A chaotic, grimy vegetable market in the dead of night. The two of them stood before a wooden door, eavesdropping stealthily with their ears pressed against it. You Mingxu was fine—her movements were professional and efficient. He, on the other hand, was half-crouched in an undignified posture, exuding an air of incompetence from head to toe. Yet at that time, he didn’t mind, and she seemed to have grown accustomed to it. She listened intently, while he watched her, his eyes filled with deep admiration and tenderness.
Yin Feng felt as if his heart had been struck hard by something, leaving it both sour and bitter. He couldn’t tell whether it was for her sake or for the person he had been back then. By now, he had learned to calmly accept these emotional surges from the depths of his being—even finding some enjoyment in them.
Enjoying the sweetness and torment she had once brought him.
Yin Feng steadied himself and shifted his gaze back to the woman in the distance. He thought to himself, so this was how they had once been together—sharing hardships and relying on each other for survival.
Back then, he had been foolish beyond measure, and deeply in love.
The police burst into the room.
After a brief commotion—shouts and sounds of struggle—You Mingxu poked her head through the doorway, slightly breathless, and nodded at Yin Feng to signal that it was safe. Yin Feng had already composed himself, his eyes taking in her current appearance—so strikingly handsome it was almost unreal. He quickly followed her inside.
The fact that no shots had been fired was the best possible outcome.
By now, the three suspects had their hands cuffed behind their backs and were being guarded by several officers as they knelt on the floor. With the door closed, Jing Ping and the others searched the room and discovered several packets of drugs. Jing Ping weighed the drugs in his hand, then sat down in front of Sister Yun and asked, "What brought you to Hunan?"
Sister Yun glanced at him. This man exuded a familiar, terrifying aura. She then looked toward the door, lowered her head, and remained silent.
Meanwhile, You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan expertly searched the room for anything of potential value—shopping receipts and parking tickets on the table, discarded items in the trash bin...
Sister Yun refused to talk, but Jing Ping was in no hurry. They could take their time interrogating her back at the station. He picked up her phone—the screen was still lit—and directly accessed it, scrolling through her call and message history. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sister Yun’s expression shift.
It seemed the two sides had already established contact.
A plan slowly formed in Jing Ping’s mind. He instructed the others, "Keep it quiet. Restore everything to its original state later."
Sister Yun’s eyes widened in alarm as she watched this fair-skinned policeman bend down, his monolid eyes fixed on her. A sense of fear crept into her heart—it felt like being stalked by a venomous wolf...
"Don’t alert anyone on your way down," Jing Ping ordered again, glancing at Sister Yun with a faint smile.
Sister Yun realized then that she had encountered a ruthless opponent who understood their kind all too well.
Jing Ping went to examine the other items retrieved from the room. You Mingxu asked him, "What’s your plan?"
Jing Ping glanced back at Sister Yun and said, "Take her to the station first, break her down. Then have her continue contacting the other side."
It was a good idea. You Mingxu’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. Jing Ping smiled faintly in return. Without another word, they both turned away, their expressions simultaneously turning serious again.
Yin Feng stood not far away. Such mundane tasks of arrest and search didn’t require his involvement. Yet he had seen the subtle exchange between the two clearly, and a stifling, sour feeling surged in his chest. But You Mingxu hadn’t even glanced at him.
Just then.
A "knock, knock" sounded at the door.The room full of police officers fell into a tense silence. Just as Sister Yun was about to move, Xu Mengshan and two other officers swiftly covered the mouths of the three suspects and pinned them firmly to the ground.
Jing Ping and You Mingxu exchanged a glance, then simultaneously drew their guns and moved toward the door with light, cautious steps.
"Knock, knock—" Two more raps sounded.
Jing Ping signaled to You Mingxu with his eyes. She pitched her voice low and muffled, asking, "Who is it?"
Someone outside lowered their voice and replied, "Friends from Yunnan, right? We’re here to discuss the walnut and mushroom business."
You Mingxu glanced at Jing Ping, who only hesitated for a moment before pressing himself against the wall and gesturing for the others to quickly take cover. Fortunately, Sister Yun and her group had booked a suite, providing ample space. Yin Feng followed Xu Mengshan and hid behind a door, while everyone else concealed themselves in corners out of sight from the entrance.
