"I want an autograph too," Fan Jia muttered from the adjacent table.
Xu Mengshan chimed in, "Yeah, me too."
You Mingxu ignored them, continuing to eat quietly across from Yin Feng. The feeling in her heart remained somewhat novel and peculiar. This person before her—who had seemed utterly useless when they first met, who had stubbornly moved into her home and now hovered around her like a fledgling bird—was actually a celebrity. Others even took pride in obtaining his signature.
"Give me one when we get back," You Mingxu said casually.
Yin Feng immediately beamed, nodding vigorously. "Okay! Mingxu, look." He stuck out his tongue, showing her how he could curl it, even managing to roll a bean sprout in the middle.
"Eat properly!" You Mingxu scolded.
He lowered his head, then quickly stuck his tongue out again before retracting it.
You Mingxu couldn't help but chuckle.
As an outstanding police detective, You Mingxu possessed sharp perception and intuition about her surroundings and the movements of people. Like right now.
After a few bites, she suddenly sensed something off about the atmosphere. Lifting her gaze slightly, she noticed police officers near and far whispering while looking in their direction. At the 1:30, 3:00, 9:00, and 11:00 positions, people were pulling out small notebooks and pens from their pockets, their expressions eager. Several others were already heading their way.
Their table had unwittingly become the subtle center of a storm in the cafeteria.
And the person across from her was still eating and playing, completely unaware.
You Mingxu felt that Yin Feng probably wouldn't want to be surrounded here—the crowd would likely make him uncomfortable. Once decided, she patted his hand and stood up. "Come with me."
Yin Feng immediately rose. Right under everyone's watchful eyes, the two of them hurried away before the crowd could close in on them.
You Mingxu led Yin Feng all the way back to her office without stopping. She worked in a large room shared with her team. Only one or two people were napping at their desks at the moment. After bringing him back, she realized he was a hot potato—where could she leave him now?
Yin Feng still stood before her, gazing at her expectantly, his lips glistening with oil.
She pulled out a napkin and handed it to him. "Wipe your mouth."
Surprisingly, his eyes flickered. He didn't take it or move.
"What, you want me to wipe it for you?" she asked.
"I don't know where it's dirty," he said. "I don't think it's dirty at all."
Preoccupied, You Mingxu replied offhandedly, "Come closer." She instinctively reached out to wipe the corner of his mouth.
He immediately puckered his lips to make it easier for her. While scrolling through her phone for Chen Feng's number to have him come pick Yin Feng up, she wiped his mouth. His skin felt soft under her touch, his jawline clean and well-defined, his lips full. A faint warmth and slight dampness brushed against her fingers. After a few wipes, You Mingxu paused, tossed the napkin away, and said without looking up, "Done."
Yin Feng touched the corner of his mouth, murmuring as if to himself, "Mingxu wipes it so clean. My mouth feels brand new now."
What kind of ridiculous analogy was that? Seeing his earnest, bright eyes, You Mingxu turned her face away and chuckled again.
She tried calling Chen Feng three times, but no one answered.
You Mingxu looked up at Yin Feng, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Can you find your way home on your own?"When she mentioned the word "home," for some reason, Yin Feng felt a warmth in his chest. But he still lowered his head, avoiding her direct gaze, and slowly replied, "I... can't find it."
You Mingxu pressed her temple. "I'll call a car, give the driver the address, and have you sent back."
He remained silent for a few more seconds, then whispered, "I don't want to ride alone, and I don't want to ride with a stranger. Mingxu, how much longer until you get off work? Can we go home together?"
—
You Mingxu buried herself in work for quite a while. When she inadvertently looked up, she saw the person in the meeting room slumped in his chair like a boneless worm. His legs were propped up on the meeting table, shoes off, revealing socks printed with Ultraman. It was clear he was bored, but he still refused to leave, insisting on waiting for her.
Earlier, when Yin Feng had asked to wait for her to finish work, she hadn’t immediately refused. It wasn’t that she intended to agree, but as a police officer, his words, "I don’t want to ride with a stranger," had struck a nerve—she remembered what had happened to him in Tibet. If he felt fear about this, it was only human.
