Ding Xiongwei continued, "This case is extremely serious. You've all seen the condition of the victims, so I won't elaborate further. All leave is suspended. Concentrate all efforts and solve this case swiftly!"
The officers responded, "Yes!"
Every police officer's face was shadowed with grim determination. Ding Xiongwei's expression was particularly icy. Just as everyone was about to disperse and take action, a clear, pleasant voice spoke up: "Just focus on investigating A Xu's line of inquiry. Everyone else's efforts will be wasted."
For the first time in her life, You Mingxu felt her vision darken. She jerked her head up, looking at the astonished faces around her, especially Ding Xiongwei's stern, cold expression. They were all staring at the person who had appeared behind her.
You Mingxu slowly turned around and saw Yin Feng standing almost pressed against her, hands in his pockets, the chest emblem of his Ultraman shirt particularly eye-catching. He glanced down at her, a confident smile in his eyes, and continued, "On my way here, I observed that the neighborhood has heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic, yet there are very few surveillance cameras, especially none nearby downstairs. The killer only needed to change clothes to conceal any bloodstains and blend into the crowd.
He's meticulous and planned this out—even brought gloves and shoe covers. If he were a habitual thief, how could he not know someone would be home at noon? Besides, midday isn't convenient with all the people coming and going in the building. He could have chosen another time to break into an empty house. Moreover, the neighbor next door is clearly wealthier and unoccupied during the day, yet he didn't target them. All signs indicate he wasn't after money. Taking those valuables was either to cover his tracks or simply opportunistic.
The buildings here are close together, and sound carries. Yet from the moment he entered, he had complete control of the situation—none of the neighbors heard any distinct cries for help from the victims. Each victim was stabbed over five times, and he stacked the bodies in such a way, revealing intense emotion. Therefore, I believe this is a revenge killing. The killer came prepared specifically to kill Xie Huifang. The two children happened to return home accidentally; they weren't his targets. Otherwise, he could have chosen a time when everyone was home at night.
So, focus all efforts on investigating my A Xu's line of inquiry. It's faster, more precise, and more effective."
The room full of police officers fell into complete silence.
Because he spoke so quickly and fluently, his magnetic voice even carrying an undertone of authoritative finality, by the time everyone processed his words, he had already finished in one breath. Then he just kept staring at You Mingxu beside him, looking expectant, as if waiting for praise.
The detectives: "..."
Ignoring Yin Feng, You Mingxu lifted her eyelids slightly to sneak a glance at Ding Xiongwei's expression. Sure enough, after a moment of silence, the old wolf's face darkened completely. He asked coldly, "Why is he here?"
The detectives had all heard about Yin Feng's identity and his unclear involvement with You Mingxu in the highway serial killer case. No one spoke. Ding Xiongwei's gaze settled on You Mingxu.
You Mingxu was not one to take the blame. She said calmly, "I suppose it's because he has an expert pass issued by Director Duan. The people outside couldn't stop him. He came here out of his former professional habits, I guess. I'm not really sure either."No sooner had she spoken than Yin Feng shook his head, tugged at her sleeve again, and said, "No, A Xu, I really came here for you. Helping you solve the case was just incidental."
Beside them, Xu Mengshan couldn't hold back a chuckle.
You Mingxu remained expressionless.
Ding Xiongwei had no patience to listen to their bickering and immediately roared, "Get him out of here right now! You Mingxu, if you bring irrelevant people to the crime scene again, you can go guard the front gate for me!"
Ding Xiongwei stormed off with a sweep of his sleeve. The others quickly dispersed, turning to attend to their own tasks. Only because You Mingxu still commanded considerable respect in the criminal police squad—and was notoriously fierce—did no one dare provoke her further.
Yin Feng vaguely understood that his A Xu had been reprimanded by her superior. Standing motionless where he was, his jade-like fair face flushed with a faint blush. Yin Feng thought she looked quite lovely when she blushed—it was a rare sight. Unable to resist, he raised his hand and gently touched her reddened ear before quickly withdrawing it.
She turned to face him.
Just as Yin Feng was about to smile at her, he saw her face devoid of any expression. Her phoenix eyes held none of their usual gentle warmth when looking at him. She said, "Didn't you hear Captain Ding? Get lost. Stop getting in my way."
——
You Mingxu left the crime scene half an hour later. Xu Mengshan called to say he had already arranged interviews with Xie Huifang's company colleagues and several friends.
It was already past ten at night, and no police officer wanted to waste even a minute. You Mingxu knew full well that tonight would be an all-nighter.
As soon as she stepped out the door, her phone rang. Seeing it was Chen Feng calling, she hung up immediately.
