Coming to Myself

Yet her expression remained faint as she smiled and said, "You're too kind."

Xu Mengshan watched from the side, feeling a slight twinge of envy. You Mingxu had actually earned a "long admired" from someone! But then again, Sister You was indeed a formidable figure, and she really had achieved more merits than anyone else. Being the man behind a successful woman wasn't so bad after all.

With that, the three of them had officially met, and the new team was formed.

Jing Ping then said, "I'm new here. Although I'm a few years older than you both, I'm not very familiar with many aspects of criminal investigation. I think we should keep things as they were—You Mingxu will lead, and Mengshan and I will work together."

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan exchanged a quick glance.

Truth be told, with someone like him joining—higher in rank and more experienced—the dynamics were bound to shift. Previously, the three-person team had been led by You Mingxu. Now that Jing Ping was here, the question of who would take charge was left unresolved by the sly old fox Ding Xiongwei, who had tossed the issue to them to sort out themselves. Unexpectedly, Jing Ping had addressed it head-on, willingly stepping into a secondary role. It was clear he was a perceptive, experienced, and magnanimous person.

Xu Mengshan grinned.

You Mingxu said sincerely, "Alright, we'll discuss everything as a team. If you prove to be better at this than I am, we'll follow your lead."

Jing Ping smiled again and added, "But I won't call you 'Sister You' like the others do. You're younger than me."

You Mingxu asked, "How old are you?"

Jing Ping replied, "31."

You Mingxu looked surprised. "What a coincidence, I'm 31 too."

Jing Ping was taken aback. Xu Mengshan pretended not to hear, while You Mingxu asked with a perfectly straight face, "What month were you born?"

Jing Ping's clear, gentle eyes remained fixed on her as he answered, "January. And you?"

You Mingxu's expression couldn't have been more earnest. "No way, what day?"

Jing Ping said, "The 1st."

You Mingxu couldn't keep up the act any longer and turned away, laughing. Jing Ping chuckled too. Xu Mengshan watched the two of them, who had just met yet were already leaning in close to talk, and was momentarily stunned. He had to admit, they looked quite well-matched.

Immediately, Xu Mengshan thought of Yin Feng, and a wave of resentment rose within him. He's already given up being Mingxu's boyfriend—why even think about him?

—

At noon, Ding Xiongwei treated the entire team to a meal to welcome Jing Ping. The detectives ate and drank heartily, as expected.

Jing Ping, however, ate quite delicately. He didn't compete with the pack of hungry wolves, instead spending most of the time taking a few bites and chatting amiably.

Xu Mengshan nudged You Mingxu with his elbow and asked, "Are all people from Yunnan this refined?"

You Mingxu thought about the few Yunnan police officers she had met before—mostly dark-skinned, rough, and taciturn—and shook her head. "Not like this."

Xu Mengshan said, "Don't you think Jing Ping has quite a presence? He doesn't seem fierce at all, but that only makes you feel like he's been through a lot."

You Mingxu zeroed in on the largest piece of meat, swiftly snatched it into her bowl, and said casually, "I don't know. I've never been able to sense other people's presence."

Xu Mengshan retorted, "...You're ruthless."

After the meal, everyone patted their full stomachs and headed back to the station to work. As they approached Ding Xiongwei's office, he called out, "Jing Ping, You Mingxu, come here for a moment."

You Mingxu walked in first and sat down. Spotting a box of gum on Ding Xiongwei's desk, she shook one into her palm and glanced at Jing Ping. "Want one?"

Jing Ping replied, "I'll take one."He spread his palm open, and You Mingxu poured two pills onto it. Although the detective's outstretched hand was fair-skinned, it bore a prominent scar. You Mingxu asked, "How did that happen?"

Jing Ping replied, "Knife wound."

You Mingxu said, "Hearing that makes me almost want to join the narcotics division."

Jing Ping smiled meaningfully and said, "There'll be opportunities." He glanced at Ding Xiongwei.

Ding Xiongwei noticed these two chatting away before he, as the boss, had even spoken. Throughout the police station, the young men's presence was generally overshadowed by You Mingxu. Even Xu Mengshan, who acted arrogantly outside, got dragged around and beaten within the team. This was the first time Ding Xiongwei had seen You Mingxu hit it off so well with a newly met colleague, without overpowering the other's presence at all.

Interesting, Ding Xiongwei thought.

Then, for some reason, he also thought of Yin Feng.

Hmph, that ungrateful white-eyed wolf hadn't been showing up to annoy him lately.

Ding Xiongwei cleared his throat and said, "I called you here because there's a new mission to discuss. Jing Ping, why don't you give the briefing?"

Jing Ping acknowledged and said, "The narcotics team I was previously with specialized in intercepting drug trafficking routes from the border through Yunnan to Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi. Last month, we received intelligence that a major drug trafficking organization exists in Xiangcheng, transporting drugs northward. We suspect this organization is connected to a company in Xiangcheng."

You Mingxu's heart jolted.

Jing Ping continued, "We've been monitoring someone who came from Yunnan to Xiangcheng a few days ago. He's responsible for liaising with this syndicate and was supposed to negotiate a major deal recently. But two days ago, we suddenly lost contact with him. We can't find him at his usual haunts either. He's disappeared. This person is crucial—we must find him. He likely holds evidence of the syndicate's drug trafficking."

Ding Xiongwei asked, "Have you guessed which company it is yet?"

You Mingxu answered, "Kaiyang."

Ding Xiongwei glanced at Jing Ping and smiled, "Good that you're aware." You Mingxu understood he was pleased she'd made him look good in front of this newly transferred top officer.

Ding Xiongwei said, "The higher-ups want both to locate this key missing person and follow the trail to uncover the drug trafficking organization. But there's no concrete evidence yet. Coincidentally, Mingxu, I know the case you're investigating also involves Kaiyang Group. Luo Yu has already become one of its key figures.

Our Yunnan colleagues can't operate conspicuously here—they need our cooperation and cover to avoid alerting the targets. So, after discussion, we've decided to transfer Jing Ping to your team. Officially, he'll be investigating a missing persons case, but the actual goal is a dual strike against both the drug trafficking ring and its secret criminal organization!"

You Mingxu's mind cleared instantly: "Understood. I was wondering why he joined us." She glanced at Jing Ping.

She had phoenix eyes, and when she looked at someone sideways like that, it naturally carried a hint of feminine reproach, though her intention was just muttering to herself. Jing Ping remained unfazed under her gaze.

Ding Xiongwei said irritably, "Nonsense. Did you think the narcotics division would send a decorated detective here to be your assistant?"

You Mingxu smiled, while Jing Ping remarked with a laugh, "In criminal investigation, my experience isn't as extensive as hers. I should follow her lead."You Mingxu had always responded better to kindness than coercion—treat her with respect, and she would return it tenfold. She curved her lips into a smile. Ding Xiongwei, however, hadn’t expected the two of them to become so quickly aligned. At least he no longer needed to worry about their compatibility. Waving a hand, he said, “Handle it as you see fit. Keep the drug investigation under wraps for now—don’t disclose it to anyone else. Only the two of you are in the know. We’ll allocate more officers once there’s progress.”

—

Stepping out of Ding Xiongwei’s office, You Mingxu was lost in thought, trying to untangle the increasingly convoluted case, when a pale, dry hand etched with a slender scar suddenly appeared before her once again.

She looked up and met Jing Ping’s sharp, distinct eyes.

“You Mingxu, pleasure working with you.”

“Pleasure working with you.”