After parking in the underground garage, Ren Yi sat in the car for a long time without getting out. Instead, he lowered the window, lit a cigarette, and took his time smoking it.
On the drive back, he had kept replaying Zheng Pei’s words in his mind. The more he thought about them, the more upset he became.
Verifying whether they were true was actually very simple. All he had to do was go upstairs and ask Gong Yingxian. The real question was, what kind of answer did he want to hear?
Even without Zheng Pei telling him any of this, Ren Yi had vaguely sensed that Gong Yingxian was still keeping things from him. He knew everyone had their own concerns and difficulties, and no one could possibly share every single thing with another person. But if what Zheng Pei had said about Zhang Wen was true, Ren Yi would find it difficult to let go.
If Gong Yingxian had known all along that something was wrong with Zhang Wen, why hadn’t he told Ren Yi and exposed the man sooner? The Anjia residential complex fire might never have been classified as an accident in the first place. Perhaps Ren Yi wouldn’t have had to endure such an overwhelming storm of public criticism, dragging his entire squad—and even the brigade—into the negative publicity with him.
Of course, he didn’t know the exact timeline. Perhaps by the time Gong Yingxian discovered the truth, public opinion had already spiraled out of control.
But even after Gong Yingxian found out, if he had shared that information with the investigation team from the corps, the disciplinary outcome might have been different. And, as Zheng Pei had said, perhaps Cai Qiang wouldn’t have been injured.
Had Gong Yingxian really known about Zhang Wen long ago and kept silent? Why? To avoid alerting the enemy? To set a trap and catch the bigger fish?
If he tried to look at it rationally, Gong Yingxian must have had his reasons. Still, after everything that had happened with his father, Ren Yi couldn’t help being sensitive, uneasy, and suspicious.
Ren Yi glanced at the several large bags on the back seat. His expression gradually darkened.
He had bought all these things at Gong Yingxian’s request. Suddenly, he was having second thoughts. He didn’t know whether he was really helping Gong Yingxian by doing this. After all, what Gong Yingxian was doing now might very well be illegal.
The man in question was the person he loved. Should he choose to doubt him, or believe in him?
After struggling with the question for a long time, Ren Yi decided to avoid it for the moment.
No matter how difficult their circumstances became, the fact that their love was mutual remained like an anchor, keeping his heart steady. He was afraid that if he asked Gong Yingxian and received an answer he didn’t want to hear, the sea inside him would once again be swept into a storm of uncertainty.
He convinced himself that the most important thing right now was to help Gong Yingxian catch the criminals. At this critical moment, he didn’t want to add to Gong Yingxian’s psychological burden. They could talk about everything once they had made it through this life-or-death crisis.
Having made up his mind, Ren Yi gathered up the bags and headed upstairs.
When he got home, he discovered that the bathroom had been converted into a makeshift laboratory by Gong Yingxian. Gong Yingxian emerged from the other bathroom, having just finished showering. His wet hair hung against his cheeks, and tiny droplets clung even to his eyelashes. His skin was so fair and translucent that Ren Yi could almost make out the veins beneath it. He was impossibly alluring.
“Back already?” Gong Yingxian asked, drying his hair with a towel. “Has anyone contacted you today?”
Ren Yi’s heart tightened. For some reason, he actually felt guilty. Why should he be the one feeling guilty?
Then again, Gong Yingxian couldn’t possibly have guessed that Zheng Pei had called him. He was probably just asking casually. After all, it wasn’t normal for someone to go an entire day without receiving a single phone call.
But that brief hesitation was enough for Gong Yingxian to detect something amiss in Ren Yi’s expression. Ren Yi had never been good at hiding his feelings.
“Did the police contact you?” Gong Yingxian stared into his eyes. “Do they suspect you?”
Ren Yi nodded. “They asked what I’d been doing over the past two days and whether I’d seen you. They can track phones by satellite too, can’t they? So I threw mine away.”
“Mm. You did the right thing. If they already suspect you, it’s only a matter of time before they find this place.” Gong Yingxian took a deep breath. “We can’t stay here anymore, and you can’t drive your car either. I have to leave.”
As he spoke, he began packing their things into a suitcase.
“All right. Where are we going?”
After finishing packing, Gong Yingxian stood up. “Help me flag down a taxi on the street in a little while. Then you can go home.”
Ren Yi froze. “Go home? You’re telling me to go home? You’re leaving on your own?”
“Of course. If they’ve confirmed that you’re with me, you’ll get dragged into this too.”
