The moment Ren Yi reached his front door, he heard arguing coming from inside. When he opened the door, he saw the nanny and his father pushing and shoving over something.
“Auntie, what’s wrong?”
The moment Auntie Wang saw him, she said anxiously, “Captain Ren, you’re finally back. Your dad refuses to take his medicine!”
Ren Yi looked at the man sitting in the wheelchair and secretly sighed. “Old Ren, if your stomach is bothering you, why won’t you take your medicine?”
“Medicine is three parts poison. I’m not taking it. I’m not taking it.” Ren Xiangrong became somewhat agitated and slapped the medicine out of Auntie Wang’s hand.
The medicine bottle fell to the floor, and the pills rolled everywhere.
Auntie Wang shook her head helplessly.
Ren Yi gave her a reassuring look, and the two of them crouched down together to pick everything up.
Yet Ren Xiangrong acted as if nothing had happened and asked Ren Yi, “Why did you get out of school so early today?”
“It’s already dark. It’s not early anymore.” Ren Yi said softly, “Auntie, you should go home for today.”
“Dinner is already made and in the pot. I’m leaving.” Auntie Wang glanced at him, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, she put on her shoes and left.
Ren Xiangrong lightly patted his own leg. It was unclear whether he was asking Ren Yi or talking to himself. “Has your mom gotten off work?”
“Not yet.” Ren Yi put the medicine aside, planning to try again in a few hours. Maybe by then his father would be lucid.
As sad as it was to say, his father had once been able to accurately count how many municipal fire hydrants there were on any given street in his jurisdiction. Now, half the time, he did not remember what year or month it was, did not remember that his wife had already passed away, and did not remember that his son had already grown up.
Ren Xiangrong muttered, “Wait until your mom comes back before eating.”
“Okay, Old Ren. I’ll give you a bath first.”
Ren Xiangrong seemed not to hear him and continued mumbling, “Wait until your mom comes back before eating…”
Ren Yi pushed the wheelchair into the bathroom, lifted his father up, placed him into the customized bathtub, and patiently washed him.
His father had once been a legendary firefighter of his generation. He had received the May Fourth Medal and earned one Second-Class Merit and three Third-Class Merits. The year he retired because of his leg injury, he had already been the captain of a fire brigade at the rank of a regular battalion commander. Yet less than three years after being confined to a wheelchair, he became ill.
His mother had accidentally passed away when he was in college. Their family had few relatives, and once his father became ill, Ren Yi had to shoulder all the household responsibilities by himself. But he could not return home most of the time, so he had no choice but to hire two nannies to take turns caring for his father day and night. It was just that patients with Alzheimer’s could be unpredictable, and sometimes extremely unreasonable. Over the past few years, they had gone through more than a dozen nannies.
What saddened Ren Yi the most was that the man who had once been as steadfast and powerful as a mountain had now become this frail, aged figure. He had saved so many people, yet modern medicine could not save him.
After laboriously finishing the bath, Ren Xiangrong seemed about to fall asleep, and Ren Yi was exhausted as well. He carried him onto the bed, tucked him in, turned on the air conditioner, and then went to the kitchen to heat up the food.
While eating, Ren Yi called someone.
The call was answered almost immediately, and a deliberately lowered voice came from the other end. “Hey, bro.”
“What are you doing?” Ren Yi asked.
“My kid just fell asleep. What’s up?”
“I want to ask you about someone.” The person on the other end was Fu Kai, Ren Yi’s high school classmate and one of his best buddies.
“Who?”
“Gong Yingxian. Have you heard of him? The ‘Gong’ from palace, and he’s a cop too.”
“Yeah, I know him. Why are you suddenly asking about him?” Fu Kai made two “tsk-tsk” sounds. “How do you know this guy? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I just suspect someone is impersonating a police officer, so I’m checking with you.”
“Oh. He really doesn’t look like a cop.”
“You know him?”
“Don’t know him. I’ve seen him.”
“What’s his deal?”
“He’s a weirdo… Ow, my daughter woke up because of you.” A child’s crying came from the other end of the phone. “I’ll tell you later.”
Listening to the dead tone on the other end, Ren Yi curled his lips. “He really is quite a weirdo.”
After dinner, he called Gao Ge to ask about the situation at the station, then lay on the sofa and played games for a while.
It was not until after nine that night that there was some movement coming from Ren Xiangrong’s bedroom.
Ren Yi pushed the door open and saw Ren Xiangrong had just sat up. “Old Ren, you’re awake?”
Ren Xiangrong looked at Ren Yi for a while before scolding him, “Why did you come back again? How many times have I told you not to abandon your post for my sake?”
Ren Yi breathed a sigh of relief. “The squad is right across from our house. It won’t delay me from responding to calls. Auntie said you threw up, so I came back to check on you.”
“What’s the big deal about throwing up?” Ren Xiangrong supported himself as he got out of bed. Ren Yi wanted to help him, but he waved him off.
One of Ren Xiangrong’s legs was still usable, but walking was very difficult. When he was lucid, he would rather use crutches than sit in a wheelchair.
