The footprints became chaotic here, clearly indicating a period of stay before heading toward the other side of the pond.
The four exchanged glances. Jing Ping said, "I'll go down," and began removing his coat.
Xu Mengshan said, "The pond is quite large. Let's search together," and started undressing as well.
You Mingxu also took off her coat and tightened her ponytail. Since this was for the investigation, she didn't overthink it—she removed her trousers, revealing a pair of leggings underneath.
It was the depths of winter, and even a cold shower would be unbearable for most people. The mountain stream water was bone-chillingly icy. The two men stripped down to their underwear, revealing well-proportioned, muscular builds and long legs. You Mingxu averted her gaze. They plunged into the water, shuddering from the cold, and dove in headfirst.
You Mingxu, still in her inner layers, was about to jump when someone grabbed her hand. She looked coldly at Yin Feng.
He said, "You Mingxu, the coldness of the water is too heavy for a woman." Be quick and don't push yourself."
You Mingxu remained silent.
Suddenly, she thought that if You Yingjun were here, he would probably be reluctant to let her enter the water and would insist on stopping her, requiring considerable effort to persuade him otherwise.
But the Yin Feng before her, though frowning slightly, only advised: "Be quick and don't push yourself."
Unconsciously, the tension in You Mingxu's expression eased slightly. She said calmly, "I know." Remembering how this man turned into a weakling whenever he encountered water, she paused and added, "Stay put. Call out if anything happens."
Yin Feng let out a noncommittal "Hah."
You Mingxu also jumped into the water.
Being a mountain stream, the visibility was much higher than in ordinary water. You Mingxu dove several meters deep and immediately felt her entire body aching from the cold—a sharp, explosive pain. Gritting her teeth, she endured it. Ahead, she could make out the outlines of the two men's limbs. She scanned the area but, unable to hold her breath any longer, surfaced for air before diving back down.
After about ten minutes of searching, the three were pale-faced with lips turning blue from the cold. No one complained, persisting repeatedly.
They had nearly combed the entire bottom of the pond.
Jing Ping dove down once more. The icy water rushed at him again, and this time he went even deeper, determined to find a definitive answer. Gradually, he reached a part of the pond bottom tangled with aquatic plants. Growing cautious, he gritted his teeth and slowly parted the weeds. The bottom was like a layer of hazy mist, and when he suddenly spotted a human shape among the plants, his heart lurched violently. By then, he was out of breath and forced to surface, gasping for air before slapping the water forcefully.
The other two noticed and surfaced as well. Jing Ping pointed toward the spot, and all three dove down together.
Guo Xing had ropes tied around both ankles, weighted down by a large rock, sunk into the water. Xu Mengshan took out a dagger, cut the ropes, and the three lifted Guo Xing's corpse to the surface.
Swimming to the edge, they worked together to place the body on the bank. Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu immediately scrambled ashore to retrieve their clothes. Jing Ping stared at the corpse for a moment before climbing out to dress.
You Mingxu grabbed her clothes and ran into the dense grass behind them. She stripped off her wet garments and put on her sweater, coat, shoes, and socks, but still shivered uncontrollably from the cold. Hugging her arms, she emerged from behind the grass. Jing Ping and Xu Mengshan were already dressed. Xu Mengshan walked aside to make a phone call, while Jing Ping, his fair face now ghostly pale, pulled out a cigarette from somewhere and took deep, hurried drags. He walked over to the corpse, squatted down, and turned his back to them.You Mingxu was about to approach Jing Ping when Yin Feng walked over, took off his down jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.
A heavy bundle of clothing carrying body warmth and a faint scent of cologne enveloped her. You Mingxu looked at him wearing only a sweater and said, "No need." As she tried to remove it, Yin Feng pressed his hand on her shoulder: "Do you really expect those two frozen chickens to offer you their clothes?"
You Mingxu: "..."
Yin Feng had already turned and walked away. You Mingxu watched as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, his brow slightly furrowed, seemingly unaffected by the cold. Meanwhile, she was freezing badly, still trembling, and only after putting on this down jacket did her limbs gradually regain sensation. Too lazy to continue being polite with him, she simply zipped up the jacket to warm her body faster.
At that moment, You Mingxu was watching Jing Ping's back, and so was Yin Feng.
For some reason, You Mingxu sensed that Jing Ping's usually calm and composed aura had undergone an indescribable change. He was crouching on one knee beside the corpse, one hand resting on his knee, the other holding a cigarette dangling down. Ash was slowly falling from it, but he wasn't smoking, and his fingers trembled unconsciously from the cold.
Was he feeling frustrated because the suspect they had been tracking for so long had suddenly died, cutting off the clues? You Mingxu frowned slightly.
Yin Feng, however, walked back to her side, bent down, and whispered close to her ear: "Your new sidekick seems to have something on his mind."
You Mingxu shot him a glance and said calmly, "He's not my sidekick; he's my boss. You were the one who used to be my sidekick."
Yin Feng, unusually, was momentarily speechless but then laughed and said, "Do you trust him that much? You've only known him for a few days." His tone carried a chill.
You Mingxu, however, felt that Yin Feng was acting strangely today—full of sinister energy, yet stubbornly sticking to them like a plaster.
She glanced again at Jing Ping's back. Even though he appeared somewhat dejected at the moment, his back remained straight, embodying the stubborn old detective she was familiar with.
She replied, "Some people, you trust them the moment you lay eyes on them." Ignoring Yin Feng, she walked toward Jing Ping.
Yin Feng, his expression dark and restrained, followed her.
By the time You Mingxu reached him, Jing Ping had already stood up, his profile impassive: "When will backup arrive?"
You Mingxu replied, "Probably still a while."
He turned around: "You keep watch here. I'll go check if there are any other clues around."
You Mingxu had been watching him closely. Hearing this, she swiftly moved to block his path. Jing Ping hung his head, his brow tightly furrowed, and didn't move.
"Old Jing," You Mingxu called out.
Jing Ping let out a bitter laugh and slowly raised his head. His wet hair still clung to his forehead, making his face appear even paler. Yet, his eye sockets were faintly red, and his eyes held a shadow.
You Mingxu's heart sank, and a sense of foreboding surged within her.
"Guo Xing is..."
He looked at her, and after a few seconds, he slowly nodded.
You Mingxu looked at the bloated corpse nearby. If they hadn't come searching, this police officer would have remained forever submerged in the cold, unknown depths. So, Ding Xiongwei and Jing Ping hadn't been entirely truthful earlier—they weren't looking for a drug dealer; they were searching for a missing undercover agent.
An indescribable shock reverberated through her.
She also knew all too well what it felt like to lose a comrade. Her heart aching, she reached out and pressed her hand firmly on Jing Ping's shoulder, saying nothing, just holding it tight. Jing Ping, however, continued to wear a self-mocking smile but didn't shake off her hand.Yin Feng stood behind the two of them, having already understood what had happened to Guo Xing. Yet the scene before him was indescribably jarring. A handsome man and a beautiful woman—both detectives—silently supporting each other, their hearts and minds in sync.
Yin Feng hadn’t actually figured out what to do about You Mingxu.
But watching her fall into another man’s hands—that was a different matter entirely.
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