You Mingxu knew this was a feeling he had never given her when he was You Yingjun—this was a real man attempting to kiss a woman.
After kissing for a while, his lips moved away. There was no trace of the usual surging desire in his eyes, only a clear, gentle light. He asked softly, "Do you want me to get drunk?"
If needed, I'll drink. Let me become You Yingjun again, make me forget everything once more. So you can embrace the version of me you desire without any unease, doubt, or hesitation.
You Mingxu's nose suddenly stung, tears welling up. She shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse: "I want you to remember."
A sharp pain clenched in Yin Feng's chest. He pulled her back into his embrace, stroking her long hair, and said, "Give me a little more time."
"How much longer?"
He remained silent.
You Mingxu: "A month? Three months? A year? Three years?"
There was a hint of pouting in her words. It was the first time Yin Feng had seen her act so willfully and spoiled. His heart softened, and he blurted out, "Let's start with thirty years."
You Mingxu fell silent, and he said nothing more. After holding her for a while longer, she pushed him away and lifted her chin: "Go clean up."
Surprisingly, Yin Feng showed no trace of displeasure. He stood up and began clearing the bowls and chopsticks. His long, pale fingers moved steadily and deftly through the task. He entered the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and even washed the dishes.
You Mingxu leaned back on the sofa, absentmindedly watching TV as the night grew heavy outside the window. On such an evening, in a home like this, she had expected her heart to churn after his earlier words, but instead, she found herself enveloped in a comfortable tranquility.
By the time he finished washing the dishes and walked out, he had already put on his jacket. Their eyes met, and he approached the sofa, stroked her long hair, and bent down to plant a kiss on her head. "Goodnight," he said.
As Yin Feng opened the door, You Mingxu reminded him, "Don't drive if you've been drinking."
Yin Feng smiled and replied, "Tuya is downstairs."
He closed the door and left, his footsteps gradually fading away. The night was deep now. You Mingxu sat in a daze for a while, her mind filled with his earlier actions, expressions, and words. He was still the same aloof and profound man, yet today, he carried a warmth she hadn't felt before.
——
On the same night, Luo Yu returned home late after meeting with Xing Jifu.
Having shared a few drinks with his boss, he felt the pleasant buzz of mild intoxication. The satisfaction of finally achieving a goal he had worked toward for years lingered, and a faint smile still touched his lips as he pushed open the door to his home.
Yet, the house was cold and silent. The spacious rooms stood as quiet as a tomb, with only the pale moonlight streaming through the window.
Rubbing his dizzy forehead, he turned on the light.
After a shower, he felt clearer and calmer. He sat on the sofa, brewing a pot of light tea, and sipped it slowly. His gaze drifted unintentionally to the master bedroom, which had long been tidied up.
In truth, there wasn't much to tidy—aside from the essential furniture, the room had always been largely empty.
Would she take the bait?
Luo Yu smiled.
Would she walk into the trap he had laid?
He lifted his teacup and took a small sip.
In this game of chess, many players held the pieces. He had started as an obscure little lawyer and climbed to where he was today—envied by many, despised by many. He had been used by countless people and had used countless others in return.
This particular scheme was exceptionally high-stakes. It might even cost him his life.
But if You Mingxu were absent from this path, he feared the journey would feel far lonelier.So, from that day onward, since she had mistakenly stumbled into a corner of his deep web, he had no choice but to keep her firmly in his grasp.
——
Luo Yu often suffered from insomnia, but that night he slept soundly. His dreams were hazy yet gentle. He seemed to always see that faint sliver of moonlight on the floor by the bed.
When he woke up, the pride, desire, and slight anxiety from the previous night all settled back into place. He returned to being the cold, shrewd, and widely despised black-hearted lawyer he had been for years. No—now he was more than just a lawyer.
He had become the sharpest and most capable claw in that invisible empire.
Following Xing Jifu’s instructions from the night before, Luo Yu spent the entire day adjusting, arranging, planning, and holding secret talks. By three in the afternoon, while directing a few underlings in covert operations, he received a text message on his phone.
He glanced at it and fell silent for a moment.
His underlings noticed his change in expression and asked, “Boss, what’s wrong?”
Luo Yu put away his phone and smiled. “It’s nothing.” After a pause, as if unable to contain himself, he added with a grin, “Your sister-in-law is moving into my place today.”
The message on his phone was unmistakably from You Mingxu: “Moving to your place in an hour.”
News of Luo Yu snagging a beautiful policewoman had already spread through the gang. They weren’t afraid of the police—everyone thought Luo Yu was incredibly impressive. Hearing Luo Yu’s words, they all laughed.
Luo Yu pointed to one of them and said, “Take two men to my place now and wait there. Help your sister-in-law with the move. Tell her I’m tied up and will face her judgment when I get back tonight. Report to me when it’s done.”
Luo Yu was indeed swamped—several groups of underlings were still waiting to see him at the door. The underling assigned the task quickly agreed and eagerly hurried off to curry favor with his “sister-in-law.”
So when You Mingxu arrived at Luo Yu’s building with the moving company’s truck, she saw three young men eagerly waiting. You Mingxu recognized them but didn’t bother with small talk. The three greeted her and took over the moving tasks, directing the movers up and down.
You Mingxu went straight into Luo Yu’s apartment.
It was both as she had imagined and yet not quite. A three-bedroom apartment in a high-end community with top-notch security, minimalist and cold-toned, exquisitely furnished yet starkly empty. It was the kind of place a single man his age ought to have, but far more restrained and reserved than the man himself.
The underlings had already handed over a full set of keys to the entire apartment to You Mingxu, who naturally accepted without hesitation. She took a look around, including Luo Yu’s bedroom, where the drawers were locked. She found nothing of interest but wasn’t bothered. She then went to the study, where some documents lay on the desk. You Mingxu skimmed through them—some were legal, others suspected of being illegal. But they were all matters the police were already aware of. She also noticed a safe in the corner of the room. Picking up the keychain, she checked—naturally, there was no key for the safe.
No rush. She had already entered his den, stepped into his wolf’s lair. There was plenty of time ahead.
However, You Mingxu didn’t expect to find anything significant there. Since Luo Yu had prepared for her to move in, anything he allowed her to see was undoubtedly under his control.
The underlings left as soon as the move was finished. You Mingxu lingered a while longer before heading downstairs. Noticing that no one was tailing her, she quickly slipped into the adjacent building.
You Mingxu took the elevator to a high floor and knocked on a door. It opened, and Xu Mengshan glanced behind her before letting her in.This was an empty apartment in the residential complex that had been secretly requisitioned by the police. It was located almost directly opposite Luo Yu's home.
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