Blazing Armor

Ren Yi made an impatient gesture. “We’ve been at this all day. Look at the time. Yingxian, I don’t think we should waste any more time here. We’ve still got several more households to question tomorrow.”

Gong Yingxian exchanged a knowing glance with Ren Yi and nodded. “You’re right.” He closed his notebook. “Mrs. Bai, thank you for your time today. You can go home now.”

Mrs. Bai looked up, surprised to see them both standing up.

Ren Yi turned his back and quietly said to Gong Yingxian, “2207 is young and ambitious. She’ll crack before this one does.”

Gong Yingxian nodded seriously, pretending to leave.

“W-wait.” Mrs. Bai called out. “You’ve kept me waiting so long, and now you’re just going to leave?”

“Mrs. Bai, you’ve been unwilling to say anything. We’re just wasting each other’s time. It’s late, let’s all head home.”

“Wait!” Mrs. Bai hesitated. “If I tell you everything I know, does that mean… you won’t charge me?”

“That depends on the extent of your involvement.”

“I just threw away some trash. I didn’t do anything else.”

Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi exchanged a glance. “Let’s go.”

“It was Xiao Peng who told us to throw it!” Mrs. Bai blurted out.

Both men turned to look at her.

Mrs. Bai covered her mouth, choking on her sobs. “We all discussed it together, about how to deal with 2209. Xiao Peng said, ‘However disgusting they are to us, we’ll be just as disgusting to them.’ So we all decided to throw trash at their doorstep.”

“So, you all agreed to throw trash at 2209’s door as revenge on Friday?”

Mrs. Bai nodded. “But no one ever said anything about starting a fire, really! We had no idea it would catch fire. If we knew, why would we stay inside? Who would want to burn down their own house?”

“Then why didn’t you say so from the beginning?”

Mrs. Bai cried, “Xiao Peng said we were all accomplices. So many people died, so many houses burned. If the police found out, we’d all be held responsible. So no one could talk.”

“He wasn’t wrong, but there’s still a difference in the level of responsibility. If all you did was throw trash and had nothing to do with the fire, you wouldn’t face criminal charges. But covering up a crime is far more serious than just tossing some trash.”

“I’m not, I’m not covering up anything. I’ve told you everything I know.” Mrs. Bai sobbed harder. “Even my own mother died in that fire. I really didn’t know anything!”

After sending off the weeping old woman, the two men stood there, a mix of emotions swirling inside them, neither speaking.

“I think she’s telling the truth. The residents might have really only thrown the trash, not knowing it would start a fire.”

Gong Yingxian pondered, “The others might not have known, but Peng Fei might have. Still, based on the evidence we have now, we can’t prove he knew or participated in the arson.”

“By the way, what about the car owner? Any leads on a motive?”

“The car was chosen at random. Just like Zhou Chuan said, the owner doesn’t know them, and their social circles don’t overlap at all.”

“The key to the case still lies with these three people, but each one is harder to deal with than the last.”

Gong Yingxian replied coldly, “Chen Pei has been asking to see me, but I haven’t met him these past few days. Instead, Yan-jie has been interrogating him. It was her suggestion, too—she’s worried I might be affected.”

“He wants to see you?” Ren Yi asked, surprised. “What does he want?”

“Most likely, he wants to negotiate a deal.” Gong Yingxian’s expression darkened. “He knows he has something in his head that I need.”

Ren Yi murmured, “If we can break just one of these three, the other two will collapse on their own.”

“Unfortunately, we’re missing critical evidence.” Gong Yingxian tiredly rubbed his forehead. “Let’s hope the others are making progress.”

“Let’s go check on Cai Qiang and Zhou Chuan.”

“Alright.”

The two of them walked to another interrogation room but didn’t enter. Instead, they knocked on the door.

Cai Qiang glanced at them through the glass, then stood up and came out.

“How’s it going?”

Cai Qiang closed the door behind him and yawned. “That bastard is both a coward and a scumbag. He made a deal—he says he won’t talk unless he gets to stay in a hospital instead of the detention center before trial.”

Gong Yingxian frowned. “How valuable is the information he has?”

“He knows we’ve caught Chen Pei. He says he knows things about Chen Pei that will be enough to convict him.”

Ren Yi asked, “And what about the guy who set the car on fire?”

Cai Qiang gave a bitter laugh. “Ah, check the WeChat group now; it’s driving me crazy.”

