CJLTNS Chapter 7

Sitting in the car, Jiang Chong looked around at the decorations. A row of plush toys lined the dashboard, swaying with the car’s movement. Hanging from the rearview mirror was a triangular red peace charm, sealed in a clear plastic bag.

Jiang Chong had once had a peace charm just like that—it was something Yu Xin’s father, Yu Huai, used to bring back from the temple every year.

Yu Xin’s mother, Xin Qian, passed away from illness when he was five years old. In his grief, Yu Xin’s father, Yu Huai, turned to Buddhism. Every year, he would visit a temple to pray and bring back peace charms for Yu Xin, Jiang Chong, and Jiang Ran, hoping to keep the children safe and well.

When Yu Huai passed away, Jiang Chong was in the hospital, unconscious for a long time due to an injury sustained during a mission. By the time he was discharged, he learned of Yu Huai’s death and that Yu Xin had gone abroad with his aunt, Xin Rou.

Back then, Yu Xin had ended their five-year relationship with nothing more than a breakup text. Jiang Chong called him many times, but the line was always disconnected.

While Jiang Chong was lost in his thoughts, Yu Xin had already driven them to the snack street.

Every school tends to have a nearby snack street, and the one behind Kangzhou No. 1 High School was no different. Yu Xin was a frequent visitor, but Jiang Chong had always kept his distance.

But under Yu Xin’s influence, Jiang Chong eventually started coming here too. There was one food stall they both loved the most—it was also the same place Yu Xin had once taken Xu Yuanyuan to.

At night, the snack street remained lively. Yu Xin parked nearby, and the two of them walked over. As they walked side by side, Jiang Chong noticed that Yu Xin’s hair had grown a bit longer—it now covered half his ears.

When they reached the stall and sat down, since this was Yu Xin’s treat, he let Jiang Chong order. Jiang Chong ordered spicy grilled fish, grilled meat skewers, grilled eggplant, stir-fried greens, and a pot of seafood congee.

As they waited for the food, the two sat in silence—until Jiang Chong finally broke it: “Yu Xin, why didn’t you come see me after coming back to China?”

Yu Xin silently thought to himself: What would be the point? So your family can humiliate me again?

After Yu Huai died in a car accident, Jiang Chong never showed up during the entire funeral—only his parents attended.

Yu Xin still remembered that moment clearly. After Yu Huai’s ashes were buried and they walked out of the cemetery, Jiang Chong’s mother, Zhang Hui, turned to Yu Xin and said he shouldn’t contact Jiang Chong again. After all, two men being together wasn’t exactly something the Jiang family could be proud of.

Yu Xin would never forget that day. The June sun was blazing, the pavement burning hot, and he was wearing a black shirt. The fabric absorbed the heat, yet all he could feel was a bone-deep chill.

Yu Xin’s mother had passed away early on, and he had once treated Zhang Hui like his own mother—with love and respect. How could she do this to me? If she disapproved of his relationship with Jiang Chong, why hadn’t she said so earlier? Why wait until after his father’s death to say it?

Yu Xin didn’t believe Jiang Chong would actually break up with him. He called Jiang Chong countless times, but the only response was the sound of a turned-off phone.

Yu Xin waited for seven days in the house he had once shared with Jiang Chong, but Jiang Chong never came back, nor did he send any word. Yu Xin’s hope gradually dimmed, until it was completely extinguished.

Yu Xin didn’t like ending things in such an unclear, unresolved way. Even if they were to break up, it should have been said directly by one of them—not passed on by someone else. Since Jiang Chong didn’t say anything, Yu Xin would say it himself.

So, Yu Xin sent a breakup text to Jiang Chong and left for the U.S. with his aunt, Xin Rou.

Six years had passed. That was more than enough time to bury all those memories deep inside. Yu Xin tore open the plastic wrapping around the utensils and shook his head lightly. “I lost my old phone, so I don’t have your number anymore.”

That excuse was clearly perfunctory. Back then, they had each other’s numbers memorized backward and forward—there’s no way he could’ve forgotten just because he lost his phone.

Jiang Chong had never changed his number all these years, afraid that Yu Xin might call one day—and he’d miss it.

But Jiang Chong didn’t call Yu Xin out on the obvious lie. Instead, he asked about Yu Xin’s life in America: “So, what have you been doing in the States all these years?”

Yu Xin raised an eyebrow, showing a bit more interest in the topic. “Of course, I’m a journalist. I worked as an entertainment reporter for a small tabloid.”

Still an entertainment reporter. Jiang Chong remembered how Yu Xin used to dream of becoming an investigative journalist—someone who would speak up against injustice and bring the truth into the light.

“That’s nice,” Jiang Chong said.

“Then what made you decide to come back to China?” he asked, a bit nervous, hoping Yu Xin’s reason had something to do with him.

Yu Xin took a sip of tea, paused, then said, “Feng Xiaohua started his own media company and asked me to come back and help out. So I did.”

