When You Mingxu awoke, she saw a grayish-white ceiling and an IV bag hanging beside her. Her partner Xu Mengshan wasn't there; guarding the foot of her bed was another officer from the team.
You Mingxu struggled to sit up, feeling a sharp pain in her back. Her colleague hurried over and said, "Don't move, you're still bandaged." His face lit up with relief as he quickly rang the bell for the nurse.
The doctor and nurse arrived promptly. After a moment of silence, You Mingxu asked, "Fan Jia..."
A flicker of pain crossed her colleague's face. He lowered his voice and said, "The funeral is scheduled in three days. Her family has already arrived."
You Mingxu fell silent, pressing her hand over her eyes, but tears still streamed down.
Her colleague also wiped away tears, choking up as he said, "She'll be posthumously recognized as a martyr and awarded honors." He then gave a bitter smile.
You Mingxu forced a faint smile, her voice trembling as she replied, "Good, good."
Both fell silent for a while. The doctor and nurse finished their examination and gave medical instructions. Her injuries looked severe—bruised and purple throat, extensive bruising on her back, and countless minor wounds—but fortunately, none were critical. She would be discharged in a few days to recuperate.
You Mingxu asked, "What about Yin Feng?"
Her colleague said, "He's in the next room." After a pause, he added, "Still unconscious."
You Mingxu pulled out her IV line and, leaning against the wall, painstakingly made her way to Yin Feng's room. The nurse and colleague following behind were helpless, unable to stop her no matter how they tried.
Chen Feng was in the room, dark circles under his eyes, looking weary. Seeing You Mingxu, he hurried over: "Why are you here? Are your injuries alright?"
You Mingxu gazed at the man on the bed. His head was thickly bandaged, his face as pale as paper, lying completely still.
"What's his condition?" You Mingxu's voice was raspy, as if run over by a car. Nearly strangled to death, her throat would take at least ten days to half a month to heal.
Chen Feng paused, then said, "There's good news and bad news. The good news is that after the impact, the blood clot in his head from before shows signs of dissipating. That means he might eventually regain his memory and mental faculties. The bad news is that things could get worse. After all, with brain injuries, nothing's certain. Cerebral hemorrhage? Or his mental state could deteriorate further—that's also possible."
You Mingxu was silent for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Deteriorate further? To that of a 2 or 3-year-old? Even more childish than now?"
Chen Feng sighed. "Maybe not. Miss You, I'm truly grateful to you. During the time Teacher Yin has been with you, haven't you noticed that even without his memory, his mind has been gradually maturing? You've given him motivation and encouragement. Now he's suffered again, and I beg you to continue caring for him. Please."
You Mingxu said, "You don't need to ask. He got hurt saving me."
Chen Feng smiled. "I believe he did it willingly. The doctor said he should wake up in the next couple of days. I'll be in the next room—call me if anything happens."
You Mingxu nodded. Chen Feng stepped out, taking the nurses with him and closing the door.
You Mingxu hobbled to the bedside and sat down, looking at his pale, handsome face, which seemed a bit thinner. She reached out and touched his face, lingering slowly over his brows, eyes, nose, and lips.Then she thought of Fan Jia again, and Xu Mengshan. Her mind, just awakened from a deep sleep, was still groggy. But it felt as if a heavy stone had lodged in her heart—hard, piercing flesh and organs. The pain wasn't sharp but came in waves, slowly, gradually intensifying. The image of Fan Jia lying in the slaughterhouse flashed through her mind, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
She felt an unprecedented agony, and she knew that even if this pain would lessen in the future, it would accompany her for life, forever hidden in her heart. Sobbing softly, she looked at Yin Feng, the anguish making her blindly want to do something, to seek something.
And she faintly knew that what she sought, only he could give.
So she lowered her head and, heedless of his unconscious state, kissed him in a daze.
His lips, cold and devoid of any warmth, made You Mingxu's heart grow even colder.
Her mind conjured the image of Yin Feng, foolish beyond measure, throwing himself in front of her to block the hammer in that slaughterhouse. Had he thrown his life away? She had already lost Fan Jia; she absolutely couldn't...
His body suddenly trembled, and then his mouth opened. You Mingxu's heart shuddered violently in response, and then she felt his tongue press against hers. Her eyes flew open, and sure enough, she saw those dark, gleaming eyes wide open, staring straight at her.
You Mingxu's heart swelled with a mix of sorrow and joy, almost unbearable. She reached out and covered those clear eyes again, just as she had the first time she kissed him. Then she kissed him more fiercely, more wildly. He reacted then, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling their bodies closer, a smile spreading across his lips.
It wasn't until You Mingxu gasped sharply, the pain in her back becoming too much to bear, that Yin Feng quickly released her. You Mingxu supported her waist, slowly straightening up, her eyes still fixed on him.
Injured in the head but otherwise fine, he propped himself up on the bed, his eyes shifting as he asked, "Is this... my reward for helping you at the Deng family?"
You Mingxu didn't want to think about anything at that moment, only looking into his eyes as she replied, "No."
He took one of her hands in his. "Then what is it?"
You Mingxu answered, "There won't be any more rewards from now on."
He jerked his head up to look at her, his body stiffening. "Why?!"
Why?
Because I crawled back from the brink of death.
Because I've already lost my closest comrade.
Because I've realized I can never lose you again.
You Mingxu looked at him, her eyes growing warm, and replied, "You Yingjun, from now on, I'm yours. What more rewards do you need? If you want to kiss, kiss. Whatever you want to do, I'll be with you."
Yin Feng stared at her blankly for a long moment before pulling her tightly into his arms. You Mingxu smiled—sweetly, bitterly. Yet she also felt an unprecedented surge of emotion, realizing how long she had suppressed her feelings for him. But now he was like a child who had finally gotten what he'd always dreamed of, silent, holding her so tightly. You Mingxu winced in pain and let out a soft groan, prompting him to quickly release her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just a minor injury."
But he looked both utterly enamored and at a loss—unable to hold her tightly, he still gripped her hand firmly, then leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers. "Mine? Really mine? A Xu, you—you're a police officer! You have to keep your word! You can't ever take it back, okay?"
"Mm," You Mingxu said hoarsely. "A police officer's word is as good as gold. I'll never take it back."His jaw had completely dropped open as he carefully held her waist. You Mingxu's heart was beating silently yet thunderously. In the past, even during occasional moments of passion, it had always been with her on top, pinning him down. Now, with one hand braced on the bed and the other holding her, he appeared tall and straight even in his hospital gown, while she had become the delicate one nestled against him.
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