Chen Feng actually wanted to comfort Yin Feng but didn't know how to ask—what had he done to You Mingxu this time? Changing the subject, he said, "Should we invite Miss You over to try our new chef's cooking?"
Before Yin Feng could respond, Tuya stood up: "I'll pick her up."
Yin Feng suddenly flared up, saying coldly, "No one goes. Let's see how long she can keep this up!"
Silence fell over the room.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Yin Feng poured himself another drink and downed it in one gulp.
Yin Feng rarely got drunk—over the years, Chen Feng had only seen it happen once or twice. But when he did get drunk, he would simply fall asleep without causing any trouble, behaving quite docilely. Exchanging a glance with Tuya, they both thought: Let him be.
Unexpectedly, others joined the gathering. Lao Jiu and Xiao Yan peered into the study from the doorway. When spotted, they walked in smiling and said, "Teacher Yin, why didn't you call us to join you for a drink?"
Yin Feng smiled faintly, and Chen Feng added two more cups. None of them brought up You Mingxu again. Lao Jiu cheerfully shared stories from his hometown, while Tuya began boasting about his past experiences in underground fighting. Before long, Guan Jun, drawn by the commotion, arrived. Seeing the scene, he said, "I have some good liquor." Besides gardening, drugging people, and hacking, he also brewed his own rice wine. One room in the villa was filled with his homemade brews, which he usually refused to share.
Lao Jiu laughed, "Don't give us any of your questionable concoctions."
Guan Jun retorted angrily, "What would I gain from drugging a bunch of men?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Yin Feng laughed too.
If You Mingxu had been there, she would have thought this was a Yin Feng she had never seen before—unrestrained and casual, seemingly cheerful, yet exuding an aloof coldness and even a hint of the same decadent aura as the others.
If she had seen him, she would likely have just watched him in silence.
Night fell.
Only Lao Jiu, Tuya, and Chen Feng remained drinking at the table. Xiao Yan and Guan Jun, lightweight drinkers, had already passed out.
Yin Feng was the third to collapse. Several empty bottles lay beside him as he slumped over the table, his head buried in his arms, motionless and clearly dead drunk.
Chen Feng and the other two weren't worried about him in the slightest. The drunken Teacher Yin was the most well-behaved—they could just toss him into bed later, and he wouldn't even murmur.
Chen Feng and the others were also half-drunk. Though Guan Jun's liquor tasted mild, it had a strong kick. They felt exhilarated and excited, discussing plans to play hide-and-seek in the garden later.
As the three of them exchanged wild boasts—one bragging about how swiftly he had severed someone's ear, another claiming to have experimented with 42 suicide methods, and the third boasting about once breaking someone's spine with a single punch—a figure slowly lifted his head in the dim evening light at the table.
"Xiao Fengzi..."
Chen Feng, dazed and shuddering unconsciously, looked over and met a pair of incredibly clear, aggrieved eyes. Tuya and Lao Jiu were also stunned, watching as Yin Feng staggered to his feet from the table.
"Where is she?" Yin Feng asked, his eyes already welling with tears. His hands were clenched tightly into fists, looking both obedient and stubborn.Even the three old perverts beside him were momentarily unable to process this shock. Chen Feng steadied himself, trying hard to shake off the drunken haze in his mind, and tentatively asked, "Teacher Yin? You Yingjun?"
The person before them clearly had some awareness of the situation. He nodded and said, "I am You Yingjun, not..." Before he could finish, he suddenly turned and ran out of the study.
The remaining three exchanged bewildered glances. Chen Feng made a swift decision: "Chase him!"
As they rushed downstairs, they saw Yin Feng drive off in a car at high speed. Tuya immediately ran to get another car, and the three of them gave chase.
The destination was unmistakable.
They soon arrived at the residential complex where You Mingxu lived. A Bentley worth millions was parked by the roadside, its doors wide open and engine still running, abandoned as if its driver had vanished without a trace.
Tuya hesitated. "Should we go up?"
Chen Feng, now completely sobered by the shock, thought for a moment and said, "Not yet. Let's wait here and keep watch."
—
You Mingxu had parted on bad terms with Yin Feng earlier that day. Returning home, she was still simmering with anger. She truly hadn't wanted to argue with him, but the current Yin Feng was even more stubborn than she was.
Nothing like before... Back then, if she so much as frowned, You Yingjun would immediately soften, terrified of upsetting her, terrified she might abandon him.
She let out a long, heavy sigh.
Tomorrow, she would have to face Luo Yu again—another tough battle ahead. Knowing she needed to push these messy emotions aside, she did as she always did and turned on her tablet to watch mindless dramas for stress relief. Whether it was Yin Feng or You Yingjun, they could all take a backseat to the absurd, brainless plots.
Just as she was fully immersed, her mind clear and focused, she suddenly heard faint noises at the door. She looked up, entirely unruffled, wondering if some fool had picked the wrong house to burgle. How amusing.
She waited calmly.
With a "click," the door actually opened.
A familiar figure stood in the doorway, backlit, his expression unclear.
You Mingxu's heart skipped a beat, but her tone turned cold. "What are you doing here? Who said you could break into my house?"
"A Xu..."
The voice was soft, tearful.
You Mingxu felt as if an electric current had jolted through her, leaving her speechless. What was happening? Had You Yingjun returned? But... what if this was just another one of that old rascal's tricks, a deliberate act to mock her and make her look foolish?
Yet that voice, that tone.
She sat there, frozen like an idiot, watching him approach step by step.
He was still wearing the same clothes from earlier, reeking of alcohol. His face was flushed, his brows tightly furrowed, his lips pouting. His hands were clenched into fists, hanging stiffly at his sides as he stood rigidly, like a bamboo pole.
Tears welled up instantly in You Mingxu's eyes. "...You Yingjun?"
He nodded vigorously, threw himself forward, and wrapped his arms around her. "A Xu... A Xu..." He was crying, burying his face hard against her shoulder, his tears soaking into her pajamas.
You Mingxu's heart swirled with anxiety, pain, and confusion, but her body reacted instinctively, holding him tightly in return. They clung to each other so fiercely it almost hurt, yet neither let go. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "What happened? How did this happen? You..."He remained silent, tears still streaming down. You Mingxu didn't know that his mind was hazy, but the moment he touched her neck, those intense, long-suppressed emotions seemed to explode all at once. Following his instincts, he began to nibble and suck on her neck, his voice growing muffled: "A Xu... A Xu... I've missed you so much, I've really missed you so much..."
You Mingxu buried her face in his shoulder, wiping away her tears. He wasn't answering her question—was it because he didn't know, or because he didn't understand?
Suddenly, Yin Feng's words echoed in her mind:
You Yingjun is my final escape. An escape from their harm, and an escape from the self deep within.
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