Gong Yingxian pulled out his phone, and his expression darkened immediately. “Is this… Peng Fei’s alibi?”

“Yeah, on the night the car was set on fire, he says he was staying at a friend’s house. No one can confirm that, but surveillance caught him going downstairs to buy cigarettes around 11 p.m. At that time, it would’ve been impossible for him to make it to the car fire scene.”

“Why didn’t he mention this alibi at the start?”

“He says he just remembered it,” Cai Qiang scoffed. “Bullshit. He did it on purpose. He’s testing how much we know, deliberately trying to throw off the investigation.”

Gong Yingxian fell silent, clenching his fists, his expression fluctuating between anger and frustration.

Ren Yi was secretly shocked by Peng Fei’s cunning. This guy was playing the long game, letting the police investigate him as a suspect for ages, while gathering information on how much they knew, and then pulling out his alibi at the last minute. With this alibi, all the work following his lead might have been for nothing.

Gong Yingxian said in a chilling tone, “No wonder he had the guts to pressure the other residents into sticking to the same story. He knew we didn’t have enough evidence.”

“This bastard is too sly, and now we’re in a tight spot.” Cai Qiang glanced at the interrogation room. “We might have no choice but to agree to his demands.”

“We’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

Cai Qiang nodded. “It’s late anyway. Let’s head home.” He gave Ren Yi a teasing smile. “Captain Ren, have you thought about switching careers? You seem pretty passionate about investigating cases.”

Ren Yi chuckled, “Why don’t you ask your boss how much they’ll pay me per month, and I’ll seriously consider it.”

Cai Qiang burst out laughing.

After saying goodbye, the two walked toward the parking lot. Along the way, Ren Yi kept yawning and his stomach was growling with hunger. He was already thinking about what takeout he should order once he got back to the team. As he thought about food, Ren Yi hesitated whether to invite Gong Yingxian to grab a meal together. Although their first meal was super awkward, they were getting along pretty well now, so Gong Yingxian would probably agree, right? At this point, as long as he could spend a little more time with Gong Yingxian, even just a minute and a half, he was happy.

“Ren Yi…”

“I was just going to say, Old Gong…”

They both spoke at the same time.

Gong Yingxian glanced at him sideways.

Ren Yi laughed, “Don’t dislike the nickname. If everyone started calling you that, imagine how much you’d benefit.”

“You think everyone’s like you?” Gong Yingxian snorted lightly.

Ren Yi secretly took pride in the fact that only he used that nickname. “You should appreciate it, seriously. Think about me—whether it’s ‘Little Ren’ or ‘Old Ren,’ I’m the one getting the short end of the stick.”

Gong Yingxian couldn’t help but smile, “Quit rambling. Get in the car. I’ll drive you back to rest.”

They got into the car, and Ren Yi rubbed his growling stomach. “Hey, are you hungry?”

Gong Yingxian was about to speak but yawned, seemingly catching it from Ren Yi. A hint of fatigue crept into his expression, difficult to hide. “I’m fine. Are you hungry?”

Seeing how tired Gong Yingxian looked, Ren Yi couldn’t bring himself to invite him for a late-night meal. After all, he’d been exhausted all day, and Gong Yingxian wasn’t any different. Better to let it go. He said, “I’m okay. Let’s just head back to rest.” He yawned again after speaking.

“Are you sure you’re okay to drive, being this tired?”

“No problem. I’m used to it.” Gong Yingxian started the car and drove toward the team station.

“You know, I get some days off now and then, but I’ve never really seen you take any time off.” Ren Yi’s eyelids were getting heavy with sleep. He adjusted the seatback slightly and found a comfortable angle to lean on.

“I do have days off, just haven’t taken them,” Gong Yingxian said. “I’ve got a lot to do. I don’t need a break.”

“You can’t keep running on empty forever. You know the importance of balancing work and rest, right?”

Gong Yingxian shook his head, “I don’t have enough time.”

The 20-year statute of limitations loomed behind him like a wild beast, constantly chasing him. He didn’t dare, didn’t want to, and couldn’t afford to stop. He had to believe that the truth was just ahead, and he needed to keep running.

Ren Yi sighed softly, “You’re so stubborn.”

Gong Yingxian said nothing.

