When Yin Feng entered the Lushan Sub-bureau, his face was as cold as ice. But he hadn't taken more than a few steps before someone greeted him: "Teacher Yin, you're here?"
He glanced at the person—a burly, tough-looking police officer—and gave a soft "Mm" in response.
"Xiao Yin's here." This time, it was a cleaning lady, her face beaming like a flower. "Oh, Xiao Yin, why are you dressed like this today? Not lively at all. Are you here to see Sister You? Haven't seen you in a few days—did you two have a fight?"
The barrage of questions made Yin Feng frown slightly. Without saying anything, he nodded and continued inside.
Further in, he ran into Ding Xiongwei. Naturally, Yin Feng didn't recognize him, but he found the man familiar and gave him a couple of glances. Ding Xiongwei was sharp, but seeing the person before him completely transformed—cold, restrained, with none of the clingy, rabbit-like demeanor—left even Ding Xiongwei astonished.
But Ding Xiongwei probably also knew that after this man "woke up," he had dumped You Mingxu. Ding Xiongwei was the type to protect his own and had never liked fair-skinned, refined men like Yin Feng. Still, he showed no sign of it on his face, merely smiling and saying, "You're here? What brings you?"
Even if Yin Feng had business, he couldn't discuss it with Ding Xiongwei—Xiao Yan's trespassing incident wasn't something to bring up. He maintained a calm expression and nodded, saying, "I'm here to see You Mingxu."
Ding Xiongwei: "Oh? I thought you two broke up. Why are you looking for her now?"
Yin Feng paused briefly before replying coolly, "She asked me to come."
Ding Xiongwei gave him a look and walked away.
It was just a glance, but it irritated Yin Feng slightly. He rubbed his nose and was about to continue inside when a sharp pain shot through his head. He stopped, bracing one hand against the wall and pressing the other to his head. Since his awakening, such stabbing pains still occurred occasionally, likely because he hadn't fully recovered.
Sweating, he stood still, waiting for the pain to pass.
Then, an image abruptly and vividly surfaced in his mind.
He saw himself sitting in a chair, wearing that ridiculous green Astro Boy T-shirt, paired with green pants and white sneakers—the kind only teenagers would wear. His expression was pitiful, but it was unmistakably his own face.
He was curled up in that chair, stretching out both hands.
You Mingxu stood opposite him, her face expressionless, but a hint of amusement and pity flickered in her eyes.
"Put them down. I'm not going to hug you."
He saw himself sheepishly lower his hands, his head drooping almost below the chair, utterly dejected.
...
Yin Feng felt a twitch in his forehead, and along with it, a long-lost surge of yearning and sweetness rose from the depths of his heart. It was an itchy, unsettling feeling, as if... he were sharing the emotions of the person in that memory.
Even as a psychology scholar, he couldn't precisely determine what such a flash of memory meant. Had he once yearned so deeply for that person? Or was it just the lingering remnants of memory, fading away as they should? He steadied himself, noticing the pain in his head had subsided, and continued toward her office.
After a few steps, he paused again, looking down at his feet.
It seemed he didn't need to ask for directions—his body remembered so clearly.You Mingxu hadn't expected that Yin Feng's subordinate, despite being timid and afraid of police, would also be simple-minded and carefree. After leaving him alone for a while, she actually heard faint snoring.
She looked up and indeed saw the sketch artist leaning back in his chair, his previously bowed head now tilted against the wall. The soft snoring resembled that of a small animal trapped in sleep. After watching for a moment, she ultimately picked up her police jacket draped over a chair and gently covered the sketch artist with it.
When Yin Feng arrived outside the conference room glass, this was the scene he witnessed. The female police officer's expression remained calm as she draped her uniform jacket over Xiao Yan—a habitual thief who had once been suspected of patricide and matricide. After covering him, she seemed slightly weary herself, leaning against the conference table to light a cigarette. Her full, crimson lips gently held the cigarette as her slender fingers occasionally dropped, smoking slowly.
Though Yin Feng disliked women smoking, he had seen many do it—some were powerful businesswomen, others were glamorous women playing roles. All disgusted him. But the woman before him was different. She carried an almost masculine sharpness and handsomeness in her demeanor, evident even in this simple act of holding a cigarette. Yet she was strikingly beautiful, creating an indescribable, rich charm. Unaffected, she made you feel this was inherently her nature. She was precisely this kind of quiet, cold person.
After watching for several moments, Yin Feng lightly tapped on the glass.
You Mingxu turned and saw it was him, her face showing no particular expression as she continued gazing out the window, smoking calmly.
Yin Feng pushed the door open without waking Xiao Yan. Standing two meters apart, he said, "I'm here to pick him up."
