Gong Yingxian had been sitting motionless for a long time. The cup of coffee in front of him had gone from steaming gently to completely cold. The rich, fragrant liquid had formed an unbroken ring along the white interior of the mug. He had not touched it once.
Ren Yi sat beside him, patiently waiting for him to regain his composure.
At a time like this, nothing he said would help. Whatever he said would be inappropriate. Being there for Gong Yingxian was the only thing he could do.
After a very long time, Gong Yingxian suddenly turned his face toward him and asked gently, “Are you hungry?”
Ren Yi nodded. “What about you?”
“I’ll take you out to eat.”
“There’s no rush.” Ren Yi looked at him with concern.
“I’m much better now.” Although Gong Yingxian’s complexion was poor, his eyes were bright. “I told you, I’ve made extensive psychological preparations. I’ve rehearsed everything I heard today in my mind countless times. It’s been nineteen years. Honestly, I can accept any outcome. I’ve even imagined countless times what it would be like if there were no outcome at all.”
The more Gong Yingxian said things like that, the more Ren Yi’s heart ached for him. He hurt so much for Gong Yingxian that he didn’t even know how to express it.
“So you don’t need to comfort me, either. I know how difficult it is to find the words.” Gong Yingxian took Ren Yi’s hand. “You don’t need to say anything. Just being by my side is the greatest comfort you can give me.”
Ren Yi smiled faintly.
“Let’s go. We can eat at whichever restaurant you like. Any of them will do. I brought my own utensils.”
“Why don’t we just go home instead? I want to cook for you myself.”
Gong Yingxian smiled. “All right.”
Ren Yi seemed to think of something, but he hesitated to speak.
“Let’s leave the rest to Sister Yan. Captain Zhao has already called me and suggested that I recuse myself from the case. He’s considering both the investigation and my own well-being. He didn’t want me to meet… her in person today.” Gong Yingxian spoke calmly. “I’ll remain involved in the case until the very end, but I probably won’t see her again.”
“That’s for the best.” Ren Yi pushed Gong Yingxian’s wheelchair toward the exit.
“Who do you think is lying? What does your intuition tell you?” Gong Yingxian suddenly asked.
Ren Yi paused. “I think both of them are lying, to some extent. After all, they’re mother and son.”
Thinking of their faces made Ren Yi feel a chill run down his spine.
“Mm. I think so, too. Thank goodness Feilan isn’t like her.”
Ren Yi couldn’t bring himself to ask what would become of Feilan in the future.
No matter how rough and muddy the road, each person ultimately had to walk it themselves. That was life.
Ren Yi drove Gong Yingxian to the supermarket, where they bought a pile of fresh ingredients before heading home.
While waiting at a red light, Ren Yi casually checked his phone. Qu Yangbo had sent him a link. When he opened it, he was rather surprised.
It was a feature article about his father on a social media platform, published by the official media account of the Ministry of Emergency Management. It had already received an astonishing 160,000 shares.
He opened the list of people who had shared it and spotted several familiar celebrity names: Song Juhan, Qi Xiao, Zhou Xiang, and Yan Mingxiu, along with official fire department media accounts from all over the country.
He looked through the comments as well. Although the publicity department had followed his instructions and avoided mentioning the father-son relationship between him and his father, it wasn’t difficult for people to figure it out.
Many commenters were clearing up the rumors surrounding what had happened to him back then. Although the doubts and criticism hadn’t disappeared entirely, the fact that the incident was now prompting people to think about it rationally was already a positive change.
Seeing the reflective expression on Ren Yi’s face, Gong Yingxian asked, “What are you looking at?”
Ren Yi handed him the phone and smiled. “Old Ren actually doesn’t like being in the spotlight, but he does like being praised by others. He must be very happy right now.”
Gong Yingxian smiled, too. “Captain He deserves this honor.”
Ren Yi sighed softly. “Public opinion really is a double-edged sword.”
“Mm. And everyone wields that sword without even realizing it.”
Ren Yi casually tapped Qi Xiao’s name. “Oh, wow. He has over six million followers now. Looks like he really has made it big.”
Gong Yingxian glanced at Ren Yi. “Are you still in touch with him?”
“Of course. He sent me a message to check on me a while ago.”
