Ren Yi discreetly pinched his arm and turned around. “Huh?”

“Isn’t this why you called me up here?” Gong Yingxian crossed his arms over his chest. “How are you going to shower alone?”

“Uh, I…” Ren Yi imagined the scene and knew there was no way he wouldn’t have inappropriate thoughts. But the idea of giving up this chance to get closer to Gong Yingxian made him hesitate. “Aren’t you disgusted by how dirty I am?”

“Yes,” Gong Yingxian said without hesitation. “I’ll hold the showerhead for you and make sure not to touch your wounds. You can clean yourself.” He paused, looking reluctant. “I can help you wipe around your neck.”

Ren Yi laughed awkwardly. “No… that’s okay. It’s embarrassing to be naked.”

Gong Yingxian raised an eyebrow. “You’re a firefighter. Haven’t you showered in communal bathhouses before?”

Ren Yi was at a loss for words. He only got his own private bathroom after becoming the squad leader two years ago.

“Or are you embarrassed in front of me?” Gong Yingxian’s lips curved slightly. “Feeling inferior?”

Ren Yi straightened his chest and blustered, “Are you kidding me? If you insist on helping, I’ll give you the chance.”

Gong Yingxian tilted his chin up. “Hurry up, I still have to get back to the precinct.” He said this while taking off his suit jacket.

Ren Yi couldn’t help but gulp as he watched Gong Yingxian deliberately emphasize his solid chest muscles while undressing.

“Get me a clean set of pajamas, preferably new.”

“I only have training gear.”

Gong Yingxian frowned. “You mean that uniform that looks like a repairman’s outfit?”

Ren Yi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, the one that looks like a repairman’s outfit.” It wasn’t surprising others found their uniform unappealing; even they thought it was pretty ugly. Ren Yi pulled out two freshly washed sets from the cabinet and handed one to Gong Yingxian.

Gong Yingxian silently stared at the flame-blue firefighter training suit in his hand. It had obviously been washed many times, the fabric was wrinkled and misshapen, and it clearly hadn’t been ironed.

“They’re clean,” Ren Yi said, bringing his own set up to his nose for a sniff. “They even smell nice.”

“You call this cheap detergent smell ‘nice’?” Gong Yingxian shot him a glare.

“Tch, this is all I’ve got. If you don’t wear it, you can come in naked.”

Gong Yingxian hesitated.

That hesitation made Ren Yi panic. Was this guy seriously planning to go in fully exposed? No way, no way—he wasn’t ready for that! He’d definitely make a fool of himself!

Reluctantly, Gong Yingxian said, “Fine.”

Ren Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and he cautiously asked, “When you say ‘fine’… does that mean you’ll wear… or not wear it?”

Gong Yingxian tossed the training suit back at him. “I’m not wearing that thing.”

Ren Yi was stunned, stammering, “You… you’re really going to…!”

“We’re both men, what’s the big deal?” Gong Yingxian checked his watch and urged, “Can you hurry up?” He then took off his watch and placed it on the table.

Ren Yi felt like a full-grown deer was crashing wildly inside his chest—he was panicking. How was he, a regular guy, supposed to calmly deal with this? This was torturing him! But if he refused, wouldn’t that just make things more suspicious?

Meanwhile, Gong Yingxian calmly began undressing, as if it were nothing.

Ren Yi steeled himself. “You can at least wear your underwear. I have new ones, brand new.”

“Okay.”

Ren Yi grabbed his own training suit and headed to the bathroom. He splashed his face with cold water, mentally chanting: Calm down, calm down, calm down.

It was just a shower together. He’d been in dorms since high school, showered in plenty of communal bathhouses, seen it all. There was no way he’d embarrass himself in his own bathroom—absolutely not. Taking a deep breath, he stripped and turned on the faucet.

A short while later, Gong Yingxian came in. “Is the water warm?”

“Yeah.” Ren Yi took a deep breath and slightly turned to hand the showerhead to Gong Yingxian. But the moment he saw Gong Yingxian’s muscular, flawless body, he flinched. Quickly, he shoved the showerhead into Gong Yingxian’s hand and turned his back, afraid the heat creeping into his face would be noticed.

Gong Yingxian took the showerhead, but his gaze couldn’t help but trail over Ren Yi’s bare back. His body was tall and lean, his waist slender, his muscles perfectly toned—every inch radiated a vitality and power that was hard to ignore.

Ren Yi’s body is really attractive, he thought.