Feng Xiaohua had been Yu Xin’s college classmate and roommate. They had a close friendship, and he had always been interested in entertainment news.

Jiang Chong took a sip of tea and lowered his head, hiding the disappointment in his eyes.

The food soon arrived. The spicy grilled fish gave off a mouthwatering aroma—numbingly spicy and crispy, the meat skewers were rich with cumin. These were all dishes Yu Xin used to love.

Their tastes had always been very different. Yu Xin preferred bold, spicy flavors, while Jiang Chong liked light, clean tastes. Back then, they often argued about what to eat.

Jiang Chong picked up a meat skewer and handed it to Yu Xin, but Yu Xin shook his head. “I can’t handle spicy food anymore. I’ll just have some congee.”

Jiang Chong suddenly felt a little lost. Six years was a long time—long enough to change someone’s dreams, tastes, and habits.

He served Yu Xin a bit of congee and ordered two additional lighter dishes, moving the grilled fish and meat skewers to the side.

Yu Xin ate very slowly. Just one ladle of congee took two or three small bites to finish. His bangs had grown long and drooped over his eyes as he lowered his head to eat, making it hard for Jiang Chong to see his expression.

After one spoonful of congee, Yu Xin put down his bowl. Jiang Chong frowned as he looked at the empty bowl. Yu Xin had eaten so little—a small bowl of congee and two pieces of vegetables, not even a third of what Jiang Chong had eaten.

Yu Xin was thinner than he had been six years ago. He had always been on the slim side. Jiang Chong used to complain that hugging him felt too bony. During their four years in college, with Jiang Chong constantly feeding him, Yu Xin had gained a little weight. But now he was even skinnier than before.

“With the way you eat, no wonder you’re so thin.”

Jiang Chong pretended to scoop him more congee, but Yu Xin shook his head. “I’m full. I already had dinner with Jiang Ran earlier—I’m really not hungry.”

When Jiang Chong mentioned Jiang Ran, he asked, “It’s one thing if you came back and didn’t look for me, but why didn’t you even see Ah Ran? After you went abroad, Ah Ran really missed you. Every New Year, she would talk about you.”

Jiang Ran had grown up under Yu Xin’s watch. Yu Xin had always treated her like a little sister. His favorite thing was teasing Jiang Ran until she cried—and then making her laugh again.

Six years ago, Jiang Ran was only eleven. None of what happened was really her responsibility, and many things were simply beyond her control.

Yu Xin, rarely feeling guilty, lowered his head and used his chopsticks to poke at the few remaining grains of rice in his bowl.

Yu Xin had changed a lot, but some of his little habits remained the same—the slight lift at the corner of his eyes when he was happy, the awkwardness when asking for help, and the way he’d lower his head and avoid eye contact when feeling guilty.

Jiang Chong’s mood unexpectedly lifted. From Yu Xin now, he could still see traces of the Yu Xin from the past.

Jiang Chong didn’t call Yu Xin out for trying to avoid the topic. He simply finished off the rest of the light dishes, then stood up to pay the bill.

“I thought I was treating? Why are you paying?”

“Next time. You can treat me next time.”

It was past ten, but the streets were still bustling. As Yu Xin and Jiang Chong walked down the street, their shoulders occasionally brushed. Yu Xin, feeling a little uneasy, stepped to the side to widen the distance between them.

“Bang!”

A loud noise came from a distance. Jiang Chong looked in the direction of the sound. People around them were staring curiously, trying to figure out what had happened.

When he turned back, he saw Yu Xin crouched on the ground, holding his head. Yu Xin stood up a little awkwardly and said, “Uh… I’ve been in the U.S. too long. Reflex.”

Suddenly, people started rushing in the opposite direction, and terrified screams could be heard. Jiang Chong’s instincts as a police officer told him something dangerous must have happened.

He pulled Yu Xin under the eaves of a nearby shop and quickly said, “Wait here. Don’t get caught in the crowd—it could lead to a stampede.”

After saying this, Jiang Chong moved against the tide of people. Once he was out of sight, Yu Xin took out his phone and quietly followed him.

“Bang!”

Another loud explosion rang out. Jiang Chong saw thick smoke billowing from a barbecue restaurant. People inside were scrambling to escape. He grabbed one of them and asked, “What happened in there?”

“A gas tank exploded!”

The person shook off Jiang Chong’s hand and quickly ran farther away.

Jiang Chong realized the situation was deteriorating. It had started with a single gas tank explosion, but if the temperature kept rising, it would trigger more tanks to blow. It wouldn’t just be that one restaurant—nearby businesses would be in danger too.

He took out his phone to call the fire department and the police, then immediately started evacuating the people in the area.

Jiang Chong also knew the owner of the BBQ restaurant—back when he and Yu Xin were still in school, they often came here to eat.

“Boss, is everyone out?”

