The last day of the New Year.
Today was destined to be a busy and exhausting day. Even without a concert that required them to stay on duty until the show ended around midnight, major holidays had always been peak periods for fire department callouts.
So Ren Yizhuo canceled today’s training and let everyone sleep in, giving them a chance to recharge.
Near lunchtime, they received a call about a kitchen fire, and Gao Ge led a team over.
In the afternoon, Ren Yizhuo gathered the second and third shifts for a meeting, assigned their tasks, clarified their responsibilities, and then set out for Honglin Stadium.
The concert was officially scheduled to begin at eight in the evening, with people being admitted gradually starting at six. Besides the main entrance, two additional entrances had been opened to ease the pressure of the crowds. The guests would enter the venue directly from the underground parking lot.
The detachment had sent Wang Meng’s Luoxiangkou Unit to work with them. The Luoxiangkou Unit was the closest unit to theirs, and they often carried out missions together.
Ren Yizhuo and Wang Meng stood outside the venue, watching the staff rush in and out. It was only two in the afternoon, but a line had already formed outside the venue, most of them young girls.
Wang Meng took out a cigarette and offered one to Ren Yizhuo. Ren Yizhuo waved it away.
“I heard the front-row tickets for this one have been scalped for more than two hundred thousand?” Wang Meng took a drag. “That’s insane.”
“Yeah. It’s scary.”
“I’m not interested in this stuff. Ever since I became a firefighter, whenever I see a huge crowd, I feel uncomfortable.” Wang Meng shook his head. “With that kind of energy, you might as well lie at home and listen to music.”
Ren Yizhuo laughed. “Think about it. The tickets are so expensive, and we get a good spot without spending any money. We’re making a huge profit.”
“Haha, true.” Wang Meng happened to glance at Ren Yizhuo and suddenly let out an “Eh?”
“What?”
“Your hair…did you put hair gel in it?”
Ren Yizhuo argued, “No.”
“Let me feel it.” Wang Meng reached out and touched it.
Ren Yizhuo didn’t dodge in time and was caught red-handed.
Wang Meng mocked him. “This down jacket and these boots are new too, right? I vaguely smelled some perfume just now, but I thought it was my imagination. What’s going on, handsome Ren? Are you getting married today?”
Ren Yizhuo clicked his tongue. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“That definitely doesn’t compare to how busy you are.” Wang Meng teased him. “Did you make plans with someone tonight, or are there so many beautiful women at the venue that you want to show off a little?”
“You’re married. Have some understanding for a single guy, okay?” Ren Yizhuo said, embarrassed and annoyed. “Go, go. Go do your job.”
Wang Meng laughed loudly as he walked away.
Ren Yizhuo took a few steps back and moved over to the rearview mirror of the fire truck. He tidied his hair while looking at his reflection, then flashed himself a handsome smile.
What did getting married count for? This was his first date with Gong Yingxian.
Around six in the evening, most of the guests had already arrived and were gathered in the dressing rooms doing their makeup.
Ren Yizhuo was free to move around anywhere in the venue. Watching those singers surrounded by people, wearing dazzling stage outfits and preparing to welcome their moment in the spotlight, he suddenly understood a little of why Qi Xiao was desperate to become famous.
Ren Yizhuo’s phone vibrated. It was a message from Gong Feilan asking whether Song Juhan had arrived.
Ever since he had told Gong Feilan that he was responsible for the fire-safety duty at this concert and could get Song Juhan’s autograph for her, the little girl had been excited for several days.
Ren Yizhuo replied: Not yet. I’ll let you know when he arrives.
Just then, Gong Yingxian called.
“Hello, Yingxian. Have you arrived?”
“I’m here. I’m at the Gate 6 you mentioned.”
“Okay. Wait there. I’ll come get you.”
When Ren Yizhuo reached Gate 6, he found Gong Yingxian surrounded by a group of girls. He stood out like a crane among chickens, a full head taller than them.
“Yingxian?” Ren Yizhuo ran over, not knowing what had happened.
“You must be lying. You’re definitely an entertainer. Tell us your name!”
“Big brother, are you a new artist from Song Media? Do you sing or act? We’ll support you!”
