Blazing Armor

LqRozsFHrFXYkmVTable of Contents

Chapter 67

When Ren Yi woke up again, he was already in the hospital.qKdBzmNVfmTZrsAMaLXxapztZfQZNY

xRnvQnYucTFBpaG

Because his intracranial pressure hadn’t yet decreased, he felt groggy all over, his temples throbbed, and his head ached terribly. It took him several minutes to fully regain his senses.ZBHoyeIMYBtOyvsDqlJlxwNgDVoiYr

KNhBBTIgDLpTHkx

He reached out to touch his neck—his skin was intact. People rescued from fires often suffer carbon monoxide poisoning. He had saved enough to know that if the symptoms were severe, the first responders might have to perform a tracheotomy on the spot. It seemed like his condition wasn’t too bad after all.nQxhsvMAMdNrVfsPCSwPNTIWmEQpju

VDhALcJlcWMTpSc

But what about Gong Yingxian? How was Gong Yingxian?!ImSfvoDldgarhthrhzwaBreztyMkUw

CSiLDPFbjfGLkMa

He pressed the call button, and soon a nurse came in. “Captain Ren, you’re awake.”mGibtXCvwQqfuuTiKihBmjzaYWoLUS

BDNXipoaIfEseWb

“The person brought in with me, how is he?” Ren Yi asked nervously. “Is he alright?”pnMLvNOfDDXhUpcROMOYBylelEJPja

jugFpvlWtcHIJvC

“Officer Gong? He’s not in a serious condition. He’s currently undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It’ll be over in a little while.”XKjdcfqzgbpileoUlJezMnVgKjiwha

RbFDWheOVQrgeqB

Ren Yi breathed a sigh of relief. “How long was I out?”vSqVktdPklauQVngJHwrndqghOgqfU

WHvxGsuxcEhQRcy

“About ten hours. You just got back from the hyperbaric chamber yourself,” the nurse explained. “It seems the person staying by your side just stepped out. Do you want me to call them for you?”slniMgbZYdywAuYJhRCfgJQbUQkVIN

WbeoDBYnkbUCfyX

“No, thank you.”TELBMrybqJJulqCapxWDwQRKhGkDxU

jWVWgDtNeavOlur

“It should be us saying ‘thank you,'” the nurse said.JTUIfLcsljSgGqGLTtgssHuWKAJTOz

pjeRtleZnhVKmfl

Ren Yi was puzzled. “Why?”EmmqENaDavcJqPcWJBTxfisWbspIRG

eYXHoJkGIzJrUNJ

“Whenever there’s danger, you’re always the first to rush in. So many people owe their lives to your courage,” the nurse said somewhat shyly. “You all have it really tough.”GTWhbFUFoxGftzCRMkOEuTcmmFKPCz

VDuExdwLaGszjAt

Ren Yi smiled. “It’s our duty to serve the people.”qOzinKrIioEcpCKMcnfaaeHOsCTZfC

mjruTTrPgdNcYeL

“You remind me of my son,” the nurse sighed. “If my son had a job as dangerous as yours, I’d be worried sick every day. Are your parents very concerned about you?”gTixKYQTqqvoAdillDlGtLPuTXArHW

jICHDCZKsnZJWYb

“Haha, they’re okay. My dad’s a firefighter too.”HeMIDLHGOotknhSZPoxejNAcDsCavG

IvMyRQYpgXwUpzw

The nurse looked at Ren Yi with admiration. “You all work so hard.”HAwgkPcLGIXuTjVFABBtRQZyptBkWH

zkzljGBJtUxjeZL

Ren Yi grinned widely.VApAZhDTFdudEBEZyUSZfpPcDrFzGf

TWoIKoEqJSXUmUi

After the nurse left, Ren Yi’s thoughts and memories slowly came back to him. He began recalling everything that happened before he lost consciousness. The more he thought about it, the more his heart raced, his mind spun—and he even felt a bit elated.HiOadKrziTVyFTpKSZxfApuWztoMvS

