Who knew how much time had passed before the shaking finally stopped.
After a brief spell of dizziness, Ren Yi heard an anxious voice calling beside him, and his body was gently shaken. He forced one eye open, only for sand and dust to rush into it. The pain made him shake his head hard, dislodging some of the dirt covering his nose and mouth. He suddenly sucked in a breath—as if a drowning person had finally managed to break the surface of the water—only for the sand to immediately choke his throat. He began coughing violently.
Gong Yingxian gently patted Ren Yi’s back and let out a heavy sigh of relief. “As long as you’re okay.”
Ren Yi took off his gloves and rubbed the sand from his eyes. When he finally came to his senses, he asked, “Where… where are we?”
“Still in the human world.”
Ren Yi’s heart jolted as he suddenly remembered something. “Were you hurt just now?” He wanted to check Gong Yingxian’s injuries, but the moment he moved, he realized that they were wedged beneath a narrow gap formed by two slabs of stone. The space was so cramped that even turning over was difficult.
“I’m fine. It’s not serious.” Gong Yingxian deliberately downplayed it.
“Let me see.”
Ren Yi reached toward Gong Yingxian’s back.
Gong Yingxian wanted to dodge, but there was nowhere to go. The moment Ren Yi’s hand touched his back, he instinctively flinched.
Ren Yi felt something warm, wet, and sticky.
He knew that sensation all too well.
Blood.
Ren Yi’s mind went blank, and his whole body seemed to plunge into an icy pit. He trembled. “You… you’re bleeding…”
“I checked it myself. It’s not serious. I’ve already called for help. They’re—”
“Ren Yi, Ren Yi, are you awake? Ren Yi!” Chen Xiaofei’s anxious voice suddenly came through the radio.
Ren Yi grabbed the radio. “Captain Chen, I’m awake. I think sand covered my nose and mouth just now, so I couldn’t breathe for a bit, and…” He tentatively drew a breath. “The air here is getting thinner.”
“Stay calm. Don’t panic, and don’t move. We know where you are. We’re working on a rescue plan. You’re not far from the exit. We’ll use a laser cutter to open a hole at a suitable location.”
“We’re not panicking.” Ren Yi said it with his mouth, but there was unmistakable panic in his voice. “But Officer Gong is injured. He’s bleeding. Captain Chen, please hurry.”
“We’re doing everything we can.”
“What about that couple? How’s the pregnant woman?”
“They’ve already been rescued. The pregnant woman is being treated at the hospital. The air cushion plan worked at first, but after we got her out, the cushion couldn’t bear the weight and shifted, which caused the building to shake.”
“It’s good that they got out.” At least that was some good news.
Gong Yingxian leaned closer. “Tell our captain not to worry. I’m fine.”
Ren Yi rummaged through his gear and pulled out a portable first-aid kit. “Turn around. I’ll treat you for now.”
Gong Yingxian reluctantly turned onto his side.
Ren Yi looked at his own helmet and saw that the light had been smashed. He took out a small flashlight, held it between his teeth, and shone it onto Gong Yingxian’s wound.
There was a long gash across his shoulder blade, along with several smaller wounds.
Ren Yi’s eyes grew hot. He gently stroked Gong Yingxian’s back, his heart twisting with pain.
Gong Yingxian noticed his unusual silence and quietly explained, “The bone isn’t injured.”
Ren Yi sniffed and took out a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Muffled around the flashlight in his mouth, he said, “I’m going to clean it. It’ll… hurt a little.”
“I don’t mind pain.” Gong Yingxian’s voice was completely calm.
Ren Yi clenched the little flashlight between his teeth and poured the hydrogen peroxide over Gong Yingxian’s wound. Blood mixed with dirt and flowed down his broad, solid back.
Gong Yingxian’s body went rigid, but he didn’t make a sound.
After pouring the hydrogen peroxide, Ren Yi opened the povidone-iodine. He hesitated. “This one really hurts.”
“Go ahead.”
Because it was a portable first-aid kit, the povidone-iodine came in a small disposable soft-plastic tube, and there wasn’t much of it. After opening it, Ren Yi carefully spread it evenly over the wound.
Gong Yingxian’s body shuddered, and a muffled groan escaped his throat.