Gong Yingxian responded with an indifferent “Oh.”
“He also said he thinks about me day and night, can’t stop missing me, and is about to come find me.”
Gong Yingxian whipped his head around and glared at Ren Yi, only to meet a pair of teasing eyes.
Ren Yi burst out laughing. “You little jealous thing.” His tone was utterly affectionate.
Gong Yingxian snorted. “I’m angry now.”
“You’re angry already? I was only joking.”
“You shouldn’t joke about things like that, either.”
“Then I was wrong. How should I make it up to you?” Ren Yi teasingly scratched beneath Gong Yingxian’s chin, as though he were petting a spoiled cat.
“I suppose I can forgive you.” Gong Yingxian recalled the sight of Ren Yi’s waistline that morning and restrained himself from reaching out to touch him right then. He cleared his throat twice. “I want…”
“Want what?”
Gong Yingxian had clearly thought of something. The tips of his ears turned a little red as he leaned closer.
“I want to do it in the wheelchair.”
Ren Yi suppressed his laughter and pretended to be confused. “Huh? You’re already in a wheelchair right now.”
Gong Yingxian was furious. He knew perfectly well that Ren Yi was doing it on purpose, but he was too embarrassed to explain himself. He was a man of action and extremely thin-skinned, unlike Ren Yi, who enjoyed teasing him verbally. Gong Yingxian preferred to put his words into practice.
So he genuinely began sulking. Why had he even bothered to say anything? He should have simply done it.
After enjoying the sight of Gong Yingxian puffing up in indignation for long enough, Ren Yi finally leaned over, licked the edge of his ear, and said with a mischievous smile, “Wherever you say, that’s where we’ll do it. I’ll listen to Officer Handsome.”
Gong Yingxian’s heart fluttered wildly. He grabbed Ren Yi’s chin and kissed him hard. Then, to hide his smile, he turned his head away with a stern expression.
“Pay attention to the road.”
When they arrived home, Ren Yi prepared the ingredients and cooked while Gong Yingxian sat just outside the kitchen, chatting with him.
Watching the flames flicker beneath the stove and the hot steam rise from the pan as Ren Yi stir-fried the food, Gong Yingxian found the sight of his lover working busily for him both carefree and irresistibly charming.
Why had he once been afraid of such ordinary domestic warmth? Now, he loved it more than anything. He hoped that every single day, he could watch his beloved doing these simple, warm little things.
The happiness filling every cell of his body was so warm and intoxicating that he never wanted to wake from it.
Almost all the members of the cult organization responsible for a series of malicious arson crimes had been arrested. Their capture had also brought two old cases from nineteen years ago back into the spotlight: the Baosheng Chemical Plant Explosion and the Gong Family Arson Case.
Just months before the statute of limitations was about to expire, both cases were finally reopened for retrial. As the truth gradually came to light, those involved in the crimes who were still alive confessed and were brought to justice one after another. The conspiracies and injustices buried for years were finally exposed and rectified.
Gathering evidence for this entire series of cases alone took nearly three years. But in the end, every innocent person received justice, and every guilty person received punishment.
Meanwhile, through coordination and cooperation between international police forces, the main members of the notorious arsonist gathering ground known as the Seraphim organization were arrested in four different countries. The operation became a successful example of international joint law enforcement, and local police forces continued investigating the numerous crimes connected to the organization.
But those were matters for the future. It would take the persistent efforts of Gong Yingxian and countless colleagues to bring everything to its conclusion.
Ren Yi and Gong Yingxian’s lives finally returned to peace.
Ren Yi had been back at university for two months, pursuing further studies. The most interesting part was getting to experience campus life all over again. As someone who could make a whole bunch of friends wherever he went, Ren Yi was having an especially good time.
He stayed in the university dormitory at noon and returned home in the evenings. Gong Yingxian now spent most of his time at Ren Yi’s place, too. His personal belongings increased visibly from day to day, until they eventually filled every corner of the house, making it seem as though the place had always had two owners.
They got up at the same time every morning. Their morning exercise offered two choices: either go running or simply finish their exercise in bed. Then they would prepare breakfast together, eat together, and leave the house together.
