Yin Feng smiled, methodically wiped each of his fingers with a paper towel, and tossed it into the trash can. "What's wrong?" he said. "Got a new suitor?"
You Mingxu looked him straight in the eye.
Despite his lazy tone, those pitch-black eyes were fixed deeply on her, devoid of any hint of a smile. Under such a gaze, even someone like You Mingxu felt an unbidden chill creep over her.
"None of your damn business," You Mingxu said. "Aren't we even?"
Yin Feng slid his hands into his pants pockets and said lightly, "What if I don't want to be even anymore?"
You Mingxu stared at him without a word.
Yin Feng chuckled. She watched as he reached out, about to grab her arm, when Xu Mengshan's voice came from not far behind them. "Hurry up! There's an important discovery!"
You Mingxu turned and walked away.
Yin Feng's hand met empty air. He smiled, unhurried, and slipped it back into his pocket.
Jing Ping crushed his cigarette butt and threw it into the trash. He had little interest in prying into others' private affairs, so he had been looking the other way. He only turned back when he heard Xu Mengshan's voice, just in time to see Yin Feng's failed attempt to grab You Mingxu. Walking over to Yin Feng's side, he suddenly let out a small laugh. "She's ignoring you?"
Yin Feng glanced at him and smiled—the faint, helpless yet happy smile of a man in love. "Don't laugh. She's been giving me the cold shoulder these past few days."
Jing Ping said nothing and walked ahead.
Yin Feng followed, his expression unchanged.
The new discovery was a piece of surveillance footage.
The Auspicious Fish Manor was in a remote location and had few visitors, so besides the camera at the entrance, there were none inside. The same went for the surrounding mountain forests.
The police had previously surveyed the scene and determined that it would be easy for someone to slip in from other directions besides the main gate.
The video wasn't from a proper Sky Eye camera, but from one installed by a farmer who ran an orchard along a nearby mountain road. Acting on the principle of leaving no stone unturned, Xu Mengshan had requested all available surveillance footage.
It was a small, downhill mountain road, flanked by fruit trees. In the distance, the Auspicious Fish Manor was faintly visible in the camera's view.
The time was 3:20 PM on the day of Guo Xing's murder. He had already been at the fish manor for some time.
A person appeared in the frame.
The man was dressed in casual clothes, was very tall, and wore a baseball cap as he walked down the mountain path. Perhaps a bit tired from the walk, he happened to stop right in front of the camera, which was partially obscured by leaves. He lit a cigarette, lifting his head to reveal a glimpse of his side profile. After taking a drag, he continued on his way down and quickly disappeared from view.
The few people watching the footage remained silent.
Yin Feng frowned slightly. Although it was just a fleeting glimpse of a silhouette, he couldn't shake the feeling that this person looked familiar.
Xu Mengshan felt the same way, stroking his chin in thought.
Jing Ping didn't recognize the man. He paused the video on the frame where the man slightly raised his head, trying to recall every portrait of the drug trafficking organization's members.
But You Mingxu had already spoken. "It's Luo Yu."
At her words, Jing Ping looked at her, while Xu Mengshan and Yin Feng were both taken aback.
Xu Mengshan immediately leaned in to stare at the screen. "Are you sure?" It did look a bit like him.
You Mingxu said, "I'm positive. I'd recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes." She had, after all, been with the man for several months and had spent a lot of time with him. Plus, he had pestered her relentlessly afterward, so she was quite familiar with the little details of his appearance and his mannerisms. She recognized him at a glance.
"Who is Luo Yu?" Jing Ping asked.
Xu Mengshan briefly explained Luo Yu's background and his connection to the series of cases, which made Jing Ping's frown deepen.
You Mingxu was also lost in thought when she suddenly felt two gazes fixed on her. She looked up. Yin Feng's eyes were still dark, tinged with a chill. His stare made her a little uncomfortable, so she glared back with an even colder look. To her surprise, the cold light in his eyes vanished, and he smiled again, a playful look on his face.
You Mingxu didn't want to look at this old rogue.
"If that's the case..." Jing Ping began, "this Luo Yu is not only the legal shield for the Kaiyang Group, but has very likely become a core member. Luo Yu appeared near Xiang Rong, who was controlled by the mysterious organization; he also appeared at the scene of Guo Xing's murder... This man is extremely crucial."