Ren Yi’s heart ached terribly. In his eyes, Gong Yingxian was clean and refined, even somewhat delicate at times. He couldn’t bear to see him in the slightest bit of disarray or pain. He wished he could take all of it upon himself.
After finally disinfecting the wound, Ren Yi sprinkled some hemostatic powder over it and covered it with gauze. Given their current conditions, that was all the treatment they could manage.
Gong Yingxian let out a soft breath and rolled over. His back was injured, so he couldn’t lie flat, and there wasn’t enough room for him to sit up either. He could only lie on his stomach, but beneath him was nothing but uneven rubble. It was easy to imagine how uncomfortable it must have been.
Ren Yi said gently, “Lie on me.”
Gong Yingxian looked at Ren Yi hesitantly.
“I’m against the wall, so it’s a little flatter here, and I can lie down.” Ren Yi held out his hand. “Come on. Lie on me.”
Gong Yingxian moved closer and slowly lay on top of Ren Yi, but his body remained tense.
Ren Yi gently stroked his hair. “Relax.”
Only then did Gong Yingxian slowly relax, putting his full weight on Ren Yi. He finally became a little more comfortable.
The pressure on Ren Yi’s chest made it even harder for him to breathe, but he said nothing.
Gong Yingxian buried his face against the crook of Ren Yi’s neck.
They had never embraced each other so intimately before. Even beneath this ruin where either of them could lose their life at any moment, the warmth of the other’s body gave them immense comfort.
It was strange. He had suffered from mysophobia since childhood—even before what happened to his family. An environment this filthy, with two filthy people like them, should have made him extremely uncomfortable.
Yet he felt nothing.
He had once thought he was merely tolerating Ren Yi, or that he had simply grown accustomed to Ren Yi.
Now, he finally understood.
In this world, there really was one person he could never find dirty.
At that moment, Ren Yi’s heart was just as tangled as Gong Yingxian’s.
The thought that Gong Yingxian had been injured to save him filled him with both gratitude and guilt. He had underestimated how much he meant to Gong Yingxian. He had always thought that he was the one who loved more, gave more, and tolerated more.
He had never expected that Gong Yingxian could also risk everything to save him.
He knew that even if Gong Yingxian never returned his unusual feelings for the rest of his life, this person would always be the most important person in his life.
Gong Yingxian closed his eyes. His heart was calm and still.
Ren Yi’s embrace made him feel as though he was in the most dangerous place in the world, and at the same time, the safest place in the world.
“Does it still hurt?” Ren Yi asked miserably.
“No.”
“How could it not hurt?”
“I’m not afraid of anything except fire,” Gong Yingxian said stubbornly.
Ren Yi bit his lower lip and said hoarsely, “Why did you have to save me?”
“That’s a stupid question.” Gong Yingxian buried his face deeper into the hollow of Ren Yi’s neck, his hands unconsciously wrapping around Ren Yi’s waist. The closer they were, the more secure he felt. As long as the person in his arms was safe and sound, suffering this little injury was more than worth it.
“I told you to follow my orders. Who gave you permission to act on your own?” Ren Yi whispered.
“I did. But these rocks didn’t.”
“I’m a firefighter. I’m supposed to be the one playing the hero in situations like this. Why’d you have to steal my spotlight?”
“I’m a police officer. My duty is to protect the lives and property of the people. You’re no exception.”
“So you only saved me because I’m one of ‘the people’?”
Ren Yi secretly raised his hand. He didn’t dare embrace Gong Yingxian because he was afraid it would seem too intimate, so he merely rested his palm against Gong Yingxian’s back and gently rubbed it.
Gong Yingxian immediately stretched his body like a cat and said seriously, “Not only that. You’re my friend.”
Ren Yi didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
How he wished they were more than friends.
How he wished this embrace wasn’t only because Gong Yingxian was injured.
How he wished he could kiss Gong Yingxian and openly tell him how much he loved him.
He had originally planned to bury this secret in his heart forever.
Love didn’t have to mean obtaining or possessing someone. Love could simply mean giving. As long as Gong Yingxian was doing well, whatever happened to Ren Yi didn’t matter.
But this moment was different.
They might die here.
They might never see daylight again.
If this was all the time he had left, should he confess to Gong Yingxian?
Gong Yingxian said quietly, “The oxygen… it’s getting lower.”
“Yeah.” Ren Yi could feel that breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.
