The sky had only just begun to brighten when Ren Yi stood before the mirror, straightening his tie and uniform while meeting his own gaze in the reflection. He wore the blue fire service uniform, topped with a blue-and-white peaked cap. Gold and red insignia and decorative cords adorned his chest. His shoulders were as sharply squared as blades, and his slender waist and straight posture were reminiscent of a sturdy pine. Although his complexion was somewhat pale, his heroic bearing remained undiminished.
He took a deep breath and put on his sunglasses. The publicity department at headquarters had already coordinated with the media. They wouldn’t film his face, and even if they did, the footage wouldn’t be released. Nevertheless, there was always a chance that some shots might slip through, so he took a few extra precautions to conceal his appearance.
Once everything was ready, he turned toward his desk. In a sixteen-inch black-and-white photograph, his father wore an old-style jungle-green military uniform, medals covering both sides of his chest, and smiled calmly at the camera.
Ren Yi walked over and picked up the photograph, smiling faintly.
“Old Ren, ever since I was a kid, everyone’s always said I look like you. I never admitted it. I thought I took after Mom instead. She was beautiful, so that’s why I’m so handsome, haha. But as I got older, I realized that I really do seem to look more and more like you.”
“You always said that having a son like me was your greatest pride. But my greatest pride is having a father like you.”
As Ren Yi spoke, tears welled in his eyes. He rested his forehead against the photograph of Ren Xiangrong and murmured, “Come on, Dad. Let your son accompany you on the final stretch of your journey.”
Holding the photograph carefully and upright in front of him, Ren Yi walked downstairs. The training ground was filled with firefighters standing in neat formation, their backs straight and their bodies as rigid as spears. They had already instinctively left an aisle open down the middle for him.
Not far away, a bright red fire engine stood quietly, white mourning drapes tied to its aerial ladder and fluttering gently in the breeze. Beyond it, crowds had gathered all around the fire station. Not a single person made a sound.
The moment Ren Yi stepped outside, a powerful command rang across the silent training ground.
“Salute!”
Every officer and firefighter raised their hands in perfect unison.
Ren Yi nodded and marched forward, one firm step at a time.
Behind him, six firefighters carried the coffin together. His father’s body was already at the funeral home; the coffin contained his personal belongings.
The road wasn’t long, but as Ren Yi walked along it, his heart was overwhelmed by countless emotions. He was accompanying his father along a path his father had traveled countless times throughout his life, a path that represented the career and faith he had cherished most, along with the honor and duty he had devoted himself to.
Finally, Ren Yi climbed aboard the fire engine, allowing this old companion to accompany his father on his final journey.
He held his father’s portrait carefully in his arms and nodded at Qu Yangbo, who sat opposite him. Over the past few days, Qu Yangbo and Gao Ge had helped him more than anyone else, but Gao Ge had to remain behind on duty.
Qu Yangbo returned his nod with a look that said there was no need for words.
The fire engine drove out of the station, followed by two official vehicles. People gathered along both sides of the street, silently watching the procession pass. Most were local residents who lived nearby. This fire station was the guardian of their community, the protector who kept them safe. Quite a few had also known Ren Xiangrong personally and had come of their own accord to pay their respects after seeing the media coverage.
Ren Yi lowered his head, resting his chin against his father’s portrait, his thoughts in turmoil.
When he raised his head again, he glanced at the scenery outside the window and spoke up.
“Are we taking the wrong route? This way is much longer.”
“No, Captain Ren. There are more people who want to see him off.” The driver pointed ahead.
Ren Yi turned to look.
It was the Luo Xiangkou Fire Station, the closest station to theirs. Wang Meng and a group of firefighters stood in formation at the entrance, watching their vehicle approach from a distance and saluting. Their fire engines were parked inside the perimeter wall, with an aerial ladder extended over the road. A bright red national flag hung from the middle of the ladder, displayed at half-mast.
Ren Yi’s eyes burned with unshed tears.
Along the way, they passed nearly ten fire stations. Every single one had come out to see his father off.
Sitting in the vehicle, Ren Yi wept, large tears rolling down his cheeks. His sunglasses concealed his tear-filled eyes, but they could not conceal his gratitude or longing.
Dad, can you see this?
You must be able to see it.
After the funeral, Ren Yi returned to the hospital, physically and emotionally exhausted. He was worried that Gong Yingxian might refuse to eat again while he was away. Before leaving, he had reminded him countless times to eat properly, but he had no idea whether Gong Yingxian had understood any of it.
At that moment, Dr. Pompey was sitting in Gong Yingxian’s hospital room. Several sheets of paper were spread across the table, and the two of them were drawing and writing on them.
“Captain Ren,” Dr. Pompey greeted him. “You must be exhausted. I really wanted to attend the funeral and pay my respects to the old captain, too, but I was afraid he wouldn’t eat if I left, so I didn’t dare go.”
“Thank you.” Ren Yi nodded with a faint smile as he walked over to look at the drawings on the table. They were extremely abstract, and he couldn’t make out what they were supposed to represent.