You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan both nodded.
"What time did Gan Hongyi and the others make their move?" Yin Feng asked.
Xu Mengshan checked the case file and replied, "Around three-something as well. They didn't pay attention to the exact time. But Gan Hongyi and his men didn't know of Luo Yu's existence, nor did they mention seeing him."
"We'll ask them again later," You Mingxu said.
Xu Mengshan nodded.
Jing Ping said, "If Luo Yu is the contact person in Xiang City for the Yunnan side, could that important piece of evidence have already fallen into his hands?"
The possibility was high, and a heavy feeling settled over them all.
You Mingxu's mind also drifted to her various interactions with Luo Yu. When he was trying to woo her, Luo Yu had acted like a perfect gentleman, gentle and considerate. Later, when she saw through his true colors, the man dropped his disguise and became roguish and malicious, constantly pestering her. She had always felt that his persistence was not born from genuine affection, but from some ulterior motive.
But what he was after, she could never figure out or see through. His resume was clean and clear: a top law student who joined a law firm right after graduation and made a name for himself by winning many cases. Later, he got entangled with the Kaiyang Group, operating in a gray area. Even though the Kaiyang Group was now suspected of being a criminal organization, the police still had no concrete evidence. Why was he so intent on having her?
Later, she learned that this man was actually connected to the mysterious, psychopathic murder organization, connected to people like Gu Tiancheng. Xiang Rong had confessed about a "Brother Yu," saying he was the mysterious organization's contact person. But they could find no clues around Luo Yu himself.
Now, an important undercover agent from the police had come to Xiang City, carrying crucial evidence he was in the process of collecting. Although Luo Yu hadn't killed him, he had appeared at the scene and very likely taken the evidence.
All suspicions converged on the same person.
And all leads broke off with him.
You Mingxu wondered, which side was Luo Yu on? A loyal dog of the Kaiyang Group, or a mole planted in Kaiyang by the mysterious organization? Or did he have a dual identity? What was the relationship between the two criminal organizations? Were they in cahoots for mutual benefit, or was there some other grudge between them?
And why would a man with such a suspicious identity target her, a small-time detective? What could he possibly gain from her?
"From now on, we'll have Luo Yu under 24-hour surveillance," You Mingxu said. "I'm afraid Lao Ding won't issue a search warrant."
Xu Mengshan and Jing Ping both nodded. With no solid leads in the drug case yet, their superiors would definitely not grant them a search warrant and risk tipping off their targets.
"We'll find another way to search," You Mingxu said.
Jing Ping smiled. "Mm." Xu Mengshan nodded as well.
"Guo Xing sacrificed himself. What about the Yunnan side?" You Mingxu asked.
Jing Ping replied, "They place great importance on this joint operation. I think they'll send someone else over soon. I'll contact Yunnan and have them keep a close watch on any developments. They'll notify us as soon as there's news of a new contact person. For now, all we can do is wait."
Just as Jing Ping said, whether it was the situation in Yunnan or with Luo Yu, all they could do for now was watch closely and wait for an opportunity.
The few of them had been up for a day and a night investigating Guo Xing's case. The speed at which it was solved—in just one day—surprised their superiors. The truth of the matter also left their superiors speechless.
Since they were in it for the long haul, You Mingxu and the others arranged for colleagues to take the first shift watching Luo Yu, and the three of them went home to catch up on sleep.
By the time You Mingxu walked out of the police station, Yin Feng had long since left in his Bentley.
You Mingxu went home and slept soundly for the better part of the day, waking up in the afternoon. Just as she was about to go find something to eat, her phone rang, as if on cue.
She looked at the name on the screen, sat down on the sofa, and answered, her tone cold. "Hello."
"A Xu," the person called out.
You Mingxu's entire body jolted.
But the voice that followed was still low and slow, carrying a hint of an unreadable smile. "Are you up? Let's talk."
You Mingxu suddenly hated him more than ever before. "What is there for us to talk about?" she said icily.
Yin Feng paused, then said, "A Xu, I've remembered some things. I've had a change of heart."
Author's Note:
Yin Feng: A Xu, I've had a change of heart. I want you now. You Mingxu: But my heart hasn't changed. Yin Feng: ? You Mingxu: I still don't want you. Yin Feng: ...!!
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