Coming to Myself

Suddenly, she felt a strong impulse to take off her shoes and curl up on this memory-filled sofa.

Yin Feng glanced into the room and saw her dragging a suitcase out from under the bed, busy with her tasks.

You Mingxu remembered that her toiletry bag was in the living room cabinet and casually walked out. Just as she reached the bedroom door, she saw him—shoes off, knees hugged to his chest, curled up in a corner of the sofa with his face resting on his knees and his back hunched.

The sight was all too familiar. You Mingxu froze, her heartbeat quickening unexpectedly.

Hearing the noise, Yin Feng turned his head. The two of them faced each other in silence.

You Mingxu laughed. "What are you doing?"

Yin Feng slowly unfolded his legs, put on his shoes, and resumed his usual mature and aloof expression. "Is it wrong to review the past and gain new insights?" he replied.

You Mingxu was both amused and exasperated—he even threw in a lofty idiom. But was he also reminiscing about the time when he was You Yingjun?

A gentle ripple stirred in her heart. Deliberately feigning nonchalance, she went to the living room to retrieve her things before returning to the bedroom to continue packing.

Yin Feng sat for a while longer before getting up and heading toward the empty room.

Yin Feng’s home was fully stocked, so You Mingxu only needed to bring seasonal clothes and daily essentials. Efficient as always, she finished packing quickly. When she walked into the living room, however, she found him missing.

That room had been cleared out on his orders, and You Mingxu had kept it exactly as it was. The miscellaneous items originally stored there before his arrival remained piled up in the adjacent apartment—she hadn’t asked Chen Feng to bring them back.

You Mingxu entered the room and found him standing by the window, gazing outside.

Her home’s view couldn’t compare to his. Beyond the iron railings, buildings crowded the line of sight, leaving only a small patch of sky visible.

You Mingxu walked over to him and asked, "What’s so interesting about this?"

He replied, "I still remember how it felt back then. For many days, I lay in bed, staring at that tiny piece of sky. I felt like I knew nothing and recognized no one. The world was too vast for me—everything was unknown. I was often afraid, sometimes waking up startled in the middle of the night. But as long as I remembered you were next door, as long as I had you, no monsters or demons could stand against you. Then I wasn’t scared anymore. I could fall asleep. I found the courage to keep living in this world."

Although You Mingxu had always been aware of You Yingjun’s confusion and dependence back then, hearing him speak of it now felt entirely different. Her mind conjured an image of You Yingjun curled under the blankets in the dark, his clear yet bewildered eyes fixed on the sky outside the window.

Her heart ached, but she said lightly, "I know—back then, you saw me as your mother, your nanny."

Yin Feng chuckled. "Nonsense. Even when I was foolish, I understood matters between men and women."

You Mingxu didn’t believe him. "How is that possible?"

Yin Feng glanced at her. "For a while, I was itching with the desire to sleep with you."

You Mingxu: "…"

She scoffed at him but thought to herself that this must be Yin Feng deliberately teasing her. The You Yingjun of that time had been so innocent and endearing—how could he have entertained such bold thoughts?

Yin Feng added, "But I did keep the promise I made to you."

"What promise?"He pulled her in front of him, embracing her from behind as they both leaned against the windowsill. Even though they had been intimate the night before, such closeness without any distance still made You Mingxu’s heart tremble slightly.

He said softly, "Only you can be the mistress of my castle, only you can ascend it. From now on, accompany me to watch the scenery of life, the changing seasons. Share joys and sorrows, live and die together. Don’t leave."

You Mingxu also recalled the past, leaning quietly in his embrace for a while before suddenly breaking free and asking, "If that’s the case, where is your castle?"

Yin Feng was taken aback.

You Mingxu turned around and pointed at the almost empty room: "The castle filled with our sweet memories—why is it gone?"

Yin Feng understood—she was picking a fight. Remembering the incident when he moved out, he truly had nothing to say. He also recalled that after the luggage and furniture were hauled away, Chen Feng had asked him, "Where should we put them?"

Without looking up, he replied, "Throw them away."

Chen Feng had remained silent at the time and left. It was unclear whether he had obediently followed the order.

But Yin Feng’s mind worked quickly. Even if they were discarded, he could simply buy another set. If he didn’t want her to notice, he could even have them artificially aged with scratches and dents—after all, wasn’t there Guan Jun for that?

So, without changing his expression, he replied, "What’s the hurry? They’re all at my place, stored in the garage. But it wouldn’t be suitable for us to sleep on that bed again—the space is too cramped. Though, sleeping there occasionally could be quite romantic."

You Mingxu hadn’t expected the items to still be there, and her heart warmed slightly. But how had she ended up being teased by him again? She turned and walked out.

Yin Feng grabbed her hand, holding it firmly in his palm.

You Mingxu said leisurely, "I suddenly realize that moving to your place might not be very appropriate."

Yin Feng raised an eyebrow, listening as she continued, "What if one day your mind goes bad again, and you don’t remember me? What if you feel sorry but are powerless to do anything? Wouldn’t I end up being kicked out by you? That would be utterly humiliating—I won’t do it."

Yin Feng laughed, grabbing her waist and pulling her tightly against him until they were pressed together. "Bringing up the past again? No problem, that’s easy to handle. Aren’t Chen Feng and the others only loyal to the boss’s wife now, not me? When we go back, I’ll tell them that if such a day ever comes, they should kick me out and leave the house to you. Let me suffer outdoors at the doorstep, repenting and reforming. Only when I remember will I be allowed back home."

You Mingxu almost laughed but kept a serious expression. "It’s a deal."

Yin Feng hadn’t expected her to actually agree and felt a bit displeased. He kissed her cheek and said, "You’re really heartless."

You Mingxu replied, "When it comes to heartlessness, who can compare to you? At the slightest disagreement, you cut ties cleanly without any hesitation."

Yin Feng: "..." It seemed this matter wasn’t over yet. But recalling his attitude back then and considering how proud You Mingxu was, she must have been deeply hurt, even if she hadn’t said anything at the time. Yin Feng’s heart softened. He brought her hand to his lips, kissed it, and said, "A Xu, regarding that matter, punish me however you want. I owe you."

Hearing him say this, You Mingxu found it hard to respond, as she had only been joking. After a moment’s thought, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Alright, then I’ll punish you to sleep in the garage with your castle for a month. Once that’s done, I’ll feel completely at ease and promise never to bring it up again."

He stared intently at her.You Mingxu turned and walked toward her bedroom, a smile playing on her lips.

A moment later, he followed her in and said calmly, "You Mingxu, even if you're asking for the moon, there should be at least a sliver of feasibility. That kind of demand is impossible."

"Didn't you say I could punish you however I wanted?"

He paused for a few seconds. "When did I say that?"

You Mingxu grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Get out!"

And so they dawdled, talking and bickering, unwittingly tussling again on the sofa and then the bed. By the time they packed their luggage and went downstairs, over an hour had passed.

Chen Feng was leaning against the car scrolling through his phone, while Tuya was squatting by the roadside playing a mobile game. From a distance, they saw Yin Feng pulling a suitcase with You Mingxu walking empty-handed beside him. Tuya grinned first, eyeing Yin Feng, and said, "Looks like he didn't get hurt much."

Chen Feng also glanced over and remarked, "Do you understand internal injuries? Look at the boss lady—refreshed and radiant. Then look at Teacher Yin, obediently dragging the suitcase behind her, not even glancing elsewhere. Now you know who's going to be in charge of this household from now on, right?"

Tuya received yet another lesson.