You Mingxu still didn't look at him, turning to sit down and pulling out the interrogation notebook and pen. "Have a seat."
Yin Feng removed his overcoat, revealing a well-tailored black shirt that accentuated his masculine physique. Then he braced one hand on the table, watching her.
You Mingxu couldn't be bothered to look at him. "Name?"
Yin Feng paused briefly before answering, "Yin Feng."
"Age?"
"30."
"Gender?"
Yin Feng finally tilted his head with a faint smile, not answering.
"Gender?" You Mingxu's tone sharpened.
Yin Feng raised his eyes to look at her. "Aren't you very clear about that?"
The words escaped almost unconsciously. Once spoken, Yin Feng seemed slightly startled. You Mingxu hadn't expected that even now he'd dare say something so shameless. Her face darkened as she fell silent.
An awkward silence hung in the air. And in that moment, Yin Feng suddenly understood—he had slept with her.
Even during his period of impaired cognition, he had managed to sleep with this woman.
Then he discarded her after regaining consciousness.
Yin Feng couldn't quite define his feelings. First, he was astonished that even mentally compromised, he could pursue such a formidable woman. Second, while he had never held any woman in his heart, his two previous relationships had ended amicably with no debts owed. But with You Mingxu, he clearly owed her something.
And for a man, facing a woman who had once been his felt fundamentally different.
"Male."
Seeing he had suddenly dropped his frivolous demeanor and was cooperating properly, You Mingxu continued without looking at him, "This person beside us infiltrated Xiang Rong's residence this afternoon. Was it under your instruction?"
He replied, "Yes."
"Purpose?"
"Same as yours."You Mingxu paused her pen and gave a faint, indifferent smile. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
Yin Feng didn't argue with her further. He tapped his fingers on the table twice and replied, "I've reviewed all the files related to Gu Tiancheng. Since he's trying to frame me, and with old and new grudges between us, I'll grant his wish and investigate. I'm someone who always repays debts—I must catch him with my own hands. And those behind him... those people."
Watching his cold expression, You Mingxu thought, This person is completely different from before. The first time she met him, he was crying in fear of Gu Tiancheng. Later, when capturing Gu Tiancheng on the mountain, even while swaying unsteadily, he managed to subdue Gu Tiancheng with a gun, risking his life without hesitation.
But now, he commanded his subordinates, moving faster than she did. He coldly declared, I'm someone who always repays debts—I must catch him with my own hands.
You Mingxu took a quiet breath and refocused, saying coldly, "Investigating cases is the police's job. Don't interfere. Take your people and leave. I don't want to see any of you near suspects again."
Yin Feng leaned back in his chair, crossed his long legs, and clasped his hands over his knees. You Mingxu lowered her gaze slightly, catching only the faint shadows of his movements.
He said, "Do I need to call Director Duan again? I heard I'm now officially appointed as a consultant for the Yuelu Branch—a request you submitted back then, assigned to your team."
You Mingxu smiled lightly. "You said it yourself—'back then.' Times have changed. Now that Teacher Yin has fully recovered, you're free to approach the director, the bureau chief, or even the Ministry of Public Security. With your skills, you can meddle in cases however you like. Why stay in this small branch and mix with lowly detectives like us?"
For some reason, the term "Teacher Yin" sounded particularly grating coming from her. Yin Feng pressed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and instantly blocked the light above her head.
"Miss You," he said, "It seems our thoughts align. Solve the case quickly, wrap it up, and I won't have to be in your way. This case is personal to me—I can't leave it entirely to others. Besides, if you solve it, wouldn't I owe you another favor? Then you and I... wouldn't we be entangled again?"
His voice lowered at the last sentence, carrying a cold, lazy tone. It sounded affectionate yet was utterly detached. You Mingxu felt a surge of anger and was about to retort when he added calmly, "What happened in the past was my fault. But now, I truly can't do anything about it."
You Mingxu was taken aback. She looked up and met the man's eyes.
What kind of eyes were they? So calm, composed, even faintly tinged with a gentle apology—but devoid of the sincere affection she once knew.
A Xu, I love you, admire you, and would die for you. As long as you love me too.
But now, I truly can't do anything about it.
A sharp, cutting pain pierced You Mingxu's heart. Suddenly, her anger dissipated. Why was she still holding a grudge? What was she still secretly hoping for? The one she loved was clearly You Yingjun—what did this rational, mature, and even slightly sinister man before her have to do with him?She threw down the pen, exhaled softly and slowly, her tone icy cold: "You can take the person away. Handle the case as you wish, we'll each investigate separately—no need to communicate."
Yin Feng glanced at her twice, his voice low and husky as he replied: "Fine."
OpenNovel