Coming to Myself

The driver, Tuya, chuckled and said, "Teacher Yin seems quite happy today?"

You Mingxu thought of him at the dinner party and smiled. "Yeah, it seems so."

Tuya said, "I know him—he only drinks too much when he's either very happy or very upset. And those moments are rare."

Hearing this, You Mingxu glanced at Yin Feng. Drunk, he looked utterly docile, his brows and eyes smooth, his lips slightly pursed. His usually sharp features now appeared much more delicate.

After they returned home, Guan Jun and the others rushed over upon hearing Yin Feng was drunk. They didn’t seem particularly worried; instead, it was more like they’d come to watch the spectacle. Chen Feng smiled faintly and stepped forward to help. Xiao Yan kept his distance—he didn’t like drunk people. Guan Jun, as usual, was sarcastic: "Teacher Yin wasn’t like this before; he knew his limits. But now, after following someone, he’s always drinking himself into a stupor. A beauty is a disas—"

Before he could finish, You Mingxu smacked him on the head.

Guan Jun stared in shock. She hit his head? You Mingxu actually hit his head? No one had ever dared!

You Mingxu: "Enough nonsense. If you’re not helping, don’t block the way."

Guan Jun stood there dumbfounded as the others supported Yin Feng and moved ahead. He hurried to catch up, trailing right behind You Mingxu, wanting to say something but too furious to get a word out. He was bursting with frustration!

The group dumped Yin Feng onto the master bedroom bed and left.

Listening to Yin Feng’s steady, deep breaths, You Mingxu guessed he’d sleep straight through the night. She took a shower, feeling more awake, and since it was still early, she grabbed a tablet, put on headphones, and lay down beside him to watch a newly released drama.

She had no idea how long she’d been watching.

The night grew deeper, a few bright stars hanging in the dark sky outside the window. Faint noises from the others could still be heard downstairs. You Mingxu was completely absorbed—she had three days off and planned to binge-watch to her heart’s content.

Tree branches gently brushed against the windowpane. Apart from the soft glow of the bedside lamp, the room was bathed in a gentle dimness.

You Mingxu’s eyes were fixed on the screen, her mind wandering. Suddenly, a body lunged over, arms wrapping tightly around her. You Mingxu gasped softly, feeling the person’s warmth envelop her from behind, his warm breath brushing against her neck. He nuzzled his face firmly against the back of her head and murmured, "A Xu…"

That tone…

You Mingxu tried to turn around but found she couldn’t move—was he using all his strength to pin her down? She laughed, that heart-racing feeling surging back, along with a faint thrill.

A thought crossed her mind: If the sober Yin Feng knew I prefer this version… he’d be furious.

She managed to turn over anyway and met a pair of eyes bright as stars. His face was filled with joy and an intense, barely restrained emotion.

You Mingxu hesitated.

Yin Feng had already told her about his theory regarding a second personality. Strictly speaking, You Yingjun wasn’t a separate personality but another aspect of his own character. That’s why their memories were gradually merging. In other words, it was simply a matter of him having been foolish for a while and then recovering. But even Yin Feng couldn’t explain why, the last time he got drunk, You Yingjun had resurfaced again."Maybe when I get drunk, certain parts of my brain just shut down," he had said with a sour expression. "Some people become simpler and happier when they're drunk."

You Mingxu had stifled a laugh at the time without saying a word.

Now Yin Feng leaned in, puckering his lips for a kiss while his hands began wandering under her clothes. You Mingxu stopped him: "Wait. So... how much do you remember from this period?"

Yin Feng glanced at her: "I remember everything. Didn't I already tell you? That wasn't a second personality—that was me. Don't waste time, let's..."

You Mingxu was startled. So it was true what Yin Feng said—the memories of both personalities had merged completely? The person before her was both You Yingjun and Yin Feng.

While she was lost in thought, the man before her automatically closed his eyes, pouted exaggeratedly, and moved in for a kiss.

So this person was the same noble and proud man from earlier tonight? He had already recovered, and was now simply acting drunk like any ordinary person...

You Mingxu suddenly burst into laughter.

Yin Feng opened his eyes and looked at her discontentedly, turning away indignantly. You Mingxu kept laughing, unable to stop herself, and turned to grab her phone to record the moment, thinking "Yin Feng, you finally have your comeuppance."

But as soon as she opened the camera, her phone was slapped away and she was pulled into an embrace. His cold expression actually carried some of the arrogance from when he was sober: "What are you trying to do?"