ZJszTxPTFTXfjsw

Had he really been so close to Gong Yingxian for so long? And they had both… gotten hard?DucCdSQpGwlZImtmedATPmkuJvFeDx

FwysWQCvOziYwkj

Gong Yingxian had even given him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation… had they kissed?lqFVvrEkqsJwdjAMDTGjodzYOlwiLU

xCqOxxcfxOvZquE

And it all started because Gong Yingxian got hurt saving him!rGFvwKcRDZZPMmHCqhJmFBBaTAdVlW

PoGUhLvSmOpuVjz

Maybe, just maybe, he really was special to Gong Yingxian—more special than he ever imagined. Maybe Gong Yingxian had feelings for him that went beyond friendship, and neither of them had realized it.modBhCjCSaEbAEzMsGxbpfIljIymQA

jgyAEYRynAotjHY

No, no, this wasn’t the time to get carried away. After all, his brain still felt like mush. He was just glad he hadn’t done anything irreparable in that moment. Otherwise, how awkward would it be to survive, only to face that embarrassment?awxxURfHMTsKWpeRFiXHvoSssAUUWP

NteGPSppwYrRmyP

But was it really just wishful thinking on his part? What if…jTqwniHlqFplUrWULKJgGzrXMMVTOw

hBOxcDOXfEWJQeB

Just as he was caught in his thoughts, the door to the hospital room opened, and Qu Yangbo came in carrying a thermos.MpUkzgiKAZKppZFiCFjOZgRoojUYww

szLKhHuGNeTEuSJ

“Oh, you’re awake.” Qu Yangbo walked over. “How are you feeling?”gJwzycrgnQmcldlClsFphRkFyQTKyr

rSZXBpwGTNrMAhz

“My head hurts, but everything else is alright.”dRQYcIOTUXtpjKiyexqWwmGEUOHhhl

ewnUyApXdIbKIWR

“A headache is normal; after all, your brain got waterlogged.”zseYiABWMnePvOBIHELfBxrStHNwOi

GiwKgPCmbwJbkeX

Ren Yi glared at him, too tired to argue.cMFsKQIjLOkLalAVJlicdaQDShtoRn

bwlxmwHOeKpjuHV

Qu Yangbo grinned. “The scientific term is cerebral edema, a typical symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning.”QcfSRDrCzasdTOswJkzsSfNrmklRov

dRflhDiwaWxuIeh

“No one else got hurt, right? What’s going on at the scene now?” Ren Yi vaguely heard what sounded like construction work coming from outside the window.PjDrkowLEftgaTzoimzqESYhWdPzxq

DnXaxSDlNbEMhtp

“They’re still digging. It’ll take a while to clear everything up. There might still be survivors,” Qu Yangbo replied. “The doctors and nurses have had it rough too. They haven’t rested since yesterday, handling the hospital patients and treating the injured.”IUbmxWhGFKWnyNoCPVbzzJoZPRtTyi

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Ren Yi sighed. “Hospitals… they’re always filled with so much sadness.”atupNCDnPtuntauZceANLNDxHzwtUv

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“Luckily, your injuries aren’t severe. You really scared us yesterday,” Qu Yangbo admitted, still shaken by the memory.ZALBAuMEUQwDuFxemXgHUdIUEMbUuv

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“I’m tough as nails,” Ren Yi said with a breezy smile, trying to comfort him.BKhyDtxQboBSViIZghVekcBKbEZnel

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“Both of you are pretty tough.” Qu Yangbo poured Ren Yi a glass of water, then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, asked, “Do you remember what happened before you passed out?”xDdzlJsBdKSoqOUQETwISjZtcxWwSI

WIDQCdHSVBlNDTX

Ren Yi played dumb. “I was about to die, what could I remember?” His heart skipped a beat. Did they know something?VKuRQinNlWMEkdhIGavfXymbUHHZjB

lCsUhbCCzcPioOA

“You really don’t remember?” Qu Yangbo pushed up his glasses with a wicked grin. “Want me to help you review?”TxXsontlRObdunPzthXpZymCLFJink

