Blazing Armor

Not knowing how long had passed, the tremors finally ceased.

After a brief moment of dizziness, Ren Yi heard anxious calls next to his ear, and his body was being gently shaken. He barely cracked his eyes open, and sand immediately poured into them. The pain made him shake his head violently, dislodging some of the sand covering his mouth and nose. He gasped sharply—like someone barely breaking the surface after drowning—only for the sand to choke him, and he began to cough violently.

Gong Yingxian patted Ren Yi’s back lightly, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. “It’s good that you’re okay.”

Ren Yi removed his gloves and rubbed the sand out of his eyes as he came to his senses. “Where… where are we?”

“We’re still in the human world.”

Ren Yi’s heart skipped a beat as something suddenly came to mind. “Were you injured just now?” He tried to check Gong Yingxian’s wounds, but as soon as he moved, he realized they were wedged between two large rocks, pressed into a crevice so tight it was difficult to even turn over.

“It’s nothing, not serious,” Gong Yingxian deflected.

“Let me take a look.” Ren Yi reached toward Gong Yingxian’s back.

Gong Yingxian tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to hide. When Ren Yi’s hand touched his back, he instinctively flinched.

Ren Yi felt something warm and sticky, a sensation he was all too familiar with—blood. A buzzing sound filled Ren Yi’s head, and his body felt like it had plunged into an icy abyss. Trembling, he said, “You’re… you’re bleeding…”

“I already checked it myself, it’s no big deal. I’ve called for help; they’re alrea—”

“Ren Yi, Ren Yi! Are you awake, Ren Yi!” Chen Xiaofei’s anxious voice crackled over the radio.

Ren Yi grabbed the radio. “Captain Chen, I’m awake. I think I suffocated a bit earlier with the sand covering my mouth and nose, plus…” He took a cautious breath, “The air is getting thinner here.”

“Stay calm, don’t panic, and don’t move. We know where you are and are working on a rescue plan. You’re not far from the exit. We’re going to use a laser cutter to open a hole in the right spot.”

“We’re not panicking.” Ren Yi said, though his voice betrayed an unmistakable note of anxiety. “But Officer Gong is injured, and he’s bleeding. Captain Chen, please hurry.”

“We’re doing our best.”

“What about the couple? How’s the pregnant woman?”

“They’ve been rescued. The pregnant woman is currently in the hospital, undergoing emergency treatment. The air cushion plan worked, but after they were pulled out, the cushion couldn’t bear the weight and loosened, which caused the building to shake.”

“At least they’re safe,” Ren Yi sighed in relief—finally, some good news.

Gong Yingxian leaned in and added, “Let our captain know, I’m fine.”

Ren Yi rummaged through his belongings and pulled out a portable first-aid kit. “Turn around, I’ll give you some emergency treatment.”

Gong Yingxian reluctantly turned his body.

Ren Yi picked up his helmet, only to see that the light had been broken. He pulled out a small flashlight, clenched it between his teeth, and shone it on Gong Yingxian’s wounds.

There was a long gash across his shoulder blade, along with several smaller cuts.

Ren Yi’s eyes began to burn, and he gently caressed Gong Yingxian’s back, his heart twisting in pain.

Sensing Ren Yi’s unusual silence, Gong Yingxian softly explained, “It didn’t hit the bone.”

Ren Yi sniffed, taking out a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide, mumbling through the flashlight in his mouth, “I’m going to clean the wound now… it might… sting a bit.”

“I’m not afraid of pain,” Gong Yingxian’s voice was steady.

Ren Yi bit down harder on the flashlight and poured the hydrogen peroxide over the wound. Blood mixed with dirt trickled down Gong Yingxian’s strong, broad back.

Gong Yingxian tensed, but he didn’t make a sound.

After finishing with the hydrogen peroxide, Ren Yi opened a bottle of iodine. He hesitated, “This one really stings.”

“Do it.”

Since the first-aid kit was portable, the iodine was packed in a small disposable plastic tube, with just a little inside. After opening it, Ren Yi carefully spread it evenly across the wound.

Gong Yingxian’s body shuddered, and a muffled groan escaped his throat. Ren Yi’s heart ached. To him, Gong Yingxian was clean, delicate—even “fragile” at times. He couldn’t bear to see him in any sort of distress or pain. If he could, he would take it all on himself.