“Take your medicine first.” Ren Yi brought over the medicine and a glass of plain water.
Ren Xiangrong sat on the sofa and obediently took his medicine.
“Don’t eat dinner tonight. Let’s see how your stomach and intestines are tomorrow. If you’re still not okay, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“What hospital?” Ren Xiangrong glared at him. “Do you think I’m a useless old man?”
“Of course not.” Ren Yi laughed. “If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. Captain Ren can fight on despite minor injuries.”
Ren Xiangrong laughed too. “How have things been lately?”
“Last week there was a call on Changxing Road. A café burned down. The fire investigation people said it was caused by illegally modifying the wiring during renovations.”
“Oh? Tell me about it.”
Father and son drank tea and chatted happily.
The next morning, Ren Yi returned to the squad and happened to catch morning drills. They trained until around ten, and as the weather grew hotter and hotter, he ordered them to dismiss in place and begin free activities.
Although they normally could not leave the squad, life at the station was not boring.
Every day, besides routine training and studying, they would occasionally go to various organizations within their jurisdiction to conduct fire-safety reviews and inspections. During their free time, they could play basketball, work out, play games, watch television and movies, or pursue all kinds of hobbies that did not violate regulations.
At that moment, Ren Yi, Gao Ge, and Sun Dingyi ran to the recreation room. Each found a comfortable sofa, slouched down, and began playing games.
“PUBG or Honor of Kings?” Sun Dingyi asked.
“PUBG.”
“I can bring my girlfriend…”
“No.” The two of them spoke in unison.
Sun Dingyi clicked his tongue. “You guys don’t even want a girl on the team.”
“Who wants to listen to you being lovey-dovey?” Gao Ge said. “Who should we team up with? Let me see who’s online…”
Ren Yi said, “I’m trying to rank up lately. I’m not carrying noobs.”
“Then I’ve got no one on my side.”
“Me neither.”
“Match with someone.”
The game started quickly, and Sun Dingyi suddenly began snickering.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Your name. Hahaha, Captain Ren, I laugh every time I see it.”
Ren Yi’s in-game name was—Goddess.
“What do you know? I’m balancing my Five Elements.” Ren Yi said. “We’re dropping at M City.”
The newly matched player suddenly spoke. “Number One’s name is so special. How do you pronounce it?”
Gao Ge and Sun Dingyi both burst out laughing.
Ren Yi cleared his throat. “I’m about to perform. No laughing.” He turned on his microphone, pinched his voice higher, and produced a slightly hoarse, gender-ambiguous voice. “It’s pronounced Man, like in ‘graceful.’”
Gao Ge and Sun Dingyi held back their laughter.
The person on the other end paused. “Your voice… You’re not using a voice changer, are you?”
Ren Yi slowed his speech and said coyly, “Huh? You think I sound like a guy?”
The other person was silent for a long while. “No, no. You have quite a sexy smoky voice.”
“Yeah, a lot of people say that.” Ren Yi picked up a UMP9, climbed through a window, and killed an enemy.
“Miss, why did you choose this name?”
Ren Yi said without even blushing, “Because women are made of water.”
Gao Ge and Sun Dingyi were holding back their laughter so hard that their faces had turned red and they were about to lose it. They frantically gestured for Ren Yi to turn off his microphone.
Ren Yi rolled his eyes at them. “Turning it off.”
The two of them burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Sun Dingyi laughed so hard he was out of breath. “Captain Ren, do you have no shame?”
“It’s a battle. You have to use every means necessary. This is your captain’s lesson to you.” Ren Yi said. “Don’t make a sound. He picked up a Level Three helmet. Watch me trick him into giving it to me.”
With that, he turned the microphone back on. “Little bro, can you give me that Level Three helmet?”
“Uh…”
“There are so many people. I’m a little scared.”
“Okay.”
The door to the recreation room suddenly opened, and Ding Qing poked his head inside. “Captain Ren, that girl is here again.”
Ren Yi instinctively went “shh,” then immediately realized he had given himself away and hurriedly turned off the microphone. He stood up. “Where is she?”
“She’s already inside, and…”
“And what?”
Ding Qing scratched his head. “You’d better see for yourself.”
Ren Yi was no longer in the mood to play. He put away his phone and went downstairs, only to see Gong Feilan swaggering upstairs as if she were strolling through a shopping mall, with a suitcase in her hand.
Ren Yi said quietly to Ding Qing, “Get the instructor.”
When Gong Feilan saw him, she revealed a huge smile. “Captain Ren.”
“You…”
“I ran away from home.” Gong Feilan said without changing her expression. “Can I stay here?”
“Of course not.” Ren Yi said helplessly. “Why did you run away from home? Where are your parents?”
“Who knows? They didn’t even show up when I was hospitalized. I don’t want to know either.” Gong Feilan gazed at Ren Yi. “I want to stay with you.”
Ren Yi thought of Gong Yingxian. He was still furious with him, but when he looked at Gong Feilan, he still could not bring himself to be harsh. A child this rebellious must have a lot to do with her parents.
Ren Yi patiently said, “Feilan, I’ve told you many times. In my eyes, you’re just a child. Running away from home won’t solve the problem you’re trying to solve.”