YvQRRxDZQgCcBjj

Ren Yi swallowed nervously.fubTuMtESLJgzfQKPpqfzKrPUCiPDI

hRlyYDobagOxnBU

“You don’t remember Dr. Gong giving you mouth-to-mouth?”WjNZvExMeTutnIDGFqEhlwIFxyGena

BiUgNOVDLlrPXfZ

“What the hell? How do you know about that?” Ren Yi racked his brain, and… yeah, maybe they had just cut through the wall at that point?SvsswmhuSGYaHGiwHYPVWdATqXKxmX

cLXzNQGxQfKaSTD

“Starting to remember now?”bXnryopznYHlcqGIeGBiWSXXUyfgZW

nBgaILeNeRQyHxl

Ren Yi pursed his lips and quickly retorted, “So what? He was saving me. I’ve given people mouth-to-mouth before. You’ve done it too during training. Who hasn’t done it?”IaKnhXCXWrjCDdGNMBYOrbxFJXPOSc

eAUlNTVRyFWVcir

Qu Yangbo’s face was filled with a teasing grin. “Yeah, everyone’s done it. Why are you so nervous?”gZlPPywOSjdETqqbiQPjdYMsHvFDeI

IonUrsCxqVXUveT

“Who the hell is nervous?” Ren Yi snapped, both embarrassed and annoyed. “Who else knows about this?”lZrEkpqmkJEllaaLsVabgFwTdZtxvD

kvXGnbNFyycvaQY

Qu Yangbo began counting on his fingers, pretending to think hard. “Let me see… One, two, three… maybe… a hundred or so people?”eozmqGBJTxbqCQeJOGRbHOaTthSqDC

uSAAFoKVZcilsDn

“Shit!” Ren Yi cursed.jPpRUdIubQSPLxuJlrjkqKONXxdIGh

fIRMLjXNClBSdkR

“Hard to say now. With the internet being what it is and everyone having smartphones, it’s likely the whole Hongwu District’s fire and police departments will know about it soon.”eESSmjVToHncnvjkGfoNljSjhNQAyF

UxRTVesMPPXvaJp

“Goddammit, I’m still your captain! Can’t you all give me a little face?” Ren Yi felt his scalp tingle—there’s no way he wouldn’t get teased about this every single day from now on.kgYrNvDQaIjcpCJOHvEJyPzpYkDYQm

nQkGHnjbulYLvmS

“There’s nothing we can do about it. So many people saw it happen, even the other squads.” Qu Yangbo gave him a mischievous wink. “But deep down, aren’t you actually happy? Even if it was just mouth-to-mouth, it’s still technically a kiss, right?”loejlaMTqHBJaIjbcZyUIctXfFGwdT

FzsLqjhVpZzDclJ

Ren Yi shot him a glare. “What nonsense are you spouting? At that point, we were about to die. Who would care about something like that?”uuvTVbGoJGcuwmxfZGjWWxzakybsvK

KgUlWVpTlrhVyGk

“Really? You don’t care? Well, even if you don’t, I wonder if Dr. Gong does.”HXfXLBxhFHOPlAQGnwZmpddoQwrSem

qZcBGgZwhAuiUIb

That line hit Ren Yi right in the gut. His mind started racing, and his irritation only grew.bXpetzjopxmnVHTdnBJrVqwSBJZjhe

hzveAsOaeuQhtlz

Seeing Ren Yi’s reaction, Qu Yangbo chuckled. “Bro, I don’t really understand your… feelings, since Gong Yingxian isn’t a woman. So I won’t give you advice. But I’ll say this—if you like someone, don’t chicken out, alright?”TkQQbiNvVLyrrPsdrsPXzbRcZIrmoH

wbyKzFddzpXTDTq

Ren Yi sighed. “I’m not chickening out, you just don’t get it.” There was no point hiding it from Qu Yangbo, a top-tier law school graduate with exceptional emotional intelligence, so Ren Yi admitted it.rbdMldMXeFyyzDYmvSIuVmYLdlKhuh

