You Mingxu went about her routine after entering the house—drinking water, changing clothes—acting as though no one else was present.
But she couldn’t entirely ignore him. The fine hairs on the back of her neck still stood on end, wary of him suddenly doing something unexpected.
After all, he had been acting like this a lot lately.
To her surprise, he headed straight into the kitchen without a word.
You Mingxu lingered in the living room for a while, but curiosity eventually got the better of her. She walked to the kitchen doorway and watched from a distance. Yin Feng had taken off his jacket and hung it on the doorknob, rolled up his sleeves, and was now washing vegetables in the sink, his eyes lowered.
You Mingxu asked, “What are you doing?”
Yin Feng replied, “What do you think?”
She was momentarily at a loss for words. Watching his practiced movements, she said coldly, “I’ve already eaten.”
Yin Feng picked up a peeler and began peeling the washed lettuce. “I know. With Luo Yu,” he said, glancing at her.
For some reason, that glance made her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t be bothered to argue and turned to go back to her room.
After sweating all day playing ball, she felt uncomfortable and decided to take a shower. When she came out in fresh clothes, the kitchen was quiet. Yin Feng stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the half-open glass door to the balcony. The hazy glow of the night lights outside cast a faint reflection on his face.
Suddenly, You Mingxu was reminded of the past.
You Yingjun’s posture had never been this poised. Back then, he would simply sit on the floor, facing away from her, looking aggrieved and full of longing.
Now that he had returned to his thirty-year-old self, he only stood there silently, as if weighed down by unspoken thoughts.
You Mingxu sat on the sofa, drying her hair with a towel, and asked, “Is something the matter?”
He turned to look at her, walked over, and without a word, took the towel from her hands. You Mingxu stiffened, but he had already begun drying her hair gently. When she tried to grab the towel back, he dodged her and said, “Don’t move. You’ve been dealing with things all day. Rest for a while.”
You Mingxu stared at him as if he were insane. He smiled and continued drying her hair with such skill and comfort that she turned her head away.
Once her hair was dry, he set the towel aside, pressed lightly on her forehead, and said, “Lean back.”
Before she could react, his hands were already on her head, giving her a gentle massage.
You Mingxu: “…”
His technique was masterful and incredibly soothing.
You Mingxu thought to herself, He must have visited massage parlors countless times to learn such skills.
“Yin Feng, are you on something today?” she asked.
His hands moved to her shoulders. “No,” he said, then stood up and walked back into the kitchen.
You Mingxu: “…”
After watching TV for a while, she saw Yin Feng bring out several small dishes and place them on the coffee table. They were all appetizing cold dishes, even including a plate of fried peanuts and two bowls of porridge.
You Mingxu and Luo Yu had been too preoccupied with their own agendas to eat properly earlier, and now she felt a little hungry. But her pride kept her from digging in.
Yin Feng placed a bowl of porridge and chopsticks in front of her and said, “Do me a favor and join me for a late-night snack. I haven’t eaten all day.”
You Mingxu asked, “Why haven’t you eaten all day?”
Yin Feng replied, “I had no appetite.”
You Mingxu fell silent for a few seconds, then picked up her chopsticks. He sat down beside her and, like a magician, produced a bottle of Maotai liquor and two small cups from under the coffee table. As he poured, he said, “Just a little. Not too much.”You Mingxu sometimes enjoyed a few drinks herself when the pressure of investigations weighed heavily on her or when loneliness crept in. Catching the rich aroma of the liquor, she felt a slight stir in her heart and remained silent.
And so, the two of them watched a bizarrely absurd TV drama while eating. At first, neither spoke. After a while, Yin Feng set down his chopsticks and raised his glass. You Mingxu clinked hers gently against it, taking a small sip, while he downed his in one go. He set the empty glass down and refilled it.
They continued eating and watching TV.
The drama reached new heights of absurdity—the villain’s face was twisted like a tangled mess, while the male and female leads chattered endlessly at a life-or-death moment, with a shower of flower petals drifting from the sky. You Mingxu’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Yin Feng also smiled.
Their gazes inadvertently met, and they saw each other’s smiles. The atmosphere grew a little strange again.
But Yin Feng didn’t let the awkwardness linger. He raised his glass once more, and You Mingxu clinked hers against it again, finishing the remainder of her drink in one go, while he downed his yet again.
"Don’t get drunk in my home," You Mingxu said.
"I won’t," he replied. "This isn’t enough for that."
They continued eating and drinking slowly. The dishes were nearly finished, and more than half the bottle of liquor was gone. You Mingxu felt pleasantly tipsy, while he seemed much more relaxed, his cheeks flushed, though his eyes remained clear and bright.
"How’s my cooking?" he asked.
You Mingxu nodded. "Not bad."
He smiled. "Thanks for the compliment." Noticing her glass was still half-full, he poured himself another drink. Most of the alcohol had ended up in his stomach.
You Mingxu reached out and pressed her hand over his glass. "Don’t drink too much."
He glanced at her hand, then looked at her, staying silent for a moment before asking, "What about you?"
"What?"
"You..." he said slowly, "do you want me to drink a lot?"
You Mingxu was taken aback, unable to respond.
He moved her hand aside and downed another glass. His dark brows and eyes seemed tinged with the clarity of the liquor as he said, "A Xu, you should go ahead with your plans tomorrow. I’ve already made arrangements—Tuya, Guan Jun, Xiao Yan, and I will be stationed in the same neighborhood, guarding you 24/7."
You Mingxu said nothing.
Watching him drink glass after glass, his eyes growing slightly red, You Mingxu blocked the mouth of his glass when he tried to pour another. He set the bottle down and said, "You still haven’t answered me—do you want me to get drunk or not?"
You Mingxu said, "Yin Feng, that’s enough. Don’t provoke me."
Instead, he stood up, moved to sit beside her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
She closed her eyes briefly and asked, "What’s gotten into you today?"
He said, "If you’re not willing to change, then I’ll have to be the one to adjust. Is this what loving someone is like? I’ve never experienced it before. Be a little more patient with me."
Suddenly, images flashed through You Mingxu’s mind: him standing cold and detached at the foot of her building, saying, "I’m sorry, I really can’t do anything." And then at his home, facing those two test reports, he had said, "I’ve endured a long period of loneliness. Now, my only desire is you."
"Yin Feng, what I want—you still haven’t remembered it yet," she said.He said, "I'm trying." After speaking, he leaned in and kissed her. His cool lips carried the scent of alcohol, kissing slowly and deeply. You Mingxu couldn't quite describe the feeling—discomfort, sweetness, desire, and unease all intertwined. One of his arms wrapped around her waist while the other hand slowly moved up to caress her face. They kissed in utter silence, much like this quietly shared night.
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