Coming to Myself

You Mingxu turned her head and saw the young man smiling brightly under the midday sun. It seemed that every day, he was this carefree and happy—as long as she didn’t abandon him.

Two people who were worlds apart, never meant to cross paths in a lifetime.

You Mingxu walked up to him and flicked his forehead with her finger: "What are you daydreaming about again?"

Yin Feng quickly replied, "Nothing." Only then did he pull out the lunchbox from inside his coat and hand it to her.

You Mingxu was taken aback. So this guy had been hunching over to keep the lunchbox warm against his chest? She had thought he was practicing some new Ultraman pose again.

She took it, opened it, and found two of her favorite dishes with half a box of rice. It was still warm.

"Thanks," she said.

He grinned again, his smile as radiant as a spring day: "A Xu, don’t be polite with me!"

You Mingxu smiled too, reaching out to pat his head. But he was like a puppy, immediately leaning into her palm and nuzzling it. She switched from patting to a light tap on his head, then dragged a plastic stool over from the shop entrance and sat down, using her foot to hook another one for him.

The shop owner, long familiar with police officer You Mingxu, simply smiled at the scene. The two sat side by side, You Mingxu burying her head in the meal, eating heartily like a man, shoveling rice into her mouth. Yin Feng sat quietly, hands on his knees. A gentle breeze blew, and the sun shone brightly. You Mingxu was eating too quickly to talk. Strangely, Yin Feng suddenly didn’t feel like speaking either, feeling that this was just perfect.

Within minutes, You Mingxu finished eating, then went to wash her face. Though she hadn’t slept enough, she felt refreshed. Looking up, she saw Yin Feng still sitting in the same spot, the lunchbox now tucked into a plastic bag dangling from his finger, swaying back and forth. Despite his tall and sturdy build, he sat like a child, his long legs not resting on the ground but propped on the crossbar under the chair.

You Mingxu couldn’t resist tapping the back of his head again. His hair was dark and soft, feeling nice to the touch. She said, "I’m leaving."

"A Xu," he said, "Is this the life you’ve always lived?"

You Mingxu looked at his thoughtful profile and replied, "Yes."

"Then…" Yin Feng said, "Has it always been like this? No one to care for you? No one to bring you food when you’re hungry, no one to sleep beside you when you’re tired, like I did just now?"

You Mingxu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. She shot him a glance and didn’t want to respond.

He raised his long arm and, even while sitting, easily reached her head. His eyes held a faint smile as he said, "It’ll be different from now on. You have me."

That clear, transparent smile reminded You Mingxu of the country streams she’d seen in her childhood—so easy to see through.

You Mingxu stayed silent for a few seconds, her heart filled with indescribable emotions. It was as if her heart had always been a barren desert, and now a little sapling had popped up, declaring, "I’m going to grow strong and tall here from now on!"

But she didn’t need this fragile little sapling to shield her from the light.

She smiled, brushed his hand away, and said, "No respect for your elders."

"Tch…" he said, "Xiao Fengzi told me I’m four years older than you. He said it’s just because my mind isn’t fully recovered yet that I’m a bit… naive."

You Mingxu laughed and, unable to resist, ruffled his hair again.He suddenly spoke again: "Why don't you quit being a police officer? I seem to have a lot of money. Even if neither of us works from now on, that money would last us a lifetime. I can support you."

Yet these words only made You Mingxu find it laughable. She replied, "If you support me, what would I do every day? Just keep you company?"

His fair-skinned face actually flushed slightly red. Without turning his head, he softly uttered an "Mm."

You Mingxu found it even more amusing and asked leisurely, "If it really came to that, would I be your pet? Or would you be mine?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt something was off but couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.

Yin Feng, however, had a vague feeling—a faint, not entirely honorable thought—that she had seen right through him. His ears turned red, and he lowered his head, saying, "I'll be your pet then."

You Mingxu finally burst out laughing. Somehow, the oppressive mood brought on by the case had lifted because of this little guy. She laughed heartily for a while, until his lips puckered in displeasure, before she slowly let out a breath and said, "Yin Feng, have you ever seen an eagle in the blue sky? I, You Mingxu, am one of them. You used to be one too. So we must both fly with all our might—why cling to the ground? As long as I can keep flying, even if my wings break high in the sky someday, I'd be happy."

Yin Feng fixed his clear, dark eyes on her for a moment, as if he had understood something, and nodded firmly: "Okay!"

You Mingxu smiled. Just then, her phone rang. She answered—it was a colleague: "Sis You! We've found traces of Li Biran. He appeared on a commercial street on the morning of the incident, very close to your current location! The others will head over right away."

After hanging up, You Mingxu opened the car door: "Let's go." Little did she know, as soon as she got in, Yin Feng swiftly slid into the passenger seat and clicked his seatbelt into place with a snap. You Mingxu looked stern: "Get out. Didn't we agree?"

Yin Feng didn't move.

You Mingxu reached over, unclicked his seatbelt, and without wasting words, pushed him out. He gripped the doorframe, refusing to budge. That tall, upright figure now curled up in the corner like an oversized worm. He protested, "A Xu, you're going back on your word!"

You Mingxu: "When did I go back on my word?!"

He looked at her, his gaze clear and stubborn: "You clearly said just now that you'd take me flying with you from now on. Why won't you take me along to investigate the case now?"

You Mingxu felt that familiar tightness in her chest again: "...When the hell did I say I'd take you flying with me?!"

He bit his lip—his teeth white and even, his lips full and masculine. Then, surprisingly, his eyes flickered, and with lightning speed, he fastened his seatbelt again. Those hands, once accustomed to holding a pen, moved with astonishing dexterity, twisting the seatbelt around his waist several times like a braid, adopting an expression of defiant stubbornness.

You Mingxu stared, dumbfounded.

Once he was done, You Mingxu even wondered if it could be untangled properly again. Probably feeling secure in his resistance, he grew slightly flustered under her persistent gaze and lowered his head. Then, struck by inspiration, he softly added, "Also, I just finished reviewing the specialized branch of 'Geographical Criminal Psychology' this morning. Since you're going to look for someone now, I could be very useful."You Mingxu remained silent for a few seconds, glanced at her watch again—several minutes had already been wasted. She straightened up and said coolly, "Sit properly. Untie the twisted rope on you exactly as it was. Once we get there, follow my lead. If you act up, I’ll kick you right out of the car."