Starting the day after recharging each other’s energy left them feeling refreshed and full of vitality for the entire day.
Ren Yi also frequently returned to his fire station. Although he was pursuing further studies, he still had work to do, including writing reports, conducting training, and overseeing assessments. Seeing that Gao Ge was now capable of handling things independently, Ren Yi recommended him to the leadership. If a position as a station captain became available, Gao Ge would probably be promoted.
In addition, Ren Yi visited Chen Xiaofei at Hongwu Hospital once a week.
He felt deeply guilty about having suspected Chen Xiaofei in the past. He also sympathized with how Chen Xiaofei had been dragged into the case innocently and even selected by Purple Flame as a scapegoat.
Fortunately, those bastards had failed to frame him, and Chen Xiaofei had survived the ordeal.
Chen Xiaofei had already been transferred out of the intensive care unit and was recovering in a regular hospital room. After several surgeries, his recovery was progressing fairly well. The rehabilitation process would be long, but as a former firefighter, he wasn’t someone who could be easily defeated.
He had no intention of resigning or taking early retirement. Instead, he was cooperating actively with his treatment and rehabilitation, looking forward to returning to work as soon as possible.
Qu Yangbo occasionally accompanied Ren Yi on these visits. With Ren Yi away pursuing further studies, Qu Yangbo’s workload had increased dramatically. Even so, he still made time to visit Qiu Yan.
Just like Ren Yi had done in the past, the two of them frequently met and dated on the road, at the district bureau, and at accident scenes. Their passion for each other showed no signs of fading.
Gong Feilan occasionally sent them updates. She had taken a year off from school, and her aunt was accompanying her on trips around the world to help her relax and recover emotionally.
The young girl had matured so much in such a short time. She was far stronger and more sensible than they had imagined, which reassured both Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi.
Having endured that year of turmoil, fear, and anxiety, everyone cherished the peaceful life they now had all the more.
Ren Yi actually missed life at the fire station quite a bit. After all, he had spent the previous ten years there, and the routine had become deeply ingrained in him. But being a student had its advantages, too.
Students had holidays.
During the weekends, Ren Yi could finally go on dates with Gong Yingxian like an ordinary couple. Occasionally, they would drive out of town for short road trips, and they had even begun planning a longer vacation. The dates had already been decided, although they still needed to settle on a destination.
Of course, two people with very different personalities living together wouldn’t always get along perfectly. Every now and then, they had their little disagreements.
For example, they had a fight today. And the root cause was that Gong Yingxian was simply too jealous.
It had all started the previous evening.
On Friday night, one of Ren Yi’s classmates from his graduate courses happened to be close friends with Yan Jue. Yan Jue had taken leave and traveled all the way from the western suburbs to join them. A group of friends went out for karaoke, drinks, and late-night snacks. It was an entirely ordinary gathering.
Ren Yi was considerate and attentive in his relationship. Wherever he went, he always kept Gong Yingxian informed. He had also openly told him about the gathering with Yan Jue.
Gong Yingxian was unhappy about it, but he knew he was too old to throw a tantrum just because he didn’t get his way. So he pretended not to mind.
However, when Ren Yi finally arrived home at three in the morning, showered, and prepared to sleep, Gong Yingxian, who Ren Yi had thought was already asleep, suddenly sprang into action and kept him occupied until dawn.
Fortunately, the next day was Saturday, so they slept straight through until noon.
Gong Yingxian was thoroughly satisfied and in a much better mood. After lunch, he and Ren Yi happily went out on a date.
Then something happened during their date.
After eating, they decided to watch a movie. They hadn’t paid much attention to the options and simply chose whichever film had a suitable screening time at the cinema.
Who would have thought that it would turn out to be a police procedural drama starring Qi Xiao in the second male lead role?
When Ren Yi saw Qi Xiao appear on screen, he was pleasantly surprised.
“Oh, Qi Xiao! He actually looks pretty good in a police uniform.”
Gong Yingxian’s face immediately darkened. Fortunately, they were in a movie theater, so Ren Yi couldn’t see just how dark his expression had become. Otherwise, he might have left early.
Ren Yi thought the drama was pretty good. Halfway through the film, the police officer played by Qi Xiao died in the line of duty. The scene was quite moving, but Ren Yi was far too familiar with Qi Xiao’s face to become fully immersed in the story.