“But when I’m with you, I feel safe.”
“Thank you for trusting me, but the people in this world who care about you the most must be your family. Let me take you home, okay?”
Gong Feilan shook her head. “I’m not going home. If you won’t let me stay here, I’ll stay at a hotel.”
“…You don’t want to see your parents. How about I have your older brother come pick you up?”
Gong Feilan frowned. “He went looking for you?”
“Yeah. He also said that you told people I was your boyfriend. Feilan, do you know that saying something like that can cause me a lot of trouble?”
Gong Feilan pursed her lips. “I’m sorry.”
At this moment, Instructor Qu Yangbo came over. “Ren Yi, what’s going on?”
Ren Yi said, “She may have had a disagreement with her family and wants to run away from home.”
Qu Yangbo was a few years older than him. He wore glasses and had a refined, handsome appearance. He was very good at psychological counseling. He walked over to Gong Feilan and said softly, “Feilan, did you have a fight with your parents?”
“No.” Gong Feilan turned her face away. “I just wanted to find Captain Ren. I want to stay here.”
“The fire station’s doors are open to the public, but you can’t stay at the fire station indefinitely. We have to take you home.”
“I’m not going home!” Gong Feilan shouted. “I’m sick of being at home!”
Ren Yi and Qu Yangbo exchanged a glance. Ren Yi said, “No matter what, I’ll call your brother over first.”
“He’s just my cousin. We’re not close.”
“Feilan.” Ren Yi placed his hands on her shoulders, looked directly into her eyes, and said gently yet seriously, “You’re still young. Your family has to be responsible for you. So either we notify your parents, or we notify your cousin. You choose.”
Gong Feilan remained silent.
“If you stay here, we’ll be in a lot of trouble. You might not be able to come here ever again.”
Gong Feilan said sullenly, “Then I’ll go home.”
“No. We have to see an adult come and take you away.”
Gong Feilan reluctantly said, “Then call him.”
“Give me his phone number.”
“I don’t have it.” Gong Feilan said stubbornly.
Ren Yi shook his head helplessly, took out his phone, and called Fu Kai, asking him to find Gong Yingxian’s number as soon as possible and send it to him.
Qu Yangbo brought Gong Feilan to the conference room to wait.
After waiting for a while, Ren Yi received the number Fu Kai sent him and called it.
The phone rang several times before being answered. Ren Yi once again heard that elegant yet cold voice.
“Hello.”
“Your sister is at my squad right now. Come pick her up immediately.” Ren Yi hung up as soon as he finished speaking, then instructed Ding Qing, “When Gong Feilan’s brother gets here, take him directly to the conference room.”
“Yes.”
Ren Yi entered the conference room and saw Qu Yangbo counseling Gong Feilan. Gong Feilan had her head lowered, her expression looking terrible.
Qu Yangbo said, “Ren Yi, I just got a call from the brigade headquarters. I have to go out for a while. Stay with her.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
After Qu Yangbo left, the two of them remained silent in the conference room for a long time.
About ten minutes later, Gong Feilan finally mustered the courage to sneak a glance at Ren Yi and asked softly, “Will you hate me?”
“No. I’m just worried about you.” Ren Yi softened his tone. “Your brother will be here soon.”
Gong Feilan nodded.
Looking at her dejected appearance, Ren Yi could only make conversation. “He has the same surname as you, so he should be your cousin.”
“My dad married into my mom’s family.” Gong Feilan seemed unwilling to mention her father.
“Oh… Why does he wear gloves, and a mask too?”
“He has mysophobia. If he thinks the environment isn’t clean, he’ll put on a mask.”
Ren Yi cursed inwardly, What a nutcase.
“I didn’t lie on purpose.” Gong Feilan said quietly. “About you… being my boyfriend.”
Ren Yi gave a bitter smile. “You really can’t just say things like that.”
“I just wish you were my boyfriend, because I feel that no matter when it is, no matter how dangerous it is, you would protect me.”
“I would.” Ren Yi said seriously. “Even if we were strangers, protecting you would still be my duty.”
Gong Feilan looked at Ren Yi, her beautiful eyes shimmering, filled with gratitude and dependence.
At that moment, the door to the conference room was pushed open, and someone strode in.
Ren Yi looked up and saw that it was the man who had blocked him in the hallway that day.
Gong Yingxian glanced at Gong Feilan, then swept his eyes over Ren Yi, his gaze unfriendly.
Gong Feilan lowered her head and said nothing.
Ren Yi crossed one leg over the other and looked at Gong Yingxian leisurely.
Gong Yingxian looked around the room and slowly removed his mask.
Ren Yi froze for a moment. The siblings looked somewhat alike, but Gong Feilan was still young and childlike, while Gong Yingxian’s face was simply breathtakingly striking. His features were so exquisite that they seemed like a painting, yet he was not feminine. His bearing was cool and composed, and every movement even carried a hint of… elegance.
Ren Yi had never seen anyone like him. He seemed completely out of place in his surroundings, as though he did not belong to the mortal world, yet he truly existed.