The restaurant owner was drenched in sweat, and his face bore blackened burn marks. He nodded. “Everyone’s out, everyone’s out.”

Jiang Chong let out a sigh of relief. As long as the people were out, the rest could be left to the firefighters.

Suddenly, the boss’s wife punched the owner hard on the shoulder. “Everyone’s out, my ass! Our daughter hasn’t come out yet! She’s upstairs sleeping—she’s still in there!”

Tears streamed down her anxious face. She tugged at her husband’s clothes and cried, “I told you to replace the gas pipes, but you said it was too expensive! If anything happens to our daughter, I’ll never forgive you!”

The boss was just as anxious. While trying to calm his wife down, he stood up, ready to rush back into the building. Smoke was getting thicker by the second, and no one could say whether more gas tanks might explode. Jiang Chong quickly grabbed the panicked owner. “Don’t go in—it’s too dangerous!”

The boss could only slap his own thigh in despair. Jiang Chong glanced around and noticed a shop across the street had a curtain used as a divider. He ran inside, tore it down, and soaked it completely under a water tap.

Draping the wet curtain over himself and covering his mouth and nose with a damp towel, Jiang Chong charged into the BBQ restaurant.

From a distance, Yu Xin stood behind a snack stand, holding up his phone, which was aimed at the restaurant’s front entrance.

On the screen, he saw Jiang Chong covered in the wet curtain burst into the restaurant. Yu Xin was so shocked he nearly dropped his phone.

The smoke inside was thick, making it hard to see. Fortunately, Jiang Chong had been here many times before and was familiar with the layout.

The fire had started in the kitchen, and the smoke was pouring out from there. The staircase to the upper floor was just beside the kitchen entrance. Jiang Chong kicked away a burning stool and charged up to the third floor.

There were three rooms upstairs, all with closed doors, which had kept the smoke from flooding in. Jiang Chong kicked open one room—it was a storage room. Then he opened the third room and found a little girl curled up in a corner, her face streaked with tears as she softly called for her mom.

Jiang Chong wrapped the wet curtain around the girl, picked her up, and dashed downstairs.

In less than a minute, the staircase had become a sea of fire. The heat was overwhelming, even from the second floor.

The way down was blocked. Jiang Chong had no choice but to go up again. He returned to the room and looked out the window. Below was the front entrance of the restaurant, with an extended metal awning.

If he were alone, Jiang Chong wouldn’t hesitate to jump. But now he was carrying a child. He frantically searched his mind for any other options.

“Boom!”

Another explosion echoed from below. It had only been five minutes since he called the fire department, and the fire had already spread this far. There was no more time to wait.

Jiang Chong wrapped the girl tightly in a blanket from the bed, then climbed onto the windowsill with her in his arms. He took a deep breath—and jumped.

“Jiang Chong!”

Yu Xin, watching from the street, saw him leap from the third-floor window and screamed in fear.

Rip!

The extended awning couldn’t hold the weight of both an adult and a child. It tore open in the middle, greatly cushioning their fall.

Jiang Chong hit the ground hard, rolling twice from the momentum before finally coming to a stop.

“My daughter, my daughter!”

The barbecue shop couple immediately rushed to Jiang Chong’s side. Jiang Chong quickly loosened the blanket in his arms and checked on the girl. She opened her big eyes, looking a bit dazed from fright, but fortunately, she was unharmed.

The couple hugged their daughter tightly and thanked Jiang Chong profusely. Jiang Chong stood up and saw Yu Xin standing just two meters away, watching him.

The fire was growing more intense, and the arriving police were evacuating the crowd. Jiang Chong pulled Yu Xin away toward the police cordon.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait for me where you were? Why did you come here? It’s so dangerous!”

There were dozens of small gas canisters inside the barbecue shop that could explode at any moment. It was extremely dangerous, yet Yu Xin still came up without listening.

Yu Xin noticed Jiang Chong’s shirt was torn in places, his face was smudged with soot, and parts of his hair had been singed, giving off a burnt smell.

Seeing that Jiang Chong was okay, Yu Xin finally relaxed. He lowered his head and muttered, “I’m a reporter. When there’s news, of course I have to be here to cover it.”

“Is news more important than your life?”

Yu Xin clenched his phone tightly, then suddenly looked up at Jiang Chong with determined eyes and nodded. “Yes. At least to me, it is.”

Jiang Chong wanted to argue but didn’t want to quarrel with Yu Xin. It was rare to see him again—he didn’t want to spend the time fighting.

Busy with the rescue earlier, Jiang Chong only now felt the burning pain on his back. It was likely from the tumble he took on the ground—just some scrapes, easily treated with some ointment later.

He grabbed Yu Xin by the wrist and led him toward the parked car. “Let’s go.”

Yu Xin trailed a step behind and noticed the tear in the back of Jiang Chong’s shirt—his back was covered in abrasions, some even bleeding.