But just as she descended a few steps down the stairs, Chen Feng sent a WeChat message: "Miss You, Teacher Yin just sent me a text, but now his phone is unreachable and I can't get in touch with him. I'm currently near the crime scene but can't enter. I'm really sorry—he must have done something foolish again and made you angry. But the doctor said Teacher Yin's emotions and mental state are still unstable and he shouldn't be subjected to further stress. If possible, please be patient and persuade him to come back home with me. Even before the incident, Teacher Yin always responded better to kindness than force. Thank you!"
Below was a screenshot of Yin Feng's message to Chen Feng, containing only one sentence:
"I made a mistake and made her angry."
You Mingxu stood still for a few seconds, stuffed her phone into her pocket, and headed straight downstairs. When she reached the second floor, she saw someone sitting on the ground at the corner—who else could it be but Yin Feng. He sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, head bowed, face hidden in the shadows.
So after being scolded and sent away, he had just moved a few steps outside and sat down. You Mingxu thought.
Needless to say, the other detectives knew he was with her. With his access pass, they had all passed by without bothering him.
You Mingxu stopped behind him and said, "What are you doing here?"
He shifted slightly and replied hoarsely, "Can't I just enjoy the breeze here? I'm not inside the crime scene."
Was he being stubborn with her?
You Mingxu glanced at the grimy walls around them, complete with spiderwebs and dust—hardly a place for any refreshing breeze. She said, "Be good and go home. I need to leave too."
Yin Feng remained motionless, staring at the ground, and muttered, "A Xu, am I really that much of a nuisance?"You Mingxu fell silent for a moment, then turned to look behind them at the old building's latticed hollow-carved windows. The night outside was as deep as a pool, dark enough to swallow everything in its embrace.
She replied, "No, I was just speaking out of anger."
He remained quiet for a few seconds before asking, "Then are you happy when you're with me?"
That feeling of having her chest forcibly blocked surged through You Mingxu again. She slowly let out a silent breath and said, "Happy, of course I'm happy."
Yin Feng still didn't move, but suddenly extended a hand toward her. You Mingxu restrained herself and placed her hand in his, allowing him to grip it tightly. His way of holding hands was truly childlike—no interlocking fingers, no masculine caress—just a tight grasp, as if clutching all the hope he had in this lifetime.
He said, "Then let me follow you on the case."
You Mingxu: "No!"
His hand immediately withdrew.
Strangely, his current persistence didn't irritate her as much as before. Perhaps Chen Feng's text message had made her realize that the person before her was, after all, a patient. She shouldn't take it so personally with him. Or maybe she felt somewhat awkward about her earlier harsh attitude. After a moment of silence, she deliberately circled around and stepped down a few stairs to stand facing him at his level.
He buried his face in his arms, revealing only those bright eyes fixed on her. Chen Feng's words flashed through You Mingxu's mind: He responds better to softness than force. She absolutely couldn't take him along on the investigation; she still needed to make him obediently go home.
You Mingxu reached out both hands and, under his surprised gaze, pressed them onto his shoulders. She forced a strained smile and said, "Yin Feng, be good and go home to wait for me. That would make me very happy and at ease. Otherwise, I'll really get angry again. Then tomorrow I won't pay attention to you, won't eat or take walks with you, and I won't buy you that soccer ball either."
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist, and her heart lurched with weightlessness. Her hands still rested on his shoulders while her entire body nearly collapsed into his embrace. His arms held her tightly, his face pressed against hers, his warm breath fanning across her skin. You Mingxu shuddered as his other hand slid down and settled squarely on her hip, cupping half of its rounded curve firmly.
Her body had lost its balance, forced flush against his. The outside of her thighs pressed against the inside of his, carrying a bewildering warmth.
He was already tall and broad, essentially lifting her entire body from the lower steps into his embrace.
You Mingxu froze for several seconds before a sudden rush of anger surged through her. Just as she was about to explode, she heard him whisper, "I'm sorry."
You Mingxu was taken aback. He lifted his gaze, meeting her eyes at close range: "I came here on my own and got you scolded."
The furious words You Mingxu had ready suddenly stuck in her throat.
"Let me go first," she said, pushing against him, but surprisingly, she couldn't break free. She couldn't very well throw him down the stairs and risk another concussion, could she? Yin Feng stared stubbornly at her and said, "I promise I'll go home right away. I understand now that disturbing you at work like that wasn't good. But can you promise me you won't disappear for days again? Can you... come back every day, just let me see you for a little while? Please?"In this lifetime, You Mingxu had never been needed so intensely by anyone. No one, ever.
After a moment of silence, she broke free from his embrace, stood up, and said, "Alright, I promise you. I'll make sure you see me every day."
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