The fire and the cramped space were not only consuming oxygen; they were also producing carbon monoxide. Their gas masks had been smashed earlier. At this point, both of them were feeling dizzy and nauseous—the early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
How much longer could they last?
Twenty minutes? Half an hour? An hour?
Not much longer than that.
If they weren’t rescued soon, there were several ways they could die.
Ren Yi was filled with regret. “I shouldn’t have let you come in.”
“I came in because I wanted to. It has nothing to do with you.” Gong Yingxian’s tone remained calm. “Don’t worry. We won’t die. If Heaven wanted me dead, it wouldn’t have let me live this long. The same goes for you. There are still so many criminals running free. We won’t die here.”
Ren Yi took a deep breath. “You’re right. We won’t die here.”
But the voice in his heart kept whispering.
What if?
What if?
Were you really going to leave this world carrying your secret and your regrets?
He opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally called softly, “Yingxian, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you… do you like Captain Qiu?”
“Yes.” Gong Yingxian answered without hesitation.
Ren Yi fell silent for a moment, then unwillingly asked again, “The kind of liking between a man and a woman?”
“No.” Gong Yingxian said, “She’s my sister’s best friend, and she’s like a sister to me.”
Ren Yi’s feelings were complicated. There was none of the joy he’d expected.
Someone like Qiu Yan—beautiful, intelligent, and deeply connected to Gong Yingxian—couldn’t make Gong Yingxian fall in love.
So what could anyone else, especially him, possibly hope for?
“Why are you asking?” Gong Yingxian asked curiously. Then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He frowned. “Don’t tell me you like her?”
His tone turned serious.
“How could I? No.”
“There are too many people pursuing Sister Yan. I thought you…” Gong Yingxian’s tone eased slightly. “You really don’t?”
“I really don’t.”
“…Good. You aren’t allowed to like Sister Yan.”
“Why?”
“You don’t like her, so why are you asking why?”
“Can’t I be curious?”
“No means no.” Gong Yingxian snorted unhappily. “What are you asking all this for?”
“We need to stay awake. We can only keep talking.”
Ren Yi continued, “What about you? Have you never liked anyone? I mean the kind of liking that’s love.”
“No. I think if there really were such a person, I would have to not be repulsed by her body, and we’d also have to be able to connect with each other mentally. So far, only Sister Yan meets those conditions, but my feelings for her aren’t like that.”
Ren Yi almost blurted out, “What about me?”
“And love is useless.” Gong Yingxian decisively reached his conclusion.
Ren Yi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
At the same time, the dizziness in his head grew stronger, and his consciousness began to blur.
Gong Yingxian, lying on top of him, was also becoming drowsy.
Ren Yi suddenly became more alert. He shook Gong Yingxian. “Don’t fall asleep. Absolutely do not fall asleep. Let’s keep talking.”
Gong Yingxian pinched himself hard. “Okay. Okay.”
Ren Yi picked up the radio, but before he could speak, he heard a rustling sound from the other side of the wall.
He called weakly, “We’re here. We’re here!”
“Captain Ren, hang in there. We’ll get 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.”
Because of the lack of oxygen, their eyelids were already becoming difficult to keep open.
After a while, the activity outside the wall grew louder. They could hear the rescuers constantly discussing something. Finally, a thin water hose was pushed through a crack between the rocks.
“Captain Ren, can you see it?”
Ren Yi shone his flashlight over it. “I see it!”
He stretched out his arm to reach it, but it was still too far away.
“I’ll do it.”
Gong Yingxian was already exhausted, but he forced himself forward. His entire body rubbed against Ren Yi’s as he slowly moved ahead.
Originally, only their upper bodies had been pressed together. But after Gong Yingxian shifted forward like this, his whole body ended up lying on top of Ren Yi.
Ren Yi instantly froze, not daring to move at all.
Even through their clothes, he could clearly feel Gong Yingxian.
He knew this wasn’t the time.
He used every ounce of self-control he’d ever possessed to remain calm, but there was no way he could overcome his instincts.
Gong Yingxian finally grabbed the end of the hose and said excitedly, “Got it. We—”
Both of them felt the change in Ren Yi’s body.
The air fell into an awkward silence.
At that moment, Ren Yi genuinely wished he were already dead.
