Coming to Myself

You Mingxu then asked, "Any findings regarding Xiang Rong's past family background? Is there anything suspicious about his son's drowning years ago?"

Yin Feng glanced at her again. This was exactly what he had wanted to ask. He hadn't expected this woman to be so sharp as well. The thought then brought him some relief, as it somewhat explained why his demented self had been willing to stay with her.

She really did have some skills after all.

Xu Mengshan gave a meaningful smile and said, "Sister You is Sister You indeed, hitting the nail on the head. For this case, the local police station at the time only reported it as an accident, with no further details recorded. So I tracked down the officer who handled the case back then. It turns out that summer, Xiang Rong's son, Xiang Muhua, drowned while playing by the river. There were several other children playing with him that day."

You Mingxu's eyes sharpened: "Could it be..."

Yin Feng interjected, "Li Biran and Liu Ruoyu were among them."

You Mingxu fell silent. Xu Mengshan glanced at the two of them and replied nonchalantly, "Exactly. That summer, Liu Ruoyu was still living in the village, and Li Biran had returned to his rural hometown for summer vacation. They were all by the river that day. In fact, the investigating officer at the time had also suspected whether Xiang Muhua might have been pushed into the water as a prank or if it was an accident during play. But all the children firmly denied it. And it was indeed possible that Xiang Muhua had accidentally fallen into the water and been swept away by the current. The other children, terrified, had all run away at the time. So by the time Xiang Muhua's mother realized her son was missing, his body had already been found downstream. The other children's parents were also very protective and reacted emotionally. With no eyewitnesses or evidence, the case was eventually dropped."

You Mingxu asked, "Where was Xiang Rong at the time?"

Xu Mengshan replied, "He was away on business. Over the years, he's made quite a bit of money. He rushed back to the countryside two days later. Not long after, he divorced his wife and moved away."

The three of them fell silent for a moment.

Yin Feng asked, "Who else was at the river that day?"

Xu Mengshan's eyes lit up: "There were two others. One was named Chen Kaize, the oldest of the group, who was already in college. Last summer, he went hiking in Guizhou and went missing. He still hasn't been found—most likely met with an accident or was killed. The other one is Zhou Shaoling. He dropped out after high school, comes from a relatively well-off family, and now runs a mobile phone shop in Chenxi County."

You Mingxu instinctively looked up at Yin Feng. He was already looking at her.

Their eyes met briefly before both calmly looked away.

"Which lead are you taking?" You Mingxu asked Xu Mengshan.

Before Xu Mengshan could answer, Yin Feng spoke up: "Tuya can handle one of the leads."

You Mingxu lowered her gaze. Xu Mengshan looked puzzled: "Tuya?"

Yin Feng replied with a smile, "He's my driver."

Xu Mengshan: "Uh..."

You Mingxu said calmly, "We'll handle the surveillance as we normally would."

Yin Feng added, "Before he became a driver, he fought in underground boxing rings and rarely lost. Having him keep an eye on Zhou Shaoling won't lead to any mistakes."

You Mingxu fell silent. Xu Mengshan glanced at the two of them and nodded with a smile: "Alright. Then we'll focus our efforts on guarding Xiang Rong's house. That way, we cover all bases."

After Yin Feng left, You Mingxu returned to her room, took a shower, organized her gear, and then went to Xu Mengshan's room.Xu Mengshan had been busy all day and had just caught a brief nap. Though he still looked a bit worn out, his eyes were bright and alert. Holding several food containers, he asked, "Are we heading out now?"

You Mingxu gave a noncommittal "Hmm." Noticing the containers held more than two portions, she said flatly, "You don’t need to be so considerate toward him."

Xu Mengshan sighed. "How could I not? He is, after all, an expert. He’s been quite helpful in past investigations and has assisted us a lot. Sis You, even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains. If you can’t be lovers, you can still take him on as a junior."

"Get lost."

As soon as they stepped out of the room, they saw Yin Feng waiting at the entrance of the guesthouse. The night was deep, and a chilly breeze whispered through. Dressed in a sharp, well-tailored overcoat, his handsome appearance starkly contrasted with the rustic village scenery. You Mingxu glanced at him briefly before looking away.

Hearing the commotion, Yin Feng turned around. His gaze skipped over the grinning Xu Mengshan and settled on the cold-faced woman behind him. He noticed she had changed into loose, practical clothing, her hair damp from a recent shower, which made her fair complexion stand out even more. After all... he thought, she was still a woman who cared about appearances when it mattered, carrying a faint trace of femininity.

The three of them got into the car.

Tuya had already been dispatched by Yin Feng to Chenxi County to keep an eye on Zhou Shaoling. Both the man and the car had vanished. In the past, Yin Feng’s subordinates had always handled his travel arrangements, from accommodations to meals. Now, with Tuya sent away and the night deepening, he hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he caught the scent of the food Xu Mengshan brought in.

He glanced at the simple plastic containers, then turned to look out the window.

Unexpectedly, You Mingxu, sitting in the passenger seat, picked up one of the containers and began eating right there in the car. The aroma of the food grew stronger. She ate without a care for anyone else. Xu Mengshan, however, spoke up: "Teacher Yin, we got some for you too. The guesthouse owner stir-fried it—it’s clean. Help yourself."

Since when had Yin Feng ever eaten in a car? But he knew that when police were on a mission, there was no room for fussiness—time was of the essence. Besides, he was genuinely starving. Just as he reached for a container, the woman in front remarked coolly, "We’re eating cheap rural boxed meals. Do you think someone like him would stomach it? Don’t bother."

Xu Mengshan chuckled. "Haven’t we eaten together before?"

At that moment, a pale, slender hand emerged from the refined sleeve of a man’s suit, reaching into the plastic bag beside You Mingxu to retrieve a food container. A low, unhurried voice sounded near her ear: "Why wouldn’t I be able to eat this?"

You Mingxu ignored him.

Xu Mengshan pretended to be invisible.

You Mingxu finished her meal in a few minutes, grabbed a bottle of water from the bag, drank half of it, and tossed it back. Yin Feng had only eaten a small portion of his meal. He watched her every move, finding her behavior both grating and yet somehow fitting for her. Unconsciously, he ended up finishing most of his food—it wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.

The car was parked in the grass at a bend on the county road.

Further ahead, Xiang Rong’s house was visible, unobstructed and with no other obvious cover. From a distance, the house was dark, and no car was parked outside, suggesting no one was home.

The three of them moved stealthily through the night. Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu, accustomed to working in sync, split up without a word, flanking the courtyard and climbing in from both sides. Yin Feng watched their agile figures from behind and hurried to follow You Mingxu.You Mingxu crouched beneath the window by the wall and was about to rise to look when she sensed someone had appeared behind her. She said irritably, "You follow him."