“I’m not.” Gong Yingxian’s brows were tightly furrowed as he kept backing away. When he saw Ren Yizhuo coming over, his eyes lit up with relief, and he hurriedly gave Ren Yizhuo a meaningful look.
Suppressing his laughter, Ren Yizhuo went over to rescue him. “Hey, hey, ladies, he’s not a celebrity. Don’t crowd around him.”
“If he’s not an entertainer, why is he wearing a mask? And he’s so handsome, with such a great body.”
“He really isn’t. He’s my colleague.” Ren Yizhuo pointed at his own uniform.
The group of girls froze for a moment, then erupted into overlapping screams.
“Are all firefighters this handsome? I want to become a firefighter fan!”
“Which fire station is he from? I want to visit!”
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ren Yizhuo grabbed Gong Yingxian’s hand and pulled him out of the crowd.
“Okay, okay, shouldn’t you be getting in line? If you go too late, you’ll have to wait forever.”
He pulled Gong Yingxian along and ran.
The two of them didn’t slow down until they had run all the way into the venue.
Ren Yizhuo turned around and took a look.
Gong Yingxian was wearing a short beige down jacket on top, jeans on the bottom, and snow-white sneakers. His hair wasn’t fixed with hair gel either, but casually fell over his forehead. Even with a mask covering most of his face, it was still obvious that he was incredibly handsome.
Ren Yizhuo stared.
He had never seen Gong Yingxian dressed so youthful before. He looked just like a college student. No wonder those girls had been unable to walk after seeing him.
Gong Yingxian pulled down his mask and somewhat awkwardly followed Ren Yizhuo’s gaze, looking at his own clothes.
“What’s wrong? Does it look strange?”
“…”
Gong Yingxian gave a soft snort. “You’re the one who told me to wear ‘casual’ clothes. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t come to a noisy, dirty place full of people like this.”
Ren Yizhuo grinned foolishly. “You look incredibly handsome today.”
Gong Yingxian was slightly stunned, his heart suddenly soaring with delight, but his face pretended not to care.
“Do I?”
“Really. Super handsome.” Ren Yizhuo smiled. “Of course, you look handsome in a suit too. You’d look handsome in pajamas as well. Each has its own kind of handsome.”
Gong Yingxian couldn’t help curling his lips into a smile.
He also wanted to praise Ren Yizhuo with the same words, but he felt a little embarrassed to say them. Besides, a shallow word like “handsome” was simply insufficient to describe the feeling Ren Yizhuo’s appearance gave him—the feeling of unconditional happiness that came from merely looking at him.
“Okay. Let’s go in.”
Ren Yizhuo suddenly realized that he was still holding Gong Yingxian’s hand. Although Gong Yingxian was wearing gloves, he could still clearly feel the warmth of his palm.
Embarrassed, he let go and led Gong Yingxian toward the backstage area.
The major singers all had private dressing rooms, and with the doors closed, they couldn’t see inside. Everyone else was in a large open lounge.
The two of them stood in an out-of-the-way corner, watching the commotion.
“Look, those few people are the ‘Straw Bugs’ band. They’re an old-established band. Their songs are really good.”
“Oh.”
“That one seems to be a group that came out of some talent show. I don’t know them either. Wow, these girls are so skinny. What do they normally eat?”
Gong Yingxian swept his gaze around.
“What about Song Juhan?”
“Someone as famous as him definitely won’t come this early. And even when he arrives, he’ll have his own private room.” Ren Yizhuo unzipped his coat and showed Gong Yingxian the autograph board in the inner pocket. “But I’ve already talked to the organizers. Later, I can go in and ask him for an autograph for Feilan.”
Gong Yingxian wasn’t very happy. “You don’t need to indulge her.”
“She can’t come here. That’s already pretty pitiful.”
“She never studies properly. Her exams are coming up soon. Of course we can’t let her come to an event like this.”
“That’s why I want to get her an autograph to encourage her. You shouldn’t be so strict with her either.”
“Her parents don’t get along, and they’re away on business trips all year and rarely home. If I don’t look after her, who will?”
Ren Yizhuo suddenly felt a little sorry for Gong Feilan.
Gong Yingxian changed the subject. “What do you mainly do here?”
