The man was clearly three or four years older than her—yet no one on the street seemed to find it ridiculous. They probably just took him for a trendy, carefree young man.
You Mingxu couldn't help but smile faintly.
She had long since changed out of her police uniform, now wearing a simple white T-shirt and cropped pants that revealed her ankles. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, carrying with it the faint scent of sweat unique to a female detective, mingling with her natural fragrance and drifting on the breeze into Yin Feng's nostrils. Usually, she maintained a stern and aloof demeanor, but when she smiled, her innate elegance seemed to burst forth unrestrained. Her phoenix eyes were slender, her red lips slightly parted. Her entire face seemed to radiate a lively, delicate glow.
Yin Feng didn't know why he was observing her so intently. Everything around them was quiet, and then he felt a surge of heat rushing toward his heart. He could even feel his heartbeat quickening—thump, thump, thump. It seemed that from the very first moment he laid eyes on her, You Mingxu had stirred this restless feeling within him, yet it was oddly calming and special.
He even felt too embarrassed to keep staring at her face, sensing a flush creeping up his cheeks as if he had done something shameful. So, he turned his gaze toward the slope, where a group of children were chasing and playing noisily.
Suddenly, a fervent, clear longing surged within Yin Feng. This longing felt like an epiphany, grounding the wicked impulse he had previously felt toward her into something tangible.
You Mingxu had no idea of the intricate turmoil in his mind; she thought he was simply spacing out. Then, she heard Yin Feng say, "A Xu, will you chase me?"
You Mingxu looked up at him and remained silent.
Then she saw the handsome young man dressed in green, his face breaking into an exceptionally bright and radiant smile. He was like a pure, luminous body, shining brilliantly under the night sky and starlight.
"Come and chase me," he said in a deep, magnetic voice before turning and dashing off swiftly.
You Mingxu closed her eyes for a few seconds, then reopened them and yelled, "Stop right there! Don't. You. Dare. Run!"
—
The two were already on their way back home.
You Mingxu walked ahead with a lazy, indifferent expression, while Yin Feng trailed behind her, maintaining a distance of about one person's length. She knew he was sulking—he had actually learned to sulk—all because she refused to play the "chase me" game with him.
Let him be.
Unexpectedly, after a while, he began to dawdle again. You Mingxu turned back impatiently. "What now?"
He had stopped, intently watching the empty space beside the greenway—a few children around ten years old were playing soccer. You Mingxu noticed his head turning back and forth, following the ball.
Like a cat fixated on a ball of yarn.
You Mingxu chuckled softly and asked, "Want to play?"
"Mm," Yin Feng replied, already heading toward the children. You Mingxu stared at his back, which was much taller than theirs, and hesitated for a moment. She wanted to stop him but ultimately stayed silent.
The children noticed him but continued playing. He seemed unsure how to approach these "peers," so he stood to the side, hands tucked into his pockets.Before long, the ball rolled to his feet. You Mingxu saw him give a faint smile as he lifted his leg and kicked it out. It was a good kick—steady in both force and angle. One of the kids exclaimed, "Holy crap!" and had to chase the ball quite a distance before retrieving it. By then, Yin Feng had already pulled his hands out of his pockets, his expression softening with a hint of pride as he waited to continue playing.
However, the children exchanged glances. The oldest among them looked at this strange uncle again, his expression cold and disdainful, and said, "Let's go!"
The children ran off with the ball, glancing back warily at Yin Feng as they went.
Yin Feng’s expression gradually stiffened, and he stood rooted to the spot. You Mingxu walked over and patted his shoulder. "Let’s go."
He followed her without a word.
You Mingxu gazed at his long shadow under the streetlight, right at her feet. It seemed even more lonely and stubborn than usual. Suddenly, she realized something.
She realized that no matter how brilliant and triumphant this man had once been, when he awoke as if reborn a child, the world had become completely unknown and unfamiliar to him—even alienating. Adults didn’t treat him normally, and neither did children.
He might have lost his place in the world.
So… was that why he was so dependent on her? The first person he saw when he woke up.
You Mingxu didn’t like seeing him like this; it made her uncomfortable.
"Hey," she said, "it’s no big deal. They’re terrible at soccer anyway."
Yin Feng remained silent.
You Mingxu stopped, stood on her tiptoes, and patted his head. "Alright, let’s go home."
"Mm," he replied, but he turned his face away, avoiding her gaze. That was when You Mingxu noticed his ears seemed to be flushed red. Still upset? Feeling embarrassed?