The car fell into a brief silence. Ren Yi stared at the windshield in front of him. Due to the unique lighting, he could see a faint reflection of Gong Yingxian’s face on the glass. He became a little entranced, wondering what Gong Yingxian, sitting next to him, was thinking. Did he, even just a tiny bit, occupy a place in his thoughts?

Ren Yi’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Before long, Gong Yingxian heard steady breathing from beside him. Glancing over at the passenger seat, he saw that Ren Yi had fallen asleep.

Gong Yingxian gently turned the steering wheel and pulled over to the side of the road. He softly pressed the brake, bringing the car to a smooth and seamless stop.

After putting the car in park, Gong Yingxian turned his head and silently observed Ren Yi, who was now sound asleep. His deep-set eyes flickered in the dim light. Then, out of curiosity, he leaned over and carefully studied Ren Yi’s face.

Why does his hair always stick up? Is it because it’s too soft or too stiff? His eyebrows are a bit unruly, but they’re still well-shaped. The mole on his nose is oddly placed. His lower lip is slightly fuller than his upper lip, making it look plump. His earlobes are small and rounded—what would it feel like to pinch them?

One question after another popped into Gong Yingxian’s mind. The answers to these questions tempted him to reach out, to touch them and find out for himself.

Gong Yingxian pursed his lips and tentatively reached out his hand, lightly brushing Ren Yi’s nose where the mole was.

It had a slight bump, and he could feel the hardness of the nasal bone beneath it.

Gong Yingxian moved his hand downward, his fingertips gently resting on Ren Yi’s soft lips. He applied a little pressure, feeling the warmth of Ren Yi’s breath against his fingers.

Ren Yi mumbled something in his sleep.

Startled, Gong Yingxian quickly withdrew his hand, as if he had been shocked by an electric current. He stared in surprise, questioning what he had just done and what he had been thinking. This was bizarre—he had never been curious about anyone like this before.

Was it because Ren Yi was his first real friend?

Maybe Sheng Bo and Sister Yan were right—he did need friends. Everyone needed friends. Having one wasn’t a hassle at all. In fact, it made him happy. Ren Yi’s presence made him happy.

Since he had never had a human friend before, it was natural to be curious about one.

Feeling reassured by this reasoning, Gong Yingxian finally calmed down. He glanced at the sleeping Ren Yi, not wanting to disturb him, and quietly opened the case files to review them.

Some time passed before Ren Yi sneezed, jolting himself awake. He blinked groggily and muttered, “Did I… fall asleep?”

Gong Yingxian turned his head to look at him, noticing the double chin formed by Ren Yi’s scrunched-up neck. He found it amusing. “Yeah.”

Ren Yi sat up and yawned widely. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I—oh, shit!” He looked at the time in surprise. “I slept for two hours?”

“One hour and forty-two minutes,” Gong Yingxian corrected, handing him a bottle of water. “What kind of call did you respond to today that exhausted you so much?”

Ren Yi gave Gong Yingxian a rough summary, “The exhaustion wasn’t that bad, it was mostly Gao Ge who gave me quite the scare.”

Gong Yingxian frowned, “And yet you insisted on coming to the precinct with me. You should’ve been resting properly.”

Ren Yi chuckled, “It’s no big deal. A quick nap, and I’m full of energy again.”

Gong Yingxian started the car, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”

“It’s so late already. If you drop me off at the station, by the time you get home, it’ll be two or three in the morning.”

“I can drive faster.”

“Come on, your place is far, and you’ve had a long day too. Driving while tired is dangerous.”

“I’m used to it.”

“Used to it, my ass, you—” Before Ren Yi could finish, his stomach suddenly growled loudly.

Gong Yingxian couldn’t help but laugh, “That hungry, huh?”

Ren Yi patted his abs, “Aren’t you hungry?”

“A little.”

“How about we head to my place? It’s close by,” Ren Yi suggested with a grin. “Have you ever had instant noodles? I can cook some for you.”

“Instant noodles aren’t exactly healthy.”

“Listen to my reasoning.” Ren Yi’s tone became mock-serious. “First, you won’t eat takeout because you think it’s dirty. Second, cooking something fresh would take too long. Third, you’ve never had instant noodles, so you’re missing out on this essential life experience. Tonight’s the perfect time to fix that.”

Gong Yingxian smiled faintly.

Ren Yi tried his best to hide the eagerness in his eyes, keeping his tone casual, “Plus, I still have your pillow at my place. So, are you coming or what?”

“Isn’t that where we’re headed already?”