DYgLlKKpFGrwxah

Qu Yangbo shrugged. “You’re right, I don’t get it. But I can tell you’re anxious.”fdfsGaJwuKSppjPaFXjJUTaXGjfptm

LNSEFzjTRIxAWAD

“Ugh, just leave it. I’m stressed out enough as it is.” Ren Yi slumped, feeling dejected. “This is going to be so awkward.”ZiXohFCDsznQyTKWglSFTtsVuwTSJM

cjluCJWvLeJBIBm

“It’s just mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It’s only awkward if you make it awkward.”NepdmRSDuDiDDRVOHHAZmAzxMRdPGz

dvLXkrMvOUDGFhR

Ren Yi dared not mention that they’d had another… “hard-to-hard” experience before that. Instead, he asked, “Which room is Gong Yingxian in? Is he back? I want to check on him.”TkiZswZWnaphAsQrHddGVSdDyCDVvb

xYanQIslUHClRhh

Qu Yangbo pointed to the bed next to Ren Yi’s. “There, he’s right next to you.”bJLHSMUiHOSCeWSeGmnxwxftoWquea

rkupEJTTmrTEfFe

“What?” Ren Yi was startled.hKMRJlGUItQGWEoEPMzDluGVaYrxZr

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Qu Yangbo raised his eyebrows with a proud grin. “I arranged it for you. Aren’t I a good bro?”aCeiwuQsOIHxkNtNUFMkGXfolJXmWw

wEoMfugkZIlQMhk

Ren Yi’s feelings were all over the place, and his expression was equally conflicted. On one hand, he was excited about the prospect of spending several days sharing a room with Gong Yingxian. On the other hand, he was nervous as hell.GBlakcEoKeMUmjhhSSrRvJfNaWvTBi

dudkDlHbHDSzoEH

Just then, the door opened again, and Gong Yingxian was wheeled in, seated in a wheelchair.LGPQTCVBWcYnCUkvbmbEJGEvimogRB

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Ren Yi’s head throbbed with pain, and his palms began to sweat from anxiety.wheErZQdgmCkKIPAXNIFkJjXiovpRU

bdoORwMGQiGPkLP

Gong Yingxian’s expression changed the moment he saw Ren Yi, becoming awkward. He cleared his throat. “When did you wake up?”biiMxDjiQhZmOQmurggnODvqPsvuWz

oIWPlKKabPlHrDh

“Just now,” Ren Yi replied instinctively, also avoiding eye contact with Gong Yingxian. “How are you feeling?”EQRPDYtlvUoCAJyUqhOjpPTYPfIZxI

MkaTIQmyrzdYYvZ

Qu Yangbo chimed in with a grin, “Dr. Gong, how are you feeling after the treatment?”apjmwyFTOPNFfxEwuhbiutxAotRieP

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“I’m alright,” Gong Yingxian replied, frowning slightly. “The doctor said we need to stay in the hospital for at least a week, with an hour of hyperbaric oxygen therapy each day.”XRdhpxdVETIxSdUIFAwQobioUPCWoM

NGOCdTQmKitzsgK

Qu Yangbo nodded. “It’s carbon monoxide poisoning, after all. You need to correct the oxygen deficiency in your blood. Follow the treatment, and you’ll recover faster.”YlEfKkHuQtZfQLFpyHKhnjeotlIIdf

OpTPvMaDmgSImye

A nurse reached out to help Gong Yingxian into bed, but he quickly moved away. “I can do it myself,” he said, standing up and lying down on the bed.MjfREIAnGvftMpKqZpzLpYiCvUYbhE

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The young nurse looked a bit embarrassed.CtCyKImomPesWqDXNLNWZlITOQnuLJ

yByXzajXlfCIamd

Ren Yi hurriedly explained, “He’s a germaphobe, it’s not about you.”mNXwTPUzjdtjsCPfQoayfqyJDPOpZG