He turned to Gong Yingxian and discussed the scene.
“The fight choreography here is really good. Qi Xiao’s so skinny, yet they managed to make the punches look like they really hurt. He must have suffered quite a bit filming this.”
Gong Yingxian glanced at him. “Feeling sorry for him?”
Ren Yi was a little confused. “Huh?”
“Do you think he was beaten to death?” Gong Yingxian sneered. “He died because he was an idiot.”
“…”
Gong Yingxian then began mercilessly criticizing the plot, completely disregarding basic movie theater etiquette. This part made no sense, that part was ridiculous, and if all police officers were as stupid as the ones in the movie, they shouldn’t be issued guns at all. They should be given Gundam robots instead.
His voice wasn’t especially loud, but it was loud enough to disturb the people around them. Ren Yi could practically feel the disapproving glares coming from every direction. He was so uncomfortable that he finally had no choice but to drag Gong Yingxian out of the theater.
Ren Yi felt rather embarrassed.
“What was that about? I thought the movie was pretty good.”
As they walked out, they happened to pass an enormous promotional poster.
“Look, it even has a rating of 7.1 on Douban. That’s pretty decent.”
Gong Yingxian abruptly shook off his hand and strode away.
Ren Yi realized that Gong Yingxian was genuinely angry. It wasn’t as though this was the first time he had discovered how petty the man could be, so he felt both exasperated and amused.
He coaxed Gong Yingxian all the way home, and by the time they arrived, things seemed to have calmed down.
Who would have thought there was another ticking time bomb waiting for them?
Ren Yi received a same-city delivery package.
It had been sent by Qi Xiao.
There were two items inside. The first was a signed photograph of a tough-guy actor Ren Yi liked. The second was two movie tickets inviting Ren Yi and Gong Yingxian to watch Qi Xiao’s newly released police procedural film.
Qi Xiao had previously mentioned that he mostly filmed idol dramas and knew Ren Yi wouldn’t be interested in watching them. Now that he finally had a movie Ren Yi might enjoy, he naturally wanted to share it with him. After all, Ren Yi had played a significant role in helping him get where he was today.
But these two items only added fuel to Gong Yingxian’s anger.
From Ren Yi staying out until three in the morning eating late-night snacks with Yan Jue, to watching Qi Xiao’s movie that day and praising how good he looked in a police uniform, and now this package arriving at their door—
Gong Yingxian was truly furious.
Ren Yi was unhappy, too. He had spent the entire journey coaxing him, and he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.
Although he could tolerate Gong Yingxian’s princess-like temper, there were limits. He tried to reason with him.
“Look, Qi Xiao even sent us two movie tickets and invited you to come along. Can’t you stop being so petty?”
That was like pouring oil on a fire.
Gong Yingxian glared viciously at Ren Yi, grabbed his keys, and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Ren Yi flinched at the loud bang, then stared blankly at the tightly shut door.
This was their first argument since moving in together, and it was over such an immature reason.
Ren Yi was both amused and exasperated.
Should he go after him? It was a little embarrassing to back down first. Besides, this couldn’t really be his fault, could it?
…Could it?
Ren Yi fell into deep thought.
But before he could make up his mind, the front door suddenly swung open from the outside.
Gong Yingxian shoved it open roughly and came back inside.
Ren Yi’s face immediately brightened, as though the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.
This already counted as Gong Yingxian taking the initiative to admit he was wrong. Such a thing was rare enough to be treasured.
Ren Yi hurried over to hug him.
“Baby, we—”
He missed.
Gong Yingxian glared at him fiercely, swept into the bedroom like a gust of wind, then swept back out just as quickly, carrying a—
Pillow.
The precious pillow, of which only thirty-one remained in the entire world, of which only thirty-one would remain for the rest of their lives, the pillow that might even have absorbed Gong Yingxian’s very essence.
“…”
Gong Yingxian stormed out again, clutching the pillow, and slammed the door with even greater force than before.
“…”
Ren Yi sighed.
He had taken all the pillows with him. Things were getting serious.
He tilted his neck, stretched his muscles, and decided to go after him. He didn’t know how other couples made up after a fight, but he knew that in his case, he would probably have to expend some physical energy.
