Chapter 461: Chapter 461: In a Sorry State, Suspicion

Since Pan Ling’er had shown him such loyalty, Zhao Nuan Yang couldn’t just leave her behind.

So Zhao Nuan Yang charged back in. At the stairwell, he saw Pan Ling’er being held back. He reached out with a powerful arm, swept her up, and said in a dry, hoarse voice, "I’m okay. Let’s get downstairs, quickly!"

Even though the thick smoke had made his voice low and raspy, Pan Ling’er recognized it as Zhao Nuan Yang’s immediately.

"This is great! Zhao Nuan Yang, you’re not dead! This is so great! COUGH COUGH..." Pan Ling’er was overjoyed, but in her excitement, she forgot herself and inhaled more smoke. "COUGH COUGH..."

"Don’t talk. We can talk once we’re outside! COUGH COUGH..." To get Pan Ling’er to quiet down and stop breathing in the devastating smoke, Zhao Nuan Yang spoke again.

The thick smoke spared no one. As soon as it entered a person’s lungs, it triggered violent coughing.

Seeing Zhao Nuan Yang coughing violently, Pan Ling’er’s heart ached for him. But her own throat was in agony, so she had no choice but to quiet down, not wanting to cause him any more trouble.

Li and Wu were relieved to see Zhao Nuan Yang carrying Pan Ling’er. At least Zhao Nuan Yang knew how to show gratitude; he wasn’t indifferent to Miss Ling’er after all.

Since Miss Ling’er had been rescued, there was no need for them to charge inside anymore, especially since people behind them were still trying to get out.

Zhao Nuan Yang held his breath, his long legs carrying him in a mad dash for the exit.

Once outside, the crowd saw Zhao Nuan Yang carrying someone and burst into cheers and applause.

A few staff members emerged after him, escorting two other people. One was a thief, already in handcuffs, and the other was a middle-aged employee from inside.

The person outside coordinating the firefighting efforts did a headcount and was finally able to relax. Although some people were injured, no staff members had died. Moreover, they had caught two criminals, which was something they could report to their superiors.

Zhao Nuan Yang set Pan Ling’er down, then began to cough violently.

Pan Ling’er wasn’t in much better shape. A complete mess, she collapsed onto the ground, coughing until snot and tears streamed down her face.

Wu and Li were doing a bit better. Seeing Pan Ling’er sitting on the ground, coughing nonstop, they finally let out a long sigh of relief. ’It’s a good thing Miss Ling’er is safe.’

Zhao Nuan Yang had martial arts training, after all. If he hadn’t gone back for Pan Ling’er, he wouldn’t be coughing this badly.

Tears were streaming down Pan Ling’er’s face, partly from distress and partly from the smoke. Her face was completely covered in soot, making her look like a grimy little kitten.

Zhao Nuan Yang habitually reached for his handkerchief, but it was long gone.

"Come on, get up. Let’s go to my office so you can wash up," Zhao Nuan Yang said softly, knowing Pan Ling’er was usually very particular about her appearance. "Your face is covered in soot. You look like a little calico cat."

Hearing Zhao Nuan Yang’s gentle laughter, Pan Ling’er immediately covered her face with both hands and exclaimed, "I’m not going!"

Not wanting Zhao Nuan Yang to see her in such a sorry state, Pan Ling’er scrambled to her feet and immediately said, "Oh god, I must look hideous..."

Just as Pan Ling’er was about to run off, Zhao Nuan Yang grabbed her arm. "It’s just some soot on your face. You’ll be fine once you wash it off. It’s not like you’re actually ugly. Besides, I’ve already seen you with a sooty face, so running away won’t make me forget! And look at me, I’m sure I’m a mess too. I’m in no position to laugh at you!"

"Ah?" Pan Ling’er was on the verge of tears. "You have to forget! Forget it right now..."

Zhao Nuan Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He couldn’t understand why Pan Ling’er was so concerned about it.

"Li, Wu, why don’t you take Pan Ling’er over first? I’ll come by after she’s cleaned up," Zhao Nuan Yang asked quietly. "After all, we’ll have to give statements later, and you’ll definitely be short-handed and very busy."

Only then did Pan Ling’er remember she was on duty. Forgetting her embarrassment, she said, "There’s no need to go to his office. I’ll just wash my face over there. I panicked for a moment and forgot my duties..."

Hearing Miss Ling’er say that, Li was at a loss for words. ’Isn’t it a little late to be remembering that now?’

Watching Pan Ling’er’s rapidly retreating back, he found it a little funny, but he was also touched.

The ever-so-conscientious Pan Ling’er had forgotten her duties only because she was trying to save him. Though it wasn’t right, he couldn’t bring himself to blame her.

Zhao Nuan Yang went back to his office. He opened the door, grabbed a towel and a washbasin, and filled it with some cold water mixed with hot water from a thermos. After washing his face, he looked at himself in the mirror. ’What a mess,’ he thought. ’I’m a sight for sore eyes.’

His hair was the worst part. It was singed and matted together. Zhao Nuan Yang found a pair of scissors and simply cut off all the tangled clumps.

Just as Zhao Nuan Yang finished tidying up, Pan Ling’er came in with Wu. "Zhao Nuan Yang, you’re incredible," she said. "You saved four people all by yourself and even helped catch two criminals."

"Haha, it was the right thing to do," Zhao Nuan Yang chuckled, not thinking much of it. "If I have the ability to help, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. By the way, did you catch the one who got away?"

He remembered what his brother-in-law once said: with great power comes great responsibility. He felt he had simply done his duty.

Hearing Zhao Nuan Yang’s words made him seem even more impressive in Pan Ling’er’s eyes. He wasn’t his usual clean and fresh self right now, but she could see in him the tough, manly spirit of a hero.

Li and Wu also exchanged a look. This Zhao Nuan Yang was nothing like the handsome, delicate-looking man they usually saw. Instead, he seemed like a true, indomitable hero.

"We didn’t catch him. But after a thorough sweep, we discovered he escaped through a manhole into the sewer tunnels. He had someone waiting outside to pick him up. We sent people to keep tracking them, but they haven’t returned yet," Pan Ling’er said angrily. ’Those despicable thieves, I hope they rot in hell!’

Zhao Nuan Yang listened, thought for a moment, and then said, "I won’t go into detail about the rescue; the people I saved will tell you what happened. But there’s something I want to mention. When I got to the fourth floor, there were three people inside. One of them was that middle-aged man who was brought out last, Director Hao. I think he might have been colluding with the thieves, acting as their man on the inside. Otherwise, how could a fire that big go unnoticed by the patrol for so long? And how could they escape through a manhole so easily?"

"What?" Pan Ling’er was stunned. She thought of Director Hao, who was always smiling and seemed so kind and approachable. How could he be in league with thieves?

Wu was also taken aback. He felt the situation was becoming more complicated. "Mr. Zhao," he asked, "why do you say that? Do you have any proof?"

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