Yin Feng had been completely focused on the window earlier, and following her had been an instinctive reaction. Changing direction now would clearly mean losing face. He paused briefly before saying calmly, "I won't get in your way."
Ah Xu, am I in your way?
I promise I won't get in your way.
Those two voices seemed to echo faintly in her ears. From the corner of her eye, You Mingxu could see the familiar face and figure still closely following her. She turned her head away and ignored him.
The house was empty.
This meant the police were about to begin what could be a long stakeout with uncertain timing. You Mingxu briefly consulted with Xu Mengshan, and they each found concealed spots in the shadows of the yard to hide.
The moonlight in the countryside was exceptionally bright, illuminating the entire courtyard. You Mingxu hid behind a row of abandoned chicken coops, leaning against the fence with only a bottle of water at her feet, eyes closed and unmoving.
Yin Feng leaned against the fence about a foot away from her. In the past when he assisted the police with cases, he would always be stationed with the police chief or captain in the command center. He had never mixed with grassroots officers like this, let alone participated in suspect surveillance. He found it somewhat novel, yet also felt like he was looking down from his usual elevated position.
They sat like this for over half an hour. The woman beside him dimmed her phone screen and kept reading, paying him no attention. Yin Feng also checked his phone for a while. Having had little rest during the day's travel, he began feeling tired and decided to close his eyes for a nap.
"Wake me if anything happens," he said.
She still ignored him.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and he settled in for his nap.
After a while longer, You Mingxu heard steady, rhythmic breathing beside her. She was very familiar with this breathing pattern—it meant he had fallen into deep sleep.
You Mingxu turned to look at him.
In sleep, his usually composed and profound daytime expression had changed. His brows were slightly furrowed, revealing the features of a mature man. After watching him for a moment, You Mingxu turned to face forward again.
Unexpectedly, there was movement beside her. Before she realized what was happening, Yin Feng's head had tilted and fallen onto her shoulder. Even like this, he remained fast asleep.
His light breath brushed against her chin. You Mingxu sat frozen as if under a spell, remaining rigid for a while before tilting her head to see his brow bone, nose bridge, and jawline. Her eyes grew warm, but she quickly suppressed the emotion.
"Ah Xu..." he murmured vaguely, his brows furrowing tighter. He even buried his head deeper into the crook of her neck, as if seeking her warmth, before his brows unconsciously relaxed.
"Ah Xu..." he called out again, his breathing growing even more steady as he leaned against her motionlessly.
You Mingxu remained completely still for a long time before finally reaching out to stroke his head.
Yin Feng was awakened by his vibrating phone. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground in the courtyard, his phone buzzing in his pocket. His head ached slightly, as if he'd been dreaming of urgently searching for something, though he couldn't remember any of it upon waking. He pulled out his phone and sat up—it was Tuya calling.
"Yeah?"
Tuya said, "I've arrived in Chenxi County. Zhou Shaoling isn't home or at his shop. I asked his girlfriend, and she said he was supposed to meet with a businessman from Xiangcheng today. She hasn't seen him since dinner."
Yin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you ask his girlfriend?"On the other end of the phone, Tuya sat like a black bear on Zhou Shaoling's balcony, watching the trembling girl inside the house. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Just... grabbed her directly and questioned her."
Yin Feng said, "Alright, I understand."
After hanging up, he turned to look at You Mingxu and realized he had taken her original seat when he lay down. She had shifted over a meter away, still focused on her phone.
Was she so disgusted by him? Hiding that far away?
A flicker of displeasure stirred in Yin Feng's heart. He said calmly, "The target will return soon, bringing the prey."
You Mingxu still didn't look at him, nodding slightly. "Got it."
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