He caught up with Gong Yingxian in the parking lot, where he found him standing beside his car.
The man was nearly six foot three, with iron arms strong enough to snap someone’s bones in two. Yet there he stood, clutching a soft, fluffy pillow in his arms like a poor, pitiful creature who had just been thrown out of the house. His face was full of grievance and indignation.
Ren Yi walked over, suppressing his laughter as he looked at him.
Gong Yingxian glanced sideways at him. “You’re only coming now? It’s been four minutes.”
“I had to wait for the elevator.”
Gong Yingxian pressed his lips together.
Ren Yi tugged at the pillow. “I like this pillow, too. Don’t take it away.”
“Then did you come here to find me or to find the pillow?”
“Of course I came to find you.”
Ren Yi moved closer and acted coyly.
“If you’re holding the pillow, how are you going to hold me?”
Gong Yingxian wrapped one arm around the pillow and the other around Ren Yi.
“Why can’t I hold both?”
Ren Yi wrapped his arms around Gong Yingxian’s waist as well.
“Let’s go home. There are so many mosquitoes out here.”
He leaned close to Gong Yingxian’s ear and whispered, “Would you rather have me bite you or let the mosquitoes bite you?”
Gong Yingxian’s eyes changed immediately.
Still pretending to resist, he allowed Ren Yi to coax him, and the two of them finally made their way home, clinging to each other affectionately.
Given their builds, the two men walking like that would have completely blocked the elevator entrance. If anyone had seen them, it would have been quite a spectacle.
Fortunately, they didn’t encounter anyone along the way.
Back at home, Gong Yingxian was still feeling awkward and continued to complain.
“How could you praise someone else for looking good in a police uniform? That makes your compliments to me less special.”
“I only said he had a bit of a police officer’s presence. He’s nowhere near as good-looking as you. You’re the best-looking person in the world in a police uniform.”
“…Really?”
“Really.”
“And another thing. I don’t like you staying out until three in the morning eating late-night snacks with Yan Jue.”
“Then I’ll come home earlier next time. I’ll definitely be home before two.”
“…One thirty.”
“One thirty is a little— All right, all right. One thirty it is.”
Only then did Gong Yingxian put down the pillow and pull Ren Yi into his arms, filling his embrace completely as he settled Ren Yi onto his lap.
Suddenly, he spoke with a hint of uneasiness.
“I can’t go out to eat with your brothers and friends, and I’m always getting jealous. Will you think I’m… I’m…”
“I think you’re so ridiculously cute!”
Ren Yi cupped Gong Yingxian’s face and planted several kisses on his cheeks, his eyes brimming with laughter.
“Really?”
“Really.” Ren Yi was so full of affection and love that he couldn’t stop smiling. “Yingxian, I hope we’ll always be this happy together.”
“Of course. We’ll always be this happy together.”
Ren Yi showered Gong Yingxian’s cheeks with sweet kisses, his happiness almost overflowing.
Suddenly, Gong Yingxian scooped Ren Yi up into his arms.
“Huh?” Ren Yi exclaimed in surprise. “Can’t we just enjoy this tender moment for a little longer…?”
“Fine.”
“Fine what?”
“Let’s do something even more tender.”
Ren Yi protested loudly, “How is that ‘tender’?! My lower back is still sore!”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s not tender. I just want to do it.”
Ren Yi froze for a moment, then howled, “Gong Yingxian! I liked the old, shy version of you better!”
“Then I suppose I’m more devoted. I’ll love you no matter what you’re like.”
Ren Yi couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
The bedroom door was kicked shut, closing off the laughter and sweet whispers within the room. But it couldn’t shut out the love, happiness, and warmth that flowed freely throughout the house, belonging to the two of them alone.
Outside these walls, they were a firefighter and a police officer, rushing to the front lines of rescue and the fight against evil. Within these walls, they were simply an ordinary couple in love.
Their missions were the same, their beliefs intertwined. They were each other’s fire, driving away every darkness in life. They were each other’s armor, protecting the souls and bodies of those they loved.
Their deep affection had long since been engraved into each other’s flesh and blood.
Faithful unto death.
The End