Another week passed, and it happened to be Friday. Early in the morning, You Mingxu received a message from Yin Feng: "Come to my place at 7 tonight."
You Mingxu was taken aback for a moment before replying: "You're back?"
"I'll arrive this afternoon."
"Okay."
She put down her phone, surprised to find her heart racing with a faint, bubbling joy and even a trace of inexplicable unease. It had been over a month since they last saw each other, and though they spoke on the phone every few days, it hadn't felt like a big deal. But now that he was returning, she felt strangely unsettled.
She pulled herself together and focused on work, even going with Xu Mengshan to apprehend a robber and bring him back to the station. However, when she checked her phone, it was only a little past 3 p.m. Time seemed to be crawling by unusually slowly today.
At the end of the workday, Xu Mengshan invited her to dinner. Without looking up, You Mingxu declined: "Not going."
Xu Mengshan pressed, "What's the holdup? My treat."
Only then did You Mingxu glance at him and finally say, "Yin Feng came back this afternoon."
Xu Mengshan felt as if an arrow had struck his chest. He sighed, thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's good. This time, there's no way you two will part, right? Congratulations on finally reaching the happy ending."
You Mingxu, however, replied calmly, "Not necessarily. If he turns out to be a jerk again, I'll give him a good beating and kick him to the curb."
Xu Mengshan burst into laughter. After he finished laughing, he said, "He won't," and walked out of the office.
You Mingxu smiled too, worked a bit longer, and headed downstairs when it was about time.
——
Since returning to Hunan this time, You Mingxu hadn't visited the villa because Yin Feng was away. Now, standing at the entrance, she saw Xiao Yan grinning as he greeted her. Behind him, the villa was softly lit, quiet and tidy, seemingly unchanged from before.
A warmth spread through her heart as she walked in with Xiao Yan.
The weather had already turned warmer. From a distance, she could see the exquisitely situated terrace lit up with lights and a figure moving about. She couldn't help but grumble inwardly: After brushing with death, that guy's flair for the dramatic hasn't diminished one bit. With just the two of them, why all this formality? How awkward.
As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Tuya, Guan Jun, and Chen Feng sitting and eating. A table of dishes and a few bottles of wine were laid out before them. Upon seeing You Mingxu, Chen Feng smiled faintly and called out first, "Boss's wife."
Tuya followed with a hearty, simple shout, "Boss's wife."
Guan Jun looked up, giving her a half-smile, and said slowly, word by word, "Oh, the boss's wife is here."
Even You Mingxu felt her cheeks grow warm from their teasing, but she nodded with composure.
Xiao Yan stayed downstairs to eat, while she went upstairs alone.
In her heart, she cursed Yin Feng again: A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow.
As she reached the entrance to the terrace, the first thing she noticed was a faint, floral fragrance. Looking around, she saw the terrace awning adorned with tiny lights, casting a soft glow. In the center stood a small dining table with two chairs. Yin Feng was standing by the table, wearing an apron and having just set down a plate.
Behind him, clusters of flowers were placed around the edges of the terrace, mostly in soft, delicate shades of pink. The fragrance she had noticed earlier wafted from these blossoms.
You Mingxu was momentarily stunned.
He had said he would arrive in Xiangcheng in the afternoon and meet her in the evening.
Could it be that after returning, he had spent his time preparing all this—arranging the flowers and cooking dinner?A certain place in her heart softened just a little.
Yin Feng also looked up at her. After they gazed at each other for a moment, he took off his apron, draped it over the back of the chair, and said, "Come here."
On the balcony, a fireplace was burning. He wore a dark sweater with a thin jacket over it, looking somewhat thinner than before he went to Guizhou. After suffering a serious injury, he seemed to have become more reserved and less inclined to smile. He appeared cold and aloof, handsome like a dark-toned painting, yet faintly reflecting a certain soft light.
You Mingxu walked casually over to him, studying him as she said, "Are you completely recovered? Is it really okay for you to be cooking so soon?"
His response was to reach out and pull her into his embrace. He held her rather tightly. You Mingxu’s face was buried in his sweater, and she caught the faint scent of his cologne.
One of his arms wrapped around her waist, while the other slowly moved up to press against the back of her head, his fingers gently and slowly stroking her hair. Suddenly, You Mingxu felt both happy and distressed. Her nose tingled with emotion, and she spread her arms to wrap them around his waist in return.
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