Blazing Armor

Those days in the hospital were probably the most relaxed and happiest moments Ren Yi had experienced in years.

No training, no classes, no emergency calls—just spending time with Gong Yingxian, chatting, eating, walking together, and at night, squeezing into the same bed to watch movies. Although Gong spent most of his time on the phone or computer working, the remaining time was almost exclusively Ren’s. Ren Yi even went as far as making up excuses to quickly send away his squad mates when they came to visit, just so he could have more alone time with Gong.

This kind of uninterrupted attention from Gong was something Ren Yi never dared to dream of before, and now every minute, every second felt unbelievably sweet. Yet, as humans are creatures of desire, once they get a taste of something, they crave more. He found himself sinking deeper into this domestic-like routine, but at the same time, he was painfully aware that these good days wouldn’t last much longer.

The more intense his desire to have Gong became, the more afraid he was to confess. As long as he didn’t say it out loud, they could continue to be close, to share every day together as friends. But if he voiced his feelings, maybe everything would be lost. The very thought terrified him.

He had become a coward. Qu Yangbo was right to call him out—he really was… scared.

But when Gong smiled at him so openly and without defense, Ren Yi felt perfectly content to keep being a coward.

—

Tomorrow, they were being discharged, and both had recovered well.

Early in the morning, Gong Yingxian was already up doing sit-ups. Ren Yi, having been inactive for a week, felt his body was a bit stiff, but instead of joining in, he lay lazily in bed, watching Gong exercise.

Gong had taken off his outer pajamas, leaving only a form-fitting black thermal shirt on his upper body. From Ren Yi’s angle, he could see the defined muscles of Gong’s chest and biceps, the slim waist, and the way his taut glutes curved up and down, not to mention those impossibly long, straight legs.

Faced with this sight, Ren Yi felt like he could eat three bowls of rice.

But the more he watched, the more something felt off. How many sit-ups had Gong done by now? Was the guy showing off? “How many have you done?”

“Normally I do 200 a day.”

Ren Yi was stunned.

“What about you?” Gong asked between breaths.

“…Never counted.” Ren Yi muttered, feeling a bit guilty.

Gong finished with a flourish, drenched in sweat, looking refreshed. He sprang up from the floor, stretching as he asked, “Aren’t you going to do some exercise?”

“It’s the last day. I’m going to enjoy it.”

Ren Yi squinted slightly. That thermal shirt was thin and tight, sticking to Gong’s skin, and with all the sweat he’d worked up, Ren Yi’s mouth was starting to go dry.

Gong chuckled softly, “Lazybones.”

Ren Yi felt light and airy all over. “I just want to be a lazybones today.”

“Do whatever you want,” Gong Yingxian replied. “I’m going to take a shower. Breakfast should be here soon.”

Lying on the bed, Ren Yi stretched out, then rested his head on his arm and stared up at the ceiling, grinning to himself. If, one day, he really got to live with Gong Yingxian, this is what life would probably be like—just the thought of it filled him with longing.

His phone screen flashed nearby, and Ren Yi picked it up to see a WeChat message from Qi Xiao: “Ge, what are you up to lately?”

Ren Yi replied, “Not much, the usual.”

“You on break? I really miss you.”

Ren Yi hesitated. He felt a little guilty for lying, but the truth was, it wasn’t the right time for him and Qi Xiao to meet up. “No, I’m not. The squad is super busy at the end of the year.”

Qi Xiao called right after. Ren Yi glanced at the closed bathroom door before answering, “Hey, Qi Xiao.”

Qi Xiao’s voice sounded lazy and relaxed. “I’m going to have some time off soon, so I’ll be in Beijing for a while. You should take some time off too, or maybe I can visit you at the squad?”

“The squad’s a work place. You probably shouldn’t come,” Ren Yi replied tactfully. “Aren’t you heading out of town for filming soon?”

Qi Xiao sighed. “Things have been rough with my agency ever since that incident. I haven’t had any roles lately. It’s driving me nuts. I’m even thinking about terminating my contract.”

“Make sure you think it through before deciding. I believe your career will take off in the future.”

Qi Xiao chuckled. “You always know how to comfort me.”

“I’m serious.”

“Ah, I’m so bored.” Qi Xiao complained. “You’ve been so distant with me lately. I’ve tried to meet up, but you always seem too busy, and it’s been ages since we hung out.”

Ren Yi laughed softly. “Work’s been hectic. Plus, I’ve been…” He hesitated, searching for the right words, and then, almost without thinking, blurted out, “I’ve been going on dates.”

“Dates?” Qi Xiao laughed in disbelief. “What kind of dates are you going on?”

“Just some introductions through friends, seeing where things go.” Ren Yi couldn’t bring himself to tell Qi Xiao about Gong Yingxian directly, nor could he outright reject Qi Xiao’s enthusiasm. Their kind of relationship usually ended once one of them got into something serious, and Ren Yi hoped Qi Xiao would understand the hint.

Qi Xiao’s tone noticeably dropped. “So, you’re really planning to get into a relationship?”

“Well, I’m getting older, you know,” Ren Yi replied.

“And in all that time, you’ve never thought of me as an option?”

Ren Yi hadn’t expected Qi Xiao to say something like that. He stammered a couple of times but couldn’t find the words to respond.