When he realized what he was thinking, it startled him. He had never paid attention to other people’s appearances. It wasn’t that he couldn’t distinguish beauty from ugliness—it just never mattered to him. Clean or not was always more important. But now, the thought that Ren Yi was *good-looking* had crossed his mind. He couldn’t understand where this feeling came from, and it made him confused—even unsettled. His breathing grew a little erratic.

Ren Yi waited for a while. “Hey? Pour the water, will you?” He didn’t turn around, trying to keep his cool, even though the urge to sneak a glance—preferably a good, long one—was overwhelming.

Gong Yingxian snapped out of it, forcefully pushing down the strange thoughts in his mind. He stepped forward and examined Ren Yi’s wounds. “The injury’s healing, but the color won’t fade for at least two years.”

“If I get tanned, it won’t be noticeable, right?”

“Unless you turn pitch-black.” Gong Yingxian poured water over Ren Yi’s back. “Start washing.”

Ren Yi began to wash, awkwardly and stiffly. He tried hard not to think about the person behind him, focusing instead on anything that might keep both his brain and body under control. But the result was that he moved with such rigid discomfort, it looked as if he were awkwardly stumbling through a bath with half his body paralyzed.

Even though Ren Yi didn’t turn around, he could feel Gong Yingxian’s gaze on him. Of course Gong Yingxian was looking at him, but it wasn’t just an ordinary look—it was… something else. He couldn’t quite describe the sensation of being so intensely observed, almost as if the gaze had taken physical form. Maybe it was all in his head, but he didn’t dare turn around to confirm it.

Images from an overhead, God-like perspective popped into Ren Yi’s mind, and a sudden shiver ran through him. He instinctively bent over slightly, trying to hide his flustered state.

No, no—he had to think of something else, something… terrifying.

Ren Yi bit down on his lip and, abandoning fear, seriously recalled scenes from horror movies he’d watched. He imagined something lurking just out of sight, in the corners he couldn’t see…

“Pass me the towel,” Gong Yingxian’s voice suddenly came from right beside his ear. The sound was naturally elegant and ethereal, as if it existed just a little removed from the noise of the world, pure and flawless. Sometimes, hearing it sent a tingle down one’s spine, but as Ren Yi’s mind was full of ghosts and shadows, this otherworldly voice dropped his body temperature by several degrees.

His heart skipped a beat, and in his surprise, he slipped. Ren Yi lost his footing and toppled backward.

Gong Yingxian, still holding the showerhead in one hand, could only catch Ren Yi with the other. But Gong’s own feet slipped, and to prevent both of them from falling, he staggered back several steps, finally bracing himself against the wall to stay upright.

For a brief moment, the air seemed to freeze. Neither of them dared to breathe. Only the sound of the shower water continued, splashing noisily.

Ren Yi’s mind went blank.

Inside Gong Yingxian’s chest, something ignited—a flame that sent an unfamiliar but intense sensation coursing through him. He had never felt this before and couldn’t understand what it was. A tingling crept across his scalp, and heat flushed his cheeks, as if he’d just downed a strong drink. Panic welled up in him, and he hurriedly said, “Get up, already!”

Ren Yi snapped out of his daze and scrambled to his feet, completely flustered. He was at a loss, utterly clueless, and now even more terrified to turn around.

Gong Yingxian didn’t need Ren Yi to face him. Just seeing the redness spreading up Ren Yi’s neck was enough for him to imagine what his face must look like right now. Gong couldn’t help but touch his own face, wondering if it was also…

“I-I think I’m done here. You, uh… maybe you should…”

“…Give me the towel,” Gong Yingxian repeated, his tone more forceful, as if that could hide his current nervousness.

Ren Yi, still facing away, handed the towel to him.

Gong took it, trying to sound composed as he scolded, “You almost splashed your wound just now. Can you be more careful?” He used the damp towel to gently wipe around the injury.

“The tiles are kind of slippery…” Ren Yi muttered, his mind a complete mess. He was a firefighter, used to seeing all kinds of accidents, constantly in and out of dangerous situations. As a commander, staying calm and composed in the face of chaos was a fundamental skill. If someone had told him before that he’d lose his cool over something as simple as “liking” someone, he’d have scoffed at the idea.

But now? He felt like a confused idiot, acting ridiculously timid.

Gong Yingxian draped the towel over Ren Yi’s shoulder. “Alright, you can finish up on your own.”

“Uh, okay.” Ren Yi was relieved. If Gong stayed any longer, he was sure he’d explode from the pressure.

