Coming to Myself

The food she liked always remained plentiful in the pot, while the dishes she disliked seemed to be quickly finished by Jing Ping. As a result, she ate with great satisfaction throughout the meal. Eventually, she looked up at him and said, "I realized we actually complement each other quite well when it comes to eating."

Jing Ping smiled. "Do we?"

You Mingxu replied, "When I eat with Meng Shan, he always fights me for the beef and sweet potato leaves, leaving behind a pile of radishes and fish balls. This is great—I should invite you to eat together more often."

Jing Ping said, "Sure."

In truth, he didn’t really have strong preferences about what he liked or disliked—he was fine with anything. If she didn’t like something and left a large portion, he would finish it all to avoid wasting food. As for the dishes she kept reaching for, he simply left them for her.

Jing Ping chuckled again and said, "Seems like we really do complement each other."

With their stomachs full, You Mingxu settled the bill. The two sat facing each other, sipping light tea to cut through the richness of the meal.

Suddenly remembering something, You Mingxu casually asked, "Old Jing, are you married?" Being stationed so far away in Hunan—what if he had a wife and children at home? Studying his appearance… she suddenly realized it was impossible to tell whether he was the type to prioritize family or not.

Jing Ping took a sip of tea and said, "I don’t even have a girlfriend. How could I be married?"

You Mingxu gave him a once-over: tall, handsome, with a strong personality, and clearly a bit of a schemer. Shouldn’t a man like that easily win over the right person? Yet he was still single.

But thinking about it, it made sense. With a job like his, where would he find a girlfriend? And ordinary girls probably wouldn’t dare to date him anyway.

"I’ll have Matchmaker Xu introduce someone to you later," You Mingxu said. "There are plenty of pretty girls in Hunan. What are your requirements, Old Jing?"

Jing Ping smiled and said, "Not too many. She should be pretty, neither too plump nor too thin. Her height should be just right—not too tall, not too short. I don’t like dark skin; at the very least, she shouldn’t be darker than me. She should be independent and capable. When I’m away on missions, she should be able to live well without me worrying about her. Her character should be kind, not greedy, and she must have a strong sense of right and wrong. In my line of work, if the woman by my side is easily swayed by others, she’d be like a ticking time bomb. That’s about it."

You Mingxu couldn’t help but laugh. "You call that not too many requirements? Where would you even find someone that perfect? Forget I said anything."

Jing Ping picked up the teapot, refilled his own cup, and noticing hers was empty, poured tea for her as well. His expression calm, he said lightly, "Yeah, where would you find someone that perfect?"

You Mingxu was suddenly taken aback. She quietly watched Jing Ping’s hand as it held the teapot—pale, with distinct knuckles, the back and fingertips marked with scars. A thin, clear stream of tea poured slowly, and for a moment, both of them fell into an inexplicable silence.

Just then, You Mingxu’s phone rang, shattering the delicate, unspoken tension.

Seeing the name on the screen, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. Still, her tone remained cool. "Hello."

The voice on the other end, belonging to a man who had been absent all day, was deep and reserved. "Are you off work?"

"Yeah."

"I cooked myself today. Want to come over and try it?"

You Mingxu was somewhat surprised. "You cooked yourself?"

Yin Feng said, "Didn’t the chef die?"

You Mingxu was momentarily speechless.

Across from her, Jing Ping could tell who was calling just by her tone. He lowered his head to drink his tea, his expression indifferent.

You Mingxu said, "I’ve already eaten."Yin Feng could tell from the noisy background on her end that she was outside. A thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "Who are you with?"

You Mingxu replied, "Old Jing."

At that moment, Jing Ping spoke up, "Lighter and cigarettes, please."

You Mingxu fished them out of her pocket and handed them over, saying, "Just one."

Jing Ping chuckled, "Whose cigarettes are these anyway?"

You Mingxu laughed.

Only then did she notice the silence on the other end of the line. She asked, "Anything else?"

Yin Feng said, "What about you? Do you need anything from me?"

You Mingxu paused briefly before replying, "I'll come find you later."

He responded indifferently, "Fine." The call ended abruptly.

You Mingxu was taken aback, staring at her phone with a vague sense of discomfort. Jing Ping had already stood up and said, "Let's go."

The two walked out of the restaurant. Since it was close to the police station, Jing Ping could walk back. You Mingxu hailed a taxi and waited by the roadside, saying, "You can head back first. My ride will be here soon."

Jing Ping replied, "No rush."

The two who had been chatting animatedly in the restaurant now seemed to have nothing to say. They stood quietly on the street.

The car arrived quickly. You Mingxu got in and said to the person outside, "Old Jing, see you tomorrow."

Jing Ping stood under the streetlight, his jacket open and hands in his pockets, making him appear even more tall and straight. His features were clear and gentle, carrying a warm, lamp-like smile. "See you tomorrow, You Mingxu."