Just then, Gong Yingxian pushed open the bathroom door, stepping out with steam rolling off him. Ren Yi instinctively tensed up, trying to shield his phone-holding hand.

Gong, being a detective, was extremely sensitive to even the smallest changes in people’s expressions. He furrowed his brow. “Who are you talking to?”

Qi Xiao heard the noise on Ren Yi’s end, but could only make out a man’s voice. He took a deep breath. “Good luck, then,” he said, before hanging up.

Ren Yi put down his phone, feeling awkward as he looked at Gong. He wasn’t very good at lying, and whenever he did, he always hesitated between telling the truth or deciding if the lie was even worth it. That hesitation often ended up being worse than either choice. He’d already lied once today, and it didn’t feel great, so he opted for honesty this time. “It was Qi Xiao, just catching up.”

Gong gave a displeased “oh.” He knew he didn’t have the right to control who Ren Yi talked to, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be annoyed by it.

Ren Yi smiled sheepishly. “You really don’t seem to like him, huh.”

“Mm,” Gong responded bluntly, not holding back.

“…Why?” Ren Yi asked cautiously.

Gong shot him a glare.

Ren Yi sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine, it’s not important.” He wasn’t sure what kind of answer he was hoping for, but he knew it wouldn’t be the one he wanted most.

Just then, Gong’s driver arrived with breakfast. As they ate, Ren Yi kept trying to cheer Gong up. Ren Yi had long labeled Gong’s temper as a “princess syndrome” for good reason—it came and went quickly. Although Gong got upset easily, he was just as easy to pacify. Before long, Gong was smiling again, and the little spat was forgotten.

Ren Yi figured that no matter how Gong felt about Qi Xiao, he would keep a respectful distance from Qi Xiao, out of consideration for everyone involved. It had nothing to do with whether or not Gong would reciprocate his feelings.

—

By the time they finished their discharge paperwork, it was already afternoon. Qiu Yan personally came to pick them up.

On the way, Ren Yi sat in the backseat, watching Gong and Qiu Yan exchange case details. They were a striking pair—both attractive, intelligent, and perfectly in sync. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, though he dared not show even the slightest hint of it in front of Qiu Yan, worried she might think less of him.

“We’ve got a pretty clear picture of Hong Yan’s background and social connections now,” Qiu Yan said. “We’re also starting to get some leads on that person with the chemistry expertise, but it’s going to take some work to verify. That guy’s extremely cunning, hasn’t left many traces.”

“I’m sure they met in person at least once,” Gong added. “This isn’t like Hong Yan and Chen Pei’s case where they only communicated by phone. Mixing chemical reagents, especially something as volatile as hydrogen peroxide, requires a professional. If it wasn’t handled by an expert, they’d have poisoned or blown themselves up first.”

“We’ll find him,” Qiu Yan said with certainty.

Ren Yi couldn’t help but chime in, “You just got discharged—aren’t you going to rest at home for a bit? You’re already rushing back to work?”

“I feel like I’ve recovered pretty well,” Gong Yingxian replied, glancing back at him with a smile. “Besides, aren’t you heading straight back to the squad?”

“Yeah, true. Haven’t kept an eye on them for a week—I’m afraid they’ve turned the place upside down.”

Qiu Yan pulled the car up in front of the squad building. “Take care of yourself, Captain Ren.”

“Don’t worry.”

As Ren Yi was about to get out, Qiu Yan called him back. “Captain Ren, whether personally or professionally, I really want to thank you.”

Ren Yi smiled. “No need for that.” He winked at Gong. “See you later.”

“Tomorrow,” Gong replied. “I’ll be interrogating Chen Pei. Come to the precinct tomorrow morning.”

“No problem.”

As Ren Yi walked into the squad, the soldier on guard duty spotted him and grinned. “Whoa, Captain Ren, you’re back!”

“Yeah, missed me?”

“Hell yeah, we missed you!”

On the training field, a group of soldiers were in the middle of their routine, led by Gao Ge. From a distance, Gao spotted Ren Yi and immediately broke into a smile. He commanded, “About face!”

The group turned in unison, and as soon as they saw Ren Yi, their eyes lit up.

With a confident stride, Ren Yi walked over to them, grinning. “Not bad. Looks like you didn’t slack off while I was gone.”

Gao Ge shouted, “Welcome back, Captain Ren! Let’s give him a round of applause!”

The soldiers raised their hands and clapped loudly, the sound echoing across the training field.

Ren Yi stood tall, saluted them, and they all stood in awe of their returning captain.

After the applause, Gao Ge called out, “Alright, dismissed!”

The soldiers immediately swarmed around Ren Yi, chattering like a flock of birds.

“Captain, how was the hospital food? You look like you gained some weight.”

“Nonsense, I didn’t gain weight.”

“Captain, we heard you were sharing a room with the police force’s beauty, Doctor Gong. How was that, huh? Hahaha!”

“Captain, did you meet any pretty nurses? Hook us up!”

Ren Yi felt like he was being bombarded from all sides, barely able to keep up with their questions. Suddenly, he noticed Li Sa standing at the edge of the crowd, watching with a soft smile. Pointing toward him, Ren Yi said, “Come to my office later.”