Then they got into the car.
The car was dark. Her hands were warm, holding him all the while. Her soft breath was right by his ear.
Their faces brushed against each other, and it was unclear who had initiated it first. Her lips were already covering his, and when Yin Feng recalled that moment again, he only felt his heart contract violently—it was exactly the same sensation as when that woman had kissed him the day he woke up in the hospital.
She was kissing his Soul.
She had kissed his Soul.
This thought suddenly surged into his mind, intense as a flash of light, impossible to stop or discard.
Yin Feng saw the two of them in the car, entwined intimately like children. He saw himself smiling foolishly, on the verge of tears, like a pitiful drowned dog. And she, bolder still, pressed down on him, covering his eyes.
The entire world fell silent. He could see nothing around him, only feeling her soft palms, her fervent kisses and caresses.
He said, "A Xu, I want more."
She said, "Alright."
...
"Teacher Yin!"
"Teacher Yin!"
Two voices shouted in his ears. Yin Feng jolted awake as if startled, finally seeing Tuya and Xiao Yan before him, and the swimming pool behind them—they had already pulled him out of the water.
Tuya and Xiao Yan stared at him, silent.
Yin Feng reached up and touched his face, feeling two warm trails of tears.
Dazed, he looked up at the bright sky. The clouds were thick, and the sun peeked out only as a small corner—the only sunlight on the earth. He climbed up from the ground, waving away their attempts to support him, and heard his own hoarse voice say, "Where's Chen Feng? Tell him to come to me. Now."
——
When Chen Feng heard that Yin Feng was going to learn how to swim today, he knew it would inevitably be a terrible morning. He deliberately hid far away, finding a corner in the villa to read, sip wine, and snack on peanuts, quite content.
But Xiao Yan finding him so quickly still took him by surprise—he had thought that for You Mingxu's sake, Yin Feng would at least persist in the water a little longer.
Though Teacher Yin would never admit it.
"What happened?" Chen Feng asked.
Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before whispering, "He cried."
Chen Feng froze.
Cried? Yin Feng?
In all these years, no one had ever seen Yin Feng shed a tear.
"Why?" Chen Feng quickened his pace as he hurried back.
Xiao Yan wore a strange expression. "...He cried from swimming."
Chen Feng: "..."
If it were You Yingjun who cried while learning to swim, Chen Feng could understand. But Yin Feng? That mature, calm, even somewhat brooding psychologist?
Could it be... that after awakening, Teacher Yin had also been influenced by that period, becoming a bit childish?
For some reason, at the thought of this possibility, a warm feeling welled up in Chen Feng's heart.
——
After returning to his room, Yin Feng took a shower, changed his clothes, and went to the study, his emotions having calmed down. But that inexplicable sense of restlessness still lingered in his chest. He sat behind the executive chair, brooding as he basked in the sunlight from the window. Then, the image of You Mingxu smiling and leaning down to kiss him in the night reappeared before his eyes. Unconsciously, he drifted into a daze.When Chen Feng knocked and entered, Yin Feng had already resumed his usual detached expression. He leaned back in his chair, swiveling it slightly while fiddling with the mouse in his hand. After a few seconds, he finally spoke: "What has You Mingxu been busy with lately?"
Chen Feng was momentarily taken aback, thinking to himself that this moment had finally come—fortunately, he had maintained his habit of keeping tabs on her discreetly. Maintaining his composure, he replied: "She should be investigating a new case."
Yin Feng remained silent for a few seconds before asking again: "Who is she investigating with?"
Chen Feng thought it was strange—how did he know? With a smile, he said: "A new member joined their team. Rumor has it he's a decorated detective, quite impressive. He transferred from Yunnan, though his specific background is unclear."
Yin Feng had only asked casually, but upon hearing Chen Feng's response, he looked up and shot him a glance. Chen Feng, unfazed, added: "He's quite handsome. And single." He also had the impression that the man had a charismatic personality, but Chen Feng kept that part to himself.
Yin Feng stewed in silence for a while before saying: "Photo."
Chen Feng lowered his head and scrolled through his phone. This wasn't classified information, so he could easily access it. He handed the phone to Yin Feng.
Yin Feng glanced at the photo for a moment before tossing the phone back onto the table.
Chen Feng wondered what exactly was going on. Did Yin Feng want her or not? When he first woke up, he clearly didn't—he even said their paths were too different to align and that he would never be with a female police officer. But today, something must have triggered him—he even cried. And after seeing the photo of her new partner, he looked downright hostile.
Still, based on Chen Feng's understanding of Yin Feng, the man was resolute and level-headed. When had he ever taken a woman seriously? Most likely, he still didn't want her.
But then Yin Feng stood up and said: "Come with me. We're going to visit Director Duan."
Chen Feng asked: "Is there a problem?"
Yin Feng merely curled the corner of his lips: "Nothing serious. My senior brother took good care of me during my period of amnesia. Now that I've recovered, it's long overdue for me to express my gratitude in person."
—
While Yin Feng, dressed in a sharp suit and carrying gifts, was cheerfully conversing with You Mingxu's superior's superior's superior's superior, You Mingxu had just left Guo Xing's residential complex with Xu Mengshan, Jing Ping, and the others.
Xu Mengshan was driving, with You Mingxu in the back seat. As they passed the restaurant at the entrance, she saw the female owner of the fish restaurant smiling and waving at them. You Mingxu leaned out and waved back in farewell.
A thought suddenly struck Xu Mengshan: "So you came earlier to confirm something with that restaurant owner?"
"Yes."
Jing Ping, sitting in the passenger seat, also tensed up.
Fish?
In Xu Mengshan's mind, it was as if a spark had ignited, connecting all the pieces:
The familiar muddy, fishy smell in the cabinet—he hadn't been able to place it earlier, but wasn't it exactly the smell of fish?
What could have originally been stored there, taking up half the cabinet, and carrying mud that reeked of fish?
Moreover, the fish pond at the entrance wasn't filled with goldfish but with carp and silver carp—they looked plump and fresh, unlike farm-raised fish. Guo Xing had been in Xiang City for too short a time to have raised them from fry himself. It also couldn't be that he bought them from the market—he only ate out and didn't even have kitchen utensils at home. So where did the fish come from?
"Did Guo Xing go fishing?" Jing Ping unexpectedly voiced it first. Xu Mengshan also grew excited.Although Jing Ping wasn't from the criminal investigation division, his mind worked quickly and grasped concepts immediately. You Mingxu glanced at him and said, "Exactly. Guo Xing is quite tidy - he organizes everything neatly without leaving things lying around. So what's missing from the cabinet is a set of fishing gear. But if he was fishing, the fish would naturally vary in size. Yet the fish in the pond are all uniformly sized. He kept these to raise - where did the others go?"
Xu Mengshan chimed in, "The Live Fish Restaurant at the entrance!"
You Mingxu said, "Yes! I asked the restaurant owner. Every time Guo Xing returned from fishing, he'd give them the larger fish to prepare. Those he couldn't eat himself, he'd sell to the restaurant. Moreover, as an outsider who just arrived in Hunan and enjoys fishing, what's the quickest and most convenient way to find suitable local spots? When I asked, it turned out the restaurant owner was indeed the one who recommended the fishing location to Guo Xing, and she's already given me the address. Since the fishing gear is missing, I believe Guo Xing must have been to that place at least before his disappearance."
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