Blazing Armor

Ren Yi pulled Gong Yingxian into the safety corridor, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. With a hint of helplessness, he said, “I’ve actually been meaning to tell you for a while now.”

“When?” Gong Yingxian’s expression was blank, but his tone was sharp and pressing.

Ren Yi felt a bit stuck. He realized that Gong’s reaction was unusually tense—cold, even. It wasn’t just his imagination. After thinking it over, he took out his phone, opened his photo album, and found a picture, which he then showed to Gong Yingxian.

The moment Gong saw it, his body stiffened.

It was the picture of Ren Xiangrong carrying six-year-old Gong Yingxian out of a burning building, taken eighteen years ago and published in the newspapers back then.

Gong’s gaze fell on the date of the photo, his expression growing darker. “You’ve known about this for two or three months,” he said, his voice cold. That was around the time they’d first gotten to know each other.

Ren Yi explained sincerely, “There are two reasons I didn’t tell you. At first, it was because we weren’t close yet, and I didn’t want you to think I was trying to use this to get closer to you. Later, it was because of your family. I thought my dad might know something about what happened back then, but his health is so unstable, I wasn’t sure if he’d even remember anything. I didn’t want to tell you and get your hopes up for nothing. Now that I’ve managed to get some useful information from him, I planned to tell you.”

Gong Yingxian took Ren Yi’s phone, staring at the photo with an increasingly stormy look.

“…Are you mad?” Ren Yi asked, bewildered by Gong’s reaction, which was nothing like he’d expected. In truth, he hadn’t known what kind of reaction to expect, given that the photo could stir up painful memories. But this inexplicable anger made him uneasy and confused.

Suddenly, Gong Yingxian looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp intensity. “Your father… does he have a mole on his nose, too?”

Ren Yi was taken aback. “Yeah, I got it from him.” He instinctively touched his nose, finding the question odd.

In a low voice, Gong Yingxian said, “I never imagined we were connected even back then.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy how life has so many coincidences.” Ren Yi frowned, feeling puzzled. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you, but this doesn’t seem like something to get mad about.”

Gong’s expression was complicated. “I don’t like it when you hide things from me.”

“I just couldn’t find the right moment to tell you.” As they grew closer, the situation had become more awkward in Ren Yi’s mind. Bringing it up deliberately felt like bragging, and he’d hoped Gong would discover it on his own. Instead, hearing it from someone else only made the situation even stranger.

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath, as though he was holding something back. “At the time, was your father the first to enter the fire?”

“He probably was,” Ren Yi said. “Back then, he was the squad leader, just like me now. Whenever there was danger, he was always the first to lead the charge.” Then, he asked curiously, “Why did you ask about the mole?”

“…” Gong Yingxian’s mind swirled with fragmented images. Over the years, with the help of a hypnotherapist, he had tried his best to reconstruct his childhood memories, but large portions remained blank or blurry.

At the scene of the car arson case, the environment—the heat, the smells—created a setting similar to that of years ago. When he saw the mole on Ren Yi’s nose, a fragment of his memory suddenly resurfaced.

In those fragmented memories, there was a person with a mole on their nose—someone seemingly significant. But he couldn’t piece together more than that.

He had always harbored suspicions about the firefighters from that time. To fabricate evidence that could twist a murder into a suicide likely required more than just one party. About ten years ago, they’d investigated the firefighters involved in that incident, but found nothing, so they hadn’t pursued it further, focusing instead on the police. Back then, he hadn’t given the surname “Ren” any special thought, nor had he recalled the detail about the “nose mole.”

Now, this new information connected several dots, leaving him unsure of what to make of it.

Why had Ren Yi kept this from him for so long?

Ren Yi watched Gong, puzzled, waiting for an answer.

Gong Yingxian dodged the core issue. “I have a vague memory.”

“About the mole?” Ren Yi asked. “It’s been so long, and you were so young at the time. It makes sense to remember certain features but not the full appearance.”

“What kind of clue did your father give you?” Gong asked again.

“He said the fire report from back then probably contains more information than he remembers now. He also had some doubts about the ignition point and told me to investigate.”

Gong clenched his fists silently. “When are you bringing your father here? I’d like to meet him in person.”

“After that concert is over.” Ren Yi gave a heads-up, “But half the time, my dad’s not in a clear state of mind. If he’s not well when you see him, just bear with it.”

“…I won’t mind,” Gong said, though his eyes reflected a storm of emotions.

Ren Yi felt a strange pressure in his chest. Gong’s reactions seemed off—unusual—and it felt like something was being kept from him. Straightforward by nature, he decided to ask directly, “What’s really going on with you?”

“I’m just shocked,” Gong replied. Then something seemed to dawn on him. “If your father responded to the fire at my house, he must’ve also participated in the rescue at the Baosheng Chemical Plant, right?”

“Yeah, 13 squads were called in for that. My dad earned a second-class merit for his role in that rescue.” Ren Yi frowned. “Yingxian, are you hiding something from me?”

Gong pressed his lips together. How could he tell Ren Yi that he suspected his father? He didn’t want to suspect him, didn’t want to believe it—but he couldn’t stop his mind from spiraling into doubt. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m just remembering a lot of… bad memories.”

Ren Yi sighed softly.

