Roses in Flames

Xiao Lin led Ye Yuntang to a hillside nestled against the mountains and beside the water.

There are three graves on the hillside.

After kneeling down and kowtowing three times to two of the graves, Xiao Lin came to the grave on the far side.

He knelt on one knee, raised his hand, and wiped the photo on the tombstone.

Ye Yuntang rubbed his arms and then walked behind Xiao Lin.

She lowered her eyes to look at the black and white photo that Xiao Lin had wiped clean.

He was a young man, in his early twenties, handsome and dashing, with bright eyes and a faint smile on his lips, exuding an air of righteousness.

She was just about to ask Xiao Lin why he brought her here when she saw the name engraved on the tombstone—Xiao Lin.

His name is very similar to yours.

Xiao Lin nodded, his brows and eyes deep and his features tense, appearing extremely solemn and sorrowful.

"He is my best brother."

Yecheng is the hometown of Xiao Lin's grandfather. When he was nine years old, he came to Yecheng from Beijing with his family to sweep the tombs.

As a child, he was mischievous and naughty. While his family was sweeping the tombs, he secretly slipped down the mountain.

He wanted to go to the river at the foot of the mountain to catch fish and shrimp, but little did he know that a disaster was waiting for him.

He was kidnapped as soon as he reached the riverbank.

In his hazy state, he heard the kidnappers talking in hushed tones, mentioning his grandfather's name.

His grandfather was a high-ranking official with great power, and political maneuvering has always been ruthless. This group of people were sent by his grandfather's political enemies.

They kidnapped him to blackmail his grandfather.

Their demands were unreasonable, and he was almost killed.

Late at night, taking advantage of the kidnappers' laxity, he broke free of the worn-out ropes and stumbled out.

Those people quickly caught up with him, and he ran desperately towards the highway.

But he was injured and was just a child. He had just run onto the road when he fell to the ground.

Just as those vicious thugs were about to catch up, a motorcycle drove up.

A middle-aged man drove up with a boy who looked about his age.

Seeing him lying on the ground covered in blood, the middle-aged man and the boy quickly got out of the car and helped him up.

The middle-aged man put him on the motorcycle, intending to take him away.

But the bandits who were chasing him relentlessly pursued him.

"Xiao Lin, carry him on your back and run forward quickly."

After giving instructions to the little boy, the middle-aged man got on his motorcycle and sped off towards the bandits.

"When A-Lin's father was fighting with those bandits, he was punched and kicked, and one of the bandits even slashed him several times."

Xiao Lin's usually deep and cold voice trembled uncontrollably, and his angular face revealed undisguised pain. "At that time, A-Lin carried me on his back and ran forward without regard for anything else. The situation was so dangerous, but he did not abandon me... Fortunately, my grandfather arrived in time with his men, but A-Lin's father was too badly injured and could not be saved."

Although the kidnappers were punished by law soon afterward, it could never bring back Ah Lin's father's life.

The night wind carried a few withered leaves onto the bluestone slab in front of the tombstone, and a hot tear rolled down Xiao Lin's usually cold and sharp face.

"Ah Lin was only ten years old then, just one year older than me. He was already from a single-parent family, and overnight, he lost his father. That night, his father took him back to the countryside to see his grandmother, and as a result, I caused him to lose his father."

Ye Yuntang had never seen Xiao Lin so vulnerable and in pain. She walked to his side, squatted down, handed him a tissue, and silently kept him company.

Xiao Lin closed his deep, bloodshot eyes and continued in a hoarse voice, "Later, our family sponsored A-Lin's schooling and gave his grandmother a living allowance every month. A-Lin and I also became good brothers. Whenever I had a holiday, I would come to Ye City to see him."

The two talked about everything, and through hard work, A-Lin and A-Lin were admitted to the Jingbei Police Academy together and became classmates.

The two grew even closer, studying and training together, aspiring to become selfless, brave, and fearless police officers in the future.

But who knew that something unexpected would happen?

During his junior year of college, he had a holiday for his birthday and wanted to go to an island to celebrate, so he invited Ah Lin and his roommates to go together.

Ah Lin had never seen the sea before, and he was really looking forward to it.

He ran to the beach before dawn, but unexpectedly, an accident occurred.

A girl jumped into the sea because she was heartbroken. When Ah Lin saw this, he rushed over to save her without thinking.

He lifted the girl ashore with all his might, but he himself was swept away by the huge wave.

Upon hearing the news, he felt as if his world was spinning.

He rushed into the sea like a madman, wanting to find Ah Lin. If his other roommates hadn't held him back, he thought he would have rushed into the sea to pay for Ah Lin's life that day.

He and the rescue team searched day and night for a long time, but they still couldn't find A-Lin.

He refused to leave and rented a house on the island.

He stayed there for a month, going to the beach before dawn every day and not returning to his rented room until late at night, exhausted.

During that time, he became dark-skinned and thin.

His family, classmates, and teachers all came to persuade him.

But he always believed that Ah Lin was still alive, until one morning, he found a familiar shoe on a shallow beach covered with seashells.

The shoes were covered in sand, and the way the shoelaces were tied was a style that both he and A-Lin liked.

He picked up the shoe and wiped off the sand.

At that moment, the nerves that had been taut for over a month snapped completely.

He held his shoes, squatted on the beach, and burst into tears.

Later, his family came to pick him up and erected a cenotaph for him next to the graves of his father and grandfather in Alin's hometown.

After listening to Xiao Lin's account, Ye Yuntang felt incredibly heavy-hearted. "Could A-Lin still be alive? Maybe he was rescued by the fishermen?"

Xiao Lin's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was extremely hoarse as he said, "I used to fantasize about it too. I visited several fishing villages in the surrounding area, but I couldn't find any news about A-Lin. Besides, with those waves and in those seas, the chances of surviving were extremely slim."

Xiao Lin clutched his aching head, his eyes filled with endless guilt and self-reproach. "I killed A-Lin's father, and I killed A-Lin too. If I hadn't suggested going to the island for his birthday, A-Lin wouldn't have gone. I'm so sorry to A-Lin's family!"

Seeing the usually calm and resolute man on the verge of collapse, Ye Yuntang felt extremely distressed. She raised her hand and gently patted his back, her voice soft yet firm, "This is not your fault. A-Lin is just like you, with a strong sense of justice in his heart. He can't bear to see others suffer. Even if he wasn't on the island and hadn't met that girl who jumped into the sea, if he encountered someone in need of help elsewhere, he would rush forward without hesitation."

Ye Yuntang looked at the smiling, upright young man on the tombstone, her voice slightly hoarse, "He saved another person with his own life. That was his choice, and it was his original aspiration as a future policeman. If he saw you living in self-blame, he would definitely be sad. Accidents are unpredictable, and you can't shoulder all the responsibility."