That was a rather handsome face—two dark eyebrows, a straight nose bridge, and thin lips pressed lightly together. Yet upon closer inspection, it was clearly different from Yin Feng’s features.
Why had she thought of Yin Feng the moment she saw this man lying here earlier?
Her mind suddenly recalled the several times Yin Feng had slept beside her, his posture almost overlapping with that of the unfamiliar man before her.
A growing sense of alarm and suspicion swelled within her.
She observed him discreetly, saying nothing. Suddenly, she remembered a surveillance video Yin Feng had once shown her—
In Guizhou, under a dripping eaves, a man with his back to the camera, wearing Yin Feng’s clothes and carrying his bag. His figure and posture had even fooled Chen Feng and the others. But Yin Feng had noticed something off.
A substitute.
Why was he here? Chained up, as if he had been here for some time, he even had a bed, a desk with a computer and a stack of papers, and a bookshelf nearby.
What was he doing here?
A strange thought suddenly crossed You Mingxu’s mind—Could it be that those people trained him this way? Even imitating Yin Feng’s daily habits and writing routines?
At this moment, You Mingxu only felt a deep sense of eeriness, unaware of the immense crisis about to unfold.
The other police officers were also familiar with Yin Feng, but when they saw this man, they only found him vaguely familiar and felt something odd, without making the connection to Yin Feng.
Xu Mengshan, however, frowned and instinctively glanced back, searching for Yin Feng.
When he did, he froze.
Yin Feng had followed the police into this secret room. Surrounded by officers, he felt no tension.
Yet, as he looked at the dim, deep chamber, a sense of déjà vu washed over him.
He suddenly recalled that dream and the fragmented memories of his own torment. A similar corridor, a similar secret room—he had seen the figure behind Yin Chen, the blood-stained tools covering the walls, and his imprisoned self.
But this might not be the same place. If someone had deliberately set it up, it would be easy to replicate.
Wait and see.
However, when he followed the others into the room and clearly saw the man slumped over the desk, he was stunned.
His reaction was faster than You Mingxu’s. In an instant, he remembered Guizhou, the man standing under the eaves, and how everyone around him had been completely unaware, thinking he was still living a carefree, arrogant, and unrestrained life. Meanwhile, he had been dragged into the darkness, and this man had taken his place, quietly appearing in that mansion.
A surge of intense hatred and indescribable revulsion rose within Yin Feng. Replace him? Who could possibly replace him in this world, stripping away everything that belonged to him? And now, the substitute had the audacity to appear right before him.
This man was undoubtedly one of the Punishers.
Could he even be the founder who felt so familiar to him?
Before his mind could form a clear answer, Yin Feng’s body moved first. He snatched a gun from a nearby police officer, aimed it directly at the man behind the desk, his eyes filled with murderous intent, his face as cold as frost.Xu Mengshan turned around and saw Yin Feng's expression, which startled him. He felt Yin Feng's reaction was unexpectedly intense. But he quickly realized—perhaps Yin Feng had detected the man's identity—and immediately drew his gun, aiming it at the man as a precaution.
The other officers also drew their weapons.
You Mingxu turned to look for Yin Feng and was taken aback by his appearance. Suddenly understanding the source of his hatred, her heart softened, and she gave him a reassuring glance. In the dim, flickering light, he saw it and nodded slightly to her, indicating he would keep his composure. You Mingxu felt relieved, but many questions remained—why had Mingtao died here? Clearly, the police had been lured to this place. And why was this substitute also here?
Was he alive or dead?
Outwardly, there seemed to be nothing unusual.
Xu Mengshan stepped forward again to check the man's pulse and breathing. As soon as his hand touched the man's neck, the man stirred slightly. Xu Mengshan immediately stepped back and raised his gun.
The man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly dazed. When he saw the lights and people before him, he appeared utterly terrified, jerking upright and shrinking back into his chair, his face pale, his lips even trembling.
"Who... are you?" His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in years, each word clawed out from his throat.
Xu Mengshan replied, "We're police officers. Who are you? Why are you here?"
The man seemed slow to process this: "...Police? Why are there police? Are you here to arrest me? I haven't committed any crimes, I haven't killed anyone! Are you here to save me? Have you finally come to save me?"
His words were clearly disordered, his emotions frantic and fearful. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan exchanged a glance. A thought occurred to her, and she stepped forward, speaking gently, "Don't be afraid. We're police officers. Of course, we're here to rescue you. No one will harm you."
The man stared blankly at her, perhaps sensing her gentleness and goodwill. He was handsome and delicate-featured, and huddled there silently, he appeared timid and docile. You Mingxu's heart jolted again—if not for the different face, she might have thought she was looking at You Yingjun!
Then the man's gaze shifted past her to the people behind her. The detectives had already assessed that he posed no threat and were slowly lowering their guns.
Only one person still held a gun aimed at him, his eyes chillingly cold.
It was at that moment the man saw Yin Feng. His face abruptly changed color; his previously dull eyes widened in terror. He tumbled from the chair and began scrambling behind it: "Ah, ah, ah... You're here! I'll obey! I'll definitely obey! I'll write well, I'll write right away! The latest novel is almost finished! Please, don't hit me, don't treat me like that again! I promise I'll write well! I promise it'll be better than the last one, please, please..." He seemed utterly broken with fear, his whole body trembling as he wept.
Everyone was stunned, instinctively looking at Yin Feng.
Yin Feng's eyes were dark and heavy, fixed on the man as if he could bore a hole through him.You Mingxu was also taken aback, that faint sense of unease rising in her heart once more. What was this person talking about? Who asked him to write anything? Why did he appear so frightened the moment he saw Yin Feng?
Her heart jolted: Could it be intentional? Was he deliberately trying to frame Yin Feng for something? But how was that possible? How could they possibly succeed in framing Yin Feng? Wasn't that just wishful thinking?
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