“Your father saved my life. I should be grateful to him,” Gong Yingxian said, realizing he was overthinking things. At the very least, he trusted Ren Yi and knew he shouldn’t be baselessly suspicious of Ren Yi’s father.

Ren Yi finally relaxed a bit. “No need for thanks. It was my dad’s duty.”

Gong gazed at him seriously. “Don’t ever hide anything from me again.”

“Yes, sir.” Ren Yi, trying to lighten the mood, joked, “Look at us—if we were in a drama, we’d be bound by fate. By the end, we’d probably get married, haha.”

Something stirred in Gong Yingxian’s heart. “Yes, it does feel like fate.”

“So, calling you ‘Old Gong’ seems fitting, right?” Ren Yi winked mischievously. “Just don’t let anyone else call you that.”

“No one would dare.” Gong initially found the nickname silly and annoying, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue with Ren Yi about it. Over time, he started to appreciate having a name that only Ren Yi used. It carried a unique intimacy that no one else could cross.

Ren Yi’s thoughts started to drift, and he blurted out, “Yingxian, I really like… being with you.”

Gong’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if a small current of electricity brushed against his skin.

Ren Yi, masking what he truly wanted to say, felt a bittersweet ache in his heart. He forced a grin. “It’s all fate, haha.”

“Growing up, you’ve had a lot of friends. Were your friendships with them… like ours?” Gong couldn’t quite define what made their relationship feel so different, but he sensed it was unique.

Or rather, he *hoped* it was.

More than that, he couldn’t tolerate the thought of Ren Yi being this close to anyone else.

Without hesitation, Ren Yi replied, “No. You’re not like anyone else.”

Gong’s gaze locked with Ren Yi’s, his tone turning urgent, though he didn’t even realize it. “What makes me different?”

“…You matter more to me than anyone else.” Ren Yi’s eyes were clear and sincere.

Gong’s breathing instantly grew heavier, his heart pounding so hard it made him uncomfortable.

Here it was again—that feeling, like something trying to break free from the restraints of his body, from the shackles of reason. It heated his blood and consumed his thoughts, making him want to pour everything, without holding back, into Ren Yi. Gong couldn’t even fully understand what it was—only that it was an overwhelming surge of desire and impulse.

It was happening again!

The first time was in the fire truck, the second time under the ruins of the hospital, and this time… this time it was simply because Ren Yi was looking into his eyes, with a smile so sincere, so pure, that it electrified every fiber of his being, telling him he mattered more than anyone else.

What the hell was happening to him?!

A vague suspicion began to form in his mind, but the mere thought of it made his scalp tingle and threw him into disarray. Just as the faint glimmer of that idea appeared, he ruthlessly snuffed it out.

But the last shred of his self-control was rapidly crumbling. As he desperately tried to suppress what was boiling inside him, his body acted on its own. Without even realizing it, he reached out, pressing his hand hard against Ren Yi’s chest, shoving him against the wall.

Ren Yi, caught off guard, found himself pinned between the wall and Gong Yingxian’s towering frame, unable to move. He stared at Gong in shock.

From Gong’s palm, he could feel the intense, vigorous beating of Ren Yi’s heart.

Gong leaned closer, his bottomless eyes scanning Ren Yi’s face. When his gaze landed on those red lips, his heart skipped a beat, and memories of how soft and warm those lips had felt surged back.

“…Yingxian?” Ren Yi, startled by Gong’s behavior, called out in confusion. He had never seen this expression on Gong’s face before. It was almost as if… as if a predator had locked eyes on its prey. The pair of usually calm, even indifferent eyes were now gleaming with a wild intensity, as though in the next instant, he might pounce.

The air between them was thick with danger, and Ren Yi dared not move. He was so shocked that he didn’t even register how intimate their current stance was or how Gong’s body was pressing in closer.

That one word—*Yingxian*—snapped Gong out of his trance, as if waking from a spell. Cold sweat broke out over his body. He quickly pulled back his hand as if he had been burned, stepping away awkwardly. “I—I just wanted to remind you… you can’t lie to me.”

“…I’m not lying to you.”

“You said I’m more important than anyone, so that means I’m the most important person to you.” Gong avoided Ren Yi’s puzzled gaze. His hand, hidden behind his back, clenched into a tight fist, his short nails digging painfully into his palm, hoping the pain would help clear his head.

Was he losing his mind? Was he sick? He wasn’t good at socializing, but he had interacted with all kinds of people, none of whom had ever made him feel like this. No one but Ren Yi could stir these strange emotions, triggering unfamiliar physical reactions.

What was happening to him?!

Ren Yi, completely unaware of the internal turmoil raging inside Gong Yingxian, confidently replied, “Yes, you’re the most important person to me.” In his heart, he was screaming, *Because I like you, damn it. I like you so much.* That overwhelming affection was already spilling from his eyes, but he had to keep his mouth shut.

Gong, however, felt suffocated by the small staircase landing, where Ren Yi’s presence—his figure, his voice, his scent, his very breath—was everywhere. He couldn’t stay there another second, or he feared he’d lose control completely. He turned abruptly. “Let’s go back,” he said, forcefully pushing the door open and striding out.

Ren Yi let out a long breath, gently licking his lips, a slight bitterness welling up inside.

The desire to have Gong Yingxian, to make him his, was becoming nearly impossible to suppress.