You Mingxu said: "I like you, I want to record you.You Yingjun was so easy to coax—he immediately smiled, his mouth stretching almost to his ears. It was truly the same appearance she remembered. A strong, long-suppressed sweetness surged in You Mingxu's chest, along with some indescribable heartache. She gently kissed his cheek, and he turned around, descending upon her like a storm...

Breathless, passionate and warm.

People say drunk men are either incapable or become wilder. But he was different—when drunk, he transformed from that sinister older man back into the honest, hardworking youth... You Mingxu's thoughts wandered chaotically. It hadn't been long since they started, yet someone was already getting addicted again.

When You Mingxu grew breathless and began to resist, he lifted his slightly dizzy eyes, for some reason looking somewhat embarrassed.

You Mingxu touched his face encouragingly: "What's wrong?"

"I..."

"What exactly is wrong?" She instinctively glanced downward.

Yin Feng tightened his grip on her hand: "What kind of look is that?" He even gave her a light flick on the forehead. You Mingxu covered her head and sneered: "Getting bold, aren't we?"

"I was thinking..." he hesitated again.

"Fine, don't say it then."

"Hey!" He pressed her shoulders, sweat streaming down his forehead, but his eyes shone brilliantly as he looked at her with determined resolve. "When I was wrongly accused and running everywhere, I had this thought."

"What thought?"

His gaze grew tranquil, like stars hidden in a dark, lonely forest.

"I want to marry you," he said. "I don't know why, but I felt it then. I thought if I could return safely and clear my name, I had to do this. I've been thinking about it all these days, just didn't know how to bring it up..."

You Mingxu was also stunned.

Really?

So you've been thinking about me all along?Since the day you appeared downstairs at my building with evidence in hand, going through layers of police leadership as everyone discussed the action plan. Time was so tight, the situation so critical, we didn't even have a moment to exchange more than a few words. Even when we did speak, it was about the case, about the criminals, about others. Between the two of us, nothing more was said. We didn't even have time for a hug. Many times, I just watched your figure from behind, stern and straight like a tree. And your eyes, I saw and felt, were always covered with frost.

Yet behind that frost lay unspoken feelings.

Actually, Yin Feng, I feel the same way. Through all the ups and downs, the hail of bullets, standing shoulder to shoulder, no words needed to be said. The two of us have long been...

Seeing her lost in thought and silent, Yin Feng actually felt a trace of unprecedented nervousness. He had never proposed to anyone before, but who was he? What situation between a man and a woman couldn't he handle? Thinking this, he grabbed her shoulders firmly, staring at her with an extremely serious and eager gaze, and slowly said, "A Xu, could you... marry me?"

You Mingxu's heart pounded fiercely several times. In that moment, she also felt as if the whole world had gone quiet.

Only...

She laughed, a breathless, exasperated laugh. His hand was still tightly gripping her sweat-dampened arm.

She smacked him on the head: "Who proposes like this, at a time like this! Are you trying to infuriate me? Get lost! I don't agree!"

Of course, in the end, Yin Feng didn't "get lost." Sheepishly, he coaxed and pleaded, acting like a shameless rogue, and soon moved on to other things, finally calming You Mingxu's anger. The matter of the proposal naturally wasn't brought up again, and he didn't have the face to mention it.

...

Dawn broke.

When Yin Feng woke up, he felt the headache of a hangover. Rubbing his head, he turned and saw You Mingxu lying beside him, still sound asleep, with numerous marks visible on her shoulders outside the blanket.

Yin Feng smiled slightly, continued rubbing his head, and got up to take a shower.

By the time he finished, refreshed and clean, he saw that You Mingxu was already awake, sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up. She glanced at him, her gaze inscrutable.

Yin Feng walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Just as he tried to embrace her, she dodged and got out of bed.

Watching her movements, Yin Feng said in a flat tone, "What? Were you unsatisfied with me last night?"

Memories could merge, but drinking could cause blackouts. Yin Feng only vaguely remembered the intensity of the previous night, that they seemed to have had a good time, but he couldn't recall exactly what had been said.

Seeing his expression, You Mingxu knew he didn't remember again. Cursing inwardly, she gave a cold laugh and went to the bathroom.

This took Yin Feng by surprise.

But this wasn't the first time You Mingxu had turned cold after such an event. It was likely he had done something excessive the previous night that embarrassed and angered her. Yin Feng smiled slightly; as a man, he wouldn't yield in such matters, nor would he apologize. He wanted her to accept and get used to it.

He walked over to the bathroom door and asked, "What do you want to eat for breakfast?"

"Noodles," You Mingxu's voice gave no indication whether she was angry or relieved.