“Actually, the main work is reviewing the fire-safety plan beforehand. If it doesn’t meet requirements, they have to make corrections according to our demands, and then we conduct an inspection after the review. Today, one thing is to supervise whether they actually implemented everything according to our requirements, and the other is to respond to emergencies.” Ren Yizhuo said, “There’s actually not much to do, which is why I asked you to come over and have some fun.”
“You’ve inspected the entire venue?”
“We’ve checked it several times.” Ren Yizhuo said, “Every entrance also has security checks, and there are police officers on duty and patrolling.”
Gong Yingxian nodded. “So many things have happened recently. I’ve become a little sensitive.”
“I understand. I’m the same way. The higher-ups have the same concern, which is why security has been doubled this time.” Ren Yizhuo smiled. “It’s better to prevent problems before they happen, but there’s no need to worry excessively. Come on, the concert is about to start. I checked the place out earlier. There’s a really great spot.”
Ren Yizhuo took Gong Yingxian to the side of the main stage. It was specifically for security personnel and staff to pass through. Not only did it have a good view, there were hardly any people there.
Although the concert had been prepared in a hurry, the stage effects were not compromised in the slightest. Watching the dazzling lights up close and listening to the incredibly powerful music made their blood race.
Ren Yizhuo excitedly swayed his body to the beat.
At first, Gong Yingxian couldn’t quite handle such a noisy environment, but gradually he was also infected by the music and the people around him.
He secretly glanced at Ren Yizhuo.
Those shining eyes and that wide smile made him smile knowingly.
“Wow, this spot is good, but it’d definitely be even more exciting in the crowd.” Ren Yizhuo suddenly grabbed Gong Yingxian’s hand, raised it above their heads, and swayed it along with the music, singing along as well.
Gong Yingxian nodded.
“Mm. It’s kind of interesting.”
Ren Yizhuo turned his head toward Gong Yingxian.
Constantly changing lights flashed across that breathtakingly handsome face, adding even more mystery and haziness to his features. Ren Yizhuo’s breathing quickened, and his heart began pounding wildly.
Before Gong Yingxian noticed, Ren Yizhuo hurriedly turned his head away.
His heart overflowing with sweetness, he couldn’t help saying, “We’re like we’re on a date right now.”
“What did you say?” The music was too loud, and Gong Yingxian hadn’t heard him clearly.
Ren Yizhuo didn’t answer. He simply laughed happily.
Gong Yingxian looked at the densely packed heads moving throughout the stadium and the countless glow sticks being waved in the air. He only felt that such a huge space could hold so many people, yet of all of them, only the person beside him gave him a sense of reality.
That was the only meaning of his coming here.
Suddenly, he realized that those people screaming beneath the stage—could they also have the same thoughts toward the one person onstage that he had?
If so, the definition of this feeling seemed almost within reach.
Gong Yingxian fell into deep thought, but unfortunately, Ren Yizhuo’s walkie-talkie suddenly sounded, interrupting his thoughts.
Ren Yizhuo pressed the call button.
“Go ahead.”
“Captain Ren, Song Juhan is here. Weren’t you going to get his autograph?”
“Okay, I’m coming right now.”
Ren Yizhuo naturally took Gong Yingxian’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go backstage.”
When the two of them arrived backstage, the person in charge of the organizers was already waiting for them. He also reminded Ren Yizhuo, “Captain Ren, you know how big-name celebrities can have a bit of a temper. If he happens to slight you in any way, please don’t take it personally. Thank you for all your hard work.”
Ren Yizhuo smiled. “Don’t worry. Thanks.”
The person in charge knocked on the door.
A voice from inside answered, “Come in.”
He opened the door and respectfully said, “Brother Han, the Captain Ren I mentioned just now is here.”
Ren Yizhuo and Gong Yingxian looked inside.
On one side of the lounge, several makeup and hairstyling staff were arranging clothes and styling supplies. On the other side, against the wall, was a luxurious red sofa that looked completely out of place here.
Two men were sitting on it.
One was wearing headphones and looking down at a book. The other had his head resting on the first man’s thigh while playing with his phone, his two long legs folded and dangling beyond the armrest.
The man playing with his phone didn’t even turn his head. He merely said, “Mm.”