You Mingxu couldn’t help but laugh, and before she knew it, she blurted out, "I’ll buy you a soccer ball tomorrow."
He turned to face her, his eyes lighting up. "Really?"
"What’s with the 'really'? It’s just a ball," You Mingxu said.
Before she could finish speaking, a pair of large hands suddenly gripped her waist from behind. You Mingxu stiffened, and before she knew it, he had lifted her high into the air. Passersby walking toward them looked on with a mix of shock and amusement.
"Yay…" Yin Feng cheered softly.
You Mingxu: "...Put me the hell down, you asshole!"
After dawdling along the way, it was already past nine when they finally got home.
As soon as they stepped inside, You Mingxu’s phone rang. Seeing it was Ding Xiongwei calling, her expression turned serious. She answered right there in the entryway. "Captain Ding."
"There’s been a homicide in Wangyue Hill Residential Area. Preliminary reports say three dead. Get your people back here now!"
You Mingxu: "Yes, sir!"
After hanging up, she saw Yin Feng looking at her with concern. You Mingxu pushed him aside, rushed into the house, and quickly got dressed and gathered her things before returning. He was still standing there, watching her with reluctance—like a child watching his mother head off for an overnight shift.
You Mingxu patted his head. "Go to sleep by yourself. If you need anything, find Chen Feng, not me." With that, she headed out and downstairs.
Yin Feng stood there for a while, then sat down and thought for a bit. He looked up at the quiet house and took out his phone.
Chen Feng: "Teacher Yin, what can I do for you?"
Yin Feng: "A Xu has gone to work on a case. Get a car ready for me. I’m going to follow her."
Chen Feng: "That might… be a bit inappropriate..."Yin Feng interrupted him: "It's so late, and I heard it's a homicide case over the phone. I was worried she might be in danger. Besides, I think I... seem pretty good at investigating cases. No more talking, do as I say, prepare the car."
Chen Feng: "Yes."
——
Wangyue Mountain Community was located in a bustling area, adjacent to schools. Even at night, there was a constant flow of vehicles and pedestrians. When You Mingxu and the others arrived at the scene of the crime downstairs, they saw crowds of people gathered in layers, all pointing and discussing.
The streetlights were bright, and police lights flashed. You Mingxu led her team, pushing through the crowd and lifting the police tape as they entered. Many eyes turned toward them, but You Mingxu paid them no mind. Still, at times like this, she always felt an inexplicable sense of solitude inside, as if she and the excited crowd around her stood in two different worlds.
The community was somewhat old, and because it was a school district property, there were many non-local residents. The deceased family were tenants. As they ascended the mottled staircase, Fan Jia muttered from behind, "Damn, there are even children." Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu remained silent.
They arrived at Unit 301.
You Mingxu glanced at the neighboring Unit 302. Whether it was the doorframe or the shoe mat on the ground, everything was far more refined and meticulous compared to Unit 301. At the moment, the door of Unit 302 was tightly shut, likely with no one home.
You Mingxu stepped into Unit 301.
The first thing that hit her was the thick, pungent smell of blood. You Mingxu put on shoe covers and gloves, breathing slowly to acclimate herself while scanning the entrance door and flicking the broken lock with her finger.
Xu Mengshan had already briefly communicated with the officers who had first arrived at the scene. Seeing her action, he said, "A neighbor upstairs noticed blood flowing out from under the door. They knocked and called, but no one answered, so they reported it to the police. When they arrived, the door lock was intact, but they had to force it open."
It was a small two-bedroom apartment, easily taking in the entire space at a glance. But at that moment, it was a bloody mess. Bloodstains and bloody footprints were everywhere on the floor, and there were even some bloody handprints on the walls. Two chairs had toppled over, and the coffee table and desk were askew.
The most striking feature, however, was the several thick drag marks on the floor near the kitchen entrance.
An officer approached and said, "They're in the kitchen."
You Mingxu was the first to walk over.
As soon as she reached the kitchen doorway, she saw them.
Against the wall stood a wooden table, and they were piled beneath it.
At the bottom was a little boy, whose length suggested he couldn't be more than five years old. He was lying face down, and from You Mingxu's angle, she could see his buttocks and legs.
An eight or nine-year-old girl lay intertwined on top of the boy. She was still wearing her school uniform, completely soaked in blood. You Mingxu could see the girl's pale, lifeless profile.
On top was a woman, around forty years old, lying over the two children with her knees slightly bent. One of her arms was pinned beneath her body, while the other hung naturally, not in a protective embrace. The woman had several deep wounds on her body.
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