Just as Gong reached the door, he turned back. “My underwear is all wet thanks to you. Where’s the new pair?”

Ren Yi’s face flushed with heat again, and he managed to mutter, “In the cabinet… from earlier.”

Gong gave Ren Yi a long, final look before exiting and closing the door.

Ren Yi let out a heavy sigh of relief, feeling utterly drained. His head fell against the wall as he slowly turned the faucet to the left, letting the cold water cascade over him, dousing the heat that had flared up.

Usually, Ren Yi could shower in five minutes flat, but this time, he dawdled for another twenty. He stared at himself in the mirror, carefully examining his reflection to ensure no signs of his earlier fluster remained. Only when he was sure he looked calm and collected did he step out of the bathroom.

By then, Gong Yingxian was fully dressed, sitting on Ren Yi’s bed, using the strap of his watch to play with Miaomiao. Despite Gong’s expressionless face, even when teasing a cat, looking more like he was conducting a scientific experiment than having fun, the scene struck Ren Yi as oddly heartwarming.

“All done?” Gong glanced up at him. “You took forever.”

“Had to be careful not to aggravate the wound,” Ren Yi replied. “And stop spoiling her with expensive things. How’s she ever going to settle for the 9.99 yuan cat toy I got her after this?”

Gong raised his chin slightly toward Ren Yi’s desk. “When I came out, she knocked my watch onto the floor and started chasing it around.”

Ren Yi’s eyes widened. “Hey, this little troublemaker! Did the watch get damaged?”

“It won’t break,” Gong Yingxian said, continuing to play with Miaomiao by lifting and dropping the watch strap. “Even if it did, I wouldn’t make you pay for it.”

“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.”

“Because she’s my cat too.” Gong looked at Ren Yi. “Isn’t that right?”

Ren Yi chuckled. “Yep, that’s right.”

Gong tapped Miaomiao’s tiny head with his finger. “When will you be able to play with Sachiel?”

“Who’s Sachiel?”

“My blue-blooded snake, remember? That beautiful blue one.”

Ren Yi thought for a moment. He did recall seeing an unusually stunning, sky-blue snake in Gong Yingxian’s reptile room, but it had quickly disappeared into the branches. “Oh, the one that slithered away in an instant.”

“Whether the snake comes out or not depends on its mood,” Gong explained. “It’s my first snake. Sachiel is nine years old now. The name comes from the Angel of Water.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Ren Yi pointed at Miaomiao. “You can’t be serious about this.”

Gong Yingxian clarified, “First, the blue-blood snake is a color mutation of the green tree python, and it’s non-venomous. Second, a cat’s reflexes are faster than a snake’s. The snake couldn’t harm her, though of course, Miaomiao would need to grow a bit more.”

“No way, absolutely not.” Ren Yi went over and gently grasped Miaomiao’s entire head in his hand. “Miaomiao, don’t listen to him. I’m never letting you play with a snake.”

Gong smirked. “Who knows, maybe she’ll enjoy playing with a snake.”

“Let’s wait until she’s grown,” Ren Yi said, moving Miaomiao aside. “Are you heading back to the precinct?”

Gong checked the time and nodded.

“If you’re going back to question Zhou Chuan, I’m coming with you,” Ren Yi said. “You told me there’s been significant progress in the case, and I don’t want to miss it.”

“You’ve just been injured. You should rest.”

“This?” Ren Yi pointed to his neck dismissively. “This is nothing.”

Gong stood up. “Alright, then.”

“Let’s go.” Ren Yi grabbed his jacket.

As Gong walked a few steps, he frowned uncomfortably. “Your clothes are a bit tight on me.”

Ren Yi shot him a side glance, clearly annoyed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Are you struggling with speech or having trouble understanding?” Gong teased.

“We’re barely a few centimeters apart in height—how much difference can that make?” Ren Yi protested, though he couldn’t help but recall the earlier moment in the bathroom. Based on what he’d seen… well, Gong Yingxian did seem to have a bit more going on.

Gong Yingxian shot him a disdainful look. “Do you think the human body scales proportionally?”

“You…” Ren Yi was so annoyed he nearly choked. “If you’re that bothered, why don’t you just not wear anything!”

“It’s because you—”

“Stop, stop, stop! Don’t say another word!” Ren Yi hurriedly cut him off as they passed through the foyer, where they could run into any of the squad members at any moment. How would they explain if someone overheard this conversation? In desperation, Ren Yi begged for mercy.

Gong Yingxian shrugged, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.