At that moment, the backup police forces arrived outside, accompanied by the sounds of sirens and footsteps. The man cowered on the ground, trembling with fear and confusion.
Yin Feng lowered his gun and let out a mocking laugh.
You Mingxu said, "Take him to the car first."
All the officers immediately sprang into action. The man, now extremely cooperative—or perhaps simply too exhausted to resist—allowed the police to remove his leg shackles and escort him out. As he passed by You Mingxu and Yin Feng, he remained visibly terrified, not daring to lift his head, and even shuddered.
Yin Feng let him pass without a word or a glance.
You Mingxu knew exactly what he was thinking and asked, "Still angry?"
Yin Feng replied coldly, "I'll settle this score with them sooner or later."
Seeing that he wasn't bothered by the man's earlier ramblings upon seeing him, she didn't dwell on it either. The two looked up as the police brought in searchlights, finally illuminating the entire room.
The twenty-square-meter room had gray walls, a concrete floor, and was dimly lit. Only half a window was visible above ground level, offering a faint glimpse of the grass and barbed wire in the yard.
Inside were a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a chair. The wardrobe was crammed with books—psychology, criminology, sociology, history... a wide variety, but mostly crime-related titles.
On one side of the desk sat a laptop, complete with a dedicated keyboard. The other side was piled with messy stacks of paper covered in writing. Beside the papers was a purple clay teacup, half-filled with unfinished tea.
Yin Feng frowned slightly, and You Mingxu remained silent.
——
The detectives had been working intensely on the case for several days, and this night had been particularly exhausting. They had retrieved Mingtao's body and all the evidence, along with the unidentified man. Everyone was utterly drained. Ding Xiongwei, aware that the team couldn't push any further, waved his hand and ordered everyone to go home and rest for half a day. The man would be held at the station under guard, with other officers assigned to conduct preliminary interrogations. The case-solving team was to return in the afternoon to continue their work.
Yin Feng and You Mingxu returned to the villa with Tuya and Guan Jun.
Chen Feng had already instructed the chef to prepare a lavish meal. The four of them, ravenous, ate with the others before retreating to their respective rooms to rest.
Guan Jun muttered, "Solving cases is exhausting. Ever since Teacher Yin got a 'boss lady,' he's been working us like cattle. I can't even figure out who I am anymore. Am I destined to be an unsung hero? If I get fed up, I'll hack the precinct's network!"
No one paid any attention to his ramblings.
As soon as Yin Feng and You Mingxu entered their bedroom, they took quick showers to wash off the blood and sweat, then collapsed into bed. Yin Feng, however, insisted on holding her tightly, making it somewhat uncomfortable for her to sleep. But she was too exhausted to argue and eventually drifted off in his arms.
When You Mingxu woke up, it was almost noon. She found Yin Feng wrapped around her like a giant octopus, his limbs tightly entangled with hers, making it impossible to break free. Her movements roused him, and his dark, intense eyes stared back at her from close range.With the Mingtao case now solved, You Mingxu felt a weight lift from her heart. Although there were certainly hidden details yet to be uncovered, they had to proceed step by step—otherwise, the police would be driven to exhaustion. Thus, her tone became noticeably lighter: "What are you looking at? What do you want to do?"
Yin Feng, who had been deep in thought, chuckled softly at her words and murmured, "You have a way with words."
You Mingxu's heart skipped a beat, but having slept well and feeling refreshed, enveloped in the warm, pleasant scent of him from the blankets, she reached out and stroked his chin.
Yin Feng had never encountered a woman as bold as her.
...
...
Lying side by side on the bed, both breathed softly, catching their breath. Neither felt the need to speak, as if prolonging the silence would allow the exquisite sensation to linger a little longer.
After a while, You Mingxu gently took his hand, which rested beside him, and smiled to herself.
"Are you satisfied?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Mm."
He turned onto his side, wrapped his arms around her, and held her quietly.
Lost in thought for no reason, You Mingxu said, "Do you think we’ll always be this good?"
He replied, "Yes."
"How do you know?"
"Because I am Yin Feng, and you are A Xu."
Suddenly, a profound warmth surged in You Mingxu’s chest, and she tightened her embrace around him.
You are Yin Feng, I am A Xu.
We’ve traveled such long roads, tasted so much sweetness, and endured so much bitterness. You turned away and came back, you vowed to worship me, and I never could let you go. Now, we are finally, steadfastly together.
The path I walked was hard, but you insisted on accompanying me. Thinking about it now, living each day like this isn’t so bad. Quietly, amidst bloodstains and corpses, you are in me, and I am in you.
"I love you," You Mingxu said softly.
That was just how she was—never deliberate, rarely direct. But once she decided to speak, she held nothing back.
Yin Feng remained silent for several seconds, then repeated his vow under his breath: "...I love you, worship you... It’s not dependence, not anything else... Worship you... Love you..."
You Mingxu wanted to laugh, but her eyes grew warm. In this moment, he seemed to revert to the stubborn mule that was You Yingjun, except his arms were stronger, his gaze steadier. His somewhat obsessive, out of control yet fiercely restrained demeanor was wildly captivating.
——
By the time they arrived at the police station that afternoon, both were equally refreshed and radiant, their eyes sparkling. It made singles like Xu Mengshan feel inexplicably self-conscious in their presence, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
The subsequent interrogations and wrap-up work didn’t require Yin Feng’s involvement, nor was it appropriate. So, You Mingxu left him in the office and went to meet with Ding Xiongwei. She learned that he had assigned two seasoned detectives to interrogate the unidentified man held in the basement. Inquiring further, she found there were no results yet. Though concerned, she refrained from intervening midway and focused instead on closing the Apprentice Killer case—after all, that had been their top priority during this period.
The evidence for the Apprentice Killer case was already overwhelming. All exhibits were discovered in Mingtao’s residence, bearing abundant fingerprints and DNA matching his. There were also records of him frequently accessing the bathhouse’s office system and downloading victim information.
OpenNovel