Chapter 2: Reborn Through Fire, A Noble Guest Arrives!

Seeing that Hong Ruilin was in danger, Tang Ye immediately took action, dialing 119 to report the location of the fire.

More and more thick smoke was billowing out from the door cracks.

Tang Ye tried kicking the door.

The fire was spreading extremely fast; if he delayed by even a few minutes, Hong Ruilin might suffer a tragedy due to inhaling an excessive amount of thick smoke.

A sharp pain shot through the top of his foot, but fortunately, the solid wood door was not particularly sturdy, and after being kicked a dozen times, it showed signs of loosening.

The fire grew larger and larger, with smoke rolling in waves.

In the movies, doors open with a single kick!

But it didn't work for him!

Tang Ye did not respond; the veins on his neck bulged, and he lowered his shoulder to slam into the door with force.

At this moment, there might have been fear in Tang Ye's heart, but his mind was filled more with the time he spent with Hong Ruilin on ordinary days.

He could have chosen to leave, but if he later learned that Hong Ruilin had not been rescued in time... he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.

Time waited for no one; even in the hallway, Tang Ye could already feel the scorching heat.

He began to grow anxious; unable to break the door, was he really going to give up?

"Crack," the sound of the door panel tearing rang out;

"Boom," a loud noise...

Tang Ye finally kicked the door open, and a wave of scorching heat burned his skin, causing a stinging, spicy pain all over his body!

He took a deep breath, reminding himself to stay calm, and first dashed toward the bathroom to find two towels, wetting them with water and covering his nose and mouth with one to prevent inhaling large amounts of smoke and dust, which would lead to suffocation.

The other one was prepared for Old Hong.

Tang Ye tried to rush out of the bathroom but was forced back by the waves of fire.

In just over ten seconds, the fire surged, and flammable items like the sofa and wooden cabinets in the living room all began to spit tongues of flame.

With the monstrous flames scorching his body, Tang Ye realized he had been too presumptuous.

He appeared too insignificant and could be swallowed by the fire beast at any moment.

Tang Ye could only make a desperate gamble, using all his strength to rush toward the study.

Hong Ruilin was discovered immediately; he had collapsed on the floor of the study, his body twitching incessantly.

"Old Hong, are you alright!"

Hong Ruilin opened his eyes with difficulty and did not respond.

Beside his withered fingers lay scattered medicine bottles and brown pills.

Tang Ye realized he hadn't had time to take his medicine and was having an asthma attack.

The fire spread to the bookshelf and burned to his feet; if he had arrived a few seconds later, it would have ignited his trousers, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Although Hong Ruilin's body could not move, he was still conscious.

In his despair, he saw a figure appear, but his state was so poor that he could no longer see who the person was.

Tang Ye draped Hong Ruilin's arm over his shoulder.

The bookshelf collapsed with a crash, carrying sparks and slamming heavily onto Tang Ye's back.

Tang Ye let out a muffled groan, overcome by pain, and fell.

He bit down hard on the root of his tongue; the pain kept him clear-headed and allowed him to gather his strength once more.

He struggled to carry Hong Ruilin on his back, the tongues of fire behind him licking at his skin.

He crossed the living room and rushed into the hallway.

The hallway was still full of danger, with the fire burning from the first floor; every step was like pulling chestnuts from the fire.

Tang Ye tried his best to persist, one step, two steps, three steps...

Amidst the rolling black smoke and the scorching sea of fire, he dragged his stumbling steps and finally walked out of the building.

The residents outside were incredibly excited and let out sounds of joy.

"Someone is out!"

"It's Secretary Hong!"

"Is that young man Little Tang?"

The fire brigade drove into the residential compound at this moment, and the firefighters set up ladders and began to suppress the fire with water cannons.

"He's saved!"

The firefighters took Hong Ruilin from Tang Ye's shoulders.

Tang Ye could no longer hold on, lying on the ground facing the sky.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the sound of an ambulance rang out; he and Hong Ruilin were lifted onto stretchers one after another and sent into the ambulance.

The praise in his ears was endless.

But, wearing an oxygen mask, Tang Ye felt as if he had experienced a long cycle of reincarnation and just wanted to close his eyes.

Tang Ye and Hong Ruilin were sent to the City People's Hospital.

At nine in the morning, Tang Ye woke up from a piercing, lung-searing pain; what met his eyes were clean white sheets and a young, beautiful nurse.

"You're finally awake!" the young nurse said excitedly, her face beaming with joy.

"Old Hong, is he alright?" Tang Ye asked with difficulty, his vocal cords aching.

"You should worry about yourself! Your injuries are much more serious than Old Hong's. His asthma attack was controlled in time, and he is already out of danger. Your back was crushed and burned, and because of an infection, you kept running a fever; several Experts from the Provincial People's Hospital had to come to save you from the gates of hell."

The young nurse was still shaken.

A smile appeared on the corners of Tang Ye's mouth as he sighed with relief, "It's so good to be alive!"

Nirvana, a great dream.

A clear image appeared in his mind—

In the dream, Hanzhou was filled with high-rise buildings, and Pinghu Town was the commercial pearl of Hanzhou...

Upon learning that Tang Ye was awake, Hong Ruilin hurried over from the ward next door.

His hair, originally a mix of black and white, had turned completely white overnight, and his once bright, piercing eyes were now sunken into their sockets.

Hong Ruilin gripped Tang Ye's wrist tightly, his tone becoming a bit more affectionate, "You brat, you've still got quite a bit of strength; you even smashed that sturdy door."

"Do I need to pay for it?"

"With that meager salary of yours, could you even afford to pay for it?"

Tang Ye moved his body, wincing in pain, which made Hong Ruilin burst into involuntary laughter.

"Is it that funny? Your dentures even fell out."

Hong Ruilin opened his mouth and said irritably, "I have a perfect set of teeth, where would I get dentures from? You brat, you've grown bold, daring to joke with me."

"Since I managed to survive, I naturally have to be more optimistic," Tang Ye said with a smile.

Having experienced life and death together, Hong Ruilin's tone became much more intimate.

"Get some good rest; once your body is better, the two of us will play another two rounds."

Not long after Hong Ruilin returned to his ward, people came one after another to visit.

A faint, delicate fragrance broke through the olfactory blockade of the disinfectant.

Cheng Lin was wearing a plain-colored suit, the fabric wrapping her skin tightly like a jade box concealing a pearl; her delicate face was clouded with worry, completely different from her usual heroic and decisive demeanor.

Seeing the scars on Tang Ye's body, Cheng Lin's eyes turned red instantly, "How could you be so careless?"

Tang Ye said with a smile, "Sister, are you feeling sorry for me? With your care, I feel like I've instantly revived to full health."

Cheng Lin was stunned for a moment, a rosy flush rising to her fair cheeks, "Stop with the glib talk! The fire was so big, yet you dared to rush inside; you were too impulsive!"

Tang Ye sighed, "I don't know what came over me at the time, I just thought about saving people. Now I'm a bit scared, afraid that I'd never see you again."

"Smooth-talker!"

The moment she learned Tang Ye was injured, Cheng Lin felt her heart give a sharp tug, and only when she saw that Tang Ye was fine did her hanging heart finally drop.

Seeing that Tang Ye's lips were dry and peeling, Cheng Lin used a cotton swab dipped in water to help moisten them.

A faint, lingering fragrance drifted from her fingertips into his breath.

Tang Ye stared blankly at the tender, gentle woman, an indescribable emotion surging in his heart.

Cheng Lin stayed to talk with Tang Ye for a while before leaving.

The third day of hospitalization.

In Hong Ruilin's ward, Tang Ye saw an unexpected visitor.