You Mingxu slowly exhaled.
The greeting from the other side hinted at crucial information. By asking if they were friends from Yunnan, it suggested they likely hadn’t met before.
In dealings like these, drug dealers almost never exchanged photos beforehand to avoid exposure.
Moreover, even if the other party knew Sister Yun’s appearance, she could always claim to be Xiao Lan, the delivery person.
You Mingxu cracked the door open slightly, her gun tucked under the back of her waistband, her gaze calm as she assessed the newcomers.
The visitor seemed taken aback to find such a striking woman answering the door. After a brief pause, he asked, "Sister Yun?"
You Mingxu didn’t respond immediately but scrutinized him for a moment before nodding.
The man appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with a buzz cut, square face, and ordinary features, dressed in a down jacket and jeans. Two other men of similar age stood behind him. They looked like three ordinary passersby.
The young man extended his hand. "I’m Ahua. The boss sent me to pick you up."
You Mingxu smiled slightly, glanced down the hallway, and just then, a door nearby opened as two hotel guests emerged with their luggage. Her expression remained unchanged as she lowered her voice and said, "Come inside."
Behind her, several officers stood ready with their guns drawn.
But Ahua shook his head. "No need. Wasn’t it agreed? The boss is waiting. Come with us in our car." With that, he turned to leave, while the two young men kept their eyes fixed on You Mingxu.
You Mingxu froze for a second.
The guests from the neighboring room happened to be walking past at that moment.
She quickly scanned the two young men’s waistlines—at least one of them appeared to be carrying a concealed weapon.
Ahua glanced back at her, a flicker of impatience and confusion in his eyes.
Just then, You Mingxu felt a light, deliberate tap on her back. She knew who it was and what it meant—he was signaling her to play along.
In that instant, she weighed her options and made a decision.
No one had expected the contact to send someone at this moment. It seemed Sister Yun had already coordinated with them and set this time. That explained why she had been so nervous earlier, constantly looking around. If the police acted now, two risks loomed: first, the suspects were armed, and innocent guests in the hallway could be caught in the crossfire or even taken hostage; second, Ahua mentioned the boss was waiting. If they arrested them now and alerted the boss, this long-awaited lead would vanish, making it even harder to gather intelligence in the future.You Mingxu said, "Alright." She turned her head and called out, "A-Shan, A-Ping, come with me to see the boss." Her gaze swept past Yin Feng, who was standing behind Xu Mengshan, and he was staring at her. You Mingxu calmly looked away.
Xu Mengshan and Jing Ping put away their guns. Jing Ping quickly loosened his collar and ruffled his hair. In an instant, the originally stern and efficient police officer took on a somewhat unruly and unrestrained demeanor. Xu Mengshan was taken aback and thought, Damn, then followed suit, keeping a cold expression as he trailed behind You Mingxu.
The three of them walked out and closed the door. When Ahua turned around and saw two men standing behind You Mingxu, he frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"
You Mingxu said calmly, "My brothers, both trustworthy."
Ahua replied, "That's not the rule. My boss doesn't meet with random people."
Jing Ping spoke up, "We're not comfortable letting Sister Yun go alone."
Ahua sneered, then stopped walking altogether, leaning against the stair railing with a mocking tone, "Sister Yun, when Boss Sui from Yunnan came to see our boss, he only brought one person. You're just... This is Hunan, not Yunnan."
You Mingxu didn't know who this Boss Sui was, but she was sure he was another crime boss, and one with a higher status in the underworld than Sister Yun. Seeing that Jing Ping remained silent, You Mingxu understood. She glared at him and said, "Who told you to speak? Alright, you two stay here." She turned to Ahua and smiled, "Let's go."
The four of them took the elevator downstairs.
As soon as they entered the elevator, the police officers rushed out and ran down the stairs. Yin Feng also ran out and, seeing that Xu Mengshan and Jing Ping were still there, his heart sank. He scanned the hotel's layout and parking distribution from the window, recalling the hotel's floor plan. In an instant, he made a decision. He turned and ran in the opposite direction of the police officers.
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