Once the disinfection was done, Ren Yi sprinkled some hemostatic powder on the wound and covered it with a piece of gauze. Given the current situation, this was the best he could do for now.

Gong Yingxian exhaled softly and rolled onto his side. His back was injured, so he couldn’t lie down, and there wasn’t enough space for him to sit up. He could only lie on his stomach, but beneath him was nothing but jagged debris. It was easy to imagine how uncomfortable that must have been.

Ren Yi gently said, “Lie on me.”

Gong Yingxian hesitated, looking at Ren Yi.

“I’m against the wall, it’s a bit flatter here, and I can lie down.” Ren Yi extended his hand toward him. “Come, lie on me.”

Gong Yingxian moved closer and slowly lay on top of Ren Yi, though his body remained tense.

Ren Yi gently stroked his hair. “Relax.”

Only then did Gong Yingxian gradually relax, letting his full weight press onto Ren Yi’s body, finally finding a bit of relief.

Ren Yi felt the pressure on his chest, making it harder to breathe, but he didn’t say anything.

Gong Yingxian buried his face in the crook of Ren Yi’s neck and shoulder.

The two of them had never embraced so intimately before. Even in the rubble, where death loomed over them, the warmth from each other’s body provided immeasurable comfort.

It was strange. He had always had a cleanliness obsession—even before the tragedy at home. Normally, such a dirty environment, with the two of them filthy and covered in grime, would have made him deeply uncomfortable. But he didn’t feel any of that. He used to think he was merely tolerating Ren Yi, or had gotten used to him. Now, he finally understood—there was just this one person in the world whom he would never find dirty, no matter what.

In that moment, Ren Yi’s heart was as tangled as Gong Yingxian’s. The thought of Gong Yingxian’s injury, sustained to save him, left him feeling both moved and guilty. He had underestimated his importance in Gong Yingxian’s heart. He had always believed that he was the one who loved more, gave more, and tolerated more. He never expected that Gong Yingxian would risk everything to save him. Even if Gong Yingxian would never return that unusual affection, Ren Yi knew this person would always be the most important one in his life.

Gong Yingxian closed his eyes, his mind finally at peace. In Ren Yi’s embrace, he felt like he was in the most dangerous place in the world, and yet, also the safest.

“Does it still hurt?” Ren Yi asked, his voice full of discomfort.

“It doesn’t,” Gong Yingxian replied.

“How could it not?”

“Everything but fire, I’m not afraid of,” Gong Yingxian said stubbornly.

Ren Yi bit his lower lip, his voice strained. “Why did you save me?”

“Is that even a question?” Gong Yingxian buried his face deeper into the crook of Ren Yi’s neck, his arms unconsciously wrapping around Ren Yi’s waist. The closer he pressed himself, the safer he felt. Knowing the person in his arms was safe made enduring this injury more than worth it.

“I ordered you to listen to me. Who gave you permission to act on your own?” Ren Yi muttered softly.

“I listened, but the rocks didn’t.”

“I’m a firefighter. In moments like this, it’s supposed to be my time to shine. Why’d you steal my thunder?”

“I’m a police officer. It’s my duty to protect people’s lives and property. You’re no exception.”

“So, you saved me just because I’m one of ‘the people,’ huh?” Ren Yi carefully raised his hand. He didn’t dare hug him, afraid it would seem too intimate, so he just placed his palm lightly on Gong Yingxian’s back, gently rubbing it.

Gong Yingxian stretched out like a contented cat and earnestly said, “More than that, you’re my friend.”

Ren Yi didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad. He wished they were more than just friends. He wished this embrace wasn’t only because Gong Yingxian was injured. He wished he could kiss him, that he could openly declare his feelings for Gong Yingxian.

He had always intended to keep this secret buried forever. Love, after all, didn’t need to be about possession—it could just be about giving. As long as Gong Yingxian was happy, he didn’t care about anything else.

But this moment felt different. They might die here. They might never see the light of day again. If this was all the time he had left, should he confess to Gong Yingxian?

Gong Yingxian whispered, “The oxygen is running out.”

“Yeah,” Ren Yi could feel it too—their breathing was getting harder.