Fortunately, it was pitch-black. Otherwise, Gong Yingxian would certainly have seen how red his face had become.
He stammered, “This… isn’t… it’s…”
Gong Yingxian suddenly snapped, “What’s wrong with you?!”
“I-I didn’t do it on purpose!” Ren Yi explained guiltily.
Gong Yingxian hurriedly tried to climb off Ren Yi, but the moment he lifted himself slightly, his head struck the rock overhead.
He groaned in pain and fell back down.
One hand had to support his body while the other clung tightly to the lifesaving hose. Inevitably, this pulled at his shoulder wound, making his movements even more frantic and only increasing the friction between them.
Ren Yi wanted nothing more than to fold himself up and stuff himself into a crack in the wall, but there was nowhere for him to hide.
Gong Yingxian’s heart was pounding so violently it felt as though it might burst out of his chest.
He was furious at Ren Yi’s terrible timing, but at the same time, he was horrified to discover that his own body was reacting as well.
The sensation was both strange and familiar.
Not long ago, when he and Ren Yi had changed clothes in the car, he had experienced a similar impulse. But back then, it hadn’t fully developed before he forcibly suppressed it.
This time, he couldn’t.
Ren Yi could also feel the increasingly hard object pressing against his stomach.
The air became even quieter.
Gong Yingxian felt that he had never been this humiliated in his entire life.
Embarrassed and furious, he stammered, “It’s… it’s… it’s all your fault!”
“Ah… my fault.” Ren Yi covered his face with one hand.
He really wanted to die.
“Did you two grab it?” Sun Dingyi shouted anxiously from outside.
The two men came back to their senses.
Gong Yingxian called out, “Got it.”
He pulled the hose inward, but after only a few centimeters, it caught on something and stopped. Still, the steady stream of clean water flowing through it had already given them enormous hope.
He shouted, “Hurry and breathe!”
“You go first.”
Ren Yi desperately tried to make himself smaller, but there was nowhere to move. The two of them could clearly feel each other’s bodies. They were so embarrassed they wanted to bang their heads against the wall, but they could only maintain their current position.
At the critical moment between life and death, survival still mattered more.
Gong Yingxian couldn’t worry about anything else. “You need to move your body over, otherwise you can’t reach it.”
Ren Yi didn’t dare move at all.
“Hurry!” Gong Yingxian urged.
Ren Yi had no choice but to quietly inch backward.
In that cramped space, their bodies pressed tightly against each other as they moved inch by inch toward the hose. The unavoidable friction made their reactions increasingly intense, and their breathing grew heavier.
Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s lips, so close that he could reach them, and wanted nothing more than to kiss him without caring about anything else.
But the last shred of reason restrained him.
Besides, he genuinely had no strength left.
At last, they reached the hose.
The small amount of oxygen carried by the water was now their only hope of survival.
They brought their mouths and noses close to the water and greedily gulped in breath after breath. Because the water flow wasn’t strong, their lips brushed against each other several times between breaths.
Their hearts raced.
A strange feeling lingered between them.
It was as though there were a transparent barrier separating them—seemingly nonexistent, yet undeniably there.
It was precisely because it was so vague and elusive that neither dared break through it, afraid that everything was merely wishful thinking, nothing more than a dream.
Soon, their minds were too occupied to think about anything else.
Even with the tiny stream of water slightly delaying their suffocation, the toxicity of the carbon monoxide was already attacking their nervous systems.
Ren Yi heard the sound of the laser cutter at work.
He also heard Gong Yingxian calling his name.
“Ren Yi, don’t fall asleep!”
Gong Yingxian was barely holding on himself. He slapped Ren Yi’s cheeks and splashed water onto his face.
“Don’t sleep! We’re about to be rescued. Don’t sleep!”
The sound of the cutter grew louder and louder.
Ren Yi could even see sparks raining down from above.
He fought desperately to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He tried to focus on Gong Yingxian’s face, but his vision gradually lost focus.
Gong Yingxian gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and pressed his lips against Ren Yi’s, breathing the little oxygen he had left into Ren Yi’s mouth.
At the edge of consciousness, Ren Yi realized that Gong Yingxian seemed to be giving him artificial respiration.
But he could no longer think.
At the very last moment, the wall blocking them was finally broken open, creating a large hole.
A rush of fresh air poured in, bringing with it life-saving oxygen.