“This is his way of expressing himself. Most of it is still difficult to understand.” Dr. Pompey pulled out a sheet that had been tucked beneath his sleeve. “But this one is quite obvious.”
Ren Yi looked at it. There was a little figure wearing blue clothes. Was that supposed to be him?
He waved the paper in front of Gong Yingxian and smiled. “Is this me?”
Gong Yingxian hesitated for a moment, then took the paper, picked up a pen, and began scribbling over it. Finally, he drew a pair of lips.
Ren Yi was so embarrassed that he nearly broke into a sweat. Even Dr. Pompey paused to study the drawing before making a thoughtful sound of surprise.
Ren Yi rubbed Gong Yingxian’s head. “Have you been eating properly?”
“I kept an eye on him, and he did eat, but he wasn’t nearly as cooperative as when you were here.” Dr. Pompey gathered his things. “You stay with him. I’ll head back to the hotel.”
“All right. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Oh, by the way, I spoke to the doctor today. His injuries are healing very well, so he can be discharged earlier than expected.”
“That’s wonderful! What about the hypnosis?”
“We’re waiting for Ms. Gong to return to the country. She should be back within the next day or two. There are certain issues that really need to be discussed in person.”
“All right.”
After Dr. Pompey left, Ren Yi climbed onto the bed and settled down beside Gong Yingxian, telling him stories.
However, every so often, Gong Yingxian would lean over and kiss him of his own accord. The kisses were so innocent that they seemed to have no further purpose. He simply wanted to kiss Ren Yi, as though this were the best way to communicate, as though doing so made him feel more secure.
Gong Yingxian had no improper thoughts, but Ren Yi, who had been teased repeatedly, couldn’t help feeling stirred up. He remembered what Dr. Pompey had said, and for once, even his normally thick-skinned self felt a little embarrassed.
After telling him a few stories, Ren Yi described the day’s funeral in detail, recounting everything he could remember. This time, he didn’t cry. Instead, he felt peaceful and calm.
That night, Ren Yi didn’t sleep in the extra bed provided for companions. Instead, he squeezed into the same bed as Gong Yingxian. To avoid touching Gong Yingxian’s injured leg, he didn’t dare move too close. They lay with about a shoulder’s width between them, gently holding hands beneath the covers. Even when their palms grew sweaty, neither of them let go.
He remembered the days before they had confessed their feelings to each other, when he had used watching a movie together as an excuse to share a blanket with Gong Yingxian. The sweet, ambiguous tension, the careful testing of boundaries, the longing that neither of them dared to express outright—all of it had become some of the most beautiful memories of his life.
He had so many beautiful memories, and so many of them involved the person beside him.
How fortunate they were to still have the chance to create many more.
That was the soundest sleep Ren Yi had enjoyed in the past two or three months.
Two days later, Ren Yi received some exhilarating news: Chen Xiaofei had regained consciousness and was now out of danger.
Although a long period of rehabilitation still lay ahead, at least he had survived the first hurdle.
Visitors still weren’t allowed to see him. Only the police could enter to question him, so Ren Yi waited outside.
When Qiu Yan came out, Ren Yi immediately asked, “How is Captain Chen?”
“I think he’ll recover. He’s very strong, and his mind is perfectly clear.”
Ren Yi let out a breath of relief. “Then…”
“Before the explosion, he received a phone call. We’ll continue investigating it, and I’ll tell you as soon as we make any significant progress. As for whether he’s actually a suspect, I can’t give you an answer yet.” Qiu Yan showed Ren Yi his phone. On the screen was a rather unclear surveillance image of a tall man dressed in black entering a building, his face obscured. “This person may be the suspect who planted the bomb—in other words, Purple Flame.”
“Why do you think he’s Purple Flame? Didn’t Purple Flame have a lot of followers?” Although the man’s build matched what they had seen of Purple Flame in the footage, only his upper body was visible, making it difficult to draw a definite conclusion.
“Not anymore. We’ve arrested or eliminated many of them. He has to handle a lot of things himself now. His attempt to take revenge on you may be his final act of madness.”
“If he wanted revenge, why did he send me away? Hasn’t he always wanted to kill me?”
“You can’t understand the thinking of these psychopaths by applying ordinary logic. Perhaps he realized that doing this would make you even more…” Qiu Yan found it difficult to finish the sentence. “Or perhaps he needed you out of the way because there were certain things he couldn’t do with you there. For example, that phone call that lured Chen Xiaofei away from the old captain.”
“What did the phone call say?”
“According to Chen Xiaofei, the caller claimed there was a bomb in the break room. He had to go and check it alone and wasn’t allowed to tell anyone.”
“Do you have any evidence?”
Qiu Yan shook his head. “Chen Xiaofei is the captain of the fire brigade. Without solid evidence, we can’t place him under surveillance. So, for now, we’re focusing on tracing the source of that phone call.”
Ren Yi sighed softly. “By the way, when can the agreement be signed? Yingxian should be able to go home this weekend.”
“Soon,” Qiu Yan replied. “Ms. Gong has returned to the country, and she’s meeting Dr. Pompey tomorrow.”