Ren Yi flew into a rage. “Didn’t you think of that when you came looking for me? And now you’re suddenly fucking worried I’ll get dragged into this?”
Gong Yingxian gently touched his face. “It’s different. If the police find concrete evidence against you, you’ll be in serious trouble.”
“How much more trouble can I possibly get into?” Ren Yi demanded, suddenly agitated. “Some psychotic bastard wanted to kill me. He killed my brother and burned someone alive right in front of me. I’ve been suspended, and I’ll probably be demoted or transferred. Now you’re wanted by the police too. I’m already having the worst fucking luck imaginable. What else is there to be afraid of? The only thing I’m afraid of now is something happening to you!”
By the end, Ren Yi was practically shouting.
Gong Yingxian’s sharp brows drew together. The emotions in his eyes were so heavy that they were almost painful to look at.
“Ren Yi, almost everything you’ve been through has happened because of me. I feel…” He pressed his lips together. “I want to treat you well. I keep trying every possible way to make things better for you, but it always backfires, and you end up worse off instead.”
Ren Yi discovered that he simply couldn’t bear to see Gong Yingxian show weakness. Whenever Gong Yingxian looked this sad and aggrieved, Ren Yi couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice at him again. He couldn’t believe he was such a pushover.
Ren Yi sighed. “Don’t think that way. Even without you, Purple Flame would still have targeted me. I’ve ruined so many of their plans. No matter what happens, I’ve never felt that you’ve dragged me down.”
Gong Yingxian’s gaze traced every feature of Ren Yi’s face.
“You’re the person I most want to protect. But because of me, you keep finding yourself in danger. This is the final confrontation between Purple Flame and me. I can’t let you get involved any further. You’ve already helped me so much. You should go home.”
“I need to know you’re safe at all times. Otherwise, I’m not going anywhere,” Ren Yi said. “Aren’t you going to find Yellow Flame? I’ll go with you. At least you’ll have someone to back you up.”
“No.” Gong Yingxian refused without hesitation. “You absolutely cannot go. No matter what you say or do, you are not going.”
“I’ve already helped you this much.” Ren Yi pointed toward all the equipment they’d gathered. “I don’t want you to go alone…”
Suddenly, Gong Yingxian pressed a hand against the back of Ren Yi’s head and kissed him fiercely.
Ren Yi’s eyes widened. Part of him thought this was hardly the time for intimacy, while another part desperately craved it. What he yearned for wasn’t the physical intimacy itself, but every single second he could spend with Gong Yingxian—doing absolutely anything, as long as they were together.
Gong Yingxian pressed Ren Yi against the wall and kissed him until his brain was starved of oxygen and his cheeks flushed crimson.
Wrapping his arms around Gong Yingxian’s neck, Ren Yi murmured incoherently, “Let me go with you.”
Gong Yingxian didn’t answer. He simply scooped Ren Yi up, turned around, and pushed him down onto the sofa…
Ren Yi woke up feeling sore all over.
He squinted at the window and discovered that it wasn’t completely dark yet. It was probably only around five or six in the evening, so he hadn’t been asleep for very long.
No. He hadn’t fallen asleep. He had… passed out.
The experience of being fucked unconscious could absolutely take first place on the list of the most humiliating moments of his life.
Gong Yingxian, you fucking beast…
Gong Yingxian!
Ren Yi suddenly sprang upright, trying to leap out of bed, but nearly toppled right off it. He grabbed the edge of the bed to steady himself, climbed down, and made his way into the living room.
Although he had already prepared himself for this, the sight of the empty apartment still made his heart ache.
Perhaps Gong Yingxian had left for his safety. Perhaps he had some other reason. Either way, Ren Yi could no longer pretend he wasn’t involved.
He walked over to the sofa and picked up his jacket. From inside, he took out a small phone that looked like an old Nokia.
It was part of the tracking device he’d bought at the hardware store. The other component was among the pile of things he’d purchased.
After switching it on, he could clearly see a map of the city’s red and blue lines, with a yellow dot moving across it.
His decision not to ask questions didn’t mean he was willing to remain in the dark. He had already guessed that Gong Yingxian wouldn’t take him along, especially after he’d asked twice where Bai Yan was and Gong Yingxian hadn’t answered either time.
This was a battle. He wasn’t going to let Gong Yingxian fight alone.
Ren Yi called Qu Yangbo and asked him to help arrange a meeting with Qiu Yan. Then he changed clothes, grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen, concealed it on his person, and left without the slightest hesitation.