The confined space and the fire were not only consuming oxygen but also producing carbon monoxide. Their gas masks had been shattered earlier, and now they both felt lightheaded and nauseous—early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.

How much longer could they hold on? Twenty minutes? Half an hour? An hour?

Not much longer, that was for sure. If they weren’t rescued soon, they faced several possible ways to die.

Regret gnawed at Ren Yi. “I shouldn’t have let you come in here.”

“I chose to come in on my own. It has nothing to do with you,” Gong Yingxian’s tone remained calm. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to die. If fate wanted to take me, it wouldn’t have let me live until now. The same goes for you. There are still too many criminals out there walking free—we’re not dying here.”

Ren Yi took a deep breath. “You’re right. We won’t die here.” But that nagging voice in his mind kept whispering: *What if? What if this is the end? Are you going to leave with secrets and regrets?* He opened his mouth and hesitated before saying, “Yingxian, can I ask you something?”

“Mm?”

“Do you… do you like Captain Qiu?”

“I do,” Gong Yingxian answered without hesitation.

Ren Yi fell silent for a moment, unwilling to let it go. “I mean… do you like her, you know, like a man likes a woman?”

“No,” Gong Yingxian replied. “She’s my sister’s best friend. She’s like a sister to me too.”

Ren Yi’s emotions were a tangled mess—no joy like he expected. Someone like Qiu Yan, beautiful, smart, and deeply connected to Gong Yingxian, couldn’t even stir his heart. Then what chance did anyone else—especially him—have?

“Why are you asking this?” Gong Yingxian asked curiously. A thought struck him, and his brow furrowed. “Don’t tell me you like her?” His tone darkened.

“Of course not,” Ren Yi quickly said.

“There are so many people chasing after Yan-jie. I thought maybe you…” Gong Yingxian’s voice softened. “You really don’t?”

“Really.”

“…That’s good. You’re not allowed to like her.”

“Why not?”

“You said you didn’t like her, so why ask why not?”

“Can’t I just be curious?”

“No means no,” Gong Yingxian huffed, sounding slightly annoyed. “Why are you asking all these questions?”

“We need to stay awake, so we have to keep talking.” Ren Yi pressed on, “Have you ever liked anyone? You know, like… romantically?”

“No. I think if that person really exists, I would have to not reject her physically and also connect with her on a deeper level. So far, only Yan-jie fits that, but my feelings for her aren’t romantic.”

Ren Yi almost blurted out, *What about me?*

“And besides, love is a useless thing,” Gong Yingxian concluded firmly.

Ren Yi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. At the same time, his dizziness worsened, and his mind started to blur.

Gong Yingxian, lying on top of him, was also on the verge of drifting off.

Suddenly, Ren Yi snapped awake, shaking Gong Yingxian. “Don’t fall asleep! We absolutely cannot sleep. Let’s keep talking.”

Gong Yingxian pinched himself hard. “Okay, okay.”

Ren Yi picked up the radio, but before he could speak, he heard faint sounds from the other side of the wall. Weakly, he called out, “We’re here! We’re here!”

“Hang in there, we’re getting you out soon.” It was Sun Dingyi’s voice.

“We’re running out of oxygen. Can you get a hose in here?”

“We’ll try.”

Both of them were barely able to keep their eyes open due to the lack of oxygen.

After a while, the commotion outside grew louder. They seemed to be discussing something intensely, and then a thin hose was pushed through a small gap in the rocks.

“Ren Yi, can you see it?”

Ren Yi shone his flashlight. “I see it!” He stretched his arm out as far as it would go but couldn’t reach it.

“I’ll do it.” Gong Yingxian, though exhausted, mustered the strength to push himself forward, his entire body sliding over Ren Yi’s.

The two had only been pressed together from the waist up, but with Gong Yingxian’s movements, his entire body was now lying atop Ren Yi’s. Ren Yi immediately froze, not daring to move. He could feel every inch of Gong Yingxian through their clothes.

He knew this was the worst possible time, and he called upon every ounce of self-control to stay calm. But no matter how hard he tried, his instincts betrayed him.

Gong Yingxian finally grabbed the hose and excitedly exclaimed, “Got it! We—”

Both of them felt Ren Yi’s involuntary reaction, and the air suddenly thickened with awkward silence.