But she still had work to do and couldn’t break away. She had no choice but to leave him in the empty meeting room for the time being. Fortunately, he had a high-level access pass, so it wasn’t against the rules.
As it turned out, she was busy until the sun began to set.
During that time, Yin Feng had pressed himself against the glass more than once, gazing at her longingly. But You Mingxu had no time to pay him any attention. Fan Jia and Xu Mengshan, seeing their situation, were both amused. Xu Mengshan said, "Sis You, don’t bring the kid to work tomorrow. He looks pitiful." Fan Jia shook her head and sighed, "How pitiful. A renowned writer, willing to become a caged bird, a plaything in the palm of her hand, just to win the favor of a cold-faced policewoman..."
You Mingxu snapped, "Don’t you two have work to do? Get lost."
By the time the sunset glow bathed the corridor and most of the office had emptied out, You Mingxu finally stretched lazily and suddenly froze, turning to look.
Yin Feng had curled up in the chair and fallen asleep at some point.
Although the black leather chair was spacious, it still seemed cramped for his over-six-foot frame. Yet he had managed to curl his entire body into it, filling the chair completely. His long legs were tucked in, his arms wrapped around his knees, and his head rested on them. His handsome face, nestled against the black leather, looked even paler. A trail of drool glistened at the corner of his mouth.
How could sleeping like that be comfortable? The thought suddenly crossed You Mingxu’s mind.
She quickly packed her things. By now, almost everyone in the office had left. She walked into the meeting room, stopped in front of him, and watched him for a few seconds before gently patting his head. "Yin Feng, Yin Feng..."
He opened his eyes, his gaze childishly dazed and helpless as he looked around before finally settling on her face.
Then, he stretched out his hands toward her.
After a moment of stunned silence, a nerve twitched in You Mingxu’s forehead. "Put your hands down. I’m not going to hug you."
He said nothing and slowly lowered his hands.
You Mingxu ordered, "Put your shoes on."
He bent down and put on his shoes.
Seeing the stylish white sneakers on his feet, You Mingxu’s heart softened again. Her tone gentler, she said, "Alright, let’s go home."
"Mm." Yin Feng nodded vigorously, a happy smile spreading across his face.
"Mingxu, this suspect might be lying."You Mingxu was taken aback and followed his gaze. The conference room wall was covered with case materials and photographs. In one corner was a home invasion rape case handled by another team. Since it occurred at night and the victim was panicked, no effective information about the perpetrator had been provided.
You Mingxu quickly scanned the materials and asked, "What do you mean?"
Yin Feng stared at the wall and said, "The crime occurred around 10 PM last night, when the weather forecast predicted rain. The suspect lives directly below the victim. When the police arrived, his shoes and coat were wet with mud stains. He claimed he was out for a walk during the entire incident and knew nothing about what happened. In the photos, the entryway appears exceptionally tidy and clean—spotless. The shoes and coat were immediately noticeable.
But photos of other areas in his home, including the closet, living room, and bedroom, are all messy and disorganized, clearly untouched for a long time. This reveals his usual living habits. People often try to present fabricated evidence more clearly and perfectly to others, yet they frequently overlook minor behavioral logic and habits. I believe it's highly unlikely and unreasonable for someone who is usually messy to suddenly, in the middle of the night without expecting visitors, decide to clean and organize only the entryway. Even though you haven't found physical evidence yet, this is a very obvious behavioral clue."
After rattling off this explanation in one breath, Yin Feng himself seemed momentarily stunned.
You Mingxu watched him for a few seconds, then pulled out her phone and made a brief call to the officer in charge of the case. After hanging up, she saw Yin Feng scratching the back of his head, lost in thought.
A faint sense of melancholy stirred within You Mingxu.
"Let's go, time to head home," she said.
He seemed to have completely forgotten the earlier incident, cheerfully stuffing his hands into his pockets as he hurried to catch up with her.
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