UnropHkAqkhvyoG

The nurse blushed, smiled, and nodded before leaving the room.WjheGKDmpxYMovDLVmlRlhFgegYhMT

mfMSsnSJQyGRfmt

Qu Yangbo clicked his tongue, teasing, “Ren Si Huo, stop trying to flirt with the young lady.”mAwFuvvAJCfBrsbnWINoJOHKarJNET

JazQtsmtwpUWvWY

“Bullshit, I wasn’t.” Ren Yi stole a quick glance at Gong Yingxian. “It’s not my fault for being handsome.”EqrEXUFWyOEIemDYYBHunrHDIdGaMd

dafcDoBiPQZwPyx

Gong Yingxian pulled the blanket over himself, staring silently ahead.psvUTfMqHQFVncHFcMLMweKqHqkVAZ

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Qu Yangbo exchanged a glance with Ren Yi.GBWlWyECLTaQTLpzjkNiaimDUEYZdT

xlyOWCOeTbcObkZ

The two had known each other for over a decade and worked together for six years, so they could read each other’s thoughts with just a look. Qu Yangbo was asking if he should leave.EyWGIXFiBoJgGgorSjDsaqybbGhSWa

KrsNGiBYhcsBrzW

Ren Yi gave a subtle shake of his head—he really wasn’t ready to be alone with Gong Yingxian. He could tell that Gong’s mood wasn’t great.LFiFCLrAyiDunEcdXNfvvNaSchFEaa

RgmSdkPReSloVUI

Qu Yangbo broke the silence. “Hey, the surgery for that pregnant woman you rescued went well. Not only did they save her leg, but the baby’s fine too.”RgNblmAWmuvlpKMEWvXJuMiTNAPbuU

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“That’s great,” Ren Yi said with relief.eYXRYVesiDIuKNTNziySlNvzhnuqxU

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Gong Yingxian lifted his head as well.pSZQpXjfHExXycLGIiJNjsupbVQgGQ

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“That mother is incredible. She refused general anesthesia to avoid harming the baby, even though it caused her a lot of pain.”vRoHDVZhYumyOpqRGsDQIXJrUgdZns

nadwKTlkSDWSXGq

Ren Yi sighed, “Even men might not be able to endure that kind of pain.”PpEvCxJbSrsysqAPsTvPFHpUiZczFa

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Gong Yingxian thought of his own mother, and his heart tightened. “A mother’s strength is unparalleled,” he murmured.wIQeUBoEUWlDauAJBzgMyprRApWHNN

cUlHcAFKebRMHpZ

“Dr. Gong, the evidence you risked your life to retrieve was taken back to the station by Captain Qiu last night. They haven’t slept and have been searching the city for the suspect. I heard there’s been progress—you can ask about it later.”UtyZQhxJgjxxHEunNmPTzabgjNIiTm

FWQMKXbgqdgcqIp

“Okay.”QgWucKwjspMmfPxrKcFCdpSrTuDkkv

mfjfkihBkxPzuyf

“They’re still digging at the site, hoping to find more survivors or additional evidence.”BXOGWurJAmHgVSYnzDXyTFYJGVeHoe

aaxvZAdhdctxTZy

Just then, there was a knock on the door.QMTtnpwfbHNPhLjbeIQJSZtPpgpZiN

DsPEaLqiGJeSmrt

“Come in,” Ren Yi called.xzkLtmpBAPTYpGhtoTPrRyWhqvprmD

yUYRWrrFreXmSxL

The door swung open with a bang, and a whirlwind of blue stormed into the room, moving so fast it made their heads spin.KtMlNJwpUPBQGdtFzSvscezqImSkus

eQMTROPVfFyTmpF

It was Gong Feilan, with Steward Sheng following behind.WsAvRRsNdCksKxcVGblGSposqNGHbo

JNadeHgSaBcvVVg

“Ge, are you alright? I heard you gave Captain Ren mouth-to-mouth!” Gong Feilan exclaimed loudly.hEaxOzYxUbJiDTvMmOKIfqqZksPduQ

ZsYyvIdyoJKfaRE

 PwihIKVndsFNsEjtnLpGUtCkqEaphw

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