At that moment, Ren Yi truly wished he were dead. Thank God it was pitch dark in there; otherwise, Gong Yingxian would have seen his face flush as red as a tomato. Stammering, he muttered, “It’s not… I didn’t mean… It just…”

Gong Yingxian suddenly snapped, “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“I—I didn’t do it on purpose!” Ren Yi frantically tried to explain.

Gong Yingxian, flustered, tried to push himself off Ren Yi, but as soon as he lifted his body, his head collided with the rocks above. He groaned in pain and fell back down. One hand was trying to prop himself up, while the other clung desperately to the life-saving hose, all while his shoulder injury flared up, causing him to fumble even more. This only made the physical contact between them even more intense.

Ren Yi wished he could fold himself up and disappear into the cracks in the wall, but there was nowhere to escape.

Gong Yingxian’s heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it might leap out of his chest. He was furious at Ren Yi’s untimely reaction, but at the same time, he was alarmed to find his own body responding too. The sensation was both foreign and familiar—it was similar to the impulse he had felt when they were changing clothes in the car earlier, but he had squashed it then before it could form. This time, though, he couldn’t stop it.

Ren Yi could feel the increasingly hard object pressing against his stomach.

The air grew even quieter.

Gong Yingxian, feeling more embarrassed than he ever had in his life, lashed out in frustration. “This is all… all your fault!”

“Uh… right, my fault.” Ren Yi covered his face with one hand, wishing he could disappear. He wanted to die on the spot.

“Have you got it or not?” Sun Dingyi’s anxious voice came from outside.

The two snapped out of their daze.

“Got it!” Gong Yingxian called back, pulling the hose inward. It only moved a few centimeters before getting stuck, but the steady trickle of water now entering gave them both immense hope. He growled, “Hurry up and breathe some oxygen.”

“You go first,” Ren Yi offered.

Ren Yi desperately tried to curl up, but there was nowhere to go. They were both painfully aware of each other’s presence, their bodies pressed together in a way that was almost unbearable. The shame was overwhelming, but survival had to come first.

Gong Yingxian, forcing himself to ignore everything else, said, “You have to move closer, or you won’t reach.”

Ren Yi didn’t dare move.

“Come on!” Gong Yingxian urged.

With no other choice, Ren Yi slowly scooted backward.

In the cramped space, their bodies stayed tightly pressed together as they inched toward the hose. The friction between them only heightened their physical responses, and their breathing grew heavier. Ren Yi glanced at Gong Yingxian’s lips, now just inches away, and an overwhelming urge to kiss him surged through him. But a small sliver of rationality held him back—besides, he was completely out of strength.

They finally reached the hose, and the small amount of oxygen mixed in the water became their lifeline. They pressed their faces close, greedily breathing in as much as they could. In the brief moments between breaths, their lips brushed against each other several times.

Their hearts pounded wildly, and an unspoken tension wrapped around them. It was as if there was an invisible barrier between them—so close, yet somehow untouchable. The ambiguity of it all, the uncertainty, made them too afraid to break the fragile illusion, fearing that it might all be nothing but a one-sided dream.

Very quickly, their minds were too clouded to think of anything else. Even though the trickle of water provided some small relief from suffocation, the carbon monoxide was steadily poisoning their nervous systems.

Ren Yi could hear the hum of the laser cutter, and faintly, he could hear Gong Yingxian calling out to him.

“Ren Yi, don’t sleep!” Gong Yingxian was barely hanging on himself. He slapped Ren Yi’s cheeks and splashed water on his face. “Don’t you dare fall asleep! We’re almost rescued—just hold on a bit longer!”

The sound of the cutter grew louder, and Ren Yi could even see sparks falling from above. He fought with everything he had to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids felt impossibly heavy. He desperately tried to focus on Gong Yingxian, but his vision blurred, and he lost the ability to keep anything in focus.

In a last-ditch effort, Gong Yingxian bit down on his lip, then pressed his mouth to Ren Yi’s, exhaling what little oxygen he had left into Ren Yi’s lungs.

On the edge of consciousness, Ren Yi vaguely realized that Gong Yingxian was trying to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but he could no longer process it.

In the final moments, the wall trapping them was finally broken open, creating a large hole. A rush of fresh air poured in, bringing with it the life-saving oxygen they so desperately needed.